High calorie food/supp safe for diabetic?

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kphmitten

Member Since 2011
Long story short: Manny has been diabetic for about two years. First Humulin N, finally got switched to Lantus earlier the year. During a recent dental, the tech felt a lump in his abdomen. Took him to an oncologist for ultrasound and aspirate/cysto. He has a pancreatic mass (carcinoma) which gives him a poor long term prognosis. The masses spread so surgery isn't a good option and chemo is ineffective - there has not been a case of a cat living longer than a year from diagnosis. I'm hoping to have the miracle kitty but I doubt it. He has an enlarged kidney, a thickened gallbladder wall, and some free-fluid in his abdomen. Mostly, it's just making him as comfortable as he can be for as long as he'd like. He's still on his insulin, of course, and antibiotics for his kidney/gallbladder.

The problem is he keeps dropping weight. He was 16lbs last fall. 12.5lbs in the spring, 11.4 at dental, and 11.9 at the onco visit. He's a maine coon and should be 16. He eats constantly. Basically, his body is against him on this battle with everything else going on. I was wondering if there are low carb but high calorie food or supplement safe for a diabetic?

Luckily, except the weight thing, he still acts completely normal. He plays with the others cats and dogs (as much as he normally would which mainly means he lays around and slaps them as they walk past), complains, demands for food and the sink faucet to be turned on, enjoys laying in his sun spots and the occasional stroll along the inside ledge of our screened in porch. He doesn't know he's sick or that he's ticking on his 9 lives. He also wonders why I keep hugging him and checking him constantly.
 
So sorry that you are facing this but glad to hear that Manny is still enjoying himself and wondering what the fuss is about. I haven't fed it myself but have seen other diabetic kitties being fed Maxi Cal when they need to put weight back on. I'm hoping you have the miracle kitty too.
 
Kitten food tends to be higher calorie due to higher protein & fat; might check some of those.
 
I've used MaxCal with fosters that came under weight and slow to eat initially. I didn't think it would be a good option for a sugar kitty because its mostly grains (from what I remember). I can always try and check the numbers. Part of the reason he's hard to regulate is because of the mass on his pancreas. :/

I saw the Iams Max. I need a vet prescription for that, correct? I'm just so turned off by "veterinary diets" but that could certainly be a solution. Hopefully he'll eat it!

I'll also see if he'll eat any of the kitten options. He's picky about his food. I'm worried about when he's going to kick the bucket and he complains about what I'm feeding him. We'll give him food, he sniffs it, and then starts talking and complaining until we will make another offering. We can have up to four cans open at any moment and the one he wouldn't eat for breakfast, he may deem acceptable for his first early dinner. Silly cat!

Thank you!
 
kphmitten said:
I saw the Iams Max. I need a vet prescription for that, correct? I'm just so turned off by "veterinary diets" but that could certainly be a solution. Hopefully he'll eat it!


You might need a prescription. If your vet sells the food, no prescription is needed. But if you buy online, customer service may ask to call your vet to verifiy that you need the prescription food. I used to buy prescription food (this years before FD happened) from a grooming place with no prescription.
 
Pepe is the same! Right now I have 3 cans open and he look a lick of can 3 and then went outside. I am trying to get him to eat "better" and low carb. He wants gravy. I got some raw stuff and he thumbed his nose at that too, Cats! :roll:

I hope you find something Manny likes. My cat Turtle had lung cancer this summer. It's hard.

Sharon and Pepe
 
You may stimulate eating with 15-20 minutes of active play before feeding.
Warm the food to increase its smell which may induce eating.
Forti Flora or Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the food may induce eating.
 
Thank you for all the suggestions!

He's never been a super "active" cat. He'll play a little with a peacock feather but the cancer is starting to leave him a bit frail. I also, unfortunately, look at him different and probably coddle more than necessary.

He does get forti flora. I'll need to try the Parmesan! I did grab MaxCal (tube, not Iams) to see if just a little bit of that will help without throwing numbers up too high. We also got a few cans of different brands kitten to see if something interests him.
 
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