Brand New at this - Navajo going to vet today

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Kathy Ambrose

Member Since 2016
Navajo is making his 4th trip to the vet today. He seems to feel ok, but he is walking very odd again. Like he's using too much of his back leg, has trouble with balance and his back feet are flopping when he walks. He is on Dasuquin for cats. Supposed to be for arthritis in his hips. We're having quite a time regulating his insulin. He has a couple very good days with hardly any problem with his back legs and the we'll have a couple days where he's flopping around. Today is one of those days. In an earlier post, someone said there is a supplement we can get to help. I need to know what it is and does anyone have any additional advice on how to help him with the walking? The vet has increased the insulin 3 times now and I'm expecting they will again today. Also, learning to home test so I will know his blood sugar level prior to giving him the insulin. Going to have the vet show me how today. I'm scared to change his food until I can do the home test. Right now, he's on Hills Science Diet as prescribed by the vet, but I understand from the charts and some research that this is not the correct food. She also put him on Hills Science W/D for dry cat food and this has 37% carbohydrates. I know that can't be correct. We have the correct food purchased but I have not switched him to it due to the fact that they keep increasing his insulin and I am not sure what dosage to give him unless I can home test. The last 3 trips to the vet have been very high levels. 500-600 range. I feel like we are in a vicious circle with increasing the insulin and the incorrect food. After the vet visit this afternoon, I will probably have a million more questions. Just want to get our little guy right so he can enjoy the rest of his life.
 
Sounds like you're thinking clearly about the issues - need to home test, questioning the dry food and insulin dosing. Please let us know:
  • how old Navajo is
  • what other health issues he might have
  • what insulin you're using
  • what dose of insulin you give
  • if you have a blood glucose meter at home.
There's lots of help and support for you here. :)
 
You need b12 supplements for the neuropathy, but getting the numbers under control is also vital. We can walk you through home testing if you are willing. Makes it much easier to manage the diabetes and get him the dose he needs while keeping him safe from going too low (which can be deadly).
 
Navajo is 13 years old. He has never been sick one day of his life. He is a totally inside cat, shows no interest in going outdoors. He has no other health issues. The insulin we are using is called Vetsulin. He is at 3 units per shot twice a day. Yes, I purchased a glucose meter for home.
Today we had an appointment with the vet and they took him back to the lab for a blood test. The vet came in and said the reading was over 600. It has been there for 4 visits now and they increase the insulin each time. Not today! I had my new home meter and asked the vet to show us how to test on his ear. She did and the reading was 106. She looked stunned, we read through the manual for the meter and found it to be in good working order. They took him back to the lab and did another test on a different meter - 180. She came back in the room and said she would not increase his insulin and I should go ahead and change him to the low carb diet. He was on Hills Science Diet, both wet - M/D and dry W/D/. I am changing him to the low carb food tomorrow in the morning so I can watch him for any reactions all day. I am keeping a record of his blood tests and calling the vet in 3 days with the results of a curve. From the time he receives his shot in the morning, then mid afternoon, then evening. He gets his shots 12 hours apart at 10:00 am and 10:00 pm. He is still drinking a lot of water and urinating quite a lot. Not as bad since he started the insulin, but not good yet either. We are hoping we can get this under control soon. We are really worried about his walking. Instead of walking on the pads of his feet, he is walking on most of his back leg up to the first joint. He looks like a rabbit walking. Is this diabetic neuropathy? We have never had any experience with this in any other cat and the vet said she thought it was arthritis in his hips. He is on Dasuquin for the arthritis, but doesn't seem to be helping. Does the vet have to prescribe the Zobaline? If not, where can I get it? Also, one recommendation was B12 supplements. Again, where do I get them?I would like to thank everyone for your help and support. Your answers and advice have been a life saver - literally! I watched the vet test him with our meter today and I am going to try to do it myself in the morning. I will most definitely be asking for help if things don't go well! He's a pretty easy going laid back cat and he didn't make any fuss when the vet did it this afternoon. Here's hoping he is as good for me.
 
Hello and welcome!

