# Anyone have a diabetic cat?



## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I did have a diabetic cat who died at 14 years old 6 years ago.
Knowing more now about the quality of the vet I was using, I think he could have been treated and had more time or at least more quality time.

The vet said no treatment was recommended and I believed him. We did go to a canned food for his last 6 months, but I think that was just to entice him to eat.

I hope the vet can recommend something to help you kitty have much more quality time.:crossfing


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

I had a cat with diabetes several years ago. My cats go to a clinic that treats cats only and the vets are feline specialists. They gave me several options on how to treat her and I elected to try the oral medication rather than injections. It probably didn't serve her as well as injections would have but she lived a fairly comfortable life and died at 19 years old from a major infection. She did have appetite issues and I tried various foods to entice her along with appetite stimulants. She didn't like the diabetic type cat food so we managed with regular canned food of a type she would eat.
Good luck with your vet visit. Let me know if I can be of any more help.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

the site seemed to indicate that basically any canned food was better than dry because of the moisture content being more like the food a cat is physiologically suited to digest and process.
The site did link you to charts where all brands of cat foods had been analyzed for %calories that come from protein, fat, carbohydrate, and amount of phosphorus. Apparently the protein % should be as high as possible, the carbohydrate below 10%, and the phosphorus low. I found some Merrick canned foods that fit the bill, but there were a number of Fancy Feast types that were pretty decent. And they said even Friskies canned food is better than dry


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

bumping this up to see if anyone was able to reverse diabetes through diet change as the article indicated (when caught early)


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## Adk4ster (Jan 26, 2011)

We treated our cat for almost two years for diabetes. He started with similar symptoms, excessive drinking, urinating. We were able to control his sugar but not reverse it. Our vet did a lot of research into it and there are many cases where it is reversed. Diet was a big part of his treatment. For dry food we went to a high protein food for kittens and a diabetic canned food.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Those do sound like symptoms that can be diabetes, but they can also be something else. I'd get bloodwork done and get a urine sample to the vet. It may also be a UTI (is your cat peeing outside the box anywhere?)

I know a lot of cats that still eat dry cat food while being diabetic, and I have not heard that wet food is better for them.


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

My son's cat was diagnosed as pre-diabetic/diabetic, based on elevated blood sugar levels. Symptoms were increased thirst, weight loss - she is a long haired cat who was rescued and doesn't like to be held, so there was significant weight loss. The vet wanted her on Purina DM, which many of the sites discussing diabetes in cats do not like. As always, watch the sources - there are a lot of strange things out there.

The bookmarked sites are on my home computer and I have a club meeting tonight, so it would be late before I could send them to you.

We put my son's cat on wet, with the highest protein level and lowest carb that we could find. Unfortunately, the wet she would eat is what many consider junk. She is such a picky eater. We do leave Innova Evo dry out, as it is the best dry for diabetes - if there is such a thing. She has recently developed a food sensitivity and we have switched to her to the dry only. 

On the wet and dry, her numbers were in the perfect range. She gained a bit of weight, but not enough (and we like slow, healthy weight gain). On the dry only, she has actually gained back to what we consider a healthy weight and her fur looks great. Her numbers are perfect. 

This is a four year journey for us. On some of the sites and groups, there are stories of diabetic cats whose numbers have returned to normal, even after having been on insulin for awhile. This is strange to me ans I deal with human diabetics and it never happens.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks, BajaOklahoma, I would appreciate those links. I will continue the Innova Evo dry as what I keep in the bowl when I am gone from home, and try introducing some high protein, low carb canned little by little. I certainly don't want to trigger any diarrhea or vomitting. This cat loves the Innova Evo dry, in fact he is a very good eater. The only food I have ever seen him refuse is raw chicken meat or liver (but loves cooked chicken)


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

My vet preferred the use of wet food with cats as the primary diet because most cats do not drink enough water and this provides a fluid source. I was not able to reverse my cat's diabetes but was able to maintain her with the medication and regular diet. Infortunately my cat would not eat a lot of foods so I had to stick with what she would eat.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

My sister's cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Her vet said the same thing that you've found on the diabetes website; canned food is better than dry. Mainly because you want them to be on as low carb and high protein food you can feed them. She is actually on a very low level on insulin and the vet thinks there's a possibility that her diabetes is reversing. Each time she's tested, the insulin amount has been lowered because she is needing less and less.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Cats can become "undiabetic" because their pancreas has the ability (on occasion) to start producing insulin again. We generally treat with twice daily insulin injections. I have one patient who is on glypizide tablets and doing well. Some are managed with high protein, low carb diets. One of our technicians has a cat on glargine(very expensive) and Wellness Core(the cat is doing very well).

Hyperthyroid cats also drink a lot, urinate a lot, and are ravenous.
Renal insuff/failure cats drink a lot and urinate a lot.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Sally's Mom said:


> Hyperthyroid cats also drink a lot, urinate a lot, and are ravenous.


I have to say if it were to turn out my cat had thyroid troubles, I would think something really weird is going on in my house because last year my husband and my dog were dx'ed with thyroid trouble!!

PS My cat has been gaining, not losing weight over the 6-8 months


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

And blood tests hopefully will tell you what to do.


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