Born into the world of diabetes - June 30, 2012

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SqueakersMom

SqueakersMom

Member Since 2012
Just entering into the world of feline diabetes, my head is spinning.

Found out while my cat was at the kitty spa getting vaccinations that he is diabetic and has pancreatitis...out of the blue..shocking! So, with only the vet's explanation and guidance, I have given 3 insulin injections and tested my kitty's blood for the first time this morning. I feel like a fish out of the water. Blind and scared...because I don't know what I don't know..

I decided to surf the web to see what I could find out... I do not want to overwhelm myself with so much information that I pop, but need to arm myself with what I need to know to ensure that my Squeakers has a long and happy life.

So, the first thing I read on this forum is "Dear Mom, I know it's only been a couple of days, but there are a few things I'd like to tell you. First of all, you really do have to calm down, because you're stressing me out......" Thank you! I am so grateful that I read this first because I really was overwhelmed and was doing many of those things.

Now, I will take a deep breath and read on..
 
Welcome to feline diabetes! :-D We have ALL been where you are, scared, nervous, anxious, confused .. it DOES and WILL get better! I'm sorry your kitty is also suffering from pancreatitis .. I don't have experience with that myself as my kitty never had it, but I know others on here have dealt with it and will help guide you along ..

You'll find a ton of helpful people on here at almost any hour so read on, ask questions, and make yourself at home!
 
Welcome! It does stop spinning out of control eventually.

In the meantime, read as much as you can, within reason, and post here or on the insulin board which you are using for specific advice. You are not alone!

Lu-Ann
 
So, the first thing I read on this forum is "Dear Mom, I know it's only been a couple of days, but there are a few things I'd like to tell you. First of all, you really do have to calm down, because you're stressing me out......"
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome! Isn't that the most amazing thing you've ever read? I love that post, and I've linked many people to it that got here after I did. I'm glad you found it on your first day, because I think we all can relate to it very well. That was "me" for sure.

So, what kind of insulin are you using, and what was the starting dose? You have already cleared a big hurdle if you've managed to get blood! That's terrific.

You'll also see a lot of information about proper low-carb canned diet for Squeakers, which is really important. Very simply, dry food is not good, and prescription food is not needed. Once you've read some more, you'll see links to charts and pages full of information about diet. A good place to start is here:
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

You've lucked out! You found the best site on the internet for people and their diabetic cats. We all came here for the same reason you did, and we stay because we know how you feel and where you are "at" right now. So, look around, and ask a million questions. That's why we're here....to help and to answer.

Carl
 
Today is the day I am doing my curves...but had a slight hiccup which appears to be throwing everything off (including me..but I had my cry, and I am surging forward). Apparently, one of my kitties got the pantry door open and pried open the tuperware container of dry CD food. I am not 100% sure if Squeakers ate any but his blood tests make me suspicious that he did eat some of the food.

The food is now in the trunk of my car and I will only get out what is needed to feed my other cat in the other room. Lesson learned. I suppose I will have a lot of those.

I took Squeakers first reading at 7:00 am at it was 626. I gave him 2 units of the Lantus Insulin. At his second reading at 9:50am, his bg is 570. He is already drinking more and peeing more. I had test glucost strips in the litter box and when he peed, they turned the darkest purple, indicating he had a lot of sugar in his urine.

He is only on 2 units twice a day and I feel like I should give him more insulin, but am not going to because that is not his dose. I just feel this is a set back and the curve today is pretty much all for nothing. nailbite_smile
 
Thanks for your encouragement Carl! I feel fortunate that I found this site. I am learning so much. I will try and figure out the spreadsheets soon so that I can really track his progress. I have a feeling I will be doing another curve this weekend since I suspect the little bugger cheated last night. He just hasn't been adjusting to the chicken and rice wet food since he has been on CD dry/wet mixture for a few years. He isn't eating like he should so now he is on an appetite stimulant. Crossing my fingers that will work out because I do not want him to lose too much weight.

You asked about insulin...Squeakers in on Lantus - 2 units twice a day.
 
Yes, oh, yes, that dry food! I call it kitty crack contraband, kcc for short.

Sneakers got into that 3 months after being on canned and it screwed her numbers up BIG time. It will pass. Just consider this an opportunity to find out how sensitive she is to carbs and learn from it so you can recognize the signs later on. This is also the perfect time to see how long she holds onto those carbs in her system with her teeth and claws (about a week for mine).

Good luck on the second curve!
 