Sounds like you are getting a great plan together for Navajo! If the bunny-hopping is due to diabetic neuropathy (and it does sound like it from your description), I have heard great things about the effects of Zobaline (which, by the way, is just B12).

A couple words of caution about the plan to switch to low-carb tomorrow, though.... Switching to low-carb food can (for some cats) mean a 100+pt drop in blood glucose, and it can be tricky to do when you are already giving insulin. I'm concerned that the current dose of Vetsulin may possibly (depending on the meter-- yikes!) already be taking him into the 100's on the high-carb food-- that doesn't give you a big safety cushion if he has a strong reaction to the switch in food. You're very smart to get the home-testing working before doing the switch-- it's really the only way to know how he's reacting to these changes!

That said, even with the monitoring, given that he's getting a fairly sizable dose of insulin, you might want to consider sticking with the old food a little longer, doing a curve tomorrow to get his current baseline (and get yourself comfortable with the home testing), and then do the food switch more gradually once you've got a better sense of the lay of the land. The other option might be to go ahead and do the food switch tomorrow, but with a reduced insulin dose. I'm not experienced enough in general (and have no experience at all with Vetsulin) to make dose suggestions or to help with that, but there are lots of other folks around here who can do so-- there's a fabulous amount of knowledge here!

Please do let us know how it is going and what numbers you get in the morning before his shot-- I'll be keeping an eye out!
 
Good morning! Just checking in to see how things are going, and tagging @Critter Mom, @Kris & Teasel, and @MrWorfMen's Mom to get some more experienced folks to look at Navajo's situation. I am still concerned about giving 3U of Vetsulin at the same time as switching to low-carb food before having a clear picture of where the 3U are taking his numbers, so hopefully they can provide some insight.

Hope the home testing is going smoothly-- if you have any problems, we have lots of tips and tricks to get it working, so just ask!
 
Nan gave you really good advice about being very careful when combining a high dose of insulin with a switch to low carb food. Testing at home is crucial. If he was my cat, I'd drop the dose before doing the food switch, then gather more data to see what effect that has before raising the dose again - if that's even necessary.
 
It sounds like the flopping around is because glucose is to low so when you go to vet and get checked kitty is in a bounce so you get higher reading. Increases in dose that fast are worrisome. Whatever dose was given for the 106 to show should NOT be increased until you have home testing down and some data that clearly supports an increase is needed.
 
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Hi Kathy!

Welcome to you and Navajo.

Kathy Ambrose said:
She also put him on Hills Science W/D for dry cat food and this has 37% carbohydrates.
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If you're feeding that then really, really don't switch Navajo from that food to low carb until you can spend at least one day testing him all day (and preferably two). Hill's w/d Dry is pretty much kitty cornflakes. (And I thought the vet was insane for insisting I feed a diabetic a higher carb diet than she had previously been eating!)

Saoirse was put on that diet by the vet treating her at diagnosis. Like Navajo Saoirse was first treated with Vetsulin (called Caninsulin in the UK). When I made the switch to low carb her insulin needs dropped from from 3.0 IU BID to 0.5 units - within 12 hours!!!

When you are ready to make the switch I suggest posting here for support. I see you're already familiar with catinfo.org and you'll no doubt have been reading Dr. Pierson's advice on how to safely manage the transition from high to low carb through testing BG at home and also her advice about adjusting dose. For safety - especially with this particular food/insulin combination in play - I strongly recommend that you agree with your vet to reduce the Vetsulin dose from the very start of Navajo's food transition. BG levels can absolutely PLUMMET as you start reducing the amount of w/d Dry in the diet.

(Been there myself: wanted to reduce the dose per recommendations on Dr Pierson's site but vet insisted that I stick with the 3 units; BG levels went through the floor within 3 hours(!) and Saoirse had her one and only hypo event that night. Thankfully I was home testing and caught the low. That glucose meter - plus the education and advice I got here and at catinfo.org - saved my girl's life that night.)


Mogs
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Nan & Amber said:
I am still concerned about giving 3U of Vetsulin at the same time as switching to low-carb food before having a clear picture of where the 3U are taking his numbers,
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And you were absolutely right to be concerned, Nan! :) (See post #11 above.)

