Diet Very Important in Caring for Diabetic Cat

Q. One of our two house cats, a 10-year-old tabby, has developed diabetes. Since he is overweight, he has been placed on Hill’s R/D cat food. However, caloric intake is hard to control since the other cat has to be fed too. Separation is difficult. Our vet tells us that based on blood tests, Stanley’s pancreas is barely functioning. He says that because of the cat’s eating habits, insulin does not work well. Thus, the prognosis is gloomy. What course of action do you recommend?

Alexander Scrim,

Huntington Beach

A. Diabetic cats have always been a challenge to treat and maintain due to their eating habits and the difficulty in collection of urine to monitor their glucose levels. Diet is extremely important because it controls the amount of calories and glucose intake versus the amount of insulin to give your cat. A controlled diet, such as R/D or K/D, makes feeding a balanced diet easier, but a cat’s appetite for the diet is also important. You need to make sure that Stanley eats the amount recommended by your veterinarian or establish alternatives that satisfy both your cat and his treatment protocol. Separate feedings may have to be a requirement that the other cat may have to adjust to in order that Stanley receives his proper amount of food. You may have to enhance Stanley’s diet with the addition of broths or by heating the food slightly in a microwave oven.

Discuss alternative diets with your veterinarian. He may want to include vitamin supplements or enzyme additives to help with Stanley’s pancreatic insufficiency problems. Most of all, be patient.

Q. Please tell me why our dog, who never digs any other time, seems compelled during flea season to dig numerous holes in the grass for his sleeping quarters.

Jane Tower,

Garden Grove

A. There may be several reasons for your dog’s digging during this time of the year. First, the heat during the summer seems to make many dogs dig in order to get to cooler ground and roll in the dirt. This is a common trait of many animals in the wild. Secondly, fleas cause these dogs to itch, sometimes very intensely, and they roll, dig, and rub themselves on the grass as a means of scratching. Another possibility is the use of flea sprays or powders that have a scent that dogs cannot abide, so they rub and dig holes to mask the odor. Once they dig these holes, the dogs tend to use them as sleeping quarters.

Controlling this is more difficult. Restriction from those portions of the yard may be your only choice. Supplying a cool, shaded area for the dog to sleep in during the hot part of the day may be of help.