My choice to start cooking for my pet arose out of necessity when my cat Rocky was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy on the heels of an inflammatory bowel condition that did not respond to the various prescription cat food. Though common in cats, Inflammatory Bowel Disease is not well understood. Changing the protein source can sometimes reverse intestinal disorders in animals, so on a whim, during Thanksgiving in 2010; I decided to share some turkey with Rocky. I blended it with a little bit of carrots, peas and brown rice into a pate that I thought picky Rocky might try. He loved it and within 3 days his chronic diarrhea subsided!
Being a biologist, I turned to books and the internet to make sure I included all the necessary vitamins and minerals then scrutinized Rocky’s homemade recipe with my vet to ensure it was fortified to meet Rocky’s calcium and phosphorous needs, vitamins A,B,C,D, E, necessary taurine and was low in salt for his heart condition. Impressed with Rocky’s improvement after 2 months, my vet recommended that I continue cooking for Rocky which I did for a year and a half.
Though this diet couldn’t stop the cardiomyopathy from progressing, my vet attributes the homemade food for extending Rocky’s life under these conditions.