May 1, 2023 New Member: Shellshocked abt Hypo

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Greetings, fellow cat lovers,
1 of my former rescues-turned-pet, Celia Cruz, aka Celia, a DSH "black pointed" brown tabby (black stripe from head to tail) with a crooked tail tip, age unknown (she found me @ 2011 & she was already fully grown then) was recently diagnosed after having a BG of 575 at the vet's after showing symptoms of: drinking, eating, & urinating more along with losing her canine tooth and a few other teeth that were decayed. Celia's body has always been toned & healthy looking, so I was in shock after I'd had 2 obese littermates many years prior that never had diabetes but passed away of CKD at 18 & 20.5 years old. I was advised to switch her food to high protein, which I did to the only one I could barely afford (Purina One: Ideal Weight High Protein) & her wet food stayed the same because I was told by Purina & the vet that it was already protein/low carb (Friskies Filets & Pate varieties). I quickly learned of the home BG Curve concept, bought a ReliOn meter & accessories and got to testing her @ 2 weeks after food change. Her 1st curve was: 376, 410,439,345,& 429. My vet recommended another one 2 weeks later: 366,401,384,297,329,425. Since the #'s stayed high, my vet then recommended starting insulin (Glargine, 100units/ml at 1 unit, 2x a day). I was dreading this recommendation like the plague and felt it was too soon to give up after changing her food & was hoping it was just the stress of living in a multicat household, but I'm no expert. Anyway after recovering from the stickershock of @ $300+ Lantus in the Metro DC area, depending where purchased, I finally found it at Walgreens for @$57 (generic) with the GoodRx discount, which I still couldn't afford bc I only work part time, but got help for it from someone which I pray lasts at least until I can find FT work. I wish I would've known before about Lantus' $35 promotion someone posted on here, but will try it next. So I got the Rx & have been studying this website & others about Feline Diabetes & am TERRIFIED to give it to her yet because of this whole Hypoglycemia concept. On top of that, the insulin expires in 28 days from when they gave it to me so I need to man-up quick. I have my Karo syrup, I will print out the hypo sheet here, but I just can't grasp the concept that I might kill her every time I inject her & must be ready at a moment's notice to run to the ER (like before work @ 4AM) and that while I'm away from home: she could go hypo & suffer & amongst the other pets and lastly: that sometimes they don't even exhibit hypo symptoms! I'm so panicked, my BP has been thru the roof with this Rx still in the bottle for a few days now. Am I misunderstanding anything or any advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

The first thing I want to say right away is that not giving a diabetic cat insulin can have much worse consequences than giving it to it. Also, the Lantus pen does not expire in 28 days. It will last until the expiration date printed on it if kept refrigerated properly. The 28 days thing it for folks who carry it with them like in their purse so it’s at room temperature most of the time. Also, that’s why a low starting dose is recommended. It will be a while before the numbers come down anywhere near the take action number, which btw is below 50. This is why home testing is so important. You can easily bring their numbers up with high or medium carb food and yea, Karo or honey too. You’ll learn around what time your cat’s nadir happens and it’s unlikely for a hypo to happen after that. Just take a look at Bobo’s spreadsheet and how I’ve been able to keep him safe this past week with testing and food!

With a diabetic cat you need:

• A low carb wet diet that is 10% carbs or under. Most of us use around 4-7% carbs
• A suitable insulin such as Lantus or Prozinc which are long acting, more gentle insulins than the old insulins.
• We recommend hometesting the blood glucose with a human meter…it is not necessary to use a pet meter which is expensive to run and is no better. It will keep your kitty safe and you will know how the dose is working for your kitty. Only testing every so often will not tell you what is happening in between those times and an awful lot can happen in even a day.
• HELP US HELP YOU has information about the spreadsheet, signature and hypo box which you will need to be able to look after your beloved kitty properly

This is an excellent site for diabetic cats…it has been around for more than 25 years and has very experienced people to help you.

Keep asking lots of questions.

welcome and I’ll write more tomorrow.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Oh and it’s not about high protein food, it’s about low carbs. Most of us feed fancy feast or Friskies pate.
FOOD CHART have a look on this chart and choose foods that are under 10%.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

The sooner you start on insulin the better and the better chance of remission. Food change alone won’t do it and she could develop other issues like neuropathy of unregulated for too long. You and the vet made the right decision and 1 is a good low starting dose. Would you be able to setup up your signature and a spreadsheet and start home testing every day? It’s important to test before each shot and a few more times at least once more during the day and at night.

 

[plumsteal]

I was terrified of the same thing when Meeko was diagnosed but that fear goes away with time and knowledge, I promise. When you start giving your cat insulin and home testing, you’ll be able to see how the insulin affects her, which helps reduce the anxiety a lot.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

To clarify a few things, you haven’t started the insulin yet although you have purchased it correct? I’d start asap preferably in the morning. You have to give the shot 12 hours apart. It’s important to do it exactly at the same time so let’s say 7am and 7pm. If you need to adjust the time for any reason, you can do it in no more than 15 minutes increments. Lantus needs consistency so that’s important.

you want to test, feed then give her the shot. If you need help setting up the spreadsheet let us know we have members who can help you. I assume you know what to do as far as testing since you did 2 curves already. If you need tips, let us know.

lastly, can you clarify the food? You mentioned 2 purinas so are you feeding a mix of dry and wet? If so, please transition her to wet only once you start testing. Almost all dry food is too high in carbs for a diabetic cat. Just like humans, they need a low carb diet and as I mentioned, that’s most important not the protein content.

hope is not too much info all at once, please ask if you are uncertain about anything!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Welcome did you get the syringes yet?
We use syringes so that we can adjust the dose by 0.25 units at a time
With using the pen you can only adjust the dose by whole units
If you have the pen you can just insert the needle into the gray rubber stopper that is on the pen

You can get the 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: either box is fine
They won't say it half unit on the box but the are . open then and look before you leave the store, can't be ordered on line , need to go into the store
:

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

The first thing I want to say right away is that not giving a diabetic cat insulin can have much worse consequences than giving it to it. Also, the Lantus pen does not expire in 28 days. It will last until the expiration date printed on it if kept refrigerated properly. The 28 days thing it for folks who carry it with them like in their purse so it’s at room temperature most of the time. Also, that’s why a low starting dose is recommended. It will be a while before the numbers come down anywhere near the take action number, which btw is below 50. This is why home testing is so important. You can easily bring their numbers up with high or medium carb food and yea, Karo or honey too. You’ll learn around what time your cat’s nadir happens and it’s unlikely for a hypo to happen after that. Just take a look at Bobo’s spreadsheet and how I’ve been able to keep him safe this past week with testing and food!

