Furbaby recently diagnosed with diabetes and feeling overwhelmed.

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Wendy_Mimo

Wendy_Mimo

Member Since 2019
Hi everyone my name is Wendy and my furbaby’s name is Mimo. She was recently diagnosed with diabetes. The vet has her on 2 IU of Lantus and wants her to go in for an Insulin curve on July 8th or 9th. She’s currently on canned Purina DM 2 times a day every 12 hours. Mimo was free fed fancy feast classic pate during the day prior to this, and she’s not eating her meal in one sitting, so if anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
 
Wendy_Mimo said:
Hi everyone my name is Wendy and my furbaby’s name is Mimo. She was recently diagnosed with diabetes. The vet has her on 2 IU of Lantus and wants her to go in for an Insulin curve on July 8th or 9th. She’s currently on canned Purina DM 2 times a day every 12 hours. Mimo was free fed fancy feast classic pate during the day prior to this, and she’s not eating her meal in one sitting, so if anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
:)Hi and welcome Wendy and Mimo.
It is absolutely fine if Mimo eats during the day as well. Make sure she eats a good amount before the shots and then offer her food at any time doing the cycle except for the 2 hours before the next shot. If you are going to home test the blood sugars which I would recommmend, we don't want the blood sugars to be influenced by food, hence the 2 hour holding window. A lot of us divide the food up and feed at shot time, three hours after the shot and again 6 hours after the shot....you can pick times to suit you or do more often but during the first half of the cycle is better.
Have a look at this link to suitable foods. Look for 10% and under food.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
And here is a link to home testing the blood sugars. 2 Units is a little higher than we would recommend you start with Lantus and I think you would be wise to home test to keep Mimo safe. We can help you get started. Itwill also save money at the vet as it is then not necessary to get curves done at the vet which are often higher than they are at home due to the stress of the cat st the vet.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Keep asking lots of questions as there is a lot to learn in the beginning. But this is a very supportive community with very experienced people to help you. :)
 
Welcome!!

Take a big breath I know is a lot to take in at first but, it gets better and easier with time.

Let us know a bit more about Mimo like if he has any other issues besides diabetes, how old is he ? how much does he weight ? is his weight ok?

I do suggest you take a look at the food list Bron mentioned above, any food that is 10% or less in carbs in that list would be ok for Mimo, depending on the Fancy Feast pate he was getting maybe you do not have to change food some of those pates are less than 10% in carbs and is ok to free feed actually in most cases is even better to avoid high rises in blood glucose because of food

There is a forum for Lantus users that has a lot of very good information about that insulin that I do recomend you to read because it will help you a lot this is the link: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

Please do consider home testing specially with 2 units of Lantus is quite a big dose to start and it could be dangerous

And ask all you want
 
welcome Wendy -- meow to Mimo -- we all of us, every one, started out feeling overwhelmed, and some of us haven't quite gotten over that yet

wonderful community here, many very knowledgeable about day to day management of cats with diabetes .. they have the straight skinny, believe them !

if you want, you can return that expensive DM food to the vet, say that Mimo won't eat it -- cuz I guarantee that Fancy Feast will be better in terms of diabetic management (so long as some of the other allied ailments aren't a factor)

yes, we ask a lot from you at the beginning, it's just that the more knowledge we have, the more accurate we can be about advising one thing or another

and keep asking -- most all of us learn something every day, and it may be from a question you ask
 
Welcome to FDMB. You have already received some great advice so I will not repeat it. One thing you may want to consider getting if you are going to feed more frequently is an automatic feeding dish with a timer. This will be very helpful for feeding Mimo when you are not home. A lot of our members that use these also freeze the food so it is cold when the bowl opens.

Also ask all the questions you may have. No question is too small or insignificant. This board is here to help you with learn how to care for Mimo's diabetes. Plus there may also be other new members wanting to know the same thing but haven't asked it yet.
 
