Long time OTJ but still questions about food

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fridaysmom

Member Since 2016
Hi! My cat Friday has been in remission for 8 years now. I thank my lucky stars every day that the insulin treatment information I learned here worked. We had kept him on DM all these years until about 2 years ago when I was told he had the beginnings of kidney disease. The treatment for kidney disease is low protein which conflicts with diabetes treatment of high protein. I ended up feeding him high quality protein Instinct brand food. The issue is that over the last year he just hasn't eaten it. He's lost 1/3 of his body weight and is in serious jeopardy of starving. I just had new blood run and the kidney disease is still mild and hasn't progressed. There are no obvious indications of why he's losing weight either. So what I'm wondering is this....if the diabetes is in check and the kidney disease is in check, can I feed him "junk food" i.e. Friskies, etc. to get calories into him since the immediate concern is weight gain. It's just so hard, after all these years of being so careful, to feed that to him but it feels like it might be actually be the best option.

As a side bar, Friday has been pulling his fur out in chunks, sometimes down the to the skin, for the last year. We've tried everything and can't get it to stop. Not really related to the above question but wanted to mention it.

Any and all thoughts welcome. Thank you!!
 
I had my guys on Instinct as well, but it proved to be a problem. So, I switched to EVO dry and wet, both chicken and fish and they all eat it up. It's low carb. Get some samples and try it. I can send to try if you like, but the stores may carry it locally. Or try one of the very small bags it comes in. I also feed Weruva "Foul Ball" and Merrick " Cowboy Cookout" wet and Earthborn cans.

If your kitty is pulling out hair it could be an allergy or emotional problem. I expect the problem may be a Hyper Thyroid issue which requires Methimazole to treat it. I'm not a vet, but have a lot of cats. Hyper thyroid issues can make your cat do some crazy things as it effects behavior.

Good luck. I hope you solve the problem.
 
Thank you Sharon! I will definitely try posting there as well. George & Bert, I will check out the EVO and other brands you suggest. What do you guys think of the "junk food" idea? Right now I'm more focused on calories but I'll admit it's scary after everything we've been through here.

The problem doesn't seem to be thyroid- his numbers came back normal surprisingly. Vet suggested I try an antihistamine for a few weeks to determine if it is allergy before moving on to something like prozac.
 
fridaysmom said:
What do you guys think of the "junk food" idea? Right now I'm more focused on calories but I'll admit it's scary after everything we've been through here.
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It seems like he's lost a lot of weight. Are you giving him a phosphorous binder? I personally would feed him whatever he will eat and give a binder in case the food's phosphorous level is high. I also recommend Tanya's CRF site. Friday needs to eat asap. CRF is terminal and is more of a concern than the diabetes. I would feed him whatever and the consequences of diabetes returning should only be a secondary worry. Diabetes can be treated with insulin, so don't let starving to death be an option.
 
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