? Greetings from me and Sim

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Liz n Sim

Liz n Sim

Member Since 2020
Hi Everyone,

Our fluffy old boy Simba was diagnosed with diabetes about 4 months ago. It has been quite hard going to try and get him back to health. At first he perked up and looked to gain a little weight and as a consequence became noticeably stronger.

I’m sure there is tons of advice on here, but here we go.

we cut him down to two meals a day, the vet has been hell bent on giving him Hills MD dried food which he detests. We then finally got them to recommend royal canine wet food but the poor thing is now starving. I’ve read in to the dietary requirements and have made the decision to switch him to a high protein and low carb diet, but monitor his blood sugar much more. Also, portion control, and cross our fingers that he becomes less hungry and builds some muscle mass.
also I read that these prescription foods aren’t as good as they make out on the label.

our vet will not and has not discussed any alternatives to the prescription diet plans, and as he was underweight to begin with, the last thing we need is him losing energy because he isn’t eating. Simba has been so hungry that he constantly cries for food, and wakes me up by tapping my face at 6am, I don’t begrudge him, but I’m concerned.

we spoke to the vet and they up his dose of insulin to 1.5, but they seem to only want to book him in for monitoring despite the fact we tell them the glucose reading is high. It makes me think that if my word isn’t good enough is it an excuse to get more money out of me for monitoring, I know I’m being very pessimistic. The vet is considering upping his dose, so we’ll see.

Simba is currently taking caninsulin, which seems to be the only one the vet advises.

as for the blood tests they are the most difficult thing, we are using cerapet and the lance just doesn’t seem to do much, despite holding it at pressure on his ear after the test. Sometimes the meter gives us a reading, other times we get LO or nothing. Any recommendations for something better, I’m not sure how cerapet got a number one review unless they bought their feedback.

anyhow, as I find out more I’m going to post updates, as it’s good to find a forum with other cat owners/ parents going through the same thing.

Look forward to learning more and contributing to this forum

Liz and Simba
 
WELCOME TO FDMB AND OMG We are GLAD you found us!
First off, the only reason vets insist on two meal a day, is to make sure your Sim eats with every injection. Thats plain WRONG. Cats do MUCH better, with small meals all day long. They cant metabolize their food properly, so they starve PLEASE let him eat.
Cannisulin was developed for CANINES dissect that name and thats what you get, an insulin for dogs. :rolleyes: Your vet seems to be determined to treat Sim as if he were a dog.
I'm going to direct you here, so you can get acquainted with how things work around here.
Please pay special notice to the Profile/Signature section.

New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

Youre going to get a LOT of feedback with your post so I will step aside by saying,

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY:bighug:

You've landed in a safe place for Sim. Theres a ton of information here with GOOD people to help you navigate it all.
This is the BEST darn site on this planet, to learn everything you need to know about feline diabetes!
jeanne
 
Liz n Sim said:
other times we get LO or nothing.
Click to expand...
This is quite concerning.. LO means he could be getting too much insulin. Many here use the ReliOn meter because their strips are more affordable. You can find them at any Walmart . Are you using a device to prick Sims ear for his test? I think the suggested gague is 33? Someone will correct me if that is wrong. You dont HAVE to use the device you can hold the lancet in your hand and prick. Thats the way I use to do it. Made things much easier (for us) Many here use the device.
 
. A good rule to thumb for daily calorie intake is 20 times ideal weight. If he’s ideal weight is 12 pounds then he should be getting at least 240 calories a day. More if he needs to gain. It’s best to give the bulk of the meals after the insulin but you can feed more throughout the day as well. In fact, you should do that. Is he under or over weight right now?
 
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/caninsulin-vetsulin-and-n-nph.19/
You might want to read this .

Can you tell us where you live ?
I have never heard of that meter, so I googled it and see its a pet meter, is that
correct?

Most of us free hand we don't use the lancing device

You want to buy 26 or 28 gauge lancets , they will make a bigger hole.

With caninsulin you want to test first, then feed , then wait 30 minutes to shoot
the insulin.
Don't feed any foor 2 hours prior to the AMPS ( first test in the morning AM Pre Shot
and the PMPS ( first test at night PM Pre Shot)

There has to be food on board with can insulin.
It's a harsh insulin and can drop BG's early and fast.

