Diet and Feline Diabetes
It is really simple. Feed your cat wet food that is LOW carbohydrate.
Feeding your cat non-dry cat food is the best thing you can do for your cat, diabetic or not. A cat is an “obligate carnivore.” That means the physiology and anatomy of the cat are suited to eating a high protein, meat diet. Dry food, even prescription diabetic food, just cannot meet this requirement for high protein.
A low-carbohydrate, high protein, wet diet has been associated with remission (disappearance of symptoms) of diabetes in cats. You can feed your cat a raw or cooked diet that you make yourself or there are many excellent high protein canned foods available. As a cost-conscious compromise, you can feed readily available low-cost canned foods, such as certain varieties of Fancy Feast.
Do your cat a favor and feed her protein.
The following links are to articles and web sites that will provide more information on diet.
- The famous Janet & Binky food charts. Charts comparing the nutritional content of various commercial foods. Invaluable.
- Low carb, wheat-gluten free Fancy Feast varieties
Fancy Feast is an economical, low-carb wet food for your cat – at least, certain varieties!
- Low carb, wheat-gluten free Fancy Feast varieties
- Feline Diabetes and Diet: The High Carbohydrate Culprit
A veterinarian cautions against including too many carbohydrates in your cat’s diet.
- Feline Diabetes and Diet: The High Carbohydrate Culprit
- Feline Diabetes and Obesity: The Preventable Epidemics
An intiguing article by Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM, Esq. discussing the link between diet and two common feline health problems. - Does a low-carb diet increase the risk of ketones in a cat?
This informal discussion by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins gives a great description of ketones and how cats process glucose.
- Feline Diabetes and Obesity: The Preventable Epidemics
- The Carnivore Connection to Nutrition in Cats by Debra Zoran, DVM, Ph.D., DVACIM. A .pdf article from the December 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
- Feeding: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition. The web site of Lisa A. Pierson DVM, who is passionate about the critical role of diet in the health of cats.
- CatNutrition.org provides practical information for the layperson.
- Feeding: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition. The web site of Lisa A. Pierson DVM, who is passionate about the critical role of diet in the health of cats.
- Dietary Recommendations for Cats with DM
Discussion of studies comparing low carbohydrate vs. high fiber diets and reduction of obesity in feline diabetics.