I wish I had had the courage of my convictions that night to reduce the dose regardless of what the vet said. I will be forever grateful to the FDMB members who looked after Saoirse and myself that during that and the following couple of cycles. (Saoirse's BG levels tanked so badly at the beginning of that cycle she actually had the symptomatic hypo while still within the normal range! :eek:)


Mogs
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Yes indeed! Now just hoping that no news is good news with respect to Navajo+Kathy and that they aren't having a similar adventure today... :nailbiting:
 
Hello Everyone,
Well we switched Navajo to the low carb food. I have reduced the insulin to 2 units and am watching him very carefully. He seems to have a huge appetite. He has eaten 5 oz. of the low carb food today. Can anyone tell me what is normal? He has always had food available, in the dry form, plus we fed him about half a can of wet food twice a day, but we have talked him out of the dry food so far. He has had about 10 kernels of his party mix treats, but other than that only the low carb food.
The home testing is not going great. He cries when I try to test his ear. I think I may have been so shaky when I tried to poke him to get the blood that I was making him nervous and myself a wreck. We both ended up crying. If there are any tricks that you can help me with, it would be greatly appreciated. I have ordered the Zobaline and will get him on it as soon as it arrives.
For the first time since he was diagnosed with diabetes, he is lounging in the middle of our bed. He has been laying on the floor, which was something new, he always laid on the beds or chairs or couch. We thought it might be arthritis, but now we're not sure. He is acting very normal, loving and sweet as always, it's just that he seems to be ravenous. He wants me to feed him all the time. I read in one of the posts that a big appetite accompanies the diabetes. Can anyone advise? Thank you so much for all the help and caring. So far, it all seems good. If I am unable to get a reading tomorrow morning, I am taking him back to the vet's office and have them do it again.
 
Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

Kathy Ambrose said:
I read in one of the posts that a big appetite accompanies the diabetes. Can anyone advise?
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Yes, it's normal for an uncontrolled diabetic to eat huge amounts of food....Think of insulin like it's a "key"....and on every cell in the body there's a "lock"....without the key, the glucose from the food they're eating can't get in to feed the cells

When he's better controlled, he should start to eat less.

Kathy Ambrose said:
He has eaten 5 oz. of the low carb food today
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How much does he weigh? Which food are you feeding?
 
OK! I don't mind singing to him, might calm both of us down. He acts like he doesn't want me to touch his ears, but I didn't try rubbing normally first. He loves to get his ears and his back rubbed and comes to me several times a day for "loving". I will try that prior to testing. Navajo's weakness is tuna fish. I don't know if this is good or not. If it's ok for him to have it, I could tempt him with that. He's never been much of a chicken or turkey lover, but right now, he will eat almost anything offered.
I was on Dr. Pierson's site and made a list of the low carb food that people were recommending. We bought 9 Lives Super Super - Meaty Pate and Fancy Feast - flaked - Fish & Shrimp and Trout flavored. I was trying to see what he would eat best and due to the appetite right now, he devours everything. Nothing in sauce or gravy as it's high in carbs. Please let me know if this is the right food. We don't care what the cost for his food is, we just want the right thing for him to eat.
Navajo is 13.4 pounds. Just before he was diagnosed, we found that he was bony, you could feel his ribs and his spine when petting him. Our vet said he was somewhat dehydrated. He has since filled out more, not feeling his ribs and spine, but not as filled out as he used to feel. I asked the vet about his weight and she said it was fine. He looks skinny since he was diagnosed with the diabetes and as stated before, he has a voracious appetite. How much should I feed him per day? I don't want him to feel like he's starving, but I don't want to overfeed him either.
He is a very laid back, easy going guy. He does not like the vet visits as he hates going out of the house, but once there, he curls up in the scale on the counter and seems to be ok. He also never holds a grudge. If you bump him or touch the tip of his tail, he will tell you about it, but never takes off to hide or be upset, unlike other cats. (We had one before Navajo that would hiss at you and go under the bed for half a day) If I can get a handle on this home testing, I'm sure he would get used to it and go along. I will try the suggestions here and try to remain calm myself.
Please let me know if the food is correct and the quantity he can have and if the tuna is ok for treats. Thank you so much for all the help and support. I was really scared at first, but being able to reach out to you guys is just great. We just have to get adjusted to this testing and food and we can do this!
 
