Confused about diet

[Mom2Missy]

Ever since Missy was diagnosed with diabetes last week, I've been trying to change her to canned food. She hates the pureed/pate foods, but she really enjoys the Fancy Feast Elegant Medley's with the shredded meats. According to the nutritional content, the flavors she likes range from 9 to 11 carbs, so I figured these would be good for her. She went to the vet today for her comprehensive exam and the vet wants her to change to the Hill's Prescription W/D formula for diabetic cats. Well, the first problem is... she won't touch the stuff. I mixed it with the Fancy Feast and she didn't even want to be in the same room! I just looked up the nutritional information on the W/D, and there are 26 carbs! Why would the vet recommended this? Is it because she's a vet and she's supposed to recommended the prescription stuff? She says her goal is to get Missy off of the insulin completely, but wouldn't this be accomplished by lowering her carb intake? I'm confused. I want to do what's best for Missy and I want to listen to the vet because she went to school for this, but it doesn't make sense to me to feed her something with a higher carb intake when everything I've read online says low carb is the way to go. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Lisa and Merlyn (GA)]

Hi there Missys mom,

Just say NO to the RX stuff. W/D isnt even Hills diabetic food, its for weight loss. The percentage of calories from carbs is huge. If you were going to go with an rx food, it would be Purina DM or Hills m/d, both of which have junky ingredients.

Vets get about 20 hours of nutrition info in vet school, and that has to cover multi species info. Tell your vet to check VIN for "catkins" diet. You are absolutely correct that lower carb is where you want to go.

 

[squeem3]

Ever since Missy was diagnosed with diabetes last week, I've been trying to change her to canned food. She hates the pureed/pate foods, but she really enjoys the Fancy Feast Elegant Medley's with the shredded meats. According to the nutritional content, the flavors she likes range from 9 to 11 carbs, so I figured these would be good for her.

Keep trying :smile: Sometimes it takes awhile for a cat to accept canned food.

I think Friskies has a few low carb shredded varieties that you can feed. Check the food chart.

Weruva http://www.weruva.com is another non-pate/loaf brand you can probably feed. Most of the foods are in chunks or shredded. The company claims that all their foods are like 6% carbs but someone here (or on the old FDMB) calculated the carbs to be much higher. Many contain rice and starches. There are a few low carb ones, mostly the seafood/fish ones in jelly/aspic. The Paw Lickin Chicken is under 10% carbs, I think, and it's just shredded chicken in a sauce.

She went to the vet today for her comprehensive exam and the vet wants her to change to the Hill's Prescription W/D formula for diabetic cats.

Why would the vet recommended this? Is it because she's a vet and she's supposed to recommended the prescription stuff?

Remember, it is your cat. The vet can recommend foods, treatments, etc but it is ultimately your decision.

Vets push prescription junk because they don't know much about proper nutrition and many get a commission for selling the food.

She says her goal is to get Missy off of the insulin completely, but wouldn't this be accomplished by lowering her carb intake?

Yes, just like with Human diabetics: the right diet (low carb for cats) and insulin treatment and regular bg testing.

 

[Mom2Missy]

Keep trying :smile: Sometimes it takes awhile for a cat to accept canned food.

I think Friskies has a few low carb shredded varieties that you can feed. Check the food chart.

I've tried some of the Friskies and she turns her nose up at it. The Fancy Feast flavors we are currently trying are the "Shredded Fares with Garden Greens". The turkey is 9% carbs, chicken is 10%, salmon is 9%, and tuna is 11%. It's pretty much just shredded meat in a light gravy, but I usually add some chicken broth too it also. I've read to try to stick below 10% carbs, so these should be okay for her to eat, right?

 

[skybar22]

I will just reiterate this as others have said. My cat developed diabetes on Hills prescription R/D for weight loss. I switched her to FF classics, which has changed and she won't go near, but her diabetes went into remission on that. Do not feed Hill's.

 

[RuthV]

I will just reiterate this as others have said. My cat developed diabetes on Hills prescription R/D for weight loss. I switched her to FF classics, which has changed and she won't go near, but her diabetes went into remission on that. Do not feed Hill's.

Damn, I Had my other diabetic cat on r/d too - I'm not saying it caused the diabetes, but now i wonder........

My cat is not on 100% canned food!!!! (Friskies pates 10% and less.) I hope it's not too
late. He loves them, so I'm happy.

 

[squeem3]

The Fancy Feast flavors we are currently trying are the "Shredded Fares with Garden Greens". The turkey is 9% carbs, chicken is 10%, salmon is 9%, and tuna is 11%. It's pretty much just shredded meat in a light gravy, but I usually add some chicken broth too it also. I've read to try to stick below 10% carbs, so these should be okay for her to eat, right?

Yes. Stick with foods that are under 10% carbs.

Keep a few high carb (18%+) cans of food around just in case your cat hypos. The high carbs will raise bgs fairly quickly. Regular Fancy Feast has a couple gravy based varieties that are good to use, the sliced and grilled ones I think. A really junky high carb brand like Science Diet also works.

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

Merrick has a number of good foods that are under 10% as well. The have more chunks in them too and their before grains line now has supplements to be a balanced diet.