How To Prevent Feline Diabetes
If you have a cat, then it is necessary to take your feline to your local veterinarian at least once a year for a check up. If you live on a fairly tight budget, then locate an affordable clinic or find an animal doctor who accepts monthly payments for check up charges. You can also purchase health insurance for your cat to keep costs down. Another good way to keep veterinary care as affordable as possible is to make sure your cat does not form a chronic disorder. Feline diabetes is a common chronic condition that you can easily prevent.
Buy the Right Food
Feline diabetes is very similar to diabetes in humans. When your cat has diabetes, the pancreas is unable to create enough insulin. Insulin allows your cat's body to remove the sugar from the blood so it can be utilized as energy by the cells. When the pancreas stops producing insulin, then the sugars in the blood rise uncontrollably and the kidneys must remove the sugar. This places a great deal of stress on the kidneys and your cat may seem sluggish, tired, and weak while the blood sugar remains high.
In most cases, diabetes occurs in cats when felines are provided with many carbohydrates throughout the day. The pancreas then must produce a great deal of insulin to deal with the sugar intake. The pancreas may then shut down because it becomes overworked, or it may stop producing insulin because it stops recognizing that insulin must be created. You can prevent this type of problem by reducing blood sugars while the pancreas still functions properly
Find High Protein Products
Many dry cat foods contain grains, corn, and other fillers that are rich in sugars and carbohydrates. These foods are bad for your cat due to diabetes concerns. Also, cats are considered carnivores that require no nutrients outside of animal protein. This means that the additives in the dry food offer very little or no nutritional support. Canned foods do not contain as many grains as dry varieties, so switch to wet food if you want to reduce diabetes concerns.
Consider buying cat food with chicken and turkey for your cat. Some fish varieties can cause allergy concerns and they may contain mercury and other potentially harmful chemicals. Also, look at labels carefully to make sure that protein is the main ingredient. The protein should be an animal protein and not a vegetable one though. If there are carbohydrates in the food, they should make up only about 1% or 2% of the food.
Keep Your Cat Active
Exercise is extremely important to prevent diabetes, because the activity will burn off calories. Some of these calories will come from the sugar in your cat's body and this will reduce the amount that flows through the blood stream. It may seem difficult to find a good time to exercise your feline, because most cats sleep 16 hours or more each day. Cats are most active in the evening though, so consider playing with your cat after dinner or right before bedtime.
You should play with your cat for 30 minutes or more until he starts to pant. Panting indicates that your cat's heart is beating quickly and his core body temperature is elevated. This indicates a good workout.
Choose the Right Toys
To keep your cat active with exercise, make sure to choose the right toys. Cats like to use their natural instincts when they play, and this means that play time often mimics hunting behaviors. Pick toys with large feathers that look like birds or find small toys that appear to move around like mice or chipmunks. Use sweeping motions across the floor when you use the toys and try to get your cat to jump and run.
If you follow a fairly strict budget, then you may find it difficult to find the extra cash to take your cat to the veterinarian. Make sure to look for an affordable professional in your area and invest in regular check ups that can cut down on more expensive care later on. Try checking out a site like http://www.1stPetVet.com to find an affordable veterinary clinic near you. You also need to make sure to reduce the risk of chronic health problems like diabetes.
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