Steph M
Member Since 2015
So, been around the forum researching diabetes for a week. Here is Comet's story based in College Station, TX.
Comet is my husband's male netuered indoor only cat, weighs 13.6 lbs. Vet says he could loose a pound, but not too have this as a goal right now.
When we started dating I was deathly allergic to him. Allergist said get rid of the cat. Friends said get rid of the cat. Could not do that to my husband or Comet. After 7 years of allergy shots, I can now pick Comet up or lay with him on the floor and have no reactions....bring a different cat into the picture and I will sneeze my head off. Comet is special and a blessing.
We took Comet to the vet for the first time in a couple of years. He turned 10 years old in March and seemed to be drinking a ton of water and going through food faster in the last month. Knew something was wrong and likely linked to age and food. Comet has been eating Purine One Indoor Advantage for years. We don't think he has ever been on anything else since he was a kitten.
Got him to the vet on Oct 28th for a checkup and after a struggle, the vet got blood. They were going to try and get a urine sample, but did not attempt to after the struggle for blood. His BG came back 481!
I hoped most of his reading was stress. I was in shock. I was hoping for a little pill solution or time to put him on an old man diet. I am still hoping the lab (and what my home meter has read) is wrong. *denial*
The vet recommended this website and gave us the food chart for low carb. wet food. Told us to get things in order and supplies to start insulin shots. Seems like she gave better info than most receive at the start. She told us to do research too and that we need to determine what makes Comet the happiest kitty.
At the vet, I advised I wanted to switch Comet's diet first before doing insulin shots. If getting blood caused that much stress, I didn't want to cause too many life changes. Might be humanizing the cat too much here.
Went and picked up the "starter kit" for around $50: ReliOn meter, glucose strips, lancets, ketone strips, and kero syrup. Bought wet food with highest protein, moderate fat, and carbs close or under 10%: Wellness Core, Weruva, Fancy Feast, and Purina One Smart Blend.
Comet has always loved wet food, so we went cold turkey off the kibbles. Bowls seem okay. He was soooo happy the first few days. He tried everything I bought, but has only consistently finished Purina One turkey/chicken....the cans with the most fat.....He will "drink" the Weruva but won't attempt to eat the meat. The Weruva looks amazing to me, but glad it didn't make his list since it's $2 a can and would require 2.5 cans a day to meet his calorie requirements. I have his calories needs at 253.6 per day. Someone tell me my math is wrong, so I don't have to feed 3 cans of FF per day.
On the wet diet now for 6 days. His BG hasn't droped as much as I have hoped since we started reading at home. I have not checked out the group's excel sheet but it is on the to do list to get it setup this weekend. We are in the training the human and cat stage, so we average 3 test a day alternating ears. A few of his readings:
28Oct 481 5pm (vet office)
30Oct 272 5:30pm (first home reading, 2nd day wet food)
2Nov 282 5:18pm
3Nov 402 7:15am
3Nov - urine negative for ketones!?!
4Nov 291 12:05pm
So my newbie struggles are the following:
1. His BG is high and seems consistent even with a short term diet switch, but no ketone issues. Do we ask for more test at the vet to insure diabetes is the correct diagnosis?
2. How urgent is it to start insulin when ketones are not being excreted?
3. Comet isn't a picky easter, but looks like he will get burnt out at times. How have yall kept it fun? Have you had to give in and feed some of the old familiar kibbles to insure they ate something for the day? Did you see BG spikes because of giving in with the old?
4. After starting insulin shots, did you see activity levels go up for your cat? Did they seem to have a more consistent appetite?
If you made it this far, thank you for reading! Your post have all ready helped me advance my knowledge of diabetes in cats. I still have more diving into the forum to do and apologize if my questions are repetitive or recently asked. I will also post the above questions in the health forum once I get my excel doc going.
Thank you again!
Comet is my husband's male netuered indoor only cat, weighs 13.6 lbs. Vet says he could loose a pound, but not too have this as a goal right now.
When we started dating I was deathly allergic to him. Allergist said get rid of the cat. Friends said get rid of the cat. Could not do that to my husband or Comet. After 7 years of allergy shots, I can now pick Comet up or lay with him on the floor and have no reactions....bring a different cat into the picture and I will sneeze my head off. Comet is special and a blessing.
We took Comet to the vet for the first time in a couple of years. He turned 10 years old in March and seemed to be drinking a ton of water and going through food faster in the last month. Knew something was wrong and likely linked to age and food. Comet has been eating Purine One Indoor Advantage for years. We don't think he has ever been on anything else since he was a kitten.
Got him to the vet on Oct 28th for a checkup and after a struggle, the vet got blood. They were going to try and get a urine sample, but did not attempt to after the struggle for blood. His BG came back 481!
I hoped most of his reading was stress. I was in shock. I was hoping for a little pill solution or time to put him on an old man diet. I am still hoping the lab (and what my home meter has read) is wrong. *denial*
The vet recommended this website and gave us the food chart for low carb. wet food. Told us to get things in order and supplies to start insulin shots. Seems like she gave better info than most receive at the start. She told us to do research too and that we need to determine what makes Comet the happiest kitty.
At the vet, I advised I wanted to switch Comet's diet first before doing insulin shots. If getting blood caused that much stress, I didn't want to cause too many life changes. Might be humanizing the cat too much here.
Went and picked up the "starter kit" for around $50: ReliOn meter, glucose strips, lancets, ketone strips, and kero syrup. Bought wet food with highest protein, moderate fat, and carbs close or under 10%: Wellness Core, Weruva, Fancy Feast, and Purina One Smart Blend.
Comet has always loved wet food, so we went cold turkey off the kibbles. Bowls seem okay. He was soooo happy the first few days. He tried everything I bought, but has only consistently finished Purina One turkey/chicken....the cans with the most fat.....He will "drink" the Weruva but won't attempt to eat the meat. The Weruva looks amazing to me, but glad it didn't make his list since it's $2 a can and would require 2.5 cans a day to meet his calorie requirements. I have his calories needs at 253.6 per day. Someone tell me my math is wrong, so I don't have to feed 3 cans of FF per day.
On the wet diet now for 6 days. His BG hasn't droped as much as I have hoped since we started reading at home. I have not checked out the group's excel sheet but it is on the to do list to get it setup this weekend. We are in the training the human and cat stage, so we average 3 test a day alternating ears. A few of his readings:
28Oct 481 5pm (vet office)
30Oct 272 5:30pm (first home reading, 2nd day wet food)
2Nov 282 5:18pm
3Nov 402 7:15am
3Nov - urine negative for ketones!?!
4Nov 291 12:05pm
So my newbie struggles are the following:
1. His BG is high and seems consistent even with a short term diet switch, but no ketone issues. Do we ask for more test at the vet to insure diabetes is the correct diagnosis?
2. How urgent is it to start insulin when ketones are not being excreted?
3. Comet isn't a picky easter, but looks like he will get burnt out at times. How have yall kept it fun? Have you had to give in and feed some of the old familiar kibbles to insure they ate something for the day? Did you see BG spikes because of giving in with the old?
4. After starting insulin shots, did you see activity levels go up for your cat? Did they seem to have a more consistent appetite?
If you made it this far, thank you for reading! Your post have all ready helped me advance my knowledge of diabetes in cats. I still have more diving into the forum to do and apologize if my questions are repetitive or recently asked. I will also post the above questions in the health forum once I get my excel doc going.
Thank you again!
