A two-center, randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of 12 weeks of caloric restriction with a novel diet in overweight cats with diabetes mellitus.
Jørgensen FK, Mohanty A, Kieler IN, Xia D, Wallace MD, Rasmussen MH, Van Der Merwe T, Broughton S, Nybroe S, Hookey T, German AJ, Flanagan J, Davison LJ, Gostelow R, Bjørnvad CR · Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine · 2 March 2026
Caloric restriction improves diabetic remission rates and glycemic control in overweight diabetic cats.
This two-center randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of 12-week caloric restriction combined with a novel therapeutic diabetic diet in 72 overweight, insulin-treated diabetic cats. The intervention group (n=32) targeted approximately 2% weekly weight loss, while controls (n=40) maintained body weight. Both groups received the same novel therapeutic diabetic diet formulated for weight reduction. By week 12, the intervention group achieved 2.1 times higher probability of diabetic remission (50% versus 30%, P=.04) and significantly greater weight loss (7.2% vs 2.7%, P<.001). Among non-remitting cats, the intervention group demonstrated 45% reduction in glycemic variability compared to 7% in controls (P=.01), and insulin dose decreased by 36% in the intervention group while increasing 28% in controls (P=.004). These findings demonstrate that caloric restriction with an appropriate therapeutic diet substantially improves outcomes in overweight diabetic cats, supporting weight management as a critical component of feline diabetes management.
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