Looking for the best canned food for hyperthyroid cats?
If your vet has advised you to make some changes to your cat’s diet to help manage their hyperthyroidism, there are some foods that have been specially formulated to help cats suffering from this disease.
There isn’t a lot of choice on the market specially formulated for hyperthyroid cats. Most canned food is going to be an improvement over dry, and there are a few nutritional things to look out for as I will explain.
The best-canned food that has been specially formulated for thyroid care is this Prescription Diet food from Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
Best Canned Food for Hyperthyroid Cats – Hill’s Pet Nutrition y/d
Hill’s Prescription Diet Thyroid Care food has been clinically proven to improve thyroid health in cats (according to their site, source).
It’s formulated with limited iodine, which is the essential ingredient to restrict hyperthyroidism. It’s also high in taurine and omega-3 fatty acids.
It helps by decreasing T4 hormone production. I will explain later in the article why that’s important, but essentially it slows down the hyperactive hormone production.
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What Is the Best Food/Nutrition for a Cat with Hyperthyroidism?
According to a paper published by the Animal Endocrine Clinic, the best diet changes for hyperthyroid cats should include:
High Protein – Cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, they rely on high protein diets. If your cat has hyperthyroidism it’s even more important to ensure they are eating a diet rich in dietary protein.
The disease causes muscle and tissue to waste away, so extra protein to help maintain and rebuild healthy muscle mass is vital.
Low Carbohydrates – Feeding your cat a low carbohydrate diet will improve their sensitivity to insulin, reducing the need for exogenous insulin.
This helps regulate their weight and reduce the risk of diabetes while helping to control their hyperthyroidism.
So, you should look for food that contains around 50-70% protein, 30-40% fat, and 5-10% carbohydrates. This will provide the best balance of nutrition to help your cat maintain weight, muscle mass.
Looking for grain-free cat food? Check out this post.
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Why Canned Food is Better Than Dry Food for Hyperthyroidism
As a rule of thumb, most canned foods are going to better than dry foods. So, if you’ve been feeding your cats a prominently dry food diet this is going to be the biggest change.
This is because dry foods are typically packed out with grains, vegetables, and fruits. Their composition is almost always too high in carbs, and too low in protein. Unless of course specially formulated to be otherwise.
What Is Hyperthyroidism in Cats?
Hyperthyroidism is a disease that mostly affects middle-aged or older cats. Cats develop Hyperthyroidism when their thyroid gland in their neck starts producing too much of the T3 and T4 hormones.
The exact cause is not always known. Sometimes it’s a sign of a malignant tumor, it can also be the result of poor diet, other lifestyle habits, and so on.
The issue is that these hormones affect most of a cat’s body. So, additional health issues are common, and lifestyle changes are essential to help slow down the progression of the disease.
Signs That a Cat Has Hyperthyroidism
- Some of the common signs of this disease include;
- Loss of weight, often while having an increased appetite.
- Drinking and urinating more.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
- Hyperactivity.
- Lack of grooming.
What Is the Best Treatment for Hyperthyroidism in Cats?
I can’t advise you of the best course of treatment for your cat. Each cat has their own individual condition and requirements, only a vet can give you that advice.
I can, however, tell you some of the common ways hyperthyroidism is treated. These are with medication, surgery, radioactive iodine therapy, and changes in their diet.
If your vet has advised you to make some changes in their diet, the best-canned food for hyperthyroid cats featured in this article has been formulated to help manage this condition.
This study in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine tested the results of feeding an iodine-restricted diet to cats with hyperthyroidism, and the results were positive.
The conclusions was that iodine-restricted diets were effective at maintaining serum TT4, which in simple terms means their bodies produced less of the hormones causing their condition to worsen.
