My cat has IBS. Can she eat both Royal Canin rabbit and duck food?

I am sorry to hear about Kitty, that sounds so frustrating! So unfortunately the over the counter diets with limited ingredients are not as good as the prescription diets. The reason for this is that the over the counter foods are processed in the same facitilities and sometimes the same equipment as other foods, so some cross contamination does occur. In some pets the small contamination might not be a big deal, in others is can. Think of people with a severe peanut allergy that can't eat anything that says "processed in a plant that also processes peanuts". When they have done studies checking the foods, they can detect other ingredients in those foods. I would let your vet know that Kitty doesn't like the Royal Canin diet. There may be other prescription diet options available from your vet, or your vet may feel comfortable trying the Natural Balance diet in her situation.

This food is not necessarily considered to be a senior diet, however it is appropriate for adult cats and in this case I would not recommend switching to another diet. Senior diets tend to have fewer calories and sometimes have different nutrients and supplements than adult foods. If Trixie is overweight you can try cutting back on the amount of food offered during the day. Royal Canin select protein foods already have increased levels of fatty acids, and you could ask your vet if Trixie might benefit from a dietary supplement for joint health or a probiotic that would be okay with her IBD.

Hello, sorry to hear about Trixie. So with irritable bowel, they are typically sensitive to the protein in the food. Common proteins such as chicken and beef tend to also be the most common types of sensitivities. Rabbit protein which you are feeding now is not common and likely why Trixie has tolerated it so well. Unfortunately, there is a possibility that she can develop sensitivities to this protein after she has been eating it for some time. You may therefore need to change her diet again. However, I would likely work this along with your veterinarian so that the case can be followed by both of you. Additionally, she could have other causes for her decreased appetite and vomiting and these other causes should be screened for as well by your veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Theoretically Trixie could do any of the hydrolyzed diets. Royal Canin carries a hydrolyzed protein diet very similar to the Hill’s diet. Purina also carries a formula as well called HA. Most likely Trixie would do fine on any of these. Make sure any diet transition is slow over the course of 5 to 7 days. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!

Unfortunately the only way to find out is to give it to her and risk her getting diarrhea. You can give her other treats which do not run that risk, such as blueberries, raspberries, boiled carrot pieces or green beans.

The main ingredient in that food is duck and tapioca. Duck is commonly found in several formulations of dog food, both prescription and over the counter. However, tapioca is not. It is limited to this brand. If the protein source is the problem, then staying on a duck formula is ideal and the carbohydrate portion will not matter. However, if the carbohydrate is the problem then you will have to perform an elimination diet to see what besides tapioca he can tolerate. Science diet makes a D/D version that does contain duck you can try, however the carbohydrate source is potato. Puirna Beyond has a duck and sweet potato formula you can try also.

If your vet suggested another protein, then I think it would be safe to make the switch for Trixie. Be sure to the switch slowly to avoid GI upset. If you do get GI upset, then changing protein isn't a good idea, and I would go back to the rabbit and pea. Best of luck, I hope this helps.