What can I give my cat instead of insulin?
1 If you are feeding your cat commercial food, canned cat foods are preferred (as opposed to kibble or dry food). A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can be combined with one of the oral hypoglycemic medications to further help regulate your cat’s blood glucose levels.
What is the best non prescription food for diabetic cats?
Good options like freeze-dried chicken, beef, salmon, tuna, and liver are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, just like the foods recommended for diabetic cats. Stop giving treats if they interfere with your cat’s appetite at regular mealtimes.
How can I treat my cats low blood sugar at home?
Emergency Treatment of Hypoglycemia
- Immediate oral administration of glucose solution or corn syrup (1 g per kg body weight). An alert animal may be fed a small amount of food.
- Intravenous dextrose solution can be administered to effect in severe cases or if oral therapy has been ineffective.
How long can cat live with untreated diabetes?
Average length of life after diagnosis is variable dependent on which study is examined, however, average lifespans of up to around three years are reported in some studies. Considering that diabetes is more common in older cats, this length of time can often represent something approaching a normal lifespan.
Is Friskies good for diabetic cats?
Friskies: Choose the pate or flakes varieties; avoid other varieties as they contain too many carbs. Halo: Avoid “Spot’s Stew,” but other varieties are low in carbs.
Is Fancy Feast Pate good for diabetic cats?
The dry food is a huge no-no for cats, especially those with diabetes. Thank you, Fancy Feast, for coming up with a recipe which is equal to or better than the high price Rx wet cat foods!
How do I get my cat’s blood sugar up?
The initial symptoms can be treated by giving your cat sugar in any form to raise her blood sugar level beyond critical. For example, you could try rubbing honey onto her gums. It’s also worth trying to keep calm, as over-stimulating or stressing your cat can result in an increased energy demand, making things worse.
Can I give my cat honey for low blood sugar?
Give your cat approximately one tablespoon of Karo syrup or honey and retest blood glucose levels in one hour. Repeat the oral sugar dosing if the blood glucose level is still 50 or lower. Contact you veterinarian for further advice.
What are the final stages of diabetes in cats?
In the final stages, the cat starts wasting, with the body breaking down its own fat and muscle to survive. Lethargy/limpness and acetone-smelling breath are acute symptoms of ketoacidosis and/or dehydration and constitute a medical emergency. Untreated, diabetes leads to coma and then death.
How do you reverse diabetes in cats?
Though there is no cure for feline diabetes, the prognosis for a good quality of life is good with adequate management at home. With early, aggressive treatment of diabetes, many cats will enter a state of diabetic remission, meaning they are able to maintain normal blood sugar levels without insulin injections.
Are there pills for diabetic cats?
Acarbose is a medication that decreases the absorption of glucose from the intestinal tract into the blood stream. It can be used with insulin or oral medications to achieve better overall glucose control. Acarbose is used in cats that cannot eat a low carbohydrate diet due to other medical conditions.
What you should know when your cat has diabetes?
Watch your cat’s water bowl to see if the water levels are decreasing more quickly than usual. You should also be mindful about whether your cat is searching for alternative water sources – like drinking out of the sink, the toilet, or other unusual locations. A diabetic cat will seem to be constantly drinking water.
What are signs of your cat having diabetes?
Vomiting, lethargy, and lack of appetite: These are very late signs of diabetes. When these signs occur, the health of the cat is in the most jeopardy. Diabetes is often easily diagnosed and controllable.
How can I Keep my Cats from getting diabetes?
6 Tips on How to Prevent Feline Diabetes The first step in preventing feline diabetes: watch your cat’s weight. Fat cats may be cute or funny, but the consequences of obesity could mean feline diabetes. Feed your cat a species-appropriate diet. Cats are obligate carnivores. Provide exercise and enrichment. Make sure your cat gets regular checkups. Have regular blood and urine screenings done.
How can I tell if my cat has diabetes?
Not dissimilar to type 2 diabetes in people, most cases of diabetes in cats occur when a cat’s blood sugar rises because its body is no longer responding to insulin in a normal manner. The pancreas can initially respond by producing more insulin, but the cells that make insulin eventually “wear out.”.