My cat has just been diagnosed with diabetes, can diet alone control it?

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munkeymobile

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The reason I ask is that it will be VERY difficult to give insulin injections twice every day at the same times as members of the family are always coming and going and having someone at home at the right times will not always be possible.

Could it be possible to switch to a more regulated diet and keep things in check? By the sounds of things once insulin injections are begun it must be continued.

Also I've read alot about the dry vs wet food, but our vet has assigned us dry food again, which the cat has been eating 90% of the time for the past 5 years. Should we keep with the vets advice or would a low-carb wet food diet be better?
 
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SpursFan123

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My cat was diabetic. She lived to be 19 years old. We gave her insulin shots once a day. It was really no big deal. Just changing her diet would not have made a difference. Her insulin levels were too far off to be effected by diet alone. Talk to your vet again and see if insulin once a day is enough. When we were out of town, a friend gave the shots. It was very easy. The cat thought she was getting petted.
 
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KimbeeJ

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I've only seen one cat that was controlled by diet alone, and he was fed a high protein food, Hills m/d. It is more important to have regular feeding times rather than worry about what food is fed. Many vets will opt for a high fiber diet, as they can help regulate glucose levels more evenly. Most of the time cats need one and sometimes two insulin injections per day, plus regular blood monitoring in the beginning in order to get him regulated. Though it is nice to give the insulin injections around the same time every day, our view is that people have lives to lead, and you just need to do the best you can. Having a diabetic cat doesn't mean you can never go out to dinner because "his shot will be late". Just get it as close to every 12 hours as your schedule will allow, and don't over worry. Cats usually tolerate these injections very well.
 
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