Best food for pre-diabetic cat

[DDodgie1]

found out recently that my 11 yr old cat is pre-diabetic & the vet put him on a prescription diet. No insulin yet. I got a bag of Science Diet m/d glucose support. He hated it at 1st but I mixed it with his other food & now he eats it. I tried giving him the canned Science Diet & it was a no go. I can't get him to eat any wet food at all now . I can't afford the Science Diet anymore since I lost my income, so what else can I give give? He also has severe asthma! So it limits me to what I can get for him. I'm almost out of dry & don't know what to do! Help please!

 

[Juls and Billy]

Honestly, a low carb wet diet is as good for pre-diabetics as it is for diabetics. And it doesn't have to be expensive. Many members use Fancy Feast pates and Friskies pates. If you are having trouble transitioning him to wet food, you might try the tips at this link.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I agree. You need to get your kitty onto a canned/wet low carb (under 10% carb) diet.
The is no need to feed any of the prescription foods from the vet. They are not only expensive, they are mostly high carb and are not suitable for diabetic cats.
I would definitely ditch the dry. It is far too high in carbs and cats need a wet diet because of their kidneys.
Dry food is 7% moisture and canned food is 78% moisture.

When your vet says your kitty is prediabetic, what does he mean? Has he given you any numbers at all?
If I were you, I would buy a human glucose meter and test your cats blood glucose yourself.
It is not hard to do and you will know exactly where you are with it all.
You can buy a cheap human meter from Walmart called a ReliOn glucose meter. You will also need a box of lancets size 26 or 28 gauge to prick the ears and some cotton balls to put behind the ear when you test.
You do not need your vets permission to home test.
How long is the vet leaving you to feed a (hopefully) low carb diet before he tests again?
For me the risk is that if he is in fact diabetic and is not getting insulin, ketones can form. So if I were you I would buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test his urine every couple of days. If anything above a trace occurs then he needs to start insulin and you need to speak to your vet.

Here is the link to home testing the BGs.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Here is a link to suitable foods. Look for ones 10% and under carbs. Most of us feed carbs around 5 or 6 %
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Good luck! This is the best place for more info to help you help kitty!
Glad you found us!

 

[DDodgie1]

Honestly, a low carb wet diet is as good for pre-diabetics as it is for diabetics. And it doesn't have to be expensive. Many members use Fancy Feast pates and Friskies pates. If you are having trouble transitioning him to wet food, you might try the tips at this link.

I've tried to get him to eat the same wet food he's been eating for a long time but he refuses now. He is 11 & VERY stubborn! It's really frustrating. As a matter of fact, when I tried to gradually switch him to the Hills Science Diet m/d, he refused to eat for 2 whole weeks! He lost so much weight & I thought he was going to die :'( He's like a human, set in his ways. Lol. I fed him Whole Earth wet food. It doesn't tell me the carb % on it. Because of his asthma, it seems I'm limited to foods he can eat. The get us Haven Humane, not much help but due to no income, that's my only choice

 

[DDodgie1]

I agree. You need to get your kitty onto a canned/wet low carb (under 10% carb) diet.
The is no need to feed any of the prescription foods from the vet. They are not only expensive, they are mostly high carb and are not suitable for diabetic cats.
I would definitely ditch the dry. It is far too high in carbs and cats need a wet diet because of their kidneys.
Dry food is 7% moisture and canned food is 78% moisture.

When your vet says your kitty is prediabetic, what does he mean? Has he given you any numbers at all?
If I were you, I would buy a human glucose meter and test your cats blood glucose yourself.
It is not hard to do and you will know exactly where you are with it all.
You can buy a cheap human meter from Walmart called a ReliOn glucose meter. You will also need a box of lancets size 26 or 28 gauge to prick the ears and some cotton balls to put behind the ear when you test.
You do not need your vets permission to home test.
How long is the vet leaving you to feed a (hopefully) low carb diet before he tests again?
For me the risk is that if he is in fact diabetic and is not getting insulin, ketones can form. So if I were you I would buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test his urine every couple of days. If anything above a trace occurs then he needs to start insulin and you need to speak to your vet.

