Crave Grain Free High Protein Dry Cat Food
Crave grain free high protein dry cat food provides real, 100% natural chicken. There is also an absence of wheat, soy, and corn. Feed your cat with a protein-rich diet, just like their ancestors would have eaten in the nature. Increased immunity levels, energy to do different activities, and a healthy body figure are some of the pros of feeding your cat with this high protein dry cat food. However, one drawback is that here is an unreasonably high content of carbs, and the amount of fat is a bit lower than AAFCO recommended cat food nutrition.
Pros:
And While The Wrong Diet Puts Your Cat At Risk For Diabetes Choosing The Right Food Is Your Only Hope Of Curing It
Most diabetic cats who leave behind a biologically inappropriate diet see significant reductions in their insulin requirements. Many actually go into remission and no longer need insulin injections whatsoever.
The best time to clean up your cats diet is before he shows symptoms of diabetes. As diabetes progresses, the pancreas may become exhausted and will no longer secrete insulin. In this case, theres no hope of remission and insulin therapy becomes a life-long commitment. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Fortunately for anyone trying to wean their cat off the wrong food, diabetic cats usually have a ravenous appetite. Hunger is often enough to force a picky diabetic cat to try something new.
Why Feed Your Cat This Type Of Diet
By nature, cats are carnivores that ate a mostly protein-based diet with very few carbohydrates. Your cat may be domesticated now, but they still need the higher protein content to support healthy muscle growth and overall development.
Cats also had low carbohydrates in their diet, and it came from the other parts of the animal they ate. You don’t see cats in the wild eating fatty or plant-based diets, and carbohydrates lead to weight gain. Feeding your cat lower carbohydrates helps them maintain a healthy weight, and this is especially important as they age or if they’re diabetic.
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What Is The Best Cat Food For A Diabetic Cat
Having looked at cat foods in our above list of top picks, we will now consider some of the best wet cat foods for diabetic cats. Again, all of the big brands are producing this type of specialist wet food.
Some of these include ROYAL CANIN Feline Glycobalance Morsels In Gravy, AvoDerm Natural Tuna, Halo Grain Free Indoor Whitefish Recipe Wet Cat Food, Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Wet Cat Food, and Purina Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management.
Low Carbohydrates High Protein Content
- In diabetic cats, blood sugar levels are directly related to their carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates break down into glucose, and thus a high-carbohydrate diet can be difficult for your kittys body to process.
- If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes, the following tips are important to remember:
- Your cat needs a controlled diet. Do not free-feed your fluffy feline unless you have been advised to do so by a medical professional. Instead, you should be feeding your cat with the best diabetic cat food possible, in regulated portions and accordance with a proper feeding schedule. If your cat requires insulin injections, this will help you stick to an appropriate schedule for monitoring his blood sugar and administering insulin.
- Cut down on the carbs. The best food for diabetic cats will have a carefully-calculated proportion of carbohydrates, decreasing the likelihood of any dangerous blood sugar spikes in your best friend.
- Increase protein. Protein helps all cats build and maintain the muscle they require to be healthy and happy. It also helps them to feel satiated when you are feeding them fewer, controlled meals.
Of course, every cat is different. Your particular kitty may have a preference for zero-grain food, for limited ingredients, for salmon, or for tender duck whatever works for your little kitty, youll find it in our reviews!
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Low Carb High Protein
Feeding your cat foods that are high in carbohydrates, which will lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, increasing your cats need for insulin. Feeding your cat foods that are low in carbohydrate content will eliminate your cats need for insulin many cats thrive on food that is made up with less than 10% carbohydrate content, but if your kitty has a severe case of diabetes, you may need your feed them food that has a 5% carbohydrate content or less.
Nomnomnow Fresh Food Delivery
When it comes to quality nutrition, its hard to beat fresh food. Not only is fresh food rich in nutritional value, but it is also very high in moisture because it hasnt been exposed to high-heat cooking processes like commercial dry food. NomNomNow is a fresh food delivery service for pets that sends fresh-made, perfectly-portioned meals right to your door. They offer two recipes for cats, both of which are high in protein, high in moisture, and made with premium-quality ingredients. If youre worried about the price, know that it costs an average of $14/week to feed a 7-pound cat NomNomNow. The leading canned food costs about $16 per week, so the price is better or at least comparable. If your cat has diabetes, quality nutrition that is rich in protein and moisture is essential thats what NomNomNow provides.
