Freeze-dried raw?

[Leilanikon]

Hi all.

Newly adopted kitty (3mo ago), 12yr old male named TK. Just diagnosed with diabetes, haven't even started on insulin yet. So I'm working on his diet.

He already did a hard switch from kibble (SO) to wet food when we got him. I tried a bunch of them but settled on the one he reliably ate as he was loosing weight too fast. Of course, this also happens to be a gravy based potato filled food. I don't have the as fed values as it's not on any of the charts, but just knowing potatoes and the glycemic index, I know I need to get him on something else. Trying to get him to eat something else while not wanting him to loose too much weight is not easy.

I'm trying other cans again and I've tried raw and even some cooked chicken with not much success (though I'm not giving up on this yet!). He does however, absolutely love freeze dried raw. As far as low carb is concerned, this is great. But as far as moisture is concerned, this is bad. Even when you add water to it, can it really compare to canned or fresh? The price is also not great, but I figure I can manage it for 1 meal a day if it means less insulin. Does anyone else here feed freeze-dried raw? How do you balance the moisture/kidney needs?

Thanks

 

[StephG]

I feed my cat Stella & Chewy's freeze dried as a snack. I measure out the pieces with a measuring cup then add more water than it calls for. Makes it almost like a gravy. This could be an option for you to get the moisture content/water intake increased. I haven't run the numbers on stella & chewy's but they claim 98% meat, organs, and bone in the kind I have. So that doesn't leave much room for carbs. It doesn't increase my cat's numbers but I only give it as a snack 1/8th cup or 1/16th cup. Here's their website if you're interested in looking into this brand more: https://www.stellaandchewys.com/products/cat-dinners/

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

I think @MrWorfMen's Mom has a kitty that won't eat wet food, maybe she can help some? There might be some more help on this website.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

Since you are in the US, you have access to 3 kibbles that are low carbs appropriate for diabetic cats.
EVO Cat & Kitten is about 8% & Wysong Epigen 90 ( not sure what carbs are but is below 10%). Both of these are available in specialty pet stores. Young Again is available online only and is supposed to be about 1-2% carbs.
There are also some freeze and air dried options such as Stella & Chewy mentioned might meet with TK's approval.

 

[Nan & Amber (GA)]

Yeah, the dry isn't ideal because of the moisture issue, but if you are transitioning, or have a kibble-addict diabetic, the handful of available low-carb kibbles can be a godsend! I use both freeze-dried raw and Young Again kibble as supplementary foods for my diabetic. The Young Again is pricey, but a little goes a long way-- it's very calorie- and nutrient-dense, and most cats don't eat too much of it, so it ends up being much, much more economical than the Stella & Chewys as-fed. If you want to try it, ask the company to send you a free sample, they are very good about that kind of thing.

 

[Dusty Bones]

With freeze dried make sure you get plenty of water mixed in because my Dusty would get the worst constipation with freeze dried chicken treats you can imagine. Even with turkey/giblets Fancy Feast he tends to get constipated and always have to add a little Miralax and fortiflora to keep him regular. Even though it's wet pate, that flavor has less moisture than most.