Diabetes AND Constipation/IBS...food? Supplements?

Hey folks, this is my first post here. My old man was recently "diagnosed" (or at least, was treated for) IBS due to a bout of bowel obstruction. My vet gave me some DRY prescription food (grrr) and while that solved his poopy problem, it definitely triggered a relapse in his diabetes after a year of remission. I told him Frankie does horribly on dry food, but he assured me he would be fine on that food because he's had other cats in the same situation. NO IDEA why I listened to him, and I'm honestly planning on trying to find a different vet. He's back on the juice now, but hopefully not for too long.

My question is, what are some suggestions as far as treating his constipation, while also keeping his BG in check? So far I've tried adding pumpkin and Benefiber to his wet food, sometimes at the same time. These kind of work, but not as well as I had hoped. When he was on that prescription GI food (royal canin) he was having MASSIVE poops, but now they're small and infrequent. I usually give a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin with 1 or 2 of his meals (he doesn't love the flavor) and I'll sometimes add a tablespoon of Benefiber.

Anyone here in the same boat? Have I made a horrible mistake with the pumpkin and Benefiber, as far as carbs go?

Here's some info about my cat:

• Frankie
• Male
• 12 years old (born 2008)
• Diet: strictly Fancy Feast classic chicken pate, with occasional feline greenies
• Weight: 13 lbs
• Breed: domestic shorthair / siamese-ish
• [edited] insulin: vetsulin (not sure of dose yet as he's still at the clinic as of now trying to get the dosing right)
• was on prozinc for 6 months
• remission for a year

 

WELCOME BACK! There are dry food products out there that are lower carbs. Dr.
Elseys, Young Again, and couple of others BUT With your kitties condition I dont know if they would be the best for him.
Many here feed their kitty crack addicts these dry foods....I'm trying to think who to tag...
What insulin is Frankie currently getting?

 

Dang if I can remember who just had a constipated kitty. What insulin is Frankie on?

 

Well I did find this...https://felineconstipation.org/

 

the vet is putting him on vetsulin. i'd prefer prozinc, but i thought i'd give the vetsulin a try. he went into remission pretty quick last time. are dry foods higher in fiber or something?? i read somewhere that wet food is the best thing for IBS so i'm not entirely sure?

thanks for the link though!! i'll definitely be giving that site a read.

 

Cats with IBD (they don't get IBS) do well with novel proteins. https://www.ibdkitties.net/ and http://www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org/start-here.html

 

Thanks Wendy!

 

thank you for these links!! i've decided to add a little bit of miralax to his diet and change his main protein to beef. (he's eaten chicken and turkey all his life)

 

You might want to introduce the beef slowly. Chagning food (after so long) abruptly could cause diarrhea