OK....there's a starting "formula" for calories per day, but it doesn't really apply to uncontrolled diabetics because they need to eat more than "normal".....it's [weight x 13.6] + 70 so for a 13.4lb cat, that's about 253 calories per day....sounds like you could feed him more than he's eating now

On Dr. Lisa's food chart, the amount of calories per can is over in the far right column.

For now, I'd weigh him once a week (a plain bathroom scale will work....weigh yourself, then pick Navajo up and do the math).....if he's at a good weight now, try to keep him there....if he loses weight, you know for sure you need to feed him more!! If he starts to gain, you will know it's time to feed him less!

The "Classic" line of Fancy Feast are also low carb....they're pate style instead of flaked. Also a lot of people feed Friskies pates here too

Now that you're here, it would really help if you'd start keeping track of his numbers in the spreadsheet we all use. That way we'll be able to help you more in figuring out good, safe doses for him. Here are Instructions on getting the FDMB spreadsheet ....if you have any problems, let us know! There are several of us that can set it up for you!!

Also, it will help if you'll fill out your Signature (you'll see it below all our comments)....it just gives us a quick picture of Navajo so we don't have to keep asking the same questions over and over again. Just go to the top right and click on your sign on name and choose "Signature". A new box will pop up for you to enter information into. What we like to see is:

Your name/cats name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, type of food, any other health problems? and maybe a general area where you live.....then when you get your spreadsheet set up, the link to it will go into your signature too.

Vetsulin isn't a great insulin for cats, but we've had some people use it successfully, so we'll all do our best to help you get Navajo as healthy as possible!
 
I have done the signature and will work on getting the spread sheet tomorrow. It's 1:00 am here. You didn't say if the treat - tuna fish - would be ok to use along with the suggestions for testing. The other question I have is Vetsulin is not a good insulin for cats? This is what the vet prescribed when he was diagnosed. Along with the Hills Science Diet M/D and W/D. I found out about the food on Dr. Lisa's site. I didn't realize we had a choice of insulin. What is better?
 
Kathy Ambrose said:
You didn't say if the treat - tuna fish - would be ok to use along with the suggestions for testing.
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Yes, a little plain tuna is fine!!

Kathy Ambrose said:
is Vetsulin is not a good insulin for cats?
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It's actually better for dogs but a lot of vets treat their feline patients like small dogs....it tends to hit "hard and fast" and then wear off before the next shot time. The better insulins for cats are Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc...they're gentler and longer lasting

The majority of the people here use Lantus because it has a proven protocol that's been published in a veterinary journal. The actual protocol is at the bottom of the Tight Regulation Protocol in the Lantus forum if you think your vet might be open to learning
 
Hi Kathy,

I'm glad to hear you're feeling a little bit better about things.

Re the testing and Navajo objecting to his ears being mussed what are you using to warm his ear? If it's something bulky or damp that might be what he's not keen on. Try a small rice sock and hold it more toward the edge of the ear when warming it up.

Kathy Ambrose said:
Just before he was diagnosed, we found that he was bony, you could feel his ribs and his spine when petting him. Our vet said he was somewhat dehydrated. He has since filled out more, not feeling his ribs and spine, but not as filled out as he used to feel. I asked the vet about his weight and she said it was fine. He looks skinny since he was diagnosed with the diabetes
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Here's a body condition chart to help you assess whether Navajo's at ideal weight:

Body Condition Score Chart

While a diabetic kitty is unregulated and underweight it's OK to feed a bit extra till their weight returns to normal.

