diabetes and allergies

[Jewel and Kim]

I'm new here and someone suggested I post my question on this forum in addition to the intro forum. I hope this post is not too long.

My 16-yr-old Jewelcat was diagnosed with diabetes in early December and while changing food discovered that she likely has a food allergy, maybe to chicken or fish. At recheck her diabetes had been averted but need to continue diet management. She used to eat dry food throughout the day and a small (3-oz) can of food overnight. Now she gets two 3-oz cans of Wellness Turkey & Duck but does not eat quite as much as she should. I want to find a dry food to leave out. Can anyone help? I tried Young Again Zero Mature and she had diarrhea then she stopped eating it.

Allergy symptoms were chronic congestion for years; we thought she had had a virus when young that caused sinus damage and inflammation, thus the nose drops--never suspected a food allergy.

Before diabetes diagnosis, she was free feeding Royal Canin Gastrointestinal moderate-calorie dry food (never had GI problems but her sister did) with an evening 3-oz can of Newman's Own Turkey, or Turkey & Vegetables, or Chicken & Rice.

At diabetes diagnosis tried to switch her to Young Again Zero Mature and Hill's w/d canned. I thought the w/d canned made her congestion worse. Then Young Again said to feed her only the Zero dry food and when I stopped the canned food her congestion nearly vanished, and she acted brighter than she has in ages, but she got diarrhea, then she stopped eating the Zero dry.

Then I started feeding her Wellness Turkey & Duck canned and her congestion continued to be almost completely gone. Then one time I gave her Hill's w/d dry food and in a few hours she had a serial sneezing episode that she had not had in a while and that is what gave me the idea that she could have a food allergy that she has had for years.

My vet says to do what Young Again recommends for her food and Young Again says to try Zero Mature again by transitioning her with increasing amounts of powdered Zero Mature in her canned food. But I am afraid she does not like the Zero and she will stop eating the canned food and it is the only canned food I found that is good for her, and I am afraid she will have diarrhea again and though she is not vomiting and is acting brighter without the congestion, she seems a little frail.

I did get a bag of Young Again LID Zero Mature that I am afraid to give her. I also have some Wellness Core 95% Turkey canned but Young Again says there is too much fat in it in relation to protein so I am afraid to give that to her too. She continues to eat the Wellness Turkey & Duck canned but is getting only about half the calories she needs.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Keep in mind that Young Again is going to give you information that promotes using their product.

There are many cats here who have food sensitivities or inflammatory bowel disease which causes them to need to be on a diet of novel proteins. I would encourage you to take a look at the website on raw feeding for IBD cats that I linked. There is a great deal of good information about diet and novel proteins that you may find useful, regardless of whether you choose to opt for a raw food diet. The Raw Diet for IBD Cats group also has an active Facebook page if you have questions. Just be aware that they won't discuss dry food.

You also may want to look at some of the high end foods. ZiwiPeak is pricey but the ingredients are wonderful. There are no gums or carrageenan which some cats are also sensitive to. You may also want to make sure there is no gluten in what you're feeding Jewel. Many cats are sensitive to gluten.

I have an IBD kitty who was fed a diet of only chicken and turkey for most of his life. When the IBD was diagnosed, my vet suggested getting him off all poultry, including duck.