Your Diabetic Cat - Three Tips For Managing Feline Diabetes

Let's face it, if you have a diabetic cat, life will be more complicated for you. Feline diabetes is a complex disease, and you can't understand it all at once. Try to focus on these three areas, and life for you and your kitty will be easier.



Diet Is Important For Managing Diabetes In Cats



Do you know the best diet for a feline diabetic? Surprisingly enough, the dry prescription food your vet sells may not be the answer. Dry pet foods are primarily made from grain, which is high in carbohydrates.



So what's the problem with grains? Kitties are obligate carnivores, which means they need to get their protein from meat, not grains. Feeding your kitty a grain-based diet will more than likely lead to obesity. An obese cat has a much higher risk of developing feline diabetes.



It's suggested to switch your pet over to a high-quality canned food. You'll need to move slowly when doing this with a diabetic kitty, as it's very important that they eat on a regular basis. If your pet walks away from his food, it can lead to serious problems in regulating glucose levels in his blood.



You'll also be feeding your pet three or four times a day. This prevents large amounts of glucose being released into his blood stream at once, which leads to spikes in blood glucose levels. It also prevents the glucose levels from dropping to dangerous levels several hours later.



Home Testing Is Essential For Managing A Diabetic Cat



If you're not testing your kitty's glucose levels at home, you're flying blind in regards to managing his diabetes. You have no idea when to feed him, when to give him insulin, or how much to give him.



This is not difficult to learn. Your vet can show you how to do it. Once you've done it a few times, you and your kitty will be relaxed about it, and home testing will become routine.



Natural Remedies For Cats May Be Helpful In Managing Your Feline Diabetic



Many human diabetics have had great success in using natural remedies to manage their disease. It's only natural that people owned by kitties would wonder if these natural remedies are effective for managing diabetes in cats as well. The answer is yes.



You'll want to look for a remedy that contains fenugreek, astragalus, and goat's rue, as well as chromium. Research has shown that these remedies are very effective in regulating the amount of glucose in your kitty's blood. Fenugreek has the added benefit of promoting urinary tract health, which helps to prevent the feline bladder infections that are common among diabetic cats.



Many cat owners have been successful in reducing the amount of insulin their pet needs, or even eliminating it completely, by using natural remedies for cats. Always check with your vet before making any changes in your pet's treatment plan. Most vets are very open to natural remedies, and will be happy to work with you.



Pay close attention to diet and home testing, and learn more about herbal pet remedies, and you'll find that managing cat diabetes will become much easier.

Managing Canine Diabetes is Possible

It's not the end of the world for your dog to be diagnosed with canine diabetes. In fact, with proper treatment and some lifestyle changes, your dog can go on to live out the rest of her life as though nothing was wrong. Like any illness management is the key to ensuring many more games of fetch and tug of war. Education can help.



Learn all that you can about blood glucose levels in your dog. In a nutshell, your dog eats food that contains fats and carbohydrates. These foods are broken down by insulin. Insulin is produced by your dog's endocrine system. It turns the fats and carbohydrates into sugars, or glucose, where it is then supposed to be used for energy. In canine diabetes, your dog isn't producing enough insulin to fully complete the process, so there are excess sugars left in the bloodstream.



Managing canine diabetes is going to require you to keep checking your dogs urine for sugar spilling (excess glucose in the bladder and urine), using test strips. Blood glucose monitors are also available, but they can be painful and traumatic for your pooch. Your dog is going to be bothered enough without you making it any worse. You want the checks to be as comfortable, non-invasive, and pain free as possible.



Changing your dogs diet and adding insulin therapy are a big part of managing canine diabetes. Your dog will need to be on a low fat, low carbohydrate, high fiber, and high protein diet and fed only twice a day. The insulin injections will need to be administered during these two times to help balance glucose spikes from eating.



Managing canine diabetes is not difficult. You love your dog and treat her as though she is family. The little extra effort to ensure she remains in your family is worth it in the long run. Who knows...maybe they'll find a cure before long.

Manage your diabetic dog-three things you need to know

Are feeling overwhelmed trying to take care of your diabetic dog? Canine diabetes is a treatable disease, but it's the pet owner to carry out the treatment plan. If you're struggling, read to learn the three things you need to know to manage diabetes in dogs.



1. diet for dogs with diabetes is very important



In order to avoid peaks and dips in your glucose levels, I'll be feeding your dog twice a day, 12 hours apart. But what feed your diabetic dog?



Avoid foods with sugar would seem to be the obvious thing that should be done. But you realize that more dry and semi-moist pet-foods contain high levels of sugars and carbohydrates? On your pet's body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose-then a diet high in carbohydrates is the last thing one should be animal feed. Even prescription diets that your veterinarian sells are high carb. Get the habit to read pet food labels.



