Changing your kitty's diet may be all it take to put feline diabetes into remission.
Misinformation about diabetes in cats is all too common. Here are five facts all cat owners should know.
1. You Can Prevent Feline Diabetes
The evidence is in. Diabetes in cats is a man-made condition that can be prevented by feeding your kitty either a grain-free cat food, or a high quality canned cat food.
You may be wondering what’s wrong with the dry cat food you pick up at your local big box store. The problem is that it’s made mostly from grain.
Cats are not able to digest grains efficiently. So they have to eat more of them in order to feel full. Plus grains are full of carbohydrates. Too many carbs will cause Kitty to gain weight. And a fat cat is on the fast track to becoming a feline diabetic .
The best way to prevent feline diabetes is to feed your cat a meat-based diet, not a grain-based one.
2. Diabetes In Cat Is Not A Death Sentence
Some people mistakenly think that a diabetic cat should be put to sleep. This isn’t true.
Unless Kitty is very old, or has other health issues like kidney failure, most pet owners can manage a diabetic cat without too many problems. But you do need to realize that there is a is a bit of a learning curve before you become proficient in checking blood sugar levels and giving insulin shots.
Which leads us to…
3. You’ll Need To Learn How To Check Kitty’s Blood Sugar Levels
Your vet can show you how to check your pet’s blood glucose levels. It’s important that you learn how to do this. Otherwise you won’t know if he needs an insulin shot, or how much to give him.
You’ll need either urine test strips, or a glucometer like diabetic humans use. You and your vet can decide which is better for your cat.
4. News Flash – Your Diabetic Cat May Not Always Need Insulin
Sometimes changing a cat’s diet from dry grain-based food to canned cat food is all it takes to reverse diabetes in cats. Losing those extra pounds can make a difference, too.
Move slowly though, when putting a feline diabetic on a diet, or changing his food. He needs to eat regularly to avoid serious complications like hypoglycemia or fatty liver disease. Always check with your vet before changing your cat’s diet.
Mild exercise is a natural way to lower blood sugar levels. But remember, easy does it. Start slowly to avoid blood sugar crashes, and gradually work up to a couple of ten-minute exercise sessions a day.
5. Natural Remedies for Cats With Diabetes May Help
Certain herbs, including astragalus, fenugreek, and goat’s rue are very effective in controlling blood sugar levels in human diabetics, and they work just as well in feline diabetics. Chromium is a trace mineral that also helps in controlling blood glucose. It’s missing from many grain-based cat foods because it’s removed during the refining process.
A combination of dietary changes, daily exercise, and natural remedies for cats can make it easier to manage a diabetic kitty. Learn more about products that can help by clicking on any link in this article.
Hypoglycemia in cats is a dangerous complication of feline diabetes.
Anyone who lives with a diabetic cat should always be alert for signs of feline hypoglycemia. And what is hypoglycemia? Dangerously low blood sugar levels.
Although it seems like low blood sugar levels would be a good thing for cats with diabetes, too much of a good thing can be deadly for your cat. If his blood glucose levels get too low, your kitty could go into a coma and die. So you can understand how important this subject is. Read on for information that could save your pet’s life.
What Causes Hypoglycemia In Cats?
Several factors can come into play:
You gave your kitty an insulin injection before a meal. Then he didn’t eat, or threw up. Too much insulin and not enough food equals big problems very quickly.
Sometimes the person giving the injection makes a mistake, and give Kitty too big a dose of insulin.
Two people in the household gave him a dose, so your feline friend received twice as much as he needed. Prevent this from happening by having only person be in charge of injecting insulin.
Kitty got a lot more exercise than he usually does. Exercise is a natural way to regulate blood sugar, so you need to be cautious about your pet’s activity levels. Moderate exercise is good, but overdoing it isn’t.
Your diabetic cat no longer needs insulin. This can result from a spontaneous remission, or changes in Kitty’s diet.
Symptoms Of Feline Hypoglycemia That You Should Be Alert For
If your cat starts acting weird, it could be the first symptom of hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar levels affect the brain first.
Any of these symptoms requires immediate veterinary care:
Shaking or shivering
Weakness and lethargy
Becoming uncoordinated, and staggering around
Acting like he can’t see
Tilts his head
Acts restless
He’s either very hungry, or he may not be interested in eating
Acts disoriented; he may walk in circles, yowl, or hide
Has glassy eyes
Drools
Has a seizure
Goes into a coma
How To Help A Diabetic Cat With Hypoglycemia
It’s recommended that you always keep some honey or corn syrup on hand if you live with a feline diabetic. An empty syringe (without a needle) is handy, too.