Here is the link to home testing the BGs.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Here is a link to suitable foods. Look for ones 10% and under carbs. Most of us feed carbs around 5 or 6 %
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

Oh wow! Why would the vet tell me to feed a pre-diabetic cat a high carb food? The darn stuff cost me almost $50 for a small bag I even asked the Holistic vet I use to take 1 of my other cats to years ago & they agreed with Haven Humane, the vet I have to go to because I lost my income. They never told me when to come back & have him re-tested. I was given glucose #'s but not sure what they were. This all happened maybe 6 mos ago. I use to have him on predisolone pills but that's not supposed to be long term & I had been giving that to him for well over a year, consistently & it concerned me so the vet gave me an inhaler & I bought the inhaler chamber off eBay, which cost a fortune! Kitty tries not to have asthma attacks around us because he knows I'll grab the inhaler, which my grandson & I have to pin him down to administer it. If I even just touch it, he runs & hides! I have countless scars from him filleting me trying to get away. I can't imagine trying to prick is little ear or anywhere to do a blood test, or trying to get a urine sample. I wouldn't even know how to go about that. This cat is afraid of his own shadow! He's very skittish & anything that might spook him sets off his asthma or he runs & hides. We've had him since he was 6 wks old, he was a Haven Humane rescue we fostered that ended up adopting us . He has always been an indoor kitty, he has escaped a couple times, once overnight. Don't think he'll do that again. He was freaked out of his mind! :'( It's always been just my grandson & I. He's never been terrorized or anything mean done to him. He's a psycho Seal Point Siamese & is mean & will bite us if we tell him NO! Lol.

 

[DDodgie1]

I agree. You need to get your kitty onto a canned/wet low carb (under 10% carb) diet.
The is no need to feed any of the prescription foods from the vet. They are not only expensive, they are mostly high carb and are not suitable for diabetic cats.
I would definitely ditch the dry. It is far too high in carbs and cats need a wet diet because of their kidneys.
Dry food is 7% moisture and canned food is 78% moisture.

When your vet says your kitty is prediabetic, what does he mean? Has he given you any numbers at all?
If I were you, I would buy a human glucose meter and test your cats blood glucose yourself.
It is not hard to do and you will know exactly where you are with it all.
You can buy a cheap human meter from Walmart called a ReliOn glucose meter. You will also need a box of lancets size 26 or 28 gauge to prick the ears and some cotton balls to put behind the ear when you test.
You do not need your vets permission to home test.
How long is the vet leaving you to feed a (hopefully) low carb diet before he tests again?
For me the risk is that if he is in fact diabetic and is not getting insulin, ketones can form. So if I were you I would buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test his urine every couple of days. If anything above a trace occurs then he needs to start insulin and you need to speak to your vet.

Here is the link to home testing the BGs.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Here is a link to suitable foods. Look for ones 10% and under carbs. Most of us feed carbs around 5 or 6 %
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

Oh. And he refuses to eat anything but paté when he was eating wet food. And where can I get an affordable inhaler & what kind? His is almost out & I checked with Walmart & they said it's $30

 

[DDodgie1]

I agree. You need to get your kitty onto a canned/wet low carb (under 10% carb) diet.
The is no need to feed any of the prescription foods from the vet. They are not only expensive, they are mostly high carb and are not suitable for diabetic cats.
I would definitely ditch the dry. It is far too high in carbs and cats need a wet diet because of their kidneys.
Dry food is 7% moisture and canned food is 78% moisture.

When your vet says your kitty is prediabetic, what does he mean? Has he given you any numbers at all?
If I were you, I would buy a human glucose meter and test your cats blood glucose yourself.
It is not hard to do and you will know exactly where you are with it all.
You can buy a cheap human meter from Walmart called a ReliOn glucose meter. You will also need a box of lancets size 26 or 28 gauge to prick the ears and some cotton balls to put behind the ear when you test.
You do not need your vets permission to home test.
How long is the vet leaving you to feed a (hopefully) low carb diet before he tests again?
For me the risk is that if he is in fact diabetic and is not getting insulin, ketones can form. So if I were you I would buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test his urine every couple of days. If anything above a trace occurs then he needs to start insulin and you need to speak to your vet.

