Didn't test just yet...

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Fluffy Face said:
My insulin was just delivered today. Not starting it until the weekend though so I can be there to monitor her. Will let you know how it goes.

The food separation issue is a tough one. Serena, the one diagnosed, will eat up whatever I put in front of her and then move on to her sister's bowl since she never finishes her. I'm hoping her sister will learn soon that she needs to eat up - snooze you lose! I feed them in different rooms, but its a one bedroom apartment, so you don't have to go very far to find the other bowl. I just purchased an automatic feeder than can accommodate wet food, 'cause having to feed them every evening is tough if I want to go out or stay at my boyfriend's for the night. With that I'm concerned that Serena will be a bully and I won't be there to make sure her sister eats.

Good news is that I THINK Serena has put on a little weight (she'd lost half her weight from the diabetes) and her coat seems softer. She isn't drinking from every water source she finds and the litter box has been much more manageable.
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Did you start your insulin?
 
Ruby&Baco said:
Hi Stephanie, what you can do is as soon as you get up test Tobey than feed him and the other cats/dogs (try keeping an eye on Tobey of you feed him next to the other cats, best is to separate him a little bit) and then give him his shot.

Or you can get a timerfeed machine with a chip in it (they are expensive though) but that seems to do the trick for some people on here.

And feed on the same times because that will keep them all in a routine so they know what time they get fed and they eat there bowl empty on those times. After they have eaten get the bowls away until you come home again and give them food on the routine time.

My Minnie (not diabetic) is also used to the routine of eating on a curtained time just because Baco needed to eat on curtained times because of the test and shot moments.

At first it’s hard for the other kitties but after they learn that the food is out there for them and then pulled away they will ‘learn’ that they need to finish it and eat on curtained times.
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Yes I am actually already putting him up in the small downstairs bathroom while he eats and other cats are around the corner eating theirs. The food is an issue right now. I wasted buying Weruva chicken (canned shredded chicken basically) because none of the cats like it much. So rushed to store to get fancy feast for Tobey but yet he gets sick and throws up from it and because sudden food change. I hate fancy feast. My other cats want to eat his fancy feast but I'm making them eat dry for now. I'm just going to go buy what ever Tobey likes. He's losing more weight and not getting enough calories. I may switch to kitten food or raw freeze dried. Need to figure out something quick!
 
Oh and I am about to start testing but as of 2 days ago he was at 439. And tomorrow night will give his 1st shot. My vet is still wary on testing and adjusting based on the readings. She said to just test if I notice anything with him. But we will do the curves in 2 weeks after starting insulin.
 
Stephanie, you can test your cat. You don't need your vets permission, it will help keep him safe. If you don't want to adjust his dose on your own, that's fine, but you'll have the data to show your vet so she can make a more informed decision about Tobey's dose. My vet loved the spreadsheet!
 
Stephanie Montgomery said:
Yes I am actually already putting him up in the small downstairs bathroom while he eats and other cats are around the corner eating theirs. The food is an issue right now. I wasted buying Weruva chicken (canned shredded chicken basically) because none of the cats like it much. So rushed to store to get fancy feast for Tobey but yet he gets sick and throws up from it and because sudden food change. I hate fancy feast. My other cats want to eat his fancy feast but I'm making them eat dry for now. I'm just going to go buy what ever Tobey likes. He's losing more weight and not getting enough calories. I may switch to kitten food or raw freeze dried. Need to figure out something quick!
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I've been feeding Tiki Cat chicken and am now trying out one of the Weruva chicken flavours. When I was transitioning Squeak onto the Tiki, she really seemed to like it, but once I got her to 100% Tiki, she was turning her nose up at it. I've found that adding just a bit of pate food into her meal, maybe a 1/2 tbsp, and mixing well, really does the trick. If your cats love Fancy Feast, having just a bit in the Tiki or Weruva might be enough to motivate them to eat it - I know it's worked well for us!
 
Sharon14 said:
Stephanie, you can test your cat. You don't need your vets permission, it will help keep him safe. If you don't want to adjust his dose on your own, that's fine, but you'll have the data to show your vet so she can make a more informed decision about Tobey's dose. My vet loved the spreadsheet!
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Does your wellness core wet have a lot of carbs?
 
Wet is good, except for the indoor and salmon formulas. The dry core original is too high for diabetics, but relatively low and good for nondiabetic kibble addicts.
 