Fats and proteins are broken down into glucose, but happens much more slowly than carbohydrates. This type of diet helps to prevent blood sugar spikes after meals.



A canned dog food of high quality is the best choice. Avoid sneaking your mate table scraps or cakes made with flour and sugar, as this sort of thing will play havoc with his glucose levels.



2. keep up with your dog's diabetes drugs



Your veterinarian will teach you how to monitor your pet. Or will use urine test strips to measure the amount of sugar present in the urine of your pet or a blood sugar monitor how people are using.



More than likely, gives the animal two insulin injections per day. Talk to your veterinarian, but it's probably better to wait to give the shots until after feeding your mate. If you give the shots before a meal, and then he doesn't eat, blood glucose levels may fall to dangerous levels, and can go into hypoglycemia, which can be fatal. You must do this to the vet quickly if this happens.



3. the exercise for a pet with canine diabetes



Always talk to your veterinarian before you set up an exercise plan for your pet, how exercise affects blood sugar levels.



There are two things to remember about exercise and a diabetic dog. Firstly, it must keep him on a program. A 10-minute walk at the same time each day are much better for your pet for a session of vigorous exercise 30 minutes twice a week.



A low-profile activity like walking or swimming is best. Low-key means that your pet won't get gasping for air.



If your friend has not been very active in the past, it's better to start slowly. You'd be surprised how a small amount of exercise will go in regulating blood glucose levels.



The key is to be consistent. If his activity level varies drastically from day to day, can cause your blood sugar to spike.



When going for a walk, take a little sweetener as Karo syrup with you. If you see the symptoms of low blood sugar while you're away from home, rub a little syrup on his gums to bring her back-up levels.



Natural remedies for dogs can help control blood sugar levels



Studies have shown that the goat rue herbs, fenugreek and Astragalus, along with chrome ore, are safe and effective for the regulation of blood glucose levels naturally in pets. The key is to find a remedy that has been specially formulated for companion animals, not people.



The best thing about this solution is that it is safe to use, even if you are already giving your pet insulin. Always consult your veterinarian before making any changes in treatment plan for your canine friend. Your veterinarian may need to make adjustments in insulin dosage of your pet to avoid hypoglycemia.



You may find that using natural remedies for dogs can make managing your dog with diabetes much easier.

Understanding and Managing Pre-Diabetes

Pre-diabetes is a health condition where a person's blood sugar is high but not to the point of being termed as diabetic. In fact, most people with pre diabetes are completely unaware that they have it. It is therefore essential to get yourself tested to make an early diagnosis. Experts estimate that if a person with pre-diabetes does not take any action such as a proper diet plan to address this problem, they run a high risk of developing type two diabetes within 10 years.



The bright side is that people diagnosed with pre-diabetes do not necessarily develop diabetes if appropriate lifestyle changes are made in time. These lifestyle changes include a well planned diabetic diet, regular exercise and constant monitoring and control of blood glucose levels. It needs to be mentioned that a proper diet plays a crucial role in the treatment of pre-diabetes.



If you have pre-diabetes and are keen to avoid type 2 diabetes, certain dietary changes are required. The main priority should be weight loss. A recent study has brought to light that losing 7% of body weight reduces the risk of a pre-diabetic person from developing type 2 diabetes by almost 58%. People who suffer from pre-diabetes have a high degree of insulin resistance. This further complicates the human body's capacity of dealing with carbohydrates. To tackle this issue, simple carbohydrates such as potatoes, white rice, and white bread should be replaced by whole meal bread, brown rice, whole grains and foods high in fiber. These whole foods are not only nutritionally rich but also produce lesser effects on insulin and blood sugar levels than their starchy counterparts.



It is also important to limit the amount of sweet desserts, especially the high-fat desserts. High sugar and fatty foods not only add calories but they may also cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This rapid rise in the blood sugar levels can exert more pressure on the already over-burdened pancreas. Reducing the intake of saturated fat is also an important part of an ideal pre-diabetes diet. Saturated fats are not only high in calories, but they can also cause changes in blood fats that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of deaths in people with diabetes.



One of the best ways to reduce saturated fat is to replace a portion of your meat consumption with vegetable protein sources. There are many such sources which are low in fat such as tofu, beans, lentils etc. When these vegetables are prepared properly, they can make delicious and healthy substitutes.



It is essential to combine these dietary changes with at least 30 to 40 minutes of cardio and / or weight training for 3 to 4 times a week. Choose exercises that you like and do not be afraid to vary your routine to prevent monotony. A brisk walk works well for most people. Try changing your walking route to break the monotony. For example, try taking the stairs whenever possible. This can be a great form of exercise. These simple lifestyle changes can be sufficient to prevent pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes.