I've use the prescribed diet for a couple of months to see if it helps. Then if it does I attempt to isolate the allergy / sensitivity and find a premium but not prescription food that works.
So after using ZD you find things are fine. Try a different minimum ingredient food and be willing to switch back to ZD if symptoms return. You will have to buy more expensive food than Purina or something and read ingredient lists diligently but it will be cheaper than an all prescription diet.
ZD is 50$ for 4lbs which is about months worth. If I remember right. Consider it $100 for a diagnostic test and see how it goes.
Higher quality foods have smaller portion sizes as well just as a heads up. The bags are smaller and it feels like a rip-off, but there is definitely a quality difference.
Look for the food that has the fewest common fillers. My cat can't do potatoes and they're in everything.
Taste of The Wild has a decent low ingredient food.
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Magus`The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered Userregular
Yeah, the hard part right now is playing food musical chairs because Pete will try to eat the puppy's food or the dogs food and the dog wants to eat his. I have to put one down at a time and watch them like a hawk.
So far, Pete won't touch the ZD food which I'm told is not uncommon. I guess it'll try the DD one next and go from there. Sucks that the vet is 30 minutes away.
Don't forget to check to see if they dont mind just taking a call, or if they have an email address! In times like these if you said you'd be willing to book a time and pay, but you just wanted to have a phone convo, I'm sure the vet could accommodate. My vet will help with follow up questions over email happily, so dont rule it out!
Switching food for a cat is a hell of a process. I've had more luck letting them get really hungry and then feeding one kibble at a time like it's a treat. When you give them a little scoop in a bowl they act like it's the jackpot and you're such a stupid human to leave treats unguarded if you establish that it's a treat ahead of time. Otherwise they act like you're trying to poison them by giving them funny food.
The ZD has freeze-dried stuff on the outside that two of my cats loved licking off immediately.
Also? Pet food manufacturers have utterly no morals when it comes to ripping people off on specialized food. It's frankly ridiculous and outside of the really high end brands you generally end up buying something that is roughly the same but in a different package at a 50% or nigher markup for the privilege of the packaging saying it's healthier.
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
Also? Pet food manufacturers have utterly no morals when it comes to ripping people off on specialized food. It's frankly ridiculous and outside of the really high end brands you generally end up buying something that is roughly the same but in a different package at a 50% or nigher markup for the privilege of the packaging saying it's healthier.
True, but there is a difference between "high end premium brands" and medical foods. If you have to have a vet script to order the food, typically yes, its gonna be bonkers expensive but for a reason due to the medical formulation.
There still is no reason for it to be so expensive beyond it being a limited demand product, but the benefits are actually a prescription medication rather than the Blue Buffalo garbage claims.
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I've use the prescribed diet for a couple of months to see if it helps. Then if it does I attempt to isolate the allergy / sensitivity and find a premium but not prescription food that works.
So after using ZD you find things are fine. Try a different minimum ingredient food and be willing to switch back to ZD if symptoms return. You will have to buy more expensive food than Purina or something and read ingredient lists diligently but it will be cheaper than an all prescription diet.
ZD is 50$ for 4lbs which is about months worth. If I remember right. Consider it $100 for a diagnostic test and see how it goes.
Higher quality foods have smaller portion sizes as well just as a heads up. The bags are smaller and it feels like a rip-off, but there is definitely a quality difference.
Look for the food that has the fewest common fillers. My cat can't do potatoes and they're in everything.
Taste of The Wild has a decent low ingredient food.
So far, Pete won't touch the ZD food which I'm told is not uncommon. I guess it'll try the DD one next and go from there. Sucks that the vet is 30 minutes away.
Steam Profile | Signature art by Alexandra 'Lexxy' Douglass
Steam Profile | Signature art by Alexandra 'Lexxy' Douglass
The ZD has freeze-dried stuff on the outside that two of my cats loved licking off immediately.
True, but there is a difference between "high end premium brands" and medical foods. If you have to have a vet script to order the food, typically yes, its gonna be bonkers expensive but for a reason due to the medical formulation.
There still is no reason for it to be so expensive beyond it being a limited demand product, but the benefits are actually a prescription medication rather than the Blue Buffalo garbage claims.
Vet said we can use a specialized cocktail to treat it, so, here's hoping.
Steam Profile | Signature art by Alexandra 'Lexxy' Douglass