New just diagnosed

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Hi!

Stumbled across this site looking for more information. Went to vet monday got results yesterday.

I have a 12 yrs old male maine coon siamese mix. Little man...ironically he used to be 20 lbs! He is down quite a bit to 13.5 now. I'm just hoping he will regain some muscle mass back.

About 7 years ago he was diagnosed with feline cystitis...battles crystals in urine and finally have had that under control for several years. Because of that vet is wanting to leave him on his urinary diet knowing it has more carbs. She calls it lesser of two evils. He eats mostly wet food but still nibbles the wet script diet...although since the diagnoses he hasnt wanted dry at all so concerned if he is getting enough.

I am panicking about whether he is getting enough to eat as we are on a strict twice a day right now and with so much weight loss it scares me. So any advice on that would be awesome!

He is starting on a 2 unit dose twice a day of vetsulin. He seems ok after getting it... a little sleepy...not lethargic but that could be that he is still in crisis mode since we just started insulin last night.

I am very overwhelmed and would love any advice. Last night was rough 12 hours no food at all was incredibly difficult for us all...LOL.

I have never fed a ton of treats but have used them to help with medication times...when they arent interested in eating etc...so would love to know what is safe and what is not.

I'm grateful to know there is such a resource and maybe even a little calmer knowing I have somewhere to ask questions...find resources for supplies and medications etc...

Thanks so much. Rainbow

 

[FrostD]

Welcome!

There are a few things that would greatly help us, including starting a spreadsheet, adding lab results, and creating a signature. You can find more information here.

Equally important is understanding hypos and having a hypo kit, explained here.

Home testing really is the best thing you can do, explained here. A lot of us use human meters due to cost; additionally most of the protocols here were developed with human meters. ReliOn is probably the most popular.

Now, on to business:

Vetsulin is actually no longer recommended for cats, though many vets still prescribe it. It's intended for dogs, cats metabolism is faster so it can cause harsh, sometimes dangerous BG drops . We recommend ProZinc or Lantus, but if cost is an issue there's probably not much harm using up your vial then switching at that point. Just have to be careful.

2U us a fairly high starting dose, we usually recommend 0.5-1U, even with the higher carb food.

As for food, I'll let others chime in.

It's actually best to feed several small meals, ideally most of it before nadir when insulin effect is strongest. With Vetsulin it's very important that you test, feed, and then shootv20-30 minutes later. This ensures there's food on board when it kicks in and hopefully keeps the cat safe.

What would you say his ideal weight is? Unregulated diabetics don't utilize food well, and often need much more food to maintain (example, my cat needed twice as much food unregulated vs regulated, but every cat is different).

Treats - anything raw or cooked meat. A lot of us use PureBites or ZiwiPeak, bit others use just straight raw or cooked meat.

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Welcome!

There are a few things that would greatly help us, including starting a spreadsheet, adding lab results, and creating a signature. You can find more information here.

Equally important is understanding hypos and having a hypo kit, explained here.

Home testing really is the best thing you can do, explained here. A lot of us use human meters due to cost; additionally most of the protocols here were developed with human meters. ReliOn is probably the most popular.

Now, on to business:

Vetsulin is actually no longer recommended for cats, though many vets still prescribe it. It's intended for dogs, cats metabolism is faster so it can cause harsh, sometimes dangerous BG drops . We recommend ProZinc or Lantus, but if cost is an issue there's probably not much harm using up your vial then switching at that point. Just have to be careful.

2U us a fairly high starting dose, we usually recommend 0.5-1U, even with the higher carb food.

As for food, I'll let others chime in.

It's actually best to feed several small meals, ideally most of it before nadir when insulin effect is strongest. With Vetsulin it's very important that you test, feed, and then shootv20-30 minutes later. This ensures there's food on board when it kicks in and hopefully keeps the cat safe.

What would you say his ideal weight is? Unregulated diabetics don't utilize food well, and often need much more food to maintain (example, my cat needed twice as much food unregulated vs regulated, but every cat is different).

Treats - anything raw or cooked meat. A lot of us use PureBites or ZiwiPeak, bit others use just straight raw or cooked meat.

So lots of info thankyou I'll be reading up on the different links you gave. I know his BG was 500 when he was tested monday so possibly why such a high starting dose.