Here is the link to home testing the BGs.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Here is a link to suitable foods. Look for ones 10% and under carbs. Most of us feed carbs around 5 or 6 %
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

I was also advised to give him Lysine since cats can't produce it & they need it for immune health. I would put a 1/4 tsp in his wet food with a little water. But now that he hasn't eaten wet food in over 2 mos, I haven't been able to give him the Lysine

 

[Deb & Wink]

This document can be helpful for you to learn how to be a "kitty whisperer" around your cat.
Using psychology to teach your cat how to accept the things you need to do to help them get better.

•Ear Testing Psychology•

p.s. We have no idea who Haven Humane is or where you live.

 

[DDodgie1]

This document can be helpful for you to learn how to be a "kitty whisperer" around your cat.
Using psychology to teach your cat how to accept the things you need to do to help them get better.

•Ear Testing Psychology•

p.s. We have no idea who Haven Humane is or where you live.

I'll try anything but he's pretty set in his ways & rules this house. Lol. Almost every big town has a Haven Humane. It's where they take in animals, adopt them out, they have a clinic, animal control etc.. It's in northern California.

 

[Deb & Wink]

fed him Whole Earth wet food. It doesn't tell me the carb % on it. Because of his asthma, it seems I'm limited to foods he can eat.

The asthma should have nothing to do with what foods you can feed him.

Food allergies can limit what you could feed your cat. Does your cat have some sort of food allergy?
Or IBD? (irritable bowel disease)

The Whole Earth Farms food are on this food chart. By vet Dr. Lisa Pierson.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

The beef flavor is a bit higher in carbs than some people like to see but 12% is still acceptable and some cats do better on slightly higher carb food than the 4 to 5% that works for other cats.

ECID Every Cat is Different.

 

[Judy and Freckles]

But now that he hasn't eaten wet food in over 2 mos, I haven't been able to give him the Lysine

When I gave one of my cats lysine, I put the lysine on my finger tip, then gently held her by the scruff and opened her mouth with other hand and stuck the finger with the lysine in her side of her mouth and kind of wiped the lysine off on the inside of her cheek. It was quick. I was determined and didn't make a big deal out of it. It was over before she knew what was happening.

If your can't isn't as cooperative, you might try to do it when you boy is having a snooze and is half asleep. The other thing that worked was just smearing the lysine on the front paws. Sticky stuff tends to bug cats and they lick it off.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Oh wow! Why would the vet tell me to feed a pre-diabetic cat a high carb food? The darn stuff cost me almost $50 for a small bag I even asked the Holistic vet I use to take 1 of my other cats to years ago & they agreed with Haven Humane, the vet I have to go to because I lost my income. They never told me when to come back & have him re-tested. I was given glucose #'s but not sure what they were. This all happened maybe 6 mos ago. I use to have him on predisolone pills but that's not supposed to be long term & I had been giving that to him for well over a year, consistently & it concerned me so the vet gave me an inhaler & I bought the inhaler chamber off eBay, which cost a fortune! Kitty tries not to have asthma attacks around us because he knows I'll grab the inhaler, which my grandson & I have to pin him down to administer it. If I even just touch it, he runs & hides! I have countless scars from him filleting me trying to get away. I can't imagine trying to prick is little ear or anywhere to do a blood test, or trying to get a urine sample. I wouldn't even know how to go about that. This cat is afraid of his own shadow! He's very skittish & anything that might spook him sets off his asthma or he runs & hides. We've had him since he was 6 wks old, he was a Haven Humane rescue we fostered that ended up adopting us . He has always been an indoor kitty, he has escaped a couple times, once overnight. Don't think he'll do that again. He was freaked out of his mind! :'( It's always been just my grandson & I. He's never been terrorized or anything mean done to him. He's a psycho Seal Point Siamese & is mean & will bite us if we tell him NO! Lol.