It helps to keep a daily journal of what and how much you feed. As Chris advises above, check weight once a week. (A reasonably-priced digital baby scale is a really helpful investment! :) ). Once Navajo's back at normal weight between your food diary and the regular weight checks it's fairly straightforward to help a kitty maintain ideal weight. If weight creeps up, feed a little less; if weight slips down, feed a little more.


Mogs
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Good to hear that you and Navajo are doing well!

Great tips here for doing the ear pokes. Some folks (with extra-mellow kitties!) have also had success using paw pads. You definitely need the 28-gauge or larger for that, but if your cat will sit still for it, I hear it is less tricky than the ears to get the blood drop (never tried it myself).

Until you're comfortable with the home-testing, just keep doing what you're doing, keeping a close eye on Navajo's clinical signs-- eating, drinking, peeing/pooping, general mood and behavior. As Chris said, the Vetsulin tends to "hit" fast, so pay special attention the first few hours after the shot (and always, always, make sure he's had a good meal before the shot so that it's not hitting on an empty stomach-- it's great that he's such a good eater!). Any odd/unusual behavior then might be a sign that he's going too low and might need some food to bring him back up-- post here for help!

Keep asking questions, and give a scritch from me to Navajo!
 
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! The good news here is that we just completed our first home test. It was not fun or easy, but we finally got a drop of blood which enabled us to get a reading. I warmed his ears up real well and used a 26 gauge lancet. He does not like having his ear poked and complained quite vigorously. Between his Dad and I we managed. We used a bite of tuna after the test and he appears to be fine. The bad news is that his reading was 414. Yesterday, we restricted his intake of carbs some, not a complete change and dropped the insulin dose from 3 units to 2 units last night. He was very high on the reading this morning, before his insulin. So, after the test, I went back to the 3 units. Yes, he ate prior to the test and insulin. I will test him again mid day and again tonight and again 3 times tomorrow to try to get a curve of how his numbers are running.
About the insulin, when he was diagnosed, the Vetsulin is what they brought into the exam room at the vets. She did say there was another insulin but it was $470 a bottle. Is this the Lantus? Our vet is not in today, but will call us in the morning. Do we need a prescription from her to change his insulin? Can I get his insulin at a human pharmacy? I noticed in your signature that you feed Young Again Zero Kibble + Chewy's freeze dried raw. Is this dry food? He has always had a bowl of Iams small kibble available at all times. Until the vet put him on Hills Science Diet W/D - which we took him off of as soon as we learned the carb quantity. Before the diagnosis, we fed him twice a day, once in the morning and once at night about half a 5.5 oz can at each feeding. He has always had a good appetite, but does not like any kind of dry food with "moist in the middle" or soft. Crunchy all the way for this guy. He is very laid back and easy going. We took him to the vet initially because he was urinating excessively, drinking tons of water and acting like he was starved all the time. Also, due to the fact that he was walking oddly. Diabetic Neuropathy. We're still seeing those symptoms, but not as bad as before he was diagnosed. He's walking a little better, but he is not on the Zobaline yet. He still urinates more than normal and still drinks a lot of water, but not nearly as much as prior to the insulin. He vomited a little just before the initial trip to the vet, once, since that time, he has shown no signs at all of being sick or any change in his usual behavior except for wanting to lay on the floor. He always lounged on the bed, chair, couch, but seems to prefer the floor now. The vet told us he had some arthritis in his hips and he is on Dasuquin for that. We attributed it to being stiff in the back and hip area and needing more support. Again, Thank you all for the help and support. Hoping we can get this under control and he can live out the rest of his life in comfort and happiness.
 
Kathy Ambrose said:
She did say there was another insulin but it was $470 a bottle. Is this the Lantus?
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It might be BUT you can get it MUCH cheaper from Canada. See this links for details of Marks Marine Pharmacy. Many members here buy from them so they are known to be reliable.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...canadian-pharmacies.49608/page-2#post-1344374
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...canadian-pharmacies.49608/page-2#post-1344374
I believe that you need to get a written Rx from your vet to purchase from them.

