Gerber baby food wiki
Parvo Program Wiki - What is the APA! Parvo ICU?
Austin Pets Alive! is a nonprofit organization dedicated to stopping the killing of Austin's adoptable dogs and cats. APA! accomplishes this goal by focusing on saving adoptable animals that are scheduled to be euthanized at the city shelter. You can learn more about Austin Pets Alive at www.austinpetsalive.org.
One group that was regularly euthanized in the city shelter was dogs with parvovirus. Dogs with parvo require intensive medical treatment in strict isolation, so many shelters often euthanize dogs who test positive rather than treating them because they don't have the resources to provide the necessary medical care or because they are worried about spreading the virus to other animals in the shelter. Austin Pets Alive! has solved these problems by developing a volunteer-based parvo program that is able to treat parvo at a much lower cost than in a traditional veterinary hospital setting with a similar survival rate.
Now, when a dog at the city shelter tests positive for parvo, the shelter calls APA! with a deadline. An APA! transport volunteer picks up the dog from the city shelter and brings it to the Parvo ICU where the Parvo Team begin treatment. A typical parvo dog stays in the Parvo ICU for about a week, though a small percentage of dogs stay ten days or longer. While in the Parvo ICU, APA! veterinarians examine the dogs daily to determine treatments, which are then carried out by a dedicated group of highly-trained volunteers who together fill two shifts a day, 365 days a year.
Once a dog has recovered from parvo, she has no lasting effects from the virus and is ready for adoption. Parvo survivors have normal, happy lives. Parvo survivors generally find forever homes very quickly because 90% of them parvo dogs are puppies less than a year old.
In 2019, the APA! Parvo ICU saved 611 puppies.
If you are interested in volunteering in the APA! Parvo ICU you must first become an APA! volunteer.
Once you are an APA! volunteer, email the parvo manager at [email protected] for more information.
Thank you! You can donate money online or in person at one of the APA! adoptions sites.
You can also donate supplies. We are in constant need of:
Gerber Baby Food- Chicken or Turkey (plain meat food with no veggies)
Gerber Chicken Stix
Vienna Sausages
Deli meat (turkey or ham)
Chicken breast or turkey breast (cooked, plain, either fresh or frozen)
Wet dog food (any brand or flavor)
Hill's a/d critical care dog food
Dry puppy food (any brand or flavor)
Toilet paper
Garbage bags
Bleach
Laundry Detergent
Alcohol 70%
Iodine
Famotadine (Pepcid) 10 mg or 20 mg tablets
Omeprazole (Prilosec) tablets
Cotton Balls
Additional needs can be found on our Amazon Wish List.
Donations can be labeled "For Parvo" and dropped off in front of Building C or shipped to:
Austin Pets Alive! Parvo ICU
1156 W Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78703
Perishable donations like deli meat can be brought into the APA! Medical Clinic, in Building C.
Thank you!
Can Cats Eat Gerber Baby Food?
Oddly enough, neither of my boys were all that interested in baby food, except for very select flavors from very select brands (and never from jars), so my cats were never exposed to baby food except as a by-product of messes (which they ignored).
But a lot of Gerber baby food (and other baby food) is made with some pretty wholesome ingredients, including a lot of meat, leading many cat owners, particularly of cats with very sensitive stomachs or who are very picky, to wonder: can cats eat Gerber baby food?
Short answer: As long as you are minding the ingredient list (meat and few other ingredients), then yes, cats can eat Gerber baby food in small quantities.
However, it’s not something your cat should eat all the time as it’s missing essential nutrients and minerals that cats need to stay healthy such as Taurine.
Table of Contents
Do Cats Like Gerber Baby Food?
This is really going to depend on the cat. Some cats have absolutely loved it and it has worked as a way to stimulate the appetite in old or ill cats (or kittens). Others (like mine) turn up their nose at it.
Gerber baby food that is made strictly with meat and water is likely to go down better than Gerber baby food made with other things. The ones made with just meat and broth are also healthier for cats compared to the ones that are made with a range of ingredients.
If a cat likes Gerber baby food, they are probably going to like it throughout their lifespan, making it a good treat for senior cats who aren’t feeling well or kittens who need some extra food to round out their usual diet.
Do Cats Hate Gerber Baby Food?
Some cats will show absolutely no interest in Gerber baby food.
They may not like the texture, the smell, the taste, or the fact that they associate it with the Noisy, Messy Thing you brought home in the last year! If this is your cat, you don’t really have anything to worry about.
