Diet For a Diabetic Cat - Tips That Can Help Your Cat Right Now
By Jeffrey Grill

A diet for a diabetic cat can have a positive and immediate impact on the health of your cat. There are two dietary options, with one have considerable better results than the other, although both can be effective.

For a time, researchers have been testing a diet that is high in fiber against one that is low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Recent studies have given the edge to the low carbohydrate diet.

Diet for a Diabetic Cat - Why a Low Carbohydrate Option?

Low carbohydrate diets best resemble a diet that a cat would find in the wild. If you think about a cat eating a mouse, it is all protein and fat. Because of this your cat''s body does a good job of breaking down the "meat" and fat of the mouse into component parts. Your cat naturally doesn't know how to handle large amounts of carbohydrates.

Selecting a Low Carbohydrate Cat Food for a Feline Diabetes Diet

Canned foods have fewer carbohydrates than canned foods. Determining the carbohydrate content is tricky, since you need to deduct from 100% the % of water, protein, fats and fiber. Even then you are probably underestimating the carbohydrate impact. Canned foods to consider are prescription diets such as Purina DM or consider Fancy Feast.

Diet for a Diabetic Cat - Homeopathic Supplements

If you are a believer in homeopathic or natural medicine, there are several ingredients and minerals that have human clinical support for helping with problems such as maintaining the correct level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. These ingredients include Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry) and Chromium picolinate.

Switching Your Cat's Diet

When switching to a diet for diabetic cat, you should do so gradually. If you cat prefers dry food, gradually mix in canned food over a 7 to 10 day period. If you cat will tolerate a faster switch, then by all means do so. Canned food also has more moisture, so your cat will be in effect "drinking more". This in and of itself is a good thing and will help to avoid other dietary problems.

Will a Diet for a Diabetic Cat Help?

When switching to a low carbohydrate diet, over 50% of cats have shown some improvement in the amount of insulin needed. A large number will be able to stop taking insulin all together.

Note that it is very important to monitor your cat's blood glucose level during the dietary transition. Since the diet will reduce the amount of insulin needed, your cat's dosage will need to be decreased to avoid complications from too much insulin. Discuss the impact of change with your veterinarian and be sure to monitor the blood glucose level daily to avoid problems.

Jeff Grill is an editor of the Cat Health Guide and has written on many feline health problems. See this site for more information on homeopathic remedies as a supplement for a diet for diabetic cat.