Diabetes in Cats

[TommyCat]

Thank you Smokey the Elder for the link and for the good wishes for my "sugarcat" Maggie; that is cute! I am willing to learn the glucose monitor. I thought I would get to talk to my Vet today, but he was tied up in surgery, so all they did today was check her glucose. I do have a call in to ask more questions.

[Moesha]

What kind of food do you feed your kitty? My Morgan had diabetes. He had been on Science Diet Lite as recommended by the vet. After his diagnosis, where he started at 8 units once a day and then went to 5 units twice a day, we changed his food first to Purina DM. He gradually worked his way off of the insulin after about a year or so and his sugar was controlled by his diet. Eventually we changed to a grainfree food, Innova EVO, and he was still able to maintain a healthy sugar level. For the next two weeks I am cat sitting for a kitty with diabetes. No matter how much I tried to get his meowmie to change food, she wouldn't. Mr. Jennings gets 6 units twice a day. Diabetes is by no means a death sentence, as I first thought it might be. Be sure to have some Karo syrup on hand just incase an emergency arises. Keep us posted!

[TommyCat]

Hi Moesha,
Well, I had been feeding Maggie Fancy Feast canned (I know, it's bad, huh!)and Eukanuba Dry, but now her Vet has her on canned Purina DM which she's balking at and does not like it. I'm mixing in some of her old Fancy Feast just to make her eat, but soon I hope to have her totally on the Purina DM. She needs to lose some weight. The Vet says sometimes they do go into remission. I've heard good things about the Innova EVO. Yes, I bought some Karo syrup just in case her sugar gets too low. I sure don't have to worry about her appetite; she seems always hungry, probably she's hoping I'll spoil her with her favorite FF, but no way.

As soon as I get a digital, I'll post a picture.

[Moesha]

Morgan wouldn't eat the Purina DM wet, and he didn't really like the EVO wet either. Although he LOVED his wet food. There is a website with a chart of the protein/carbs in many of the canned foods. I found that Nine Lives Tuna Select was very high in protein and low in carbs. Morgan loved that, so that's what he got. He only got a small spoon of it after his shots. He had been getting it in the mornings all along, but we added it to his routine when he had to have shots in the evenings. That made him so happy. He would remind us that it was time for his shots because he loved that wet food. After he didn't have to have the insulin anymore, he still got his wet food treat.

[TommyCat]

Hi Moesha,
Thanks for the above info on Nine Lives Tuna Select. Did you keep Morgan on some of the Canned DM Purina, or was he eating totally Nine Lives tuna? Maggie loves tuna, so I bet she would like it. It's amazing when they don't mind the shots if they know they can have something good to eat afterwards.

[jennielynn1970]

My one foster cat, Calloway, was diagnosed with diabetes, and he did not respond well to the insulin. His glucose levels were over 400 almost everytime we went in for an appt, it was horrible!! I had him with me for about 3 years, but 1/2 a year of that was him being diabetic (he's still around, but with another foster placement that can do injections more often when needed).

What I found that helped with the eating was buying Stage 1 in babyfood. Chicken, Turkey, Ham, Beef, Veal.... Calloway LOVED this, and would eat it rather than eating the wet food. He HATED the wet food. Stage 1 is just the meat and the broth, so it's good for them.

I hope you find something that will work for you that your kitty will like to eat. The food prescribed by the vet is just not tasty stuff.

[TommyCat]

Thank you Jenn,
You're so right; the DM food looks awful, and it must also taste blah if all our cats won't eat it. Thanks for the suggestion of the baby food. It's too bad she can't eat the Fancy Feast, but it is too fattening, and she is overweight. I was at Petco today and bought a few cans of the Nine Lives Tuna Select, which Moesha recommended, to see if she likes it. And now I have the baby food suggestion, too. Fortunately, she is doing very well on the Lantus Insulin, so I am relieved. I am glad Calloway is still around and doing okay. Thanks again, and I'll keep you all posted.

[Moesha]

Hi Moesha,
Thanks for the above info on Nine Lives Tuna Select. Did you keep Morgan on some of the Canned DM Purina, or was he eating totally Nine Lives tuna? Maggie loves tuna, so I bet she would like it. It's amazing when they don't mind the shots if they know they can have something good to eat afterwards.

Morgan never would eat the canned DM. I did try to vary his canned food on occasion, but like I said, he didn't really get much of it at all anyway. One can lasted him 4 or 5 days at least. I was a stingy mom! LOL

Here is a link to the website with the food charts. There are some varieties of Fancy Feast that are listed as high protein/low carbs. If you click on that Janet and Binky link, and then you have links to canned and dry chart tables. That's where I came up with the 9 lives select tuna. Each kitty is different and I'm sure you'll find what works best for you and your kitty. Keep us posted.

[TommyCat]

Thanks Moesha for the link. That is great, and I am glad to see some of the Fancy Feast is on it. Yes, the DM can I open for Maggie lasts a long time for her, too. She gets 3/4 FF and 1/4 DM right now. Thank you and thanks to everyone for all your suggestions and support. Her appetite isn't lacking, so I know soon I will find something she likes. I am going to try the Nine Lives tomorrow.