Forza10 - Cat Food, Vet-Formulated Renal Wet, Non GMO, Kidney Care Food with Lamb Flavor, Crafted for Adults, Made in Italy (3.5 oz, 12 Pack)

My cat really likes this food. She is particular, and finishes every morsel of it. She also seems to be perkier and is bathrooming normally, such that the kidney-protective aspect of the food is effective. I also like the cans it comes in, with a foil lid that can be easily resealed, obviating the need for a separate lid.

We are a 5 cat family currently, and our 16 year old girl has early stage CKF. Our veterinarian recommended a low-protein, low phosphates diet. We traditionally give timed feedings with at least 2 wet food servings and 1 dry food serving per day. We've tried the prescription diets for extended periods Hill's K/D, Royal Canin D & T, rotating out the Royal Canin with both the Hill's Tuna Stew and Chicken Stew. The problem is, the variety of 4 is simply not enough. She'll eat most of the Hill's one day, the next turn her nose up at it, same with the Royal Canin. Don't get me wrong, these are decent foods and she does find them appealing (moreso the Royal Canin,) but we just couldn't find that silver bullet that she loves to eat regularly. Enter Forza10; looked at it a handful of times, but never took a chance until recently. It is pricey, but comparable to those prescription foods, and you don't need a prescription at all for it. The texture is a very soft, very moist pate. The odor isn't overpowering, and my senior girl goes at it with gusto! Rarely does she not clean her entire bowl to the glass when I serve this to her, which I cannot say convincingly of either Hill's or Royal Canin. So, rotating in Forza10 is now a must for her. I still use the Royal Canin and Hill's dry food, as she does like them both quite a lot, but for wet meals, Forza10 is at the top of her list. Coupled with Epakitin, this diet is doing very, very well by her; she's energetic, has good appetite and the softest coat she's ever had. even at 16!

10lbs of fluff in pics a couple of years ago, now 8-9lbs (longhaired double coat-more like quadruple coat!)I am writing this long review (and keeping it as short as possible lol by NOT telling everything!) as I hope it helps others seeking help for their beloved furry family members going through kidney disease and other issues.She no longer likes Forza10 renal support that much since the ingredients changed from lamb meat to lamb lung and possibly other changes which I’ve forgotten since I’ve wanted to write this months ago. She used to readily eat it when she’s experiencing lower kidney function periods, but now turns away from it or may eat only a tiny amount and the rest is fed to wildlife (I know we aren’t supposed to feed wildlife, but they need all the help they can get due to negative human actions).18+ year old beloved rescued Longhaired Manx used to eat this food well during periods when her kidneys weren’t functioning sufficiently. She had acute kidney failure in April 2019, and was transitioned to whole prey based raw diet when she came to me in 09/2016, from a kibble and canned food diet. She has Manx Syndrome, as all poor little Manx kitties do to some degree and she has been one of the luckier ones thankfully for her sake and mine! Manx Syndrome is known to cause not only spine and nerve damage due to having the genetic mutation of missing spinal vertebra (tail) but also organ, GI, and/or urinary system dysfunctions. Unfortunately, as she’s grown older she’s been experiencing all of these problems which ultimately stems from the spinal vertebra mutation.She’s indoor-outdoor only because a prior owner had their veterinarian inhumanely amputate her of her front claws (declawed). It’s a safe neighborhood and I’ve observed her from day 1 letting her outside and she’s very cautious and doesn’t wander far. I just can’t keep her confined indoors when she is unable to jump or climb like she used to or like other fully intact cats. So this also has negative consequences for her health and longevity despite there being insufficient or nonexistent research. Internet search “Why a Cat Needs Her Claws” by Dr. Gary Loewenthal and hopefully anyone whom thinks otherwise will be inclined to change their archaic, selfish, and lazy ways and research and employ proper methods to discourage kitty scratching in unwanted areas instead of surgically cutting off their first knuckle bone which their claw grows from, causing them to unnaturally and uncomfortably walk on the tip of the painful stub remaining, arthritic and muscle problems, and worse behavioral problems than before. My kitty was one of the ‘fortunate’ amputees because there are horrific problems that can occur during and after the amputation that some poor kitties suffer through forever and it’s heartbreaking and tearjerking to read about. But my girl has caught 4 mice and 2 birds since I’ve had her and it makes me proud (though not of fully intact kitties whom really should NOT be allowed outside due to the billions of native species, especially birds, they murder annually! Domestic cats are NOT native to the US therefore prey species are NOT adapted to ‘be on alert for cats.’ ***Rainbow collars work BEST if a cat must be outside-not bells or other types, due to bird’s vision spectrum!Anyways, I am telling all of the above partly because I’ve kept her on a raw diet even after her kidney failure. But only because raw is the type of food she chooses most often. But I’ve discovered that because she needs less protein and phosphorus amounts than her kidneys can adequately process, she is more often stable when I rotate amongst the highest quality canned and freeze dried foods available. This also helps with the nausea experienced with kidney disease so she doesn’t associate one type of food with nausea and refuse to eat it.Due to published scientific research I read online, I now avoid foods with ANY of the phosphate salts e.g. tricalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, polyphosphates, etc. because felines cannot easily or properly digest these synthetic sources of phosphorus as can other non-obligate carnivorous mammals. It causes many problems for their GI and Urinary systems amongst others. I would bet 10 trillion dollars that researchers discover in the near future that processed foods with synthetic supplements are the cause for the many diseases our beloved felines currently suffer. I’ve observed and experienced firsthand the benefits of omitting the phosphate salts from my girl’s diet. She has many FEWER UTI’s-from every few days to every few months-, fewer negative kidney episodes, fewer bouts of constipation-used to be chronic and I mean literally chronic, where I’d have to implement strategies and supplements in rotation daily for months at a time in hopes of preventing megacolon, less nausea and just better overall. This omission occurred after ALL of the other things I’ve mentioned that she had been on for over a year, so I know this has had the biggest affect on her overall wellbeing. I’ve also switched her litter from corn based to other grass types-World’s Best to BoxiePro Air Lightweight plant based (proprietary blend of Barley and other grasses). I didn’t intend to switch again (never had her on clay litter and only look for softer types for her sensitive amputated front paws) but Amazon was out of stock of her variety and I just started reading reviews of same brand different type and saw several new reviewers mention that their cats began having UTI’s! I’ve actually suspected this in the past which is why I would try different brands and types of litters sans clay but due to her complex situation I could never conclusively verify personally that it was corn based litter. And I still am not convinced that it’s any specific litter type, but instead could be the dust particulates or the organic substrate idk but I’m trying a different one to see if it helps cease some of her issues. Update on litter: 2/20/23-I’ve been mixing half World’s Best unscented and Boxie Cat Air for several months now and she has been UTI free for the longest period since her kidney failure!!! I also continue to implement what I’ve mentioned in this review and numerous other things from acupressure massages by me (and I’m nowhere near expert!) and make sure she gets short walks around the perimeter of the 3000 sq. ft. house twice daily and access to cat grass that I grow in a container for her with organic soil and organic wheat grass, barley, oat, and rye seeds and occasionally catnip seeds. I also have NEVER given her any veterinary nor over the counter pest repellent systemic insecticide since I had a pup who fared poorly from them and passed away from liver disease at 16+. I use neem oil mixed with Earth?? brand hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner and when she’s dry I use Kingdom of Basil’s Pest Repellent powder during flea and tick season and I bathe her every two to three weeks since that’s the only time she really lets me brush her thoroughly for a cat that should be brushed daily! There are many wonderful and conscientious companies out there producing SAFE products for our furry family members so just perform your due diligence and research online. Fresh foodstuffs are also best-“human food is bad for pets” misnomer must be abandoned in this day and age! Fresh food is best for ANY mammal or organism. Canned is better than kibble and freeze dried is better than both of these and raw and cooked fresh are best with proper nutritional values accounted for of course (not that we fully know what that entails for felines and other obligate carnivores