Managing Diabetes Through Diet
Though Type I diabetes is not caused by diet, but it can be managed with diet.
Remember, the pancreas is not making enough insulin. So now you have to be careful to feed your dog food that induces insulin creation.
As their owner, it is your responsibility to develop an understanding of a healthy dog diet for diabetes. To help you, below we have provided a list of such food.
Before you select a healthy diet for your cuddling pet, you need to look for a diet that is low on all: carbs, fats and fibers.
There are a number of competitive brands that offer reliable and healthy food that can help manage your dogs diabetes.
Diabetic Dog Food Brands
There are several different brands that produce formulas specifically for diabetic dogs. For example, Royal Canin dog food has a veterinary formula for diabetes. Purina VD also produces a diabetic dog food formula, as well as Iams, Eukanuba and Merrick. However, its still essential that you read the ingredients of your dogs diabetic dog food formula. Avoid any diabetic dog food brands that include cheap filler grains, such as corn, wheat, soy or sorghum. Try not to buy a diabetic dog food formula that uses chemical preservatives, such as BHA or BHT. If your diabetic dog food formula contains fish, make sure that it does not contain ethoxyquin. Taking these steps can help to ensure that your dogs diabetic dog food formula still helps them to maintain overall good health.
About Adam Davies
Never Use Foods Containing Unidentified Meat Meals Or Byproducts
Although they may seem disgusting to pet owners, meat meals and animal byproducts can be nutritious ingredients.
However, meat meals should not be the first listed ingredient , and they must be properly identified.
For example, chicken byproducts are usually acceptable ingredients generically labelled animal byproducts are not. Some of these poorly identified meat meals and byproducts may contain protein from very unsavory, and potentially dangerous, sources.
Recommended Reading: Pedigree Vs Purina Dog Food
Diet In Diabetes Treatment For Your Dog
Regulating the blood glucose levels is the key to controlling and treating the symptoms of diabetes. Without a properly controlled diet, keeping the blood glucose levels within acceptable limits is impossible. This is because any food that your dog eats has a direct impact on its blood glucose levels. The types or quantities of food will cause differing reactions.
Royal Canin Glycobalance Canned Dog Food
Veterinary wet dog food for diabetic dogs with chicken and poultry flavors. Features high levels of protein and antioxidants yet moderate amount of fat and carbohydrates.
Royal Canin offers a veterinary diet in the form of wet dog food thats specifically made for diabetic support. The meal is made in the companys US facilities in Missouri and South Dakota.
Royal Canin dog food for diabetic dogs contains pork by-products, chicken, pork liver, chicken by-products, and water sufficient for processing. Its high protein and moderate fat content support healthy body weight and lean muscle mass.
The recipe is also rich in antioxidants and has a low starch content. Although it can suit all breeds, Royal Canin highly advises checking with your veterinarian before choosing this food for your dog.
Product Specifics:
- High water content
- Not palatable for picky eaters
Why we choose this product: Royal Canin has been at the forefront of pet health nutrition since 1968. Its the best dog food for dogs with diabetes that need a moderate fat content. Also, its low in carbohydrates and contains plenty of protein and antioxidants.
Also Check: Best Food For Pomeranian Puppies
Nutro Ultra Weight Management
Best Weight Management
Higher in plant ingredients
Low protein content
We included our third choice on this list as a great option for diabetic dogs who suffer from chronic pancreatitis, Chrones disease, high lipid levels, or struggle to lose weight. Nutros healthy weight food is a great diet food option that wont send blood sugars spiraling out of control.
This food contains a respectable 23% protein and only 10% fat, making it a great option for those fat sensitive dogs. In fact, we consider it one of the best dry dog foods for diabetic dogs that suffer from pancreatitis.
This food is higher in carbs than our first two choices and a good option for dogs that do well on carb-heavy diets or those that experience low blood sugars following meals or activity. Many of the carbohydrate ingredients are whole grains with lower glycemic indexes, so this food is still unlikely to spike your dogs blood sugar.
This food does still contain quality animal proteins with chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, and lamb meal included in the recipe as well.
This diet is also more moderately priced than our previous choices, making it a great option for owners on a budget.
What Dog Foods To Avoid
High glycemic foods are corn, whole wheat, rice, potatoes, carrots, and beets. Carbs make up at least 80% of the ingredients in low-quality cheap dog food thats highly processed and turns into sugar in your dogs body. Choosing low glycemic foods will help your dog reduce pancreatic stress and lowers the risk of developing diabetes.
Diabetic dogs that are fed low glycemic foods have less dietary stress. The goal with diabetes is to keep your dogs blood sugar levels close to normal. The glycemic index measures how fast blood sugar levels rise after consuming a particular food.
It approximates how much each gram of available carbs in dog food will raise your dogs blood glucose levels relative to eating pure glucose. Glucose features a glycemic index of 100. Thus, choose a non-prescription diabetic dog foods that is low in carbohydrates.
