Food for Stage 3 CKD and diabetic cat (UK)

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Nestacres

Member Since 2020
HI. Our 12 year old burmese cat has been comfortably in stage 3 renal failure for a couple of years now and was diagnosed as diabetic last April. He seems fairly stable on 3 units of prozinc twice a day while keeping his renal diet (which I know isn't the best for diabetic cats - buts that's what we have been advised). Since the weekend he has completely gone off his renal food (Royal Canin/Hills KD) which has made the insulin injection difficult as he wasn't eating. At the moment he is eating (and loving) Felix As good as it looks senior but does any one in a similar situation have any recommendations food wise longer term - ie low sodium/phosphorous, good quality protein but not ridiculously high carb to spike glucose?

Thanks for any help
 
Hi and welcome to you and your Burmese kitty.
Here is a chart that Dr Lisa Pierson wrote which has both carbs and phosphorus levels for the foods.
Choose foods that are low carb (10% or under) and 250 or 200mg phosphorus /100kcals
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

However a word of caution. If and when you swap over to the low carb diet, you need to be testing the blood glucose levels to ensure that your kitty does not drop too low with the current dose of insulin you are giving. Cats can drop over 100 points when swapping to a low carb diet. You need to do the swap over slowly and be monitoring the BG levels closely. Just getting the BG tested at the vets after a week is not enough to ensure your kitty will be safe with the swap to the low carb food.
We will be happy to help and guide you with this.

Are you home testing the blood glucose levels at the moment?
 
Nestacres said:
At the moment he is eating (and loving) Felix As good as it looks senior but does any one in a similar situation have any recommendations food wise longer term - ie low sodium/phosphorous, good quality protein but not ridiculously high carb to spike glucose?
Click to expand...
Hi, are you in the UK? Waving to you from Surrey! :bighug:
I see you've had some great advice already.
Managing kidney disease and diabetes can be something of a balancing act. Ideally we want to feed the kitty the lowest phosphorous food that they will eat, and 'hopefully' one that doesn't elevate the blood glucose too much, and has sufficient protein to keep some good body mass on the kitty.

There are different approaches, but with my own kitties I've found foods that are low carb and 'relatively' low in phosphorous; and I've added a phosphorous binder to reduce the amount of phos that is absorbed.
'If' the blood glucose can be kept in a decent range that means less work for the kidneys to do (removing glucose). As has been said above though it is very important to be testing blood glucose at home before trying to switch to lower carb foods...

It's great that you have a glucose meter. 'Hometesting' is SO helpful with understanding and managing diabetes, and keeping kitty safe from hypoglycemia. 'Most' people can learn to test if they put their minds to it, and 'most' kitties can be tested. Many kitties even come to look forward to the tests if they are rewarded with yummy treats...:cat:

For info on kidney disease I strongly recommend the 'Tanya' kidney disease site. There is a huge amount of info there:
https://www.felinecrf.org/

Eliz
 
Elizabeth and Bertie said:
Hi, are you in the UK? Waving to you from Surrey! :bighug:
I see you've had some great advice already.
Managing kidney disease and diabetes can be something of a balancing act. Ideally we want to feed the kitty the lowest phosphorous food that they will eat, and 'hopefully' one that doesn't elevate the blood glucose too much, and has sufficient protein to keep some good body mass on the kitty.

There are different approaches, but with my own kitties I've found foods that are low carb and 'relatively' low in phosphorous; and I've added a phosphorous binder to reduce the amount of phos that is absorbed.
'If' the blood glucose can be kept in a decent range that means less work for the kidneys to do (removing glucose). As has been said above though it is very important to be testing blood glucose at home before trying to switch to lower carb foods...

It's great that you have a glucose meter. 'Hometesting' is SO helpful with understanding and managing diabetes, and keeping kitty safe from hypoglycemia. 'Most' people can learn to test if they put their minds to it, and 'most' kitties can be tested. Many kitties even come to look forward to the tests if they are rewarded with yummy treats...:cat:

For info on kidney disease I strongly recommend the 'Tanya' kidney disease site. There is a huge amount of info there:
https://www.felinecrf.org/

Eliz
Click to expand...
Hi. Waving back form Essex! Thanks for the advice...we've had a difficult week. He's eating fine on Felix AGAIL senior with phosphate binder but had a mini siezure on Tuesday - went to vet who said blood glucose was 20.9 (10 hours after injection) so not hypo. And today, he had another full siezure (lasting about 20 seconds) 3.5 hours after his injection - took him to vets and level was 5 (managed to get some food into him post siezure befoire rushing to vets). Ther is clearly a balance to be found on insulin and food as his 3 units of prozinc was based on renal diet - was warned this could happend atter change in diet but we havent started home testing yet, but probably shluld have. Latest reports form vets is that he is fine and eating - just trying to get his blood glucose level up. Also looking to rule out other things. Damn renal food!
 
Nestacres said:
He's eating fine on Felix AGAIL senior with phosphate binder but had a mini siezure on Tuesday - went to vet who said blood glucose was 20.9 (10 hours after injection) so not hypo. And today, he had another full siezure (lasting about 20 seconds) 3.5 hours after his injection - took him to vets and level was 5 (managed to get some food into him post siezure befoire rushing to vets). Ther is clearly a balance to be found on insulin and food as his 3 units of prozinc was based on renal diet - was warned this could happend atter change in diet but we havent started home testing yet, but probably shluld have.
Click to expand...
Sorry you've had a difficult week... (((Hugs)))

The first seizure may well have been hypo, then followed by a 'bounce' (quick rise in blood glucose due to rebound). This is even more likely the case given what happened yesterday...
The insulin dose is clearly too high and needs to be reduced. His insulin needs may have dropped considerably due to change of diet.... And that 3 units is a already a higher than average dose...

Do please learn to test, especially since you have changed the diet. It really is the only way to know for sure whether the insulin dose is right for the kitty. And it is really not that hard to learn. Honestly! :cat:

Hope your kitty is feeling better now, and that you are OK too. x
 
Seconding what Elizabeth and Bertie said. Home testing is one of the 3 basics of feline diabetes treatment.

We have videos, and testing tips if you are interested. Let me know.
 
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