If your kitty starts showing signs of hypoglycemia in cats, squirt a little corn syrup or honey into his mouth, using the syringe. If you don’t have a syringe, rub some on his gums. Be careful you don’t get bitten, particularly if he’s having seizures.
Wrap him in a blanket to keep him warm, and get him to the vet ASAP.
Natural Remedies For Cats Can Help Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
Quite a few cat owners are using GlucoEnsure, a natural remedy formulated especially for pets with diabetes. This remedy contains the herbs fenugreek, goat’s rue, and astragalus, along with chromium. Research has shown that these ingredients are safe for kitties, and very effective in keeping blood sugar levels where they should be.
Talk to your vet before making any changes in your cat’s treatment or diet. Most vets are quite open to natural remedies today, and will want to learn more. Click on any link in this article for more information.
Dry cat food is a bad choice for a feline diabetic.
What’s the best food for a diabetic cat? This is a question that owners of cats with diabetes ask often. You may be surprised at the answer.
Diabetic Cats Should Never Eat Dry Food
According to Elizabeth Hodgkins,DVM, a diabetic feline should NEVER be fed dry cat food. This flies in the face of the traditional veterinary ideas that say that feline diabetes can be managed successfully by feeding a high-fiber dry food. Why does she feel this way?
She has two reasons. The first is that dry cat foods usually prescribed for diabetic cats are extremely high in carbohydrates. In fact, because prescription diets are also low in fat, the fat is replaced with even MORE carbs. Too many carbs is what leads to weight gain in cats, along with high blood sugar levels.
When you feed a diabetic cat a food that’s high in carbohydrates, you’re pouring fuel on the fire.
Secondly, cats don’t need all that fiber in their diets. Cats are obligatory carnivores. This means they should get most of their protein from meat, not plants.
Felines have a shorter GI tract than people or dogs do. They are unable to digest high-fiber foods very efficiently. Feeding a cat a high fiber diet, according to Dr. Hodgkins, results in reduced nutrient absorption. Your cat tends to eat more, since he’s not getting all the nutrients he needs from dry food. And of course, this is a vicious cycle, causing more weight gain, and higher blood sugar levels.
So What’s The Best Diabetic Cat Food?
Dr. Hodgkins believes that a low-carb, high-protein wet cat food is the best diet for a diabetic cat. In fact, she has found that many cats will go into remission from feline diabetes when their diets are changed.
If your kitty has been eating a dry prescription food, you may want to consider changing her diet to a high-quality canned cat food. Many cats are “hooked” on dry food, so they may resist a change in their diets. Our feline friends are like people; they prefer junk food to good nutritious food, too.
Always read the labels carefully. Some canned foods contain many fillers which are high in carbs and low in protein.
Move slowly, feeding your cat a little bit of canned cat food to start out, and increasing the amount slowly, while decreasing the amount of dry food available. Don’t try to force your kitty onto a new diet. A diabetic cat needs to eat regularly, to avoid blood sugar problems. You may need to try several brands of canned food before you find the one he likes.
Always consult with your vet before making any changes in your pet’s diet. You’ll also want to keep tabs on blood sugar levels with urine testing strips or a glucometer.
Dr. Hodgkins believes that feeding a cat an appropriate diet is the best way to manage feline diabetes. For more information, click on any link in this article.
Diabetes in cats is becoming a major health issue for our feline friends. If your kitty has been diagnosed with feline diabetes, you probably wonder what the future holds for him.
The good news is that your friend will more than likely be around for many years.
What Causes A Diabetic Cat?
There are two causes for this condition. Either your kitty’s pancreas is not producing enough insulin (type 1 diabetes), or his body can’t use the insulin that is being produced (type 2). With no insulin to regulate it, blood sugar levels soar out of control.
The question is, where does all that sugar come from?
To answer that, you need to understand that the food your kitty eats is made up of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. During the process of digestion, these are all broken down into a simple sugar called glucose, which is what your cat’s body uses for fuel.
Glucose passes through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream, where it’s carried to all parts of the body. If there is no insulin present to regulate how much glucose goes into the blood, all this sugar goes right into the bloodstream, raising the blood glucose levels.
When blood sugar levels are too high, and remain too high over a period of time, it causes many health problems. Liver and kidney disease, nerve damage, and a decreased resistance to infections are only a few of the problems a diabetic cat may face.
And if his blood sugar levels are not brought under control, he can go into a coma and die.
What Are The Symptoms Of Feline Diabetes?
The first symptom of diabetes in cats is often weak legs. You may see your cat walking on his hocks, or “elbows” on his back legs, or on his “wrists” on his front legs. His legs may also go out from under him unexpectedly. This is called diabetic neuropathy, and it’s caused by nerve damage from high blood sugar levels.