I checked prices of prozinc and lantus...prozinc seems much more affordable so I will speak with vet about a switch and if it allows for a bit more graze as he is really struggling with meal time. Vet mentioned the lantus but that is so far out of price range at the moment.

Ideal weight for him is probably about 16 to 17 lbs so he has some loss to make up which is why I'm concerned.

I appreciate the advice on waiting about 20 to 30 mins after he eats to give insulin. Perhaps this will help with the sleepiness he seems to experience.

I do have a human glucose monitor. My husband has kidney disease so we check his occasionally to keep up....I need to find out what the numbers mean for my cat and what to do with them once I have them.

I had no idea vetsulin was no longer recommended as my vet told me it is the only fda approved for cats and dogs...not that fda approval matters to me...its a cost thing to be honest.

Again thankyou so much...this is so much to digest!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi and welcome Melissa has given you a lot of good information, so please fill out your signature and spreadsheet so you can record your kitties BG
Your Kittie is adorable what's his name?
If you need help setting g up the spreadsheet just ask, we have a member who will set it up for you.
2 units is a high starting dose
I'll give you the link so you can read about vetsulin below

As for the food most of us feed fancy feast classic pates or friskies
Most of them are 2 or 3 percent carbs. Try and stay around 5% or less
I'll give you the food link below
I don't know if this food would be ok if your kitty had cyctitis in the past

Most of us use The Relion Premier from Walmart human meter it's 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 test strips
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets to poke the ear
Cotton rounds

For the weight
20 calories per lb of his ideal weight
So if his ideal weight should be 16 lbs
20 x 16 = 320. That's how many calories he should be eating
Bigger meal in the AM and PM then smaller ones during each 12 hour cycle

You need to test him to be sure his BG is a safe number to shoot and test a couple times after that since vetsulin can drop their BG very fast

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Do you have the syringes with the half unit markings?
We increase or decrease by 0.25 units at a time, it makes it much easier using the syringes with half unit markings

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Here is the link so you can read about vetsulin
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/caninsulin-vetsulin-and-n-nph.19/

Food chart
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Welcome. Waving from Canada.

Basic information on Vetsulin:
INTRODUCTION TO CANNISULIN/VETSULIN & N/NPH

He seems ok after getting it... a little sleepy...not lethargic but that could be that he is still in crisis mode since we just started insulin last night.

Vetsulin hits a cat hard and fast. Feeding throughout the cycle, especially the first half helps. As Melissa said, there are better insulins out there. Vetsulin was designed for dogs who have a different metabolism. Its other name is Caninsulin.
Read these. You might want to share them with your vet.

• (2018) Managing Feline Diabetes: Current Perspectives
• (2018) AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

About 7 years ago he was diagnosed with feline cystitis...battles crystals in urine and finally have had that under control for several years. Because of that vet is wanting to leave him on his urinary diet knowing it has more carbs. She calls it lesser of two evils. He eats mostly wet food but still nibbles the wet script diet...

You might want to give this a read. It is written by the same vet who did the low carb food chart.

https://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/

I need to find out what the numbers mean for my cat and what to do with them once I have them.

The same numbers as a human.
We have a handy dandy spreadsheet. If you need help setting it up, please ask. We have members here who can do it in minutes.

• How to Create a Spreadsheet
• How to Use the Spreadsheet

And apologies if I've overwhelmed you with reading. Feline Diabetes is a steep learning curve but it will become second nature very quickly. And you have members here from all of the world in various time zones who can help you.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Vet mentioned the lantus but that is so far out of price range at the moment.

Yes lantus is expensive in the US
Most of us buy the 5 pens from Canada but you can also buy

Semglee, it is a generic Lantus, and was approved by the FDA last June. The cost is compatible with Lantus from Canada.
https://www.goodrx.com/semglee
Here is a coupon above
Just call any pharmacy to see if they have the 5 pens, they will last you a year or more

If you decide to switch insulin's down the road we can help you with that and more information about lantus and different syringes you would need to use
@Rainbow Conti

 

[FrostD]

So lots of info thankyou I'll be reading up on the different links you gave. I know his BG was 500 when he was tested monday so possibly why such a high starting dose.

I checked prices of prozinc and lantus...prozinc seems much more affordable so I will speak with vet about a switch and if it allows for a bit more graze as he is really struggling with meal time. Vet mentioned the lantus but that is so far out of price range at the moment.

Ideal weight for him is probably about 16 to 17 lbs so he has some loss to make up which is why I'm concerned.

I appreciate the advice on waiting about 20 to 30 mins after he eats to give insulin. Perhaps this will help with the sleepiness he seems to experience.

I do have a human glucose monitor. My husband has kidney disease so we check his occasionally to keep up....I need to find out what the numbers mean for my cat and what to do with them once I have them.

I had no idea vetsulin was no longer recommended as my vet told me it is the only fda approved for cats and dogs...not that fda approval matters to me...its a cost thing to be honest.

Again thankyou so much...this is so much to digest!

It's a lot at once!

ProZinc is also approved for cats. Here is a link to a pdf of the 2018 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines in case you're curious.

Having been through the same situation - cat on dry food, starting dose of 2u bid on Vetsulin - I would never do that knowing what I know now, it really is a miracle I didn't kill him.

Does he have any other health issues? History of ketones or DKA?

I'd recommend trying to get a test in tonight if you can. We withhold food for 2 hours before preshot test in order for consistency. If there is no history of ketones or DKA, I personally would reduce to 1U bid until you get the hang of testing; then we can increase every few days, just to be safe.

Speaking of ketones and DKA, another link. we do recommend you test at least weekly while unregulated. Ketostix or other urine ketone strips work great, but some of us (myself included) use blood meters because too hard to catch fresh sample. They're a bit expensive though. If he's ever acting off that's the first thing you should do (unless of course it's ER-trip worthy).

We can help you with numbers and dosing and understanding, don't worry.

ProZinc may be cheaper through Marks Marine Pharmacy in Vancouver, a lot of us in the US use them, but it's been awhile since I used ProZinc

 

[FrostD]

Major groupthink going on tonight

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

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.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up

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 he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming

Here is a video one of our members did
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

So I am still attempting to wrap my brain around all the info...its been a very hectic week since I posted.

Good news...one of my nest friends is a type 2 diabetic...was just taken off lantus and moved to toujeo. She has given me all her lantus pens and is getting her refill on them just for my baby! Already spoke to vet and have been goven new dosage of 1u of lantus twice daily. Bad news....I had to get needles and they come today...the ones she had for pen are way to short for cars skin. We have been having to stay on vetsulin till new needles come.

More bad news....he vomited up water at like 3 am...vetsulin of 2u at 7pm...he ate fine at 630 this morning...in fact extra good I think his bg is way high (possible somogyi effect with vetsulin?) When I went to gove him injection I believe I missed skin cause his coat was wet right where I was injecting. So I'm in panic mode he is obviously drinking more sleeping more he is alert and responsive to me but isnt doing much.

I'm exhausted it hasnt even been a week I know I need to get meter and start testing...I have an old one so dont thi k strips are any good anymore. He is up a lot at night begging for food (still not on board with twice daily feeding) please tell me I'm doing ok cause i feel like I'm failing my boy

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Good news...one of my nest friends is a type 2 diabetic...was just taken off lantus and moved to toujeo. She has given me all her lantus pens and is getting her refill on them just for my baby! Already spoke to vet and have been goven new dosage of 1u of lantus twice daily. Bad news....I had to get needles and they come today...the ones she had for pen are way to short for cars skin. We have been having to stay on vetsulin till new needles come.

That's great news about the lantus
We don't use the pens to shoot with because with the pen you can only adjust the dose by full units. We buy syringes will half unit markings so you can adjust by 0.25 units at a time. I will give you a link on which syringes to buy
Using syringes with a pen, cartridge, or vial:

• U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings are the best to use for drawing Lantus, Basaglar, or Levemir from vials, cartridges, and pens.
• BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.
• Syringes come in ½ inch or 5/16 inch needle lengths. Needle gauges are 29, 30 or 31 (31 being the thinnest)
• Full and half-unit syringe scales:

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I'm exhausted it hasnt even been a week I know I need to get meter and start testing...I have an old one so dont thi k strips are any good anymore. He is up a lot at night begging for food (still not on board with twice daily feeding) please tell me I'm doing ok cause i feel like I'm failing my boy

Are you going to buy the Relion Classic Premier like I suggested above.
Most of us use this a human meter which our numbers are based on.
We feed our cats multiple times during each 12 hour cycle
Not twice a day
The bigger meal after you test him in the morning, then maybe 2 hours after that and again after 2 hours, smaller meals , same goes for the night cycle.
I am going to give you a link please fill it out, we need to know what you are feeding, wet or dry food or both, plus some other info


Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help.

