I previously posted a blog about Stephen’s concerns about constipation with Weruva, which I dispelled. Now he has concerns with the calorie count, something he read about in an online chat room (which I often refer to as gossip and bashing sites):
I’ve been meaning to call your show, but I just can’t seem to find the time. I want to thank you for responding the first time and printing my question in your blog.
There’s one other question that’s come up regarding Weruva. I’ve been reading other forums and there’s some concern about the low caloric count of Weruva (84 calories per can) and the low fat percentage. My cat has been eating almost two 5.5. oz cans per day but her weight stays constant at around 8 pounds. Lulu’s a dainty thing and may be a Turkish Van mix so this could be around her ideal weight, but the vet would like to see her gain at least a pound.
She’s still having problems with constipation and we’re adding Metamucil Clear & Natural (formerly Fibersure) to her food (3/4 of a teaspoon every day). Her movements come every 5 or 6 days, and they’re large and not hard, although there’s a drop of blood at the end from time to time. Our vet feels that can be from the straining and could be from a hemorrhoid. Since she’s a senior cat (12 years old), he thinks there may be a motility issue and may move to something stronger from Petromalt soon. The low fiber content (.5%) of Weruva may also be adding to the problem.
As I previously wrote, Lulu had skin allergies and would scratch and lick her face and legs until they were bald and had wounds. Since I switched to Weruva, the skin problems have cleared up but I would like to add a higher calorie food to her diet which is higher in fiber. I’m just afraid that another food will cause her skin allergy to flare up again.
David from Weruva answered thoughtfully in great detail as follows (and my reply is below this one):
Weruva’s calorie content reading is lower than most brands. There are two primary reasons for this with respect to the ingredients used. Also, our caloric count is based on the metabolizable energy as well as the caloric content as it pertains to the guaranteed analysis.
Regarding the food, we add little to no carbohydrates to our formulas, so there are minimal calories coming from carbohydrates. Grain Free does not mean carbohydrate free, and as cats are obligate carnivores, it is important not just to focus on low or no grains, but to focus on overall low carbohydrate content. In addition, all of our meat cuts are very lean, such as the skinless chicken breast, so the fat content is also low. A gram of fat has 9 calories and a gram of protein has 4 calories. Therefore, foods with higher fat content and higher carbohydrate content boost up the caloric count. There is no shortage of calories coming from high quality protein.
As you likely have noticed on pet food labels, there is a guaranteed analysis expressed in minimums and maximums. These are required for labeling, and the Mins and Maxs are put in place more or less because pet food processing, in large part, relies on the availability of raw materials that remain after human food processing. Because of inconsistencies in raw material sourcing/availability, the pet food industry implemented the range of Mins and Maxs and does not require actual listings.
How does this all relate to calories? If raw material sourcing accounts for inconsistencies, it follows that caloric count cannot be entirely consistent. I cannot speak for other brands, but I have heard that some manufacturers take the average of a few production runs to come up with caloric count. We use the same cuts of meat and carefully weigh the amounts of food going into each can, so we can be pretty consistent with our calorie count. However, along the lines as to the way pet foods are required to be labeled, we calculate our calories in large part based upon the guaranteed analysis. For instance, if we guarantee 10% protein in a 156g can of food, that is 15.6g of protein. As a gram of protein has 4 calories, there are 62.4 guaranteed calories coming from protein. In a similar calculation, there would be 21.06 calories coming from fat if we guaranteed 1.5% fat (min). Same for carbs. In reality, the actual readings of protein and fat will be higher in our cans, as we account for possible underfills in the production runs.
In addition, our calorie content is the metabolizable energy (ME) of the food, not the gross kcal. ME is essentially the energy that is left over after the digestion and processing of the meal. The question you asked is a good one, and there really is no correct caloric amount. The great news is, you are feeding all canned. Unlike dogs, cats that are eating the right foods will more or less know when it is time to stop eating. In that regard, as long as the obligate carnivore kitty is eating high quality protein (such as animal based meaty cuts), he or she will generally not overeat. With that said, the caloric count of Weruva, as you have seen, may appear to read lower than that of other brand. We recently received a similar inquiry to yours, and this is the response we gave:
The important thing to note about cats, dogs and even people and calories is that not all calories are created equally, and both pets and people will fare differently on different foods with the same caloric count… so looking at calories alone does not always get you there. For instance, the correct and appropriate food for “obligate carnivore” cats is meat . . . meat being comprised of protein and fat. Cats run quite efficiently when eating a high quality meat based diet and will require less caloric intake than cats not eating similar quality foods. In contrast, cats that eat kibble, which contains high concentrations of carbohydrates (even the grain free ones) and cats eating diets that use plant based proteins as opposed to meat based proteins will not be eating foods that nature intended for cats. For that reason, cats may require higher caloric consumption to get their nutrition.
Unlike dogs, as long as cats are eating meat based diets, they more than likely will not overeat and they more than likely will not gain weight. In that regard, we do not urge a focus on actual caloric count. Instead, we says as long as they are eating the right foods, let them eat as much as they want. Our philosophy is similar to what it recommended by Tracie Hotchner, author of The Cat Bible and Host of Cat Chat® on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Feed cats twice a day (sometimes once, sometimes more) and let them eat as much high quality canned food as they want in a 15-20 minute period.
For good measure, I added:
As for the constipation, keep in mind that when you stop giving an animal dry food which is made of indigestible plant fiber (which goes in one end and out the other) and highly processed carbohydrates, you change their bowel habits. As you yourself guessed, the body is now USING this high protein diet as the body was intended to — utilizing all of it. The definition of “constipation” is also misunderstood — people think it has to do with frequency, but the basic definition is of hard, dry stool and difficulty passing it or straining. You noticed yourself that Lulu seems happy and comfortable and has no problem defecating, albeit infrequently. This is yet another of the great benefits of getting a cat off “kitty crack” and onto wet food — less tool, smaller stool, less smelly stool.
And how about that professional opinion to keep giving her Petromalt…? In Lulu’s honor I did some up-to-date research on Petromalt and you will find one of my most recent a blogs on the topic. I have been saying for years that if a cat has hairballs — or digestion that needs a little boost — the healthiest thing to give her is a natural substance, either a pat of butter or better yet, a few drops of Nordic Naturals omega-3 fish oil on her food or put on her leg for her to lick off.
The omega-3 fatty acids will also be of great help in healing her poor skin and maintaining its health going forward, as long as you avoid forever any dry food — think outside the bag and her body should have a chance to naturally get her straightened out. Needless to say, the sooner you can get off all those meds, the better her body can cope. Remember that chronic use of steroids (cortisone) requires a slow weaning off them.
