I am not sure why you are so hostile, but your hostility indicates a clear display of your own insecurity. I have chanted for you this morning because your dogmatic refusal to consider any other perspectives demonstrates a fundamentalistic attitude that is not open to growth. Yu are holding yourself back and by preaching your slanted view you are doing the same to others. I would strongly suggest that you jump off your little soap box and try to open that narrow little mind of yours. If this is too hard for you, let someone with a broader mind and IQ to match give you a few pointers on how to do this…

Science is not an absolute fact. Science is only limited to what we know. Knowledge that we have not fully understood is therefore, by your standard, not science. So, if we consider how we have changed scientific theories as we have discovered more, we realise that we have benefitted from things that we thought we understood. I clearly remember the solenoid rule changing from the left hand rule to the right hand rule because suddenly the science proved the flow was in the opposite direction. Yet for years before that, we benefitted from batteries. We also thought we would benefit from things that brought us horrible unplanned side-effects. Does thalidomide ring any bells? We thought we knew it all but obviously we did not. Are you able to see a parallel yet? I doubt it, so here is some more thinking work that I did for you.

The amazing thing about diabetic cats is that they are already older than the cats studied by the pet food industry. In fact, there are diabetic cats out there who are so old that they are more than twice the age of a senior cat as specified by a leading brand whose defines senior as 7+. Did you, the owner of a cat who was already eleven years older than this random number even consider questioning the science that you accept so blindly? Lynette does. And surprisingly, when you start to think out of that tiny little box, you will discover that there are other diseases like heart disease, hypertension and kidney disease that are also more prevalent in older cats. I am talking cats twice the age of senior as defined by Hills. Gee, if humans are classified as senior at 70 years, then my cats are equivalent to more than 140 years and yours are 180 years! By extending the logic (I am kind and omitted the inverted commas) espoused by these kibble brands, these cats should be dead, not showing signs of old age! That MUST be a fair comparison because it is scientifically proven that cats are senior at 7. It says so on the packaging! So it must be true! Do you see the point? Or is your little mind so focused on trying to prove that you are right that the obvious is in oblivion? I still think you are thinking the latter.

I would love to extend myself further, but I also know when to cut my losses. If the two points I have brought to your attention are still not understood or have not opened your mind even a tiny crack, then I sincerely believe that I have encountered someone who may be intelligent but simultaneously extremely stupid and naive. Your logic is based on a slanted view of carefully selected facts. I strongly suggest you go to the creation museum in Kentucky where you can meet others with a similar grasp on how to twist facts to weave your own hilarious though rather sad interpretation thereof. You will maintain it is true because you have the facts. However I will reserve the right to laugh at you loudly because I can think.

I have my scientific references, resources, and studies listed in my original post. I feel no need to repeat them in a reply to your comment, since I would be SHOCKED if you actually read them.

I find it interesting you continue to perpetuate this story that Dr. Zoran recommends dry food, when she has an entire lengthy article, citing several scientific studies, on how only a WET diet is appropriate for a cat:
http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf

As for Dr. Rand, are you still going around saying falsely that she does not recommend home-testing diabetics? Seems that would be more difficult to do, given her recent presentation to the ACVIM on just that subject – using a video I prepared.

Tracking cats on YourDiabeticCat? I obviously have better things to do, but I know there was a lengthy thread with all the success stories of cats off insulin, and I continue to get emails of people thrilled that their cats are off insulin. Unfortunately, damage done by dry feeding for years takes its toll, and the chronic dehydration can cause kidney disease. Cornell Vet School has stated that dry food causes heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, etc, and (their words) “the single best thing” you can do for your cat’s health is to feed wet food only.
http://meowmeowmom.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/cornells-cat-food-alert/

But go ahead and do and say what you like. I’m not going to attempt to convince someone that doesn’t want convincing. Believe your own misinformation if you like.

FYI, at the ripe old age of 18, after coming out of remission for a couple of years, my boy is back in remission, OFF INSULIN as he has been most of his diabetic life, using dry frequent meals of low fat food, which is what Deb Zoran is recommending, as well as Jacquie Rand. Both those people have actual *education* on this subject so personally I would be more inclinded to pay attention to what they say, AND look up the science they use as references, than listen to someone who can’t provide a single piece of science to back their belief system with factual data.

