# Just switched my cat to wet food... am I feeding him enough?



## A5HLEY (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum, but I've got two feline babies: Buzz (8 years) and Sophie (4 years). Both are indoor cats that enjoy occasionally being let out onto our upstairs screened porch. 

I recently (December 12, 2009) found out that Buzz is "diabetic" after a trip to the vet. I was concerned because he seemed to be drinking water excessively. I had never heard anything about dry food causing health problems for cats, so I was incredibly surprised when the vet explained the detrimental effects of dry food. I switched them both to wet food. He's eating Purina's prescription DM food. He's also taking 2cc's (I think that's right... 2 hash marks on a 31 gauge needle syringe) of Lantis twice a day. 

Anyway, I feed him half a can of the food, twice daily. Lately, he meows at me constantly, seeming to be begging for food. He's been a free feeder his entire life, so he's used to being able to eat as he pleases. Now, he's restricted to one can of wet food per day. He weighs 14 pounds and could definitely lose some weight, although I can already tell he is thinning out and his coat is looking healthier since the switch to wet food. 

So my question is, is one 5.5 ounce can of Purina DM enough for him? I have to take him in for a blood glucose check in a few days, as the vet says that cats' systems can definitely go into remission. If his BG is normal, she's going to take him off of the Lantis. I plan to ask her about the food, but I figured I would post in the forum to see what you guys think/what your own experiences are. 

I don't want to starve him, but I also don't want to feed him too much if he can stand to lose some weight anyway. Thanks in advance for any help or advice!


----------



## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

A cat's daily caloric needs are 20-25 calories per pound depending on activity level. At 14 lbs that means he needs 280-350 to maintain his weight. To achieve weight loss I would shave off 15%, so 238-297 calories per day. I suspect given his age and weight, he should probably be on the lower end of the scale, maybe around 250-260 per day. However, this is just a starting point and you need to adjust accordingly. I would recommend purchasing a baby or pet scale and weighing him every 2 weeks. You don't want him to lose more than half a pound per month.

I wasn't able to find the calorie info for the Purina DM, maybe it's on the can or you may need to call them. I suspect that the 250-260 calories is a little more than one can based on the caloric content of other foods. That said...Purina DM is pretty low quality food, with a significant portion of it's protein coming from corn gluten meal. Yet human diabetics are recommended to avoid glutens. I would recommend a switch to a high protein grain free food like Wellness Core or EVO 95% meats. Merrick also has some foods that are considered to have a low glycemic index. In addition, the bioavailabilty of some of the ingredients in the Purina are pretty low, which may be part of the reason for him craving more food.


----------



## A5HLEY (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks for the advice!

Why would my vet prescribe this food to me knowing that it contains corn gluten meal? Maybe she has some sort of deal with Purina? It seemed like she was only stocking it for diabetic patients (she only treats cats)... meaning I didn't see a wide variety of Purina foods in the office. It IS low carb, but wouldn't it be better to give a diabetic cat a food with ZERO carbs?

I mean, I paid $32.99+tax for a case of 24 5.5 ounce cans of that, and from what I've researched, I can get both of the foods you suggested, which are free of grains, for the same or a little more (sometimes even a little less!!). Am I just paying for the label of "prescription food" with the DM? 

I plan to discuss this with my vet, but I'm hoping she's not going to try to persuade me to stick with the DM simply because she gets something out of selling it. I guess maybe I'll get a second opinion if she does. Could I mess up Buzz's progress if I suddenly switch his food, or would it be completely beneficial to him if I switch him to a grain free food? Should I do it regardless of what the vet says?

A lot of questions, I know. I appreciate anyone taking the time to consider them... thanks!


----------



## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

A diabetic should also be eating more than two meals a day in order to avoid peaks and valleys in his blood glucose level. It would be best to split his daily caloric intake into 4 equal meals spaced as evenly as possible through your waking hours.