Recommended Reading: Pomeranians Food
Recommended Dietary Modifications For Diabetic Dogs
Before getting into the details of what makes diabetic dog food different from traditional dog food, you need to learn the basics about the nutritional needs of dogs. Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not strictly carnivores in the way that cats are. It is true that wild dogs receive most of their nutrition from animal sources, but they will occasionally eat plant foods if meat is not available they also consume some plant foods in the stomach contents of their prey. So, while a dogs body is optimized to digest and absorb nutrition from animal sources, they do have a limited ability to process carbohydrates as long as they are cooked and easily digestible.
The three main nutrients a dog needs are protein, fat, and carbohydrate. In addition to these macronutrients, your dog also needs plenty of fresh water and some specific micronutrients vitamins and minerals. Protein is the most important nutritional consideration for dogs because it helps them to develop and maintain lean muscle mass, plus it fuels their growth and development. Fats are a highly concentrated source of energy for dogs. Even though you have been lead to believe that all fats are bad, they are actually an important building block in the healthy diet for dogs. Carbohydrates provide dietary fiber as well as certain micronutrients, though your dog should only receive a limited amount of carbohydrates in his diet compared to the recommended protein and fat content of a healthy diet for dogs.
Wholehearted Dry Dog Food
WholeHearted Dry Dog Food is a grain-free option that will help your dog with weight control. It has a good amount of lamb protein, which is necessary for a healthy diabetic diet. It is also sold at a low price, meaning it wont break the bank when you need to restock.
This formula is actually high in fiber, which could be a pro or a con depending on what your dog needs. High-fiber diets have not been proven to be beneficial for diabetic dogs, as they can actually cause inappropriate weight loss and gastrointestinal discomfort. However, if your dog is obese, it may be a good feature to help them shed unwanted pounds. This formula does contain by-products, though, which are not ideal forms of protein you generally want a formula with whole meat, like chicken or lamb.
The Ketogenic Pet Foods Grain Free Dog Food has over 60% of calories from protein. It also contains fat but it is quite a low amount. This formula is starch free and grain free, so there are not any ingredients that could cause a spike in your dogs blood sugar.
The low amount of fat and virtually non-existent carbs are not ideal for diabetic dog food. Your dog still needs fat and carbs, just a reduced amount. This is also a fairly expensive option for not containing a well-rounded formula. You may need to include supplementary ingredients in order to give your dog a balanced diet.
Also Check: Caesars Dog Food Review
Avoid Foods With Artificial Additives
Many sub-standard dog foods rely on artificial colors and artificial flavors to help make the food look and taste more appealing.
However, these substances may trigger dog food allergies or other health challenges, and they should be avoided whenever possible. Besides, foods made with high-quality ingredients are typically delicious without these additives.
Homemade Food For Diabetic Dog
For a dog owner, balanced, home-prepared diet is deceptively hard to prepare. Owners of diabetics have a double obstacle to overcome when preparing home-made food.
They must provide a portion of food thats consistent in calories and sugar content, at the same time provide a balanced diet.
However, balance is achieved by feeding a variety of ingredients. On the whole, feeding a prescription diet designed for diabetic dogs is advisable.
Here is a homemade food recipe for your four-legged friend.
Don’t Miss: Gastrointestinal Low Fat
Top 5 Best Dog Food For Dogs With Diabetes: Reviews
Below I take a detailed look at some of the best diets for diabetic dogs and also tell you where you can find them at a friendly price.
Nom Nom is changing the game when it comes to dog food. Made with real, human-grade ingredients that you can see and eat yourself, these recipes are made with your dogs nutritional needs in mind. They were even formulated by a leader in veterinary nutrition, Dr. Justin Shmalberg, so you know your dog is getting the right nutrients they need to live a happy and healthy life.
The Tasty Turkey Fare recipe is a great choice for diabetic pups because it is gluten-free, and all of its ingredients benefit your golden retriever:
- Ground turkey excellent source of protein
- Brown rice carb & mineral morsels to keep your dogs energy up
- Carrots packed with Vitamin A to keep eyes healthy
- Spinach full of dietary fiber, vitamins, folate, and managenese
- Egg exactly the protein, calcium, iron, and zinc dogs needs for muscle growth
- Nom Nom Nutrient Blend & Fish Oil expertly formulated nutrition blend and promotes a healthier skin and coat
Top on the ingredient list is ground turkey, a healthy source of animal protein. Its supplemented with egg for lean muscle growth. The addition of brown rice means your pup is sure to get a decent supply of energy. Veggies, like spinach and carrots, together with fish oil, round off the meal for great taste and digestibility.
Purina Beyond High Protein Adult Dog Food
Purina diabetic dog foodcomes in a pack of 12 cans. Its a high-protein recipe filled with nutrient-rich organ meats, with turkey as its primary ingredient. Plus, the food is grain-free and made in the US.
Purina Beyond offers a 12-can package of wet dog food stacked with nutrient-dense ingredients. The recipe is natural, prey-inspired, and rich in vitamins and minerals.
The main ingredients include turkey, turkey broth, chicken, liver, and duck. Thanks to the high protein contents, your diabetic pooch will develop lean muscle mass.
The grain-free recipe ensures a low-carb wet dog food. Purina also claims that it doesnt use artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or meat by-products.