You said you have been home testing , are you testing Simba before every shot AM and PM to make sure his number is safe to give insulin.

We test our cats during each hour cycle
Maybe @+2. this means 2 hours after you give insulin
@+4. 4 hours after you give insulin
@+6. Ditto

Then switch it up test
@+3
@+6
@+8

During the day and night cycles
to get an idea how the insulin is working and how low it's taking Simba

You said you vet upped his dose to 1.5 units and is thinking of upping it again
We increase by 0.25 units at a time. You may be passing over the correct dose if
you are increasing by 0.50 units or whole units.

What has his numbers been when you test him.

There is nothing special about the food your vet gave you.
Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classic Pates. These are under 10% carbs
Or Friskies Pate.

I will post the food chart below, like I said don't know where you live,
If it's not the US we have members that live else where that can help you with foods.

Most of us use Lantus or Prozinc insulin's.
What are you feeding Simba, dry food is high in carbs

Your vet sounds like he or she isn't working with you, doesn't know that much about diabetes. If you are not happy with them you might want to find a new vet.

There is no need to bring Simba in for your vet to do a curve, ( test him every 2 hours for 12 hours) it will most likely stress Simba out and will produce high readings.

We do them at home when needed.
Most of us don't even go back to our vets when it comes to their diabetes, only if they are sick or maybe for yearly blood work.

The testing during each cycle and pre shots is very important, god forbid Simba ever drops to low , you don't want a hypo.

Depending on where you live if you ever switch to Lantus a more gentle insulin, it is expensive in the US so we buy it from Canada , so much more affordable. We can help you with that.

We use a spreadsheet here to track our cats BG numbers, take a look at mine or anyone else's , mine says Tyler's Spreadsheet under my signature, which is at the end of every post.

It would be very helpful if you can do your signature.
I'll post the directions for you.

I will also post the instructions for setting up your spreadsheet, if you have trouble doing it just ask, we have 2 awesome members that will do it for you.

Sorry for all this info , but once you get Simba well regulated you will be fine.
 
Also it would be helpful if you can set up your signature so we know what insulin Simba is on, meter used, diagnosis date , food etc, I'll post it for you




  • Please set your signature up tomorrow
  • It would be helpful if you can set up your signature
  • On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • Name of your meter
    • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
    • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
    • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
    • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
    • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
    • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.
Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.


tap on your avatar where it says your name ,then hit profile page ,tap on that ,then go up to the very top, upper right hand side and tap on your name ,it will bring down a drop box, tap on signature, the signature will be under settings, tap on the signature then and you can start to add what I posted above, make sure you hit save ,
Welcome to the best place you could ever be and an awesome group of people
 
Last edited:
Waving from Canada. From a few clues in your post, I'm assuming you are in the UK and am tagging some UK members for you.
@Critter Mom
@Elizabeth and Bertie
@Diana&Tom

Liz n Sim said:
as for the blood tests they are the most difficult thing, we are using cerapet and the lance just doesn’t seem to do much, despite holding it at pressure on his ear after the test. Sometimes the meter gives us a reading, other times we get LO or nothing. Any recommendations for something better, I’m not sure how cerapet got a number one review unless they bought their feedback.
Click to expand...
Okay, the "LO" scares the crap out of me. Any time you see that, you should immediately give honey or corn syrup.

Please read and print out the following:
Lancing problems. A couple of ideas. Try a deeper setting on the device. It could be that the gauge of the lancet is too small to get a decent drop. (The larger the gauge number, the thinner the lancet. Look for 26g or 28g lancets. Try freehanding with the lancet rather than using the device.

Liz n Sim said:
we cut him down to two meals a day, the vet has been hell bent on giving him Hills MD dried food which he detests. We then finally got them to recommend royal canine wet food but the poor thing is now starving. I’ve read in to the dietary requirements and have made the decision to switch him to a high protein and low carb diet, but monitor his blood sugar much more. Also, portion control, and cross our fingers that he becomes less hungry and builds some muscle mass.
also I read that these prescription foods aren’t as good as they make out on the label.
Click to expand...

