dibetic cat

erickanicole7

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Hey my mom has 5 cats. One was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago. Her second oldest was just diagnosed the other day. I've read that some diets can help with sugar levels and reduce the need or amount of insulin. Anyone know anymore about that?
 

sharky

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Please have along talk with the vet... Overall the basic idea is LOW carb HIGH protein... This is most easily achieved by Eliminating all dry food and using wet, homemade or raw...
 

auntie crazy

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Hi, erickanicole7. I'm sorry to hear about your Mom's cats. :-( Kudos to you for helping her out with research.

I second the thoughts reference replacing dry food with either canned or raw, and that website FarleyV linked to is an awesome resource.

Hope your Mom's kittys' health improves soon!
 

jenwales

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Originally Posted by sharky

Please have along talk with the vet... Overall the basic idea is LOW carb HIGH protein... This is most easily achieved by Eliminating all dry food and using wet, homemade or raw...
I had a diabetic kitty years ago and although he was on insulin initially, switching him to a canned diet regulated him enough that we were able to stop it after a few months.
 

maewkaew

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here is a very good article on feline diabetes and diet on a vet's site http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

I also learned a lot from the diabetic cat forum FDMB http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/index.php

and the writing of Dr Hodgkins on that site farley recommended yourdiabeticcat.

Basically you want very low carb. It can really help to get the blood sugar controlled if you are not constantly giving them more sugar! almost all the dry food is WAY WAY too high in carbs for any diabetic cat. There are a few grain free dry foods that are lower carb than most the dry. but still mostly not as low carb as most wet.In canned food avoid the ones that have grains, wheat, rice etc. Avoid the ones that have little fake pieces of wheat gluten etc made into chunks, shreds etc. And avoid the ones that say "in gravy" which is also too much sugars. The pate varieties are usually the lower carb ones in the supermarket foods. like in Fancy Feast, it is the Classic that is low carb. If your mom can get some like Merrick, Wellness, Natures Variety, Blue Buffalo Wilderness those are good choices. Sometimes petfooddirect has some good sales and one can stock up.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by maewkaew

here is a very good article on feline diabetes and diet on a vet's site http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

I also learned a lot from the diabetic cat forum FDMB http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/index.php

and the writing of Dr Hodgkins on that site farley recommended yourdiabeticcat.

Basically you want very low carb. It can really help to get the blood sugar controlled if you are not constantly giving them more sugar! almost all the dry food is WAY WAY too high in carbs for any diabetic cat. There are a few grain free dry foods that are lower carb than most the dry. but still mostly not as low carb as most wet.In canned food avoid the ones that have grains, wheat, rice etc. Avoid the ones that have little fake pieces of wheat gluten etc made into chunks, shreds etc. And avoid the ones that say "in gravy" which is also too much sugars. The pate varieties are usually the lower carb ones in the supermarket foods. like in Fancy Feast, it is the Classic that is low carb. If your mom can get some like Merrick, Wellness, Natures Variety, Blue Buffalo Wilderness those are good choices. Sometimes petfooddirect has some good sales and one can stock up.
Note ONLY some of the above brands are in fact low carb... one has to read labels and check sites...

Ie wellness has both with and without grain .... some foods high in potato = higher carb
 

xulili

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I have a cat that only likes wet with lots of gravy. So I took some of the FF kitten food and made some non carb gray. I used chiken thighs and water to make a broth then used gelatin (flavorless no suger aka knox) as a thickner. Good for those more picky cats. As I have not found a single wet food with gravy that is no carb.

Just be sure to check that the food you get has no carbs.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Xulili

I have a cat that only likes wet with lots of gravy. So I took some of the FF kitten food and made some non carb gray. I used chiken thighs and water to make a broth then used gelatin (flavorless no suger aka knox) as a thickner. Good for those more picky cats. As I have not found a single wet food with gravy that is no carb.

Just be sure to check that the food you get has no carbs.
What food did you find with NO carbs... To date the lowest I have seen was 3 %
 

xulili

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Originally Posted by sharky

What food did you find with NO carbs... To date the lowest I have seen was 3 %
Forgive me I ment to say low carb.. my mind is not quite with me atm.

Though I have to say FF kitten food Tender Turkey Feast is lacking any in your face grain ingredients(at least that I can readily identify). And while not the best in low carb it's not the worst that I can get him to eat.(too darn picky) Still not quite what I want my kitty on but best if found thats not over $2 a can around here.
 

maewkaew

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Originally Posted by sharky

Note ONLY some of the above brands are in fact low carb... one has to read labels and check sites...

Ie wellness has both with and without grain .... some foods high in potato = higher carb
Absolutely, thanks for pointing that out. you do still have to check labels.
and on the Fancy Feast some of them are actually high carb! the grilled ones in gravy are close to 20% .
On the Merrick regular ones, the ones I mostly get is Cowboy Cookout
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Xulili

Forgive me I ment to say low carb.. my mind is not quite with me atm.

Though I have to say FF kitten food Tender Turkey Feast is lacking any in your face grain ingredients(at least that I can readily identify). And while not the best in low carb it's not the worst that I can get him to eat.(too darn picky) Still not quite what I want my kitty on but best if found thats not over $2 a can around here.
I was not picking on you... Actually went wow someone found a 0% carb food...FF is fine
 

xulili

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I know you were not picking on me sorry if I sounded defencive I figured thats what you thought as well. I would love it too if it was easy to find a no card canned food.They really need to start putting that on can labels I suck as math
. I'm just stressed anyone who knows whats going on knows why.

Humm perhaps time to start writeing letters to get carb content printed on can labels.
 
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