Feline Diabetes Diet – What Foods To Consider?

 

While we all know diabetes is a serious health problem for humans, most people didn’t know it could be a problem for cats, too. The best solution is a feline diabetes diet but owners often don’t know their cat even has a problem for a long time. Understanding the disease and the best diet solution is important for the health of your feline.

Feline Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes in cats occurs when their bodies cannot properly use the converted sugar from their food for energy. Because their bodies are either not producing enough insulin or are not using the insulin effectively, the insulin cannot “unlock” the cells so the sugar can enter. Instead, the sugar floats around the bloodstream and the cells don’t get the energy they need.

The most common feline diabetes symptoms include increased urination, increased thirst, unexplained weight loss, and lethargy. Cats may also have difficult using their hind legs. If you suspect your cat may have this condition, you should talk to your vet who can run some tests and find out for sure.

Feline Diabetes Complications

If cat diabetes mellitus is the diagnosis, your doctor will ask you to switch to a feline diabetes diet as part of the overall treatment plan for your pet. You need to follow the advice of the vet carefully to prevent a serious complication known as feline diabetic neuropathy. With this condition, cats’ nerves in their rear quarters are damaged so they can no longer walk appropriately. The condition can spread to their front legs and if not treated early can permanently impair your cat’s mobility.

The feline diabetes diet combined with daily insulin therapy is the best form of treatment. For the diet, you’ll want to choose food low in carbohydrates. Avoid hard foods and instead give your cat fresh or wet foods made from meat. Avoid meat by-products, fillers, and starches.

With the appropriate feline diabetes diet, your cat will be able to live a happy and healthy life for years to come.

This information is provided for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for an advice from your pet veterinarian or pet trainer.

For more resources about feline diabetes please visit the following site:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/