Re: Diagnosed TODAY..I'm more than overwhelmed!
tailzmom said:
Hi..I'm Beth Anne and I have DSH rescue(not aged; guessing 2-3yrs) wt. is approx.12 lbs.... :shock: named Sonny..his BG was in the 400's at the vet...got this information station from on line...vet prescribed 2 units 2x's a day..After feeding..I'm so darn lost..getting insulin Friday as this is a holiday. .unsure how long he has been suffering..OMG..I think I'm going to have a breakdown!!!...please..Please help me..Thank you in advance..BA
Hi Beth Anne,
You and Sonny will be just fine, so no need to worry yourself, OK?
Now, there are many cats who are DIET CONTROLLED and don't need insulin, so hold off buying insulin for now.... a few days or so will not make a difference, and correcting diet may be all that Sonny needs!
If you can post what foods Sonny has been eating and what you are feeding, plus how much food and how often, you can get suggestions on adjusting for the better.
The best diet is raw, and there is a recipe you can get, but most people just go with low carb wet food that is under 10% carbs.
Dr. Lisa Pierson's site has the recipe for raw, and also a food list that you can check .... maybe your current foods are fine, but for sure check.
http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf
Now, home testing is pretty important. How else will you know if it's safe to give a shot or not? Many vets say you don't need to tests, and others say you have to use an expensive pet meter, but you can do just fine with an economical Relion meter and its strips. It's best to test while you are making the food changes because you may find that you are getting much better numbers than the 400 at the vet office. It usually will take a few days to get the diet sorted and the numbers to reflect the change. One last thing about that 400.... vet stress causes alot of cats to test higher at the vet office, and there can be other causes for high numbers like infections, illness, dental problems.
How was your cat diagnosed? By one test at the vet office on a meter, or the glucose value on a blood panel of tests, or did the vet have a fructosamine test done? The fructosamine test is an average of your cat's numbers over the last couple weeks and it's the better way to diagnose feline diabetes.
What insulin did the vet say you should use? There are some insulins better than others, and like I said, no rush yet until you sort out the diet and are home testing.
The dose the vet wanted for starting is too high; most cats never need that high of a dose, and it's better and safer to start at a dose of maybe 1 unit or 0.5 unit twice a day, then work your way up slowly if needed.
Sonny will be just fine once you get all sorted out, and you have plenty of people to help you.... just ask if you need help or have a question.
Gayle