If the last time the BG levels were tested was 6 months ago,it is definitely time to get them retested.
You can do this yourself. It is not hard and kitty will not hate you. If you start associating it with treats, he will soon realise that testing is rewarded with a treat. Look at the link I sent you and start doing some of the things suggested such as choosing a specific spot for testing and always using that spot. Go there and start rubbing his ears, then give him a treat. Do that for a week then start having a go at testing.

To collect a urine sample, pop a small container Or a large spoon under him as he squats to pee. If he won't let you do that try putting a small container in his favourite spot to pee. Or crumple up some plastic in the litter box and see if you can catch a sample.

Oh. And he refuses to eat anything but paté when he was eating wet food. 30

That food is low carb so that's perfect. ( I'm assuming you are referring to cat food here and not human food.)

I'll try anything but he's pretty set in his ways & rules this house. Lol. .

What you mean is he has you well trained!!
You have to be strong and stand up to this little cat!
Remember you are the adult in the room!!

 

[DDodgie1]

The asthma should have nothing to do with what foods you can feed him.

Food allergies can limit what you could feed your cat. Does your cat have some sort of food allergy?
Or IBD? (irritable bowel disease)

The Whole Earth Farms food are on this food chart. By vet Dr. Lisa Pierson.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

The beef flavor is a bit higher in carbs than some people like to see but 12% is still acceptable and some cats do better on slightly higher carb food than the 4 to 5% that works for other cats.

ECID Every Cat is Different.

I'm not sure if he has food allergies. All I know is, he's had X-rays in the past & they found he has asthma. So far no IBD. The only Whole Earth can foods he liked & ate in the past was the real salmon & the chicken & salmon, paté. But now he won't eat wet food. I just bought him some Friskies & he refuses to eat it

 

[DDodgie1]

If the last time the BG levels were tested was 6 months ago,it is definitely time to get them retested.
You can do this yourself. It is not hard and kitty will not hate you. If you start associating it with treats, he will soon realise that testing is rewarded with a treat. Look at the link I sent you and start doing some of the things suggested such as choosing a specific spot for testing and always using that spot. Go there and start rubbing his ears, then give him a treat. Do that for a week then start having a go at testing.

To collect a urine sample, pop a small container Or a large spoon under him as he squats to pee. If he won't let you do that try putting a small container in his favourite spot to pee. Or crumple up some plastic in the litter box and see if you can catch a sample.


That food is low carb so that's perfect. ( I'm assuming you are referring to cat food here and not human food.)



What you mean is he has you well trained!!
You have to be strong and stand up to this little cat!
Remember you are the adult in the room!!

He doesn't eat treats. Too picky. Lol. Yes! He has us trained well. He's very bossy & demanding. He stalks me if I tell at him or tell him no or don't do what he wants. He's like a little 4-legged human. Lol

 

[Deb & Wink]

Even human children won't do whats best for them. As parents, we have to do what is best for our children, human or furred.

Have you tried crumbling any of the dry food on top of the wet?
Or sticking a few pieces of dry food into the wet food, the "chip and dip" method, and then putting those pieces of food on a plate?

Is there any "people food" your cat likes such as ground pork or beef or turkey? Cheese? Fish? Shrimp? Sushi?
How about a piece of chicken, dark meat has more flavor?
Have you tried sprinkling some tasty treat on top of the food, like bonito flakes or powdered freeze dried food?

My diabetic cat Wink was a dry food addict and founding member of DFAA (Dry Food Addicts Anonymous). I used every trick and tip in this document by vet Dr. Lisa Pierson, to get Wink to realize that wet food was edible and yummy. Please read it for some ideas for your picky cat.

https://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

It takes time, patience and commitment to get a cat switched to a new food. Often, it's 2 steps forward, and 1 step back. A slow transition can help. Meal feeding can help, as it uses the cats natural hunger instinct to help you. Free feeding is the worst thing you can do in my opinion, when you are trying to get a cat on better food.