Please feed Simba throughout each cycle.
Since the insulin you are using is very harsh for cats (it is designed for dogs who have a completely different metabolism), you should feed the major portion before shot time.
The protocol is
1. Test (to make sure the number is high enough to shoot).
2. Feed (to make sure the cat will eat and has plenty of food on board)
3. Wait 30 minutes (for the food to start to have an effect), then shoot.

Caninsulin drops a cat hard and fast. Snacks during the first half of the cycle will help slow the drop. Also important as unregulated diabetic cats cannot process their food properly. These are two reasons why Simba is begging for food. Feed him. Just pick up any food 2 hours before the next shot so that the test number is not food influenced.

Portion control for an unregulated, underweight diabetic cat? Why?

Liz n Sim said:
our vet will not and has not discussed any alternatives to the prescription diet plans
Click to expand...
You can return the food to the vet for a refund (the company guarantees that). Just tell the vet that your cat stopped liking it. There are better alternatives.

Liz n Sim said:
we spoke to the vet and they up his dose of insulin to 1.5, but they seem to only want to book him in for monitoring despite the fact we tell them the glucose reading is high. It makes me think that if my word isn’t good enough is it an excuse to get more money out of me for monitoring, I know I’m being very pessimistic. The vet is considering upping his dose, so we’ll see.
Click to expand...

If you are hometesting, there is no need for a glucose curve done at the clinic. Testing before each shoot and then a test or two around the 2, 4, and 6 hour mark will give you a better idea of your cat's insulin reactions and requirements. You can do your own curve at home.

Do not change the dose until you have slowly eliminated the carbs. Cutting the carbs can make a difference of up to 100 (US) / 5 (World) numberswise. You will need to test during this time period.

Liz n Sim said:
Simba is currently taking caninsulin, which seems to be the only one the vet advises.
Click to expand...
There are much better insulins available for cats. The protocol in the UK and some EU countries dictates that insulins like these be tried first. If they are doing the job, the next insulin to try is Prozinc.
You may want to start looking for a new vet who will work with you.

We can help you on every step of this journey. The people here have lived feline diabetes 24/7 and have done the research. We can help you set up a spreadsheet (we are quite data driven) and answer any questions you might have.
 
Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If she won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Welcome Liz and Simba
He sure is a cutie
Click to expand...
Thankyou, he’s quite the poser.

looks like Simba and you cat could have been separated at birth.

Thankyou for the chart, I will check it out.

We live in the UK, so there are quite a lot of types of food that differ. But the fundamental info will help with deciding. I read this about dry food, but he’s always preferred wet food, I put my trust in the vet but the more and more I find out, I wonder if the vet is getting a commission or has no idea about feline nutrition. If this carries on, then I will definitely get a new vet.

The problem is mainly the lance, and at first we got freaked out when we saw LO, and thought he would go in to hypoglaecaemic shock. Now we realise that the problem is getting enough blood on the meter. I will get some of those lancets.

His glucose readings have not lowered much since starting the insulin, so if we miss a test, we kind of know that it won’t be so low he’ll drop too low. When we get the lancets that you’ve suggested I think we will be able to improve our frequency. At the moment it just ends up being upsetting for Sim with only a 50/50 chance of a successful reading.

Thankyou for all of the advice, I’m going to write it all down and research some more.

what is the signature please?

Simba
 
Liz n Sim said:
Thankyou, he’s quite the poser.

looks like Simba and you cat could have been separated at birth.

Thankyou for the chart, I will check it out.

We live in the UK, so there are quite a lot of types of food that differ. But the fundamental info will help with deciding. I read this about dry food, but he’s always preferred wet food, I put my trust in the vet but the more and more I find out, I wonder if the vet is getting a commission or has no idea about feline nutrition. If this carries on, then I will definitely get a new vet.

The problem is mainly the lance, and at first we got freaked out when we saw LO, and thought he would go in to hypoglaecaemic shock. Now we realise that the problem is getting enough blood on the meter. I will get some of those lancets.

His glucose readings have not lowered much since starting the insulin, so if we miss a test, we kind of know that it won’t be so low he’ll drop too low. When we get the lancets that you’ve suggested I think we will be able to improve our frequency. At the moment it just ends up being upsetting for Sim with only a 50/50 chance of a successful reading.

Thankyou for all of the advice, I’m going to write it all down and research some more.

what is the signature please?

Simba
Click to expand...

