Cat suddenly gone off dry food but still likes wet food?

[Binky & Orla]

Hello everyone. Over the last week or two i’ve noticed Binky becoming increasingly uninterested in her normal dry kibble. She gets 1 can of wet food (Tiki Cat Pate) for breakfast or lunch, and then the other meal and dinner amount to 3/4 to 1 cup of kibble (Go! solutions weight mgmt+joint care). She used to always come running for both the can and the kibble. Nowadays she still comes running for treats and wet food but refuses to eat her dry food until she gets really hungry. She still devours her wet food like a champ so it’s not like she has no appetite. Maybe this bag of kibble is stale or expired somehow? Should I start replacing more of the kibble in her diet with wet food or will that put her at risk for hypo?

 

[squeem3]

You have a smart cat Dry food isn't good for diabetics so if your cat won't eat it anymore, there's no point in continuing to feed it. The Tiki Cat canned food is fine on it's own. You'll just need to add another can or two daily to make up for the calories the dry food was providing. It's generally suggested to feed 20 to 25 calories per of ideal body weight daily. Unregulated diabetics will need more than that until their blood glucose levels are in a better range.

For "crunchies" you can offer air dried raw or freeze dried raw or just crunchy freeze dried treats.

If your cat has joint issues, Cosequin is a popular supplement you can give.

It looks like you were getting good numbers with the dry food in the diet. The numbers will likely improve even more now that the dry food is out. Just closely monitor bg levels for possible hypo. I'm not familiar with Bexacat and dosing but with insulin, you would decrease the insulin dose if a cat gets too low or even hypos.

 

[Binky & Orla]

You have a smart cat Dry food isn't good for diabetics so if your cat won't eat it anymore, there's no point in continuing to feed it. The Tiki Cat canned food is fine on it's own. You'll just need to add another can or two daily to make up for the calories the dry food was providing. It's generally suggested to feed 20 to 25 calories per of ideal body weight daily. Unregulated diabetics will need more than that until their blood glucose levels are in a better range.

For "crunchies" you can offer air dried raw or freeze dried raw or just crunchy freeze dried treats.

If your cat has joint issues, Cosequin is a popular supplement you can give.

It looks like you were getting good numbers with the dry food in the diet. The numbers will likely improve even more now that the dry food is out. Just closely monitor bg levels for possible hypo. I'm not familiar with Bexacat and dosing but with insulin, you would decrease the insulin dose if a cat gets too low or even hypos.

I did hear that wet food is better for them, but my vet said not to change her diet if she’s eating it, so I kept it as it was before her diagnosis. I guess now she’s not eating it, I have to switch it up Lol.
re: joint issues, she doesn’t have them as far as Im aware. I got it mainly for the weight management.
Also, I’m kind of concerned about her numbers getting lower, they are already in the 70s-80s after she has her bexacat and sometimes still 18+hrs afterwards, I fear they will get lower and my worst fear is that she will hypo when I’m out of the house for class which is 3-5hrs each day 5days a week on average. I give her bexacat in the evening so by the time I go to class it’s mostly worn off afaik, but she’s still sometimes in the 80s at that point

 

[squeem3]

It's ok to ignore the vet about food

Weight management food is a gimmick. There's nothing in weight management food that helps with weight. Dry food may be slightly lower in calories than the regular version and may have more fillers. The key to weight management is to feed enough calories daily to maintain good weight. There info here: Feline Obesity: An Epidemic of Fat Cats

There's info on Bexacat here: Bexacat / Senvelgo Not too many people are using it. Is there a reason why your cat is not on insulin?

Normal numbers are roughly 60 to 150. If your cat is getting down to the 70s and 80s after Bexacat, the dose may be too much. You'll have to ask your vet if half a pill or even less can be given. Or maybe stop Bexacat to see if numbers stay in the normal range.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

You're doing a good job of testing Binky's blood glucose. I think you're kitty is quite smart, as well. You can always adjust the carb content of what you're feeding. If numbers are dropping into a lower range than what's normal, (50 - 120), then use a food that is a bit higher in carbs. There are lots of choices when it comes to canned foods. If you've not seen it, there's a link to Lisa Pierson, DVM's food chart in the first sticky note on this board. There's a link to her food chart on the menu on the right side of the website.

The huge advantage of canned food is the moisture content. Cats do not have a large thirst drive. In the wild, they get moisture from the live prey they eat. Cats in the wild do not eat kibble!!. The moisture is critical for kidney health. Kidney disease, unfortunately, effects many cats as they age. In addition, diabetes is hard on the kidneys. If cats are on a dry food diet, it can accelerate kidney problems. Feed your cat the canned food!