
As in humans, the diet has a crucial role in diabetes management in your feline too. If your cat has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, there is a chance for you to attain remission with the right kind of diet and medication, so your cat will no longer be dependent on insulin injections and be free of diabetes. Hence, it is essential to be aware of foods to avoid for cats with diabetes mellitus to avoid any complications.
Here are some foods that you should avoid feeding your cat with diabetes mellitus.
- High-carbohydrates food
If your cat has diabetes, they need to maintain low blood sugar levels to avoid insulin spikes. Carbohydrate-rich meals are known to spike your cat’s blood glucose levels leading to a rise in insulin demands. As carb-rich diets seem to deliver the opposite of the required result, it will do you and your feline well to keep away from it. To stick with the required levels of blood sugar stick with low-carb diets that will look after your cat’s health, and prevent adverse effects.
While switching to a low-carb diet, take care not to pick something that contains the lowest possible amount of the macronutrient. Going extra scarce on carbs can cause complications, and such foods are also calorie-rich. Find a middle ground of carb content ratio, and stick with it to avoid complications. Ideally, it is better not to feed your cat with foods that contain more than 10 percent carbs. Similarly, your cat’s diet should also include a high dose of protein and moderate fats.
If your packaged food does not specify the amount of carb content, try learning the calculations instead of assuming and putting your cat’s health at stake. Better safe than sorry.
- Dry food
Most dry foods are high in calorie and carb content, which is a complete no-no for your cat with diabetes mellitus. You can try swapping your bag of dry foods with canned wet food. It might be a difficult, but essential, change for your cat to adjust to. Wet food compared to its dehydrated friend has low calorie and low carbs. Plus, the water content of the wet canned foods serves as a helping hand in managing blood sugar levels. - Gravy
Similar to dry food, gravy, too, is a rich source of calories and carbohydrates. When you are out shopping for canned goods for your cat’s next few meals, be aware of the presence of gravy in it. Being mindful of what you feed your cat will play a critical role in their journey to being diabetes-free.
It is advisable to speak to your veterinarian and plan your cat’s diet according to the severity of their condition. You can also seek your vet’s opinion to determine if picking prescribed food is a necessity in your case.