9/12 New Member Introduction

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Shannon & Chewy

Shannon & Chewy

Member Since 2022
Hello all. I've been lurking around for a few weeks trying to get my bearings as a new mom to a diabetic orange tabby, Chewy. My baby had been healthy up until this past year. I adopted him 6 yrs ago when he was ~8 yrs old. Late last year he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. A few months later he showed signs of kidney disease and at the end of July was diagnosed with diabetes.

I have been searching for the right diet for Chewy. I tried all of the kidney diets (which I know are not great for diabetics) and the only one he will eat is Blue Buffalo. I've since learned that is a terrible choice and will start him on Weruva. Chewy will eat about 1/2 can of wet food a day and the rest is dry food. Over the time I've had him, he will eat can food pretty good and then all of sudden will refuse to eat it. My other two orange tabbies are equally fussy.

My current vet does not seem to know how to properly dose my cat. He started Chewy at 2 units and then moved him to 3 units when his nadir was 326. I know I need to have slower dose changes and test more frequently. It's nice to have a place where I can talk with other pet owners and feel more confident about how to take care of Chewy on his next big adventure.

Btw - anyone know how to change your profile name. I see no one else is using their full name.
 
there are other members who use their entire real name but if you want to change it, go to the top right, click on your username, then click on personal details, then click on the bottom left where it says 'change username'
 
Hi and welcome!

thank you for having your signature and your spreadsheet set up! 2 units is a vey high starting dose, we recommend starting at 1 and only increasing by 1/4 unit or .25. Do you have 1/2 unit marked syringes? Now that you’re home testing, the goal should be to transition him to wet food only if he accepts it. I know there are a few low card dry foods out there but I’m not sure if they’re appropriate for CKD
 
Hi Shannon and Chewy and welcome to the forum! Well done getting your SS and signature set up and running. That is very helpful to us!
Just a comment on your SS information… we recommend always getting a preshot BG before every dose to make sure it is safe to give the dose. I see you have not been getting PM preshot before giving the dose.
I would also encourage you to get at least one test in during the pm cycle as it is just as important as the am cycle and is when a lot of cat drop lower.
Looking at his BG numbers,it is very possible he is dropping low during the PM cycle and then bouncing up in the am cycle. Bouncing is normal behaviour in newly diagnosed cats, but one needs to be aware of it and not increase the dose if the BG is dropping low at other times.
Taken from the yellow sticky ..The Basics
  • Bouncing - Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles)
I would also encourage you to read all the yellow stickies at the top of the Lantus page. You will see there are two dosing methods for Lantus you might like to look at and choose one. it is much easier and better to follow a dosing method and you will get better results.
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/

We also recommend going up and down in 1/4 unit increments not 1 unit increments where you may go past the best dose.
 
Welcome! I have a ckd diabetic as well. Wishing Mr Chewy a safe start to the diabetic routine!
And btw…
Bff play pate cans ( from weruva) [ check mate / best buds / topsy turvy / laugh out loud / take a chance]
have been pretty successful with my diabetic ckd cat
 
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