Stephanie Montgomery said:
Oh and I am about to start testing but as of 2 days ago he was at 439. And tomorrow night will give his 1st shot. My vet is still wary on testing and adjusting based on the readings. She said to just test if I notice anything with him. But we will do the curves in 2 weeks after starting insulin.
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Stephanie, I want cheer you on. My vet told me to test if Smokey was "off". So I didn't test. Then dry food was cut out cold turkey and still not testing. I didn't know about this site. Well Smokey went down to 32 one night and I only caught it because he didn't come out to eat. If I had gone to bed he might have not made it through the night. It is something we will never know and haunts me. Now I test, I don't want that to ever happen again.

You normally test, feed, shoot all within 15 minutes (except if using Vetsulin). Always try to test before each shot, you want to make sure it is safe to give insulin.

Your vet doesn't have to know right away. My vet only had me going in every 6 weeks for a glucose check. Now the doctor will call me if I haven't sent my ss to him every 2 weeks.
 
Woodsywife said:
Stephanie, I want cheer you on. My vet told me to test if Smokey was "off". So I didn't test. Then dry food was cut out cold turkey and still not testing. I didn't know about this site. Well Smokey went down to 32 one night and I only caught it because he didn't come out to eat. If I had gone to bed he might have not made it through the night. It is something we will never know and haunts me. Now I test, I don't want that to ever happen again.

You normally test, feed, shoot all within 15 minutes (except if using Vetsulin). Always try to test before each shot, you want to make sure it is safe to give insulin.

Your vet doesn't have to know right away. My vet only had me going in every 6 weeks for a glucose check. Now the doctor will call me if I haven't sent my ss to him every 2 weeks.
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Thank you...I need cheering on. I'm very depressed about this. I hate poking him but I will do it. And I promise to set up my signature soon. I'm going to keep going forward. I will test today, but do they want to give insulin until Thursday (tmrw night) since I'm off Friday and feel more comfortable so I can be home longer when he starts the shots. I will get my routine and do all yall have told me. I look forward to it and so glad I found this site! I want to get all 4 of my cats on a good food routine. The balance has been complately turned upside down since Tobey was diagnosed last month.
 
It is hectic at first, but you will find a routine that works for you and your kitties. The first shots I gave Colin, I followed him around worried, as soon as I started testing that fear eased because I knew what was going on inside him. This site is a life saver!
 
Stephanie Montgomery said:
Thank you...I need cheering on. I'm very depressed about this. I hate poking him but I will do it. And I promise to set up my signature soon. I'm going to keep going forward. I will test today, but do they want to give insulin until Thursday (tmrw night) since I'm off Friday and feel more comfortable so I can be home longer when he starts the shots. I will get my routine and do all yall have told me. I look forward to it and so glad I found this site! I want to get all 4 of my cats on a good food routine. The balance has been complately turned upside down since Tobey was diagnosed last month.
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It will get easier once you have your routine down. For example of spreadsheet, most of us have one in our signature. Just click on the link and that poster's ss will open.
 
If you would like me to do the SS for you, please just send me a private message (PM). It will take me less than a minute to do it and post it for you.

To send me a PM, pls click on "Marje and Gracie" under Gracie's photo at your left and then click on "start a conversation". I'm happy to do it for you!
 
Add me to the I was so scared to test at first but crew (and my vet actually told me I needed too with a lecture at the 2 week check up because I didn't test with the first 2 shots.) Now I can't microwave anything without Fern coming to his testing spot because there maybe a treat. (I warm a rice sock for 15 seconds in the microwave to warm his ears when I test.)
 
Ferndoc said:
Add me to the I was so scared to test at first but crew (and my vet actually told me I needed too with a lecture at the 2 week check up because I didn't test with the first 2 shots.) Now I can't microwave anything without Fern coming to his testing spot because there maybe a treat. (I warm a rice sock for 15 seconds in the microwave to warm his ears when I test.)
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Wow, your vet lectured you TO home test, that's a first. Funny about the microwave.
 
Sharon14 said:
Stephanie, you can test your cat. You don't need your vets permission, it will help keep him safe. If you don't want to adjust his dose on your own, that's fine, but you'll have the data to show your vet so she can make a more informed decision about Tobey's dose. My vet loved the spreadsheet!
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My vet loved the spreadsheet also. She wants all her diabetic cat patients to have one.
 
I was a little hesitant at first 15 years ago about changing dose without vet input but I never asked my vets ( I use two practices with different vets now). I only relied on advice from this board and my judgement. I do periodically inform my vets about how my diabetic cats are doing when then go to their vet appoints and in between their vet appointments when my other animals have appointments.
At first I about weekly sent my vet a graph of BGs that the software from my One Touch meter generated. After a short while based on good results my vet did not want to get the graphs anymore.
 
I've changed dose without vet advise. Mostly it has been in the downward trend. I would have been more hesitant at first but now I feel I can changes without them. I understand how my insulin affects fern after 6 months pretty well.
 
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