 

[DDodgie1]

CJ, (a.k.a. Mr. Persnickety, lol) does not like human food, never has. He's a weirdo. Lol. When I'm cooking, sometimes if I drop or a scrap on the floor, maybe meat or shredded cheese, sometimes he'll snatch it up but if I drop some food for him on purpose or in his dish, he refuses to eat it. Like I said, weirdo. Lol. And as for the wet food, it was a brand & flavor he's always eaten. So I'm thinking that since I switched him to the Science Diet m/d dry, he no longer had a taste for the wet he use to eat. He doesn't drink milk & he doesn't like cat treats. When he went on strike from eating ANY food for 3 wks when I tried to transition him to the Science Diet, I tried giving him fresh cooked ground hamburger. By the 3rd week, he was so hungry that he ate it! So then I mixed some of his old dry with the new dry & he eventually started eating it & stopped eating the ground hamburger. I've never heard of powdered freeze dried cat food. I haven't tried any of your suggestions but I'm willing to try anything. And I will check out the link. Thank you!

 

[Deb & Wink]

I've never heard of powdered freeze dried cat food.

It's one of those DIY things.

I buy the freeze dried cat food and put it in my little electric coffee grinder. You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the dry food or a freeze dried food into a powder. Takes a bit of muscle power. You could use a blender or a food processor to do the same. Make sure the lid is on tightly, since it gets pretty dusty when you use electric assisted appliances to grind it up for you. Fair warning. Try small quantities at a time.

Worse than plaster dust, when the ceiling drywall needs to be replaced. But the food is not as toxic if you breath it in.

p.s. If you have read our replies, clicking on "Like" at the end of the post let's us know that you have read what we said.

 

[DDodgie1]

It's one of those DIY things.

I buy the freeze dried cat food and put it in my little electric coffee grinder. You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the dry food or a freeze dried food into a powder. Takes a bit of muscle power. You could use a blender or a food processor to do the same. Make sure the lid is on tightly, since it gets pretty dusty when you use electric assisted appliances to grind it up for you. Fair warning. Try small quantities at a time.

Worse than plaster dust, when the ceiling drywall needs to be replaced. But the food is not as toxic if you breath it in.

p.s. If you have read our replies, clicking on "Like" at the end of the post let's us know that you have read what we said.

Oh ok. I will give it a try. Thanks so much. And I'm new to this thing here so I didn't know about the 'like' thing. So I will make it a point to do that each time. Thank you

 

[Deb & Wink]

Thanks!

Could we get you to put a bit of information in your User ID "Signature" also?
Signature instructions.

Sure would love you to take 60 seconds and put some helpful information in your User Id profile, including the "Signature" portion.

Go to the top right corner of the screen, click on your user name, a drop down list will appear, select "Signature" from that list. Start typing in the text box that appears and be sure to click on the "Save Changes" button at the end of the text box.

Information like your first name, your cat's name age and sex, DX: (diagnosis date), insulin used, meter used (when you get one), food fed, and then the SS (spreadsheet) link when you get that setup are so, so helpful to those of us responding to members. That signature information will be "magically" attached at the end of all your posts. Signature and other user profile information can be updated as needed.

While you are there, editing your user profile, if you could update your profile to include your location, that is helpful also.

 

[DDodgie1]

Psycho kitty pretty much sleeps with 1 eye open now. He's so freaked out from me having to put that inhaler mask to his face that he is even more skittish now. I'm going to be diligent in getting him to eat wet food again that I'll eventually be able to start giving him the Lysine again.

 

[Deb & Wink]

Another member just put this in another thread.

Could work with the inhaler mask too.

 

[DDodgie1]

Thanks!

Could we get you to put a bit of information in your User ID "Signature" also?
Signature instructions.

Sure would love you to take 60 seconds and put some helpful information in your User Id profile, including the "Signature" portion.

Go to the top right corner of the screen, click on your user name, a drop down list will appear, select "Signature" from that list. Start typing in the text box that appears and be sure to click on the "Save Changes" button at the end of the text box.

Information like your first name, your cat's name age and sex, DX: (diagnosis date), insulin used, meter used (when you get one), food fed, and then the SS (spreadsheet) link when you get that setup are so, so helpful to those of us responding to members. That signature information will be "magically" attached at the end of all your posts. Signature and other user profile information can be updated as needed.

While you are there, editing your user profile, if you could update your profile to include your location, that is helpful also.