Your kitty may be losing weight, although he seems to be extremely hungry all the time. Because he’s not getting much nutrition from the food he’s eating, his body is breaking down the protein in his muscles to provide energy.
He may be drinking lots of water, as well. Extreme thirst is a classic symptom of diabetes, both in people and in pets. Your kitty’s body is trying to flush the extra sugar out of his system by making him so thirsty that he’ll drink more water.
Of course, all that extra water he’s drinking will make him urinate more. In fact, he may start having accidents in the house because he can’t make it to the litter box in time.
A diabetic feline will seem to lose interest in life. He’ll just lay around all the time.
One last symptom to watch for is a feline urinary tract infection. If he has repeated infections that he just can’t seem to shake, he could have feline diabetes.
Can Diabetes In Cats Be Cured?
Unfortunately, no. However, there are many ways to treat this disease. You’ll be working closely with your vet to manage your kitty’s health.
Diet is most important. You’ll want to avoid excess carbs, so stay away from grain-based dry cat food. A high-quality canned cat food, or a grain-free cat food is the best diet for a cat with diabetes.
Natural remedies for cats may help as well. Many pet owners have been successful in managing feline diabetes with GlucoEnsure, a safe and effective herbal pet remedy from PetAlive. Many vets are also familiar with this remedy, as well.
Click on any link in this article to learn more about products that can help your diabetic cat.
Managing your diabetic cat doesn't have to be complicated.
If your kitty has been diagnosed with feline diabetes, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Diabetes in cats is a complex subject, and there’s a lot to learn, seemingly all at once. But if you focus on these three areas, life will be easier, for both you and your kitty.
The Right Diet For A Diabetic Cat
You may be shocked to learn that the prescription diet your vet recommends may not be the best choice for your cat with diabetes. Look at the label. What’s the first ingredient? More than likely, it’s rice.
What’s the problem? Rice and other grains are very high in carbohydrates. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they should be getting their protein from meat, not grains. A cat that’s fed a grain-based diet is much more likely to become overweight. And fat cats are prone to developing feline diabetes.
A second problem with grain-based cat food is that it can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. Proteins and fats are digested more slowly. The glucose that is a product of the digestive process enters your pet’s system slowly, over a longer period of time.
Carbs, on the other hand, are digested very quickly. The glucose is dumped into your cat’s bloodstream very quickly, causing blood sugar levels to jump.
Either a high-quality canned cat food, or grain-free cat food is the best diet for a diabetic cat. Whatever you choose, make sure it appeals to him. He needs to eat, or his blood sugar levels will drop to dangerously low levels, leading to hypoglycemia.
Your pet will be eating three or four times a day. This will help to keep his blood sugar levels from spiking after meals, and then dipping too low several hours later.
Check Your Cats’s Blood Sugar Often
It’s essential that you check your cat’s blood sugar before you give him an insulin shot. Otherwise you have no idea how much to give him.
You can do this by using a glucometer. Your vet can show you how to do this. Once you’ve done it a few times, you and your cat will be old hands at it, and you’ll wonder why you ever thought this was a problem.
Can Natural Remedies For Cats Help With Managing Feline Diabetes?
Many pet owners have had great success in managing a diabetic cat by using a natural remedy that contains the herbs goat’s rue, fenugreek, astragalus, and the mineral chromium. Research has shown that these remedies are safe and effective in controlling blood sugar levels in cats and dogs.
Fenugreek also promotes urinary tract health. Since diabetic cats are often plagued by urinary tract infections, this is an added benefit.
Always check with your vet before making any treatment changes for your cat. Most vets are very open to natural remedies these days, and will be happy to work with you.
Focus on diet and home testing, and learn more about natural remedies for cats, and you’ll find that managing your diabetic cat isn’t so difficult after all. Click on any link in this article to learn more about products that can help.
Feline diabetes is often treated with insulin injections.
If your kitty has just been diagnosed as a feline diabetic, you’re not alone. The sad truth is that feline diabetes is on the upswing. More and more cats are developing this health issue. Read on for the basic information you need to care for your diabetic cat.
What Causes Diabetes In Cats?
There are two likely culprits: a poor diet, along with obesity. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they should be getting most of their protein from meat, not grains. And guess what? Most dry foods are loaded with grains, mostly because they’re cheap and available.
A cat that eats too many high-carbohydrate grains will more than likely end up carrying too much weight. A fat cat can develop insulin resistance, which often leads to cat diabetes.