Hi Squeakersmom! You are doing GREAT if you've been able to test blood glucose already. It took me a couple of weeks chasing my cat around the house to get anything. I have been here a month and my first post to this board was remarkably similar to yours -- talking about how scared I was and not knowing what to do. The great folks at FDMB took me in and have been holding my hand every step of the way; and thank goodness because I still have a long way to go and am often still scared. The only advice I can offer is to check out these two informational links from the board. They helped me the most to understand the disease process, testing, curves, food, etc. http://www.felinediabetes.com/dummies.htm and http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felinediabetes

Both are pretty lengthy and detailed. I printed them out and read them now in my spare time (like reference material). Over the days, more and more of this info is sinking in.

Best of luck to you. You are in great hands. Try to think of this more as a marathon than a sprint -- you will get there in time, and try to relax a bit along the way (easier said than done, I know...LOL!)
 
SqueakersMom said:
Thanks for your encouragement Carl! I feel fortunate that I found this site. I am learning so much. I will try and figure out the spreadsheets soon so that I can really track his progress. I have a feeling I will be doing another curve this weekend since I suspect the little bugger cheated last night. He just hasn't been adjusting to the chicken and rice wet food since he has been on CD dry/wet mixture for a few years. He isn't eating like he should so now he is on an appetite stimulant. Crossing my fingers that will work out because I do not want him to lose too much weight.

You asked about insulin...Squeakers in on Lantus - 2 units twice a day.
Click to expand...
First off, you're very welcome! It can take a while for cats to realize that all canned food is what's good for them, and some are more of a challenge than others. I was very fortunate with Bob. He always preferred canned, but ate mostly dry pre-diabetes because it was cheaper to feed, and less smelly, and less messy....all "human reasons" looking back on it. What brand is the chicken and rice? Eventually, you'll find one he loves, and rice will not be an ingredient of choice because it does contain carbs, but for now, it's better than the C/D he's been eating. Small steps...

As far as stimulating the appetite, some people find sprinkling parmesean cheese on top helps. Others microwave the food for just a few seconds to make it smell more. Apparently, the worse it smells to you, the better they like it. :-D There's also a product called Bonita Flakes that are made of tuna that can be a nice garnish on top of the wet food. I'm sure other people have all sorts of tips that have worked for them.

I think you are right. He "cheated" last night. He probably overheard you mention "curve" and since it was a full moon, he decided to mess up your plans.

Carl
 
Thank you to "MelanieP and Ninja" I appreciate the articles and am printing them off now. I needed a little more reading material! LOL Already some great stuff to guide me along this journey.

I really like your words "Try to think of this more as a marathon than a sprint -- you will get there in time, and try to relax a bit along the way". I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and this will be my mantra for the time being! and yes, it will be easier said than done!

I did read some of your posts and see that there are a lot of similarities! I wish you luck on your kitty too!
 
Carl - The vet gave me the Pro Plan Chicken and Rice small cans. In the back of my mind, I was questionning the rice carb components/ but figured the vet knew what was best for him. I am beginning to see all the posts on diets and am reading/learning that there are better things out there. If I can get him weened off the dry for now, I will make better dietary choices for him. I agree most of the food choices made have been for my human benefit and not for my kitty. Dry is so much more convenient, but that word has definitely been taken out of my vocabulary. I'll do whatever it takes.

I want to get Squeakers regulated on the right dose of insulin and then take the baby steps to find the diet and subsequent insulin adjustments. I just keep worrying about all the bad things his poor little body is going through. He doesn't appear to be in any pain, but the more I read the more scared I get, especially when I was seeing the high numbers this morning.

Great tips on the parmesan cheese, microwaving, and Bonita Flakes. He is always a sucker for treats and at this point, I am willing to try anything to make sure he eats and doesn't lose too much weight. He gets some pet grass after his blood tests (vets said it was ok in very small quantities). I am trying to reward him for being so good.

The curve today hasn't been all for nothing. I am learning a lot..started at 626..then 570..then 482...now he is at 371. He will get another check and then I'll feed him. He appears to be a ravenous monster and I am hoping that he will just gobble up the wet food. I will do another curve on Saturday since I know he will have all the C/D carbs out of his system.

How long did it take you to get Bob regulated?
 
Are those test numbers at 2 hour intervals today?

Bob went off insulin fairly quickly, about ten weeks. He was on PZI insulin. He was switched to an all canned Fancy Feast classics and Friskees Pates diet the first week. Every cat is different though. Some I have seen get better just from diet change, some after just a couple weeks. Others have been on insulin for years. The most important thing is that no matter how long, they are all far healthier than they were the day they first arrived here.

Lantus is a great insulin and the most common here. You'll be able to get lots of Lantus specific great advice that will help you get great results!
And don't worry. You aren't the only perfectionist here! But patience is a major requirement :-) The curve today definitely wasn't all for nothing because any data you collect is a valuable tool.

