Cat Diabetes Symptoms / Prevention

Diabetes is a common cat disease and is due to the cat’s inability to produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose. Many times the cat's symptoms go unnoticed by the pet owners because cats tend to hide their sickness from their owners. If the diabetes condition goes untreated by a veterinarian this cat disease can lead to weight loss, vomiting dehydration, behavior concerns, the cat's inability to do everyday activities, coma, and even death.

My rescued cat Nikki was healthy even though she ate like she had a hollow paw. (In my experience rescue cats do eat more and I think this is because they were on the streets and did not know where to go for their next meal) So this cat always had a problem with her weight but was healthy otherwise. However, that changed when she was she grew older and at age 14 she showed outward symptoms that were an indication that something was wrong.

Nikki developed an enormous appetite, she would eat all of her food and then try to eat the dog's food. She was constantly meowing at the food container or trying to catch a fish at our aquarium.

Along with extreme hunger, she urinated more plus constantly drank from the water bowl. These were all symptoms that something was wrong, So I made an appointment with a veterinarian checkup, and my cat Nikki was diagnosed with Diabetes.

I was told that Insulin is a hormone that stems from the pancreas. Insulin regulates the cat’s flow of glucose from the bloodstream to the body cells. When there is not enough insulin the cat’s body will start to break down the fat and the cat will lose weight. If the cat develops high levels of sugar in the bloodstream the cat will show signs of increased thirst and the cat’s urine flow will increase.

Cat Diabetes is a common health condition; age, stress, poor diet, and being overweight will put your cat at high risk. Also, an FIV cat can get diabetes because the virus is slow in developing but when it does take hold of the cat then it will weaken the cat's immune system which makes the cat susceptible to other health concerns, including diabetes.

Recommendations:

Watch your cat for diabetes symptoms; increased appetite, frequent urination, excessive intake of water, weight loss, or increased weight. If your cat has any of these symptoms then contact your veterinarian. The veterinarian will check for sugar levels in the bloodstream and urine.

Feed the cat canned food that has limited ingredients, one protein, no corn, soy wheat, rice, or other grain fillers. A high-protein food like Natural Balance's limited ingredients duck would be a good choice. Feed your cat the allowed amount and no more, no treats, to keep them at a healthy weight.

(Duck is a good protein for cats because it is less likely to cause them to be allergic to their food) Learn more about foods that cats are allergic to here

Tips

Cat diabetes can affect any cat breed as well as any age. Studies show that diabetes is more common in mature overweight to obese cats with little or no exercise.

Prevent cat diabetes by keeping your cat at a healthy weight. If your cat is obese then their risk of developing diabetes is greater.

Warnings:

If your cat has diabetes and is left untreated the disease will progress and shorten the cat’s lifespan.

Prescription Diet Multi-care Urinary Cat Food Review

When my FIV cat named Sam had some health concerns the veterinarian recommended that I feed him Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care Urinary Care food. I could feed him both variety’s; canned or the kibble and I was told that Sam would need to eat this food for the rest of his life. 

I was warned to not give Sam treats, or any other food that he could only eat prescription food, that other food would make him sick.

I loved my cat and wanted his health to improve so I bought the Hills prescription C/D food with the written prescription from my veterinarian at Pet Smart and from my veterinarian. I figured the cat food was a prescription and that there must be medicine in it to heal my cat of his urinary/cystic condition.

Normally all of my cats eat out of the same bowl, but with this prescription food, I had to feed Sam in another room. Know that it was difficult to separate my cats and one day my other cat who did not have the same urinary condition as Sam ate the prescription food. I was so upset that my cat ate this veterinarian prescription food and called my veterinarian office immediately.

My veterinarian told me that the cat would be fine that I could feed all my cats the C/D cat food and it would be preventative so the other cats would not have the urinary condition.   So from that day forward, I was buying a case of 48 cans(2 cases) and a 15 lb of kibble twice a month.  I did this because I wanted my cats to live a long healthy life without developing the condition that caused them to have blood in their urine, and cysts. The Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care Urinary Care Food would prevent all of my cats from getting the urinary disease.

"I did have concerns about the medication in the food, but my veterinarian assured me that the food would not harm my cats, that it was good for them"

After two weeks of feeding Sam the prescription food, I did not see significant improvement in Sam's health.  He was still nervous, straining to pee and there was cloudy pink tint in his urine. When I called the veterinarian I was told that I needed to continue feeding Sam the cat food and in about a month I would see improvement.

Two months came and went and Sam's urinary condition showed some improvement but his litterbox usage was hit or miss, and he would still strain occasionally to pee and there was slight pink cast to his urine.

I was doing everything my veterinarian recommended and thought the medicated food was not doing what it was intended to do, cure my cat.

Along with the canned and kibble prescription food my veterinarian suggested buying more litter boxes, keeping them very clean, and adding the Feliway diffusers to keep Sam calm.  I was told that stress was bringing on my cat's condition.

