Cat with High Blood sugars- not on insulin

[SpiceRack]

Hello. I heard you Doc on an Herb Mentor podcast and wonder if you can help me too. I am an herbalist and want to know if there’s anything I can do, herbally to help my cat.

A few months prior she was having a strange fever, listlessness and her vet at the time thought it was a bout of maybe pancreatitis, but couldn’t be too sure. She had fluids, pain meds and then she was fine. He gave no more instructions nor did he have diabetic concerns. She was fine, like nothing ever happened fine. We switched from free feeding dry food to measured out wet food. All was good. Then we moved a few states away.

Not long after in early October , my mom brought the cat in (while i was out of town) feeling like she wasn’t quite right. The cat was a bit overweight and was tested by the vet and came out with high blood sugar. We started a w/d prescription diet to get the weight down a few months ago. We adhered very well to the controlled feeding as per vet’s directions. She did the fasting blood glucose test follow up for a few visits and she seemed to be doing better and losing weight like a champ.

Recently we went back in two weeks ago to see if we can get off the diet (I feel suspect about the actual nutrition in the prescription food that’s a lot of water & cellulose). It seems like her numbers went back up a bit, not a lot, but enough to want my vet to try another kind of blood sugar test & maybe consider insulin.

I just don’t feel good about insulin. I know its not the end of the world, but once she’s on it, it feels like a lot of management to keep her levels stable & keeping from crashing, lots of stress for her & all the humans who have to help her.

Is there anything herbal we can try to keep lowering that sugar? I know you said that cats are hard to give herbs to and I wonder if a glycerite might be counter productive in this case.

Any suggestions? Specific doses?

Also, how long do you give the dietary changes to work?

Also,there seems to be no urinary issues, behavioral changes (well she hates that i do controlled wet food feedings after having a free feed dry food life for years prior), no excessive drinking,no digestive disturbances, nothing like that.

Thank you Thank you Thank you for any help you can offer!

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Sorry your kitty is having trouble. There are several herbs that can be helpful in lowering blood sugar and strengthening the pancreas.

Huckleberry/bilberry

Cedar Berry

Bitter Melon

Ginseng

Gymnema sylvestre

etc…

I have never tried to do an herbal approach on a diabetic cat. Tinctures will not be a solution (cats HATE tinctures). You might try a glycerite (glycerin does not raise blood sugar) or just putting the herbs in some canned food. However, my experience is that cats will not put up with this long term and will become extremely finicky…not a good thing in a diabetic.

I have had some success with putting cats on a wet food instead of a dry food. Some of those cats will convert and have their diabetes issues disappear. It can take many months for this to happen sometimes.

If all else fails, insulin is not the end of the world. The cats respond to it well and don’t seem to mind the shots nearly as much as they mind any sort of herbal intervention.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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