A newbie, overwhelmed mom, who needs much help and advice!

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Barb and Buddy

Barb and Buddy

Member Since 2015
Hi all! I am a mom (Barb) of a recently diagnosed 15 yr old cat named Calli. She was diagnosed 10 days ago. Because I am on a fixed income, I cannot afford the insulin and supplies needed so my vet and I chose diet only to see how she would do. On vet's testing her BG was 441 initially. In just 2-3 days with diet change her BG came down to 216! I home test 2-3 times a day now and her readings range from 150-240. She is back to being herself again, thank goodness! I am overwhelmed to say the least and have no idea as to what I am doing. I am grateful for this website because so far, so many have been so kind and helpful in this new journey Calli and I are on. I was giving her Purina weight management dry and FF canned with gravies and sauces prior to diagnosis and it looks like that terrible diet may have caused this. My vet gave me a 6lb bag of Purina DM dry. Now I am reading that is too high in carbs and that dry food is not recommended. I started her on the FF Classics adding a little water to make it more like the gravies. I stopped giving her the DM dry. She loves dry food so to satisfy that I give her about 10 pieces of the DM which she gobbles down. Is that a bad thing? She eats well with the FF Classics and licks the bowl clean. I space out three meals each day of canned FF Classics. She is also overweight and is a small cat carrying almost 12 1/2 lbs. I'm sure that too added to her diabetes. Shame on me! Right now today we are dealing with constipation. She had a bowel movement last night and it was hard. This morning she tried to poop in the box, but with no luck. I put a call in to my vet but have not heard from her yet. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, is there a safe remedy with little carbs that might help? Canned pumpkin 100% has so many carbs. I would hate to use something with so many carbs. Hopefully my vet will give me a remedy that is not costly. I wonder if there is anyone else on this website who is managing their diabetic cat with just diet only or dealing with a constipation issue? If so, I would love to hear feedback from you. I would also appreciate any advice, helpful hints, food recommendations etc. that can help us through this new journey we are on. Thanking you all who have responded already and looking forward to hearing from more of you. Have a Happy and very healthy New Year all!! Barb and Calli :)
 
Hi! I know its so overwhelming, but it will get better! Lots of kitties are dry food addicts and while you are transitioning from dry to wet, it is ok to give a little kibble with her wet food...just gradually start taking it away...mix less and less with her wet food! My boy had constipation issues once...try mixing a bit more water with the wet food or you can also try a little drop of olive oil mixed with the food because its a natural lubricant
 
Hi Barb and Calli and welcome to the forum:)
I use a small teaspoon mashed pumpkin mixed in with food twice a day for my cat Sheba and it does not effect the BSL. Did you buy the canned pumpkin with nothing else added?
A 1 ounce or 28 gram serve of pumpkin has only 2.3 grams carbs which is not a lot and a teaspoon is much less than 28 grams.
I make my own pumpkin by cooking it, draining it and mashing it....nothing added at all.....then I freeze it in portions which last about 4 days. It is very cheap to do it this way and you know exactly what goes into the pumpkin. It is very good for diarrhoea and constipation and keeping the bowels regular and good consistency.

You might find this link helpful for buying canned food. I would try and get Calli off the dry food if you can. It might take a little time but don't get discouraged. Dry food is usually much higher in carbs than wet and has much less moisture in it. Look for canned food with 10% or less carbohydrates in it. The link has lists of food available in the US with carb values attached. That is a good idea to add some water to the food. Apart from making it look like gravy, it adds water to the diet which all cats need, especially diabetic cats who lose fluids through extra weeing when their blood sugars are higher.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/food-links.133016/

If the change of food does not do the trick, there are some cheaper insulins......which are not as good as the long lasting ones.....but are better than nothing. If you need to go down this path, post and ask for advice. We are only too willing to help you get your Calli back to good health.
Good luck and keep posting and asking questions :)
 
Hi Bron! I feel so needy right now asking so many questions and I am sure I will have many more. Calli is due to go back to the vet in three weeks to have a urinalysis. I called the vet today about the constipation and she just got back to me. She recommended laxatone. Isn't that for hairballs or does it also help pass stool? I am not sure if she will like the pumpkin, but I can try it. Everything seems to be hit or miss right now. I am afraid that changing her diet is the cause of the constipation. She was on Fancy Feast before, but with gravies. All wrong I hear. (I think I had already said that in a previous post!) My head is swimming right now and I am so afraid of doing something wrong and making her worse. I am also afraid she may lose weight too fast as she was previously getting dry and canned food prior to diagnosis. So much to learn and thank you so much for your reply. As I said, I need all the help I can get! Happy New Year there in Sydney! I hope your Sheba is doing well :cat:
 