Also, it is worth keeping an eye on the FDMB supply closet for Lantus supplies:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/supply-closet-for-sale-or-free.15/


Mogs
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Kathy Ambrose said:
he has shown no signs at all of being sick or any change in his usual behavior except for wanting to lay on the floor.
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Lethargy like that may be due to his getting used to the Vetsulin or due to his being in high numbers (you'll be able to get a better picture now that you've started into home testing - well done!) but if it persists much longer ask your vet to check for constipation/gut motility issues, or pancreatitis. Also consider a change of insulin.

Because Vetsulin can produce quite steep, fast drops and climbs in BG levels it may make some cats feel somewhat unwell when they're being treated with it. I suggest you keep a brief daily journal of clinical signs for Navajo. To give you an idea of whether the insulin might be the culprit try to observe whether he seems brighter and more sociable as the dose is wearing off. Should it prove to be the case that Vetsulin doesn't agree too well with Navajo a change to another insulin which suits him better should hopefully see him much brighter and happier in himself.


Mogs
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Congratulations on your first successful test!!!! Before you know it, it will be old hat for all three of you, especially once Navajo learns that there's tuna at the end of the process (and they do learn that pretty quickly-- who says you can't train cats????). It really is the very best tool for keeping your cat safe while administering insulin, and (once the testing itself becomes stress-free) does wonders for relieving your own worries.

As for insulin: two insulins that experience has shown to be more "cat-friendly" than Vetsulin are Lantus and ProZinc (there are a couple others), and either of them could have been the one with the hefty price tag. However: Lantus (which is probably the #1 insulin in use by members on this site) is also available from Canada for a much reduced price. You do need a prescription, but a switch to Lantus may be something to think about-- many cats do very very well on it. [edit: ah, I see Mogs beat me to it, and she even included some links, which is even better!]

Regarding food: yes, Young Again is dry kibble-- it's one of only a couple of diabetic-friendly kibbles available. There are pluses and minuses to using it. First and foremost on the minus side is the fact that wet food really is better for cats for reasons other than diabetic concerns-- cats don't have a strong enough thirst drive to guarantee that they will drink enough water to make up for the lost moisture in the kibble, and that can cause health problems down the road (kidneys, etc.). In addition, with respect to diabetes management, having any dry food in the mix restricts you to only one of the protocols in use here ("Start Low, Go Slow", or SLGS), and many feel that the alternate protocol ("Tight Regulation", or TR) offers a better chance of remission (though note that we were able to get there on SLGS). And then there's the price-- Young Again is only available online, and the price seems utterly insane (e.g., $50 for 8lbs, $125 for 25lbs :eek:). It's actually not that bad in practice-- it's a very calorie-dense food so we go through it very very slowly-- I bought an 8lb bag back in the summer that's still about 1/3 full, and that's with one of my civvies (non-diabetics) eating it regularly too.

The plus side to the Young Again is that if you have a cat who is a kibble-addict or a committed grazer (tough to get on a set meal schedule), it really is diabetic-friendly-- I've heard a couple anecdotes about cats whose blood glucose goes up on it, but I don't think that's the norm-- and can be really helpful to have around. Having a kibble available can make feline diabetes much easier to manage around human schedules-- I always felt better leaving for work or going to sleep at night if I knew there was some palatable food available at all times (my cat's first response to low glucose was always to look around for something to eat).

Congrats again on the successful test!!!!! Well done!!!!
 
Well done on getting your first test. It will get easier for all of you. Regarding the insulin from Canada, keep in mind it will take awhile to receive it. They also ship according to outside temperature of where it's going. I do not think the ship any after Thursday.

The Young Again dry food, call the company. They will send samples. Ask for the lowest carb food, they do have different carb levels or at least they use to.
 