Carl
 
Tip (if you need it): If you are having significant difficulty weaning your cat off of dry, Dr. Lisa Pierson says you can use a lower carb dry (like Natura Pet's "Evo") as an interim step. That particular brand of kibble is 8% carb -- compared to 30% carb or higher in most dry food. That is what I am doing as my cat is a carb addict of the highest level. I have been mixing the higher carb dry in with the Evo and gradually replacing the higher carb with the Evo. Once that is done, then I will work on step 2 -- going from low carb Evo over to all wet food. This process can proceed quickly or may take some time depending on the resistance of your cat to change. Dr. Lisa does not recommend staying with the Evo dry long term, but says it is an acceptable interim step for hard to transition cats (like mine). The method that has been working for me is to crush up the Evo a little and sprinkle the bits in with the high carb dry -- so the scents blend. This was a tip from someone on the Feline Diabetes Message Board (thank you!!). At first it was slow going (tiny, tiny bits), but as Ninja has gotten used to the smell, she is less resistant to larger amounts of it being in her bowl. If you can skip the hassle of this interim step and go right to the wet, that would certainly be best; but if Squeakers is not eating, you might have to go the slow transition route, which is why I mention it here. By the way, your other cat might like the Evo low carb too. I have two cats and my non-diabetic cat likes it just fine. If you need to get the Evo, make sure the bag says "lowest carbohydrate" as I think they make other varieties that may not be. My bag says, "Turkey & Chicken Formula." It is gold, purple and black, made by Natura Pet Products. :)

SqueakersMom said:
Carl - The vet gave me the Pro Plan Chicken and Rice small cans. In the back of my mind, I was questionning the rice carb components/ but figured the vet knew what was best for him. I am beginning to see all the posts on diets and am reading/learning that there are better things out there. If I can get him weened off the dry for now, I will make better dietary choices for him. I agree most of the food choices made have been for my human benefit and not for my kitty. Dry is so much more convenient, but that word has definitely been taken out of my vocabulary. I'll do whatever it takes.

I want to get Squeakers regulated on the right dose of insulin and then take the baby steps to find the diet and subsequent insulin adjustments. I just keep worrying about all the bad things his poor little body is going through. He doesn't appear to be in any pain, but the more I read the more scared I get, especially when I was seeing the high numbers this morning.

Great tips on the parmesan cheese, microwaving, and Bonita Flakes. He is always a sucker for treats and at this point, I am willing to try anything to make sure he eats and doesn't lose too much weight. He gets some pet grass after his blood tests (vets said it was ok in very small quantities). I am trying to reward him for being so good.

The curve today hasn't been all for nothing. I am learning a lot..started at 626..then 570..then 482...now he is at 371. He will get another check and then I'll feed him. He appears to be a ravenous monster and I am hoping that he will just gobble up the wet food. I will do another curve on Saturday since I know he will have all the C/D carbs out of his system.

How long did it take you to get Bob regulated?
Click to expand...
 
Carl & Bob in SC said:
Are those test numbers at 2 hour intervals today?

Bob went off insulin fairly quickly, about ten weeks. He was on PZI insulin. He was switched to an all canned Fancy Feast classics and Friskees Pates diet the first week. Every cat is different though. Some I have seen get better just from diet change, some after just a couple weeks. Others have been on insulin for years. The most important thing is that no matter how long, they are all far healthier than they were the day they first arrived here.

Lantus is a great insulin and the most common here. You'll be able to get lots of Lantus specific great advice that will help you get great results!
And don't worry. You aren't the only perfectionist here! But patience is a major requirement :-) The curve today definitely wasn't all for nothing because any data you collect is a valuable tool.

Carl
Click to expand...

Yes = Every 2-3 hours today..started at 7, 9:30; 12:15; 3:30..getting ready for the final one..just fed him. All of this information is so good to know.
 
MelanieP and Ninja said:
Tip (if you need it): If you are having significant difficulty weaning your cat off of dry, Dr. Lisa Pierson says you can use a lower carb dry (like Natura Pet's "Evo") as an interim step. That particular brand of kibble is 8% carb -- compared to 30% carb or higher in most dry food. That is what I am doing as my cat is a carb addict of the highest level. I have been mixing the higher carb dry in with the Evo and gradually replacing the higher carb with the Evo. Once that is done, then I will work on step 2 -- going from low carb Evo over to all wet food. This process can proceed quickly or may take some time depending on the resistance of your cat to change. Dr. Lisa does not recommend staying with the Evo dry long term, but says it is an acceptable interim step for hard to transition cats (like mine). The method that has been working for me is to crush up the Evo a little and sprinkle the bits in with the high carb dry -- so the scents blend. This was a tip from someone on the Feline Diabetes Message Board (thank you!!). At first it was slow going (tiny, tiny bits), but as Ninja has gotten used to the smell, she is less resistant to larger amounts of it being in her bowl. If you can skip the hassle of this interim step and go right to the wet, that would certainly be best; but if Squeakers is not eating, you might have to go the slow transition route, which is why I mention it here. By the way, your other cat might like the Evo low carb too. I have two cats and my non-diabetic cat likes it just fine. If you need to get the Evo, make sure the bag says "lowest carbohydrate" as I think they make other varieties that may not be. My bag says, "Turkey & Chicken Formula." It is gold, purple and black, made by Natura Pet Products. :)

