Cat treats for diabetic cats replace normal treats, which usually contain glucose that is to e avoided in cats that have a difficult time assimilating glucose. Diabetes is a metabolic imbalance in which the levels of glucose can be too high or too low, causing severe health problems. Diabetes in cats can be temporarily reversed, if the disease is detected early. Maintaining a strict diet could help with the diabetes remissions. This means that every meal has to be controlled and you, as an owner, are no longer free to give treats whenever you want to reward or simply please your cat. However, certain treats are allowed.
Diabetic cats have to be fed on a strict schedule. Half of the daily portion should be given at the same time with the insulin injection, while the other half should be served at the time of day when the cat is most active. The amount of food a diabetic cat can eat is strictly measured in relation to the amount of insulin your pet gets.
Cat Treats and Diabetic Cats
Diabetes is not a life threatening disease and a cat can live with for a long time as long as he gets daily insulin shots. The cat will be able to lead a normal life in all aspects but his diet which has to be restricted to a regime (type 2 diabetes, non insulin-dependent) or according with the insulin quantity he receives (type1, insulin-dependent diabetes).
Even with a strict diet, treats are not completely out of the question. There are commercial treats which are low enough on carbs to be safe for a diabetic cat and also you can prepare the treats at home.
Rules for Cat Treats for Diabetic Cats
The rules for treats for diabetic cats are as follows:
- Canned, slightly cooked or raw treats are recommended.
- When you calculate the insulin amount to administer your cat, you should take into account the content of glucose in the treats as well
- You should avoid dry food treats and consider the amount of carbs; although the package may advertise low carbohydrates, the actual amount of carbs can be higher than your cat should get
- Avoid onions and garlic, grapes, mushrooms, avocado
- Avoid artificial sweetener in the treats
- Never feed the cat pork treats or dog treats
- Never give the cat table scraps as treats. These may contain various ingredients and carbs
- Do not feed the cat liver and organs. While their content of A vitamin is healthy in small amounts, in larger amounts it can become toxic.
How to Make Cat Treats for Diabetic Cats
Dehydrating food is the best way to make diet cat treats at home. Dehydrate green beans, chicken turkey, chicken liver, pumpkin with no sugar or other vegetables.
You can put pieces of raw meat or pieces of steamed meat with added broth into the freezer in ice trays. These will be low in carbs and high in protein.