Look at mine it's under what I just posted , it's in gray writing, do you see it



  • Please set your signature up tomorrow
  • It would be helpful if you can set up your signature
  • On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • Name of your meter
    • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
    • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
    • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
    • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
    • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
    • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.
Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.


tap on your avatar where it says your name ,then hit profile page ,tap on that ,then go up to the very top, upper right hand side and tap on your name ,it will bring down a drop box, tap on signature, the signature will be under settings, tap on the signature then and you can start to add what I posted above, make sure you hit save ,
Welcome to the best place you could ever be and an awesome group of people
 
Liz n Sim said:
We live in the UK, so there are quite a lot of types of food that differ.
Click to expand...
Here is a list of UK foods under 10% carbs.
And
Liz n Sim said:
what is the signature please?
Click to expand...
If you look at the bottom of this post, you will see a short summary containing all the relevant information about my Rover. The signature is so we can see at a glance if there are any underlying conditions, what food is given, what drugs are given, what meter is used. It saves a lot of asking and answering questions.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Waving from Canada. From a few clues in your post, I'm assuming you are in the UK and am tagging some UK members for you.
@Critter Mom
@Elizabeth and Bertie
@Diana&Tom


Okay, the "LO" scares the crap out of me. Any time you see that, you should immediately give honey or corn syrup.

Please read and print out the following:
Lancing problems. A couple of ideas. Try a deeper setting on the device. It could be that the gauge of the lancet is too small to get a decent drop. (The larger the gauge number, the thinner the lancet. Look for 26g or 28g lancets. Try freehanding with the lancet rather than using the device.



Please feed Simba throughout each cycle.
Since the insulin you are using is very harsh for cats (it is designed for dogs who have a completely different metabolism), you should feed the major portion before shot time.
The protocol is
1. Test (to make sure the number is high enough to shoot).
2. Feed (to make sure the cat will eat and has plenty of food on board)
3. Wait 30 minutes (for the food to start to have an effect), then shoot.

Caninsulin drops a cat hard and fast. Snacks during the first half of the cycle will help slow the drop. Also important as unregulated diabetic cats cannot process their food properly. These are two reasons why Simba is begging for food. Feed him. Just pick up any food 2 hours before the next shot so that the test number is not food influenced.

Portion control for an unregulated, underweight diabetic cat? Why?


You can return the food to the vet for a refund (the company guarantees that). Just tell the vet that your cat stopped liking it. There are better alternatives.



If you are hometesting, there is no need for a glucose curve done at the clinic. Testing before each shoot and then a test or two around the 2, 4, and 6 hour mark will give you a better idea of your cat's insulin reactions and requirements. You can do your own curve at home.

Do not change the dose until you have slowly eliminated the carbs. Cutting the carbs can make a difference of up to 100 (US) / 5 (World) numberswise. You will need to test during this time period.


There are much better insulins available for cats. The protocol in the UK and some EU countries dictates that insulins like these be tried first. If they are doing the job, the next insulin to try is Prozinc.
You may want to start looking for a new vet who will work with you.

We can help you on every step of this journey. The people here have lived feline diabetes 24/7 and have done the research. We can help you set up a spreadsheet (we are quite data driven) and answer any questions you might have.
Click to expand...


Hey, Thank you,

and it’s great to meet people with the experience and knowledge of this.

We did take the Hills Diabetes back, and we have just about managed to get him to ets Hills metabolic but he only eats it if he is super hungry. We’re on wet royal Canin now, he scoffs it, but then he’s still hungry, plus it costs a fortune.

I’m going to start him on a food next week that claims to be low carbs and high protein, it’s by Katkin and produced in London.

His glucose levels are v high at the moment, I don’t expect a hypo but I’m still aware. The vet is suggesting to up the dose, but I will follow your advice and try him on this new food before doing resorting to increasing it.

thank you

Liz
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
. A good rule to thumb for daily calorie intake is 20 times ideal weight. If he’s ideal weight is 12 pounds then he should be getting at least 240 calories a day. More if he needs to gain. It’s best to give the bulk of the meals after the insulin but you can feed more throughout the day as well. In fact, you should do that. Is he under or over weight right now?
Click to expand...
That is really helpful to know, Thankyou.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Here is a list of UK foods under 10% carbs.
And

If you look at the bottom of this post, you will see a short summary containing all the relevant information about my Rover. The signature is so we can see at a glance if there are any underlying conditions, what food is given, what drugs are given, what meter is used. It saves a lot of asking and answering questions.
Click to expand...
You beat me to it Kel lol
 
Liz n Sim said:
Hey, Thank you,

and it’s great to meet people with the experience and knowledge of this.

