Posted on 02/11/2011 6:10:34 PM PST by EBH
A video of diabetic cats, most of which have found their furever homes. Many of these cats were placed by Diabetic Cats in Need, http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/
One of the cats featured in this video is my very own Atlas. When he came into my care last year he was full grown and under 5lbs. He was given to me to foster "for as long as he had left." Little did the shelter realize he had been given to an experienced feline diabetic caregiver.
The term, Off The Juice, means the cat no longer needs or uses insulin. Cats can go into remission if given proper care.
The other term you'll see is, Failed Foster, which simply means the foster decided to adopt the feline.
The video is in support of a group called Diabetic Cats In Need. This organization provided Atlas and our shelter with the insulin we needed. They do very good work.
Bless you for keeping him. There are new insulins on the markets that are proving amazing for cats.
I’ve become a big fan of Nature’s Variety foods. Course we don’t use dry food round here, but their can and frozen raw did miracles for Atlas.
Talk about a food guarantee...on their raw frozen...pathogen free— guaranteed. Our own food isn’t guaranteed like that...
I had a client this week with an obese cat and the signature ravenous appetite of early diabetes. Owner only wanted one visit a day...we ended up doing two visits and buying several cases of low-carb high protein cat food. I left a long note of explanation for when they came home from vacation. Clarky has a vet trip this up coming week. The lay-man’s explanation from www.felinediabetes.com did the trick to get them to see their cat is actually ill.
Paws crossed for Clarky.
God Bless you. Squeakers will never forget what you did.
All cats are special, but there is something about many “sweet” cats that they just show a depth of gratitude verses the typical ...put the food in the bowl human.
Funny how they figure out those pricks and pokes are temporary and needed to make their whole life better.
Gosh...that sounds like a life lesson there doesn’t it?
There is a ton of information available at:
http://felinediabetes.com/diet.htm
and it is all commercial for varying budgets too. You will find a list of Fancy Feast cat foods that “meat” the criteria too.
My Stuffy has trouble digesting the big pieces of dry cat food and upchucks them, so she’s on 9 Lives that are smaller pieces with the hairball stuff in it. I guess some of the cheaper brands are more full of grain, but this one lists meat in the ingredients. It’s the only one I’ve found so far that she can digest. - I didn’t know about the diabetes aspect with cats. - I cooked her some flounder last evening, and feed some tuna and salmon, a little chicken. She is very picky and won’t eat beef at all, does like a little lactose-free milk from time to time. She’s about 10 yrs. old.
Bingo! We have a winner.
I have a cat with CRF, my Rocket, and he’s allergic to grains. I feed him nothing but Fancy Feast Classic canned food, and he has gained weight, much to our and the vet’s delight, and the progression of the disease has halted.
Fancy Feast Classics are the ones with no soy (a disaster for cats) and no grains. There are only six flavors I can give him because he’s also allergic to the questionable substance that they call “fish” in the cat foods, but he’s doing really well.
The advice to feed sick cats “science diet” and “prescription diet” that are full of soy and grains is exactly the wrong thing to do for them. It might work for omnivores like dogs, but not for obligate carnivores.
And personally, being Type II myself, I know that grains are the enemy. My FBS is in the 80’s and low 90’s because I don’t eat carbs.
Of course, all this proper eating ensures that we don’t spend a lot of money on drugs to treat our food-caused metabolic mess ups.
They don't want to hear it because that means they are going to have to spend more money to provide a PROPER diet for their pet. Too many people think grabbing a bag of $4 Purina Meow Mix is all kitty needs to get her thru the day; and then they wonder why the animal becomes diabetic.
Of course; the perfect recipe would probably be mice and a blender. :-)
Vets that sell that crap ought to be ashamed of themselves...the money's good, though...
You nailed it again. How do the vets live with themselves? They shorten the lifespans of our pets while they and the pet-food companies profit from their illness and suffering.
They’re the lowest of the low, and I’ve never had a vet who mentioned any of this to me, yet they must be aware of it. How did they get through medical school and veterinary school without learning what cats *must* eat?
I had to find out on my own as the food destroyed my cat’s kidneys. I almost killed the little guy on this stuff because it’s “prescription” and “good for him” before I finally used my own head and started feeding him what cats eat.
I’ll never just automatically trust a vet again. They’ll have to earn it from now on.
WTF? Soy? Grains? Did you ever see a cat ripping mad to get to the soybean field to eat them beans?
We have two ferals adopted by our craziest dog (he’s gone but definitely not forgotten), and two polydactyls left on our doorstep by someone who saw the “sucker” tatoo on my forehead.
Bless you for your work!
Can you recommend any brands (maybe in PM)?
There is a ton of information available at:
http://felinediabetes.com/diet.htm
and it is all commercial for varying budgets too.
You will find a list of Fancy Feast cat foods that “meat” the criteria too.
Thank you. I can’t afford to feed my seven cats any of the expensive “boutique” kind of cat foods - but I can do the Fancy Feast! I’ve been concerned about my cats and dogs (not to mention myself) being fattened up on grain-fed diets. It’s not the way we’re meant to eat.
How in the heck does a cat get diabetes? It’s got to be from making them eat that stupid dry food which is Grains. Grains filled with “pet MSG” to make it taste addictive. Ridiculous. Cats eat meat, with a smidge of veggies in there. Cats should not get diabetes. Kibble is abuse.
Agreed...many people don't understand, though...
Not all Fancy Feast are the same...
Here’s the list and pictures of the correct varieties:
http://felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm
It is a growing epidemic in cats.
And so much of it goes straight back to kibble type diets.
Exactly the line of FF my boys get; along with that occasional ‘raw treat’.
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