Great NEW vet for Brandy

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smiley747

smiley747

Member Since 2015
So brandy has a new vet now. (the diabetic that i unknowingly adopted from humane society in june.
She was very knowledgeable about diabetes and seems more interested in helping brandy than profit. She's all for the home testing etc. The only things she disagreed with what I've read is that the hills dm dry and wet food DOES make a difference. Shes hoping this food can lower it further. (we will see) I told her I'm feeding only canned friskies and nine lives. Also she did not think her needs were CRITICAL because she's at about 280. Today at vet she was 361 and agreed was from stress. So we are going to try one last dietary change and i will check her levels and report to her. fingers crossed it will help and we won't have to do insulin. But if we do.. I think i have finally found the perfect vets to tale care of all my pets. Plus its less than one mile from the house. She agreed human Monitors were fine said i could do curves at home etc so she is not just in it for the money. I was super impressed with the whole place. Fingers crossed i can continue to lower her numbers. If not they recommend Lantus or prozinc. Or whatever i choose. Hopeful..
 
Sounds like you have indeed found a good vet. Because your cat is over 200, she does need insulin. Normal range is up to about 120 on the human meter. Your cat is testing likely above the renal threshold where it's hard on the kidneys. And I would definitely stay away from the high carb DM dry food.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Sounds like you have indeed found a good vet. Because your cat is over 200, she does need insulin. Normal range is up to about 120 on the human meter. Your cat is testing likely above the renal threshold where it's hard on the kidneys. And I would definitely stay away from the high carb DM dry food.
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Well i have about 5 days trial to see if the hills makes any impact. Doc said if we can get her to about 220 She wont need insulin.
 
I'm glad you have a good new vet! That's very important.

Did she mean 220 on a pet-specific meter? Staying above 200 on a human meter is still too high. Most vets say it's okay because many pet parents aren't willing to test BG and put in the work needed to bring the kitty down to safer levels. In general on FDMB, we consider a cat to be diet-controlled if the kitty is between 50-120 on a human meter. If you get up closer to 200, that's not a safe zone for Brandy.

You're already home testing and aware of her food so you're on the right track, and it's clear you have Brandy's health as a top priority. Let us know how it goes with the prescription food. She may just need a small dose of insulin but don't worry if that's the case. We can help you find lower cost places to order the insulin and syringes so it won't break your bank, and you know you can get a ton of advice here from people who have already walked in your same shoes. :)
 
smiley747 said:
Doc said if we can get her to about 220 She wont need insulin.
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I think Brandy's body might disagree. ;)

As Shane says above, because you're able to home test and monitor Brandy's blood glucose levels properly, you should be able to improve her regulation to a much better level than the 220 (presumably the nominal value your vet is setting as the renal threshold).

.
 
Critter Mom said:
I think Brandy's body might disagree. ;)As Shane says above, because you're able to home test and monitor Brandy's blood glucose levels properly, you should be able to improve her regulation to a much better level than the 220 (presumably the nominal value your vet is setting as the renal threshold).
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I'm so glad you've found a vet who agrees that home BG testing is a good thing! I agree with what Shane & Mogs are saying above.

You wrote in your opening post above: The only things she disagreed with what I've read is that the hills dm dry and wet food DOES make a difference.

Can you clarify which food you're talking about? Because Hill's makes w/d; but Purina makes DM. Which is it?
 
Either Lantus or Prozinc is a good choice if insulin is needed. Do not go for a harsh, fast acting insulin like Humulin/Novolin/Vetsulin. I'd suggest reading the stickies/notes in the Lantus and Prozinc forums to understand how these insulins work and differ. We have wonderful members with lots of expertise and experience to guide you in either insulin you choose.

You'll have a better idea of what Brandy's true glucose #'s when you home test. Vet BG (blood glucose) #'s tend to be higher, often 100 points or more, especially with a stressed cat, so Brandy could very well be lower with home testing, even within the normal range, and not need insulin after all. But you won't know till you home test. Already you're are on the right track for knowing home testing and a low carb diet are important.

Be sure to aim for wet/canned carbs under 10%. Here's a handy chart you could show your vet: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

There's no magic in feeding an expensive prescription diet, just a lighter wallet.
 
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I agree, 220 is still too high. Not sure of the numbers on human meters as I use an animal specific one, but on my At 2 meter, we want to stay below 130. But you could check out Evo canned and dry food, very low carb, and could make a huge difference.
 