We did take the Hills Diabetes back, and we have just about managed to get him to ets Hills metabolic but he only eats it if he is super hungry. We’re on wet royal Canin now, he scoffs it, but then he’s still hungry, plus it costs a fortune.

I’m going to start him on a food next week that claims to be low carbs and high protein, it’s by Katkin and produced in London.

His glucose levels are v high at the moment, I don’t expect a hypo but I’m still aware. The vet is suggesting to up the dose, but I will follow your advice and try him on this new food before doing resorting to increasing it.

thank you

Liz
Click to expand...
I see the Katkin listed on the UK food chart
Also read where it says to have high carb food on hand , it tells you about it on the food chart in RED Writing
 
Last edited:
Yes, I’ve just seen it too.

I will definitely watch to see if it makes a difference and share with the forum.

He’s very fussy, so fingers crossed.

How long has your cat been diabetic for?
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Here is a list of UK foods under 10% carbs.
And

If you look at the bottom of this post, you will see a short summary containing all the relevant information about my Rover. The signature is so we can see at a glance if there are any underlying conditions, what food is given, what drugs are given, what meter is used. It saves a lot of asking and answering questions.
Click to expand...
Thankyou so much
 
Liz n Sim said:
Yes, I’ve just seen it too.

I will definitely watch to see if it makes a difference and share with the forum.

He’s very fussy, so fingers crossed.

How long has your cat been diabetic for?
Click to expand...
Sept of 2018, do you see it on my signature in gray , that's why it's good to set up your signature
 
Liz n Sim said:
Ahhh I see, I’m still learning about the signature.

I need to change mine again.

I have set mine up, it should show
Click to expand...
Good job but just fix 2 things when was he diagnosed DX ?
You don't need to put 29/10/2020 get rid of it and put date diagnosed
And put 1.5 units not mm
Other than that good job. We all had to learn in the beginning, just keep asking questions :cat::cat:

Oh one more thing where you have last glucose reading 19.33 after evening meal and insulin shot, in your signature,you don't need that there.

If you want to let us know what his test numbers are
You can post it like this Example
Say your test times are 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM
You would test at 8:00 AM then feed him wait 20 to 30 minutes and give him
the insulin , so let's say it is now 8:30 you give him the insulin

This is how you can post it until you set up your spreadsheet
AMPS (AM Pre Shot. First test in the AM) if your test time is 8:00 AM
Example AMPS - 19.33. ( sorry I don't know what this means but others from the UK or Canada will know, once you have your spreadsheet set up , it will show both readings so
the members from the US will see what it is such as 254

This is just an example for you below

AMPS-19.33 you shot at 8:30 AM
+2 whatever his BG was (that +2 means 2 hours after you shot) (10:30 AM)
+4. BG. ( four hours after you shot insulin). (12:30 PM)
+6 BG. ( six hours after you shot insulin). ( 2:30 PM)
+8. BG. ( eight hours after you shot insulin ). (4:30 PM)

Same for the night time
We are all in different times zones so telling us what time you tested doesn't help us at all.
Then you can alternative different tines to test
Such as
+3
+5
+7
for both cycles
It's like filling in the pieces of a puzzle
The more data you collect the better it is
Do you understand what I mean?
Right now it's probably 9:30 PM by you but it's only 5:30 PM by me
that's why we do the +2, or +3, or +6
@Liz n Sim
 
Last edited:
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Good job but just fix 2 things when was he diagnosed DX ?
You don't need to put 29/10/2020 get rid of it and put date diagnosed
And put 1.5 units not mm
Other than that good job. We all had to learn in the beginning, just keep asking questions :cat::cat:

Oh one more thing where you have last glucose reading 19.33 after evening meal and insulin shot, you don't need that there.

