Halo Brand Food

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Check the brand in the food chart, yellow tags at the top of the forum. Dry is not recommended for diabetic cats. Most of us feed Fancy Feast classics pate and Friskies pates (no gravy). The chart shows protein, fat, carbs, phosphorus and calories of a great many wet foods.
 
Some Halo foods are lower in carbs than others. I use them because Zoey also needs low phosphorus for a kidney issue. The ones I use are the wet foods: Impulse Grain Free Rabbit (7% carbs), Spot's Pate Grain Free Turkey and Duck (5%), and Vigor Chicken and Trout (7%). Zoey loves them, but then she just loves most food! (I'm happy to say that now after almost losing her to kidney failure in January!)
 
I have a question about my cat's treats. They are Blue Buffalo Kitty Cravings grain free, and I have no idea how many carbs they have in them. He loves them, but that is obviously beside the point. Here is the breakdown that they gave on their website. Can someone help me figure out the carb percentage? Thanks in advance.

Guaranteed Analysis & Dry Matter Basis
Reported Dry Matter
Moisture (max) 10.00 % 0.00 %
Crude Fiber (max) 3.00 % 3.33 %
Crude Fat (min) 11.00 % 12.22 %
Crude Protein (min) 23.00 % 25.56 %
Calories: 1.20 kcal/treat
 
Rain7 said:
I have a question about my cat's treats. They are Blue Buffalo Kitty Cravings grain free, and I have no idea how many carbs they have in them. He loves them, but that is obviously beside the point. Here is the breakdown that they gave on their website. Can someone help me figure out the carb percentage? Thanks in advance.

Guaranteed Analysis & Dry Matter Basis
Reported Dry Matter
Moisture (max) 10.00 % 0.00 %
Crude Fiber (max) 3.00 % 3.33 %
Crude Fat (min) 11.00 % 12.22 %
Crude Protein (min) 23.00 % 25.56 %
Calories: 1.20 kcal/treat
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What are the ingredients? When I looked them up I didn’t see a grain free version.
 
Salmon, Chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal, peas, chicken fat, natural flavor, glucono-delta-Lactone, Potassium Chloride, preserved with citric acid and mixed tocopherols, oil of rosemary
 
Rice,barley, oatmeal and peas are all high carb, so I would say those treats are very high in carbs.
 
My mind is shutting down. I can't figure out how they get 1.5% out of a total of 100...very confusing, as is everything now a days, and I am again, overwhelmed after a long day at work, and now a long evening, dissecting every single thing to death for the rest of the night, trying to figure out what the crap I am going to feed my poor little sick boy.
 
Sorry it's been rough. Take heart, it does get easier. I think I you will find new treats that Jerry will like. It's a treatable disease, with possibility of remission in some cases. You will learn to care for him, and be more at ease. Take breath, fix a cup of tea, put your feet up, hold and love on Jerry.
 
Thank you so much for your kind & thoughtful words, Idjit's mom. It means a lot, because I don't really have anyone to talk to about this, and that makes it even more difficult :'( I just keep most of it inside, except for when I talk on here. Even my mom can't handle the emotional basket case that I have become (more so than usual, that is.) Admittedly, I am a naturally high strung person, which I know isn't good. It's just the way I am. I'm thinking of diving into this whole Young Again thing, where you feed them freely all day, low carb and high protein crunchy food. The only bad thing I have heard about it is that it may cause diarrhea at first, until their little bodies get used to it. But they have no/low carb treats, too. I requested a sample, and they said they would be happy to send me samples. I guess I'll wait, since he has a decent amount of Sheba wet food right now.
 
I can't advise on the Young Again dry food. I have read that sometimes it works, sometimes not. I absolutely believe in feeding wet food, Idjit wasn't on insulin very long, we were just learning how to take care of him properly. Changing his diet to all wet food got him into remission! Maybe try Jerry on Fancy Feast classics and Friskies pate, be sure to test his BG before shooting! That diet change can really lower his glucose level. There are ways to feed wet while you are gone.
 
I feed FF wet but also tried Young Again to just leave a little something down as my other cat likes to graze and prefers dry. However, I am about 3/4 through the bag and Truffles now has v smelly runny poo. Having read the forum I am presuming it’s from the YA food. I have spent most of the evening hunting down another low carb food to get. Hang on in there, we’ll get there! Truffles is far more laid back about this than I am though.
 
Thanks, everyone. I have been researching Dr. Elsey's foods, and I am getting a sample of the dry & canned, just for asking. They got right back to me. So, I have that as well as the Young Again samples coming in the mail. I'll see how they do before committing to the ginormous cost of these foods. I don't want to feed him Fancy Feast or Friskies canned, due to the high percentage of artificial flavors and colors. I can't understand why companies have to do that! It's like the fourth ingredient...ridiculous! Anyway, obviously, you will end up paying more for the higher quality all natural stuff. That's the price we pay, isn't it? We all know about it. My glucometer came in the mail today, so there's a whole other huge hurdle to jump this long weekend. I am terrified of testing his glucose, I don't care how many times I have seen it online, etc. I don't want to hit that vein, and have him bleeding all over. I will probably pass out. It is SO CLOSE to the area that I am supposed to test! God help me!!! Ok, so I know some of you may be laughing or rolling your eyes, and saying, wow, she should be an actress...so dramatic! But seriously, I am very nervous about it...and that's that. Oh, the humanity! Trudging through the deep, dark waters of the wretched illness of diabetes. I shall fight for you, dear Jerry...and when all is said and done, I will KNOW that I did EVERYTHING I could do to help you through this life, and to help you live a happier one, even if maybe it wasn't. I shall have no regrets. I don't need anymore to add to the list.
 