Product Specifics:
- No option to buy one can
- Too much water content
Why we choose this product: Purina is a well-known brand thats produced dog food for over 90 years. With this recipe, youll get 12 cans of prey-inspired wet dog food. Its 100% grain-free yet rich in vitamins and minerals.
Recommended Reading: Royal Canin Gi Low Fat Liquid
Can You Help Me To Read Dog Food Ingredient Labels They Are Quite Confusing
Dog food labels must list the ingredients in decreasing order by weight rather than by amount or volume, starting with the heaviest item.
So, if you read a label and the first four items are beef, corn middlings, corn gluten, and corn meal, you would think that the product contains a lot of beef.
But beef, like chicken, turkey, fish, and lamb are whole food sources that consist of about 75 percent water, so they are naturally heavy.
So, our example actually represents a corn-based product that has some beef in it.
The manufacturer has purposely deceived the public by dividing the corn into three different ingredients so that they can list beef first.
There are dozens of ingredients you need to understand in the quest for healthy food for your dog. These involve meat by-products, meat meals, grains, vegetables, cheap fillers, and chemicals.
Pet food makers must list the preservatives they put in their products, but they do not always reveal preservatives in ingredients that are processed somewhere else and added to their product.
Here is a list of artificial additives, preservatives, and chemicals that should not be listed on the food you choose for your diabetic dog:
- Animal digest
- Rice gluten meal
- Soybean meal
Rather than these ingredients, look for dog foods that are preserved with Vitamin C , vitamin E , or plant ingredients such as rosemary.
Meat meal may also contain meat by-products and are also to be avoided if at all possible.
Good Glucose Management Dog Food
This is a moderately good food. It has lamb as the first ingredient and the second. While this provides plenty of nutrients for dogs, lamb has been connected to specific instances of heart disease among dogs. However, this particular brand was not related to any of these deaths, so we feel comfortable recommending this food to our readers. It is likely that the heart issues were caused by deeper problems than just the type of protein used and also connected to other ingredients, like peas.
This formula also contains plenty of whole grains, which are suitable for a diabetic diet. The grains used contain many complex carbohydrates. However, we would have liked to see fewer grain products used overall and more protein sources. Finally, whole eggs round out the list as the fifth ingredient. Eggs are an inexpensive, high-quality nutrient source for dogs and are an excellent inclusion to any food.
The macronutrient breakdown is the place where we have our main problem. Carbohydrates are far too high for our liking. We typically like to see carbs at least under 30%, and this food has them up to 40.66%. Protein is also a little low, especially for a diet aimed at diabetic dogs.
Runner-Up
- 22.22% Carbs
Also Check: Can I Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps
Tips For Managing Diabetes Using Diet
Remember, with Type I diabetes, there is no single recommended diet to use. But by following certain rules, you can help your dog live a longer and healthier life.
- Try feeding your dog at the same time in the same amount every day. Usually pets need food twice a day. Set the schedule and follow it strictly. Discipline is very important to regulate and control levels of insulin in your dogs body.
- Keep a check and balance on carbohydrates and fibers intake.
- Dont keep your dog away from eating fats unless they have other health issues like pancreatitis, high triglycerides, etc.
- Keep the protein source elevated when your dog is battling with diabetes.
- Never treat your dog with surprise meals at random. This will disturb glucose digestion and insulin balance in their body.
What Are Tips For Managing Diabetes In Dogs Using Diet
While youll want to provide your diabetic dog with the right food, try and avoid switching food unnecessarily.
Significant, irregular changes in your dogs diet can cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate unpredictably, which can put your dogs health at risk.
Managing your dogs diabetes can be difficult, but keeping a regular daily journal can make it easier.
Your dogs diet journal should include a daily log of any food your dog gets, including treats, chews, table scraps, and food used to administer medicine.
This will help you control your dogs insulin levels better while providing your vet with a recorded history of what is happening at home.
You also need to make sure you are providing your dog with daily exercise and frequent walks.
And because of the high fiber content in your dogs diet, they will have increased fecal bulk, which means more trips to the bathroom.
Ensure your dog always has enough water on hand and a place where they can quickly relieve themselves.
Don’t Miss: How Long Does Dog Food Last
Q: Why Wont My Diabetic Dog Eat Or Drink
A: There are two reasons why a diabetic dog wont eat or drink. First, it could be because it simply doesnt like the food that youre giving it. Second, it could be because of ketoacidosis or gastroparesis.
Ketoacidosis is a complication of untreated hyperglycemia in Type 1 diabetic dogs. This occurs because the dogs body is unable to use the glucose present in the blood as there is no insulin to deliver it to the cells. To compensate, the body mobilizes fat for use as energy. Unfortunately, one of the byproducts of fat breakdown is ketones. This can lead to a loss of appetite in diabetic dogs. This is why diabetic dogs also need insulin for dogs.
Gastroparesis is described as delayed gastric emptying or the food in the dogs stomach is progressing very slowly. It is often the result of damage to the vagus nerve as a neurologic complication of diabetes. This can also make your diabetic dog not want to eat or drink.