With a diabetic cat you need:

• A low carb wet diet that is 10% carbs or under. Most of us use around 4-7% carbs
• A suitable insulin such as Lantus or Prozinc which are long acting, more gentle insulins than the old insulins.
• We recommend hometesting the blood glucose with a human meter…it is not necessary to use a pet meter which is expensive to run and is no better. It will keep your kitty safe and you will know how the dose is working for your kitty. Only testing every so often will not tell you what is happening in between those times and an awful lot can happen in even a day.
• HELP US HELP YOU has information about the spreadsheet, signature and hypo box which you will need to be able to look after your beloved kitty properly

This is an excellent site for diabetic cats…it has been around for more than 25 years and has very experienced people to help you.

Keep asking lots of questions.

welcome and I’ll write more tomorrow.

The first thing I want to say right away is that not giving a diabetic cat insulin can have much worse consequences than giving it to it. Also, the Lantus pen does not expire in 28 days. It will last until the expiration date printed on it if kept refrigerated properly. The 28 days thing it for folks who carry it with them like in their purse so it’s at room temperature most of the time. Also, that’s why a low starting dose is recommended. It will be a while before the numbers come down anywhere near the take action number, which btw is below 50. This is why home testing is so important. You can easily bring their numbers up with high or medium carb food and yea, Karo or honey too. You’ll learn around what time your cat’s nadir happens and it’s unlikely for a hypo to happen after that. Just take a look at Bobo’s spreadsheet and how I’ve been able to keep him safe this past week with testing and food!

With a diabetic cat you need:

• A low carb wet diet that is 10% carbs or under. Most of us use around 4-7% carbs
• A suitable insulin such as Lantus or Prozinc which are long acting, more gentle insulins than the old insulins.
• We recommend hometesting the blood glucose with a human meter…it is not necessary to use a pet meter which is expensive to run and is no better. It will keep your kitty safe and you will know how the dose is working for your kitty. Only testing every so often will not tell you what is happening in between those times and an awful lot can happen in even a day.
• HELP US HELP YOU has information about the spreadsheet, signature and hypo box which you will need to be able to look after your beloved kitty properly

This is an excellent site for diabetic cats…it has been around for more than 25 years and has very experienced people to help you.

Keep asking lots of questions.

welcome and I’ll write more tomorrow.

Bless you & everyone for your rapid replies. In order of your mention: Yes, I agree that the benefits far outweigh the risks, but nonetheless this is terrifying, unknown territory for me where my cat's life depends on it. If I had a fear of needles, it would be even worse. Next, I received the generic Lantus in a vial on Apr. 28 and was told by the pharmacist that it didn't matter if I refrigerated it or left it at room temp. Then when I called the pharmacy a few days later with a question, I was told that I should've refrigerated it when I got home because they had refrigerated it there and that since I didn't, now it would expire a few days sooner. That really confused me. Next, I had a hard enough time finding Friskies wet food cans that were low carb, the only brand I can afford (& still not even sure they are in fact low carb), much less med./high carb for emergencies (which I still don't know how to determine) because my vet is so swamped (as is every vet hosp. in this area because I've actually exhausted every one in a 15 mile radius through the yrs) that she still hasn't gotten back to me about checking if Friskies cans are <12 % metabolized energy or <6g/100kcal and >26%protein (if possible) since I have no idea how to do the conversions required for this after she sent me a link about it from Royal Canin. I assume that the dry I switched Celia to is ok, but I don't know, since it's 42% protein, however, that's about all I know (Purina One: Ideal Weight/High Protein). Next, that's the problem: I'm also terrified a nadir will happen when I'm not there, but it appears that must go with this new territory. Next, yes, I have a ReliOn human glucometer and the vet prescribed 1 unit of Lantus every 12 hours and then to complete a curve 3 days after starting it and then two weeks later. Besides that, I am at a pure loss, I have to wait for days for a return email/call from my vet (but this the norm in this area), so have just been watching video after video and reading nonstop. Thank you again.

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Welcome did you get the syringes yet?
We use syringes so that we can adjust the dose by 0.35 units at a time
With using the pen you can only adjust the dose by whole units
If you have the pen you can just insert the needle into the gray rubber stopper that is on the pen

You can get the 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: either box is fine
They won't say it half unit on the box but the are . open then and look before you leave the store, can't be ordered on line , need to go into the store
:

Yes, I have these exact ones. Thank you so much.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Lantus in a vial on Apr. 28 and was told by the pharmacist that it didn't matter if I refrigerated it or left it at room temp. Then when I called the pharmacy a few days later with a question, I was told that I should've refrigerated it when I got home because they had refrigerated it there and that since I didn't, now it would expire a few days sooner.

Keep it in the fridge middle shelf, it will last you until the expiration date on it.
It should still be good if you left it out, look to see if there are any white floaties in it, if not it should be fine

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Next, I had a hard enough time finding Friskies wet food cans that were low carb, the only brand I can afford (& still not even sure they are in fact low carb), much less med./high carb for emergencies

Most of us do feed Friskies low carb 6 % or under
Fancy Feast Classic Pates most of them are 2 or 3 %
I will give you our food chart so you can take a look
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

For your hypo kit
med and high carb wet food and some honey, karo or maple syrup


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy
20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about themed and high carb foods

Any grocery store should have these too besides pet stores

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Purina One: Ideal Weight/High Protein).

