Hello From Qatar -newly diagnosed this week snafu

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Janet Qatar

Janet Qatar

Member Since 2015
Hello everyone, I am so happy to have found this helpfull forum as I am still in shock, and Snafu (we could not have named him better) ! is still in hospital. He is around 4 yrs old not too certain as he was a street cat its a problem here in Qatar, as there as so many animals dumped, (terrible) but true when ex pat's leave the country. Another story. We know that he is FIV that was discovered over a year ago on a vet visit, when he seemed to have a crisis, thought to be panreatitis, but he made a full recovery, until this week when he showed classic signs of diabetes, drinking lots of water, and he suddenly did not want to eat his regular food or anything that was offerred to him so an urgent vet visit to a different vet was made and he was immediately put on a saline drip and hospitalised with so many tests.
Now we have the diagnosis that he is diabetic but he will come out from the animal hospital on Saturday as they are trying to regulate the insulin to twice a day in line with food intake .
I am trying to read as much as possible and hoping that I can find the correct food as we do not hace access to all the products availalbe in the USA & UK food wise.
We love this little cat and will do all that we can to help him live a long happy life I think this site will be my new go to place . I am sure to have so many concerns.
 

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Hello and welcome to you and sweet Snafu....he is gorgeous!:)
You have come to the right place for help with diabetes. We are very happy to help in any way we can. Ask lots of questions.
It is always very stressful for the first few weeks as you learn all about the disease and how to help your kitty.
There are several ways you can help Snafu.
What food have you been feeding him and what food is he on now.?
We recommend low carbohydrate canned or wet food less than 10% carbs. Not sure what you have over there but here is a link with lots of ideas. You may recognise some of the foods. Canned food that mentions gravy is usually a high carb food and best to avoid. If this site is no help, post and ask again. We don't recommend dry food at all.
If you have been feeding high carb food or dry food, we recommend you DONTchange the diet to low carb until you are home testing the blood sugars. This is because changing the diet to a low carb diet can drop the blood sugars quite a bit and if you are not testing if could be unsafe as the blood sugar could drop too low.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/food-links.133016/#post-1493824

Another thing you can do which helps a lot is home monitor the blood sugar levels. This will show you how well the insulin is working in his body and is much better than having to keep going to the vet for curves of the blood sugar levels. Here is a link to how it is done. It takes a week or two to master it fully but please try and do it...it will keep your kitty Safe
hppt://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/testing-and-shooting-tips.85113/
I am not sure what monitors you have in Qatar but you just need a human monitor that tests the blood for sugar levels....if you find one and are not sure......post here and we will help. You should be able to buy them at a chemist. Or failing that online. You need to buy one that you can get the test strips easily for and don't cost you a fortune! Check that out before you buy the monitor.

Can you tell us what insulin Snafu is on, if you know and could we know your name please?

If you go to the top right hand corner of this page to your name and click on there and go to signature.....if you could add Snafus name and the insulin he is on. Any other illnesses, medications, country you are in and your name. Thanks

I recommend you read the sticky notes at the top of the pages, they will give you lots of information.
Again a warm welcome.......look forward to hearing back from you and Snafu.:)
 
Last edited:
Welcome. Here is another excellent source and a must read. www.catinfo.org It is 18 pages long and also includes a list of canned foods. You will want to make sure to choose the one that is low in carbs. We recommend under 10% however the lower the better. In June, I had to change food so I went from 5% down to 4% and it made a huge difference in Merlin's number for the best.
 
Given you're in Qatar, you may find making cat food yourself could be the way to go. There is a recipe for raw at Cat Info
Depending on cost, it could be possible to order online and have food shipped there. Check into ZooPlus (sorry, I don't have a link off hand!).
 
Bron and Sheba said:
Hello and welcome to you and sweet Snafu....he is gorgeous!:)
You have come to the right place for help with diabetes. We are very happy to help in any way we can. Ask lots of questions.
It is always very stressful for the first few weeks as you learn all about the disease and how to help your kitty.
There are several ways you can help Snafu.
What food have you been feeding him and what food is he on now.?
We recommend low carbohydrate canned or wet food less than 10% carbs. Not sure what you have over there but here is a link with lots of ideas. You may recognise some of the foods. Canned food that mentions gravy is usually a high carb food and best to avoid. If this site is no help, post and ask again. We don't recommend dry food at all.
If you have been feeding high carb food or dry food, we recommend you DONTchange the diet to low carb until you are home testing the blood sugars. This is because changing the diet to a low carb diet can drop the blood sugars quite a bit and if you are not testing if could be unsafe as the blood sugar could drop too low.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/food-links.133016/#post-1493824

Another thing you can do which helps a lot is home monitor the blood sugar levels. This will show you how well the insulin is working in his body and is much better than having to keep going to the vet for curves of the blood sugar levels. Here is a link to how it is done. It takes a week or two to master it fully but please try and do it...it will keep your kitty Safe
hppt://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/testing-and-shooting-tips.85113/
I am not sure what monitors you have in Qatar but you just need a human monitor that tests the blood for sugar levels....if you find one and are not sure......post here and we will help. You should be able to buy them at a chemist. Or failing that online. You need to buy one that you can get the test strips easily for and don't cost you a fortune! Check that out before you buy the monitor.

Can you tell us what insulin Snafu is on, if you know and could we know your name please?

If you go to the top right hand corner of this page to your name and click on there and go to signature.....if you could add Snafus name and the insulin he is on. Any other illnesses, medications, country you are in and your name. Thanks

I recommend you read the sticky notes at the top of the pages, they will give you lots of information.
Again a warm welcome.......look forward to hearing back from you and Snafu.:)
Click to expand...
Hello
 
Janet Qatar said:
Hello
Click to expand...
Hello and thank you so much for the reply. Apologies for the late reply, it has been quite a hellish few days since Sanfu came home from the Vet!! I think in part due to my lack of experience and fear, which is passed on to him. He was previously fed on Royal Canin Indoor cat food 80g per day split - at 6am and the next meal at 4pm - now he is on Royal Canin Diabetes only 70g split - 8am and 8pm so he starts crying for food in the morning and junping on the table which he has never done, and from 4pm onwards he just seems starving .. he was a fat cat !! obviously not good and this is what has resulted - he was a street cat - or a dumped pet he is too polite to be a true street cat.
The thing that I am finding hardest to manage at the moment is the blood test, as its not as if you can ask him to sit - I can only get him to be quiet if I give him food !! as prior to feeding he is just pacing - so the only time I manage to get the blood is by giving a few pieces of dried food in a bag .. but now his poor eat is in shreds I feel that I have to give it time to heal or get better training or he will get an ear infection and due to him already having FIV that will cause another problem for him (he is an indoor cat )
He started on insulin just 1 dose 1 mark on the syringe now its 1.5 as his reading was 514 for the blood test on the first day at home.
Day two reading was 514
day 3 544
day 4 is better but still high at 388
he will go back to the vet on Thursday for another vet check

I hope I will improve with my skills - I am comitted to making him better but feel so bad that Im not a good nurse for him. Im sure with more confidence I will gain more skills and I thank you all for the invaluable support that you are offering .
There is generally more blood and pricked skin on me than gets on the blood test strip ! is this normal or am I just a clutz ?

All the best from Janet & Snafu
 
Man
Merlin said:
Welcome. Here is another excellent source and a must read. www.catinfo.org It is 18 pages long and also includes a list of canned foods. You will want to make sure to choose the one that is low in carbs. We recommend under 10% however the lower the better. In June, I had to change food so I went from 5% down to 4% and it made a huge difference in Merlin's number for the best.
Click to expand...
 
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