If you want to let us know what his test numbers are
You can post it like this Example
Say your test times are 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM
You would test at 8:00 AM then feed him wait 20 to 30 minutes and give him
the insulin , so let's say it is now 8:30 you give him the insulin

This is how you can post it until you set up your spreadsheet
AMPS (AM Pre Shot. First test in the AM) if your test time is 8:00 AM
Example AMPS - 19.33. ( sorry I don't know what this means but others from the UK or Canada will know, once you have your spreadsheet set up , it will show both readings so
the members from the US will see what it is such as 254

AMPS-19.33 you shot at 8:30 AM
+2 whatever his BG was (that +2 means 2 hours after you shot) (10:30 AM)
+4. BG. ( four hours after you shot insulin). (12:30 PM)
+6 BG. ( six hours after you shot insulin). ( 2:30 PM)
+8. BG. ( eight hours after you shot insulin ). (4:30 PM)

Same for the night time
We are all in different times zones so telling us what time you tested doesn't help us at all.
Then you can alternative different tines to test
Such as
+3
+5
+7
for both cycles
It's like filling in the pieces of a puzzle
The more data you collect the better it is
Do you understand what I mean?
Click to expand...
Yes I do, I will have a go at starting the spreadsheet.

I have a list to go back to my vet with too, thanks to all of the info you have kindly shared with me.

I’m suspecting now they have calculated his food amount on his current weight and not his ideal weight as well. He needs to put some on.

poor thing is sitting in a chair looking a bit sorry for himself right now.

He might be old, but I’m determined for him to have a good quality of life and not be permanently hungry, drinking, peeing and sleeping.

I’ll change the signature again, I’ll crack that too lol

Thankyou again.

Liz n Sim
 
Liz n Sim said:
Yes I do, I will have a go at starting the spreadsheet.

I have a list to go back to my vet with too, thanks to all of the info you have kindly shared with me.

I’m suspecting now they have calculated his food amount on his current weight and not his ideal weight as well. He needs to put some on.

poor thing is sitting in a chair looking a bit sorry for himself right now.

He might be old, but I’m determined for him to have a good quality of life and not be permanently hungry, drinking, peeing and sleeping.

I’ll change the signature again, I’ll crack that too lol

Thankyou again.

Liz n Sim
Click to expand...
Perfect Liz, everyone here will help Simba , if it wasn't for all of the members here Tyler wouldn't be doing as great as he has been doing. There are members here that have been doing this 24/7 365 days.
In my opinion they know more about diabetes than most vets do.
I have even told my vet about this forum and she was so impressed , I even taught her a few things. I love my vet because she's on board with everything I do and trusts that I know what I'm doing.
Did you understand the +2, +3 example I gave you above
@Liz n Sim
 
Me and my boyfriend are really happy to have found this forum, and to have a community to speak with. Hopefully, along all of our journey we will learn enough to perhaps help others one day too.

I will sit somewhere quiet tomorrow and absorb the info on the spreadsheet.

I’ll also book a chat with my vet and send them the link to this site to see if it helps them too.

I may need some help with the spreadsheet, I will try first, so that I can get my head around it. But if it’s ok, I will probably take up the offer of help as numbers are a challenge for me.

I am quite surprised at how our vets have dealt with Sim, don’t get me wrong they are lovely and we’ve spoken to them lots. We only have to say his name and they know, but rather than asking questions we have no idea about the answer we can be a lot more informed and assertive in discussions.

Thankyou so much for your advice and welcome.

I feel a lot more confident with helping Simba to lead a healthier life.

Liz
 
Hi Liz,

I have been feeding Hercules the Feringa wet cat food. It is among the cheapest low carb, high meat content food I have found in the UK. You can buy them from zooplus.co.uk
They do sell a bunch of other foods too!

If you need tips for purchasing other supplies in the Uk, give me a shout!
 
Hercule's mum said:
Hi Liz,

I have been feeding Hercules the Feringa wet cat food. It is among the cheapest low carb, high meat content food I have found in the UK. You can buy them from zooplus.co.uk
They do sell a bunch of other foods too!

If you need tips for purchasing other supplies in the Uk, give me a shout!
Click to expand...
Thankyou, I’d love to hear about other options.