If this is the dry food you are feeding it's no good it's 36 % carbs . I looked it up
If you start to ween Celia off the dry food , do it slowly each day,
You also need to be testing frequently because decreasing the dry food can drop her BG by 100 points. No need to feed dry food.
You can give her 1 or 2 tables of the wet food as a snack

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Next, yes, I have a ReliOn human glucometer and the vet prescribed 1 unit of Lantus every 12 hours and then to complete a curve 3 days after starting it and then two weeks later

Lantus is a depot insulin
I will give you the link for lantus/generic so you can read about. Read all the yellow stickys.
It will take 5 to 7 days for the depot to fill, so we usually suggest to do a curve after 7 days
Please read about the dosing methods also there are 2 of them which will tell you when an increase or decrease is needed. It depends on how often you are able to test every day
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/
@Anjee

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I see your financial situation isn't great
Try contacting DCIN? They have a start-up fund.
https://dcin.dreamhosters.com/assistance-programs/
Read the one that says One Time Assistance Program

Also try contacting @Chris & China (GA) she works at DCIN she can give you more information
She had posted this before to another member
To send to me, just click on my name, choose "start conversation" and that will come to my Inbox. If you're on Facebook, that's even faster and I'll make sure it gets to where it needs to go. https://www.facebook.com/chris.ronkoski/


I see that Ale gave you a link above

Tap on your name above , then tap on signature add the info that is noted in the blue link and then tap save
If you need help setting up our spreadsheet just ask we have a member who will gladly set it up for you

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.

The Helping us to help you link will also tell you
Using the spreadsheet is really very easy to use


How to Create a Spreadsheet

How to Use the Spreadsheet
@Anjee

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Look at the food chart I gave you above. It will have all the foods listed by brand with the carb content so you can easily see which ones are under 10%

here again:
FOOD CHART have a look on this chart and choose foods that are under 10%.

I know it’s a lot of info thrown at you all at once but take your time and read through all of our comments as well as check the links provided. It’s a steep learning curve but you can do it. We’ve all been in your shoes and I never thought the day would come where I’d be giving others advice!

PS - given how you feel about a potential hypo, I suggest going with the SLGS dosing protocol and also because you can’t do TR if you’re feeding any dry food at all

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

To clarify a few things, you haven’t started the insulin yet although you have purchased it correct? I’d start asap preferably in the morning. You have to give the shot 12 hours apart. It’s important to do it exactly at the same time so let’s say 7am and 7pm. If you need to adjust the time for any reason, you can do it in no more than 15 minutes increments. Lantus needs consistency so that’s important.

you want to test, feed then give her the shot. If you need help setting up the spreadsheet let us know we have members who can help you. I assume you know what to do as far as testing since you did 2 curves already. If you need tips, let us know.

lastly, can you clarify the food? You mentioned 2 purinas so are you feeding a mix of dry and wet? If so, please transition her to wet only once you start testing. Almost all dry food is too high in carbs for a diabetic cat. Just like humans, they need a low carb diet and as I mentioned, that’s most important not the protein content.

hope is not too much info all at once, please ask if you are uncertain about anything!

Cheers. In order of sequence: Have purchased it, but not started it yet. Was terrified and also waiting for a few days when I'll be off straight to observe & test her because there's no way I'm leaving her on her alone on the 1st day (or next few if I can help it). As far as curves, I thought I'd become an expert after 2 curves until a couple days ago when I must've tried 10 times on her ears with the lancing device & 26g as well as 30g lancets before I could get enough blood for that darn ReliOn Premier Classic meter (which is when you get a certain Error code). I rubbed the ears first, tried the warm dry rice compresses and still had a bad time that day getting enough blood for that meter. I will check out the spreadsheet info when home from work. My cats have always lived on both wet (2-3 times a day) & dry (free feeding) because of not only always having a multicat household, but also my leaving long hours for work around 4 days a week, then another long day at the store for their & my food & supplies, plus other errands/appts. so I've never left any cats I've ever had without a free-feeding supply of food in case of emergency (i.e., car breakdowns, traffic, etc.). I would love to try your suggestion about switching her to all wet because I do believe you after all I've read elsewhere about dry food, but the problem is the multicat household. And if it involved sequestering her, I can't even do that right now because I have no more rooms left from 3 others being sequestered when I'm not home for safety reasons. I'd switched her dry to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach, 1 of the low carb/hi prot. ones that vet recommended, but then could no longer afford it & switched to Purina One Ideal Weight/High Protein. Again, very kind of you. Thank you!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

What we are saying is that this Purina dry is not low carbs. It’s over 40% which is very dry. The only low carb dry I know is Dr. Elsys and I don’t know what it costs unfortunately. Would a time feeder be an option for the cats so you could transition them all to wet? They have compartments you can use for the wet food and some members here will add ice or ice packs so it stays fresh!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

As far as testing, I’ve always found it easier to free hand it then using a lancet device but that’s a matter of preference. You know the numbers are reversed right? So the 26 is actually a better bigger gauge lancet then the 30. Here’s the spot you want to aim for:

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Most of us do feed Friskies low carb 6 % or under
Fancy Feast Classic Pates most of them are 2 or 3 %
I will give you our food chart so you can take a look
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

For your hypo kit
med and high carb wet food and some honey, karo or maple syrup


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy
20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about themed and high carb foods

Any grocery store should have these too besides pet stores

You are a Godsend! Thank you so much!

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

What we are saying is that this Purina dry is not low carbs. It’s over 40% which is very dry. The only low carb dry I know is Dr. Elsys and I don’t know what it costs unfortunately. Would a time feeder be an option for the cats so you could transition them all to wet? They have compartments you can use for the wet food and some members here will add ice or ice packs so it stays fresh!

Thanks again. I can try to check out Dr. Elsys or switch her back to the dry one on the vet's list that she said was low carb (Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach) if I can afford it somehow, but I tried those devices with ice bags years ago when I only had 3 cats (now have 7, no I'm not a cat hoarder: my unethical, greedy mobile home park land owner was inhumanely trapping, leaving traps unattended & in the heat and relocating my & neighbors' TNR ear-tipped cats & paying neighbors to do it too & mine that I have now were the cats, plus a few more that have since passed, I had raised for 5-10y, those that were left who I was able to save when she really started cracking down & I couldn't take losing another one anymore even though I didn't have much space or the $, but since then a few have passed from everything from a brain tumor to CKD while under veterinary care, but no diabetes until now: so there's enough space for them), so by the time I got home: the cats hadn't eaten the food because by the time the device opened: the food had been exposed too long (even though sitting on ice), so they didn't want it (just like when wet food is exposed to air for a short while & they no longer want it) & also at times the device would malfunction and not even open. Never took that chance again. Sigh...

