7 Low Carb Cat Food (And Tips On How To Choose The Best Diet)

Your cat’s diet plays a huge role in managing or preventing feline diabetes. In fact, the right type of diet, together with medication, can cause a newly diagnosed cat to become non-diabetic. In this article, we will give you tips on choosing a healthy diet and a list of low carb cat food for your cat.

A low-carb diet is one that has less than 10 percent of total calories from carbohydrates. Some cats may be able to have more while still controlling their diabetes, while others may have restrictions. But generally, the lower the carbohydrate content, the better for the diabetic cat.

Here Are Some Tips On How To Choose The Best Diet For Your Diabetic Cat

#1. Check The Animal Protein Content On The Label

All cat food should have animal protein and fat because felines are carnivores. The nutrients that they need (taurine and arachidonic acid) are only present in animal sources, such as beef, turkey, fish, chicken or other meats.

#2. Avoid Grains In Cat Food

Cats may be able to metabolize grains easily, but they are high in carbohydrates. For some cats, food co     ntaining grains are alright, but not for diabetic and overweight cats. A high-protein and low-carb diet is a perfect choice.

#3. Go For Wet or Homemade

Canned or wet cat food is usually healthier than dry food. It has a higher moisture content which is an advantage for cats, which don’t drink water readily. Most wet foods are also more enticing than dry food because of its strong scent and flavor.

The downside of canned food is that it spoils faster than dry food. However, it also allows you to control your cat’s feeding behavior and it prevents you from free feeding. If you want even greater control, then you should try homemade cat food. You get to choose the protein and cook it any way you like.

#4. Check The Life Stage and Analyze The Nutrients

Pet food labels should have a nutritional adequacy statement that it is for adults, for all life stages, for growth and reproduction, etc. It’s important to read this because kittens and adult cats have different nutritional needs. It’s also another issue if a cat has a health problem such as diabetes.

You should also read and analyze the nutrient label of the pet food. Usually, it has a list of the amount of protein, fat, fiber and moisture. If you are comparing different cat food, you have to take into account that moisture can skew the comparison.

#5. Get Help From Your Vet

Even though pet foods have feeding guidelines, you have to remember that there are factors to consider in determining the amounts a cat needs. A diabetic cat requires a different diet, so a vet visit will be very helpful for you. Other factors to consider when choosing food include breed, age, health condition, and size, among others.

Your veterinarian can do a body condition analysis of your cat. They can also determine whether it is underweight, overweight, or just right. Then, he or she can give you diet guidelines or a specific dietary recommendation for your cat. It helps to get their opinion, especially if the feeding guidelines are still too confusing.

Top 7 Low-Carb Cat Food

Now that you know what to look for and what to do when choosing cat food, here’s a short list of low-carb cat food. However, you should still look into them more closely for more details on nutrient content, price, and other details. You can also go here for a long list of low-carb wet cat foods and a summary of their nutritional content.

#1 Fancy Feast Flaked Salmon and White Fish Feast

Fancy Feast Flaked Salmon (Via Amazon.com)

This cat food is high in protein and low in fat and carbs. For 6-9 lbs adult cats, you can give 1.5-2.5 cans daily. If they are 10-13 lbs, the recommendation is to give them 3-3.5 cans daily.

#2 Purina Friskies Classic Pate Wet Cat Food

Also high in protein, low in fat and carbs. The feeding recommendations for adults are 1 to 3.4-ounce per pound daily. You should divide it into two or more meals.

Purina Friskies Classic Pate Wet Cat Food (Via Amzon.com)

#3 Solid Gold Holistic Wet Cat Food

Solid Gold Holistic Wet Cat Food (Via Amazon.com)

This comes in 11 flavors, including shrimp and tuna. It may be the healthiest because it is higher in protein and lower in carbs than the other flavors.

Related: Solid Gold Cat Food Review

#4 Halo Spot’s Stew For Cats

It comes in different flavors such as chicken, lamb, turkey, salmon, and a mix of chicken, shrimp, and crab. Halo’s meat-based diets use only whole meat.

Halo Spot’s Stew For Cats (Via Amazon.com)

#5 NUTRO Wet Cat Food

NUTRO Wet Cat Food (Via Amazon.com)

It comes in different styles: minced, sliced, soft loaf and chunky loaf. This product contains 0% grain, and the protein is from chicken meat, chicken liver, and egg product.

#6 AvoDerm Natural Entree Tuna and Crab In Gravy For Cats

The Avoderm tuna and crab entree in gravy is free of grain. It uses quality proteins for a healthy balanced diet for your cat.

AvoDerm Natural Entree Tuna and Crab In Gravy For Cats (Via Amazon.com)

#7 SHEBA Pate in Natural Juices Adult Wet Cat Food

SHEBA Pate in Natural Juices Adult Wet Cat Food (Via Amazon.com)

One good thing is that it doesn’t use gravy or sauce. Gravy or sauce are usually higher in fat than the natural juices. It comes in many flavors, including beef, chicken, chicken and liver, salmon, seafood, turkey, tuna, and more.

Bottom Line

Choosing the best cat food can be hard, especially if your cat has special health needs or restrictions. With diabetic cats, the best diet is low in carbohydrates and high in protein. It’s important that you check your cat food labels to make sure it is good for your diabetic cat.

If you are apprehensive about your cat food, you can always check with your veterinarian. He or she may be able to recommend a certain brand or give you options.

What cat food would you recommend for diabetic cats? Do you have any questions or concerns? Please use the comment section below.

Sources:

● http://catinfo.org/feline-diabetes/

● http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandnutrition/f/goodingred.htm

● http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/feeding-the-diabetic-cat

● https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_multi_dry_versus_wet_food

● https://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/slimming-your-cat-what-works-what-doesnt