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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 16:28:34 GMT -5
So, my 3 kids typically get to free range eat Wysong's Epigen90 kibble. Once a day they get soupies of ground Epigen90 and archetypal 1.
My local pet store special ordered me the Wysong and Stella & Chewy's products that I wanted. The arch 1 came in, and the chick chick chicken dinner [s&c's freeze dried], but...of course...the epigen90 did NOT.
Which, naturally, I am 100% out of as of this morning. So, what are my options? I have a bag of Evolve cat food, whch is pretty s***y but the best I could find in an emergency back-up situation. Let's see...first few ingredients: chicken (wooo!), chicken meal (ehhh...), ground brown rice (ahhh!), rice flour ( ), chicekn fat [preserved with mixed tocopherols), "natural flavors", ground barley, fish meal...then a bunch of dried veggies and chemicals. 32% crude protein minimum, 13% crude fat, minimum.
I also have a bag of Wysong's Archetypal I and a bag of Stella & Chewy's Chick, Chick, Chicken Dinner for cats. (Chicken [ground with bone], chicken liver, chicken gizzard, pumpkin seed (argh!), then a bunch of chemicals and vitamins that are too long and too complicated to type out here). Minimum crude protein, 45%; minimum crude fat, 25%. I hadn't even opened the bag yet and the kids all came running and chewing at the bag...opened it up and they started grabbing chunks
Alright folks...what should I do? I am applying for a mentor (app will be up shortly). I'm pretty peeved at the pet store ("maybe it will be in next tuesday"). They're great people and it's probably not their fault but I am still pretty flippin peeved nonetheless.
Please help!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 16:35:58 GMT -5
If they like the freeze-dried and will eat enough of it then I would recommend feeding just that and skipping out on the crappy kibble option. honestly you don't even need to go back to the kibble. You can keep them on the freeze dried until you get a mentor and do the switch. Freeze dried is 100% balanced See if you can get them to eat it rehydrated though (soak it in water for 5-10 mins) because eating it dry can dehydrate them a bit. If they won't take it wet, that's fine, let them eat it dry, just provide lots of fresh water. The only concern would be making sure everyone is eating it. so watch them closely and spoon/hand feed if you have to. The pumpkin seeds in the Stella and cheweys freeze dried are ground up, Not whole (they are whole in their frozen raw I believe) so that's not a concern. And yes there is veggies in both Stella and cheweys and wysong but in both there is less than 5% I do believe, so again not a concern. The best part is because freeze dried is raw, when you do get a mentor you don't have to worry about upset tummies that kibble and raw together can cause. Do let us know if they won't eat the freeze dried though so we can give you some other advice since they do need to eat Oh and because freeze dried is so expensive and won't last that as long as kibble, if you want to cut back on costs while waiting for a mentor, then once you get them eating wet freeze dried you can try mixing in some raw soup and see if they'll eat it. 8oz chicken, a couple chicken hearts, a chicken liver, 1/2 tsp egg shell will make a nice balanced soup (blend it up until soupy and add water) that you can mix in with the freeze dried to make it go further. Because it sure is expensive! ;D
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 16:36:21 GMT -5
I would just let them eat the Chick Chick Chicken and Archetypal 1. I love them both. of course, this is more expensive, but it will buy you time.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 16:37:21 GMT -5
And yes there is veggies I'm both Stella and cheweys and wysong but in both there is less than 5% I do believe, so Stella & Chewys feline formulas do not contain any fruit or vegetables. only thing they have that is "undesireable" is the pumpkin seeds but those are ground up. the Chick Chick Chicken is feline formula. it is 99% meat, bones, organs
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 16:43:34 GMT -5
Thanks Miamiferret I forgot the feline version was veggie free
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 18:07:57 GMT -5
Carpetsharks has made a good suggestion. You want to switch them anyway. Rehydrate the Freeze dried & mix in fresh meats. Try it.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 18:22:29 GMT -5
Thank you guys! I will do exactly that. And yeah....freeze dried prices, holy smokes I will have to go shopping for ingredients for raw soupies. I bet they would enjoy that for their morning soupies!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 18:49:27 GMT -5
Freeze dried / frozen commercial raw are great to use as supplemental feedings bc sometimes you don't have time. But they are expensive.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 19:19:01 GMT -5
Indeed!! (I paid somewhere around $40 for 7.5 oz Archetypal I and 12oz of S&C's. And imagine if I had to pay shipping!! Should I stick to the Archetypal/S&C for a little while and then introduce the fresh raw? I don't want it to be too much of a change on their tummies.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 19:28:57 GMT -5
it shouldn't upset their tummies too much. Their stool will be pretty funky for a while regardless because their bodies will be adapting to the raw. I would give them at least a couple days to get used to the rehydrated freeze dried and make sure they are eating it properly and then you want to very slowly sneak the raw soup in there to get them used to it.
The only real tummy upset you will see is if they have a protein sensitivity to chicken. But since you said youve fed the wysong freeze dried before, I don't imagine you'll see any major stool upset.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 21:23:20 GMT -5
Indeed!! (I paid somewhere around $40 for 7.5 oz Archetypal I and 12oz of S&C's. And imagine if I had to pay shipping!! Should I stick to the Archetypal/S&C for a little while and then introduce the fresh raw? I don't want it to be too much of a change on their tummies. Omg! Have you checked WWW.caseyshiddenpantry.com ? I think you are paying alot! You can calculate shipping on there.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 21:24:43 GMT -5
I would keep the s & c. As treats if you want. It really comes in handy when you are in a pinch.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 21:30:42 GMT -5
Unfortunately, with shipping at CHP it's more expensive. The archetypal-1 & Stella and chewy are $34.71 (with tax), but shipping to vermont (zip code 05401) is $9.45, so total $44.16
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 6, 2011 21:38:29 GMT -5
Holy crap!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2011 23:04:16 GMT -5
Shipping to Canada from CHP is a flat rate of $20 but I asked for a gift certificate for Christmas Freeze dried sure doesn't last long either, a bag of wysong archetypal 1 only lasts me a few weeks rehydrated for my two girls and that's only being fed for half of their weekly meals
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