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Look at the food chart I gave you above. It will have all the foods listed by brand with the carb content so you can easily see which ones are under 10%

here again:
FOOD CHART have a look on this chart and choose foods that are under 10%.

I know it’s a lot of info thrown at you all at once but take your time and read through all of our comments as well as check the links provided. It’s a steep learning curve but you can do it. We’ve all been in your shoes and I never thought the day would come where I’d be giving others advice!

PS - given how you feel about a potential hypo, I suggest going with the SLGS dosing protocol and also because you can’t do TR if you’re feeding any dry food at all

Sorry, SLGS dosing protocol & TR?

Most of us do feed Friskies low carb 6 % or under
Fancy Feast Classic Pates most of them are 2 or 3 %
I will give you our food chart so you can take a look
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

For your hypo kit
med and high carb wet food and some honey, karo or maple syrup


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy
20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about themed and high carb foods

Any grocery store should have these too besides pet stores

Omg, thanks so much! Still reading everything & will read more when I get home from work after feeding my lil army. ;-)

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

You are a Godsend! Thank you so much!

You're welcome

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Sorry, SLGS dosing protocol & TR?

Read this
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...-low-go-slow-slgs-tight-regulation-tr.210110/

Here is the link so you can read everything about lantus
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/

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 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with


@Anjee

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Cheers. In order of sequence: Have purchased it, but not started it yet. Was terrified and also waiting for a few days when I'll be off straight to observe & test her because there's no way I'm leaving her on her alone on the 1st day (or next few if I can help it). As far as curves, I thought I'd become an expert after 2 curves until a couple days ago when I must've tried 10 times on her ears with the lancing device & 26g as well as 30g lancets before I could get enough blood for that darn ReliOn Premier Classic meter (which is when you get a certain Error code). I rubbed the ears first, tried the warm dry rice compresses and still had a bad time that day getting enough blood for that meter. I will check out the spreadsheet info when home from work. My cats have always lived on both wet (2-3 times a day) & dry (free feeding) because of not only always having a multicat household, but also my leaving long hours for work around 4 days a week, then another long day at the store for their & my food & supplies, plus other errands/appts. so I've never left any cats I've ever had without a free-feeding supply of food in case of emergency (i.e., car breakdowns, traffic, etc.). I would love to try your suggestion about switching her to all wet because I do believe you after all I've read elsewhere about dry food, but the problem is the multicat household. And if it involved sequestering her, I can't even do that right now because I have no more rooms left from 3 others being sequestered when I'm not home for safety reasons. I'd switched her dry to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach, 1 of the low carb/hi prot. ones that vet recommended, but then could no longer afford it & switched to Purina One Ideal Weight/High Protein. Again, very kind of you. Thank you!

I hate to say this but do not trust your vet when she tells you a dry food is low carb. Most vets know very little about feline nutrition that’s why they prescribe expensive high carb prescription food

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Most of us do feed Friskies low carb 6 % or under
Fancy Feast Classic Pates most of them are 2 or 3 %
I will give you our food chart so you can take a look
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

For your hypo kit
med and high carb wet food and some honey, karo or maple syrup


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy
20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about themed and high carb foods

Any grocery store should have these too besides pet stores

Thanks a million. I am LIVID because the Friskies on the cat food pdf are the same ones my vet said were low carb & I see they weren't! I even called Purina (not that there's no conflict of interest there, but I was desperate for a 2nd opinion) & they said they said all of their wet food is low carb,....wait, unless that's what I was 'hearing' because my vet was so focused on high protein that I assumed she/they were automatically taking low carb into account as well since they knew this was for a diabetic cat. But no, actually my vet has a list she gives to newly diagnosed cats' owners like she did me & Friskies were on it, even the Indoor flavor of all things! Ugh, back to square 1! I'm getting rid of everything except Paté now & if I can figure out how to get 7 cats including a kitten off dry without them climbing the walls & destroying the home for 8hrs: I would love to because it sure would save me some $ )(for more vet visits!) as well.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

. I can try to check out Dr. Elsys or switch her back to the dry one on the vet's list that she said was low carb (Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach) i

That is around 23% carbs too high

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Thanks a million. I am LIVID because the Friskies on the cat food pdf are the same ones my vet said were low carb & I see they weren't! I even called Purina (not that there's no conflict of interest there, but I was desperate for a 2nd opinion) & they said they said all of their wet food is low carb,....wait, unless that's what I was 'hearing' because my vet was so focused on high protein that I assumed she/they were automatically taking low carb into account as well since they knew this was for a diabetic cat. But no, actually my vet has a list she gives to newly diagnosed cats' owners like she did me & Friskies were on it, even the Indoor flavor of all things! Ugh, back to square 1! I'm getting rid of everything except Paté now & if I can figure out how to get 7 cats including a kitten off dry without them climbing the walls & destroying the home for 8hrs: I would love to because it sure would save me some $ )(for more vet visits!) as well.

Get the ones I listed for your hypo kit though , a few cans of each

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

I see your financial situation isn't great
Try contacting DCIN? They have a start-up fund.
https://dcin.dreamhosters.com/assistance-programs/
Read the one that says One Time Assistance Program

Also try contacting @Chris & China (GA) she works at DCIN she can give you more information
She had posted this before to another member
To send to me, just click on my name, choose "start conversation" and that will come to my Inbox. If you're on Facebook, that's even faster and I'll make sure it gets to where it needs to go. https://www.facebook.com/chris.ronkoski/


I see that Ale gave you a link above

Tap on your name above , then tap on signature add the info that is noted in the blue link and then tap save
If you need help setting up our spreadsheet just ask we have a member who will gladly set it up for you

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.

The Helping us to help you link will also tell you
Using the spreadsheet is really very easy to use


How to Create a Spreadsheet

How to Use the Spreadsheet
@Anjee

Thank you TREMENDOUSLY for the resources! Still browsing them...

