You Are What You Eat!
At Dr. Elsey’s, we make a very important, yet very overlooked distinction:
Cats are not small dogs.
Cats metabolize their food differently than dogs do – dogs can survive on a diet without animal based protein, while cats simply cannot. Therefore, we shouldn’t feed cats and dogs as if they have the same nutritional needs!
Studies show that the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease, the leading cause of death in felines, could be shown by the increase of oxalate found in cat’s urine. Oxalic acid is an organic acid produced in animals and plants when sugars, other carbohydrates, and carbon sources (protein) are metabolized. This is important because plant material is high in oxalate, and it has been estimated that 10% to 50% of urinary oxalate is derived from dietary oxalate.
The instinctual diet of a cat should be derived from animal based proteins – not plants and filler ingredients high in oxalate. In fact, cats require over 36% protein to prevent muscle wasting and over 50% protein to promote an ideal body mass. Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein™ was inspired by the protein levels found in a cat’s natural prey and, by excluding plants commonly found in competitive diets, has low oxalate to help ensure healthy kidney function and an active lifestyle. After all, you are what you eat!
