In this article we will review the best dry food for diabetic cats without vet prescription. Every year there is an alarming increase in cats that get diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. It occurs from an insulin deficiency, a condition when the body can’t produce enough insulin or use the insulin it has to feed the body cells. Cats are at risk of Type II diabetes when they are overweight, do not get enough physical exercise and consume too much of the low-quality kibble that is full of carbohydrates and sugars.
It’s always a worrying diagnosis to receive for your beloved pet. Cats with diabetes need our extra love and care once this happens. Many cats get diabetes due to excessive feeding on dry food. We will dive into dry cat food for diabetic cats without a vet prescription as a temporary solution. The diabetic cat needs to be put on wet food only diet ideally. This can make the condition of Type II diabetes reversible.
The Basics of Feline Diabetes
Insulin is produced in the pancreas organ. Insulin is released into the bloodstream for example after a meal, because the body detects higher blood sugar levels. Insulin helps to allow the sugar energy to get into the cells which helps with all body processes.
When your cat gets diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, this means the cells cannot respond to the insulin, which makes the sugar levels be chronically high. Pancreas in turn releases even more insulin, but this wears out the organ and it cannot produce enough insulin to keep up. This causes the cat to become dependent on human intervention and receive insulin injections several times a day just to stay alive.
Risk factors of developing diabetes in cats
Cats are not too different from us humans when it comes to risk factors that can cause diabetes. These are the factors that can increase the risk of developing diabetes in a cat:
- Extra weight/obesity
- Low physical activity
- Medication like steroids
- Too much carbohydrates and sugars in food
- Older age
- Biological sex: male
It’s all connected. Cats that are on a diet of mostly dry kibble, tend to gain weight more than cats whose diet consists of mainly wet cat food. Low physical activity for a cat combined with unhealthy kibble can lead to obesity, which impacts negatively on your cat’s health. It creates a high risk of developing diabetes. Male cats tend to have the condition more often than female cats. The older a cat is, the higher the risks of the cat developing diabetes and other conditions.
Prolonged use of medication like steroids for various chronic conditions in cats, can eventually cause insulin resistance, which can turn into diabetes. Chronic conditions that are often treated with steroids include arthritis, inflammatory diseases, skin conditions, asthma and respiratory diseases and others. In an insulin resistance, the pancreas may try to overcompensate by producing too much insulin, wearing it out eventually.
What Non-Prescription Dry Food is Good for Diabetic Cats?
Cats with diabetes are generally kept on a diet with high protein foods and low carbohydrates. This is quite easy to achieve with almost any quality wet, raw, or canned cat food. But what if your cat is addicted to kibble? In this article we will mainly discuss the dry cat food for diabetic cats without vet prescription, as a starting point for your cat’s health. Make sure you gradually change your cat’s diet towards high quality canned food options.
Best Dry Cat Food Brands for Diabetic Cats (No Vet Prescription)
There are multiple cat food brands on the market that are specialized, have a veterinary line, and tackle your cat’s specific health condition. These brands may be lesser known, more expensive and not available in every store but they produce a much higher standard of cat food than can be found in the stores.
Switching your cat to wet food can be hard if most of their life they’ve been fed kibbles. If you need to start somewhere, start here.
1. Young Again Zero Carb Cat Food
Carbohydrate % : Below 1%
When it comes to contents, the Young Again cat food was the best dry cat food for diabetic cats without vet prescription that we’ve come across. Their ingredient list shows a total carbohydrate amount of 4.8%, with trace-carbohydrate amounts of below 1%. It is a very low, almost negligible amount, which is excellent for a diabetic cat. This is also recommended for felines that cannot tolerate excess starch. As a non-prescription diabetic cat food it’s great.
Does this kibble fit a diabetic cat’s diet?
Yes!
- High protein: Young Again’s Zero has a high protein percentage (57.9%) which is awesome for diabetic cats.
- Low carbs: This kibble has nearly no carbohydrates in its content (4.8 to below 1%), which is perfect for diabetic cats. These numbers are chef’s kiss.
- Moderate fat percentage: The 28.8% fat content is a bit on the higher side, so you would need to watch your cat’s portions closely and possibly compensate with higher activity level for your cat.
2. Dr. Elsey’s CleanProtein™ Chicken Recipe
Carbohydrate % : 2.69%
Dr. Elsey’s CleanProtein cat food is great in nutritional value and that it contains high protein percentage in the kibble. It is grain-free, uses high quality meat and contains no fillers. This brand also mentions the “as-is” nutritional values, which is something we rarely ever see when it comes to ingredients list transparency. Bonus points for that. The chicken recipe seems to be the best when it comes to “as-is” protein content. As a dry cat food without a prescription this is an excellent choice.
Is this kibble suitable for diabetic cats?
Yes!