Bron and Sheba said:
:)Hi and welcome Wendy and Mimo.
It is absolutely fine if Mimo eats during the day as well. Make sure she eats a good amount before the shots and then offer her food at any time doing the cycle except for the 2 hours before the next shot. If you are going to home test the blood sugars which I would recommmend, we don't want the blood sugars to be influenced by food, hence the 2 hour holding window. A lot of us divide the food up and feed at shot time, three hours after the shot and again 6 hours after the shot....you can pick times to suit you or do more often but during the first half of the cycle is better.
Have a look at this link to suitable foods. Look for 10% and under food.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
And here is a link to home testing the blood sugars. 2 Units is a little higher than we would recommend you start with Lantus and I think you would be wise to home test to keep Mimo safe. We can help you get started. Itwill also save money at the vet as it is then not necessary to get curves done at the vet which are often higher than they are at home due to the stress of the cat st the vet.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Keep asking lots of questions as there is a lot to learn in the beginning. But this is a very supportive community with very experienced people to help you. :)
Click to expand...
Thank you so much this is very helpful She weighs 20 pounds. Could that be why they started her on 2 IU of Lantus?
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
Welcome!!

Take a big breath I know is a lot to take in at first but, it gets better and easier with time.

Let us know a bit more about Mimo like if he has any other issues besides diabetes, how old is he ? how much does he weight ? is his weight ok?

I do suggest you take a look at the food list Bron mentioned above, any food that is 10% or less in carbs in that list would be ok for Mimo, depending on the Fancy Feast pate he was getting maybe you do not have to change food some of those pates are less than 10% in carbs and is ok to free feed actually in most cases is even better to avoid high rises in blood glucose because of food

There is a forum for Lantus users that has a lot of very good information about that insulin that I do recomend you to read because it will help you a lot this is the link: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

Please do consider home testing specially with 2 units of Lantus is quite a big dose to start and it could be dangerous

And ask all you want
Click to expand...
We were told that she only has diabetes. I do notice that her hind legs bother her at times. She weighs 20 pounds. She’s a big girl lol

For her meal tonight I fed her her the turkey and liver fancy feast pate. She ate most of it. With the Purina DM she just picks at it. How much food should she eat before each shot a 1/2 can or the whole thing? She also likes to nibble throughout the day.

Thank you so much for the information and questions.
 
CandyH and Catcat said:
welcome Wendy -- meow to Mimo -- we all of us, every one, started out feeling overwhelmed, and some of us haven't quite gotten over that yet

wonderful community here, many very knowledgeable about day to day management of cats with diabetes .. they have the straight skinny, believe them !

if you want, you can return that expensive DM food to the vet, say that Mimo won't eat it -- cuz I guarantee that Fancy Feast will be better in terms of diabetic management (so long as some of the other allied ailments aren't a factor)

yes, we ask a lot from you at the beginning, it's just that the more knowledge we have, the more accurate we can be about advising one thing or another

and keep asking -- most all of us learn something every day, and it may be from a question you ask
Click to expand...
Thank you I’ll return the Purina DM. I put her back on fancy feast turkey and liver pate this evening and she ate most of it. I’m so thankful for all the advice.
Lisa and Witn (GA) said:
Welcome to FDMB. You have already received some great advice so I will not repeat it. One thing you may want to consider getting if you are going to feed more frequently is an automatic feeding dish with a timer. This will be very helpful for feeding Mimo when you are not home. A lot of our members that use these also freeze the food so it is cold when the bowl opens.

Also ask all the questions you may have. No question is too small or insignificant. This board is here to help you with learn how to care for Mimo's diabetes. Plus there may also be other new members wanting to know the same thing but haven't asked it yet.
Click to expand...
Hi Where would I find the automatic feeding dish with a timer?

Thanks for the info.
 
Wendy_Mimo said:
Thank you so much this is very helpful She weighs 20 pounds. Could that be why they started her on 2 IU of Lantus?

We were told that she only has diabetes. I do notice that her hind legs bother her at times. She weighs 20 pounds. She’s a big girl lol

For her meal tonight I fed her her the turkey and liver fancy feast pate. She ate most of it. With the Purina DM she just picks at it. How much food should she eat before each shot a 1/2 can or the whole thing? She also likes to nibble throughout the day.