- Pros: Made with wholesome natural ingredients, food prepared fresh, delivered right to your door, high in protein and moisture, over 50% calories from protein, only 10% calories from carbs
- Cons: Somewhat expensive to feed as a staple diet, only two recipes to choose from
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Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Glycobalance Morsels In Gravy Canned Cat Food
Once your feline friend has celebrated its first birthday, feline obesity is one of the common health problems that your kitty will face. When you are offering a meal that is high in carb content, theres an inherent risk of becoming overweight. This moisture-rich canned cat food from Royal Canin contains high-quality protein that ensures the maintenance of healthy lean muscles that will support his active lifestyle. Along with the chicken, Royal Canin is enriched with the chicken liver which is a rich source of vitamins to lend a helping hand in protecting the vision and strengthen the immune system that in turn assist kidney and heart to perform at full tilt.
Though starch is digested multiple times faster when compared to protein content, its an open secret that excessive starch content increases the glucose level in the cats bloodstream, and your cat is likely to produce the excess insulin to minimize the blood glucose level. In the long run, it becomes difficult for the pancreas to remove the excess glucose from the blood by producing insulin and continue the process of turning the glucose into the fat day in day out. To prevent your cat from becoming a diabetic one, this cat food contains lesser starch and promotes a blend of prebiotics and both soluble and insoluble fiber that will minimize the glucose fluctuations to the max.
I And Love And You Super Food Surf N Chick Grain
Our Top Pick for the Best Dry Cat Food for Diabetic Cats: If you simply prefer to feed your cat dry food, one of the best options is this I and Love and You Super Food Surf n Chick Grain-Free Dry Food. This formula is designed to be high in protein and low-glycemic, making it a great option for your diabetic cat. It features premium animal proteins like white fish, chicken, and turkey with minimal carbohydrate from digestible superfoods like chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and flaxseeds. This formula contains 45% protein by weight and 18% fat with 4% fiber and 10% moisture. The ash content is not listed on the guaranteed analysis, so we couldnt calculate the exact carbohydrate content, but assuming its at least 3%, that puts this dry food at a maximum carb content around 20% which isnt bad. This recipe also contains beneficial supplements like dietary fiber, digestive enzymes, vitamins, chelated minerals, and probiotics.
- Pros: High-protein formula, low-glycemic, several sources of animal protein, contains digestible superfood carbohydrates, supplemented with digestive enzymes and probiotics, made in the USA
- Cons: Higher in carb content than wet food, expensive to feed as a staple diet
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What To Watch Out For When Buying Diabetic Cat Food
Liver
Avoid cat foods that list liver as the first ingredient its fine in small quantities but can cause problems when eaten in larger amounts. Tuna should also be minimized in your cats diet.
Gravy and Sauces
Look out for foods with gravy in the name or description. Thats usually an indicator that the manufacturer has used starch thickeners in the recipe that are high in carbohydrates.
Specialized or Prescription Diet Foods
While some vets may recommend a prescription diet for your cat, there are many commercial foods available with the proper carb and protein balance . In fact, some prescription foods dont even contain special medications designed to treat diabetes and can have high carb levels.
The Role Of Obesity In Diabetes
One of the most important factors that leads to diabetes in cats is obesity. Fat cells produce hormones that make the body less responsive to insulin. The more fat that is present, the more of these hormones that are produced.
Many cases of feline diabetes could be prevented if cats were not overfed and they remained slim. Weight loss can even lead to remission in a cats diabetes if treatment begins early in the course of the disease. In other words, diabetic cats who initially need insulin injections may be able to be weaned off of them if they lose sufficient amounts of weight.
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Farmina Natural & Delicious Low
While this cat food isnt specifically designed for diabetes, Farmina Natural & Delicious Low-Grain Formula Dry Cat Food is suitable for many cats with diabetes due to the low carbohydrate content. It is made with plenty of protein and fats but very little carbohydrates. 60% of the formula is made of animal products. Only 20% is grains, while the last 20% is veggies, fruits, and vitamins. There are many quality protein sources included.
Boneless chicken is included as the first ingredient, with dehydrated chicken as the second. Much of this food is chicken, which is a high-quality option for most felines. Chicken fat and whole eggs are included as well, which also improves the overall formula. 94% of the protein in this food is from an animal source. The low glycemic formula doesnt spike blood sugar.
The GMO-free formula also doesnt contain any peas, lentils, chickpeas, or plant oils. It only uses natural omega fatty acids, which can improve your cats skin and coat health.
All in all, we think this is the best cat food for diabetic cats available this year.
The protein is quite high, especially for wet food. This is largely because of the high amount of tuna and other animal sources, which are high in protein. This food is rich in omega fatty acids. These are important for skin and coat health. It provides a complete diet of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.
But when it comes to premium options, we still think this is the best cat food for diabetic cats out there.