I’ve just researched Katkin too, and will give it a try next week.
Liz



Liz
 
Here is a link for an overview of UK supplies:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-vit-b12-and-other-need-to-know-stuff.137376/

My cat has been diagnosed in July and I have spent more time then I should trawling through the internet for stuff.... In case it is useful:

I currently use a human meter (gluco navii) and get testing strips from amazon (16p/strip).
I've got the insulin (Prozinc) from Weldrick's (£54) after getting a prescription from vet (£11). Vet was charging £100! However if you have pet insurance this may not be useful...

I use lancets by hand, and just get whatever is the cheapest at amazon....I find I can have a much better aim and control using my hand then a device (other like the device, so whatever you prefer!)

I use U100 syringes, which will require some conversion to use with caninsulin. However it is much more cheaper than U40 syringes (which are pet only) and allows smaaler changes in dose.
 
Liz n Sim said:
Me and my boyfriend are really happy to have found this forum, and to have a community to speak with. Hopefully, along all of our journey we will learn enough to perhaps help others one day too.

I will sit somewhere quiet tomorrow and absorb the info on the spreadsheet.

I’ll also book a chat with my vet and send them the link to this site to see if it helps them too.

I may need some help with the spreadsheet, I will try first, so that I can get my head around it. But if it’s ok, I will probably take up the offer of help as numbers are a challenge for me.

I am quite surprised at how our vets have dealt with Sim, don’t get me wrong they are lovely and we’ve spoken to them lots. We only have to say his name and they know, but rather than asking questions we have no idea about the answer we can be a lot more informed and assertive in discussions.

Thankyou so much for your advice and welcome.

I feel a lot more confident with helping Simba to lead a healthier life.

Liz
Click to expand...
No problem with the spreadsheet, all I have to do is tag 2 of our members and they will send you a private message where it says inbox.
Ask you a few questions and set it up for you .
Just post you need help
 
Hercule's mum said:
Here is a link for an overview of UK supplies:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-vit-b12-and-other-need-to-know-stuff.137376/

My cat has been diagnosed in July and I have spent more time then I should trawling through the internet for stuff.... In case it is useful:

I currently use a human meter (gluco navii) and get testing strips from amazon (16p/strip).
I've got the insulin (Prozinc) from Weldrick's (£54) after getting a prescription from vet (£11). Vet was charging £100! However if you have pet insurance this may not be useful...

I use lancets by hand, and just get whatever is the cheapest at amazon....I find I can have a much better aim and control using my hand then a device (other like the device, so whatever you prefer!)

I use U100 syringes, which will require some conversion to use with caninsulin. However it is much more cheaper than U40 syringes (which are pet only) and allows smaaler changes in dose.
Click to expand...
What great information , especially about the meters, Liz was asking about using a different meter :cat:
 
Liz n Sim said:
we cut him down to two meals a day
Click to expand...
Hi Liz and Simba, waving to you from Surrey! :cat:

May I ask why Simba's meals have been cut down to two a day...? Was this the vet's advice? Was Simba eating more often prior to this..?
The advice from the RVC and the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) is that diabetic cats can eat more frequently than this. And the RVC have said that if a cat is used to eating more often then it can carry on with doing that.
Feeding more frequently can also help to keep the blood glucose under better control than just feeding two large meals. Having food available for the kitty is also safer in terms of hypo risk, because some cats will seek out food if they sense that their blood glucose is dropping too fast or too low. Feeding more often may also help to get more calories into him and help with weight gain.

With Caninsulin it is certainly important that a cat has some food in their tums before being given insulin, but it doesn't mean that they can't also eat at other times in the day too, especially during the first half of the insulin cycle when the blood glucose is dropping.

I would strongly recommend that you hold off from reducing the carb content of the diet further until you've got comfy with hometesting blood glucose more often.
Reducing the carb content of the diet can make a significant difference to a cat's blood glucose levels, and therefore can significantly reduce the insulin dose that they need. (My current girl's insulin requirement reduced by half when switching her to a low carb diet. And a minority of very lucky cats don't even need insulin once they're on a low carb diet.)
If those 'LO' results that you got were 'true' readings (sometimes false 'LO's happen) then the insulin dose is already too high...

Eliz
 
Hercule's mum said:
Here is a link for an overview of UK supplies:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-vit-b12-and-other-need-to-know-stuff.137376/

My cat has been diagnosed in July and I have spent more time then I should trawling through the internet for stuff.... In case it is useful:

I currently use a human meter (gluco navii) and get testing strips from amazon (16p/strip).
I've got the insulin (Prozinc) from Weldrick's (£54) after getting a prescription from vet (£11). Vet was charging £100! However if you have pet insurance this may not be useful...

