Written by Jill & Alex, FDMB.
it could just be a case of "repeat speak" commonly found on message boards, but prevailing wisdom these days seems to be to feed a diabetic kitty "as much as they want". overfeeding may be ok if kitty is underweight, but many of our diabetics are "fluffy" to begin with.
Here's a really good explanation of why NOT to overfeed/feed until "satisfied":
In general, brain cells do not need insulin to utilize glucose. A specific area of the brain, called the appetite center (in the hypothalamus), monitors the amount of glucose that circulates in the bloodstream. The lower the blood glucose level in the cells in the appetite center the greater the appetite. Unlike most of the brain cells, the ability of glucose to enter the cells of the appetite center is dependent upon insulin. In diabetes mellitus, with its lack of adequate insulin in the bloodstream, these appetite center cells don't monitor glucose levels properly, thinking the blood glucose is low. as a result, the pet develops polyphagia to correct for this perceived problem. The additional food that is then eaten further increases the blood glucose level.
from: Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar Diabetes) in Dogs
Basically, a cat that's unregulated can't really tell what's going on with its appetite, and the high BGs make the cat even hungrier. It's something of a balancing act -- you want to be sure you're feeding sufficient food that the cat is getting the nutrition it needs, especially to help reduce the risk of ketoacidosis, but you don't want to overfeed (which often happens when the cat is "hungry"). The poor cat doesn't know if it really needs food, it just knows that its brain is saying "need food now!".
overfeeding can make it more difficult to pull those numbers down. as hilary said, "The poor cat doesn't know if it really needs food, it just knows that its brain is saying "need food now!". many of our diabetic kitties are overweight to begin with. more than one of us have found feeding a diabetic kitty "as much as they want" leaves us with an even fatter kitty. obesity can also create more problems.
imho, we DO have to reach a happy medium. when alex was initially diagnosed and put on insulin i calculated how many calories she "should" be consuming using the guidelines found on Dr. Lisa's website. i started out with X amount of calories and then added an extra 3oz can to the total food consumed daily since diabetic cats do not utilize their food properly. within a few weeks of being treated with insulin, i gradually reduced the total amount fed to the amount of calories she *should* be consuming. feeding mini-meals throughout the day seemed to help satisfy her. the end result was a kitty who maintained rather than gained.
maybe it's time to re-think the advice to "feed kitty as much as they want"?
discuss...
Sources:
Jill & Alex (GA). “Discussion: 'Feed Kitty as Much as They Want?'” Feline Diabetes Message Board, 12 Dec. 2010, https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/discussion-feed-kitty-as-much-as-they-want.31942/
it could just be a case of "repeat speak" commonly found on message boards, but prevailing wisdom these days seems to be to feed a diabetic kitty "as much as they want". overfeeding may be ok if kitty is underweight, but many of our diabetics are "fluffy" to begin with.
Here's a really good explanation of why NOT to overfeed/feed until "satisfied":
In general, brain cells do not need insulin to utilize glucose. A specific area of the brain, called the appetite center (in the hypothalamus), monitors the amount of glucose that circulates in the bloodstream. The lower the blood glucose level in the cells in the appetite center the greater the appetite. Unlike most of the brain cells, the ability of glucose to enter the cells of the appetite center is dependent upon insulin. In diabetes mellitus, with its lack of adequate insulin in the bloodstream, these appetite center cells don't monitor glucose levels properly, thinking the blood glucose is low. as a result, the pet develops polyphagia to correct for this perceived problem. The additional food that is then eaten further increases the blood glucose level.
from: Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar Diabetes) in Dogs
Basically, a cat that's unregulated can't really tell what's going on with its appetite, and the high BGs make the cat even hungrier. It's something of a balancing act -- you want to be sure you're feeding sufficient food that the cat is getting the nutrition it needs, especially to help reduce the risk of ketoacidosis, but you don't want to overfeed (which often happens when the cat is "hungry"). The poor cat doesn't know if it really needs food, it just knows that its brain is saying "need food now!".
overfeeding can make it more difficult to pull those numbers down. as hilary said, "The poor cat doesn't know if it really needs food, it just knows that its brain is saying "need food now!". many of our diabetic kitties are overweight to begin with. more than one of us have found feeding a diabetic kitty "as much as they want" leaves us with an even fatter kitty. obesity can also create more problems.
imho, we DO have to reach a happy medium. when alex was initially diagnosed and put on insulin i calculated how many calories she "should" be consuming using the guidelines found on Dr. Lisa's website. i started out with X amount of calories and then added an extra 3oz can to the total food consumed daily since diabetic cats do not utilize their food properly. within a few weeks of being treated with insulin, i gradually reduced the total amount fed to the amount of calories she *should* be consuming. feeding mini-meals throughout the day seemed to help satisfy her. the end result was a kitty who maintained rather than gained.
maybe it's time to re-think the advice to "feed kitty as much as they want"?
discuss...
Sources:
Jill & Alex (GA). “Discussion: 'Feed Kitty as Much as They Want?'” Feline Diabetes Message Board, 12 Dec. 2010, https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/discussion-feed-kitty-as-much-as-they-want.31942/