Cat food CARB COUNTER - it does the math for you!

[Jess and MrCat]

Just wanted to pass this info along to anyone who is wondering about the carb count in their canned cat food. For those who don't like doing math (like me) this is a great way to check the carbs in your cat food. Just plug in the numbers on the back of the can and voila! Instant carb count!
Even if we think we know the carb count, it's always good to check because sometimes the websites are incorrect!

http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html

Happy day to all!!

 

[BJM]

The gauranteed analysis on the back of the can is not the same as the as fed numbers you have to request from the manufacturer.

 

[Jess and MrCat]

Thanks, BJM. You may be right but who is going to contact the manufacturer for every can of food they buy? I certainly won't. ;-)

I think the calculator is very helpful because it gives at least a general idea of the carb count. I have found it to be very accurate when testing the food out on my cat. If the calculator shows 1 -2% carbs and I feed that food to my cat, his BG stays even. If the counter calculates 4% or more, my cat's BG goes up when I feed that food. So, it does help me know which food has higher carbs.

No system is perfect, but I think it's a heck of a lot better than people guessing the carb amounts (or not knowing at all).

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

...Thank, BJM. You may be right but who is going to contact the manufacturer for every can of food they buy? I certainly won't.
I think the calculator is very helpful because it gives at least a general idea of the carb count.

BJ is absolutely correct that the 'analysis' on the label may not be a true reflection of what is actually in the can; and for the real figures it's necessary to contact the manufacturer.

...But....I don't do that. Maybe I should do it, but I don't...

I use a lot of different cat foods and am always on the lookout for new ones, and I DO just use a calculation based on the label analysis to get a sort of 'ballpark' figure. And then I try the food out on my cat and see how it affects his blood glucose....

Eliz

 

[BJM]

The empirical trial approach works, so long as you are prepared to adjust your insulin if necessary to continue with a higher glucose impact food.

 

[Jess and MrCat]

The empirical trial approach works, so long as you are prepared to adjust your insulin if necessary to continue with a higher glucose impact food.

The carb-counter really does help find low-carb food. I haven't had the experience of the carb-counter calculating 4% but it was actually 8% carbs (unless the label is totally wrong). If that happens, yes, you can adjust the insulin but only if you keep using that high-carb food. In my case, if a higher-carb food spiked the BG, I stopped feeding it right away and went back to a tried-and-true low carb food. So, I didn't need to adjust the insulin dose for a brief BG spike. ;-)

That said, the carb calculator plus trial approach works well if you want to find new food with lower carbs. My kitty likes variety and I prefer to weed out the obviously high-carb stuff with the calculator first before trying it on my furry friend.

Also, I always read the ingredients. If there is rice or any grains (and even too many carrots/peas/potato starch), I don't feed that brand. My cat does best on 1-2% carbs so I have to be selective.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

The empirical trial approach works, so long as you are prepared to adjust your insulin if necessary to continue with a higher glucose impact food.

I love that phrase "empirical trial approach", BJ. And there was me thinking I was just 'winging it'...! :lol:

And yes, indeed, 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'.

Eliz

 

[BJM]

When testing would be really expensive and the diagnosis is unclear, vets may choose an inexpensive empirical trial of therapy first, rather than spend the (client's!) money on expensive diagnostics. I currently have a civvie who had some elevations in liver test values - not enough to be conclusive of anything. Repeat blood testing showed them still elevated. We're trying antibiotics first, before doing x-ray or ultrasound. She seems to be doing OK, other than Jojo jumping on her all the time (sometimes cats will attack a sick one), so we'll just have to see how she does.