Ok. I will try to give as much info I can. Don't remember dates tho. Sorry

 

[DDodgie1]

Ok soooo I FINALLY got psycho kitty (after a couple weeks, lol) to eat the Whole Earth Salmon & the Real Chicken & Salmon paté wet food!! Yaayy! Lol. He's completely off the Science Diet m/d dry. But now he's so hungry all the time! I only give him a good size tablespoon in the morning & in the evening, along with the recommended amount each time of the Lysine but now I also give him a teaspoon of wet food in the afternoon as a snack. He use to have access to dry food 24/7 but then about 6 mos ago I got him 1 of those auto feeders where I set the timer to feed him in the morning & evening. But now that he's not getting the dry, he's dropped weight quite a bit & is like a vulture trying to eat everything in site! He's under foot the whole time I'm in the kitchen, hoping I'll drop some scraps! Then the second I leave the kitchen, he jumps on the counters searching for food! Hell even growl, meow & huss at us if we try to shoo him out of the kitchen! Ugh! Driving me nuts! I feel so bad for him that he's so hungry all the time now that he's off the dry. And I did notice that he's not drinking water like crazy because he's off the dry & it not having much moisture. I do spoil him & add water to his wet food because he likes it. Yeah, yeah, I know, he's got me wrapped around his little paw. Lol. So what do I do? I don't want to over feed him with the wet food & I'm not going to put him back on dry unless there's 1 that will be good for him & his pre-diabetic situation. Any ideas or suggestions? And I called Haven Humane, his vet, re: having him re-tested for the pre-diabetes thing but they've never called me back. Grrr.. lol.

 

[Deb & Wink]

If he's dropping weight, and shouldn't be, increase his wet food intake.

What should his ideal weight be? Is he more or less than this ideal?

Since canned/wet food has fewer calories than the dry food, you may need to feed him more.

Lot's of us add water to the wet/canned food. Helps to keep the food from drying out, if your cat is a nibbler type eater. Helps a nearly toothless cat, lap up the food easier. (My Dancer)

 

[Judy and Freckles]

Then the second I leave the kitchen, he jumps on the counters searching for food! Hell even growl, meow & huss at us if we try to shoo him out of the kitchen! Ugh! Driving me nuts! I feel so bad for him that he's so hungry all the time now that he's off the dry.

Once he becomes more regulated and lower numbers, his appetite will likely decrease. You don't want him getting fat, as that doesn't help the diabetes. You might want to consider weighing him on a regular basis (once/week). My girl Freckles also has a voracious appetite. She even stole toast out of the toaster. In addition to diabetes, she has a pituitary disorder called acromegaly which also likely affects her appetite.

Adding water to the wet food not only does all the things that @Deb & Wink mentioned, it also helps to make kitty feel a little bit fuller. I use an automatic timed food carousel so Freckles no longer harasses me for food because it is her food carousel that gives her food and not me.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Once he becomes more regulated and lower numbers, his appetite will likely decrease. You don't want him getting fat, as that doesn't help the diabetes. You might want to consider weighing him on a regular basis (once/week). My girl Freckles also has a voracious appetite. She even stole toast out of the toaster. In addition to diabetes, she has a pituitary disorder called acromegaly which also likely affects her appetite.

Adding water to the wet food not only does all the things that @Deb & Wink mentioned, it also helps to make kitty feel a little bit fuller. I use an automatic timed food carousel so Freckles no longer harasses me for food because it is her food carousel that gives her food and not me.

@Judy and Freckles hi Judy I just had to laugh when you said she even stole toast out of the toaster, I could picture it now

 

[DDodgie1]

Once he becomes more regulated and lower numbers, his appetite will likely decrease. You don't want him getting fat, as that doesn't help the diabetes. You might want to consider weighing him on a regular basis (once/week). My girl Freckles also has a voracious appetite. She even stole toast out of the toaster. In addition to diabetes, she has a pituitary disorder called acromegaly which also likely affects her appetite.

Adding water to the wet food not only does all the things that @Deb & Wink mentioned, it also helps to make kitty feel a little bit fuller. I use an automatic timed food carousel so Freckles no longer harasses me for food because it is her food carousel that gives her food and not me.

