Diabetic Cats: The Free-Fed High Carbohydrate Nightmare

We’ve been talking a lot about dogs. Today we are going to focus on cats. Specifically diabetic cats and the role diet plays. In the veterinary world, we are constantly told by clients that they can’t possibly change the food for one cat, because all of their cats are free fed from the same bowl. Often, clients are more concerned about having to change their feeding schedule than their sick cat needing a specific dietary change. I’m going to advise you right now, if you free-feed your cats, stop doing this.

Why you shouldn’t free-feed.

First, when you free-feed you have no idea who has eaten and who hasn’t. This is important because when you bring your cat in for a weight loss issue, this information can help make a diagnosis. Hyperthyroid cats tend to eat ravenously and still lose weight. On the flip side, a diabetic may still be eating or has stopped eating and lost weight. Stress can also cause a sudden stop in eating habits which in turn could cause liver damage.

Second, when you free-feed you have no idea how much any of the cats are actually eating. You may end up with one morbidly obese 25 pound cat and one underweight 7 pound cat. Which brings us back to you bringing your cat to the vet for weight loss. Your cat may be perfectly healthy and is just bullied out of the bowl. I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again. Cats can be very territorial creatures. They can bully another cat out of the food bowl and the litter box. So it’s always best to have multiple litter boxes and to feed everyone separatly.

For 13 years my husband and I have fed 5 dogs/cats twice daily. Everyone gets a separate bowl and the process takes 5 minutes out of my day. I know immediately if someone is sick.

Diabetic Cats and Carbohydrates

If your cat is diabetic, don’t panic! The good news is, with a diet change, insulin administration, and close monitoring by you and your veterinary team, your cat has a good chance of going into remission and not needing insulin injections at all! It’s well known that cats are obligate carnivores. This means that there is no dietary requirement for carbohydrates but there is a dietary requirement for a high protein food source.

So why do commercial pet foods include carbs? Simply because it’s a cheap alternative and provides your pet’s body with a source of energy. Just because an animal can survive on a high carbohydrate diet, doesn’t mean they will thrive and be healthy on it. Dry kibble diets are the worst offenders when it comes to too many carbohydrates in a diet.

Studies have proven that when diabetic cats are switched to a low carbohydrate diet, their glucose levels improve. Simply put, carbohydrates turn to sugars in your body, which cause a glucose spike. So a cat that is free-fed a dry kibble diet and is allowed to munch on kibble all day long, will have a prolonged period of time where their glucose levels are elevated. Whether they are diabetic or not.

Why is meal timing important?

When your cat is diagnosed with diabetes, the first thing your veterinary staff will do is instruct you to stop free feeding and portion meals out every 12 hours.

The importance of feeding every 12 hours rather than all day long is proven with a glucose curve. A glucose curve tests your cat’s glucose levels every 2 hours throughout the day. A healthy non-diabetic cat will have a very slight increase in glucose shortly after eating, but then the levels will drop. A non-regulated diabetic cat will have elevated glucose levels consistently with a large glucose increase after eating.

**This cat ate shortly before each spike in levels.

**Notice the only spikes in glucose are at the two meal times and these are still within the normal glucose range for a cat (54-175).

The Regulated Diabetic Fed Every 12 hours

When you feed a regulated diabetic cat every 12 hours, their glucose levels will be high around meal time and insulin administration but then drop throughout the day. About 6 hours after insulin is given, the glucose levels should be within the normal range or very close. Then the value starts to climb again, reaching its height at the next meal time.

_{**Notice the lowest glucose value is 6 hours after insulin/feeding and all values are above the normal reference range (54-175) with the exception of that mid-day value.}

The Might-be or Might-not-be Regulated Diabetic Free-fed

Knowing how food may spike glucose levels, I’m sure you can guess how a mid-day snack or all day eating can change glucose levels. Suddenly the glucose curve looks different and the free-fed cat’s glucose levels appear elevated throughout the day. This then prompts the question, does the cat need an increase in insulin dose because he’s truly not regulated yet? Or is the glucose curve off because he’s eating all day long? Problems can arise with high insulin dosages. If the insulin is increased in this scenario and tomorrow your cat decides to not eat all day long and only eat breakfast, then suddenly the insulin dose is incorrect and he could become hypoglycemic. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include lethargy, weakness, seizures, coma, or even death.

_{**Notice the glucose levels never dip below 200 and are never in the ‘normal’ range (54-175).}

Is It Possible To Maintain or Reverse Diabetes Through Diet?

Yes. It is possible, but you need to strictly follow your veterinarian’s advice.

Give insulin as directed.
Schedule glucose checks, glucose curves, and fructosamine testing when directed.
If free-feeding, move to a twice daily feeding schedule.
If feeding kibble, switch to a canned, raw, or gently cooked diet.
Your veterinarian will let you know, after reviewing test results, when and if you can decrease or discontinue insulin.