If you need help with this please ask, we have a wonderful member that will help you
I'll tag her, she will probably not be on until tonight since she lives in India.
Her name is Bhooma @Bandit's Mom , she will send you a private message , you can keep an eye out for it up top it says in box
@Bandit's Mom
Thanks Bhooma

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

When I went to gove him injection I believe I missed skin cause his coat was wet right where I was injecting. So I'm in panic mode he is obviously drinking more sleeping more he is alert and responsive to me but isnt doing much

If you think you ever missed giving insulin do not attempt to give it again, you never know if some did go in

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I know this is a lot of info, when you do get the meter and going to switch from Vetsulin to Lantus please post and let us know, I'll give you the link so you can read about how lantus works, you will also read about the dosing methods to choose one.
This will dictate when you would increase or decrease the insulin and what you are feeding him.
Do you have any readings now with using Vetsulin?

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Are you going to buy the Relion Classic Premier like I suggested above.

Just returned from walmart with meter...about to try to figure this out

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

The switch to lantus should be his dose tonight. And I'm hoping that will start to help pretty quickly. I will take the time today to fill out the signature and info about him.

I may have replied to comment about meter incorrectly...just purchased meter and about to out together and test or attempt a test...

I am sorry I'm just so overwhelmed and scared.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

The switch to lantus should be his dose tonight. And I'm hoping that will start to help pretty quickly. I will take the time today to fill out the signature and info about him.

I may have replied to comment about meter incorrectly...just purchased meter and about to out together and test or attempt a test...

I am sorry I'm just so overwhelmed and scared.

I know you are scared but we will help you
The lantus needs time to build up the depot, you can read about it in the link I gave you about lantus . I assume you weren't testing before is this correct?

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Correct just got meter and just finished setting it up so I'll let you know what I get if we get first try

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Correct just got meter and just finished setting it up so I'll let you know what I get if we get first try

OK it takes about a week for the depot to fill with lantus to see how the insulin is working for him
If you have a Walmart by you , you can go there and buy them in person in case you don't want to wait for them ordering on line so you have the ones with the half unit markings
You can get syringes with half unit markings at a Walmart. Their ReliOn Brand syringes of 0.3 cc (30 unit) capacity come with half unit markings. Cost $12.58 for a box of 100
This is what the packaging looks like:

You can also buy them online at www.adwdiabetes.com

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@FrostD
Hi Melissa , only tagging you because it was you and me giving her some info
She just posted this morning see #12
I gave her some info as you will see.
She will fill out her signature and the vet told her to start with 1 unit of Lantus
She was not testing while on 2 units of Vetsulin , I'm wondering if starting on 1 unit of Lantus is ok
I guess we will have to wait until she fills out her signature so we can see if he's still eating some dry

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

When you do fill out help us help you it will also explain about how the spreadsheet works

 

[FrostD]

@FrostD
Hi Melissa , only tagging you because it was you and me giving her some info
She just posted this morning see #12
I gave her some info as you will see.
She will fill out her signature and the vet told her to start with 1 unit of Lantus
She was not testing while on 2 units of Vetsulin , I'm wondering if starting on 1 unit of Lantus is ok
I guess we will have to wait until she fills out her signature so we can see if he's still eating some dry

Hi Diane thanks for the tag. I try not to advise on Lantus dose very often, so will tag @tiffmaxee @Bandit's Mom @Christie & Maverick to see what they think

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

When you do fill out help us help you it will also explain about how the spreadsheet works

I am working on getting stuff filled out now. downloaded spreadsheet and will need help getting it all set up and figured out for sure. I did go to walmart and get a relion meter. We made an attempt at testing. Tried the poke a couple times didn't draw blood so gave him a small treat and stopped will try again later...Learning curve for us both for sure.

