What's the recommended daily wet food amount for my diabetic cat?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
How do you determine on how much wet food a diabetic cat should be given daily?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 23rd, 2015
Most cats do well when fed 1/2 to 1 can of high quality canned food twice daily. That is a 5.5oz can. You may need to adjust the amount based on your cat's activity level.
51Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 27th, 2017
It's recommended to keep any cat on a canned only diet. In the case of a diabetic cat it is especially important to try to eliminate the carbohydrates present in any dry food to maintain better diabetic control. In fact, in a fair number of cases cats on prescription diabetic canned food and insulin therapy will actually go into diabetic remission and not require insulin anymore. So, in Stella's case I would try as hard as possible to only feed a canned diet. If she's not already on a prescription food for diabetes you may want to discuss starting one with your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
What is the best cat food for cats with diabetes?
There is no one "best" food. Being carnivorous, a cat requires a high protein, low carb diet to maintain good health. For a diabetic cat, you need to limit calories from carbs to no more than 10% of each meal. Increased fiber may also be beneficial, helping to regulate insulin levels.
There are many high quality canned diets that meet the criteria. Brands include Orijen, Merrick, Taste of the Wild, Royal Canin and a few prescription diets from Hill's. These you will need to get from your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
my 14 yr old cat is now diabetic. I was told to give him 3 units of Vetsilan 2x a day. No info on what to feed him or how much. He is on a urinary tract health dry and canned food. How much do I feed daily. He now weighs about 9 lbs.
I'm sorry that Garfield was diagnosed with diabetes. Here is a great article about feeding diabetic cats. http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/feeding-the-diabetic-cat How much to feed is completely dependent on the diet you are feeding (specific brand, ingredients, calorie count, etc). Without that information it is hard for me to comment. What I will tell you though is that dry food is not recommended and the urinary tract diet is not recommended. He needs canned food only and one that is high in protein and low in carbs. Check this list and find ones that have the lowest carbs and try one of those. You need to find one he likes and that keeps him regulated. You may have to try a few before you find the right one. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html Here are some feeding instructions from Vetsulin: http://www.vetsulin.com/vet/Cats_DosingFeeding.aspx Hope this helps. After this information if you have more questions please feel free to post again.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Can I feed my diabetic cat small amounts of dry food in addition to the wet?
It's recommended to keep any cat on a canned only diet. In the case of a diabetic cat it is especially important to try to eliminate the carbohydrates present in any dry food to maintain better diabetic control. In fact, in a fair number of cases cats on prescription diabetic canned food and insulin therapy will actually go into diabetic remission and not require insulin anymore. So, in Stella's case I would try as hard as possible to only feed a canned diet. If she's not already on a prescription food for diabetes you may want to discuss starting one with your veterinarian. Thanks for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
If almost everything about cat diabetes is mirroring human diabetes, and we even use human insulin for it; shouldn't the feeding method also mirror human diabetes? Eating small meals 5 times with snacks in between?
No it is usually and commonly recommended, through experimental and case series studies, in order to achieve the best glycemic control, to feed two times daily (at the same time of the insulin injection). This is mainly due to the fact that cats and human have different metabolism and different alimentary habits. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I am having a cat food issue. I do not want to feed dry kibble any more do to scandle and health issues to my male cat's. My question is how much wet food should i feed 5 adult cat's per day? I was under tge impression that a felines stomach is the
The average 8-10 pound cat can eat about 6oz of canned food daily. This amount should be divided into two feedings. Since each cat's metabolism and activity are different, this amount can be adjusted to maintain a healthy weight and body condition.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat Winston is 13 pounds. I want to feed him a all wet food diet. I read on most high end wet food labels that I feed 1 oz of food per pound of body weight, Best fed twice daily. Does that mean I split the 13 oz of food into halves? Or do I feed h
Every cat food will usually have its own recommendation for feeding guidelines based on the ingredients and nutrient density of the individual food. I frequently recommend Fancy Feast, which comes in small cans of around 3oz. 1 can twice a day is plenty for an inside-only cat. If the cat goes outside or is extremely active, then 1.25 cans can be fed at each meal. If you have a particular cat food in mind for Winston, we can help you figure out how much of it to feed him!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My diabetic cat is super hungry all the time.Is this normal behavior?I have had curves done on her and the vet says stay the course,Shes hungry kitty!
Unregulated or poorly regulated diabetics cats often seem ravenous. This includes the newly diagnosed feline diabetic. As her diabetes becomes more regulated, her appetite will normalize. Feed a high quality canned food. Food that comes from the can looking like a hockey puck. No minced or diced food and no sauces or gravies. All those tend to have high carb content. Cats have no dietary requirement for carbs and excess carbs can complicate the diabetes. Most cats require about 6-8 oz of food daily.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is diabetic and has urinary issues - which cat food is the best for him - he is 15 years old
The best food for a cat with diabetes and urinary issues will always be a canned food diet. For diabetics, we try to keep their carbohydrates low. This is only possible with a canned food. I am attaching a link below to a list of canned foods which lists the carbohydrates (which are often not on the label). In general, I try to keep my diabetic patients in the 10-15% carbohydrate range if possible. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
hi i give my cats both wet and dry food twice a day i want to know how much wet and how much dry food i should give them because i dont think im giving them enough
Good question. Cats in general get about 1 cup of food daily per 10 lbs of body weight. However check your cat food label and you will often find a feeding amount guideline right on the package. So 1 cup= 1 can (~5.5oz). So for a 10 lb cat this is roughly 1/2 can + 1/2 cup.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My cat has gone in to remission with her diabetes. She started insulin injections in about August. Is there any common amount of time cats are usually in remission before they have to go back on insulin and what is the most important things I shoul
There is no set time before they need insulin again. Some cats never need insulin again, some others go in and out of remission. You should feed a diet for diabetic cats, preferably not dry food. The best food I found for diabetic cats with the least carbohydrates is Fancy Feast, all flavors except the tuna!! These have even less carbs than prescription diabetic diet feeds. Slowly transition her to complete canned food. dry food unfortunately does contain a lot of carbs which is not good for a diabetic cat. She can have up to 5 1/2 oz of wet food /day split up into 2-3 feeds.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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