- High protein: This kibble boasts a 67.83% protein content and 62.40% in the as-is value chart. This is an excellent premium choice for your cats’ dry food.
- Moderate fat percentage: The 20.65% fat that’s listed, is right on the average. It’s better than what we usually see, but you may still need to be careful when it comes to how much your cat is fed. It’s still dry kibble.
- Low carbohydrates: They list the carbs amount (2.69%) saving us the time to calculate it. We double-checked and it checks out. The low carbs percentage is great for your cat. This brand is excellent.
3. Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Cat Food
Carbohydrate % : Around 4-8% (varies by flavor)
The first one on our list is the Zimi Peak air-dried cat food. It offers a premium selection of organic, free-range ingredients from New Zealand. It is grain-free and has a very high percentage of protein and very low carbohydrates percentages. Their kibble is suitable as a complete cat food for cats of any life stages. It doesn’t have carbohydrates like grains, potatoes, and also does not use rendered meat or meals. The overall carbohydrate percentage is 4-8% which is good.
Does this kibble fit as a diabetic cat food?
Maybe(!)
- Low carbohydrates: The 3% carbohydrates is excellent ratio for diabetic cats
- High fat percentage: The 30% fat in this kibble could be too high for a diabetic cat, as you would need to watch their weight. Or adjust the feeding amount accordingly.
- High protein: The 38% protein amount is good, average. Diabetic cats would need to have a high protein diet for optimal blood sugar level after meals.
4. Purizon Cold-Pressed Chicken with Fish Oil
Carbohydrate % : 4.6 %
Purizon is a German cat food brand that uses the highest quality meat ingredients in its products. They have a wide range of dry cat food, and they also have wet food options. Their best product with the least amount of carbohydrates is their Cold-pressed Chicken with Fish Oil. They have several cold-pressed varieties but this one has the highest amount of proteins (58%). Overall this is the most well-balanced dry cat food product when it comes to carbs, protein, and fat percentage. As a
Does this kibble fit a diabetic cat’s diet?
Yes!
- Low carbs: The carb percentage of 4.6% is an amazing number for dry kibble food. This is a great option for a diabetic cat with no vet prescription required.
- High protein %: The 58% protein percentage is very high which is great for any cat. This is suitable for diabetic cats.
- Low fat: Purizon’s Cold-pressed Chicken has a fat percentage of 15.9% which is on the lower side. Low fat percentage is ideal for overweight diabetic cats.
5. Feringa Adult Cold-Pressed Beef
Carbohydrates %: 4.6%
Feringa is a German cat food brand which focuses on making their cat food as natural and species-appropriate as possible. Their Cold-pressed line has very low carbohydrate percentages. The best one from that line is Feringa Adult Cold-Pressed Beef. It is also among the best-balanced dry cat food options. No vet prescription required.
Is this kibble appropriate as a diabetic cat food?
Yes!
- Low carbs: The low amount of carbohydrates 4.6% makes this cat food ideal for both diabetic and healthy cats.
- High protein: With 57.9% of protein content this is great for dry cat food.
- Low fat: The 15% fat in this kibble is amazing for cats that need weight management. Ideal for cats with diabetes.
6. Feline Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Cat Food
Carbohydrate % : 7.5 %
Feline Natural Freeze-Dried line has high protein and low carbohydrate contents in their products. This brand has a high fat percentage (and price) so a smaller portion would have a lot of calories. With this brand it would be crucial to control how much is consumed. But if your cat is underweight this could be great. This kibble can be used as a topper to your cat’s main food. The products are sold in rather small 340g pouches (0.7 lb). They are also on the very expensive side.
Does this kibble fit a diabetic cat’s diet?
Maybe(!)
- High fat percentage: This cat food option has the highest fat percentage 41% from the options we’ve listed. This could be great but also something to be cautious about. Keep in mind your cat’s weight needs.
- Average protein: The protein percentage of 41% is good. This would be suitable for your cats’ needs.
- Low carbohydrates: This kibble is low in carbs (7.5 %) which is awesome for diabetic cats.
Overall this Freeze-Dried Lamb Feast kibble is a high quality dry cat food option. Just keep in mind the portion size and it would be best to consult with a vet regarding the fat percentage.
The general rule is there are no healthy kibbles but these are exceptionally better than most of the brands on the market. The average kibble on the market will have a whopping 30% carbohydrates minimum. The fact that these brands have their kibble carbohydrates as low as 8% or less, is extremely rare and frankly amazing. Cat food by these brands is clearly made by people who love cats just as much as us.
Choosing the Best Dry Kibble for Diabetic Cats
Calculating the amount of carbohydrates in your dry cat food is crucial. That way you can ensure it fits your diabetic cat’s needs. It is important to note that many brands sometimes don’t list the amounts of carbohydrates in their product, and you may need to calculate it yourself. No worries, we can help with that.
