This food causes foul-smelling diarrhea in one of my cats and poorer quality stool in the other. The ingredient I find to be causal, based on feeding tests, is tapioca. Tapioca is a type of carbohydrate. Cats often do not digest carbohydrates well, as cats have shorter digestive tracts and are obligate carnivores. What is likely happening in my very sensitive cat is osmotic diarrhea and carbohydrate malabsorption. After eliminating foods with potato starch and tapioca, she has started to regain weight lost from her bout with diarrhea (took me awhile to figure it out via feeding tests).
Cats with IBD often achieve remission via dietary elimination of grains AND other carbohydrate sources. In addition to tapioca, I have found potato starch (in other foods to be another diarrhea trigger). What cat in the wild would eat tapioca or a potato?
Wysong, a pet food manufacturer, has taken a strong stance against tapioca. They say it is a "poor substitute for grains," high in sugar, and also associated with toxins. They say that pet food manufacturers often tout "no grain" to "imply that the grains have been replaced by a superior ingredient" when Wysong goes on to say they have not. Note: I don't feed Wysong food to my cats as they include things like corn and rice in their canned food options. (I do not feed kibble as it is problematic in cats with IBD --and usually contains excessive carbohydrates that are needed for kibble to hold its shape.)
I imagine many cats would tolerate this food. I don't have issue with any other ingredients. The chicken looks nice and is in a gravy (created with the tapioca). There are bits of pumpkin that can be used to help with diarrhea and/or constipation.
I do think (if one's cat tolerates this food) that one should consider long-term impact of carbohydrates in terms of raising IBD and diabetes risk. Both diseases are on the rise in pet cats. When considering cat anatomy and many of the foods cats eat, how can we be surprised?
This food is formulated (as are most pet foods) to meet nutritional guidelines set by the AAFCO. Many pet owners are surprised to learn that clinical studies are not done with most pet foods. --They are just formulated. It's less costly.
This food, like many today, is made in Thailand.
I think the manufacturer should consider foods like TikiCat that are similar and made without a gravy --rather a broth. No need for tapioca or potato starch to make a broth.
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