yet!I rotate several different brands from Vital, Primal, Orijen wet food and freeze dried treats, Meow, Savage Cat, Cornucopia, Open Farm dry lamb as treats, Portland Pet Food for Cats-Luke’s and Boot’s types, etc. and all different protein types easily available. Some other notable brands she liked at one time, but I had to stop buying when they ‘sold out’ and the recipes changed to cheaper ingredients and she didn’t like them anymore because they would cause detrimental effects for her. I also occasionally order her raw foods from Hare Today and WholeFood4Pets. I let her choose what she needs to eat daily and sometimes that can change between morning and evening but this has kept her the most stable and free from vet visits for one year as of October 2021! She’s free fed and I leave at least two different foods in separate bowls out for her over a 24-hour period along with small piles of different treat types on a silicone pet food mat and clean that up weekly. I’ve even ordered her several different organ meats from Frankie’s Free Range online and another producer whose name eludes me. For ease on my part, I mixed them all together in an ‘organ stew’ lol and offered her a bowl as I do other food and she loved it! Thymus glands, brain, pancreas, prostate gland, kidneys, etc. as many of the organs I could find that she cannot obtain from ANY commercial food manufacturer EXCEPT for Savage Cat. But I still like to offer her variety because different animals and their respective organs have varying concentrations of nutrients-which is partly why our poor kitties are having so many health issues worldwide :(I’ve also ordered her duck heads, whole mice, whole quail, whole chicks, and whatever else I’ve been able to find from Hare today. I honestly thought she would love everything but the duck heads and it was the complete opposite! I bought a cleaver in case I had to ‘open’ some prey animals up to entice her which I did ultimately have to do but thankfully for my sake, not the duck heads lol! And I’m a vegan so if I can do it anyone else should have no issues! I do verify that all of the sacrificial animals were killed as humanely as possible but this is what we get when we want predators as pets that are adapted with very specific and limited nutritional requirements-furry vampire zombies!Weekly, I administer a 50-75mL volume for her 9lb size of subcutaneous fluids, Lactated Ringer’s solution. CBD, human grade as I’m in California, 18:1 and 8:1 ratios work the best for her pain and appetite. I could NOT have kept her eating as often as kitties need to if not for Cannabis sativa tinctures.I also administer Pet Wellbeing Kidney Support Gold per instructions when I haven’t made her tea, and Kingdom of Basil’s Etsy Shop, Cat Kidney Support herbal formula, which I have to make into a tea for her per instructions versus adding the herbal to her food, as I can’t add the full dosage unless it’s in tea form-good luck fooling a cat with foodstuffs lol! I also give her Kingdom of Basil’s Back Support formula for spine and arthritis issues and Pet Wellbeing’s Hairball Gold which really helps soothe her stomach and helps occasionally with her constipation problems-kidney and Manx related poor baby. I also will give her Rx Renal Feline by Rx Vitamins for Pets and Host Defense’s My Community Immune Support, Pet Wellbeing’s Life Gold and Mushroom Immune Support, Glandex regular Salmon flavored and also the one for cats, Mary Ruth’s Probiotics for Cats, Ion Gut Health for pets. I also have many of Natura Petz Organic products for cats and do especially swear by their UTI product. I also use Pet Wellbeing’s Urinary Gold whenever she first has symptoms of a UTI-which elderly female felines are very susceptible to in a chronic form. I add 9 drops of Hawaii Pharm’s Oregon Grape extract tincture to one of her water bowl’s that holds about 1&1/2 cups of filtered water. I also add some of the liquid supplements in the same volume to her other water dish and change these every other day. Some of these I give her daily and some every few days or weekly somewhat depending on her current condition.The CBD that I suggest for those that are not in a Cannabis Sativa friendly area is the one made by Rx Vitamins for Pets. Path with Paws d0t c0m also has very helpful information about kitties and kidney disease which is by a veterinarian truly only wanting to help animals and the people whom love them. They are also the owner of Kingdom of Basil on Etsy.I also supplement her daily with B vitamins, vitamin B12, potassium bicarbonate and gluconate, and a tiny dose of sodium bicarbonate. The dosage guidelines can be found on Tanya’s CRF website along with a plethora of helpful information and resources.She also had infected anal glands for the first time since she’s been with me in October 