Best Kibble for Diabetic Cats: Calculating Carbohydrates
If we don’t take into account the vitamins, additives, and minerals which usually comprise less than 1% each from the total food product, these are the ingredients we are left with. Let’s calculate the carbohydrates percentage based on these ingredients:
Crude protein (min.) 40%
Crude fat (min.) 20%
Crude fiber (max.) 3%
Moisture (max.) 10%
These are the usual listed ingredients that make up the kibble cat food. We will need to add these percentages to see how much they are in total:
40% + 20% + 3% + 10% = 73% . That is the percentage of most of our ingredients that make up the kibble. So what else is there?
100% is referring to the total of our kibble
We would have to assume that the rest of this formula are fillers and carbohydrates that were not listed in the main ingredients list.
100% – 73% = 27% are carbohydrates in that kibble brand.
The brand we’ve used here as an example is Orijen Original Cat. Feel free to check out their product and the ingredient list. If you have a healthy cat, they are not too bad compared to the market average.
Best Dry Food for Diabetic Cats: Our Takeaway
So, what is the best dry cat food for diabetic cats without a vet prescription?
The dry kibble for diabetic cats that we believe is the best, based on our analysis;
Drum roll…
We choose Dr. Elsey’s CleanProtein™ Chicken Recipe as the winner!
This brand’s Chicken recipe takes the crown. It has the highest percentage of protein, very low carbohydrates, and an average-low fat percentage. As a non-prescription dry cat food, it’s the best choice both for a diabetic cat and a healthy kitty.
The second best choice would be Purizon Cold-Pressed Chicken with Fish Oil and Feringa Adult Cold-Pressed Beef, for the 2nd- most balanced nutritional values.
And lastly the 3rd pick we would choose Young Again Zero Carb Cat Food . It has the lowest amount of carbs from all of the brands a high protein percentage. We chose it as 3rd because of the fat percentage, as that is something you would need to be cautious with if you have a diabetic cat.
Diabetic Cat Food FAQs:
Is canned food good for diabetic cats?
It is essential to feed your cat high quality food that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Canned cat food usually is high in meat percentage with lower amounts of carbohydrates. The amount of carbohydrates compared to meat ratio is the opposite for kibble food. The average kibble is mostly carbohydrates as they make an easy filler. The brands we recommended above are mostly produced by drying the pressed meat in the oven which is a much healthier option for cats who are obligate carnivores.
Is raw food better for diabetic cats?
If your time and resources allow, raw feeding is the best for your cat even without diabetes. Raw food still needs to be prepared correctly and contain a balanced amount of minerals, vitamins and nutrients. That is not optional if switching to raw food.
The main benefit of raw feeding is the higher amount of proteins and fats, which is necessary for our obligate carnivores. Another benefit is that the high meat and fat content do not spike the blood sugar level compared to carbohydrates and sugars in kibble food.
If you’d like to know more about which raw cat food is best for diabetic cats, feel free to check out our article on Best raw food for diabetic cats 2024
What is the best cat food for diabetic cats?
The best cat food for diabetic cats is wet food or raw food. High quality dry cat foods without vet prescription can work initially if you are in the process of switching your cat to wet food only.
Do you need to make raw cat food for diabetic cats?
If you have the time and the resources, making raw cat food for your diabetic cat is a good way to provide essential proteins and moisture. You could buy the needed ingredients including meaty bones and go all out with a meat grinder. But it is optional. There are many cat brands that offer pre-made raw meat mixes that you can purchase. Usually they come in frozen. You might need to double check the label and provide the supplements in addition to the raw meat mix.
Should diabetic cats only eat wet food?
Yes, and it depends on your cat’s unique condition and also on your vet’s recommendations. Diabetic cats certainly benefit from a mainly wet food diet, it can improve their blood sugar levels and weight. Likewise with healthy cats. If you’d like to know more about what to look for in cat food, check out our article Choose The Best Food for Your Cat.
Conclusion
We’ve looked at several kibble brands without vet prescription and how they are suitable for diabetic cats. Dry kibble is still not the right food for cats with diabetes, but some dry food brands go above and beyond our expectations. Diabetic cats require high proteins and moisture, but low carbohydrates in their diet. The majority of the dry kibble on the market has the carbohydrates at around 25-40% or higher. These brands’ prices reflect that as well, but based on the contents, it seems worth it.
But the brands that we’ve listed here produce dry cat food with carbohydrates percentage of below 8% which is extremely rare and is healthy for your cat. Almost on par with the wet food numbers-wise. But then again, it’s numbers. Wet cat food is still better because just protein percentage and carb amount is not everything.
But the bottom line is: As a starting step of getting your diabetic cat to switch to wet food, any of the mentioned dry kibble brands are an excellent choice.