Urinary and Diabetic Dx.- food recommendations

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Steve R.

Member Since 2014
This morning I was informed my cat has diabetes. I don't have alot of specifics yet. I have been reading that he should be on wet food. The problem is that he has been on CD for many years, due to having crystals. Has anyone else encountered this situation? What food would be recommended due to him having both these issues?
Thanks,
Steve
 
Hi Steve and welcome to you and your sugardude to the message board. Would you please tell us your cats name?

Also, could we have a bit more background on the crystals your cat has had.
When?
Feeding the CD dry or wet form of the food now?
How diagnosed? From a cystocentesis or from a free-catch urine sample?
Any partial or complete blockages?
Surgery?

Here is one vet's take on Urinary tract health. As she says, water in the diet is key. You will get much more water into a cat with a canned/wet food diet than you will feeding him a dry food.

When considering water versus phosphorus content, as noted above, the water issue is the most important but if you are really worried about crystals (even though they are not an abnormal finding in cat urine as discussed below), pick a diet that is low in phosphorous.

Phosphorus is a general indicator of the calcium and magnesium load of the diet. If a diet is low in phosphorus, chances are it is also fairly low in calcium and magnesium since all of those minerals are high in bone material and if a diet is low in phosphorus, it is probably low in bone matter.

Note that fish tends to be high in phosphorus because fish comes with its own bones so stay away from fish.
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One example of a food low in phosphorus is the Friskies Special Diet canned cat foods.
 
My cat's name is Salem....he is 10 years old. He has had urinary issues for the last 8-years. He has been on dry CD since this diagnosis. We do have both wet and dry CD. The wet is for another one we have. When we first found out about Salem's condition he was blocked and they were able to open him. I believe he had stryvite sp? crystals. Presently he is in the hospital. His blood sugar is around 360. Salem is obese and that doesn't help. He wasn't blocked today. I understand that he is going to need a different food. That is why I am asking if anyone has had experience with a cat having both of these Dx together. I don't want to change food for the high carbs and cause the crystals to become a problem.
 
My cat was completely blocked years ago. His diabetes diagnosis didn't coincide with that event. He is also overweight. We feed him the Friskies Special Diet. A previous vet recommended it to us after the blockage. It's a good low carb, low phosphorous food. He hasn't had any issue with crystals or blockages since they were surgically removed previously.
 
I don't have any personal experience with blockages and diabetes, but there are several other members here who have. I do know several of them have switched their chronically blocked up cats to low carb, wet food diets after feeding Urinary Tract diets for years and have noticed a positive difference, if not a complete elimination of blockages. Hopefully some more people will chime in for you.

How is Salem doing? Is he still at the vets?
 
Thank You all for the support and suggestions.
Salem had to have a feeding tube placed today. He is eating but not enough. He remains at the hospital.
 
Steve R. said:
Thank You all for the support and suggestions.
Salem had to have a feeding tube placed today. He is eating but not enough. He remains at the hospital.
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Oh, (((Steve))),

Sending you a big reassuring hug, and hoping Salem is back home with you very soon.

Eliz
 
Sending get well wishes and eating vines to Salem. Hope you get to visit him at the vet and that your buddy gets to come home soon.

It's very important that a cat eats, especially our diabetic cats.

Feeding Tubes Save Lives
 
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