Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
Considered one of Jackson’s [Jackson Galaxy] cats was simply as unhealthy. He by no means did eat canned meals. He would eat a wide range of dry no less than. He may very well be fed a wide range of uncooked. Darn, man. They know from the beginning.
Jenny Dean:
I do know. We talked about mice earlier than. I ended up a number of years in the past as a result of one in every of my readers does the entire Frankenprey factor. To say simply in case somebody that’s listening doesn’t perceive that. She buys complete pheasants which might be frozen on-line and so they’re despatched to her after which she offers them to her cat to devour. She stated that she began out with mice, and also you begin out with pinkies after which the totally different sizes on up and so I went to an area pet retailer right here that offered the feeder mice for reptiles, however frozen. Though my cats would in all probability benefit from the reside course of, I wouldn’t have been capable of deal with it.
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
No, no. That’s a step too far.
Jenny Dean:
However I did discover in researching and calling folks on-line as a result of I stated, “If this works, I’ll proceed to do that,” and there was one girl, a man stated, that might purchase mice and throw them in her meals processor and that’s what she would feed her cats. I used to be like-
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
Who?
Jenny Dean:
I wouldn’t be opposed to purchasing the processed mice, however for me to hit pulse on that meals processor. Actually robust.
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
Yeah. The issue with pheasants-
Jenny Dean:
Even when they’re lifeless.
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
Yeah, the issue with the pheasant, if it’s raised for meals, for one factor, they’re normally grain fed. Their omega-3, omega-6 ratio is off. They’re bred to supply extra meat than a wild pheasant. The bone to meat ratio is off. After they kill a pheasant, they hold it up by a seat and drain the blood after which they kill them. You’re nonetheless not fairly getting it. It’s definitely higher than a variety of choices however nonetheless not good. That’s the difficulty. Now, I hope I don’t trigger a run on pinkies throughout the nation, however… I definitely would have-
Jenny Dean:
How do they kill them? Did they offer them fuel or one thing? As a result of that’s what I used to be questioning about that.
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
I’m unsure. Most likely is fuel however I don’t know. I’ve questioned however I’ve by no means had the nerve to truly look into it. I can take a variety of issues however not the whole lot. However I would definitely have a devoted meals processor only for the cat.
Jenny Dean:
Sure. So then I ponder, if you happen to’re feeding your cats even pinkies and so they’re getting fuel, then is that within the lungs of the mice that they’re consuming and is that poisonous? Simply when does it finish?
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
Most likely, if it’s fuel, in all probability not. I believe the fuel would simply blow off as a result of it’s a fuel. I don’t suppose it might keep within the tissue. When a lion catches a zebra, they strangle it. You’re going to have the identical buildup of carbon dioxide and all that sort of stuff. I believe it’s in all probability related. The opposite factor they could do, and I don’t know this for certain, however I do know they do it in some circumstances is that they freeze them. Freeze them and so they simply die. From all that I do know, freezing to loss of life in all probability one of many extra nice methods to go. Perhaps that’s all proper. I don’t know.
I believe our cats can do superb with a Frankenprey mannequin. We simply do the perfect we will. It might’t be adequate. Is it good? No. But it surely’s in all probability adequate. Your Stella & Chewy’s, your Primals, your frozen raws are going to be the following smartest thing. Though, I wish to level out that cooking doesn’t considerably change the vitamin. It does the character of the enzyme however you don’t lose that a lot by way of vitamins. When you’re squeamish about uncooked, you possibly can evenly cook dinner meat and issues like that and it’ll be okay. You would all the time add enzymes and probiotics.
Jenny Dean:
All proper, subsequent query. Richard requested, “Do some grains similar to brown rice add to the cat’s digestive system?”
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
Properly, I’m unsure what which means, however they don’t. Carbohydrates don’t do something for the cat, interval. They don’t want carbohydrates. They don’t even want fiber technically. There aren’t any fiber in a mouse apart from perhaps zillions of a teaspoon of grass within the digestive system of the mouse when he eats it. There’s a variety of downsides to carbohydrates for cats. Small quantity isn’t going to harm anyone. However they don’t have a necessity for it and so they don’t add to the dietary worth.
Jenny Dean:
Cynthia stated, “I’m curious what she thinks of substances which might be neither meat nor grain similar to potatoes, blueberries or different fruit and veggies. I’m usually conscious that some are binders and others are added for vitamin, however wish to know if any of them ought to be averted. Thanks.”
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM:
When you’re speaking about issues like carrots and spinach and blueberries and cranberries, these are within the meals at a stage so low that they make no distinction to the cat. These are in there to enchantment to your eyeballs and so they’re window dressing, as I’ve heard it put. I name them glamour substances. They’re simply there for advertising and marketing functions there. There’s not any dietary purpose for them to be there. As a result of they’re an quantity so small that they’re not going to make any distinction. There’s nothing that I might significantly keep away from.
In case you have a cat that had calcium oxalate crystals, perhaps keep away from the spinach and kale sort of issues, however once more the quantities are so tiny as to be insignificant in the long term.
When you’re making meals, then there’s a variety of issues to be careful for. However, in a business meals, no. No huge deal.
