Cheaper than prescription food?

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Gwyn

Member Since 2016
So my cat Robin was diagnosed about a year ago with chronic pancreatitis which has now apparently turned into pre-diabetes. The vet prescribed transdermal Glipizide and Purina DM canned food. He's been doing ok on those things but now I have a problem. I have recently been put on disability for my own health issues. My income has been cut in half. Between the food and the medicine I was paying $100 a month for Robin's treatment, not counting his vet checkups. He'll be 14 in August and I want to do my best by him but I can't keep up that kind of expense. I've heard about homemade diets for diabetic cats but there is so much different information out there I don't know what to believe. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can feed him that is cheaper than the DM? I don't mind spending some initial money and time (not like I'm working anymore) on making homemade food if I knew how exactly to prepare it.

Gwyn
 
There's absolutely no reason you need to continue feeding DM....Most of us feed plain old Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pate's or 9-Lives ground foods.

They're all low carb (less than 10%) and fine for diabetic cats....and if you compare the ingredients, they're about the same thing as DM...just a lot cheaper!

There's nothing special in "prescription" diets that makes them better...the only thing "special" is the price!!

We're also not fans of using Glipizide because it forces the pancreas to try to work harder to produce insulin. Cats have the unique ability to have the pancreas heal and resume functioning, but to do that, it needs to rest, not work harder.

Glipizide can work temporarily for some cats, but in almost all cases, they end up needing insulin later on when the pancreas just can't continue working that hard.
 
I agree with Chris--glipizide is usually only recommended if the owner refuses insulin therapy as an alternative to euthanasia. Glipizide will damage the pancreas and make regulation/remission more difficult once it stops working and you eventually do need insulin. Insulin therapy (with the right insulin, diet, and home testing) has an 80+% remission rate if the right treatment plan is followed.
 
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