I promised to do a post on a feline topic earlier this week. I love cats, but as some readers know I'm very allergic to cat dander and we have not had a cat at home for several years now since our Patty Paws passed on at the ripe old age of 17. My wife and daughter are both big fans of cats and we've written about Claire's cat many times.
I read an interesting article the other day on Feline Diabetes. For those of you that don't know, Diabetes is pretty darn common in both dogs and cats. Diet plays an important role in managing diabetes in both species and as the saying goes, "cats are not small dogs" when it comes to nutrition and this couldn't be more true when feeding the diabetic cat.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must have animal tissue in their diets. Dogs are much more adaptable nutritionally and are classed as omnivores like their owners. This fact is key to the different dietary approaches to managing diabetes.
The dietary recommendation for diabetic dogs is very similar to the diet modification for diabetic humans. High fiber diets have been a hallmark of dietary control for both. High fiber diets tend to slow or modulate the absorption of glucose following a meal. In diabetics the production or role of the hormone insulin is affected. Insulin is required to move blood glucose into the cells where it is needed for energy production. A rapid rise in blood glucose following a meal is bad news for a diabetic because the insulin is not there to do the work.
Cats on the other hand are adapted to eating 10 to 20 small high protein meals a day. Think mice. They are not well adapted to high carbohydrate diets.
They do need glucose for energy, but their metabolism relies on amino acids from protein for the building blocks of glucose. They are constantly producing a supply of glucose from protein in "natural" feeding conditions and don't experience the peaks and valleys of blood glucose that dogs and people go through.
As a result diabetic cats experience much better blood glucose control if fed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. They don't experience a sudden rise in blood glucose and the corresponding need for insulin following this type of meal.
In some cases of feline diabetes this can decrease or eliminate the need for supplemental insulin. The complexity of insulin regulation, not to mention the administration of insulin injections, is the most difficult aspect of diabetes management for owners of diabetic cats.
To be clear, the need for insulin injections in cats is dependent on the severity of clinical signs and many cats will need both dietary management and insulin. But for those cats that respond well to dietary management not having to deal with supplemental insulin can be a real benefit.
If you have a diabetic cat make sure you've discussed the proper diet with your veterinarian. There are at least a couple of good therapeutic diets specifically formulated for diabetic cats.
Let us know your experience too. I'd love to hear from some cat owners that are successfully managing diabetes.
Comments