So, Yes, I have been one of those pet owners who have fed my cats dry food for there main feeding. I now need to start the transition, I have two cats and one has been recently diagnosed with Diabetes. He loves wet food, So not concerned with him, But my other cat, Roxie, She is more finicky. At this time, I feed Effin his wet food in one area, Roxie I put her food up on the cat post. The problem I'm having, Effin now is getting up on cat post and finishing the wet food Roxie didn't eat. I am thinking that once he starts on his insulin, his food intake won't be so high?
GA Dry Food to Wet Food
- Thread starter Loreen
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MrWorfMen's Mom
Member Since 2015
Many of us were feeding dry food before diagnosis (possibly even the majority) and that quite often is the biggest hurdle to get over so I am glad to hear Effin loves wet food because that all often isn't the case. Having a multi cat household is definitely a bit more challenging. The easiest way to deal with pilfering is to get a microchip controlled feeder. If kitty is not microchipped, a collar with a chip can be used. The problem with this is that the feeders are expensive and it may take a bit of training to get kitty to use it.
I deal with this daily and wish there was another foolproof solution but other than feeding them in separate rooms, there really isn't much you can do other than standing over them like a lunchroom monitor and picking up Roxie's dish as soon as she walks away. Perhaps you could switch their feeding stations and then you would hear Effin when he jumps down to go pilfer Roxie's grub and grab the bowl before Effin gets to it.
Effin's appetite will ease off once you get him regulated but that unfortunately that can take a bit of time. Not to be a negative Nelly, but my diabetic is in remission and she still tries to pilfer her brother's bowl and I of course am still watching her waist line.
Can you please remove the "GA" prefix from your title. That is short form here for Gone Ahead or Guardian Angel and we don't want anyone thinking the worst. You can change it by going to Thread Tools (small tab in upper area of screen) and choosing Edit Title.
For reference HERE is a glossary of terms used on this board.
I deal with this daily and wish there was another foolproof solution but other than feeding them in separate rooms, there really isn't much you can do other than standing over them like a lunchroom monitor and picking up Roxie's dish as soon as she walks away. Perhaps you could switch their feeding stations and then you would hear Effin when he jumps down to go pilfer Roxie's grub and grab the bowl before Effin gets to it.
Effin's appetite will ease off once you get him regulated but that unfortunately that can take a bit of time. Not to be a negative Nelly, but my diabetic is in remission and she still tries to pilfer her brother's bowl and I of course am still watching her waist line.
Can you please remove the "GA" prefix from your title. That is short form here for Gone Ahead or Guardian Angel and we don't want anyone thinking the worst. You can change it by going to Thread Tools (small tab in upper area of screen) and choosing Edit Title.
For reference HERE is a glossary of terms used on this board.
Lisa and Witn (GA)
Member Since 2009
You are right that once his glucose levels are under control he will not be as hungry. However, it probably will not stop him from getting into Roxie's dry food. We sometimes call dry food kitty crack. Once they have it they will crave it if it is available.
The best thing to do is to have both cats eating the same low carb canned food. One method that works to help convert dry food eaters over to canned is to start by mixing some of the dry food with the canned and the topping it with a layer of dry food. Gradually add less dry food in the bowl until it is all canned. Another one is to add low carb treats, such as freeze dried chicken or fish on top of the canned food instead of the dry. Or try a combination of both.
What canned food are you feeding them? Pate flavors usually have less carbs than any food with gravy.
It sounds like you have not started insulin yet. Switching to a low carb diet can significantly lower glucose levels. We do recommend home testing. You will use either a human or pet glucose meter to test before every shot and before they eat. First this will prevent you from giving insulin when his glucose levels are too low. This reduces the chance of hypoglycemia, which is very dangerous. Second, this will let you know how the dose is working and if an increase may be needed. We can help you with this.
Do you know what insulin you will be using? Long acting insulins work better for cats than short acting ones. Good insulins are Lantus, Levemir, ProZinc and BCP PZI. The first two are also for humans so you will get this from your pharmacy. If either one of the first two are prescribed, ask for a prescription for the pens instead of the vial. You will be able to use all of the insulin in the pens. With the vial it will become ineffective long before you can use it all. ProZinc and PZI your vet can order for you. They do not come in pens.
Also can you remove the "GA" from your title for this post? GA means "gone ahead" and is used when a cat has passed away.
The best thing to do is to have both cats eating the same low carb canned food. One method that works to help convert dry food eaters over to canned is to start by mixing some of the dry food with the canned and the topping it with a layer of dry food. Gradually add less dry food in the bowl until it is all canned. Another one is to add low carb treats, such as freeze dried chicken or fish on top of the canned food instead of the dry. Or try a combination of both.
What canned food are you feeding them? Pate flavors usually have less carbs than any food with gravy.
It sounds like you have not started insulin yet. Switching to a low carb diet can significantly lower glucose levels. We do recommend home testing. You will use either a human or pet glucose meter to test before every shot and before they eat. First this will prevent you from giving insulin when his glucose levels are too low. This reduces the chance of hypoglycemia, which is very dangerous. Second, this will let you know how the dose is working and if an increase may be needed. We can help you with this.
Do you know what insulin you will be using? Long acting insulins work better for cats than short acting ones. Good insulins are Lantus, Levemir, ProZinc and BCP PZI. The first two are also for humans so you will get this from your pharmacy. If either one of the first two are prescribed, ask for a prescription for the pens instead of the vial. You will be able to use all of the insulin in the pens. With the vial it will become ineffective long before you can use it all. ProZinc and PZI your vet can order for you. They do not come in pens.
Also can you remove the "GA" from your title for this post? GA means "gone ahead" and is used when a cat has passed away.
I am sorry, Was not aware of GA meaning, Will fix, Thank you and Thank you for information, Will be deciding on Insulin soon
Lisa and Witn (GA)
Member Since 2009
You're welcome. Also consider learning to home test. That is the best way to manage his diabetes. If you ask your vet about it don't be surprised if they try to discourage you from doing it. That is unfortunately a common response. But look at it this way, if Effin was your child would you give him his dose of insulin if you were not sure it is safe to give it? A person always checks their glucose levels before taking insulin, why shouldn't we also test our cats? Don't worry though if they will not show you how to test. We have a few videos and plenty of advice to help you learn. You also don't need the expensive pet meters. You can use any human glucose meter to test with. One good meter many of us use are Walmart Relion brand meters. It is less expensive to use than a lot of the other name brand meters, but is just a good.
MrWorfMen's Mom
Member Since 2015
If you are in the US, many folks order from Marks Marine pharmacy in Canada where the cost is considerably less than it is in the US. With the hot weather these days, it might be better to call them to discuss delivery times rather than ordering directly online but many folks use them here and they are very reliable.
HERE is a thread on ordering from Canada. Go to page 2 and scroll down to the last post for details.
HERE is a thread on ordering from Canada. Go to page 2 and scroll down to the last post for details.
Lisa and Witn (GA)
Member Since 2009
One suggestion if you need to start insulin ASAP is to ask your vet for two prescriptions. One will be for the package of pens you will order from Marks and the other one for a single pen to get started with. Also if you take him to the vet for them to check if he needs to start insulin after the diet change, the glucose reading probably will be higher than if you were testing at home. Stress can raise glucose levels so the reading at the vet will not be as accurate as your tests will be.
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