New cat and his human

[katkin555]

Hello, everyone. My cat, Nikita, was diagnosed with diabetes. I see on here that dry food is a no-no, and another vet (not mine) that knows my dad, also said dry food, even if it's for diabetes, isn't a good thing. My vet prescribed Hills M/D wet AND dry food. He said to give him 1/4 can and 1/8 cup of the dry twice a day. Now, that whole too many carbs in dry food makes sense, so I was wondering - if I take him off the dry, should I just take him off cold turkey (something he'd prefer - the turkey, I mean), or should I just give him a little less for a few days and wean him off of it, and if I do that, should I still give him the same amount of the wet, or should I give him a little more?

I'm also thinking of switching him to one of the store brands I saw on here (like the Fancy Feast Classics) once the M/D is through and easing him into the other kind since it sounds like the M/D isn't the greatest.

My cat is not on insulin yet.

Also: Has anyone on here tried any holistic stuff? There are a few products I saw online, but I don't want to just give it to my cat, in case it's all BS and in case it makes him even worse. There was Blood Sugar Gold, by PetWellbeing; Dia-IonX by VetIonX, and RHP Pet Remedy Glucose Support Formula. Has anyone here ever heard of or tried these products?

Thanks. So glad I saw this website. I'm scared for my kitty.

 

[katkin555]

Oops, sorry, this was only for introductions, I guess. I suppose I should've put the questions in another thread.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Not a problem. You can ask questions here if you like.

Some cats need a little while to get used to wet food without tummy upsets; some jump right in. If your cats has been eating wet, I'd just increase the wet and lower the amount of dry. It would be best to test his levels again a week or so after he is on all wet. Sometimes it really lowers their blood glucose levels, enough to require less insulin than originally thought, sometimes even low enough not to require insulin. But, if he remains in the 300+ plus range, insulin is probably wise sooner rather than later.

I haven't seen any evidence from anyone on this forum that holistic methods work. Insulin does work and luckily, cats can go into remission.

 

[katkin555]

Thanks.

Also, the vet recommended the twice a day feeding. Is that the best way to go, or is it okay to give the same amount of food overall, but a few more times a day, spaced out more, so he's not going so long without food. Is it better to just stick to the twice a day? Does the timing have anything to do with the blood sugar levels?

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Some people feed morning and night; some offer the same amount of food spread over several meals during the day and night.(an automatic feeder makes this easy). I personally think small frequent meals support the pancreas but that's my personal bias.

Food increases blood glucose levels in a diabetic but you just work that into your data. Often the numbers go up after a meal and then go down as the insulin kicks in. If he drops too low, you can use food to bring him up.

 

[BJM]

Welcome to FDMB, the best place you never wanted to be.

There are 4 things you'll need to manage your kitty's diabetes:
- You - without your commitment, the following won't work.
- Low carb over the counter canned or raw diet, such as many Friskies pates. See Cat Info for more info. If already on insulin, you must be home testing before changing the diet.
- A long-lasting insulin such as ProZinc, Lantus, BCP PZI, or Levemir.
- And home blood glucose monitoring with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart Relion Confirm or Target Up and Up (the pet ones will break your budget!).