With the glucometer in hand now, it is FULL STEAM AHEAD, no matter how murky the waters get, or how frightened I become, or how frightened poor Jerry becomes. He'll probably end up hating my guts, and I will have to welcome my husband into my world of syringes, insulin, early mornings, lancets, needles, vet visits, feeding guidelines, blood, and more needles. For now, though, he is just sitting back and helping me try to find a good food to put him on. I'll take care of the rest, because I am wonder-woman.
 
You’ll be fine Truffles was only diagnosed a short time ago and like you I was v nervous especially as I’m needle phobic. Have to say Truffles was and is an angel to deal with. Put up with me poking his ear quite a few times at the beginning before I managed a drop. Even if you hit a vein it won’t gush so don’t be afraid. I inject him whilst he’s eating and he never even notices! Hugs from Truffles and I, keep going it gets easier
 
I finally checked his sugar just now...what a chore!!!! I felt like I was about to hyperventilate. He tested 233, and that is after eating Fancy Feast beef pate, 1/2 can at 6pm, and then I had given his insulin right after. FF is not my #1 choice, b/c of the artificial stuff, but this is a much better reading than last Saturday morning at the vet's office. Before starting insulin (that evening was the first dose), his glucose was 390. So, I am seeing some improvement. I am going to do a fasting glucose test tomorrow, before I feed him breakfast, to see what it is after not eating for a while. So, my husband seems to think that the lancets can be reused...Someone please tell me if this is true. I don't think it is, but he does. I need the experts advice. Thanks.
 
I reuse the needle once as vet said I could get away with that but not the lancets. Truffles bg was over 500 when he was diagnosed! He is fed FF now and is doing well. His dose has just been upped to 2,5. I test him before breakfast then 6 hours later then before his dinner. The FY mature I don’t think has agreed with him so I’m going to try Dr Elsey. I like to leave a little something down during the day. Well done for braving the bg test, that was the hardest bit for me!
 
Thanks, Anne...Also, I noticed that he moves real slow when he walks. I know he is 14 years old, but it makes me wonder if he might have arthritis. Does anyone have an opinion on Nutramax Cosequin Capsules? I was looking it up on Amazon. I have no idea why this is in bold...sorry.
 
Rain7 said:
So, my husband seems to think that the lancets can be reused...Someone please tell me if this is true.
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Some human diabetics are known to reuse lancets. However, they're so inexpensive. Most caregivers use lancets once before tossing.
Anne Biddle said:
I reuse the needle once as vet said I could get away with that but not the lancets.
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This will give you an idea of what a used syringe needle looks like:

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Re-using a disposable syringe may be very uncomfortable for your cat.
Rain7 said:
Does anyone have an opinion on Nutramax Cosequin Capsules?
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Many of our caregivers give Cosequin for arthritis. Cosequin doesn't appear to raise blood glucose levels in most cats. If it does, you can always divide the dose and give half in the AM and the other half in the PM to minimize the impact on BG numbers..
 
Thank you so much, Jill & Alex. That is very helpful, so I will just use the lancets once. I had to get it to a 3 to barely prick his ear, and thankfully, it was just enough to do a reading. I'm glad those Alpha Trak meters only require a tiny amount. I was surprised that he didn't jump when it clicked, although I was basically gently holding him down, so he wouldn't move....poor baby. I sure hope he gets used to all this, and me, too. It's a major chore as it stands right now, especially if I am having to get up at 5:30 to now check his fasting glucose, feed him, wait for him to finish eating (which doesn't take long) AND then give him a shot. That is a 25 minute ordeal. Then I have to get ready for work, and be out of the house at 7:15 for my 30 minute drive. By the time I get to work, I'm going to be completely wiped out :( But, as we all say, it is worth it in the end, if your cat gets healthier and happier. So much for cats being easy to take care of. He was for 14 years, anyway. Life gets hard for every living being when they get older...it is inevitable. I think I will give the Cosequin a try, thanks for the advice.
 
Truffles shows no signs of discomfort from the syringe being used twice. If he did I wouldn’t do it. My boy is 14 also. You will find you become much quicker and adept with time. Truffles knows he doesn’t get food till he’s had his check!
 
Rain7 said:
I sure hope he gets used to all this, and me, too. It's a major chore as it stands right now, especially if I am having to get up at 5:30 to now check his fasting glucose, feed him, wait for him to finish eating (which doesn't take long) AND then give him a shot. That is a 25 minute ordeal.
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It will get easier. In the beginning I created a "testing spot" in my house. It only took a very short time before Alex was trained to go to the spot to have her glucose levels checked. After a few weeks, all I had to do was say, "C'mon Alex. Time to check you BG." and she'd hop right up onto her testing spot. So, hang in there. It'll get easier for both you and Jerry. :)
Anne Biddle said:
Truffles shows no signs of discomfort from the syringe being used twice. If he did I wouldn’t do it.
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Happy to hear Truffles isn't adverse to getting shots! However, in addition to the syringe needle becoming dulled after a single use, when one re-inserts a used syringe back into the vial of insulin there's a greater risk of contaminating the vial of insulin. Just mentioning this in case it hadn't crossed your mind. I remember how overwhelming this can all be...
 
I was actually referring to the syringe from BG testing kit, not the insulin syringe. I wouldn't ever reuse those.
 
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