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Diabetic cat diet

Diabetic Cat Food:

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases that affect cats.



It is caused primarily by a high carbohydrate diet and should be treated immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential as diabetes can be fatal for your pet. One of the most effective ways to control cat diabetes is to regulate his/her diet. A diabetic cat diet should thus take into account your pet’s specific needs.



Most often, a high carbohydrate diet is what leads to diabetes in cats. Several dry foods and commercially produced canned foods tend to have a very high carbohydrate content for a diabetic cat. A diabetic cat diet should thus be put on a low carbohydrate diet to bring the cat’s blood sugar levels to normal. Diabetic cat food ideally includes food that is slightly cooked or raw.



In addition to meat, diabetic cat food can also include eggs, taurine powder, water, wild salmon oil, iodized salt, vitamin B complex and powdered vitamin E. Even after making necessary changes to your cat’s carbohydrate intake, you must continue to monitor his/her blood sugar levels. It is important to avoid certain kinds of foods in a diabetic cat diet. These foods include chocolate, raisins, garlic, onions, fat substitutes, mushrooms, avocados, pork, grapes and artificial sweeteners.

Cat diabetes symptoms are quite similar to human diabetes symptoms. Cat diabetes is generally type-2 diabetes and is a treatable condition. It is however essential to diagnose and treat the condition early as it could lead to severe symptoms like blindness, dehydration, malnutrition and weak legs. Cat diabetes symptoms generally manifest over the course of a few weeks. The most evident cat diabetes symptom is a sudden gain or loss in weight. This symptom is generally accompanied by symptoms like excessive drinking of water and an increased frequency of urination. Another common cat diabetes symptom is a sudden increase or complete loss of appetite. Cat diabetes treatment starts with a regulation of your cat’s diet. Lowering his/her carbohydrate intake is the most effective method of cat diabetes treatment. In addition, your veterinarian may recommend pills or insulin injections to help control your cat’s blood sugar levels. Ensure that you keep monitoring your cat’s sugar levels to avoid bringing his/her sugar levels too low. This is especially true for cat diabetes treatment since the condition is completely treatable. Your cat may thus no longer need insulin injections once he/she has been cured.

 
  Submitted on May 7, 2010