My cat was not stressed before he got sick, he was the sweetest Siamese cat, that loved to go to the office with me and play with his toys or sit in the window to watch the birds.  But when Sam got sick with the urinary condition he was nervous, pacing in the house, and no longer wanted to lie on my lap or play with his toys.

So at that point, I was curious as to what medicine was added to the ingredients to warrant a prescription and I wanted to know why I needed a prescription to buy this cat food.

I researched the product and there is no medicine in Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care Urinary Care cat food.  In comparison to other urinary cat food that you buy off the shelf at your local pet store, the ingredients in the prescription food are of poor quality because it has grains and corn. GMO foods that I never feed my cats.

Here are the ingredients in Hills Perscription Diet C/D Multicare Urinary Cat Food

Pork By-Products, Water, Pork Liver, Chicken, Rice, Corn Starch, Oat Fiber, Chicken Fat, Fish Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Guar Gum, Fish Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dextrose, Dl-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Cysteine, Dried Egg Yolk, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate), Glycine, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Beta-Carotene.

Know that this prescription cat food is expensive, $56.00 for 5.5-ounce cans/case of 24.  Since there is no medicine in this prescription cat food I decided to see if there were comparable foods available to the consumer that was formulated to promote a desirable urine PH and did not require a prescription from a veterinarian to buy cat food.  I found a food that was the same but did not have the filler foods, corn, and grains. I found that Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Classic Urinary Tract Health Formula Turkey and Giblets Entree Canned Cat Food has better ingredients, no prescription is needed and it costs less.

Ingredients

1. Meat By-Products, Water Sufficient for Processing, Turkey, Poultry By-Products, Poultry Giblets, Rice, Salt, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Added Color, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide.
   

Description
Purina Pro Plan Focus targets kitty-specific health issues with Adult Classic Urinary Tract Health Formula Turkey & Giblets Entree Canned Cat Food. Made with real turkey, this specialized formula helps maintain your cat’s urinary tract health by reducing urinary pH and providing low dietary magnesium. Feeding Purina’s Urinary Tract Health Formula canned food will also help increase water intake, a crucial step when it comes to keeping her urinary system healthy.
Key Benefits

• Specialized formula made with real turkey and giblets provides exceptional taste and balanced nutrition for your cat
  
• Extra-care nutrition to help maintain urinary tract health by reducing urinary pH while providing low dietary magnesium
  
• High-quality protein helps promote ideal body composition optimized for lean muscle, strength, and the energy needed for your adult cat to thrive
  
• Omega-6 fatty acids are included for healthy skin and a beautiful shiny coat
  
• Manufactured in Purina-owned U.S.A facilities and does not contain any added artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
  

So there you have it my product review of Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care cat food. I am not a fan of this overpriced food with the GMO foods of corn, and grain ingredients and I feel that the written veterinarian prescription food is misrepresented as I was told this medicated cat food would improve my cat's urinary condition as long as I fed him the prescription food, nothing else for the rest of his life.

The prescription is misleading because cat food has no medicine, no healing herbs nothing to warrant a prescription from your veterinarian. 

 Prescription pet food is a consumer rip-off, pet owners have been scammed by veterinarians and pet food companies and I am not happy about this because of my cat's pain and suffering.

Read another article about Prescription Cat food here 
Article relating to Sam's Kidney Failure and Prescription K/D Food 
Article about Sam, he will not eat the Prescription food
...
About Sam when we rescued him, his first urinary / bladder infection 

Ways to Keep Cat Calm in a Car

Unlike dogs who enjoy going for a ride in the car, a cat does not feel the same way. Granted there are a few cats that enjoy riding in a car but most felines find it stressful.

Today I had to take my cat Sam to the veterinarian for his annual checkup and one of the things we must do is keep Sam from stressful situations. Sam has FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and his condition now is healthy but stress is a factor that can bring on illness. Sam gets stressed out riding in the car so I will do the following things to keep him calm.

If your cat gets stressed out when riding in the car then you may want to try the following helpful tips.

1. If you find that you must take your cat for a ride in the car then make sure you have a pet carrier that is large enough for a cat to be comfortable. They need room to lie down without a tight feeling.
2. Make the carrier more comfortable with a small crate mat. Spray this mat with the Feliway mood and behavior modifier before adding the mat to the carrier. The Feliway spray mimics the cat's pheromones and this aids in keeping the cat calm. Shop and save at Walmart.com for Feliway spray
3. Buy Kong treat dispensing toy to distract your cat while riding in the car. Fill the toy with temptation cat treats and put it in the cat carrier. The toy will divert your cat's attention and they will feel less stressed. (food is a friend to a cat)
4. Set the cat carrier on the car seat and wrap the seat belt around it. Secure the cat in the carrier so that it stays put and does not move around when the car turns or stops. Any sudden movement while the cat is in the car is very stressful and the cat will suffer.
5. Cover the cat carrier with a towel or small blanket. Blocking out the view of cars passing while the cat is riding in the car will help to keep the feline calm.
6. Refrain from turning the radio on loudly. It is best to have soft background music and that you talk to your cat while riding in the car. A familiar voice that is calm and projects positive energy will keep your cat calm while in the car.