UK food recommendations?

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kezz26

Member Since 2014
Hi All,

Can anyone please recommend a good shop bought wet food for my cat Macca to take for his diabetes? I have searched the forum but I cannot seem to find anything I am familiar with.

He will not eat any of the brands like Lily's or Wainwrights, would rather starve than eat prescription wet food, but loves Sheba, Purina and the high end gourmet ranges.

Thank you.
 
If you have Friskies pates, made by Purina, those are low carb. I believe some of the Sheba loaf types may be OK. Both of those are listed in thefood list at Cat Info
I believe Bozita and Grau may work. I don't know if they're sold in local shops or if they are internet only. See this post on Canned Food for European members.

These 2 web links estimate the carbohydrate when you enter in the label info.
http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html
http://fnae.org/carbcalorie.html

Adding 20-25% plain meat or poultry, then measuring out a portion will reduce the carb content in a portion and increase the protein amount. Stage 1 baby food that has no seasonings or vegetables in it is one way to do this. (Onions are lethal for cats!)
 
Hello
You don't mention Whiskas or Felix, both readily found everywhere. The varieties in jelly are fine for diabetics (ie as opposed to gravy varieties). There is also a canned food called Butcher's which is particularly low in carbs - it used to be sold in Sainsburys, not sure if it still is. Not all cats will eat it, maybe because it is so low carb!
There is a list of UK/European foods, compiled by one of our UK members - I'm not sure where the link is but Elizabeth or one of the others will point you in the right direction.
Good luck!
 
Thank you both.

It is really interesting about Whiskers and Felix. I always thought that they were not healthy at all because of the price and the reviews that you sometimes see on cat sites.

I think I will keep him on a wet and dry diet as recommended by BJM. Breakfast and dinner will be a mash up of the two in equal amounts. He had that this morning and I will do a glucose read later on.
 
Hello and welcome!

Here's a list of diabetic-friendly foods available in the UK. (The list is maintained by another UK'er, Juliet).
The column on the left of the page shows where the food is available. The column on the far right shows the percentage of calories from carbs.
There are quite a few supermarket options, but if you can buy online you have a lot more choice.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... mWmc#gid=1

Eliz
 
Hey Eliz,

That's brilliant!

I have printed it out and am taking it with me today to get my shopping. :smile:
 
You're very welcome!

I just had a peek at your other posts and see that your cat was only diagnosed recently and is on Lantus (lucky you!). Did your vet start you on Caninsulin first (as tends to be the norm in the UK)? Some folks find it hard to get their vets to prescribe anything other than Caninsulin...

Eliz
 
Oh, re the UK food list; I just realised that a few of the foods listed are close to (or indeed above) 10% calories from carbs.
Ideally, for a diabetic we're looking for less than 10% calories from carbs. But it can be handy to have a can or two of medium/higher carb food around in case the cat's blood glucose drops too low at any point and needs to be raised. (I've found it helpful to mark the carb content on the cans with a marker pen so I can grab them quickly if I need to without having to 'think things through' ;-) )
 
Hi Eliz,

Macca had been referred to a specialist (and extremely expensive!) pet hospital for an ear condition and he was also diagnosed for diabetes while he was there. We were fortunate enough to see a diabetes specialist at the hospital and he was the vet that put Macca onto the Lantus straight away... he started him on half a unit, then a unit and now it is 2 units. Fingers crossed that I can get him stabilised with 2.

I knew that Lantus was a newer option for cats and the specialist was somewhat excited for Macca to use it. I did not realise that he was lucky to have been prescribed it though... what's the problem with caninsulin?
 
Diana&Tom said:
...You don't mention Whiskas or Felix, both readily found everywhere. T
Click to expand...

Sorry, I haven't got UK foods memorized. (well, I do live in the states!) Looks like you've got some options that'll work.

Stay as calm as you can and remember to breathe! Your cat will pick up on your stress and may be harder manage then.
 
Kezz26 said:
... what's the problem with caninsulin?
Click to expand...
Caninsulin was developed for dogs (and the name is a contraction of 'canine insulin' I'm guessing!). Cats have a faster metabolism than dogs though, and the whole insulin cycle can be sort of 'speeded up and exaggerated' somewhat when it's used in cats. So, that often means that the blood glucose can drop quite fast during the first few hours. Then the blood glucose rises, and the Caninsulin can be out of the system in as little as maybe 8 - 9 hours (there are exceptions).
There have been cats here that have gone into remission (become diet-controlled diabetics) while on Caninsulin, but generally speaking it's not the easiest insulin to work with.

Vets in the UK prescribe it for cats though because, by law, vets are meant to prescribe a veterinary medicine first. And currently the only veterinary insulin in the UK is Caninsulin. It's usually necessary for it to be shown that the Caninsulin isn't effective before the vet will prescribe any other insulin; ie a longer lasting and gentler 'human' insulin like Lantus, Levemir, or Hypurin PZI.
Vets vary enormously in their attitudes to prescribing alternative insulins. Some vets absolutely refuse to do it. Some vets readily suggest alternatives if the Caninsulin isn't being sufficiently effective. But it is rare to have a vet start out by prescribing a non-veterinary insulin.

I'm wondering if the current RVC trial into feline diabetes remission (trialling Lantus and Prozinc) is encouraging vets to prescribe alternatives as a first choice now.....? Hmmm....now that would be good....

Eliz
 
Hi,

zooplus.co.uk have a wide selection of low carb foods.

http://happykittycompany.co.uk/ have really good quality wet foods too (e.g. Granatapet).

