Hi guys. It's been a while since I was last in here, firstly for being too stressed after Austins massive hypo, and then because I made some changes and life's gooooooood!!
After his hypo I thought "bugger this" and changed his diet the best I knew how and could reasonably sustain within the household budget and practically. I took all his biscuits away, including the dreaded Hills M/D and bought some cat mince from a pet store, which he didn't like. Needing something to feed him that night, I grabbed some fresh cat meat at the local supermarket and he loves it and it agrees with him, so I've kept him on it. I've gone from feeding the 2 cats at about $80/week down to $10/week.
I did try to make my own cat food, but it was too much fuss and not something I would have kept up. With his current food, I buy it in a 2kg bag and freeze it in portions. He does seems to eat more, but it's too hot here to leave out all day, so maybe it just feels like I'm feeding him more because I'm feeding him more often.
Since changing to the supermarket brand food, his breath no longer stinks (which the vet said was due to age and mouth disease and charged me a fortune for a clean earlier in the year and which didn't do anything), the weakness in his back legs has dramatically reduced (no longer wobbly like before. Still a bit weak, though I'm guessing him being 13 also plays a part in this), he's put on weight and back to a healthy weight, his coat is like that of a cat 10 years younger, he's happy (weird, but pet lovers will get what I mean by this), AND he's taken to beating the dogs up again (i.e. must be feeling better!).
After his hypo I gradually increased his insulin (lantus) back up and I swear I took his BG every 15 minutes for the first few weeks. I can't recall what dose the vet wanted me to go up to, but it was waaay too high, and he wanted to do it in a shorter time frame than I did. Unfortunately, I have to say that if I had followed this particular vets advice regarding dosing, Austin would have had another hypo almost straight away and he was so weak after the first one I don't know if he would have pulled through another one.
Currently, we're on 2 units of Lantus twice a day (sorry, have forgotten the abbreviations) and his levels are sitting at high 4's (conversion = about 90). Demand feeding fresh pet meat only. No treats (though Austin's never been a fan of treats anyway).
My next step will be to wean him down another half a unit for a few weeks and see how that goes. I'm also going to need more insulin soon, so I'll book him in for a curve and check up (so I can say na-na-nana-na!!).
For those reading with newly diagnosed cats, I found (and still do find) some of the advice on this forum intimidating in it's complexity, but please persist trying to understand and help your pet; they have provided us with many years of great enjoyment and love, we owe it to them.
After his hypo I thought "bugger this" and changed his diet the best I knew how and could reasonably sustain within the household budget and practically. I took all his biscuits away, including the dreaded Hills M/D and bought some cat mince from a pet store, which he didn't like. Needing something to feed him that night, I grabbed some fresh cat meat at the local supermarket and he loves it and it agrees with him, so I've kept him on it. I've gone from feeding the 2 cats at about $80/week down to $10/week.
I did try to make my own cat food, but it was too much fuss and not something I would have kept up. With his current food, I buy it in a 2kg bag and freeze it in portions. He does seems to eat more, but it's too hot here to leave out all day, so maybe it just feels like I'm feeding him more because I'm feeding him more often.
Since changing to the supermarket brand food, his breath no longer stinks (which the vet said was due to age and mouth disease and charged me a fortune for a clean earlier in the year and which didn't do anything), the weakness in his back legs has dramatically reduced (no longer wobbly like before. Still a bit weak, though I'm guessing him being 13 also plays a part in this), he's put on weight and back to a healthy weight, his coat is like that of a cat 10 years younger, he's happy (weird, but pet lovers will get what I mean by this), AND he's taken to beating the dogs up again (i.e. must be feeling better!).
After his hypo I gradually increased his insulin (lantus) back up and I swear I took his BG every 15 minutes for the first few weeks. I can't recall what dose the vet wanted me to go up to, but it was waaay too high, and he wanted to do it in a shorter time frame than I did. Unfortunately, I have to say that if I had followed this particular vets advice regarding dosing, Austin would have had another hypo almost straight away and he was so weak after the first one I don't know if he would have pulled through another one.
Currently, we're on 2 units of Lantus twice a day (sorry, have forgotten the abbreviations) and his levels are sitting at high 4's (conversion = about 90). Demand feeding fresh pet meat only. No treats (though Austin's never been a fan of treats anyway).
My next step will be to wean him down another half a unit for a few weeks and see how that goes. I'm also going to need more insulin soon, so I'll book him in for a curve and check up (so I can say na-na-nana-na!!).
For those reading with newly diagnosed cats, I found (and still do find) some of the advice on this forum intimidating in it's complexity, but please persist trying to understand and help your pet; they have provided us with many years of great enjoyment and love, we owe it to them.