Thank you so much for the information and questions.
Click to expand...
Yes if she is 20 pounds, that is why she is on 2 units. She is a big girl.
With Lantus, as long as she eats some of the food before the shot,that is ok. As long as you know she will eat more later during the cycle. A good automatic feeder in the US is the Petsafe 5 which can be bought online and probably in stores too....I don't live in the US so can't tell you the stores but someone else will.
Do you have some higher carb food and Karo or honey available in case of a hypo?
 
Lisa and Witn (GA) said:
Here is one at Chewy.com. This on can also keep the food cool with an ice pack https://www.chewy.com/cat-mate-c20-2-bowl-automatic-pet/dp/103147

Other members may have other ones to recommend.
Click to expand...
I've ordered the cat mate autofeeder yesterday as Perlutz doesn't really like the other feeder that we've got already (similar to the Petsafe5 from above). I just realised it might not work for us though as it stays open and he might eat within the 2 hours before checking BG and giving insulin. The PetSafe5 or similar might be a better option since you can set an empty slot to open and make sure the kitty doesn't have access to food 2 hours before.

I think Cat Mate is a great automatic feeder, I've used it before feeding a friend's cats when she was on holiday. It's so easy to set compared to my other feeder!
 
Wendy_Mimo said:
We were told that she only has diabetes. I do notice that her hind legs bother her at times.
Click to expand...

There's something called feline diabetic neuropathy that actually causes weakness in the hind legs, that if treated properly is usually reversible or at least they improve enough to move around almost normally, it is treated with B12 methylcobalamin, in the US and some other countries there is a medication called zobaline that most people have used with very good results, here's a link with more information about it

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/feline-diabetic-neuropathy-weak-back-legs.178252/
 
Just a little welcome Wendy and sweet little Mimo from another Canadian!

I'm also giving Fancy Feast Classic pate in many small meals a day; your little girl will be happy, no change for her!
Just so you know, the most expensive thing with FD is testing strips; I'm using the FreeStyle Lite meter but the strips are $75.00 for 100, which is way too much.... I didn't know that when I started! I'm actually looking for another meter right now with cheaper strips!

We'll wait for you on the Lantus forum when you'll be ready!
 
Good
Bron and Sheba said:
Yes if she is 20 pounds, that is why she is on 2 units. She is a big girl.
With Lantus, as long as she eats some of the food before the shot,that is ok. As long as you know she will eat more later during the cycle. A good automatic feeder in the US is the Petsafe 5 which can be bought online and probably in stores too....I don't live in the US so can't tell you the stores but someone else will.
Do you have some higher carb food and Karo or honey available in case of a hypo?
Click to expand...
Good day I live in Canada, but I’ll check Petsmart or Amazon for the feeder. At the moment I have the canned Purina DM and the fancy feast pate. I have organic honey, and is maple syrup okay to use as well?
 
Ti-Mousse said:
Just a little welcome Wendy and sweet little Mimo from another Canadian!

I'm also giving Fancy Feast Classic pate in many small meals a day; your little girl will be happy, no change for her!
Just so you know, the most expensive thing with FD is testing strips; I'm using the FreeStyle Lite meter but the strips are $75.00 for 100, which is way too much.... I didn't know that when I started! I'm actually looking for another meter right now with cheaper strips!

We'll wait for you on the Lantus forum when you'll be ready!
Click to expand...
Thank you and I’ll be joining the Lantus forum soon
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
There's something called feline diabetic neuropathy that actually causes weakness in the hind legs, that if treated properly is usually reversible or at least they improve enough to move around almost normally, it is treated with B12 methylcobalamin, in the US and some other countries there is a medication called zobaline that most people have used with very good results, here's a link with more information about it

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/feline-diabetic-neuropathy-weak-back-legs.178252/
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info Very helpful
 
Georgiana & Perlutz said:
I've ordered the cat mate autofeeder yesterday as Perlutz doesn't really like the other feeder that we've got already (similar to the Petsafe5 from above). I just realised it might not work for us though as it stays open and he might eat within the 2 hours before checking BG and giving insulin. The PetSafe5 or similar might be a better option since you can set an empty slot to open and make sure the kitty doesn't have access to food 2 hours before.

I think Cat Mate is a great automatic feeder, I've used it before feeding a friend's cats when she was on holiday. It's so easy to set compared to my other feeder!
Click to expand...
Thanks I’m going to look online today for a feeder
 
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