I was told my cat is pre-diabetic based on blood test. What can I do to prevent him from getting diabetes?

Question

I have two cats but have not had the other one tested. I normally feed them half a cup of food (total) in the morning and half a cup when I get home. I also feed them half a can each of wet food which I've dropped to a quarter can each (the very small cans). I used to allow them to free feed but stopped about 6 months ago. They are 15 and 17lbs. The 17lb one is the one in question. Honestly, he doesn't look really fat, he's a very long cat. Ok, nothing else I can think of.

Answer 1

While it may not be possible to prevent it since sometimes it is a genetic predisposition, I certain recommend trying by changing their diets. Instead of dropping the amount of wet food they eat you need to be increasing it and dropping or eliminating the amount of DRY food they are getting.

"Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM, does not mince words about the connection between dry cat food and feline diabetes. On her web site at http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com/, she states, "Without the constant feeding of highly processed, high carbohydrate dry foods, better suited to cattle than cats, adult-onset feline diabetes would be a rare disease, if it occurred at all."
http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com/diet.html

Here's some other links on feeding cats:
http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canned_food.htm
http://catinfo.org/#Transitioning_Dry_Food_Addicts_to_Canned_Food_

Most adult cats weigh between 6 and 12 pounds with males tending to be on the high end of the scale. Depending on their bone structure some weigh more and are not overweight. Here's how to tell:
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/nutritioninformation/ht/HT_bodyweight.htm

Check if your cat is overweight through pictures:
http://vetmedicine.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=vetmedicine&cdn=homegarden&tm=8&gps=461_792_1276_721&f=20&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=7&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.petfit.com/Petfit/PetfitLevel2.jsp%3FPetfitFolderName%3Dsupport/BodyConditionScore

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

I have a diabetic cat, too. She was diagnosed in 2002 at age 9 and is insulin dependent.

I have learned a lot by researching and reading; and also learning some things here on Answers, too!

First, how old is the kitty in question? What was the blood glucose (BG) reading that made your vet say he is pre-diabetic? For what reason did you have him at the vet?

A normal BG for a cat is 70 - 170. A cat's BG reading will be elevated when they are stressed...a vet visit will do that!

Just to give an example, my diabetic's BG reading at diagnosis was 598. I have another older cat that I had in for her senior wellness check up and she showed elevated BG in the low 200's. I home test, so starting a few days after the vet appointment, I checked her at random over a weeks time. Each reading was in the 70's...not diabetic.

There is something you can do at home to get BG readings. There are urine diagnostic testing strips that will show levels of BG that are spilling over into the urine. I have attached a link so you can see what to get. They are available over-the-counter at any drug store, usually with diabetic supplies. You just need to catch a small amount of urine. I don't mind getting 'personal' with my cats, so I keep a lid from a drink mix container available and when I need to, I keep a close eye on them and follow them to the litter box. The lid is wide and shallow and easy to slip under them. Another suggestion here on Answers, is to cover the litter with several layers of a plastic wrap. Again, you don't need but a very small amount of urine. The good thing with testing urine is it is non-stressful to the kitty.

There is an excellent website felinediabetes.com. They have a community bulletin board where you can post questions and have numerous links to information, including wet and dry food comparison charts.

The general consensus is dry food is not healthy for cats because it contains so many carbs. Look at the ingredients label on the food you are feeding and you will find corn as one of the top ingredients. Cats are carnivores and thus do not do well with so many carb fillers in the food. My cat prefers dry over wet food, so I feed her Purina DM (prescription diet), which is high protein and lower carbs than commercial foods.

Please do some reading, there is so much more information available now then when my cat was diagnosed.

Purrs and prayers for you and kitty.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Hi,

I think that PattiO has given the best answer so far! http://www.felinediabetes.com is a wonderful website that is loaded with free information and a community of people who are diabetic cat parents. Your cat may be at risk for developing diabetes, but that doesn't mean he will if you start changing his diet now. Since you know he's at risk, you have time to act and make him healthier. Most dry cat foods are so processed and loaded with carbs, so an all canned food diet is most definitely the best way to go.

Fancy Feast (the original flavors are wheat gluten-free and not on any recall lists) is an excellent food choice for any diabetic or pre-diabetic cat. See this link for a variety of flavors:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm

My cat was diagnosed with diabetes last February, and I thought she was doomed, but someone led me to the felinediabetes.com site, and that became my support system. Between the links on that site, and the people's advice, I learned so much about this disease, and was able to work as a team with my vet to get my kitty a healthy lifestyle change and treatment plan.

Just know, that diabetes is NOT a death sentence for your cat! It is a lifestyle change. My cat is healthier now, than she was before. She is down to a healthy weight now and plays when she used to just lay around all the time and eat.

Just know this as well, many vets are not very knowlegeable about feline diabetes, and don't know how to treat it, as was the first vet I visited who told me my kitty's chances were not good. We switched vets that day. So it is so very important that you have a vet who is knowlegeable of the disease and is willing to help you hometest and coach you and your kitty through this life changing event.

Best wishes to you and your kitty!

Answer 7

My cat has diabetes and I was told that even in a pre-status..there's nothing you can do to prevent it from become full status. My cat is now on medication, half a pill twice a day. The initial vet visit and follow up were a little pricy (about $400) for this, but her medication isn't too bad (about $25 per month). She was just diagnosed at age 13..and she'll have to be on the meds the rest of her life. Since getting on the meds, her diet has been great and she's as playful as she was when she was 6 yrs old. What I'm trying to say here is..do what it takes to treat your pet. They deserve it.

Answer 8

There is a lot of stuff on the internet that is basically fat-shaming diabetics for causing their own diabetes with their bad diet and lack of exercise and general lack of moral fibre. A lot of this stuff is written by non-doctors, often with a supplement or diet or training plan to sell that they claim will completely cure diabetes if only people stick to it.

I read this interesting book https://tr.im/6yYt9 that gave me a lot of useful tips about my disease and also a different perspective on the best therapeutical approach. I think you should read it too. 

I hope it helps

Answer 9

There is a lot of stuff on the internet that is basically fat-shaming diabetics for causing their own diabetes with their bad diet and lack of exercise and general lack of moral fibre. A lot of this stuff is written by non-doctors, often with a supplement or diet or training plan to sell that they claim will completely cure diabetes if only people stick to it.
I read this interesting book https://tr.im/wH1y5 that gave me a lot of useful tips about my disease and also a different perspective on the best therapeutical approach. I think you should read it too.

Answer 10

Clinically Proven Diabetes Solution : http://DiabetesKeyBook.com/24X7