Laxatone has sugar in it so isn't really good for diabetics. Like Larry said, it's mess to administer - I have a non-diabetic that gets it fairly regularly for constipation. I cut the end off a regular syringe, pull the plunger completely out of of the barrel - fill it with what would be about half an inch on your finger and put the plunger back in the barrel. Push the Laxatone to the cut-off end then use that to squirt it in the mouth. It does 'ooze' out if you lay syringe on side so I stand it up on the plunger end until I have cat in position. It seems to create the least mess but it took many months of messes before I figured it out...

Don't worry about feeling 'needy' - we've ALL been in your shoes, we SO understand that sometimes we even just need a hug....so

HUGS!
 
Phoenix128 said:
Hi Bron! I feel so needy right now asking so many questions and I am sure I will have many more. Calli is due to go back to the vet in three weeks to have a urinalysis. I called the vet today about the constipation and she just got back to me. She recommended laxatone. Isn't that for hairballs or does it also help pass stool? I am not sure if she will like the pumpkin, but I can try it. Everything seems to be hit or miss right now. I am afraid that changing her diet is the cause of the constipation. She was on Fancy Feast before, but with gravies. All wrong I hear. (I think I had already said that in a previous post!) My head is swimming right now and I am so afraid of doing something wrong and making her worse. I am also afraid she may lose weight too fast as she was previously getting dry and canned food prior to diagnosis. So much to learn and thank you so much for your reply. As I said, I need all the help I can get! Happy New Year there in Sydney! I hope your Sheba is doing well :cat:
Click to expand...

It is good to ask lots of questions. We all understand the confusion and worry when we first start this journey...we have all been there:bighug:

Changing over from one food to another should be done gradually over about a week, or more if it is necessary.
The Fancy Feasts with gravy are too high in carbs so I would not feed those if I were you. They will only raise the BSL.
Pumpkin is quite safe to use. Just start off with a little bit ...about 1 Quarter teaspoon then move up to about a small teaspoon as you feel more comfortable. You don't have to tell the vet about the pumpkin.
Give extra water in the food as well to help with the constipation and hydration.

Why does the vet want to do a urinalysis in three weeks time? Is it to test for ketones, sugar or did Calli have a UTI?
It would probably be a good idea if you bought some test strips to test for ketones yourself. They are not expensive and if Calli is getting no insulin, it would be a good idea to check for ketones....Keto Diastix is the best one as it tests for glucose and ketones. Much cheaper than paying for a vet visit. Here is a link so you can read about it.
http://www.sugarpet.net/urine.html

You are doing a really good job looking after Calli.:)
 
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Bron and Sheba said:
It is good to ask lots of questions. We all understand the confusion and worry when we first start this journey...we have all been there:bighug:

Changing over from one food to another should be done gradually over about a week, or more if it is necessary.
The Fancy Feasts with gravy are too high in carbs so I would not feed those if I were you. They will only raise the BSL.
Pumpkin is quite safe to use. Just start off with a little bit ...about 1 Quarter teaspoon then move up to about a small teaspoon as you feel more comfortable. You don't have to tell the vet about the pumpkin.
Give extra water in the food as well to help with the constipation and hydration.

Why does the vet want to do a urinalysis in three weeks time? Is it to test for ketones, sugar or did Calli have a UTI?
It would probably be a good idea if you bought some test strips to test for ketones yourself. They are not expensive and if Calli is getting no insulin, it would be a good idea to check for ketones....Keto Diastix is the best one as it tests for glucose and ketones. Much cheaper than paying for a vet visit. Here is a link so you can read about it.
http://www.sugarpet.net/urine.html