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Dr Elsey's dry is expensive , it's around 5 or 6% carbs
It does come in different size bags here is the 2 lb bag
https://www.chewy.com/dr-elseys-cleanprotein-chicken/dp/146269?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12791446238&utm_content=Dr. Elsey's&utm_term=&show-search=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cKiBhD5ARIsAKXUdyYHmVrpNaezh9IRu80EgggKllYBiZdvJ2bQVl9gsyC5e1w2I-emLCAaAtZvEALw_wcB

Here is the 6.6 lb bag
https://www.chewy.com/dr-elseys-cleanprotein-chicken/dp/146270?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12791446238&utm_content=Dr. Elsey's&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cKiBhD5ARIsAKXUdyawSJoC9hQPw0izAaBJxPvv_zlTkV5ieOR8sS9_hyD45r3FfCXRIioaAnc8EALw_wcB
@Anjee

 

[Pika and Shellz]

Greetings, fellow cat lovers,
1 of my former rescues-turned-pet, Celia Cruz, aka Celia, a DSH "black pointed" brown tabby (black stripe from head to tail) with a crooked tail tip, age unknown (she found me @ 2011 & she was already fully grown then) was recently diagnosed after having a BG of 575 at the vet's after showing signs of: drinking, eating, & urinating more. Celia's body has always been toned & healthy looking, so I was in shock after I'd had 2 obese littermates many years prior that never had diabetes but passed away of CKD at 18 & 20.5 years old. I was advised to switch her food to high protein, which I did to the only one I could barely afford (Purina One: Ideal Weight High Protein) & her wet food stayed the same because I was told by Purina & the vet that it was already protein/low carb (Friskies Filets & Pate varieties). I quickly learned of the home BG Curve concept, bought a ReliOn meter & accessories and got to testing her @ 2 weeks after food change. Her 1st curve was: 376, 410,439,345,& 429. My vet recommended another one 2 weeks later: 366,401,384,297,329,425. Since the #'s stayed high, my vet then recommended starting insulin (Glargine, 100units/ml at 1 unit, 2x a day). I was dreading this recommendation like the plague and felt it was too soon to give up after changing her food & was hoping it was just the stress of living in a multicat household, but I'm no expert. Anyway after recovering from the stickershock of @ $300+ Lantus in the Metro DC area, depending where purchased, I finally found it at Walgreens for @$57 (generic) with the GoodRx discount, which I still couldn't afford bc I only work part time, but got help for it from someone which I pray lasts at least until I can find FT work. I wish I would've known before about Lantus' $35 promotion someone posted on here, but will try it next. So I got the Rx & have been studying this website & others about Feline Diabetes & am TERRIFIED to give it to her yet because of this whole Hypoglycemia concept. On top of that, the insulin expires in 28 days from when they gave it to me so I need to man-up quick. I have my Karo syrup, I will print out the hypo sheet here, but I just can't grasp the concept that I might kill her every time I inject her & must be ready at a moment's notice to run to the ER (like before work @ 4AM) and that while I'm away from home: she could go hypo & suffer & amongst the other pets and lastly: that sometimes they don't even exhibit hypo symptoms! I'm so panicked, my BP has been thru the roof with this Rx still in the bottle for a few days now. Am I misunderstanding anything or any advice? Thanks in advance!

I can’t give really advice since I’m so new to the Kitty Diabetic world as well. But I will say I was terrified as well. Doing home testing really gave me confidence! I was scared of doing the home testing and causing a hypo that I wouldn’t give my kitty the insulin he actually needed to the point the vet convinced me to get the libre sensor so I could get numbers and learn more about how is body is working. But the vet has a serious talk with me since I was so worried about killing my cat with insulin. And he said test. I didn’t think I could give an insulin shot and now it’s so easy! And Pika doesn’t mind it at all.. he did take about a month to get used to the bidaily shots. But he is much better with insulin than without.

but I was so worried about getting hypo numbers or coming home to an unresponsive kitty.. but I have officially gone through getting some lower numbers officially and it’s scary but once you do it your like okay.. that wasn’t too bad we all lived. And I learned my kitty loves honey (we didn’t have Karo) we haven’t ever had him go unconscious on us or any signs of a hypo other than numbers said. But so keep some high carb food in the house. I didn’t and had to ask my neighbor for treats! Cause I couldn’t get to the store and home he needed carb treats now. And as I’m typing this his low glucose alarm goes off. And no panic. I just get the hypo box oit that I am trying to create but he keeps dipping. I’m getting ready to test to find out the BG vs the skin fluid.

I never did put my insulin in the fridge my pharmacist told me not too and that even being left out my insulin will be okay for 2-4 months. My vet even said the same to me. When I get my new bottle I will be putting it in the fridge but my damage was done. My bottle was opened and never put onto the fridge so i made my bed and have to sleep in. We all make mistakes. But we make these mistakes out of love and not having knowledge.. I was told the cold insulin can slightly feel uncomfortable at injection so I was scared of hurting him. Now I’m not scared at all. Even testing him at home with my meter isn’t scary anymore and a few times I poked his ear too hard or I hit the vain and had more blood than I knew what to do with and then trying to get him to hold still as I apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I bawled and said never again.. and I was testing him 6 hours later For his shot and that time no trauma.. but Pika and I are closer than ever. All this has really caused us to bond.

but my friend who’s daughter is a diabetic put it best. This is a giant science experiment. That changes every cycle. You have good ones and you have bad ones and you have to do what you believe is best your vet/dr only sees them for a few minutes.. you have them all the time you know your kitty more than the vet. Trust your gut…. And you wouldn’t do anything to purposely hurt your kitty. But yes do home test. You don’t give insulin without testing. No doctor would have a human do that. Test your kitty you can do it.

this message board has helped me get the confidence to actively help my kitties diabetic needs. And they will help you as they are!! You got this!!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

I can’t give really advice since I’m so new to the Kitty Diabetic world as well. But I will say I was terrified as well. Doing home testing really gave me confidence! I was scared of doing the home testing and causing a hypo that I wouldn’t give my kitty the insulin he actually needed to the point the vet convinced me to get the libre sensor so I could get numbers and learn more about how is body is working. But the vet has a serious talk with me since I was so worried about killing my cat with insulin. And he said test. I didn’t think I could give an insulin shot and now it’s so easy! And Pika doesn’t mind it at all.. he did take about a month to get used to the bidaily shots. But he is much better with insulin than without.

but I was so worried about getting hypo numbers or coming home to an unresponsive kitty.. but I have officially gone through getting some lower numbers officially and it’s scary but once you do it your like okay.. that wasn’t too bad we all lived. And I learned my kitty loves honey (we didn’t have Karo) we haven’t ever had him go unconscious on us or any signs of a hypo other than numbers said. But so keep some high carb food in the house. I didn’t and had to ask my neighbor for treats! Cause I couldn’t get to the store and home he needed carb treats now. And as I’m typing this his low glucose alarm goes off. And no panic. I just get the hypo box oit that I am trying to create but he keeps dipping. I’m getting ready to test to find out the BG vs the skin fluid.

