Dry food

[Melanie and Smokey]

A very old time member back with a new foster

We recently took in a new foster, Maxine, who is estimated at 13 yrs old, no known history because she came in as an unclaimed stray through the pound where she was drinking and peeing a lot so her blood sugars were tested and came back over 400 with urine GLU over 1000. Her coat was a typical diabetic dull and greasy, full of dandruff and she seems to have a bit a neurapathy setting in to me so I think she has been untreated for a bit.

After 20 diabetics cats I have finally met my match in Maxine for transitioning to meal feeding and wet food. She will not eat ANYTHING but Epigen 90 right now and she eats it when she darn well pleases. It even took Mirtazapine to get her to be eating a healthy amount. I've tried to see if was a texture thing by adding water to make it soupy, no water, tried shredded, added crumbled Stella & Chewy's on top (this is usually our winner), tried crumbled freeze dried chicken on top. Canned we have tried beef, chicken, turkey, fish in a variety of brands - Friskies, Fancy Feast, Wellness, Fancy Feast Purely, Tiki Cat, DM. I tried put forti flora on. I tried DM dry, even gave her a handful of Purina kitten chow when she wasn't eating much just to try to get her to eat.

Any more ideas? Any other more diabetic friendly dry foods out there? (yes, I know that's a bit of an oxymoron). Epigen90 is what my cats settled on when EVO was discontinued. I definitely see it reflected in Maxine's numbers now that she is eating more. It also costs a lot and sending a cat home with an adopter with a very expensive OTC dry food seems to encourage shopping for something cheaper than is inevitably high carb so I strive to have them on a reasonably available and priced canned or script food.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Hi Melanie! I sure hope we can make this one a win in your column again! Some people have said Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein Dry is low carb. And we've also had some people who have noticed it raise the blood sugar. But it might be worth a try. The freeze dried raws or Ziwipeak air dried are the ones I usually suggest trying, sounds like you've already tried the freeze dried. Best of luck.

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Thanks Wendy! I bet our local pet food store carries the Ziwipeak air dried, I might pick up some of that on Monday when they are open again. I have not had much luck getting cats to want to eat the Dr Elsey's Clean Protein so I have my doubts on a such a fussy cat. Epigen90 is "low carb" too, but raises my Anikan's numbers every time he gets into it so it didn't surprise me it raised Maxine's.