Quick Intro and newbie question about food

  • Thread starter Thread starter Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)
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Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)

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I apologize in advance for the brief intro, and promise I'll post again with more detail -
My name is Carl, I'm located in South Carolina. My kitty's name is Bob. He's 11 years old, and was diagnosed with DB about 6 weeks ago.
I am home testing for blood sugar, using ear pricks and a Relion home tester. A couple days after diagnosis, I found you all as well as other sites. I immediately downloaded and printed Binky's food list, and used it to convince my vet to take Bob off of Hill's PD canned and dry food, and I'm feeding Bob nothing but canned food, and only what is commercially available at the local grocery stores. Bob's condition has drastically improved in the 6 weeks hence, but he still is not regulated. We are using PZI insulin, twice a day. Later I'll supply more data in terms of doses and glucose levels, but for now I am looking for a couple answers regarding food.

The FAQ says "moderate protein - low carb". But I can't see a definition of "moderate" or "low".
I've been buying 9-Lives, Friskies and Fancy Feast varieties, and looking for the lowest carb values. I have been giving him the ones with the highest protein values. My rational has been "look for food that is higher in protein and lower in carbs than the Hill's PD". This has led me to buy mostly the seafood/tuna foods, but what I am now concerned with is that Bob is getting too much protein and too much fish (worried about mercury particularly). I'm also looking to be able to introduce a better range of taste choices in case he gets sick of tuna and fish, although that hasn't been a problem yet.

So, can someone give me a number in terms of protein that I can use as a guideline? I have gathered that the most important factor is low-carb, and I've been using foods with a value of less than 10 (The Hills # was 14). But what should I shoot for on the Protein and Fat values? Are they as important as the carb content?

Again, sorry for the quick intro and jumping right into the question/answer phase, but I'm trying to get a quick answer before heading off to the store!

Carl in SC
 
Hi there :)

Definitely not silly questions you have. I can't remember the 'ideal' ratio but for carbs, a good range might be 5-7% of calories from carbs. If you look at the tables, you'll see foods like wellness are higher in fats than others..for most cats this isn't an issue but some people feel it is an issue for cats with pancreatitis. You are right to question fishy foods...fish is high in phosphorous, can be high in heavy metals, and isn't considered a species appropriate source of protein (for more see www.catinfo.org for Dr Lisa Pierson DVM's info). I still feed some fish because my cats got hooked, but I prefer to feed chicken, turkey, some beef, etc. You also want to look at type of meat protein, that is, whether it is from muscle (e.g. listed as 'chicken') vs biproducts (chicken bi-products). Some biproducts are ok but I prefer to have more muscle.

Does this help?
 
Hi Carl,

Here is a link to some of the charts and information you will most likely find answer your question regarding the canned foods!

Feeding Your Diabetic Cat

Welcome aboard to Feline Diabetes Message Board. The link will take you to the main information site.

Cheers! And have a great day!

Beth
 
carlinsc said:
The FAQ says "moderate protein - low carb". But I can't see a definition of "moderate" or "low".
Click to expand...

Low carb is under 10% carbs.

Medium carb is between 10 and 18% carbs.

High carb is over 18%. These are typically gravy-based canned foods. Feed these only if your cat is hypoing. The high carbs will raise blood glucose levels pretty quickly and not wear off too fast.


carlinsc said:
My rational has been "look for food that is higher in protein and lower in carbs than the Hill's PD". This has led me to buy mostly the seafood/tuna foods, but what I am now concerned with is that Bob is getting too much protein and too much fish (worried about mercury particularly). I'm also looking to be able to introduce a better range of taste choices in case he gets sick of tuna and fish, although that hasn't been a problem yet.
Click to expand...
.

Fish/seafood should not be fed every day. One reason is that they are high in phosphorus and can be hard on the kidneys. Another reason is that some types of fish tend to contain mercury. And some cats get addicted to eating fish/seafood and will refuse to eat chicken or turkey or beef, etc.

There are lots of low carb canned foods in a variety of proteins :smile: Limit the fish/seafood to once in awhile treats or meals and feed mainly poultry or beef or a novel meat such as rabbit.

Hope this info helps :smile: Please post more about your cat when you can. There are members here who can advise on the PZI insulin you are using and other questions/concerns you may have.
 
Hi Carl! My uncle just moved to Fripp Island, were are you?

Cedric eats Wellness mostly, plus some Evo. I have switched him to all canned and feed him 4 small meals a day. I bought an automatic feeder for the times when I am not at home.
Your carb questions have been answered, i think, because I sure don't know. :lol: I probably should be counting my own carbs, since my thyriod is a mess. :lol:
I was feeding cedric all kinds of Fancy Feast prior to his diagnosis, so I have stayed away from that at least for now. Too scared to go back, I guess. :smile:
I have a Pet Smart & Pet supermarket near me, so that is helpful. They are a little more expensive, but Wellness does have some grain free that has Chicken with a fish (or turkey w/ a fish). I usually buy 4 different kinds of Wellness and alternate: chicken, turkey & fish, turkey, chicken & fish. So every other day or so he's getting something that isn't straight chicken.

Welcome & talk to you soon!
 
According to Dr. Pierson's Commerical Diet page: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods

The composition of a feline diet is important because cats are designed to eat a high protein (~50% of calories, or more), moderate fat (~40% of calories or less), and very low carbohydrate (well below 10% of calories) diet.
Click to expand...

That is an ideal diet. There are some sacrifices that need to be made with this, especially if you're feeding a higher quality food. Foods without byproducts are often high in fat, and a higher in fat diet isn't necessarily bad for the cat as long as calories are being watched and some protein is supplemented (I switched to EVO 95% and realized that it was high in fat (60-70%), so switched to half EVO and half Merrick's, which is closer to the ideal composition.)

It's a balancing act, because while foods with byproducts may be closer to the ideal range, foods without byproducts offer a better quality protein source which offers other advantages to the cat's health. What is primarily important for diabetics is low carbs. I know the recommendation for carbs is under 10%, but I often suggest that people with diabetic cats feed less than 6% carbs, due to many diabetics having a carb sensitivity. Bandit can't eat more than 6% carbs without his blood glucose rising, and some diabetic cats (but not all) seem to have this problem.
 
doombuggy said:
Hi Carl! My uncle just moved to Fripp Island, were are you?
Click to expand...


Small world! I live on the next island over - Hunting Island, which he would have to drive through in order to get to Fripp. Fripp is where the road ends at the Atlantic Ocean. I'm within 5 miles of wherever he is on Fripp.

Carl in SC
 
Thank you all for the quick responses! Now I can run to the grocery store with Binky's list and a significant increase in choices, and still get back in time for dinnertime! Will be talking to y'all soon.

Carl in SC
 
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