I never did put my insulin in the fridge my pharmacist told me not too and that even being left out my insulin will be okay for 2-4 months. My vet even said the same to me. When I get my new bottle I will be putting it in the fridge but my damage was done. My bottle was opened and never put onto the fridge so i made my bed and have to sleep in. We all make mistakes. But we make these mistakes out of love and not having knowledge.. I was told the cold insulin can slightly feel uncomfortable at injection so I was scared of hurting him. Now I’m not scared at all. Even testing him at home with my meter isn’t scary anymore and a few times I poked his ear too hard or I hit the vain and had more blood than I knew what to do with and then trying to get him to hold still as I apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I bawled and said never again.. and I was testing him 6 hours later For his shot and that time no trauma.. but Pika and I are closer than ever. All this has really caused us to bond.

but my friend who’s daughter is a diabetic put it best. This is a giant science experiment. That changes every cycle. You have good ones and you have bad ones and you have to do what you believe is best your vet/dr only sees them for a few minutes.. you have them all the time you know your kitty more than the vet. Trust your gut…. And you wouldn’t do anything to purposely hurt your kitty. But yes do home test. You don’t give insulin without testing. No doctor would have a human do that. Test your kitty you can do it.

this message board has helped me get the confidence to actively help my kitties diabetic needs. And they will help you as they are!! You got this!!

Couldn’t agree more with everything you said.

PS - you can rub the syringe in your fingers for a bit so the insulin is not so cold when you shoot it into your cat. Sometimes I hold it in my mouth to warm it up or I’ll even lay it on top of the sock filled with rice that I used to warm up his ears since that’s still relatively warm. That way you’re only warming up the insulin in the syringe not the entire pen or vial

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

The sooner you start on insulin the better and the better chance of remission. Food change alone won’t do it and she could develop other issues like neuropathy of unregulated for too long. You and the vet made the right decision and 1 is a good low starting dose. Would you be able to setup up your signature and a spreadsheet and start home testing every day? It’s important to test before each shot and a few more times at least once more during the day and at night.

Thanks much. Have not had time yet to check out the Help Us Help You link yet because don't have stable web or pc access at home (only work), but I don't know how I could do a BG curve daily (8-12 hours) with having to work (or appts., grocery) not to mention my cat is already learning to hide from me when I do these, if she even had any ears left if I did it daily because I was already running out of spots to prick in 1 day alone, esp. since she won't let me do the paw print nor do I have the dexterity anyway.

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

If this is the dry food you are feeding it's no good it's 36 % carbs . I looked it up
If you start to ween Celia off the dry food , do it slowly each day,
You also need to be testing frequently because decreasing the dry food can drop her BG by 100 points. No need to feed dry food.
You can give her 1 or 2 tables of the wet food as a snack

Oh my goodness, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I just read this entirely (didn't see the weaning part yesterday), so after seeing a YouTube video by Dr. Andrew Jones (Veterinary Secrets I think it's called) who got his cat into remission by food alone and after reading so much here: I PANICKED this morning when I left for work and took away the dry food from all of them except the kitten & the elderly one who are sequestered for safety! I left plenty of wet food out atop ice gel bags sitting in platter bowls for them until I return @ 8 hrs later. I hope I didn't mess up with doing this, I'm so distraught with all this that I don't know what I'm doing.

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Get the ones I listed for your hypo kit though , a few cans of each

Oh definitely, THANKS!

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

That is around 23% carbs too high

If I may ask, where did you find this info (& for the Purina One)???? Because my vet has the former, along with several other ProPlan dry food on her list of low carbs for newly diagnosed and all she could give me was a converter link from Royal Canin that I could not figure out how to use and still waiting weeks on her to get back to me to decipher it.

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

What we are saying is that this Purina dry is not low carbs. It’s over 40% which is very dry. The only low carb dry I know is Dr. Elsys and I don’t know what it costs unfortunately. Would a time feeder be an option for the cats so you could transition them all to wet? They have compartments you can use for the wet food and some members here will add ice or ice packs so it stays fresh!

After seeing a YouTube video by Dr. Andrew Jones (Veterinary Secrets, I think it's called) who got his cat into remission by food alone and after reading so much here: I PANICKED this morning when I left for work and took away the dry food from all of them except the kitten & the elderly one who are sequestered for safety! I left plenty of wet food out atop ice gel bags sitting in platter bowls for them until I return @ 8 hrs later. I hope I didn't mess up with doing this, I'm so distraught with all this that I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to look into if the technology has improved as far as those timed bowl devices that you could add ice bags in because like I said elsewhere here: years ago when I had them they would either not open sometimes while I was gone or the ice would melt too fast.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Thanks much. Have not had time yet to check out the Help Us Help You link yet because don't have stable web or pc access at home (only work), but I don't know how I could do a BG curve daily (8-12 hours) with having to work (or appts., grocery) not to mention my cat is already learning to hide from me when I do these, if she even had any ears left if I did it daily because I was already running out of spots to prick in 1 day alone, esp. since she won't let me do the paw print nor do I have the dexterity anyway.

You don’t do a curve daily. Only about every 2 weeks. What you need to do daily is test before each shot and maybe one more time in the day and a +2 or +3 at night before going to bed. Please read the info so this all can start to make sense to you.

Are you giving a low carb test immediately after each test to build positive association? Regardless, if it fails or not, cat gets a treat each time. Freeze dried treats are great or even some regular chicken

Do you have a smartphone? I’m always on this site on my cell. Rarely ever on a computer. You can check out the links on your cell. That’s what I do!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Please also know that the longer you wait to get your cat started on insulin, the less likely the chances of remission are. I know you’re scared of a hypo but she needs insulin right now so that her pancreas can start to heal.

removing the dry will be better for all of them. Even before I had a diabetic cat I was encouraged by my vet to remove all dry from their diet because it’s really not good for them. It’s like junk food for a human.

