New to Forum. Cat Pre-Diabetes

[Julia Hart]

Hi, My name is Julie, and out cat, Floydie 13-1/2 was just diagnosed with pre-diabetes. My daughter suggested Dr. Elsey’s protein food. Any suggestions? He went from 19 to 14 in 3 months. Floydie was very overweight……would appreciate any tips, suggestions, protein food. He is not lethargic or not eating etc. Thank you, Julie

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB.

I'm going to move your post to the Health forum. It's where we suggest that new members start out. Where you're posting is on our sub-forum for member's whose cats are prescribed Lantus.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

It depends on which of Dr. Elsey's foods your daughter recommended. There are some varieties that are low in carbohydrates and some that are not.

We recommend that you switch your cat to a low carb diet. We consider low carb as under 10% carb. We also suggest a canned food diet. Many of the dry foods are not great when it comes to ingredients (e.g., powdered cellulose -- this is another name for sawdust). Many of the members here feed their diabetic cat Fancy Feast pate style (Classic) most of which are low in carbs. In addition to a low carb diet, canned food is also much high in moisture which helps given that cats have a limited thirst drive. If you want to know more about feline nutrition, this is a great website on the topic. The website is authored by a vet and there is also a chart that contains nutritional information, including carbs, for most of the canned cat foods available in the US. You have lots of choices!

If you make the switch from a dry food diet to canned food, do so slowly. If you make an abrupt switch, your cat is likely to have a GI upset.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

Hi and welcome to FDMB!

What were Floydie's sugar levels? Was a fructosamine test done? You also want to get a glucose meter and start testing his blood sugar at home to see how it responds to the food change. Tests/curves done at the vet can show inflated readings due to stress.

 

[Kobe (Dean and Lesley) MO]

Welcome! Kobe is my diabetic cat who was very sick and is now doing great. Kobe's brother, Carmelo was eating the same diet that made Kobe so sick. When Kobe was diagnosed with diabetes, we took Carmelo in for a Fructosamine test (we didn't know about testing at home yet, would have saved some cash if we had tested his BG at home). Carmelo's Fructosamine test was right at the top end of "normal." But he was having issues with vomiting, allergy problems and fungus around his eyes and ears. So, when we made changes to Kobe's diet to help manage his diabetes, we made changes to Carmelo's too. He's looks like a different cat. The allergies are gone (he was allergic to the prescription food they both used to eat), the fungal issues are gone, he is looking lean and strong again. His energy level is up, and his coat is SO SHINY. He glows.

The advice from this forum saved Kobe, and it saved Carmelo too. You probably didn't want to end up here, but you and Floydie will be glad you did. The dietary changes are EVERYTHING.

My two headed cat. In front, Carmelo. In the back is Kobe.

Here is Carmelo before the diet changes.

 

[Julia Hart]

Hi all! Fructosamine was 515.
We noticed he was losing weight.
Vet wants to try him on a high protein diet.
He was very overweight, our Floydie.
13-1/2 years old or could be older. Our son got him from a shelter years ago and gave Floydie to us since he couldn’t move him to the next apartment. Any tips, suggestions greatly appreciated. He is not in any apparent pain or vomitjng, etc. A friendly, sweet cat who we just noticed has last weight. 5 lbs in about 3 months or slightly less. Doctor suggested high protein food at this point. Floydie was also diagnosed with roundworms as he is an indoor/outdoor cat. Help! Thank you, Julie

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Do you know if Floydie gets "snacks" anywhere else in the neighborhood? If so, that could be a problem. There's no way to know if he's found a stash of kibble somewhere and he's eating high carb food.

 

[Julia Hart]

I don’t think so. I will notify the neighbors not to feed him.
What protein wet food do you all recommend? Thanks, Julie

 

[squeem3]

Can you make your cat strictly an indoor only cat? You have no way of knowing who might be feeding him table scraps or junky cat food or who knows what else. You can't trust people these days. Do you have a yard? Maybe you can put a small catio in so your cat has safe access to the outdoors. Some cats enjoy walking on a leash or in a pet stroller. If your cat wears a collar with tags, it's a good idea to put a medical ID tag on to indicate that the cat is diabetic. There are various online places to get medical ID tags including ones for pets.

Any low carb canned food is good. Fancy Feast is often recommended since it's a big name brand everyone is familiar with and can find in most any store. Only the Gourmet / Classic pate ones are low in carbs. The Gravy Lovers and other lines are too high in carbs but keep a few cans on hand to use in case blood glucose levels drop too low. Here is the link to the food charts: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/links-to-food-charts.174182/ Whatever has less than 10% carbs is good. Besides Fancy Feast, there are many other suitable brands you can feed. Feed whatever your cat likes and you can afford.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

A fructosamine of 515 is solidly in the diabetic range:

• Reference Ranges for Fructosamine Test

Switching to a lower carb wet food diet will help. Take a look at this food list, look for anything under 10% in carbs. Try the diet for a few weeks, but you should book a revisit with the vet to see if his blood sugars are coming down after 2-3 weeks on the diet. If not, you will need to treat him for diabetes.