Robin&BB said:
I'm so glad you've found a vet who agrees that home BG testing is a good thing! I agree with what Shane & Mogs are saying above.

You wrote in your opening post above: The only things she disagreed with what I've read is that the hills dm dry and wet food DOES make a difference.

Can you clarify which food you're talking about? Because Hill's makes w/d; but Purina makes DM. Which is it?
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Hills md she gave me dry and wet
 
granadilla said:
I'm glad you have a good new vet! That's very important.

Did she mean 220 on a pet-specific meter? Staying above 200 on a human meter is still too high. Most vets say it's okay because many pet parents aren't willing to test BG and put in the work needed to bring the kitty down to safer levels. In general on FDMB, we consider a cat to be diet-controlled if the kitty is between 50-120 on a human meter. If you get up closer to 200, that's not a safe zone for Brandy.

You're already home testing and aware of her food so you're on the right track, and it's clear you have Brandy's health as a top priority. Let us know how it goes with the prescription food. She may just need a small dose of insulin but don't worry if that's the case. We can help you find lower cost places to order the insulin and syringes so it won't break your bank, and you know you can get a ton of advice here from people who have already walked in your same shoes. :)
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No 220 human meter. Both vets said that's not critically high
 
Dry food is not recommended. Handy reading for you and your vet: www.catinfo.org
Also read the section in the right-hand side about Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food
 
220 on a human meter could very well be ABOVE the renal threshold (this varies from cat to cat but is generally put in the mid to high 200s as measured on a veterinary meter. Given that human meters read 30-40% lower than pet meters, the 220 human meter value would put the actual BG as measured on a cat-calibrated monitor well into renal threshold territory. There lies the path to kidney disease.
 
Cat Ma said:
Dry food is not recommended. Handy reading for you and your vet: www.catinfo.org
Also read the section in the right-hand side about Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food
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On Dr. Pierson's food chart, she only lists the Hill's m/d canned - and that's @ 14% carbs; is little doubt that the m/d dry is even higher in carbs than then canned.
@Critter Mom - thanks for the reminder re: Hill's m/d formula (and looks like that's too high in carbs, too:().
@smiley747 - I have to be frank with you: Most "prescription diet" foods - canned & dry, both - that vets will (mistakenly) tell us are "good" to use are too high in carbs for diabetic cats (one of the few exceptions being the Purina DM canned @ 3% carbs).

It's entirely up to you whether or not you want to try the Hill's based on what the vet told you (overall, she sounds like a good, receptive vet) but I think anyone here would agree that it would really put your kitty miles ahead to go for food that is less than 10% carbs (the fewer the better).

There are so many good canned foods to choose from on Dr. Pierson's food chart, too! (And lower cost for you than prescription diets.) You'll have a much better chance for your kitty's BG #s to drop down into normal #s that way.:bighug:
 
I'm just so glad that you've decided to keep Brandy, some people would've taken her back to the shelter and said, " I want to trade this one in for a healthy one". Because feline diabetes is truly a roller coaster ride of emotions and lots of trial and error, your dedication to her is very admirable. :bighug::cat:​
 
Mogmom and Goofus said:
I'm just so glad that you've decided to keep Brandy, some people would've taken her back to the shelter and said, " I want to trade this one in for a healthy one". Because feline diabetes is truly a roller coaster ride of emotions and lots of trial and error, your dedication to her is very admirable. :bighug::cat:​
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Thank you! The vet said Im going to heaven lol so what is THE LOWEST carb wet and dry cat food? Evo?
 
smiley747 said:
great chart. bit confusing for me. does anyone know if EVO is the lowest carb ?
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From the research I've done, I find Evo to be the lowest carb of the more affordable foods. Young Again is zero carbs, but I'm not a wealthy person so for me to feed that to my 5 cats would simply not be possible. True, Evo is higher than Friskies, but the canned is priced the same as Fancy Feast. The dry is a max of 8.4 carbs, I talked to their rep and they said usually it's even lower, but can be as high as he 8.4 so that's what they list on the packaging.

Goof has been in remission since May 29, he eats mostly the canned Evo, but does get some dry as a treat in the evening. His BG runs around 100 or less.

