Whenever I mention diets and diabetic pets I get a flood of emails from our readers. Duh! We’ve all been told we are what we eat. Sometimes I think it is easier for us to make wiser nutrition choices for ourselves than for our pets. It’s not rocket science that spinach is a healthier micro-nutrient choice […]
This afternoon I met a lovely oaf of dog. She is a 2 year old mastiff. The new owner couldn’t have been more pleased with Fiona. Fiona is a gentle giant, the kind of dog you could snuggle with all day. According to the owner she had no health issues. She came for a routine check […]
Today’s article is for our cat lovers. There is no known benefit to restricting carbohydrates for diabetic dogs provided they are complex carbohydrates and fed primarily at mealtime (when the insulin is given). Diabetic cats are a different story. Many vets, including myself, have found low carbohydrate diets extremely successful for managing diabetic cats.
Years ago when my father was losing the battle with kidney disease and diabetes, the nutritionist told him a long list of what he should not eat. My father was a funny man. After the nutritionist finished telling him what he should avoid, he asked, “Well, Doctor, what CAN I eat?”
Recently we had a discussion in our diabetic pet forum about pet treats and glucose levels. (Have you visited the pet diabetes forum? Do join in!) One of our clients noticed a spike in insulin in the evening for his dog.
I suspected he was giving a snack in the evening and sure enough he was. That […]
This article is part three in a series on Transitioning Your Cat To a Low Carb Diet. To catch up, please read part one.
The HOW
I had long fed my cats dry food. Let’s face it: It’s just easier to feed dry food! Planning on going […]
The WHY
For my dog-owning readers, I apologize. The next 2 articles are geared toward diabetic cats. As one internist once told me, “cats are from a different planet”. Diabetic or not, cats have very different nutritional needs than dogs and humans. Cats are carnivores. Cats eat very few carbs in nature. When I interact with our […]
At American Diabetes Wholesale, we know that diabetic pets often have issues other than diabetes. We are on the lookout for products that our clients need, whether it be shampoos, probiotics, treats, nutriceuticals, etc. As a veterinarian, there are products that I trust and use in my own practice. ADW is now carrying some of these […]
I recently received an email about carbohydrate content in CET chews. I contacted the manufacturer to confirm that there are indeed very little carbohydrates in these dental chews, but I thought this would be a good time to discuss carbohydrates for diabetic pets.
Kitties are true carnivores and do very well on low carbohydrate […]
It is very important to maintain good oral hygiene in our diabetic pets. Infection of any sort can result in insulin resistance, and oral infection is a common cause of insulin resistance. If only we could get our little furry friends to brush and floss! Alas, it ain’t gonna happen.