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Oh and it’s not about high protein food, it’s about low carbs. Most of us feed fancy feast or Friskies pate.
FOOD CHART have a look on this chart and choose foods that are under 10%.

Great, thanks! I just found what vet had given me: she said aim for <12% ME or <6g/100kcal. Had no idea how to determine that from a can or dry bag because it was not written like that on there (I assume some formula like she later mentioned). However, on further inspection today, the Friskies Patés looked like they said more than 100kcal a can...is that right? So are the Friskies Patés ok & how soon should I do a curve after switching over to all Paté? Also, do you all know anything about any of the broths because my cats are addicted to putting broths over their food too (e.g., Hartz Broths, Friskies Lil Shakes, (Walmart) Pure Balance Creamy Starters)? Lastly, someone said here(forgive me, I lost track) that they feed ProPlan Urinary Tract Health? I assume they mean only the wet? Thanksssss!

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

You don’t do a curve daily. Only about every 2 weeks. What you need to do daily is test before each shot and maybe one more time in the day and a +2 or +3 at night before going to bed. Please read the info so this all can start to make sense to you.

Are you giving a low carb test immediately after each test to build positive association? Regardless, if it fails or not, cat gets a treat each time. Freeze dried treats are great or even some regular chicken

Do you have a smartphone? I’m always on this site on my cell. Rarely ever on a computer. You can check out the links on your cell. That’s what I do!

Got it, notated it! Thanks so much. I had read somewhere that even if a BG is very high before the shot, it doesn't mean that they can't go into hypoglycemia and at any given time so I just assumed that doing many around shot time might not be very useful or accurate (which really discouraged me). No, no treats yet (although I'd heard of this practice) because I have yet to find an inexpensive low carb treat that she likes. I had to take away her Temptations when she got diagnosed & I found some freeze dried 100% chicken treats w/catnip, but she barely touched them. Great idea, thanks, I will keep looking. Yeah, I'm going to have to start resorting to my cell, it is just so small that even with glasses: it's hard to see.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Thanks much. Have not had time yet to check out the Help Us Help You link yet because don't have stable web or pc access at home (only work), but I don't know how I could do a BG curve daily (8-12 hours) with having to work (or appts., grocery) not to mention my cat is already learning to hide from me when I do these, if she even had any ears left if I did it daily because I was already running out of spots to prick in 1 day alone, esp. since she won't let me do the paw print nor do I have the dexterity anyway.

Hi you don't do a curve daily at all, with the SLGS Method , you would do a curve after 7 days and then you can post and ask for advice on what dose to stay , whether or need to increase or decrease. If Celia ever drops below at any time you would decrease the dose by 0.25 units
Once you read the link for lantus and the dosing methods I think you will understand a little bit more, but you can always ask if you have a question
If you do have a question you can put a ? The Date , Celia and ask your question
If you don't work in the weekends you can do a 2 hour curve then
@Anjee

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

I can’t give really advice since I’m so new to the Kitty Diabetic world as well. But I will say I was terrified as well. Doing home testing really gave me confidence! I was scared of doing the home testing and causing a hypo that I wouldn’t give my kitty the insulin he actually needed to the point the vet convinced me to get the libre sensor so I could get numbers and learn more about how is body is working. But the vet has a serious talk with me since I was so worried about killing my cat with insulin. And he said test. I didn’t think I could give an insulin shot and now it’s so easy! And Pika doesn’t mind it at all.. he did take about a month to get used to the bidaily shots. But he is much better with insulin than without.

but I was so worried about getting hypo numbers or coming home to an unresponsive kitty.. but I have officially gone through getting some lower numbers officially and it’s scary but once you do it your like okay.. that wasn’t too bad we all lived. And I learned my kitty loves honey (we didn’t have Karo) we haven’t ever had him go unconscious on us or any signs of a hypo other than numbers said. But so keep some high carb food in the house. I didn’t and had to ask my neighbor for treats! Cause I couldn’t get to the store and home he needed carb treats now. And as I’m typing this his low glucose alarm goes off. And no panic. I just get the hypo box oit that I am trying to create but he keeps dipping. I’m getting ready to test to find out the BG vs the skin fluid.

I never did put my insulin in the fridge my pharmacist told me not too and that even being left out my insulin will be okay for 2-4 months. My vet even said the same to me. When I get my new bottle I will be putting it in the fridge but my damage was done. My bottle was opened and never put onto the fridge so i made my bed and have to sleep in. We all make mistakes. But we make these mistakes out of love and not having knowledge.. I was told the cold insulin can slightly feel uncomfortable at injection so I was scared of hurting him. Now I’m not scared at all. Even testing him at home with my meter isn’t scary anymore and a few times I poked his ear too hard or I hit the vain and had more blood than I knew what to do with and then trying to get him to hold still as I apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I bawled and said never again.. and I was testing him 6 hours later For his shot and that time no trauma.. but Pika and I are closer than ever. All this has really caused us to bond.

but my friend who’s daughter is a diabetic put it best. This is a giant science experiment. That changes every cycle. You have good ones and you have bad ones and you have to do what you believe is best your vet/dr only sees them for a few minutes.. you have them all the time you know your kitty more than the vet. Trust your gut…. And you wouldn’t do anything to purposely hurt your kitty. But yes do home test. You don’t give insulin without testing. No doctor would have a human do that. Test your kitty you can do it.

this message board has helped me get the confidence to actively help my kitties diabetic needs. And they will help you as they are!! You got this!!