I agree with Doodlebug that you should choose a low-carb, high protein canned food for your cat. It's not the dry food per se that promotes diabetes in cats; it's the high carbs in most dry foods. If a canned food also contains a lot of grains and other carb sources, it's causing the same problem. The following website may help you choose appropriate foods for your cat:

http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html

Be aware that the carb content in the food you feed will impact your cat's blood glucose and therefore his insulin requirement. If you are not doing at-home BG testing, I strongly urge you to start doing so before you switch foods so that you don't run into a potentially life-threatening BG problem.

Laurie


----------



## A5HLEY (Jan 9, 2010)

laurief said:


> Be aware that the carb content in the food you feed will impact your cat's blood glucose and therefore his insulin requirement. If you are not doing at-home BG testing, I strongly urge you to start doing so before you switch foods so that you don't run into a potentially life-threatening BG problem.
> 
> Laurie


Thanks for your advice! I've been as consistent as possible with his food/insulin so I'm hoping (but not getting my hopes TOO high, as I realize these things take time to become regulated) that when I take him in to have his BG checked, she'll take him off the insulin. I probably won't be switching his food if he's still on the insulin. My vet seems to be pretty confident that we should be able to get him off of it in a fairly short amount of time, as apparently she's had very good results with the DM/Lantus combo. However, when he IS off the insulin, I'll probably try to switch him to a grain-free food.

As for the at home testing, I'm working on it. I got the iPet meter from my vet, but (a) he puts up quite the fight when I try to poke him (understandably) and (b) it seems like I can never get enough blood to trigger the meter to take a reading, and I feel bad pricking him and squeezing for too long! So it's a work in progress...


----------



## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Just wanted to say that it is really encouraging to hear of a vet that is aware of the impact of dry food with diabetes and is actually suggesting a wet food. I agree that her choice of wet isn't the best but that's a huge step in the right direction!  
I've had and a couple of people I know have had incredible success with diabetic cats on Wellness wet. All three of our cats were off insulin entirely in a very short time and stayed off. In all three cases the vets had recommended Science Diet (full of crap) or some other prescription food and were upset that we weren't taking their advice. Then were stunned at the results. The key is high protein low/no carbs, period. Not all cats will get off insulin but all will have an easier time stabilizing. I've seen it too many times to not be thoroughly convinced.
Oh, and yes, I'd give 3-4 meals a day as regularly as possible. We were giving Watson 3 meals a day at pretty regular intervals. 10am, 7pm and 1am.
Best of luck! Let us know how he does.


----------



## A5HLEY (Jan 9, 2010)

Ok, so last night and this morning I practiced with the glucose meter. 

I tested him last night an hour AFTER his insulin (as an afterthought, really) and it was 112. Then I tested him this morning 15 minutes AFTER food and just before insulin, and he's at 162. Not too bad, huh? I think I'm going to try to start checking him daily right before I give the insulin, and keep a record of his progress. 

Also, I'm going to start him on three meals a day as opposed to just two. I'm thinking a little over a third of a can three times daily will be good. I need to call Purina on Monday to get the calorie count, as I can't find it online or on the can.


----------



## A5HLEY (Jan 9, 2010)

Good news regarding Buzz! At the advice of you guys, I started doing at-home testing twice daily, after food and before insulin, and the first day it was 162 in the morning, 123 in the evening... 129 the next morning, 126 that night..... 114 this morning, and 143 tonight. I didn't give him the insulin yesterday, because even after food it was in the 120's, and I called my vet this morning. She said to stop giving him the insulin, continue testing him twice daily, and don't give him any insulin unless his BG is over 200. So, he hasn't had insulin since Saturday night. 

I'm hoping that this is a good sign that his system is regulating itself... considering his BG was around 600 when we started this in early December. I'm hoping that this will be the end of insulin for him!


----------



## dani (Jan 10, 2010)

great thread - you guys have an amazing amount of knowledge between you, very impressed!!!


----------

