Low Carbohydrate, High Protein & High Fiber Diets for Felines

The most successful treatment for diabetic cats consists of insulin therapy and specialized diets. These components work together to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. The most commonly used diets contain either high protein and low carbohydrates or high fiber levels. The diet that works best depends on the cat, and it can take some experimenting to find what is ideal. Since each diet has its own advantages and disadvantages, it is best to talk with your veterinarian to determine what may work for your cat.

  1. High Fiber Diets

    • One diet you can give your kitty to help stabilize her blood sugar level is the high fiber diet. High fiber diets can affect the absorption and metabolism of glucose and fat in the diet. The fiber can help to prevent high glucose level spikes after a cat eats by slowing down the absorption in the intestine. If this diet is successful, it can reduce the amount of insulin your cat needs to maintain a healthy glucose level. You will need to regularly monitor your cat's glucose levels if you place her on this type of diet. High fiber diets are also beneficial when trying to reduce a cat's weight. Talk to your veterinarian about whether these types of diets can be helpful to your diabetic cat. You will likely be able to purchase these foods at your veterinarian's office.

      While the high fiber diet has been helpful to many diabetic cats, it can be detrimental to others. High fiber diets must contain high amounts of complex carbohydrates to be effective. These carbohydrates can cause high glucose levels, therefore, causing the exact problem the high fiber diets are preventing. In addition, diabetic cats who are underweight cannot eat this type of diet, as it may cause them to lose even more weight.

    High Protein, Low Carbohydrate Diets

    • Another popular diet you can give your diabetic cat to help regulate her blood sugar is the high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Cats can benefit from the high protein levels as they are naturally carnivores and their digestive systems are adapted to eat significant amounts of meat. Not eating a lot of carbohydrates is beneficial as it keeps a cat's blood sugar levels down. In fact, when switching your diabetic cat to a low carbohydrate diet, his insulin dosage will almost immediately need to be decreased. If it is not, the cat can become hypoglycemic, which means his blood sugar level is dangerously low. Therefore, it is important to talk with your doctor before implementing any kind of diet change. In addition, you will also need to closely monitor your cat's glucose levels by checking them at home or at the veterinarian's office. This type of diet will probably be available at your cat's doctor's office.

    Wet Food Works the Best

    • Moist or canned food is most effective type of food to feed your diabetic cat. Although, you must check the labels for the sugar content, as it can be detrimental to feed a cat with diabetes food that contains high sugar levels. Canned food is preferred over dry food because of its higher amount of water content and its lower amounts of carbohydrates. In addition, the protein found in canned food is typically animal-based---which is ideal for cats---whereas the protein sources in dry food are generally plant-based. Semi-moist foods are not recommended for diabetic cats as their sugar levels are typically too high.

      Whichever diet you decide to feed your diabetic cat, routinely monitor his blood sugar levels and work closely with your veterinarian.