Food Help and Update

[Anitafrnhamer]

It's official, Squeaker is in remission. His last dose of Lantus was 1 units on Sunday 8 Sept. But the story is not over. On 20 Sept he went into Congestive Heart Failure when 174 ml of fluid was removed from his chest (pleural effusion). He is currently on a laundry list of heart medications and the Restrictive Cardiomyopathy has deteriorated into Dilated Cardiomyopathy. He has also developed some respiratory allergies for which the cardiologist wanted to give him inhaled corticosteroids (his diabetes was steroid induced)-----needless to say steroids are not an option.

The issue is, he is to be on a salt restricted diet. Prescription foods with high carbs were the recommendation. I have been searching for low salt non-rx foods. I was feeding him Little Friskies Pate however they all have added salt. At this point the only low carb, low sodium foods I have information on are Weruva and Tiki Cat both of which are a little high priced for me given the vet bills. Does anyone have any information on sodium content in low carb foods? I noticed Dr. Lisa's homemade diet has salt added and wondered if that would be low enough in sodium (recommended sodium is 50-80mg per 100kcal) or if the salt is too high?

Finally, if anyone has advice or experience managing a diet controlled diabetic with cardiomyopathy I would love to hear from you.

Anita&Squeaker

 

[BJM]

Check the Friskies Special Diet pates and see how they rate.

Dr Pierson also mentions that 1/4 of a can of food may be replaced by an equivalent amount of plain poultry or meat. This will reduce the sodium content.

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

Hi Anita,

First, congratulations on Squeakers remission.

Second, I am sorry to hear about the cardiomyopathy. With that much effusion, I would wonder what the cause was. Chronic inflammation can cause that.

Here is Beau's story: at the age of 3 he was "suddenly" very ill and not eating. I say suddenly because he was a former feral so I did not have a lot of touching contact with him, but in looking back I could see the signs of chronic pancreatitis/pain. My regular vet suspected cardiomyopathy and sent me to a specialist who did an ultrasound of his chest and abdomen. He was full of fluid and his heart was enlarged. She also suspected pancreatitis. She aspirated 600 ml from his abdomen and chest combined. Beau was sent home on lasix, pred and diltiazem. He was not given any special diet. Over the next 12 months he would relapse into a pancreatitis flare up when the pred was decreased. He was on pred (very low dose) for years. Eventually he developed diabetes - something I was told was "inevitable" given his p-titis history and use of pred. He was on insulin for 2-1/2 years - and has been in remission for 4 years. He is still on diltiazem, but not the lasix or pred (I weened him off pred about 2-3 years before the FD dx). Of course, I radically changed his diet from dry to wet, low carb food early in his diabetes and have kept him on that diet. I would *never* go back to a dry food diet and I would never use an Rx diet for anything. If I had to, I would go to a raw diet, but feel I can't afford it at this point.

Are you taking Squeaker to a board certified internist/cardiologist? I would ask about the possibility of chronic inflammation putting a strain on his heart and causing the enlargement as well as the effusion. It's treating the inflammation that will reduce the effusion - and lasix can help for a time. I think Beau was on it a month or two in the beginning. I do not know that a low sodium diet is necessary. Cat food does not have the levels of sodium in it that human processed foods do. And I have never heard of needing a low sodium diet for a cardio cat. IMO opinion, keeping him on a species appropriate diet is more important than focusing on low sodium. But if that were necessary, you could make raw food and put less salt in it. But be mindful that some sodium is needed. Again, sodium is not something I would worry about in cat food and I wonder about this restriction. You used to be able to arrange a phone consultation with Dr. Lisa. I don't know if she still does that or what she charges for it, but it is a consideration.

Don't loose hope. Cardiomyopathy is a tricky thing, but it is treatable and some cats can live with it for years. Beau just turned 15, so he has lived with it for 12 years.

I will pray for the best for Squeaker.