Diet for Diabetes Plus Early Renal Problems?

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mary_d

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Hello everyone! Last fall you literally saved my 13 year old cat Cherry's life when so many of you advised me to seek a second opinion and not accept the first vet's recommendation that she be euthanized. I followed the advice on this board regarding diet and insulin and went to a second vet. Cherry is now back up to almost 10 pounds from 6 initially and her blood sugar is running in the low 100s (where it was 400 and 500 before)!

I have a question regarding what to feed for elevated kidney levels in addition to the diabetes. I can't remember what her number was but the vet was concerned that the creatinine was (3 something where it should have been 2?). The vet called me this morning with the blood work results. She (vet) consulted with a specialist who said maybe Cherry is too tightly controlled with her diabetes and is getting too much protein in her diet.

Can you please recommend to me some types of cat food to feed to a cat with early renal failure plus diabetes? Thank you so much in advance for your kind help!

Warmest regards, mary d :)
 
Her lovely, controlled diabetes is probably taking strain OFF the kidneys, so I do respectfully disagree with the specialist vet's opinion. Old school treatment was to reduce protein in the diet, but now it's known that good quality protein is the way to go, and reduce the phosphorus.

Our own Melissa and Popcorn (GA) posts a wonderful primer on feline diabetes and renal problems. Her post is here : http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=42457

Congratulations, by the way. Cherry is a lucky girl. So good to see she is doing well.

PS : In case you wondered, I edited your post to replace the 911 icon with a question mark. We try to use the 911 for health emergencies only.
 
Hi Karen! Thank you so much for this very helpful link! Your post gives me hope that I will still be able to keep Cherry going strong despite both conditions (diabetes and early CRF). I will study the information in Melissa's link. It also struck me that maybe I did need to keep the diabetes still very tightly controlled and not trade it off for the management of the renal problems, which is what this specialist seemed to be saying (via my vet).

Thank you again for this helpful link and for the ray of hope that I can do the juggling act successfully for Cherry for both conditions! Warmest regards, mary d :)
 
Also forgot to add, Karen, I apologize for using the wrong icon! Thanks for your patience re:

>>PS : In case you wondered, I edited your post to replace the 911 icon with a question mark. We try to use the 911 for health emergencies only.<<
 
I am no expert on this, but my Kitty has elevated kidney values and is diabetic. I am continuing my diabetic diet, but feed no fish due to the phosphorus content. I also am giving sub q fluids 3 times a week to try and support her kidneys.

There is a detailed post by Mellisa and Popcorn concerning CRF diabetic cats that you might want to search out. It has very good information.

Just search the site and you will see it,

Good Luck!
 
Hi KSE! Thank you so much for the quick reply and very helpful information!

You have given me hope that I can keep Cherry alive and well despite both conditions. In addition to fish, is there any other food I should avoid with regard to phosphorous? I have learned from all of you about no wheat gluten and no corn and no soy for the diabetes, but the phosphorous is new for me. But I am determined to learn! Which is why I came here to the boards to ask literally as soon as I got the call from my vet with the news about the elevated kidney levels.

Melissa's links are gems too. I have been going through them and have copied and pasted them for return reference.

Thank you so much again for your help!

Warmest regards, mary d :)
 
Mary, fishy foods tend to be the ones to watch for but you can look at Janet's charts as I THINK you want to keep levels at or below 200. You can also add phosphorous binders to your cat's food.

Just an FYI but wheat gluten is a protein and doesn't affect blood glucose levels. Some people avoid it though because it was linked to the pet food scare a few years ago and it can be a potential allergen.

Jen
 
Phosphorus is the only thong I avoid. I have used phosphorus binders with a past CRF cat.

I also joined the yahoo CRF group. There is a lot of information there. I just remember that everything doesn't apply since Kitty is diabetic.

The sub Qs are a great tool. I give them now, but in the past I just took my cat to the vet once a week and let them give them. It doesn't take long,

You will be fine!

Kim
 
Hi Jen! This is very helpful; thank you so much! I didn't know about the phosphorous too. I have found Janet and Binky's charts very helpful and will revisit them this time looking for the phosphorous.

