New overwhelmed cat owner

My cat, Sonic, was dx May 2017. At his annual check up, his BG was 400. AH! I had been feeding dry food (Best Breed) and 3 units of Novolin. I am switching him to wet food, but I am overwhelmed with the information. Right now, he's eating one 3 oz can and less than a 1/4 cup of dry food, twice a day. The dry food is more like something to hold him over between wet food meals. The vet suggested two 3 oz cans a day. I'm thinking this isn't right for him. The cat is always hungry. I was considering going to one 5 oz can, twice a day and ditching the dry food completely. According to the package directions, he should be eating three 5 oz cans a day. That seems like a lot! The latest wet food I bought is Friskies Pate Variety pack. It has low carbs, but I worry about the first ingredient being by products. I want good food for him, but not go broke doing it. What is the cheapest, wet food without so many by products?

Also, I was using a timer to feed him dry food, but not sure I can use it with the wet food. Is it ok to leave the wet food out?

Thanks for helping. I'm truly overwhelmed.

 

The rule of thumb is 20 calories per pound.... If your cat is not regulated he might need a bit more than that. How much does your cat weigh? What are his bg numbers?


You are beret off giving extra wet food began feedings rather than that high carb kibble.

 

A lot of people around here give their cats Fancy Feast pate. Stay away from the gravy lovers, except for when kitty goes hypo. It comes in many flavors.

 

Sonic weighs 14 pounds, but is overweight. He had his BG checked May 30 and it was 420, and on June 14, it was 380. After June 14, I started switching him from dry to wet food. His next BG check is June 29.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Please consider doing home tests. It's the best way to not only keep them safe, but makes it easier to find the ideal dose and help them feel better. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.

 

Ok, so if 12 lbs is his ideal weight, and a can of fancy feast classic is (depending on the flavor) about 80-90 calories them to maintain 12 lbs he would need about three cans daily of the 3oz ff. You might give a can in the morning, a half can mid day, a can in the evening, and half can before bed.

 

He's going to have a ravenous appetite until he's regulated. Diabetic cats get so hungry because they aren't getting any of the nutrients from their food. Insulin is what corrects this

 

Please home test, especially since a change to all wet food lowers blood glucose, and you need to know what is happening in your kitty's body. If you are giving insulin you should be home testing to keep Sonic safe, and avoid hypoglycemia.

 

You can leave wet food out. I put down between 7.5-11 oz of food in the morning and my two cats graze all day. Also, you can find information from Dr.Pierson (Lisa DVM) on this website addressing animal by-products in food. It's not as bad as you think, it often contains organ meats which are really good for the cats, but labeled as "by-products".

 

By-products are a vital ingredient for cat food as cats get a good portion of their vitamins and amino acids from organ meat (which is essentially what animal by-products are). You don't want your cat food's first ingredient to be by-products though. You want muscle meat first. Fancy Feast Classic pate is probably the best value in regards to low carb, high protein, good quality, affordable price. Of course there is better cat food out there but if your budget is tight it's the standard. This is a helpful guide for diabetic friendly cat food. Anything under 10% carbs is recommended for a diabetic cat, the lower the better, the higher amount of protein the better

https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

 

Do not remove dry food UNLESS you are home testing. You are giving a fairly large amount of Novolin. It is a short acting insulin that hits fast. Removing dry food will drop his glucose significantly. You need to monitor during transition to prevent a hypo episode.