So how long does it take for him to get regulated? He's been eating the wet food for over a month now. He's always been a slim kitty but now he's boney Yes, that's a good idea on the weighing once a week. I didn't think of that. Lol. Omg. That's too funny about the toast. If psycho kitty wasn't so afraid of the toaster, he'd probably steal from it too! Lol! I don't remember what Deb & Wink had said. I've just always added the water to the wet food because he didn't like the texture & wouldn't eat it, so I tried that. Lol. How do you use an automatic timed food carousel with wet food? Or are you talking about for dry? I thought diabetic cats aren't supposed to eat dry because of the low moisture content? What kind is your kitty eating?

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

I quickly read through this thread and MY what a journey! I dont think I read if anyone suggested "Fortiflora" I have a persnickety eater also and when shes decided she doesnt like ANYTHING, I sprinkle it on her food. Now the main ingredient is the very stuff they spray on dry food to get kitty to love it. Grinding up dry and sprinkling it on, is about the same.
Fortiflora is a bit pricey though. Please excuse if this has already been suggested.
jeanne

 

[Judy and Freckles]

So how long does it take for him to get regulated?

Ahhh, the million dollar question. It takes as long as it takes and every cat is different!

How do you use an automatic timed food carousel with wet food? Or are you talking about for dry? I thought diabetic cats aren't supposed to eat dry because of the low moisture content?

We use the automatic feeder with wet food. You can freeze the food portions that are later in the day if there is a concern of hot temperatures. Put wet cat food with a bit of water in an icecube tray and freeze it. Plop it in the feeder compartment for a later snack. Most dry food is not ideal for diabetic kitties primarily because of the high carb levels AND low moisture content.

This is the kind of feeder that we use. https://www.amazon.ca/PetSafe-PFD11...eder/dp/B000GEWHNS/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

I had to put it inside an open old dresser drawer because Ms. Freckles figured out that if she knocks it onto the ground, a little bit of food will leak out (we have dogs in the house as well so I can't put the feeder on the ground).

 

[Deb & Wink]

So how long does it take for him to get regulated?

I thought your cat was pre-diabetic, and not on insulin?

If a cat is on insulin, it takes as long as it takes, usually several months if you are following a TR (Tight Regulation) protocol, enough home testing to see what each dose of insulin is doing, a good low carb canned food, and the support of both your vet and the experienced support network of people here to get a cat regulated. Some cats take longer, very few take less than 2-4 months to get regulated.

ECID Every Cat is Different, so you need to know how your cat does on the food. Best way to do that, is to home test the BG levels, before food (no food for 2 hours before the first meal of the 12 hour cycle). Then test again 3-4 hours later, to see if your cat's BG level is lower. Food raises the BG levels, so if the +3 to +4 test is lower, that tells you the pancreas is working and is producing at least some insulin on it's own.

Diabetic remission, or being diet controlled is never a sure thing. Some cats achieve that, some don't. Some cats need insulin for the rest of their life. Some don't. But once a diabetic, always a diabetic.

I don't remember what Deb & Wink had said.

Look back at post #25. To see my previous reply. Any time you want to see what has been said in this thread, simply scroll back through. The replies will always be there, unless someone deletes them on purpose.

Would you please put some information in your User Id "Signature", so we can help you better. It will be attached to all your posts, once you do that. Directions for doing that are here in this link>>>>>> Editing your Signature, Profile, and Preferences

Sticky New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

 

[DDodgie1]

I quickly read through this thread and MY what a journey! I dont think I read if anyone suggested "Fortiflora" I have a persnickety eater also and when shes decided she doesnt like ANYTHING, I sprinkle it on her food. Now the main ingredient is the very stuff they spray on dry food to get kitty to love it. Grinding up dry and sprinkling it on, is about the same.
Fortiflora is a bit pricey though. Please excuse if this has already been suggested.
jeanne

Thank you for the response but he is no longer being persnickety when it comes to eating. He is eating anything he gets his paws on! Including snacking on my darn bean & cheese burrito I thought I had covered up good enough while I ran to the restroom. Grrrrr... Lol. My, or actually his, problem now is, he's starving. I know I'm feeding him plenty of wet food but he acts like I'm not feeding him at all! And I got my arm filet earlier because I told him NO! You can't have ANY more food!! So he attacked me Ugh..