You are doing a really good job looking after Calli.:)
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Thanks! I am trying really hard to take care of her on limited funds. I stopped using the FF with gravies the day I joined this website which was 1 day after diagnosis. I don't think she misses the gravy since I have been adding water to her Classics. I assumed that because she was already on Fancy Feast that I could just stop giving her the dry food she was also getting. I have found out through much research no dry food should ever be given to ANY cat, diabetic or not! I did not know this. The dry food she was getting was Purina Weight Management and I guess it was mostly fiber so it kept her bowels regular. I stopped that dry food immediately. I think it may have contributed to aher getting diabetes. She is a small cat and overweight at almost 12 1/2 pounds! She has always been an indoor cat. She was also a rescue. I found her when she was about 6 months. She is 15 now, but has always been healthy. That is why this came as such a shock. I'll go out tomorrow to get some pumpkim and give it a shot. The vet wants to do the urinalysis to check for sugar and ketones, but if I can get thise strips and do it myself I will. Really can't afford another vet visit. Thanks for all the help and the link.
 
Hi Barb,

It might be worth contacting Diabetic Cats In Need (DCIN). Sometimes they can help with treatment costs. Also, check out the FDMB Supply Closet. Sometimes there are insulin and supplies offered there at reduced cost.

I also recommend that you get some Keto-diastix (or similar) to monitor at home for ketones. It's safer for Calli and, as you note above, it will help reduce the vet costs.


Mogs
.
 
Squeaky and KT said:
Laxatone has sugar in it so isn't really good for diabetics. Like Larry said, it's mess to administer - I have a non-diabetic that gets it fairly regularly for constipation. I cut the end off a regular syringe, pull the plunger completely out of of the barrel - fill it with what would be about half an inch on your finger and put the plunger back in the barrel. Push the Laxatone to the cut-off end then use that to squirt it in the mouth. It does 'ooze' out if you lay syringe on side so I stand it up on the plunger end until I have cat in position. It seems to create the least mess but it took many months of messes before I figured it out...

Don't worry about feeling 'needy' - we've ALL been in your shoes, we SO understand that sometimes we even just need a hug....so

HUGS!
Click to expand...
I recall giving it to my other longhaired cat for hairballs and she hated it and it is messy! I am going to try the pumpkin and see if she will do good with it. I am surprised the vet recommended it, maybe she forgot about her diabetes. She has been so busy lately as all the "snowbirds" are here now in Florida and they tend to take over the state making everyone busy!! Good for the businesses, but bad for us natives! I think I'll pass on the laxatone. Someone else said try adding a little olive oil to her food. Have you heard of that? Thanks for the hugs! I need them!
 
Critter Mom said:
Hi Barb,

It might be worth contacting Diabetic Cats In Need (DCIN). Sometimes they can help with treatment costs. Also, check out the FDMB Supply Closet. Sometimes there are insulin and supplies offered there at reduced cost.

I also recommend that you get some Keto-diastix (or similar) to monitor at home for ketones. It's safer for Calli and, as you note above, it will help reduce the vet costs.


Mogs
.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mogs. Will get the stix next pay day. I will also check out the DCIN and the Supply Closet. My vet quoted me $133 a month for insulin! That's when I had to chose the food only option! :(
 
$133.00 sound an excessive amount per month for insulin.
You can buy insulin cheaper in Canada. I will tag someone who knows about it. I an in Australia so don't know the details.
@Chris & China ...could you tell Barb about the cheaper option of getting insulin in Canada please. She is unable to afford it where she is. Her vet quoted 133.00 a month.
 
Yes, that's a ridiculous price ....but we have lots of tips on how to save money! In the last post in this "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" is all the information on the pharmacy a LOT of us are using for Lantus or Levemir

You can get 5 Lantus pens for $144.95 plus $25 shipping...that's a total of 1500 units which is enough to last most cats about 2 years! (depending on the dose of course)
 
If your vet is quoting you for syringes it would be worth asking here for where to get them at good prices, too. (Can't give any tips till you know what syringes you'd need; the syringe type needed is specific to the insulin being used.)


Mogs
.
 
Chris & China said:
Yes, that's a ridiculous price ....but we have lots of tips on how to save money! In the last post in this "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" is all the information on the pharmacy a LOT of us are using for Lantus or Levemir

You can get 5 Lantus pens for $144.95 plus $25 shipping...that's a total of 1500 units which is enough to last most cats about 2 years! (depending on the dose of course)
Click to expand...
I thought insulin goes bad after 30 days!
 
Keep Lantus on a stationary, refrigerated shelf, and it lasts up to 6 months. You'll be able to tell if it is becoming less potent by your home testing.
 
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