Mary Allen
High-quality diabetic diets are precisely tailored to the special metabolism of diabetic dogs and cats. Unlike people with diabetes, who have to deal with “bread units” and “Glyx Index” every day, as the owner of a diabetic animal, you can fall back on ready-made special food —— an enormous relief!
How Do Diet Foods Work for Diabetics?
The mere fact that a constant composition is guaranteed for special feeds for diabetics makes daily insulin dosing for your pet much easier. That’s why veterinarians with diabetes usually recommend giving ready-made diabetic food instead of preparing the food yourself to reduce the risk of dangerous blood sugar fluctuations.
Normally, carbohydrates from food are digested in the intestine and absorbed into the blood in the form of glucose (grape sugar). Glucose gets into the cells with the help of insulin, where it serves as vital fuel. In diabetes, the glucose absorption in the cells does not work properly, so it accumulates in the blood: the blood sugar level rises to unhealthy levels and the body cells still suffer from a lack of energy. As a result, the metabolism changes and tries to cover the energy needs of the cells with the “alternative energy sources” fat and protein, which in the long run can lead to serious consequential damage such as muscle breakdown or life-threatening “ketoacidosis”.
The composition of a special feed for diabetics takes this special metabolic situation into account and helps to bring the energy metabolism back into balance. In particular, the protein content of the diabetic diet and the composition of the carbohydrates must be finely tuned to the needs of diabetic dogs and cats. You should meet the following criteria:
Lots of high-quality proteins
A high protein content (protein content) in diabetes food means that less energy is absorbed with the same amount of food. As a result, the blood sugar level rises more slowly. In addition, a lot of high-quality protein in the feed ensures that the muscle mass of the animals is maintained. Diabetics tend to lose muscle because they use muscle protein to generate energy. The high protein content is particularly important when overweight diabetic dogs and cats have to lose weight to counteract insulin resistance. The amino acid L-carnitine, which also supports the maintenance of muscle mass when losing weight, is often added to diabetic diets.
Proteins also make food tasty and ensure a good feeling of satiety, even if the food itself has a low-calorie content. If the organism is sufficiently supplied with essential amino acids (protein building blocks that it cannot produce itself), the signal “I’m full” is sent. Tasty diabetic food also gives you more security when it comes to insulin dosing, as you don’t have to worry that your dog or cat won’t eat enough of it.
Few easily digestible carbohydrates
Easily digestible carbohydrates cause the blood sugar level to rise quickly. Therefore, special food for diabetics should not contain any simple sugars such as glucose (dextrose) or sucrose (table sugar).
The starch content should also not be too high in order to reduce the risk of “hyperglycemia”.
Moderate Energy Content and Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber can serve as fiber or prebiotics. They regulate the blood sugar level in a natural way by also counteracting a rapid rise in blood sugar. The more starch the feed contains, the higher the fiber content should be to compensate.
Flea seeds (psyllium) or cereals such as barley are also often used to keep the blood sugar level constant.
Moderate energy or calorie content helps to maintain body weight or reduce excess pounds. This counteracts insulin resistance, which would increase insulin requirements.
What Should You Look Out for When Buying Diabetes Food?
Special food for diabetic dogs and cats is real “diet food” and, according to feed law, may bear the indication that it is suitable for diabetics. Such a note must not be missing from the packaging. The calorie content must also be indicated on the packaging. The advantage of dry food is the higher fiber content, while wet food has the advantage of containing fewer carbohydrates than dry food in the first place, which can be an argument in favor of wet food, especially for cats. There is both dry and wet food suitable for diabetic cats and dogs on the market. You should definitely avoid a semi-moist dog or cat food (water content 15 to 35%), as it is preserved with sugar.