I use lancets by hand, and just get whatever is the cheapest at amazon....I find I can have a much better aim and control using my hand then a device (other like the device, so whatever you prefer!)

I use U100 syringes, which will require some conversion to use with caninsulin. However it is much more cheaper than U40 syringes (which are pet only) and allows smaaler changes in dose.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this, we have a nightmare with the lance device and I'm going to research these lancets. Do the human glucose meters and feline ones work the same?

Liz
 
Liz n Sim said:
Do the human glucose meters and feline ones work the same?
Click to expand...

yes, in the sense that they both meassure the same thing and the same accuracy. The difference is that they are optimized for slightly different part of the curve, so they will give you different numbers are the difference is not always the same, but they are measuring the same thing as you can see in this graph that I made when I was using both meters:

upload_2020-11-1_0-46-24.png



Lancets are just point things with a plastic handle. If you are using a "device", the plastic bict might be designed specifically for the device and might not fit a different one. If you are using by hand, they all work! They differ in how thich the pointy bit are. the larger the number the smaller the poke. Most people start with 28G and move onto 30G at some point.
 

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Elizabeth and Bertie said:
Hi Liz and Simba, waving to you from Surrey! :cat:

May I ask why Simba's meals have been cut down to two a day...? Was this the vet's advice? Was Simba eating more often prior to this..?
The advice from the RVC and the ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) is that diabetic cats can eat more frequently than this. And the RVC have said that if a cat is used to eating more often then it can carry on with doing that.
Feeding more frequently can also help to keep the blood glucose under better control than just feeding two large meals. Having food available for the kitty is also safer in terms of hypo risk, because some cats will seek out food if they sense that their blood glucose is dropping too fast or too low. Feeding more often may also help to get more calories into him and help with weight gain.

With Caninsulin it is certainly important that a cat has some food in their tums before being given insulin, but it doesn't mean that they can't also eat at other times in the day too, especially during the first half of the insulin cycle when the blood glucose is dropping.

I would strongly recommend that you hold off from reducing the carb content of the diet further until you've got comfy with hometesting blood glucose more often.
Reducing the carb content of the diet can make a significant difference to a cat's blood glucose levels, and therefore can significantly reduce the insulin dose that they need. (My current girl's insulin requirement reduced by half when switching her to a low carb diet. And a minority of very lucky cats don't even need insulin once they're on a low carb diet.)
If those 'LO' results that you got were 'true' readings (sometimes false 'LO's happen) then the insulin dose is already too high...

Eliz
Click to expand...
Hi Elizabeth and Bertie,

Greetings from Essex.

Simba was eating a lot before his diagnosis, and then he suddenly cut to two due to the vets advice. I am convinced it is the meter and his glucose is no way near to low. We took his readings this morning and throughout the day, he had 27.5 qt 06.00 am and by 16.00 he had a reading of 20.2, then the final test came up LO. We need to improve our blood testing technique.

After joining this forum and receiving the advice from everyone I talked with them about the food. They were quite adamant he needed to stay on hills or royal canine and I point blank refused, and asked for an alternative. They have suggested that I mix veg in to whichever food I choose to put him on. Not sure how he'll like that.

He is so high at the moment I think it would be a good thing to reduce his glucose soon, last night the poor little more was so hungry he kept waking is up for food, so we fed him in the end and he settled down.

I will check out the international society for feline medicine and their advice.

Thanks for the advice.

Liz
 
Hercule's mum said:
yes, in the sense that they both meassure the same thing and the same accuracy. The difference is that they are optimized for slightly different part of the curve, so they will give you different numbers are the difference is not always the same, but they are measuring the same thing as you can see in this graph that I made when I was using both meters:

View attachment 57767


Lancets are just point things with a plastic handle. If you are using a "device", the plastic bict might be designed specifically for the device and might not fit a different one. If you are using by hand, they all work! They differ in how thich the pointy bit are. the larger the number the smaller the poke. Most people start with 28G and move onto 30G at some point.
Click to expand...
Great, thank you I will look up these lancets they look like an easier option.
 
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