Why are carbs so bad? All the food your kitty eats is broken down into glucose during the digestive process. This glucose is released into the bloodstream so that the body can use it for fuel.
The glucose from carbs enters the bloodstream all at once, causing a spike in blood sugar levels. In contrast, glucose from fats and proteins are released over a much longer period of time, which avoids this spike.
Your cat’s pancreas makes insulin, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Too much insulin, and your cat has low blood sugar. Too little, and blood glucose rises to dangerous levels.
In type 1 diabetes, your cat’s body is not producing any insulin at all. In type 2, insulin is being produced, but for whatever reason, it’s not being used. In either case, blood sugar levels become elevated, and stay elevated. If these levels remain high over a long period of time, it will damage every organ in your pet’s body.
The first symptom you may notice is weakness in his legs. He may be walking on his hocks on his back legs, or on his “wrists” on his front legs.
He may be losing weight, even though he seem to be extremely hungry all the time.
You may notice that he’s extremely thirsty, and is drinking water all the time. This leads to having to urinate frequently. He may be having “accidents” because he can’t make it to the litter box in time.
He’s lost his zip. He seems tired all the time, and he doesn’t want to do anything except lay around.
How Do You Treat Diabetes In Cats?
Many cats with diabetes are given insulin, just like human diabetes. In order to give the correct dose, you’ll need to watch his blood sugar levels. You can do this with either urine test strips, or a glucometer like the ones people use.
Your cat will need to eat on a regular schedule to avoid spikes and dips in his blood sugar levels. A high-quality grain-free cat food is best.
Getting his blood sugar levels regulated can be challenging at first. But with time and patience, it can be done.
Natural Remedies For Cats May Help Your Feline Diabetic
Some cats owners have been able to reduce or even eliminate insulin usage by using herbs and dietary supplements. These products are safe and effective for regulating blood sugar levels in both pets and people.
Talk with your vet. Natural remedies for cats may be the answer you’re looking for to help your pet with feline diabetes. Click on any link in this article to learn more about products that can help you care for a diabetic cat.
If your cat has feline diabetes, you may use a glucometer to check his blood sugar levels
Feline diabetes is on the rise among our furry friends. Most people don’t know much about diabetes in cats, but if your kitty is a feline diabetic, you have a lot to learn, in a short time. First, a quick lesson on how insulin works.
Insulin And Feline Diabetes
Everyone, whether you’re a cat or a person, has a pancreas that produces insulin. And of course, insulin keeps the sugar levels in our blood from getting too high. But the question is, where does all that glucose come from?
During the process of digestion, the food we eat is broken down into a form that our bodies can use. Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are all broken down into glucose, which is a type of sugar that the body uses to fuel everything that it does.
Insulin keeps the blood glucose levels normal. If there’s too much insulin present, blood sugar levels drop, leading to hypoglycemia. If the sugar levels get too low, it can become a dangerous situation very quickly. The brain is the first organ to be affected, so you may see a hypoglycemic cat staggering around and acting strangely. Your cat can die very quickly if this happens.
A lack of insulin causes the blood sugar levels to rise to dangerously high levels. Over time, these high glucose levels will cause damage to every organ in the body, but especially the nerves and the kidneys. Now you can understand why having the right amount of insulin present in the body is so vital.
There are two types of diabetes. In type 1, the pancreas simple stops producing insulin. In type 2, insulin is still being produced, but the body can’t use it.
Caring For A Diabetic Cat Means Keeping Blood Sugar Levels Under Control
Keeping blood sugar levels where they should be can be challenging at first. If you need to give your kitty insulin shots, it can be hard to find the right balance.
Checking your diabetic pet’s blood sugar levels at home is crucial. Otherwise you don’t have a clue as to what’s going on with him. It’s impossible to know how much insulin he needs if you don’t know how high or low his blood glucose levels are.
You can check sugar levels in two ways. Some people use strips to test a cat’s urine, while others use a glucometer (the same kind human diabetics use). Your vet can show you how to do this. It’s not difficult, and you’ll learn how to do it very quickly.
Setting a schedule for mealtimes is essential. You kitty must eat on a regular basis to keep his blood sugar levels from either getting too low or too high. It’s best to wait to give an insulin shot until after he eats. If you give it to him before a meal, and then he doesn’t eat, a life-threatening case of hypoglycemia can develop very quickly.
Feline Diabetes And Natural Remedies For Cats
Many human diabetics are using herbs and supplements as a means of controlling blood sugar. Studies have shown that this is a safe and effective way to keep blood glucose levels normal in our furry friends, too.
