Did you know that not only can humans be diabetic, but dogs and cats can be diabetic as well? At first thought, it sounds crazy; after all, our furry friends aren’t chowing down on a steady diet of cake and cola. Or are they? In truth, some pet foods are pretty high in sugar and carbohydrates, and in fact, diabetes is a very common feline disease. Like humans, some cases can be diet controlled, but many diabetic cats are insulin dependent.
Dry cat food is VERY high in carbohydrates which may be fine unless your cat developsdiabetes. For diabetic cats, it is not recommended that you feed any dry food at all to your kitty. In fact, many vets now are suggesting you not feed dry cat food, period, for many health reasons including diabetes and feline urinary infections. Most cats exist on a near-dehydrated state all the time, and the added moisture in wet food is beneficial to all felines, but particularly to a diabetic cat. Diabetic cats should not be “free fed” – they should receive half of their food when their insulin is given, and the other half at the time of day when they are generally most active.
Royal Canin offers one of the few dry foods to be marketed as diabetic cat food. (see Royal Canin Diabetic Cat food here) Blue Buffalo has a “Spa Select” line that features all natural ingredients, and their wet food comes in several varieties and I’ve heard great things about the Blue Buffalo diabetic cat foods. Natural Balance Canned Cat Food (the one that carries the Dick Van Patton “seal of approval”) is another great option, as it is a limited ingredient food.
If you switch to a low-carb cat food, be sure to immediately let your vet know, because you will almost certainly have to lower the dosage of insulin you are giving your cat. If your vet suggests waiting to see how the cat makes out for a few weeks, get a second opinion. Insulin overdose can be as harmful to your pet as to a person.
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