Gerber baby food might be useful as a treat in some instances, but it certainly should not be a regular part of your pet’s diet because it is lacking in essential minerals and vitamins.
Cat Eating Gerber Baby Food Kill My Cat?
Recall that Gerber baby food comes in a variety of flavors and combinations, so the answer to this is really going to depend on which one(s) you let your cat eat. Baby food with the following ingredients are more problematic:
- Garlic or garlic powder, onions, chives, or leeks
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
- Chocolate
- Raisins
- Rhubarb
- Lemon juice
Other foods can simply be harder on a cat’s stomach, such as vegetables, some fruit, and any grains, so these should also be avoided, or else your cat will be uncomfortable afterward.
Assuming you stick with only Gerber baby food that is made with meat and water, then it won’t kill your cat and in fact, can be used to entice a cat to eat. However, a cat should not live on Gerber baby food or even have it for too long or too often.
The main reason for this is that the food is formulated for baby humans, not cats, so it’s missing key nutrients. Being too heavily deficient in taurine, in particular, can lead to blindness in cats.
It’s also needed for healthy heart function, to maintain a healthy pregnancy, and to help the immune system. Taurine deficiency is not easy to spot early or track, so once you know there’s a problem, it is more likely than not too late to do anything about it.
Gerber baby food is also missing nutrients that kittens need in order to grow up strong and healthy, so it’s best to avoid it altogether for them.
Gerber baby food is best used as a way to feed elderly or sick cats who don’t want anything to do with their normal food and you need to entice them to eat something.
Many cats who would refuse to eat their regular food may be more inclined to eat baby food because it’s soft, easy to digest, and smells good to them. In this case, you want food that is made strictly with meat and broth or water, nothing else. The chicken and broth ones are the safest since they have the simplest ingredient list: chicken, water, and cornstarch.
How Much Gerber Baby Food Can I Feed My Cat?
The jars may be small, but cats don’t need to eat very much of this stuff! This is mostly because some cats will start to expect that they will always have it and try to replace their regular food with it, which is not something you want.
Assuming you are going with the really simple meat Gerber baby food, the amount you feed your cat will really depend on the age of the cat, how much other food it’s eating, and your wallet (Gerber baby food isn’t exactly cheap after all).
Since you don’t want your cat to try to live off it, figure that you should serve part of a jar that has been warmed up and then poured over their regular food.
Make sure to refrigerate leftovers.
For really stubborn cats, you can try letting them lick a bit off your finger or feeding your cat via a syringe. If that doesn’t work, it’s probably time for a trip to the vet to try to figure out why your cat won’t eat and what to do next.
Healthy cats on the other hand can have Gerber baby food as a treat. In that case, they shouldn’t have more than a spoonful or two put on top of their regular food or put on the side. If this is what you are doing with your cat, then it’s a treat and should make up no more than 10% of their daily calorie intake.
Finally, you might just be flat out of cat food and have some baby food on hand and it’s the cat’s supper time. Giving it to them as supper once in a great while is usually fine, but don’t let yourself or the cat make a habit of it!
Gerber baby food may not be the first thing you think of when you think of cat food, but it can work as a treat, in a pinch if you have no other food, or as a way to entice a cat’s appetite.
It’s important though to make sure you are going for one that is made strictly with meat, water, and cornstarch and no other ingredients, otherwise, you risk making your cat sick. It’s also important not to let your cat live off it or they will be missing key nutrients. But as a treat, a very occasional dinner, or as a way to entice a cat to eat, Gerber baby food works pretty well.
Does your cat eat Gerber baby food?
Pam Turner
Pam is a self-confessed cat lover and has experience of working with cats and owning cats for as long as she can remember. This website is where she gets to share her knowledge and interact with other cat lovers.
Our history | Nestlé Baby&Me
More than 85 years ago none of the Gerber family could have imagined that with the light hand of a caring mother and wife Dorothy Gerber her husband's small cannery in the US state of Michigan would become famous all over the world. Today, Gerber ® baby food is known to parents all over the world.
1927
The history of the company began in the kitchen, where young mother Dorothy Gerber, wife of a cannery owner hand-mashed for their seven-month-old daughter Sally. The labor-intensive process took a lot of time and effort - this gave Dorothy an idea:
“If a factory can make mashed vegetables for
adults, then it will be able to make ready-made mashed potatoes for children”
After conducting the necessary research, consultation with nutritionists, doctors and economists in 1927 a trial batch of the product was produced.
