Diets for Diabetic Cats
Diabetic cats are often overweight or even obese, and their extra poundage is a major factor in their inability to produce or correctly process insulin, the pancreatic hormone that turns food into energy. Your vet can prescribe the right nutritional plan to help the cat slowly and safely lose weight. The strictly enforced eating plan should always avoid the soft or moist types of food, high in sugar, that result in a quick accumulation of blood glucose. Usually a diet high in complex carbohydrates and fiber works for diabetic cats, and may also stabilize the blood sugar levels after eating. Some diabetic cats thrive on diets low in carbohydrates and higher in protein, but the individual cat's well-being will determine the correct combination. Never change a diabetic cat's diet without your vet's advice.
Commercially produced formula foods, both canned and dry, often help to stabilize the diabetes by controlling the cat's insulin levels. A diabetic cat that requires insulin injections when first diagnosed may respond so well to a specialized diet that he'll no longer need the shots. If the cat won't eat his formula food, work with your vet to find an acceptable substitute.
Diabetic cats need to eat regularly to prevent an insulin overdose. Setting mealtimes for the cat, usually two to three times a day, will help regulate his body's insulin levels. If your cat gets insulin injections, your vet will advise you about the right times to give these, usually twice a day, after the cat has digested a meal.
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