New pet owner I could really use some advice

I am a young pet owner and these are my first kitties. I want to make sure I am doing everything right for them so they can be their healthiest! Here is my story...

My kitty Damian was diagnosed with diabetes 2 years ago. He has been living a good and healthy life with twice daily small doses (1 unit) of vetsulin. About 4 months ago he had all his teeth removed due to some major dental problems (which he had been on and off of steroids as a treatment for about 3 and a half years). About 3 weeks ago he was having issues with vomitting and fatigue so I took him in to his regular vet. The vet ran the normal BG tests and has informed me that Damian's fatigue was due to a very low bloodsugar. The vet has recommended no more insulin and to put him on a high protein low carb diet. I am following the vets directions perfectly except for one little problem.... I cannot get him to eat the new food! I have tried Evo turkey and chicken dry food and Firstmate fish and potatoe with blueberries. I am worried about him being off his insulin and then not eating enough. Any advice, suggestions or any overall knowledge would be greatly appreciated!!


(I also have a non-diabetic cat, are the high protein foods good for him as well? He wont eat the new food either)

 

Hello;

I am happy to hear that your baby is off of insulin I will say, however, that he needs to have his blood sugar tested regularly at home so that you will know if he needs to be returned to a small dose of insulin. Do you know how to home test? He also needs to be periodically tested for Ketones. Again, this can be done at home.

There are a LOT of food choices that are low in carbs and suitable for your diet controlled diabetic and your civvie cat, (non-diabetic).
Fancy Feast canned foods, (any of the ones that have the term "classic" on the label), will be low in carbs:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm

Friskies canned cat food - if it is "loaf", or "pate" style, chances are it is also going to be low in carbs.
9-lives, Special Kitty, (Walmart brand), Sophisticat, (PetsMart brand), and so many other affordable canned cat food options are out there,
that you are bound to find something he will eat and love. Canned cat food is SO much healthier for cats than dry food is.

Here is a link to Janet and Binky's food charts:
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html
Look at both the "old" and the "new" lists. Look for canned foods that are UNDER 10% in carb value.
My diet controlled diabetic eats canned foods that are 5% or LESS in carb value and he has been off of insulin for 1 year today.
Soooooo.... I would suggest foods 5% or lower in carb value just to be on the safe side

HTH,

~M

 

Hi, and welcome --

I'm glad that Damian doesn't need insulin at the moment. It's possible that the problems that he was having with his teeth caused his blood sugar to increase and that, now that those have been addressed, his blood sugar needs have been lowered. I agree with Mary, though, that you should learn to home-test Damian's blood sugar levels. It's possible that his blood sugar levels will be a little unstable, and it would be a good idea to keep an eye on them. If you follow this link, Cindy can send you a starter kit for free.

Switching to the low-carb food is a good idea, both for Damian and his friend. That'll keep Damian's blood sugar as low as possible, and decrease the chances of your other cat ever developing diabetes. Here's another link to Janet and Binky's charts; this one contains other links for dry foods and non-US foods. As Mary said, you'll be looking for foods that are as low in carbs as possible -- at least under 10% carbs for Damian's diabetes, and I like her idea of trying for foods that are even lower in carbs.

Switching to a new food can be hard. Sometimes you need to put out the old food and mix it with increasing amounts of the new food. You can try warming the new food up, or sprinkling it it with a little parmesan cheese or some tuna flakes. Sometimes, you can dab it on their paws or noses and they'll lick it off just to clean themselves up. You might have to play around with flavors a little bit; sometimes there's a cat food that your cat just will *NOT* eat for some reason. Just try to stick with the low-carb varieties as much as possible.

And congratulations again on Damian no longer needing insulin!

-- Jean and her Gwyn

 

Hi and welcome,

You've already got some great advice, not much I can add.

Are you in the States or where are you located? We may be able to help you with some food choices that both your kitties will like.

Feeding them both high protein low carb will keep them both happy and healthy over the years.

 

http://www.catinfo.org/TipsforTransitioningPDF12-18-09.pdf

This document is for transitioning from dry to wet, but may provide some good tips to assist in the transition.

 

Thank you all for the advice! I will attempt a switch over to wet food although my other kitty seems to prefer his cheap dry food...

As for the at home testings I am very nervous but will look into it further.

I am located in the United states Pacific Northwest!

Thanks again!