In order of sequence: Ok, now you got me crying at work! ;-) THANKS so much for that vote of confidence and all the great info that I could sooo relate to as Celia Cruz was just diagnosed recently too. My vet said the Libre sensor is really expensive. Is that true? It sounds like it notifies you of his BG? Does that mean less BG tests? And I'm not familiar with the "skin fluid" (?). And when you needed the high carb treats, did he have symptoms like seizures or wobbly gait or something? I am terrified of seizures because I used to have a rescue cat that had cluster seizures and he passed during one. Yeah, I'm getting mixed messages about the insulin storage too, so I put it in the fridge even though it's been out almost a week now since I got it. I'm so sorry about the ear prick incidents, that has been a fear of mine too, but so far I've had the opposite happen: can never get 'enough' blood! I think it just takes practice. Thanks for telling me about testing before insulin bc like I told another member here: I was getting mixed messages abt that too because of not knowing when insulin will reach full peak or something. Yes, you are right: this message board is unbelievable! The ppl here have been so helpful and compassionate. Too bad they don't have one of these for every animal (& human!) ailment! Thanks again!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

If I may ask, where did you find this info (& for the Purina One)???? Because my vet has the former, along with several other ProPlan dry food on her list of low carbs for newly diagnosed and all she could give me was a converter link from Royal Canin that I could not figure out how to use and still waiting weeks on her to get back to me to decipher it.

Sometimes if you Google the food you are looking for and you see it on the Chewy site, you will see that people have asked some questions and you might see it answered, you can also go up top on our site , and where it says search type it in and you might see many posts with the food in bold letters , you might see someone said what the carbs are, you just have to skim through the posts.
You can always e- mail the company and ask them to give you the carbs on a dry matter basis.
Like Ale had mentioned there really isn't any dry food that's low carb , except the Dr Elsey's and that's 5 or 6 % carbs. The Chicken flavor
@Anjee

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

Good to know...Didn't know abt the keywords in posts either, thanks again!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

About the Freestyle Libre
Tap on the blue link , there is a discussion about it
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...-diagnosed-with-diabetes.274874/#post-3051322

I found this written by another member
I had the Libre it’s very easy to use but from what I know it’s a temporary use . The sensor is suppose to last for 14 days but rarely does , I got 9 days out of my first sensor before it had to be replaced . Here are you Pros and Cons
Pros - Once on very easy to read . You can read anytime . You can you the reader or your cell phone . The sensor reads BG every 15 minutes on it own but you still have to wave your reader or cell phone to get a reading
and your Vet can access through a computer watching day through the night .
Cons - The sensor is put on with surgical glue some kitties can have a reaction to the glue .
You have to cross your fingers your cat will keep the sensor on and not scratch it off .
The sensor may not last for 14 days and are about $ 40.00 dollars to replace .
If you can’t use your cell phone to read the sensor the reader is about $65.00 dollars

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

In order of sequence: Ok, now you got me crying at work! ;-) THANKS so much for that vote of confidence and all the great info that I could sooo relate to as Celia Cruz was just diagnosed recently too. My vet said the Libre sensor is really expensive. Is that true? It sounds like it notifies you of his BG? Does that mean less BG tests? And I'm not familiar with the "skin fluid" (?). And when you needed the high carb treats, did he have symptoms like seizures or wobbly gait or something? I am terrified of seizures because I used to have a rescue cat that had cluster seizures and he passed during one. Yeah, I'm getting mixed messages about the insulin storage too, so I put it in the fridge even though it's been out almost a week now since I got it. I'm so sorry about the ear prick incidents, that has been a fear of mine too, but so far I've had the opposite happen: can never get 'enough' blood! I think it just takes practice. Thanks for telling me about testing before insulin bc like I told another member here: I was getting mixed messages abt that too because of not knowing when insulin will reach full peak or something. Yes, you are right: this message board is unbelievable! The ppl here have been so helpful and compassionate. Too bad they don't have one of these for every animal (& human!) ailment! Thanks again

On a human meter, 50 is your “take action” number meaning it's time to intervene with food to bring the BG up , always ask if you're not sure about something
Whether it be med or high carb food
Let's say you get a reading of 70 @+3 ( 3 hours after giving insulin) you would want to feed some low carb food to keep her from dropping , try to keep her surfing in safe numbers
It's hard to explain right now until you start the insulin
There are always someone around 24/7 if you need help

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

About the Freestyle Libre
Tap on the blue link , there is a discussion about it
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...-diagnosed-with-diabetes.274874/#post-3051322

I found this written by another member
I had the Libre it’s very easy to use but from what I know it’s a temporary use . The sensor is suppose to last for 14 days but rarely does , I got 9 days out of my first sensor before it had to be replaced . Here are you Pros and Cons
Pros - Once on very easy to read . You can read anytime . You can you the reader or your cell phone . The sensor reads BG every 15 minutes on it own but you still have to wave your reader or cell phone to get a reading
and your Vet can access through a computer watching day through the night .
Cons - The sensor is put on with surgical glue some kitties can have a reaction to the glue .
You have to cross your fingers your cat will keep the sensor on and not scratch it off .
The sensor may not last for 14 days and are about $ 40.00 dollars to replace .
If you can’t use your cell phone to read the sensor the reader is about $65.00 dollars[/QUOTE

Oh wow, thanks. Yeah, I just found a user of it online (https://felinedm.com/tips-tricks-an...onitoring/freestyle-libre-sensors-in-my-cats/) who told of her cat knocking it off while using his high-sided litterbox! Add that to what you just told me & I can see any of my cats knocking that off within days (or hours)!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

How to handle low numbers
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dont-panic-or-how-to-handle-low-numbers.210109/

Also with new members we usually tell them not to give insulin if the AMPS ( AM Pre shot) that's the first test you do in the morning. PMPS ( PM Pre shot) first test you do 12 hours after the AM shot
Always post for advice


Part of that process is getting a feel for basic concepts:

• Onset - the length of time before insulin reaches the bloodstream & begins lowering blood glucose
• Peak/Nadir - the lowest point in the cycle
• Duration - the length of time insulin continues to lower blood glucose

Many people on Lantus find that getting a +2 can be an early indication of how the cycle may go. If it is significantly lower, it means you'll need to continue to monitor , but if the +2 is higher than preshot, it usually means that you can take a break from testing.

Usually with lantus the onset is @+2 ( 2 hours after giving insulin)
Nadir it can vary but it's usually around +6

 

[Angie & Celia (Cruz)]

How to handle low numbers
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dont-panic-or-how-to-handle-low-numbers.210109/

Also with new members we usually tell them not to give insulin if the AMPS ( AM Pre shot) that's the first test you do in the morning. PMPS ( PM Pre shot) first test you do 12 hours after the AM shot
Always post for advice

I'm sorry, "not to give insulin if the AMPS" is what?