What To Look For When Buying Diabetic Cat Food
With the correct nutrition, your diabetic cat can lead a healthy, long life. Once you find a diabetic cat food that ticks the appropriate boxes and works for your cat, consistency is key. Make sure to feed them the same amount of the same food every day. The same goes for treats. Diet plays a big role in the management of feline diabetes so consider the following when choosing foods for your cat:
Wet Cat Food
Theres a long-running debate among vets, nutritionists, and other pet professionals about whether cats should be eating wet food, dry food, or a combination of both.
In the case of diabetic cats, wet food is critical. Wet foods are typically lower in carbohydrates, easy to portion control, and can leave cats feeling fuller for longer . Wet food also contains about 75% water, which helps keep cats, who naturally dont drink much, hydrated.
If cost prohibits feeding 100% wet food, be sure to give a heaping scoop on top of all dry food meals.
Proteins From Meat
Cats are obligate carnivores that require meat to survive. Their systems arent great at digesting plant proteins, so look carefully at the nutritional label when choosing foods for your diabetic cat. Purchase foods that list meat, poultry, or seafood as the first few ingredients.
Low Carbohydrate Content
For diabetic cats, a low carb diet is critical to their sustained health and wellbeing. When a cat eats carbs, their blood sugar level spikes, leading to a need for more insulin.
100 = Carbohydrate %
Calories
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What Is Diabetes In Cats
Alike humans, the cat has a pancreas that is responsible for the secretion of insulin hormones that balance the blood sugar or glucose level. Needless to say, the pancreas lends a helping hand to the proper digestion and production of insulin that regulates the blood glucose level. Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the pancreas isnt able to produce insulin at full tilt which in turn increases the level of blood glucose level. If left untreated, your cat is likely to witness a weight loss, loss of appetite, dehydration issues, and in the worst scenario coma and even death.
Benefits Of Feeding Special Treats To Your Diabetic Cat
Diabetic cats require unique treats. While a popular pet brand treat may seem like an easy choice for your kitty, youll need to do a bit of extra research to see which treat type is best for your cats situation. Picking out that special treat is important in order to keep your cats feline diabetes under control. Generally speaking, there are going to be certain types of cat treats that will be best for a cat with diabetes. Below we highlight benefits of feeding unique treats to a diabetic cat:
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Weruva Presents: Love Me Tender Chicken And Duck In Gravy Recipe
Another excellent option for diabetic cats with skin issues, Weruvaâs Love Me Tender Chicken and Duck in Gravy Recipe offers up plenty of tasty morsels any cat would love. Along with an amazing flavor, your feline friend gets a premium blended moist cat food made primarily from chicken, tuna, and duck in fact, those are the top three ingredients!
This Weruva blend proves that you can swap a high carb food for a low one and still keep your cat satisfied. But the reason cats love this blend is quite simply because it contains everything a carnivore could ever want. As a matter of fact, the only carbs youâll find in this food are a touch of tapioca, likely added as a gravy thickener and way to hold the food together in its moisture pack.
Loaded with 9% crude protein, the Love Me Tender recipe is also very low in fat with just 1.4% crude fat found in an analysis. To address skin and coat health, this Weruva blend contains biotin, taurine, vitamin A, sunflower seed oil, and added calcium in addition to the natural fish oils found in the included tuna.
Lams Proactive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food
Lams Proactive Health Kitten Dry Cat food caters to the food requirements of your little young kittens. If you want your teeny tiny kitten to blossom into a healthy adult cat, then this product is the best for your kitten. It contains the same ingredients and hence is a dupe for a mothers feed. It has high protein content with natural meat. The food is incorporated with various Vitamins plus minerals such as taurine for better eyesight. The size and taste of the food are kitten friendly, helping them to grab the food easily. A happy and healthy kitten guaranteed. The only negative about this is that we cannot feed this to adult cats.
Pros:
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Whats The Best Kind Of Food For Diabetic Cats
The best food for diabetic cats honors your carnivorous cats dietary requirements.
As obligate carnivores, cats have thrive on nutrients derived from animals. They cant survive without the amino acids, fatty acids, and micronutrients naturally found in their prey.
What your cats natural diet doesnt have is large concentrations of carbohydrates. A wild feline diet may have as little as zero carbohydrate matter. What little carbohydrate or fiber their diet might contain would come from nibbles of grass and digested plant matter found in the digestive tracts of their prey.
Cats have a much more limited ability to digest plant matter than dogs and other omnivores, but it goes further than that cats also exhibit a physiological anti-carbohydrate bias.
For example, cats lack salivary amylase . Further down the digestive tract, cats have levels of the digestive enzymes necessary to break down carbohydrates in the small intestine.
To put those details together, cats have a limited ability to metabolize large glucose loads. Even healthy, non-diabetic cats exhibit mild insulin resistance.