August 9, 2022 New member

[Nicole and Jack]

My 15 year old Ragdoll, Jack, was diagnosed with diabetes July 29. I took him to emergency after that appointment because his regular vet was concerned about diabetic ketoacidosis. He was hospitalized for a couple days, where they were more concerned with his failing kidneys (he was stage 1 CKD just last February) than his diabetes. He has been on prescription kidney food since his earlier CKD diagnosis.

Once he returned home on Vetsulin, he had a lot of variation in his BG. I’m not sure if it was related to his prescription kidney diet or just the process of stabilizing his BG. Since his BG was very high after having been home from the hospital for a few days, back to the hospital he went. The emergency vet recommended that I run a glucose curve. His numbers were better the next day in the morning but they rose later in the day.

Since then, his regular vet switched him to Lantus because his BG was still too high. He was eating canned and fry prescription kidney food. But I switched him to canned only. Although his vet wants him to stay on the prescription kidney food, I’m curious if I could add in or supplement the prescription food with some low carb/low phosphate canned food (such as weruva)?

He is currently on 1unit of Lantus twice a day to get him started. I imagine it will need to be increased. He continues to be a very good boy that doesn’t mind the ear pricks or shots.

 

[Gus the Furminator]

I think making the switch off the prescription food to a food such as weruva that is both low carb and low phos would be the first step I take.

What prescription food is it? If it’s focused on CKD (low pho) chances are it might be too high in carbs for the diabetic side of things.

I also believe with the combo of stage 1 CKD and diabetes you actually want to focus more on the diabetes first (not the other way around) as it can be hard on the kidneys on its own..

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Hi Nicole! Sorry that nobody has gotten back to you yet but Welcome to the FDMB!

Do you have copies of your latest lab results? It would be great if you could post them.

Although his vet wants him to stay on the prescription kidney food, I’m curious if I could add in or supplement the prescription food with some low carb/low phosphate canned food (such as weruva)?

If I had a dollar for every cat that ended up diabetic due to "prescription" kidney diets, I'd be rich. The kidney diets are very low in protein and very high in carbs (and salt). It used to be that the first thing vets did was recommend low protein diets but newer research shows it's the phosphorus that counts (at least until they're in stage 4 or end stage). Restricting protein just leads to muscle wasting and with CKD cats, keeping weight on them is already hard enough! The salt increases thirst too ...it would be a lot healthier for cats to get their water from their food like they were meant to. A mouse is about 80% water....just like most canned foods!

The Weruva foods are much better choices and I'd slowly transition him off the kidney diet. Since you're already giving insulin, you don't want to lower the carbs too fast or you could end up with a hypo situation and we don't want that. Just because your vet wants you to stay on the kidney diet doesn't mean you have to. Your vet doesn't live with you.

When you have a chance, please read this post on "How you can help us help you". Getting your "Signature" done and starting a spreadsheet will help us to give you the best advice possible. If spreadsheet's aren't your thing, you can send me a private message or @Bandit's Mom and we'd be happy to set it up for you. Just click on one of our names and choose "start a conversation" so we can get details we'd need.

 

[Rebecca & Max (GA)]

I only wanted to add that my vet told me diabetes first, kidney disease second. Especially at only stage 1!
Uncontrolled diabetes puts additional stresses in the kidneys so while I understand the idea behind renal foods, they usually go opposite what we want for diabetes. Tag me in the FB group and I’ll share the Low carb/low phos food list. Or you can find it in the FB group files. I’d still aim for the higher protein foods because I saw my CKD quickly lose muscle on the lower protein. I now have her on homemade, high protein food using Food Fur Life’s premix powder. I add it to my meat of choice with water and feed. Mine is about stage 3 and holding well. Max was my FD kitty that I got into remission after switching him to the TR protocol, but was then diagnosed with CKD a month after remission. I only got 11 more months with him before his kidneys failed. We don’t know why. He was fed the same food as my other CKD cat. Maybe something more or maybe the 2.5 months I struggle to regulate him had an effect? That’s why I will always say fix the diabetes first, then work on the kidneys. I’m Becky (RJ) Van Cleave in the FB group, fyi.

 

[Sugar’s Mama]

He continues to be a very good boy that doesn’t mind the ear pricks or shots.

Hello and welcome! I could have written this line, my Sugar Bear doesn’t need a treat to be OK with testing or shots, he is soooooo much more motivated by pets and attention! I shake the test strip bottle and he comes running! And, instantly starts purring with any type of affection including shots!

The motto of this website is ‘every cat is different’ and I know that to be true… read and re-read all of the stickie posts… I still reference back often as Sugar’s numbers change.

It seems overwhelming but the incredible folks on this site will walk you through each step if you show up and ask for help.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Welcome Nicole and Jack

Yes weruva has low carb and low phospherous wet food
With weruva foods
You want the metabolizable energy profile percentage of carbs to be less than 10%, and the phosphorus which Weruva lists in Minerals to be less than 250 mg per 100 cals. So you have to look at two different places in the Weruva charts.
https://weruva.com


For diabetic cats and cats that have elevated kidney values
You want to feed low phosphorous wet food

When you go to the weruva site and click on one of the pics of the food , click on Detailed Nutrition information that is under guaranteed analysis to the left
YOU WANT CARBS UNDER 10% AND PHOSPHORUS IDEALLY LOW 200's OR LESS

Go to this thread , there are a lot of weruva foods listed here in post #3 , post numbers are to the left
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/kidney-disease.262271/#post-2940026

Also
https://www.soulisticpet.com/nutritional-information-pate
I think you look under the same two places like in the Weruva to get the carbs and phosphorus %

If Jack likes Pate here are the weruva pages
Take a look here https://weruva.com/nutrition-landing/pates-ni/

Try not to feed a lot of fish flavors , once a week is fine

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Posted by one of our members weruva
BFF play weruva pate is on the list your looking at or not. I wrote down the protein carbs & phosphorus #s in a notebook.
BFF play chicken Checkmate
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 129%
BFF play chicken & turkey topsy turvy
Protein 32%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 129%
BFF play chicken cherish
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 135%
BFF chicken & turkey tiptoe
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 136%
BFF chicken duck & turkey take a chance
Protein 32%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 149%
BFF play chicken & lamb laugh out loud
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 154%
BFF play chicken & duck destiny
Protein 32%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 165%
BFF play chicken & beef best buds
Protein 33%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 171%
Don't know if your kitty likes pate but here is the list of the BFF line.