Pets at Home do the Butcher's Classic jelly-type cat foods (I think they do it both online and in store).

I'm delighted that Macca has been prescribed Lantus from the get-go! :thumbup

If you follow the links from the main board to the Lantus Tight Regulation insulin support group, there's a lot of really useful information about Lantus in the forum stickies at the top of the board.
 
BJM said:
Diana&Tom said:
...You don't mention Whiskas or Felix, both readily found everywhere.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I haven't got UK foods memorized. (well, I do live in the states!) Looks like you've got some options that'll work.
Click to expand...

Years ago there were only really a few food options for UK folks with diabetic cats. When I first joined the forum in 2007 the recommended foods were Whiskas and Felix in jelly, and Butchers Classic. I don't remember seeing anything else suggested here for Brits.

But in recent years a whole load of other suitable cat foods have become available (including Sheba, for example). And some of the best of the new foods are from Europe (mostly from Germany (the Germans make great cat food for some reason!) or from Sweden) including Grau grain-free and Bozita. Bozita is extremely popular here now. Quite a few UK folks - not only those with diabetic kitties - are switching brands away from those foods produced by the big multinational corporations. This is possibly because we are now able to have access to more info about what is actually in the cat foods that we buy and make more informed choices. I'm guessing that cat forums have fuelled this trend. Food is always a hot topic....
 
Hello and welcome,
I have found a great pet food company online,it is called Happy KItty Company,they are in the UK and import very high quality pet food from Germany.if you give them a call they will let you buy a small mix of the different brands to try before you put a larger order in. Bailey is on Granatapet,it is high meat content with no grain,or additives like sugar,caramel etc that a lot of the supermarket foods contain,their delivery is normally next day,I have found them excellent to deal with.
As far as the UK supermarket brands go Lilys Kitchen, and Natures Menu (check out their websites ) are again no grain or additives,and high meat content,Waitrose stocks Lilys Kitchen if you want to buy a couple of trays to try.I buy both of these online,as it works out to be cheaper than in the supermarkets.
Hope this is of help to you,where abouts are you in the UK?

Regards Diane & Bailey
 
Hi Diane,

I live in the Midlands :smile:

I had bought Lily's food for my little fussy fellow, but he refuses to eat it. The end result being that I have approximately 36 cans of the stuff that I am going to have to donate to a cat charity! If I have learned anything, it is ensure that they love the food before I spend a small fortune! :roll:

I will settle with the Sheba terrine as he has always liked it but will definitely try some of the other online options as testers. I also still need to make that decision about the Royal Canin UTI dry food that he also eats. Another helpful member posted some really helpful stuff above and it has certainly made me think...

Bailey is a handsome kitty isn't he?
 
I just wanted to add as well that this board has been a brilliant support and it has given me the confidence to look after Macca in the best way that I can.

It's not easy dealing with a pet with diabetes (it has certainly been a bit of a shock to me), but you folks are a great community and it's so nice to see people and their pets benefiting from each other sharing experience and their time.

A wonderful board. Well done!
 
Zooplus do trial packs - usually 6-packs. Very handy.

Lily's Kitchen food didn't agree with either of my cats. It triggered Saoirse's pancreatitis flare-up (previously she was barely symptomatic) and my civvie, Lúnasa (nickname Noodle), vomited twice on it. I put the first incident down to a hairball, but after the second time I stopped giving it to her. I donated the remaining food to the local cat shelter that I adopted Saoirse and Amadán from with a warning not to feed it to any of the cats with sensitive digestive systems. That said, Noodle has the constitution of an ox and it disagreed with her.

I'm glad you've found FDMB. I'd be lost without the people here. I can't adequately express my gratitude for the educational and emotional support I have received since joining. It's a wonderful community. :smile:
 
Food changes are less problematic if you do about 20-25% different food per day, ie make it a gradual change.
 
Do try and find Natures Menu, this is more available from pet shops,if you go on their website and get their customer care number they will tell you where they supply in your area,the chicken/turkey is very low in carbs,and high in meat content,nothing else added,if Macca likes it you have found a good quality food.I got a useful tip from BJM,I poach chicken breasts,save the liquid as it is full of goodness and mix a little of the chicken and stock into his tinned food.
This forum has been a god send to me too,with the advise and support of these amazing members you will learn,and gain the confidence to give Macca a good and happy quality of life,good luck. Diane
 
hi Kerry,

The Gourmet Gold pate and senior pate selection packs are low carb, also the variety packs of Smilla and Bozita (from zooplus) mentioned in the list Eliz gave you are really good value. If Macca likes Purina have you tried him on the Purina went dm? (just don't tell him it's prescription) I know you're on a really good insulin already, but if you were interested in the rvc trial you get free insulin, Purina dm, alphatrak and supplies for a year. You would either get Lantus or Prozinc, my Angel has been in remission for 3 weeks after starting Prozinc in July. Here's the details just in case. https://www.facebook.com/RVC.Diabetic.R ... linic/info and if you go to timeline there's Angel's story!
x
 
Some great suggestions here! And FWIW, when I commented that Whiskas and Felix weren't mentioned, it was intended to be in response to the OP's request for suitable shop-bought foods, certainly not meant to point out any omission in BJM's reply. BJM is an absolute star and a real mainstay of this board!
:-)

Diana
 
No worries.
And thank you. I hope it helps you avoid or reduce the issues I've encountered!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top