Treating your cat’s diabetes can involve more than just insulin injections. Dietary supplements are a good pillar to your cat’s health. What are the best supplements for diabetic cats? Let’s check.
Supplements can be great for any healthy cat. Diabetic kitties have a condition, which makes it even more important to support their body and immune system. Supplements such as probiotics for gut health and immunity, liver support for detoxification, fish oil to reduce inflammation, and kidney support to protect against diabetes-related complications.
Using supplements is great but you need to make sure your cat is eating diabetic-appropriate food. Ideally the diabetic cat needs to be switched to wet food. But if you are still feeding them dry food, there are options healthier than others, suitable for the diabetic cat’s needs. Check out our main article on the Best Dry Food for Diabetic Cats.
Benefits of Supplements for Diabetic Cats
You’re probably here because you care about your cat’s health and want to support them in any way possible. There are multiple benefits to supporting a diabetic cat’s health with supplements. These supplements absolutely cannot replace insulin, but they can help your cat’s general wellbeing. These are the benefits of supplementing a diabetic cat’s diet:
- Muscle support: With type I diabetes, a cat’s body is poor at using glucose and may instead start breaking down fat and muscle for energy. You want to get supplements that can help muscles such as L-carnitine, protein, taurine, amino acids, vitamin B12.
- Improve Glucose Metabolism: Using Chromium supplement can be a good way to improve your cat’s sensitivity to glucose, improving the glucose levels long-term. It’s often used as part of the diabetes or obesity treatment in cats.
- Fat Metabolism and Weight Control: Cats with diabetes tend to struggle with extra weight due to not being able to use the energy they consume from food. L-Carnitine helps with that.
- Nerve Health: Diabetic cats can suffer from neuropathy due to high blood sugar levels. Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve health.
- Support Immune Function: The Vitamin E and Probiotics are good for supporting your cat’s immune health.
- Eye and Heart Health: For supporting your cat’s heart and eye health, Taurine supplement is good.
Several of these supplements are already included in cat food formula so be sure to check the label. Otherwise feel free to consult with your vet if your cat can benefit from the additional use of these supplements.
Omega-3 for Diabetic Cats
Omega 3 has tons of benefits. This supplement is awesome for any cat, as it’s essential for eye health, skin and coat and it reduces inflammation. We can go on forever listing its benefits.
But is omega 3 good for diabetic cats? For diabetic cats Omega-3 is most useful for the anti-inflammatory properties. Diabetes can cause inflammation in the body and fish oil or omega 3 can help reduce that. Not only that, omega 3 can help with insulin sensitivity.
Vitamin E for Diabetic Cats
For cats with diabetes, vitamin E is also great. It acts as an antioxidant and that can be amazing for diabetic cats. It supports the immune function and protects cell membranes from oxidative stress, which is relevant to diabetic cats. In their condition oxidative stress can be worse due to elevated blood sugar levels. That’s where Vitamin E can help reduce the inflammation, protecting tissues, especially the eyes, kidneys, and nervous system.
Consult with your vet if you are planning to add Vitamin E supplement to your cat’s diet so they can help you figure out the right dose. Too much can have a toxic effect so be careful and mindful.
Taurine for Diabetic Cats
Taurine is one of the best supplements for diabetic cats. It is an essential amino acid for any cat. Unlike us humans cats cannot synthesize enough taurine on their own so they are dependent on getting it from food. It’s important for their vision, heart function and overall health.
Luckily the majority of cat food brands out there include taurine as part of their ingredients. But for diabetic cats, especially if you’re feeding a homemade or raw food diet, it’s important to ensure they get enough taurine. Either as a supplement or from the natural protein sources such as fish, chicken or turkey.
Caution of Supplementing a Diabetic Cat’s Diet
Too much of a good thing can be bad. If your cat is on medication, be very mindful about the supplements you give him. As some supplements can react with other medication.
Best Supplements for Diabetic Cats
To summarize the best supplements for our diabetic cats, here is a list of the more important ones:
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)
- Taurine
- Vitamin E
- L-Carnitine
- Probiotics
- Chromium
- Alpha-Lipoic Acid
- B-Complex Vitamins
- Milk Thistle (Silymarin)
Some of these supplements are just as important for any healthy cat’s diet. Others like Chromium, Alpha-Lipoic acid, Vitamin E and Milk thistle are better for glucose metabolism and anti-inflammatory properties. Be mindful that many cat foods may have these supplements naturally present. Adding more of them on top of the usual cat food can only benefit if done right.
Some brands offer an all-in-one supplements package with a focus on organ support via specific herbs, such as the Mellit for Cats vitamin drops.
Pumpkin for Diabetic Cats
Diabetic cats can potentially benefit from low calorie vegetables in their diets, if the goal is to drop some weight for a cat. It contains fiber, which can help stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion and absorption, preventing the rapid spikes and drops in glucose that are problematic for diabetic cats. The low glycemic index of pumpkin means it generally won’t cause sudden increases in blood sugar, making it a safer food choice for cats managing diabetes. It’s also great for digestion which is something diabetic cats may be more prone to.
Despite these benefits, portion control is essential, as too much fiber can interfere with nutrient absorption, which is crucial for diabetic cats. When feeding pumpkin to diabetic cats, stick to plain, unsweetened pumpkin puree without additives or spices, which could be harmful to them. Check out the main article Cat Health 101: Can Cats Eat Pumpkin?
Important Notes
Always consult a vet before introducing any supplements to your cat’s daily diet, to control the proper dosage and to avoid potential negative interactions with medications. The best supplements for a diabetic cat is something that cat actually needs.
A balanced diet is the foundation of managing diabetes, so supplements should be used as a complement to proper nutrition, not a replacement for a well-rounded meal plan.
Additionally, transitioning your cat to a low-carbohydrate diet, increasing exercise, and incorporating natural remedies can prove beneficial for your pet’s well-being in the long run. If you would like to find out more on how to transition your cat to wet food, check out our article Transitioning Diabetic Cats from Dry to Wet Food.