I have made a call to vet, waiting on call back (luckily open all weekend). Will ask about the starting dose of lantus since he was on such a high dose of vetsulin. Need to work on signature. One thing I do not understand what slgs/tr mean. I am going to add to this post about his conditions and food we are on just so you have it until I can figure everything else out. If I left anything out let me know so I can make sure my signature is correct for everyone to understand.

Little Man 12 yrs old.....dx 10/19/2021....Feline Cystitis dx early 2016...has been on Hills rx c/d both wet and dry since.....recently added purina proplan wet only as supplement to c/d(he has not wanted dry food in over a week so as of this week stopped offering it altogether....will also ask vet about this since it is a script)....vetsulin 2u twice daily(last dose this am...probably not a complete dose as mentioned above)...switched to lantus 1u twice daily to start this evening....relion classic (just purchased...haven't had a successful test yet).....

 

[tiffmaxee]

Welcome. I am typing a response you your posts before this one so wait to see what I say.

Usually you start with the same amount of insulin when switching to lantus from Vetsulin or a little less. It sounds like you have not attempted testing and some cats get a strong initial response. Given that I think 1.0 is not a bad idea. I need more information first though.

1) Are you feeding low carb wet food, dry, or a mix of dry and wet?
2) Is your cat at the right wet, underweight, or overweight? Most Siamese are not large and that might be his ideal weight. My cat was a big boy yet his ideal weight was 13.5. What did your vet say about that?
3) How often will you be able to test? How late at night? Once the depot build you might find he’s lower at night.

I’ll continue but wanted you to see this.

 

[tiffmaxee]

I see your last post and you answered some of my questions already. Since you are feeding a mix of wet and dry food the method you need to follow if you use ours is SLGS. All wet is better for him. It will allow you to follow TR if you are successful with testing. Since he won’t eat dry, stop feeding it. Max ate CD at one point because he blocked when he was 5. It’s not a great food and eating all wet might help Little Man with his other issues. Stopping dry might cause a rather dramatic lowering of his bg so I would start with 1.0 for sure.

 

[tiffmaxee]

With lantus you will find it best to feed smaller meals more often. I used to feed before shooting and then at +2. When I saw that bg I decided when to feed next. Max got mini meals up until around +5-6 and the same at night. Lantus takes about two hours to onset, start working, so that’s why the +2. We test to make sure it’s safe to shoot. Next you feed to make sure he has an appetite. Then you shoot. All this is done within about 10 minutes.

 

[tiffmaxee]

It will take a week for the depot to build so you have time to decide which method you want to follow knowing that you can change at any point.

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

With lantus you will find it best to feed smaller meals more often. I used to feed before shooting and then at +2. When I saw that bg I decided when to feed next. Max got mini meals up until around +5-6 and the same at night. Lantus takes about two hours to onset, start working, so that’s why the +2. We test to make sure it’s safe to shoot. Next you feed to make sure he has an appetite. Then you shoot. All this is done within about 10 minutes.

So if I am understanding this correctly...you fed right before shooting...then 2 hours after (+2) you tested and fed again? then from there decided based on bg when to give next mini meal?

This is probably within the spreadsheet what is an ok bg to shoot, or rather threshold to shoot or not to shoot. I also assume it depends on which insulin you are using as well.

Also what is considered a mini meal? 1 oz...2 etc...right now Little Man is stuggling to eat about 3 oz 12 hours apart but ravenous in between. Vet was very very adament no snacks (maybe because of vetsulin dropping him so low) She wanted him hungry and to eat half his daily in one meal not several so he had enough to raise bg high enough to counter act any low is my assumption. How long do you leave food out before picking up assuming its not finished...and how much finished is ok to shoot? I realize that last question may be based on bg once we get better at testing.

The purina pro plan is a very low carb his favorite is the beef and chicken senior 11+...I calculated to be 1% carb based on formula, looked at food chart on this site and it lists it at 2 carbs so not sure which is correct. Either way low carb. I have been giving him 4.5 oz or 1.5 cans as based on what he should weight 15 to 17lbs this is close to caloric intake needed (although he struggles to finish right now). He is also half maine coon hence the larger size.

