Dry Cat Food

[Stacy0w]

I'm new to all this and having a hard time finding a gluten-free dry cat food. I've found several that are grain free, but I'm not sure if they are gluten free truly. Earthborn Holistic, Hills Ideal or Crafted, several Blue Buffalo varieties, 4Health Grain free and Wellness Core Grain free. Any one have experience with any of these? He's almost out of his gluteny food so I'd like to not buy more. Thank you.

[BlessedMommy]

I use this brand and my kitty loves it. 

Open Original Shared Link

I've read the label and there are no wheat or barley grasses in it.

[kareng]

We had issues with the Blue Buffalo - they have had issues with ingredients (not gluten related) and made both my dog and my cat sick.

 

Merrick makes a high quality gluten-free/grain free cat food.

[mamaw]

Our  kitties eat   all the varieties  mentioned  plus a few  more... they  are  kitty foodie  snobs .... They  like  the  wellness  canned  too....

[lpellegr]

If you don't see the words "wheat, rye, barley, oats" you should be fine.  Sometimes you see corn gluten, but that won't hurt you unless you have issues other than celiac disease.  Iams dry is safe.

[WinterSong]

I wish I could give my kitty gluten-free food. She (like her mommy) has stomach issues, and she needs to be on a specific medicated brand that happens to contain gluten. I keep her food in the hall closet away from anything cooking related, and I wash my hands after each feeding. It would be so much easier if it was gluten-free. Sigh. 

[mamaw]

I would  step out  on my own  &  try  probiotics  &  a grain free  food... if  you are not using a holistic  vet   they  will not understand  that  stomach  issues  can be a result  of the food the kitty  is  eating ... it  is  mainstream food  that  contains gluten.....our  kitty  has  lots of  medical issues   &  going  gluten free  &  higher  end  holistic  food  has  been  a god send  for  our  feline  family...

[WinterSong]

Thank you for the advice. I wish we could switch. She has been on three different diets.

1. Unhealthy mainstream cat food with lots of starches and fillers (this was before we adopted her).

2. A highly recommended diet of wet food only that has no grains/fillers. Very high in protein.

3. Her current diet of special medicated dry food containing gluten.

 

Oddly enough, on her wet food/diet #2 she had to go to the hospital three times for severe constipation. Thank goodness we had pet insurance, otherwise the bills would have been monstrous. Her current diet is the only thing that has been keeping her regular. It was awful on #2 because we now realize she had been trying for weeks to tell us that something was wrong (she was pooping, just not enough), but because she obviously doesn't speak English we didn't get it. My boyfriend (the technical owner) is not willing to risk compromising her health again to try a new food. We'll just end up with another ER visit. 

 

I'm trying to be as careful as I can feeding her. I don't think it's much different than having a shared kitchen with gluten eaters. Everything is separate. Luckily I don't have a skin sensitivity to gluten. 

[bartfull]

How about you get her another dish and have the boyfriend fill it ahead of time so all you have to do is pick up the empty dish and replace it with the full one? That way you don't risk breathing in the dust and all you'll have to do is wash your hands.

[WinterSong]

That's a nice thought too. Unfortunately she needs to be fed five times a day (otherwise she gets too excited, eats too fast, then throws up). My boyfriend and I do not live together yet. Our cat is staying at my place for a period of time while he is busy traveling. What I have done to minimize the dust problem is to transfer some of her food into a smaller container. When I open it I can tell that there isn't as strong of the smell as with the larger bag. So I'm hoping that the smaller container is decreasing the airborn risk. I still do not hold it close to me and will hold my breath. I only touch the little scoop in the container then wash my hands. That's the best I've come up with so far.

[mamaw]

We   have  a kitty  that  was  abused very early in life,  then  we  gave  him a loving  spoiled  life... He wasn't  supposed to survive  his  trauma  but  he  now  is going  on 11..... did  I say he  is VERY SPOILED  but  he  is like  a child  to us....

maybe  you  could  use a mask  when feeding...it must be  so hard  because  you must  love this kitty  too to  be  so caring   to it... &  I'm  sure  the kitty  tries to thank you  if  only  we  could  speak their  language  .....

If you  can  try to find  a holistic  vet, it is  amazing  what  one of these  has  done  for our  pets  through the years, gave  us  many years  more  with  several  ill pets....with  good  health....

[bartfull]

If it's working then it's working. I can't get gluten-free cat food here so my little one gets Purina Organic. I handle it pretty much the way you describe and I haven't gotten sick yet.

[BlessedMommy]

I buy grain free cat food (I purchase it online for better pricing) for extra assurance and also because my kitty loves it and does well on it, but I doubt that pet food is the highest risk as long as it is handled properly. I'm far more worried about getting glutened by my kids, than by my pets.

[LauraTX]

Given all that info on your poor kitty, I agree that it is best to just stay with what is working.  Funny, my cat also gets excited, eats without breathing, and then throws up whole kibble, so we have to feed her four times a day, lol.  She doesn't even chew.

[WinterSong]

That is too funny. That is exactly what my cat does. She's so greedy. Once I opened her small food container, and she stuffed her face in it before I could do anything. She picked up half a dozen pieces, ran to the other room, dropped them, and then proceeded to swallow them whole one by one, lol.