If you can't find Evo in your area, it can be ordered from chewy.com. Orders over $49 are shipped free, and I usually receive my order in about 4 business days. I also order the Dr Elesy's scoopable cat litter from them, it's virtually dust free. Which reminds me......
 
It isn't about getting the lowest carb, it is about staying under 10% calories from carbohydrates and finding ones your cat will eat.
 
BJM said:
It isn't about getting the lowest carb, it is about staying under 10% calories from carbohydrates and finding ones your cat will eat.
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Yes but the lower the carb the better right? Brandy seems to respond better on super low carbs. Brandy will eat ANYTHING trust me. No problem lol
 
Mogmom and Goofus said:
From the research I've done, I find Evo to be the lowest carb of the more affordable foods. Young Again is zero carbs, but I'm not a wealthy person so for me to feed that to my 5 cats would simply not be possible. True, Evo is higher than Friskies, but the canned is priced the same as Fancy Feast. The dry is a max of 8.4 carbs, I talked to their rep and they said usually it's even lower, but can be as high as he 8.4 so that's what they list on the packaging.

Goof has been in remission since May 29, he eats mostly the canned Evo, but does get some dry as a treat in the evening. His BG runs around 100 or less.

If you can't find Evo in your area, it can be ordered from chewy.com. Orders over $49 are shipped free, and I usually receive my order in about 4 business days. I also order the Dr Elesy's scoopable cat litter from them, it's virtually dust free. Which reminds me......
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Great info. So helpful..thank you very much!! Xx
 
Out of evo and young again which do you guys prefer? I am willing to buy the best special food for her (not all of my cats..cant afford) if it will help even more and want to buy this week. I think young again only comes in dry. Willing to do trial and error. I can buy a small bag and check blood and then decide
 
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Shes so happy wrapped up in the blanket. So cute..aww
 

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Yes, Young Again only comes in dry. If she'll eat wet, then I think wet is better. If she won't eat wet, you can call the 800 number on the Young Again site and ask for samples. They'll send you a small sample bag and you can try it and see if she likes it. I think my dry-food addict prefers YA to Evo, but if she would eat wet, I'd feed her wet. There's more hydration and it seems better for them. If you feed dry only, you may need to supplement her diet with fiber. I give Marshmallow pumpkin purée every night. Have you tried the Friskies pates or Fancy Feast Classics? A lot of people here use those and they're affordable.
 
I feed innova cat and kitten wet food (discontinued), but the Evo cat and kitten wet food is the same thing. Pretty low in carb, and if you buy the huge 14oz cans, it's about the best deal on wet food you can get. A cat usually needs about 1/3 to 1/2 of the 14oz can a day.
 
@smiley747, Brandy has cute mittens. :)

CJ went into remission/off insulin in less than 3 weeks with a change from high carb dry food diet to a low carb canned one. I didn't focus on feeding the very lowest carb; I just looked for whatever was under 10%. She gets no dry food at all now and doesn't miss it anymore.
 
I have 4 cats that eat the canned Evo, two of them solely, and two get some dry mixed in. A can lasts about two days.

Also, if you're concerned that the cat doesn't drink enough water to stay properly hydrated, with the dry you can add a little water to make a kind of "gravy". This really helped when trying to transition Goof to wet food, his stomach didn't handle the change to wet food well at all.
 
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granadilla said:
Yes, Young Again only comes in dry. If she'll eat wet, then I think wet is better. If she won't eat wet, you can call the 800 number on the Young Again site and ask for samples. They'll send you a small sample bag and you can try it and see if she likes it. I think my dry-food addict prefers YA to Evo, but if she would eat wet, I'd feed her wet. There's more hydration and it seems better for them. If you feed dry only, you may need to supplement her diet with fiber. I give Marshmallow pumpkin purée every night. Have you tried the Friskies pates or Fancy Feast Classics? A lot of people here use those and they're affordable.
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I have tried friskies and 9 lives, yes. We are trying to go even lower on carbs to see if she'll drop even lower
 
Mogmom and Goofus said:
I have 4 cats that eat the canned Evo, two of them solely, and two get some dry mixed in. A can lasts about two days.

Also, if you're concerned that the cat doesn't drink enough water to stay properly hydrated, with the dry you can add a little water to make a kind of "gravy". This really helped when trying to transition Goof to wet food, his stomach didn't handle the change to wet food well at all.
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great tip! thanks :)
 
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