Ok I think thats it for now. I know I must just sound so frustrating to all of you. I really appreciate all the advice I'm really trying to soak it in. I got very well versed in blockage, crystals, urine ph. I could start iv fluids, which ironically I seem to not be good at the ear prick. I was actually expecting it to be kidney disease when I took him to the vet diabetes didnt even cross my mind so I am a bit shell shocked.

Just saw your last post about the week to build depot and method to choose after. I must be missing something. I still am not understanding exactly what slgs and tr actually mean. Sorry.....

 

[tiffmaxee]

With Vetsulin you have to feed a half hour I believe before shooting as it’s fast acting. Lantus is different so there’s no reason to wait any amount of time it time after eating to shoot. That’s why it’s done in 5-10 minutes. Most cats naturally eat many times a day. Some people free feed and just pick up the food two hours before

So if I am understanding this correctly...you fed right before shooting...then 2 hours after (+2) you tested and fed again? then from there decided based on bg when to give next mini meal?

This is probably within the spreadsheet what is an ok bg to shoot, or rather threshold to shoot or not to shoot. I also assume it depends on which insulin you are using as well.

Also what is considered a mini meal? 1 oz...2 etc...right now Little Man is stuggling to eat about 3 oz 12 hours apart but ravenous in between. Vet was very very adament no snacks (maybe because of vetsulin dropping him so low) She wanted him hungry and to eat half his daily in one meal not several so he had enough to raise bg high enough to counter act any low is my assumption. How long do you leave food out before picking up assuming its not finished...and how much finished is ok to shoot? I realize that last question may be based on bg once we get better at testing.

The purina pro plan is a very low carb his favorite is the beef and chicken senior 11+...I calculated to be 1% carb based on formula, looked at food chart on this site and it lists it at 2 carbs so not sure which is correct. Either way low carb. I have been giving him 4.5 oz or 1.5 cans as based on what he should weight 15 to 17lbs this is close to caloric intake needed (although he struggles to finish right now). He is also half maine coon hence the larger size.

Ok I think thats it for now. I know I must just sound so frustrating to all of you. I really appreciate all the advice I'm really trying to soak it in. I got very well versed in blockage, crystals, urine ph. I could start iv fluids, which ironically I seem to not be good at the ear prick. I was actually expecting it to be kidney disease when I took him to the vet diabetes didnt even cross my mind so I am a bit shell shocked.

Just saw your last post about the week to build depot and method to choose after. I must be missing something. I still am not understanding exactly what slgs and tr actually mean. Sorry.....

SLGS and TR are the two dosing methods we use. I will give you the link that explains them.


I thought Max had ckd as well. He already had pancreatitis and on the Board that helped me with that a few cats had just been diagnosed with diabetes so I bought a bottle of urine test strips and Max tested positive for glucose in his urine. That’s how he got diagnosed.

Please don’t apologize for having questions or not understanding. FD is complicated. We all were in your shows and know this. That’s why many of us stay after our cats either are at the Rainbow Bridge or otj, off the juice.

Low carb food is under 10% so don’t worry about whether it’s listed as 1% or 2%. Since we base this on what manufacturers list we can never be exact. The same goes with glucose meters which are allowed to be off by 20%.

Keep asking questions. Someone will most likely have the answers.

 

[tiffmaxee]

Here’s the link I promised you.
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...-low-go-slow-slgs-tight-regulation-tr.210110/

 

[tiffmaxee]

He’s a big cat. Let him eat as much as he wants. Until regulated he will need even more calories. It will help now that he doesn’t need to eat it all at once.

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

He’s a big cat. Let him eat as much as he wants. Until regulated he will need even more calories. It will help now that he dues t need to eat it all at once.

Injust want to say thankyou so much! This site i think will not only save little mans life but it is already saving mine!

I have lost a couple to the rainbow bridge and he is really like my best friend anymore...kids gone and grown and we have been though a lot together...he is like my therapy cat and I am his therapy person

I have lupus so as many times as I've laid up with him with blockages he has laid with me during bed rest and seizures...in fact he learned when one of my seizures was coming and pestered me to lay down and he'd lay on top of me!