1928
By the end of 1928, , after the new product was approved, five varieties of Gerber® baby puree were produced. every major grocery store anywhere in the US.
1930
Gradually Gerber® puree became known all over the world
Parents appreciated not only high palatability of ready-made food, but also a significant saving of one's own effort and time compared to the usual way of preparing baby food.
Two years earlier, the company held a competition for
The best illustration for advertising Gerber®
1931
in a figure sent by by the artist Dorothy Hope Smith , an unfinished portrait of a little girl - Anna Turner, the daughter of an author’s neighbor.
Advertising with this illustration was so successful that since 1931 the portrait of the girl's face becomes the official logo of the Gerber brand ® , registered as a trademark.
1950
Gerber® experts were among the first to offer a product of impeccable quality, that meets all the needs of young gourmets and is completely safe.
Tempered glass , which is used to make puree jars, makes it possible to apply heat treatment methods that destroy harmful microbes.
1963
The company's specialists have developed the first ever baby food cap with a special tab - an indicator of tightness.
When the lid is opened for the first time, a characteristic popping noise is heard, which helps parents to determine the freshness of the baby puree.
Since 1936, Dorothy Gerber began to personally answer
every letter that came to the company's address.
1968
And in 1968, Gerber® launched a single 24/7 telephone line, the Care Line, where parents could call and ask their questions to Gerber® experts at any time.
In the US, the line receives approximately 800,000 calls each year.
1998
Gerber ® manufactures approximately 500 products that can be purchased in more than 30 countries worldwide.
According to a 1998 US study, consumers trust the Gerber® brand more than any other brand.
2012
In Ukraine, the product range is represented by more than 30 items, among them are fruit, vegetable, meat and vegetable purees, fruit juices, meat purees, fruit purees in soft packaging, organic fruit purees.
Ukraine also has a “Care Line”:
specialists working on it respond to more than
50 requests from Ukrainian mothers every month.
Baby vegetable puree: edible or inedible?
/ All materials
GOST not Decree
The tasting of vegetable puree was conducted by specialists who have devoted many years to the development of baby food. Their opinion can be trusted. But we want to warn you: it is impossible to guarantee that the child will like the same puree as the experts (rather, you should rely on your own taste). Much more important is compliance with safety requirements. And most of the samples we tested meet the standards. Most, but not all.
Let's deal with the quality
Andrey Mosov, head of the expert department of NP Roskontrol, doctor:
“Characteristics such as sweetness, bitterness or “unexpressed taste” are subjective. Parents most often pay attention to the water content of the product. The presence of water in the composition of vegetable puree is not bad for the first feeding. You just need to understand that water is a cheaper raw material than a pumpkin.”
Irina Konokhova, leading expert of NP "Roskontrol", doctor:
“Indeed, in most of the tested vegetable purees, the mass fraction of chlorides (i.e. salt) is 0.2%, and in the Babushkino Lukoshko, Heinz and Semper purees it is 0.3%. Perhaps this is due to the higher natural content of sodium chloride in the feedstock, although it cannot be ruled out that salt was added. However, this intake of salt with complementary foods is acceptable, given the physiological need for sodium in children. The permissible mass fraction of chlorides in children's vegetable puree is 0.6%, and this figure is not exceeded in the tested samples.
How about sterility?
Let's start with the main thing: all samples meet the requirements of industrial sterility. Pesticides were not found in any of the samples, and all samples meet the standards in terms of nitrate content.
In addition, the puree was checked for 5-hydroxymethyl furfural content . It was not found in any of the samples.
All preservatives and sweeteners are prohibited in baby food. We checked the puree for the presence of sorbate, benzoate, sulfur dioxide (these are preservatives) and determined the mass concentration of sweeteners. Parents can be calm: no preservatives or sweeteners were found in the samples.
One in the jar, another on the label
Andrey Mosov, head of the expert department of NP Roskontrol, doctor:
in pumpkin puree should be 3.6% (in boiled pumpkin - 4.6%).
Summing up and drawing conclusions
Roskontrol experts noted that the manufacturer of puree Semper misleads the consumer about the presence of sugar in the composition. A mark "Bebivita" does not correspond to the actual product name - it is indicated in small print on the back of the label ("Complementary food product - mashed pumpkin and potatoes").