I had not heard of phosphorous binders. Where can I get them?

This is good to know too about the wheat gluten. I have mainly avoided it because in the past Cherry also had a problem with very loose stools. Several people on this board alerted me it could have been because of all the water she was drinking when her blood glucose levels were in the 400s and 500s. I took her off the wheat gluten food too (which she is angry at me about! She used to love the gravy-type canned food where she could lap up the gravy). Since then, and since her diabetes is now much better controlled (numbers in the low 100s), her bowel movements have completely normalized :)

Jen & Squeak said:
Mary, fishy foods tend to be the ones to watch for but you can look at Janet's charts as I THINK you want to keep levels at or below 200. You can also add phosphorous binders to your cat's food.

Just an FYI but wheat gluten is a protein and doesn't affect blood glucose levels. Some people avoid it though because it was linked to the pet food scare a few years ago and it can be a potential allergen.

Jen
Click to expand...
 
I am so encouraged by your hopeful message, Kim! As luck would have it I applied to join the yahoo CRF group too. Am waiting to hear back about access soon, I hope.

The thing that puzzles me regarding the sub Qs is that the vet told me this morning, when she called me with the blood work results, that I don't have to come in for 3 months for another checkup. Up to now I was coming in about every 2 weeks for her diabetes, and I didn't mind if it meant that we got it in such good control. But I was surprised with today's news about the elevated kidney levels because I would have thought we might want to start with the sub Qs. I wonder if I should raise this issue with my vet.

Also, where can I get the phosphorous binders? This is a new term to me. Thank so much for your help! :)

kse said:
Phosphorus is the only thong I avoid. I have used phosphorus binders with a past CRF cat.

I also joined the yahoo CRF group. There is a lot of information there. I just remember that everything doesn't apply since Kitty is diabetic.

The sub Qs are a great tool. I give them now, but in the past I just took my cat to the vet once a week and let them give them. It doesn't take long,

You will be fine!

Kim
Click to expand...
 
Mary why are you going to the vet every 2 weeks?

early CRF is a pretty nebulous term. If it really is just some elevated values, it may be that nothing is really wrong and fluids aren't required.

phosphorous binders come from the vets. the crf group can provide more specific advice

Jen
 
Actually, Kitty's CRT was 2.3 and her BUN was 67 at her last test. These really are not failing numbers, just elevated. My Kitty is 15.5-so the numbers aren't horrible. Our BUN reading could be related to dehydration.

We started the sub Qs as preventive. My Kitty's diabetes has been hard to regulate- and we didn't want any added pressure on the kidneys.

The CRF group can tell you about the phosphorus binders- mine was a liquid and I had it compounded at a pharmacy in fish flavor. You give at feeding.

Kim
 
Hi Jen! You're right that every 2 weeks was a lot of visits! I am finally learning how to do the hometesting (including from the videos on this site). My vet has also encouraged me to get better at hometesting. Cherry would cry and run away when I tried to do it before. I want to get better at it so that I can track the results at home.

Glad to know that not all elevated values necessarily indicate a problem. Also glad to know about the phosphorous binders. I will ask the CRF group and my vet about it. Thank you for the great help! :)

Jen & Squeak said:
Mary why are you going to the vet every 2 weeks?

early CRF is a pretty nebulous term. If it really is just some elevated values, it may be that nothing is really wrong and fluids aren't required.

phosphorous binders come from the vets. the crf group can provide more specific advice

Jen
Click to expand...
 
This is good to know, Kim! I want to learn more about what are good numbers and bad numbers for the CRT and BUN just like I have learned for the blood glucose. I will ask the CRF group for more information about the phosphorous binders too. Once again you and everyone here have continued to be so helpful to me! I always know I can come here and have my questions answered. Thank you so much! :)

kse said:
Actually, Kitty's CRT was 2.3 and her BUN was 67 at her last test. These really are not failing numbers, just elevated. My Kitty is 15.5-so the numbers aren't horrible.
The CRF group can tell you about the phosphorus binders- mine was a liquid and I had it compounded at a pharmacy in fish flavor. You give at feeding.

Kim
Click to expand...
 
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