If it's not one thing it's another -

As some of you know Eric was recently diagnosed with diabetes. By putting him on a high quality, high protein, low carbohydrate diet his blood sugar dropped from 297 to 149. However, the new diet means he is no longer eating the C/D that maintained an appropriate pH level for six years after an episode of crystals and urinary blockage. Hoping to maintain his pH I started him on Carpon. I've been hoping to get a urine sample to check his pH. So Friday night I managed to get a sample. I put in the refrigerator until I could take it to the vet the next morning. So the vet called me Saturday afternoon. His pH is between 6.5 and 7.00. Ideally, it should be between 5.9 and 6.4. So, we need to work on that. But worse is that there are protein fibers is his urine. This could be an early sign of kidney disease. The vet wants to check Eric's glucose and urine in two months.

My uneducated guess is that the high protein diet is putting a strain on his kidneys which may, in fact, be weak. So this morning I've been doing research on cats with both diabetes and kidney disease. I already knew that kidney disease usually requires a low protein diet. But his diabetes requires a high protein diet. We have a problem here. What I've learned so far is that, although low protein is important, low phosphorus is even more important. Now I need to determine which wet foods have the lowest phosphorus and the correct amounts of protein and carbohydrates to maintain a good glucose level. I'm starting with this site http://webpages.charter.net/katkarma/canfood.htm
and checking the websites for the foods he is currently eating. I just love creating special diets for my kitties.

I am sending you and Eric prayers and hugs from Mississippi, I hope you find the right diet for him.

You would be wise to use an all WET or Homeade diet ....

Dry protein is hard to digest , ie hard on the kindeys .... the same in a wet form is far easier and better for the cat ... An example is my Kandie ... I did when she was first diagnoised with CRF do the low protein thing ... then I researched and she eats appr 60% protein ... when she ate just canned food that was a % in the 40s ... Her numbers are a little better than when she was diagnoised///

If you would like some simple homemade ( i should call it canned by mom ) just Pm me

Originally Posted by sharky

You would be wise to use an all WET or Homeade diet ....

Dry protein is hard to digest , ie hard on the kindeys .... the same in a wet form is far easier and better for the cat ... An example is my Kandie ... I did when she was first diagnoised with CRF do the low protein thing ... then I researched and she eats appr 60% protein ... when she ate just canned food that was a % in the 40s ... Her numbers are a little better than when she was diagnoised///

If you would like some simple homemade ( i should call it canned by mom

) just Pm me

Click to expand...

It's good to hear that your Kandie is doing well.

Eric has been on all wet for about a month now. I should have clarified that in my initial post. Everything I read indicated that was best for his diabetes. The fact that his blood glucose dropped so dramatically proves it is true! As you say the best canned food is in the 40% area for protein. I'm surprised that Kandie can eat 60% protein with CRF. What other factors are you looking at? Where did you get your information about protein and CRF? You may have found something I didn't.

Not to get off track, but this is interesting as I think I remember reading something, somewhere - that suggested C/D (just dry I think) could be hard on the kidneys, long term. I'm not sure of that, but it's a vague memory.

I hope you can find just the right thing for Eric.

Originally Posted by beandip

Not to get off track, but this is interesting as I think I remember reading something, somewhere - that suggested C/D (just dry I think) could be hard on the kidneys, long term. I'm not sure of that, but it's a vague memory.

I hope you can find just the right thing for Eric.

Click to expand...

Now that you mention it I have the same vague memory. We try to do what we think is right for our babies and see what happens. But this may not be the case with Eric as his urinalysis prior to going on the high protein diet was normal except for spilling sugar into the urine. There were no protein fibers at that time.