People have used fenugreek, goat’s rue, and astragalus as natural remedies for diabetes for hundreds of years. Research has also shown that chromium, a trace element often deficient in our diets, helps to promote healthy blood glucose levels.
If you’re looking for a natural way to keep your diabetic cat healthy, click on this link to learn more.
Hepatic lipidosis in diabetic cats causes jaundice
Cats with feline diabetes can live long, happy lives. But every pet owner who lives with a diabetic cat must be aware of these four problems that often go along with diabetes in cats.
Hypoglycemia In Cats Results From Low Blood Sugar Levels
Hypoglycemia in cats can happen any time your cat’s blood sugar levels get too low. This can happen if he skips a meal, or if he gets too much exercise.
Low blood glucose levels affect the brain first, because unlike other organs in the body, it can’t store glucose. Your kitty will be weak and listless. He may be dizzy, or even stagger around. In advanced stages, he may have seizures, or go into a coma.
Feline hypoglycemia can kill a cat very quickly, so you must be prepared for this emergency. Keep some Karo syrup around so you can rub some on his gums and under his tongue. The sugar will be absorbed quickly into his system.
This is a veterinary emergency. Get your pet to the vet as soon as you can.
Ketoacidosis in Cats
Sometimes this is the first symptom of feline diabetes. It’s often seen in cats with diabetes who are not receiving treatment.
Your kitty’s body breaks down glucose to provide energy for bodily processes. If there is no insulin present, the body will start breaking down fat instead. Fat breakdown produces a waste product called ketones.
A build-up of ketones in your cat’s body can lead to:
Excessive thirst OR avoiding water completely
Loss of appetite
Lethargy and weakness
Dehydration
Vomiting
Urinating often
Fast breathing
Breath smells sweet, or like nail polish remover
Again, this is a veterinary emergency. Your kitty needs immediate treatment, or he’ll die.
Feline Neuropathy
Your pet may walk on his “wrists” on his front legs, or on his hocks (the “elbows”) on his back legs. This strange walk is due to nerve damage caused by high blood glucose levels.
Diabetic neuropathy in cats is sometimes reversed when your kitty’s blood sugar levels are regulated properly. It does take some time and patience, however, before this can happen.
Hepatic Lipidosis
This is also known as fatty liver in cats. An overweight cat who suddenly stops eating is at risk for this serious problem. Fat builds up in the liver, which causes swelling. The symptoms are similar to those of ketoacidosis in cats, but you’ll also notice jaundice as well. The whites of his eyes, and the insides of his ears, will develop a yellowish cast.
Hepatic lipidosis can be fatal if it’s not treated. Your kitty may need to be fed by tube if he won’t eat. Most cats do get better after tube feeding.
If you have a diabetic cat, it’s important to monitor his health carefully.
Diabetes in cats can come as a surprise to many pet owners. Often the first symptom of feline diabetes is seeing your cat walking on her “elbows” on her back legs, or on her “wrists” on her front legs. She may tire easily, and need to rest often, even after a short walk. And her feet may go out from underneath her with no warning.
This condition is called “feline neuropathy.”
What Does Feline Diabetes Have To Do With Your Cat’s Legs?
High blood glucose levels can cause nerve damage, both in human diabetics, and in feline diabetics. If your kitty is already showing signs of feline neuropathy, she needs to see the vet as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to her body.
You probably already know that when the body is unable to regulate the blood sugar levels, the result is diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin. In type 2 diabetes, which is most common in cats, the body can’t use the insulin that’s being produced.
In either case, the result is the same: dangerously high blood sugar levels.
And why are high levels of glucose in the blood a bad situation? Nerve, kidney and eye cells don’t need insulin in order to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. They just keep on absorbing sugar, with nothing to stop them. When the sugar levels in these cells get too high, it damages them so that they can’t work properly.
Is It Possible To Reverse Feline Neuropathy?
If the situation is caught in time, and your cat’s blood sugar levels are normalized, your kitty’s legs may return to normal. But if it’s gone on too long, the muscles in your cats legs may waste away somewhat. Gently exercising your feline’s legs may help.
Some owners have been able to reverse the muscle wasting by giving their pets methyl B-12. This is short for methylcobalamin. You may want to try giving your cat three to five mg per day.
Can Natural Remedies For Cats Help A Feline Diabetic?
Many cat owners are successfully controlling their pet’s blood sugar levels with a combination of diet, exercise, and natural remedies for cats. Fenugreek, astragalus, and goat’s rue are herbs that have been shown to control blood sugar levels. Chromium is a trace mineral that is also showing promise for diabetics.
Always talk to your vet before using any natural remedies for cats. Most vets are very open to natural pet remedies, and are willing to give them a try.