Hi, my name is Jen and last April my Phoenix passed due to complications from diabetes. He hung in 2 years with alot of care from me! Anyway now I think my mom's old boy Blackie might also have diabetes. He lost a ton of weight and drinks alot. He also sheds. Now the problem is my grandma watches the cat as mom's always on the road. I know my grandma would not be able to do all the testing and shots, it would be too much and she'd sooner put him to sleep. so far Blackie is ok. What are the main things we can do besides insulin, to keep Blackie healthy ? I know u guys will want shots, but really there is no way and I live 1000 miles away. Thanks for any advise. confused_cat
Diabetes?
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Jean and Megan
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What's Blackie's diet like? Changing to low-carb wet food, if that's not what he's already on, might help. If you're lucky, it might do the whole job.
Hi Jen,
So sorry to hear about your extra sweet Phoenix.
And about Blackie. First stop is probably the pet food store to get some low carbohydrate wet food. It doesn't have to be pricey. Some folks here fed Friskie's, which can be low in carbohydrates. Check out the two charts of wet food listed on this page. You are looking for something with 10% or less carbs by calorie, and preferably not with fish as the primary ingredient(s).
A very close second stop is the vet. There are several feline diseases with the symptoms you describe. Blackie needs a definitive diagnosis before your Mom and Grandma make any decisions about his future.
Take care, and let us know how it goes.
Venita
So sorry to hear about your extra sweet Phoenix.
And about Blackie. First stop is probably the pet food store to get some low carbohydrate wet food. It doesn't have to be pricey. Some folks here fed Friskie's, which can be low in carbohydrates. Check out the two charts of wet food listed on this page. You are looking for something with 10% or less carbs by calorie, and preferably not with fish as the primary ingredient(s).
A very close second stop is the vet. There are several feline diseases with the symptoms you describe. Blackie needs a definitive diagnosis before your Mom and Grandma make any decisions about his future.
Take care, and let us know how it goes.
Venita
tuckers mom
Very Active Member
At the very least a vet appointment to rule out something else.
My first thought was Hyperthyroidism when you described the symptoms. Shedding made me think of that. Hypert's sometimes over groom. But if you mean dandruff, bad coat, that could be FD. Only blood work would tell you for sure.
My first thought was Hyperthyroidism when you described the symptoms. Shedding made me think of that. Hypert's sometimes over groom. But if you mean dandruff, bad coat, that could be FD. Only blood work would tell you for sure.
tuckers mom
Very Active Member
Ask the clinic if they have a senior panel they can run. At my clinic, which is a VCA hospital clinic the senior panel includes kidneys, T4 (thyroid) and sugar.
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