OK, we are doing well. I am looking into the new insulin and waiting on the arrival of the Zobaline. Navi is not yet adjusted to the ear pokes, but Dad and I are getting more comfortable with it. He does get over it very quickly with a bite of tuna at the end. He is not really lethargic. He hasn't changed a lot since being diagnosed. He's 13 years old and lays around a lot. The difference is he now lays on the floor more than the furniture or the bed. He investigates shoes and bags, watches the birds out the back slider and sits on my lap for loving. He will also check and swat at the dog if he gets too annoying. All normal things. I think it's the awkwardness of his back legs that has slowed him down more than anything. We're hoping the Zobaline works to help with that. I might be able to ween him off the dry food entirely. He doesn't eat a lot of it and I keep cutting it back. Navajo has always drank quite a lot of water. He is not interested in anything else and so far, urinating and pooping seem to be ok, but he has another appointment with the vet on the 30th and I will ask her to check him out for any problems. We just want to get the numbers under control, so for the next few days, we are going to decrease the carbs and monitor the numbers. Is it ok to feed him both the 9 Lives low carb food and Fancy Feast low carb? Trade off for some variety - or stick to just one? We got both to try and he seems to like both. Hard to tell right now as he is hungry quite a lot and will eat almost anything.
 
Kathy Ambrose said:
OK, we are doing well. I am looking into the new insulin and waiting on the arrival of the Zobaline. Navi is not yet adjusted to the ear pokes, but Dad and I are getting more comfortable with it. He does get over it very quickly with a bite of tuna at the end. He is not really lethargic. He hasn't changed a lot since being diagnosed. He's 13 years old and lays around a lot. The difference is he now lays on the floor more than the furniture or the bed. He investigates shoes and bags, watches the birds out the back slider and sits on my lap for loving. He will also check and swat at the dog if he gets too annoying. All normal things. I think it's the awkwardness of his back legs that has slowed him down more than anything. We're hoping the Zobaline works to help with that. I might be able to ween him off the dry food entirely. He doesn't eat a lot of it and I keep cutting it back. Navajo has always drank quite a lot of water. He is not interested in anything else and so far, urinating and pooping seem to be ok, but he has another appointment with the vet on the 30th and I will ask her to check him out for any problems. We just want to get the numbers under control, so for the next few days, we are going to decrease the carbs and monitor the numbers. Is it ok to feed him both the 9 Lives low carb food and Fancy Feast low carb? Trade off for some variety - or stick to just one? We got both to try and he seems to like both. Hard to tell right now as he is hungry quite a lot and will eat almost anything.
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By all means feed a variety of low carb wet foods if he doesn't have a sensitive tummy. Makes it more interesting ...
 
Hello Everybody. Just a little update. Navajo went to the vet again for a B 12 shot. I brought one home and will be giving to them on Tuesdays. He is feeling good - still hungry a lot, but our vet said to go ahead and feed him. He is looking so much better, not dehydrated and skinny. Our vet wanted to do the B 12 in shots rather than the oral medication. We think we are already seeing some improvement in his walking. We are home testing and he spikes in the am before his shot, but levels off during the day. The numbers go up some at night, just prior to his shot, but the vet said they will spike close to injection time. He feels good. Plays with the dog, sits on our laps, watches the birds outside and begs for food (a lot). We are feeling much better and believe we can handle this. I'm happy to know we can change off on the low carb foods so he doesn't have to eat the same thing all the time. We have a variety in the cupboard. Thank you for all the help and advice. I will keep checking in, but thanks to everyone for getting us over the initial diagnosis and really scary beginning.
 
I think the B12 you came home with was probably cyanocobalamin. It's really hard to find the methylcobalamin in injectable form and I've heard methylcobalamin stings when you inject it. The cyanocobalamin is more for tummy issues, and the methylcobalamin is for neuropathy. You might still need to try to find some of the methylcobalamin to help him with his back legs.
 
So happy to hear that Navajo seems to be feeling better!!!! And glad that you are feeling better about the diagnosis and treatment-- it's definitely a roller-coaster at first, isn't it?

Post again any time you have questions! And give Navajo a scritch from me-- keep an eye on those birds, Navajo! :cat:
 
Dyana said:
I've heard methylcobalamin stings when you inject it.
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FYI:

I think, depending on the cat, cyanocobalamin jabs can also sting, Saoirse being a case in point.

I was kinda relieved to see your comment above, Dyana; I posted about this issue before and I don't think anyone replying believed it could be possible. Nice to know I was in the ballpark after all. :)


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