 

[DDodgie1]

I thought your cat was pre-diabetic, and not on insulin?

If a cat is on insulin, it takes as long as it takes, usually several months if you are following a TR (Tight Regulation) protocol, enough home testing to see what each dose of insulin is doing, a good low carb canned food, and the support of both your vet and the experienced support network of people here to get a cat regulated. Some cats take longer, very few take less than 2-4 months to get regulated.

ECID Every Cat is Different, so you need to know how your cat does on the food. Best way to do that, is to home test the BG levels, before food (no food for 2 hours before the first meal of the 12 hour cycle). Then test again 3-4 hours later, to see if your cat's BG level is lower. Food raises the BG levels, so if the +3 to +4 test is lower, that tells you the pancreas is working and is producing at least some insulin on it's own.

Diabetic remission, or being diet controlled is never a sure thing. Some cats achieve that, some don't. Some cats need insulin for the rest of their life. Some don't. But once a diabetic, always a diabetic.


Look back at post #25. To see my previous reply. Any time you want to see what has been said in this thread, simply scroll back through. The replies will always be there, unless someone deletes them on purpose.

Would you please put some information in your User Id "Signature", so we can help you better. It will be attached to all your posts, once you do that. Directions for doing that are here in this link>>>>>> Editing your Signature, Profile, and Preferences

Sticky New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

CJ is pre-diabetic & not on any kind of insulin. And I've called the vet about getting him re-tested but they've never returned my call. And I've put as much info that I knew in my profile. Not sure what else you want??

 

[DDodgie1]

Ahhh, the million dollar question. It takes as long as it takes and every cat is different!

We use the automatic feeder with wet food. You can freeze the food portions that are later in the day if there is a concern of hot temperatures. Put wet cat food with a bit of water in an icecube tray and freeze it. Plop it in the feeder compartment for a later snack. Most dry food is not ideal for diabetic kitties primarily because of the high carb levels AND low moisture content.

This is the kind of feeder that we use. https://www.amazon.ca/PetSafe-PFD11...eder/dp/B000GEWHNS/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

I had to put it inside an open old dresser drawer because Ms. Freckles figured out that if she knocks it onto the ground, a little bit of food will leak out (we have dogs in the house as well so I can't put the feeder on the ground).

Oh wow! That's a cool feeder! The 1 I have is a Wopet from Amazon too. Putting frozen wet food in mine would definitely not work but yours looks pretty cool. Thank you

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Are you home testing? If not I recommend buying a glucose meter and test him yourself. I know it doesnt work the same as getting a fructose test from the vet but it will certainly give you a clue on which way CJ is headed. I figure forewarned is forearmed.

 

[DDodgie1]

Are you home testing? If not I recommend buying a glucose meter and test him yourself. I know it doesnt work the same as getting a fructose test from the vet but it will certainly give you a clue on which way CJ is headed. I figure forewarned is forearmed.

No, I'm not testing him, yet. This poor cat gets so freaked out when I attempt anything with him due to having to give him the prednisolone for so long for his asthma & now I no longer give him the pills because I'm doing the inhaler on him. I will read more on doing the glucose testing on cats. Thank you

 

[Deb & Wink]

CJ is pre-diabetic & not on any kind of insulin. And I've called the vet about getting him re-tested but they've never returned my call. And I've put as much info that I knew in my profile. Not sure what else you want??

The user id profile is different that the User Id "Signature". It's the "signature" that is missing.
The "signature" shows up at the bottom of all your posts, retroactively, through the "magic" of computer technology.
Editing your Signature, Profile, and Preferences

We can teach you how to home test. Hundreds, nay thousands of people have learned through this message board over the decades to home test their cats.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

We can teach you how to home test. Hundreds, nay thousands of people have learned through this message board over the decades to home test their cats.

Oh how true!