Nutrition is one of the treatments used as a therapy for some diseases in felines. Here is the right diet for diabetic cats.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diseases in cats. This disease consists of a lack of insulin, the hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas, in the body of the cat. This deficiency means that the feline cannot control the concentration of glucose in the blood, the main task of insulin.
The main causes of diabetes in cats are obesity, inactivity and poor nutrition. Treatment for feline diabetes consists not only of administering insulin to the cat, but also the use of a low-carbohydrate diet. Precisely for this reason it is very important to know what is the correct diet for a cat with diabetes. Here are the foods we can give and not give to diabetic cats.
Nutrition for the diabetic cat: what to give to the cat
Nutrition for diabetic cats mainly consists in the intake of foods low in carbohydrates, but rich in proteins. It is also advisable that the diabetic feline does not consume a large amount of fats, generally it is recommended to take fish oil for the cat, as it is rich in Omega-3 fats.
Even fiber and vitamins can be taken by a cat suffering from diabetes, while attention must be paid to the phosphorus levels in the cat, in case the latter suffers from kidney failure.
There are many foods on the market, both wet and dry, which include all these characteristics, for this reason we advise you to contact your veterinarian, who, based on your cat’s preferences, will be able to advise you on the right diet.
Finally, it is necessary that the diabetic cat, and not only, always has clean and fresh water available, although the cat is reluctant to take it.
What should not be given to the diabetic cat?
Offering the diabetic cat a homemade diet is very difficult, as not only do you need to know which foods to give and which not to the cat, but it is advisable, to avoid nutritional deficiencies in the feline or glycemic peaks, to make the right quantities that satisfy the nutritional needs of the cat.
For this reason it is very important to discuss with your veterinarian or with a nutritionist veterinarian. Nevertheless, we can list some foods that a cat with diabetes cannot eat at all, they are:
- Bread, pasta and potato
- Rice
- Most
- Sweets
It is also important to remember that cats with diabetes must feed twice a day half an hour after taking insulin.