Have you ever traced the cats through the ‘yourdiabeticcat’ list from the time the member joins the list to see how many cats actually come “off the juice”? It is less than 10% as the membership has been up to over 900 members and yet I can only find 90 or so that have succeeded with this major “off the juice” chant. Studies show that the “average” rate of remission is 68%, so how is the yourdiabeticcat protocol effective at providing healthy, long living cats?

Then, when I was on a heart group to do with a cat that has a non nutrition related complication, I found some of those “off the juice” people there, upset because the cats were dying within two or three years of, in this case, heart disease after going into remission with the ‘yourdiabeticcat’ protocol. You would have thought that these people might have twigged to the fact that the diet they used had contributed to the “bands of fat” they were now seeing around their cats’ hearts, but I guess they just aren’t bright enough to figure that out.

Cats from the ‘yourdiabeticcat’ list are also being discussed on the CRF list, and hypertension list. Look for yourself and you will find them there.

Personally, with my own training in nutrition, I seldom purchase canned products because of the disasterous sodium content of the food. At least with human foods the sodium content has to be on the labelling. Cats also suffer from hypertension, so why is that being ignored?

Check out the facts for yourself by doing the research at yourdiabeticcat. Start by counting the number of “new members” and compare with the “off the juice” members and you will see I am stating facts. If you don’t do that then getting annoyed with what I state and back up with science does nothing to provide what you write with some credibility.

The last time I spoke to Deb Zoran we discussed the fact that there are NO studies out there comparing equal ingredient lists in canned and dry, so I would be very interested in knowing where you came across any? Could you please supply that information for those reading your blog?

I was suggesting to Deb that she was in a position to change that, but she wouldn’t have had time to do so by this point in time, so where are those studies? Please enlighten us with these “failures” you have chosen to use as a defense for your statements.

As for comments on my blog, I was tired of getting unsubstantiated fantasy posted, so choose to address anything like that on my feline diabetes list, where there are a lot of members with cats growing old gracefully, on insulin or off as suits the situation best, but certainly not chasing some unscientific fantasy: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/DiabeticCatsDM/ as long as you provide *scientific* references for arguments they are welcomed.

Your cat has been insulin free MOST but not all of a decade, whereas I’ve treated NINE diabetic cats – and worked with countless others, and gotten them off insulin for LIFE… not to mention the many cats with other illnesses, such as IBD, CURED by eliminating dry food from their diet.

YOU are the one that needs to look more closely at the science, not me. I’ve quoted YOUR OWN VET to you, with information contrary to your beliefs, but you won’t even consider that.

There aren’t many studies done comparing canned vs dry because dry always FAILS MISERABLY.

Go push your misinformation somewhere else.

The comparison that was made in the study you were quoting above didn’t include addressing the fat content of pet foods and their influence, because it was published by someone not keeping current with other relevent research.
First, carbs don’t influence glucose readings:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11714241 (1999), and that fat content is causing insulin resistance in Type II felilne diabetics:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17524182 (2007)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12027507 (2002)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15265476 (2004)

Personally, and partly based upon my own training in human glycemic control, I prefer to based my choices upon scientific, logical facts and don’t think much at all of the practices promoted by yourdiabeticcat, where cats are developing heart conditions and the owners, still steadfastly promoting the protocol, are losing their cats within a short time due to the high fat content in the foods promoted.

Our boy has been insulin free most of over a decade, mainly due to the low fat dry food I have always chosen to put first in his bowl, allowing his pancreas to rest and stay strong on small frequent feedings as recommended by the scientific community.

Whatever choices you make, please make sure you are basing them on factual data, not fads.

I’d recommend a canned food highly over a grain-free dry food. All dry “kibble” foods contain a starch of some kind, whether it be corn, rice, potato, tapioca… they must in order to form those little cereal-like pieces. That starch causes more variability and rises in blood sugar than canned food (or raw).

I agree – that’s why I have a link to YourDiabeticCat.com among the links in the right margin of my blog, and they are listed as a resource at FelineOutreach.org, the site I suggest going to for more information.

For references, I noted only published studies/articles in journals – as otherwise, I could go on forever!