Hey everyone. A friend of mine told me that canned food is higher in fat and sugar than dry food and that this puts cats at risk for diabetes. Is that true?
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Is canned food higher in fat and sugar than dry food?
- Thread starter avemaria02
- Start Date
Possibly higher in fat. . .It depends on the brand. But cats handle dietary fat very well, this doesn't usually cause problems.
Sugars. . .no. Canned food is MUCH lower in carbs than any dry food (except for a few pricy specialty brands). There are some brands with added sugars (always read the label!), but even those are lower-carb than dry food :/.
Of course there's a lot of variability and not all brands/flavors are as good as others. But in general, canned food is much healthier, and some diabetic cats who are switched to a low-carb canned food have stabilized to the point that they're no longer insulin-dependent.
Here's a good website on the subject: www.catinfo.org
Sugars. . .no. Canned food is MUCH lower in carbs than any dry food (except for a few pricy specialty brands). There are some brands with added sugars (always read the label!), but even those are lower-carb than dry food :/.
Of course there's a lot of variability and not all brands/flavors are as good as others. But in general, canned food is much healthier, and some diabetic cats who are switched to a low-carb canned food have stabilized to the point that they're no longer insulin-dependent.
Here's a good website on the subject: www.catinfo.org
I agree with Willowy.
One of the factors that puts a cat at risk for diabetes is weighing too much. As a rule, dry food contains more calories (mainly from carbohydrates) than wet food (sometimes, significantly more). If a cat can't/won't self-regulate, he may become overweight, leading to diabetes.
One of the factors that puts a cat at risk for diabetes is weighing too much. As a rule, dry food contains more calories (mainly from carbohydrates) than wet food (sometimes, significantly more). If a cat can't/won't self-regulate, he may become overweight, leading to diabetes.
The natural diet of a cat is high animal protein, moderate fat and low carbohydrates. As a general rule, canned foods fit this MUCH MORE SO than dry foods. Obesity and high carbohydrate intake are the primary risk factors for diabetes in cats. High carbohydrate intake alters the blood sugar balance in many cats and contributes to obesity which then can contribute to diabetes. Some canned foods are higher in carbs than others; any gravy/sauce type will be higher in carbs than pate styles. However, almost all canned foods have a better nutritional profile for cats than any dry food.
If you want to learn more, please go to the link that Willowy provided. Written by a vet, it offers a lot of great information on feline nutrition and its link to many of the common health problems of cats today.
If you want to learn more, please go to the link that Willowy provided. Written by a vet, it offers a lot of great information on feline nutrition and its link to many of the common health problems of cats today.
I agree with all of the above. Dry food is loaded with carbs that can lead to diabetes. I have read the ingredients on tons of canned food and the only one I ever saw that had sugar was Ideal Balance by Hills.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
Thank you all very much for your answers. I greatly appreciate them. I am slightly concerned about Precious developing diabetes because she is overweight. For the previous almost 8 years of her life she was fed an almost exclusively dry food diet (Purina Cat Chow Complete). Well, I have switched her to canned food and am also providing her with dry food just in case she wants a snack. I need advice. Should I get rid of the dry food completely or can I go ahead and give her a little dry food every day but use mostly canned food? Keep in mind that I am worried about her weight and the potential for diabetes. Thank you.
Ditch the dry completely and that's the best gift you will give to your girl's future health :bigthumb:
What are you feeding? We can help you picking a nice food on your budget too..... :nod:
What are you feeding? We can help you picking a nice food on your budget too..... :nod:
I think some of the Meow Mix flavors, too. The kind in those little yellow plastic cups. . .Market Selects? Or they used to have sugar anyway. Might have changed formulas.
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I think what she meant was carbs :dk:
I want to add, what is sometimes labeled as sugar is not always what we mean by sugar.
It can be a color-additive, which is based on sugar-parts. This colouring is perhaps not so super healthy, but no big deal either.
It may be some other - healthy additives who are a plus, the so called FOS fructo-oligo-saccarid,
I have a memory there is also one another such...
And both are stricktly speaking, labeled on a basic label as sugar.
But pure kitchen sugar (which does happens in some brands!) is at best no use in normal food, and usually - a clear minus.
The only exception is dextrose (glucose sugar) - which may be useful as additive in food, and in emergencies - does save live, for example on fading kittens.
So, folks, get home some dextrose sugar, your cat may need it, you yourself may need it.
It can be a color-additive, which is based on sugar-parts. This colouring is perhaps not so super healthy, but no big deal either.
It may be some other - healthy additives who are a plus, the so called FOS fructo-oligo-saccarid,
I have a memory there is also one another such...
And both are stricktly speaking, labeled on a basic label as sugar.
But pure kitchen sugar (which does happens in some brands!) is at best no use in normal food, and usually - a clear minus.
The only exception is dextrose (glucose sugar) - which may be useful as additive in food, and in emergencies - does save live, for example on fading kittens.
So, folks, get home some dextrose sugar, your cat may need it, you yourself may need it.