 

[tiffmaxee]

Max only blocked once but a vet pierced his bladder and I nearly lost him. After being on CD for several years he was switched to all wet and did well and never blocked again. But then he later got pancreatitis which led to fd.

When was the last time he blocked?

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Max only blocked once but a vet pierced his bladder and I nearly lost him. After being on CD for several years he was switched to all wet and did well and never blocked again. But then he later got pancreatitis which led to fd.

Little man blocked twice...second time was an attempt at all wet non rx diet so I'm leery not to feed canned c/d generally a small can per day...then supplement with pro plan senior which he loves. I add water to pate only way he'll eat it so he gets plenty of water.

Last time blocked was like 2017 a year later. Odds are slim if I quit c/d but it makes me nervous.

First time when diagnosed he spent 3 days in vet hospital had surgery to literally dig out Crystal's...leaked for months couldnt hold bladder...almost lost him then...second time I was better prepared so caught it earlier and he passed them better.


When was the last time he blocked?

 

[tiffmaxee]

Max was fine on all canned and lived to be over 19.

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Max was fine on all canned and lived to be over 19.

I wish there was a button and not just a like for this! I am hoping to have many more years with little man!

Vet called me back earlier she seems a bit hesitant about the home testing...said a test morning and night is just a snapshot and not a good feel for bg. She did say after the month she is willing to teach me to do the curve at home but isnt a fan of testing before shooting and adjusting doses. Claims a cat at 80 can shoot to 400 in matter of mins so if you dont give shot at 80 and they shoot up it's dangerous. So not sure what to think about that. Everything I've read on all these posts shows me that regular testing and personally adjusting dose has helped save and even put in remission.

I dont really need her help to learn the curve if I learn from here....now I will say that for this month he needs to get regulated and I agreed with her to that point. So he goes back for the fructosine (which I believe is the curve) late November.

 

[tiffmaxee]

Please please please don’t listen to your vet. My vet is board certified in internal medicine. He was the one who got me to test at home. I was afraid Max would hate me. Your vet is right that two tests are not enough. I became a testaholic as I was so scared of a hypo. Never had one. You need in my humble opinion an amps and +2 with mid cycle tests to determine how low a dose takes your cat. That’s both morning and night.

It’s true a cat can go from 80 to 400 in a short period of time. But that’s not dangerous. That’s a bounce that can happen if the cat goes lower than used to and when regulated happens less and less.

The only curve done by my vet and that was because I wasn’t testing at home. Actually it’s the only curve Max had because I tested enough to know his patterns. Max was always higher at my vet’s office. A few times when I had an appointment he would be in the 50’s at home but mid 100’s there due to stress. So your numbers are more accurate at home. Some cats have an opposite response.

My vet stopped giving dosing advice and told me that I managed Max better than any of his clients. I’d email him a copy of the ss every few weeks.

The fructosamine is an average of the last few weeks. I would not bother with one at this point as it will most likely show he’s not well controlled.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help.

Your vet is wrong about, please listen to the members here

 

[Little Man's mom (GA)]

Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help.

Your vet is wrong about, please listen to the members here

I know my vet is wrong on the home testing point and the management of insulin.

I am really struggling with the testing. I'm still trying and have been able to draw blood but not enough as it smears. I am watching all the videos on here and try once every other day. I'm trying very hard not to stress little man or myself with this.

I am sorry it's taking me longer to figure this out. I will say clinically he is doing much better and more himself.

As far as signature I thought I got that figured out and done. Guess we will find out when I post this reply.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

The signature is at the end of everyone's post in gray, yours is not there do you see mine?
I'm going to tag Bhooma @Bandit's Mom one of our members to help you with setting up the signature and our spreadsheet so you can track Little Man's BG numbers so we can help you with dosing
She will contact you by private message look for it up top in your inbox

 

[Bandit's Mom]

I am really struggling with the testing. I'm still trying and have been able to draw blood but not enough as it smears. I am watching all the videos on here and try once every other day. I'm trying very hard not to stress little man or myself with this.

Here's a post by one of our experienced members with test tips. Hope something there helps you!
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-9-bailey-amps-117-5-62.252712/#post-2851043

Just sending you a PM for setting up your Signature and Spreadsheet.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Thank you Bhooma
@Bandit's Mom