I might have to try it. The vet says 4 1/4 can per day of the pro plan chicken. He's had about 2 1/4. I tried the parmesan..didn't like it. I ended up putting about 8 dry kernels to get him to eat that much. I have to take him in for a weight check tomorrow. I will talk to the vet about the Evo because I definitely don't want him to loose too much weight. 4 1/4 cans just seems like soooo much food. But, what do I know, right?
Click to expand...
 
4 and 1/4 cans does sound like lot, but it depends what the total calories is. If you are going in for a weight check tomorrow, you should be able to see what effect it has had so far, so I wouldn't change anything before then.

One important thing is to try to withhold food in the 2 hours or so prior to their shots. You want the number you get just before giving insulin to be "clear" of any BG increase that is due to eating. At shot time, we normally follow a test/feed/shoot routine. Test the BG, feed right after, and then give the shot. As long as you test within a few minutes of feeding (15 maybe?), the test result won't include the food you just fed him, so you should be fine.

When Bob was getting insulin, he was getting 2 cans of FF a day, once at each preshot test time. He got about 1/4 can of Friskees at the 6 hour midpoint between shots. He weighed around 12.5 pounds I think when diagnosed, but he was also very "sloth-like". Much of the diet amount has to do with current weight, "ideal body weight", and level of activity. The vet wanted me to get Bob to about 14 pounds, and that diet did the trick. Since he went off insulin, I've kept feeding him the same thing and at the same times, and he's maintained within a couple ounces a weight of 14 lbs. There really isn't a perfect answer to how much Puma needs. In this, ECID (every cat is different) is really true.

The numbers you have seen today indicate that the insulin is definitely working on his BG levels. That's good info.
Carl
 
Carl & Bob in SC said:
4 and 1/4 cans does sound like lot, but it depends what the total calories is. If you are going in for a weight check tomorrow, you should be able to see what effect it has had so far, so I wouldn't change anything before then.

One important thing is to try to withhold food in the 2 hours or so prior to their shots. You want the number you get just before giving insulin to be "clear" of any BG increase that is due to eating. At shot time, we normally follow a test/feed/shoot routine. Test the BG, feed right after, and then give the shot. As long as you test within a few minutes of feeding (15 maybe?), the test result won't include the food you just fed him, so you should be fine.

When Bob was getting insulin, he was getting 2 cans of FF a day, once at each preshot test time. He got about 1/4 can of Friskees at the 6 hour midpoint between shots. He weighed around 12.5 pounds I think when diagnosed, but he was also very "sloth-like". Much of the diet amount has to do with current weight, "ideal body weight", and level of activity. The vet wanted me to get Bob to about 14 pounds, and that diet did the trick. Since he went off insulin, I've kept feeding him the same thing and at the same times, and he's maintained within a couple ounces a weight of 14 lbs. There really isn't a perfect answer to how much Puma needs. In this, ECID (every cat is different) is really true.

The numbers you have seen today indicate that the insulin is definitely working on his BG levels. That's good info.
Carl
Click to expand...

Ok. I did the test/feed/shot for his am feeding..so I just flubbed up the pm. He was at 399 so I do see what you mean about the food increasing the BG. This is tough stuff. Thank you for the information. I know I have only been at this 4 days but I still feel he should be regulated by now. :-D Totally kidding..I know this is a slow and long journey...one that will be full of ups and downs. Just hope this ups are more frequent than the downs. His levels have been so high today and everything I am reading tells me irreversible damage is being done which just breaks my heart all over again. I am getting a lot of opportunites to practice patience today. We will keep forging ahead and make progress in baby steps. He is such a doll and doesn't act like he feels bad. But I know he must.
 
Hey, it's ok. It has only been 4 days. The damage at this point is not irreversible. Bob was in the 400s for at least 3 weeks before I started getting decent numbers. God only knows how high his numbers were in the weeks leading up to his diagnosis, when Bob was losing huge amounts of weight, starving to death and severely dehydrated. Today he's fat and happy, and hopefully he'll be around for 10 more years or longer.
If you look at enough spreadsheets, you'll see some kitties who were in those kinds of numbers for months, and yet today, they are OTJ. Everything you are doing is helping him. This gets easier, promise!

Carl
 
I appreciate you sharing your story of Bob. I am sure you are so ecstatic that he is fat and happy now.
Went back and reread the “welcome letter” again. LOL :-D
Thank you so much for your kindness!
Nancy
 
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