Raw feeding and hypo situations - Teach me please

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

Hi All!

I've never fed a raw diet and have had someone ask me something I don't know enough to answer. That's now a challenge...

Kitty is diabetic and fed a raw diet. Owner is very against using anything BUT raw such as canned foods of any kind. I THINK a raw diet is basically carb free (???). What should be used to bring up low numbers along with quick simple sugars like karo or honey? Unless a drastic low, I use a bit of Karo and regular low carb food.

Please teach me!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I fed either corn syrup or some canned/pouches of wet if Neko went low. Raw diets can vary in carbs, depending on added veggies and type of protein. Neko's manufactured raw varied from 3-5% carbs. Who knew kangaroo was a higher carb meat? Honest Kitchen makes dehydrated raw that has potatoes in it. Can't remember which, but one of their Grace or Prowl is HC. I could never get it in small enough volume in Canada to be worth getting as HC. You can get canned/pouches HC that don't have wheat if that is an issue.

 

[Mandy & Rex (GA)]

@Stacy & Asia depends on Karo and a little gravy.

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

Neko's manufactured raw varied from 3-5% carbs

Thanks Wendy! That's higher than I figured it would be.

a little gravy

Thanks Mandy! She won't give canned gravy thus my trying to learn the right solution...

 

[Stacy & Asia]

Karo, simple syrup, maple syrup, honey, any of those will work. I would feed some raw with it, either mixed in, or if the cat will just eat the sugar alone and follow up with raw food. I either use a wee bit of gravy and mix the Karo in, or just put the Karo in her mouth with an oral syringe. The important part is to have the real food along with the sugar, the sugar will bring the numbers up fast, but it will wear off quickly without real food behind it.

You can easily mimic feeding different carb value foods by using raw food plus Karo or another sugar form as long as you reliably measure it with an oral syringe and keep track of how much does what so you can use it accordingly. I only use gravy because Asia will eat the gravy with Karo in it, she will not eat her raw food with Karo in it.

 

[Phoebes (GA)]

Good question brought to mind. Good job.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

You probably don't recall that Gabby was sensitive to gluten which is very often a component of gravy-style foods. I would use Karo or honey to bump up her numbers. Any kind of syrup gives you a pretty big bang for the buck -- in other words you literally need a couple of drops to get numbers to rise. If the CG has a kitty with GI issues, it makes sense to avoid most canned foods. Any form of syrup can be added to raise numbers and I used it very effectively when I had Gabby on a raw diet.

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

THANKS ALL!

So what I'm understanding, if she sees a low number, just use one of the simple sugars like Karo or Honey along with the raw she usually feeds. I just didn't know much of anything about raw feed and it's reactions.

@Sienne and Gabby (GA) , since gluten was specifically mentioned, I suspect kitty may have that same issue.

Thanks again!