My favorite fur child, Lucas, was diagnosed with diabetes a few weeks ago. The doctors where I live are pitiful and we have made an appointment in a city near by on the first. I have switched his food to no grain high calorie wet food. I've read tons of material online and bought products from wellbeing to help with his blood sugar. He still is weak and isn't eating like he normally should. I've read about Vitamin E and other beneficial products but don't know which to get. Before I spend money trying products, I was hoping to get your feedback or advice on what worked for you and your fur babies. I have the BLOOD SUGAR GOLD from pet well being, but see no results. I thought I did at first, but he has become sluggish again, hardly eating, and has not gained proper weight. What foods, supplements, or products worked best for you guys? I appreciate the advice and responses so much.
Side note: If I were to buy vitamin E, I'm not sure what products would be best for a cat.
I know what you're going through and all I can do is share my own experience; keep in mind though that every situation is always a bit different.
Five years ago my then 13 year old cat, Elvis, was diagnosed with diabetes. My vet immediately started him on 2 doses a day of Prozinc, but Elvis wasn't improving after several days, so he increased it to 4. Each time I had to take him in for BG tests which in itself was highly stressful to us both [Elvis hated even going out the front door let alone to a vet, and just getting him in the carrier was like pulling teeth], until I asked if I could do this at home as many on this amazing forum had suggested and were doing with their kitties. At first he said it wouldn't be a good idea, but after awhile I insisted and he begrudgingly allowed it. (Not only did it save me tons of money, but ultimately I feel, Elvis' life.) So I purchased a ReliOn Prime gluometer and a box of test strips, and with the help of YouTube videos and the people on FDMB, was on my way to being highly proactive in Elvis' diabetic care.
After a week or so of handling things on my own and reporting daily to the vet, I noticed Elvis' numbers, although high but not as high as at the vets, were falling so the vet told me to reduce the dosage back to three; Elvis responded but was still very lethargic, not eating, and unhappy so, with the numbers better but still too high, we agreed to try two doses again. Elvis' effect and demeanor started to improve a bit, but still I could tell he wasn't a happy cat.
Then a small miracle happened, I learned from this board about YoungAgain Pet Food. (Elvis's diet had previously been, for 10 years because of a UTI he had at age 4, Hill's prescription Science Diet C/D, kibble [Elvis didn't like canned or wet foods]. Came to learn that high carb foods are a definite no for cats even without diabetes, and especially high was the C/D formula, 37% carbs!) So I called the wonderful people at Young Again, learned so much by talking with them and they took time and were patient. They sent me some samples and I ordered a bag of their Zero Mature.
At first it took some getting use to for Elvis to eat a no-carb food for the first time in his life, especially after eating one that was so high in carbs, but the transition eventually happened. Elvis's #s started to plummet and I was eventually able to lower his dosage to one per day. One month from the day he was first diagnosed with diabetes, and two weeks after starting him on YA, he was completely off insulin and never needed it again! And it was amazing to me how his final 4 years were like he literally was "young again;" jumping around, playing, getting into mischief... things I hadn't seen him do in years that I just chalked up to the aging process. (Elvis did finally cross the Rainbow Bridge 4 years later, but not from diabetes; he was 17 and a mass appeared on an xray near his spleen and it was cancerous; under the advice of my vet, the only humane thing to do was to put him down.)
Something to also note...through all this I also found out that Elvis suffered from what is called in people who have a fear of doctors, "white coat syndrome". We discovered this after early on when I was taking his #s at home, then bringing him to the vet for a comparison, and finding they were 'considerably' higher at the vet. This is what caused the vet to prescribe perhaps doses that were too-high and why Elvis wasn't initially improving but getting worse. My opinion, be careful of this. If I hadn't insisted on taking his #s at home, Elvis could very well have died then from insulin overdose.
Now this success story is not to say it will happen to every diabetic cat that switches to YoungAgain, but it's certainly worth at least a phone call to them just to talk. You can only buy YoungAgain from their website; check it out, it's around $54 (shipping free) for an 8 lb. bag, BUT it lasts three months! My 13-lb. 3-year-old, Sammy, now eats it and it lasts that long for him too. I also feed him a teaspoon of Fancy Feast twice a day, but just as a treat, not necessary, YA is loaded with all he needs. Here's their phone #, ask for Jennifer or Michael, they're very knowledgeable and hands on about cat diseases, especially diabetes.
800-311-6646
Good luck with Lucas.
