back again! more diet questions

[Randi & Effy]

Hey guys!
Me and Effy here. He's completely switched over to wet food now. After coming here I read about how everyone wasn't the biggest fan of purina dm, and he wasn't either - he only licked the gravy and didn't eat the food. But since switching to FF classics.... his bg seemed to go up vs his numbers on the "prescription" food. Should I switch him back!? The vet doesn't want to start insulin yet but he tested 384 just now and I'm getting worried. I just really wanted to control this as much as I could with diet and it just doesn't seem to be working. Am i feeding him too much!?! He probably gets around a full 3 or 4 cans of ff classics a day. Theres no excessive drinking or anything weird, if anything he's better than ever just a little more lazy. Better poops, better mood, better everything just worse numbers lol. I'm so lost!

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

No, you're not lost at all. The food, his type of insulin and how long he's been diabetic are just part of a much larger picture. I wouldn't think 384 is an excessively high number for now and it's not surprising since Effy has not been started on insulin. It's not an ideal number but every cat is different so the timeline your vet wants Effy on is just a very general guideline. Was Effy tested at the vet? Even if she's a good traveler the stress of being there will make her numbers go up. You need a weeks worth of AM and PM tests (at home) to even start to get a grip on things. I don't understand why your vet doesn't want to start insulin when Effy's time has clearly come. She is diabetic and diabetes is primarily controlled with insulin, food is just another part of it. Are you completely comfortable with this vet or is something telling you this just isn't right? Unfortunately for all of us a lot of vets seem to develop their own theories about diabetes, maybe it's a lack of education. Trust me, this happens all the time. Do you have the insulin and what type is it? Are you testing at home yet? There's a chart somewhere, HELP PLEASE, that lists the differences between the different FF foods.
Now what about those cakes? I check the mailbox every day!

 

[Randi & Effy]

I tested him at home and got the 384, when he was originally tested at the vet he was 470! But now he is NOT a good traveler, lol! I think i'll try and start a week long am and pm log and take it in. I might need a new vet, yeah. I was thinking of taking him to a few other ones just to get some more opinions. But no, no insulin yet! Just home tests and trying new food. I went off of the chart you're talking about for the food! He's been eating lots of ff classics, says about 2-3% carbs on each flavor. I need to make you some cakeballs!!! Lol!

 

[JanetNJ]

There's nothing in the DM food that makes it nutritionally better then the fancy feast. the 384 is a pretty expected number for a cat that is diabetic and needs insulin. Time to start that. The sooner you start the better.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

I was a food snob when Nigel (first diabetic) was diagnosed, wouldn't allow Fancy Feast in the house. Big mistake. Nobody likes hospital food. Yechh!
It can be hard standing up to a vet with all those diplomas but incredible as it sounds feline diabetes is not big on their agenda. Janet is right, the numbers say Effy is diabetic and that won't go away. The sooner you start the better you'll both feel.
You know I'm pulling your leg about the cakes right? I'm making cookies today after I hose out the basement.