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Originally Posted by MiniTiga
Many of recipes I see on-line and in this forum sound great, but:
1) I am uncomfortable with some of the ingredients (and some posters here have expressed similar concerns, i.e., with carbs)
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You're right to be skeptical about most of the recipes found online. Very few are actually worth feeding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniTiga
2) I don't know how to best prepare meals for both diabetic and kidney issues.
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It's not impossible to make food that covers both issues, but it does take a fair amount of research. I still think a better idea would be to find a pre-made frozen raw food that fits the bill, like
Nature's Variety Instinct Raw, which is low in phosphorus and carbohydrates.
Some things to keep in mind:
-for the diabetes you want to avoid adding grains and too much plant matter, although some shredded low-glycemic veggies like zucchini or green beans can be a good source of fibre if required.
-for the renal insufficiency, stay away from bone meal as a calcium source, and cut back on the amount of fresh bone if you're using that (that's if you're making a raw diet - cooked bones are a no-no). Adding a calcium salt like calcium carbonate (or ground eggshells) to balance the phosphorus (ideally in a 1.2-1.4 to 1 ratio) is preferable, since bones add more phosphorus to the amount in the meat.
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cooked egg whites are an excellent source of low-phosphorus, high quality protein. Unfortunately most cats don't like egg whites, so you'll probably have to mince them very fine and thoroughly mix them into the rest of the meal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniTiga
Plain boiled chicken and liver works for my feline's palette. (Tried it for the first time this week.) Why add rice? Which veggies are good for diabetic/renal cats?
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Cooked chicken and liver are fine for the occasional treat and it's great that your kitty likes it, but it's terribly unbalanced for regular feeding. At the very least, you'll need to add taurine and calcium, but there are so many other essential nutrients that also need consideration.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniTiga
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I would stay away from both those sites. The first one is outdated, and the second one is a mish-mash of unbalanced recipes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniTiga
I am not "ready" to go raw.
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I hear ya. I'm also vegetarian. But honestly, the frozen raw foods available are super easy to feed.
Other options are to look into: a complete supplement like the
Feline Instincts Kidney formula, which you add to fresh meat. You could also do a phone consult with Dr. Lisa Pierson of
www.catinfo.org, who has extensive experience treating both diabetic and CRF kitties. You'll find her email addy about 2/3 of the way down this page, after the part where she says: "Note: I do not recommend this recipe for CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) cats."
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood There is a fee for this, just so you know.