Hello from Hailee & Professor!

[Hailee&theProf]

Hello! I'm Hailee, 23, and my sugarcat is Professor, he's four and was diagnosed a few days ago. He lost a lot of weight at the beginning of the summer and wasn't gaining it back, so we tested his blood and his BG was at 458.

Right now I have him eating Royal Canin dry that the vet gave us (they had no wet) until I can get a home test kit and start the process of switching him to something much healthier. Two 3U injections of PZI a day and he'll be getting another blood test Monday. The shots don't seem to bother him at all so far, I was worried he'd hate me.

All in all, it's been smooth so far, but I feel so overwhelmed. I'm just a ball of nerves. I can't stop thinking about cat nutrition and what food should I switch to and will I be able to afford it and what if he goes hypo while I'm at work? Still, I feel optimistic. Bless you guys for this website!

 

[FurBabiesMama]

Welcome, Hailee and Professor! It is very overwhelming in the beginning. It will get better. You have come to the right place. You will be able to get lots of good advice and support here. You can post any questions you have on the Main Health Forum.
If you have not seen the cat food database yet, check it out. It is very helpful in determining which foods to feed. There are low-carb options that are not super expensive.

A starting dose of 3u twice a day is VERY high. The normal starting dose is 1u twice a day. You may want to call your vet and ask about that. As a reference, the American Association of Animal Hospitals guidelines for diabetes state, "The panel recommends a starting dose of 0.25 U/kg q 12 hours, based on an estimate of the cat's lean body weight. This equates to 1 U q 12 hours in an average cat. Even in a very large cat, the starting dose of insulin should not exceed 2 U per cat q 12 hours."

If you get a chance, maybe you could share a photo of Professor?

 

[Hailee&theProf]

A starting dose of 3u twice a day is VERY high. The normal starting dose is 1u twice a day. You may want to call your vet and ask about that. As a reference, the American Association of Animal Hospitals guidelines for diabetes state, "The panel recommends a starting dose of 0.25 U/kg q 12 hours, based on an estimate of the cat's lean body weight. This equates to 1 U q 12 hours in an average cat. Even in a very large cat, the starting dose of insulin should not exceed 2 U per cat q 12 hours."

I've been wondering about that. But I'm way too nervous to change the dose on my own. I just hope the vet knows what she's doing. I'll definitely call her in the morning.

 

[Hailee&theProf]

This is the Professor

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Welcome Hailee and Professor!

 

[FurBabiesMama]

The Professor is very handsome.

 

[Wesley and Spicoli]

What a pretty boy and welcome!! It's a steep learning curve at first and we've all been there and been overwhelmed. It's great you're thinking forward about foods. Most of us feed Fancy Feast classics, or the roasted or flaked versions if your boy doesn't like pate. I would recommend waiting till you can home test before switching foods. Switching to a lower carb food can greatly reduce his needs as far as insulin goes.