2021 at her last veterinary appointment and the vet was able to express them and she was prescribed Clavamox antibiotic which she has done well on in the past for UTIs. However, she had issues with Clavamox during the past year which caused her to have liquid diarrhea and she was doing worse on it and becoming more dehydrated along with the chronic dehydration caused by kidney disease. So now every couple of months I express them to make sure there’s no infection. It’s obvious when there is because she won’t be feeling well, will have a fever (her ears get extremely hot to the touch), and will have similar symptoms to a UTI sans running back and forth to the litter box urgently attempting to urinate but without any production. I discovered Pet Alive’s Anal Glandz tincture which helps remedy and more easily express her anal glands which I am able to do via the external method fortunately. It doesn’t smell too bad with or without infection and the discharge will be thick and viscous when they are infected and opposite when not. I also apply Herb Pharm’s Calendula oil extract tincture to her anus afterwards to help soothe her there. There are sites and videos which help describe and show the expression process and location of the anal sacs and how to properly and safely express them without causing pain or secondary injuries. Patience and gentleness and wrapped in a towel help with this process and I follow the directions on the Pet Alive bottle and apply the warm compress when she’s laying down for as long as she’ll stay there prior to expression which helps release the contents more easily and also helps with infection of the sacs/glands. Her ducts are visible once you know what to look for and are located at approximately the 4 & 8 o’clock positions on her anus. It’s similar procedure for dogs and of course there’s more information online for dogs regarding this but it’s helpful also.I’ve tried almost everything and I mean literally everything, aside from kidney transplants or stem cell therapies, in the tens of thousands of dollars for my baby girl and the things I wrote above are what has worked for her. I have a ton of tried containers of products that didn’t work or were too difficult to transition her to which I’m going to donate to a local cat rescue. I’ve spent months worth of time researching anything and everything kitty safe and effective because as obligate carnivores, they are quite sensitive with their completely different metabolic processes than other organisms. I also occasionally must administer enemas to her and fortunately she’s not adverse to water like many kitties. I use bottled purified water which I heat in the microwave to a safe temperature and make a saline solution from high quality sea salt and stomach ease tea from Yogi brand. I empty and rinse the contents of the baby enemas from Fleet brand. Do NOT give the contents of the Fleet enema, nor any commercial enema, as they are toxic to kitties if you must give an enema. There are resources online for how to do this safely and properly. Make sure to use more than one reputable source for anything you research! Best of luck to those poor kitties going through illnesses and diseases which ultimately stems from poor quality nutrition. Start introducing MANY types of different brands and proteins to your kitties young so you don’t encounter the poor kitty whom only eats one type of food and then when they get sick, they won’t eat at all, and cats MUST have food within 24-48 hours or they will develop hepatic lipidosis which is untreatable and fatal within a short time period :(

My cat has Kidney Disease and suddenly decided that his prescription food is no longer acceptable. He'll still eat his prescription dry food, but he doesn't want to touch his wet food anymore, so I decided to try this Forza10 wet food. I LOVE that it's not prescription (it's always irritated me that I have to rely on a vet to decide if my cat can or can't eat based on if the vet wants to okay the prescription order or not). My cat LOVES this wet food! (He didn't really love the Forza10 dry food) He devours this food like it's that most delightful meal he's ever had. I have no idea how this food will affect his lab work in the future. I'm hoping it really is designed to aid renal issues, but either way, I figure it's more important to have a cat that eats than one that won't. My one complaint, other than it's a bit pricey, is that it has lots of bone fragments throughout it. The attached picture with the paper towel shows the pieces from the first can I opened and the ones in my hand are from the second can I opened today. It's not getting better as we go... Others have mentioned plastic pieces which I have yet to see, but bone pieces are bountiful and it worries me a bit, hence the 4 star rating instead of 5.