Help/advice 15 year old cat diabetic again

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Nina M

Member Since 2022
Hello, looking for advice/help. My name is Nina, my 15 year male cat is Yogi. NEW MEMBER
I grew up a dog person but took my aunts cat (I lived with him for a while prior) when I bought my house 5 years ago. Found out when I took him in that he was diabetic. His numbers were in the 500’s. Long story short they gave me insulin (I’m not good at it, my ex was) I brought him back in and he was 62. He hates car rides and the whole ordeal so when I went home I decided I would try the diet change first. He was always a dry food eater so got him the dry food Purina proplan Dm diabetic mgmt and the same in wet food, reading wet food is better.
Then I found this and other groups and started giving him low carb wet food. I ended up giving Fancy Feast Pate 1 can in AM 1 can PM and used the Purina DM dry food as a “snack” in afternoons. I took him to a new vet last year and he was in Remission!!! Low 100’s. I was feeling like we are good!!!
He is 15 years old and I’ve noticed he is throwing up more, always hungry, peeing a lot. Took him yesterday for his annual, blood work showed diabetic again, 300’s. The vet wants to give him the Purina DM dry and Purina DM wet food.
I don’t want to go the insulin route because I am not good at giving the shots. I’m not even good at holding my cats scruff. But I will try anything for my furbaby.
Do I try the DM wet food? (The vet was like how are you giving him the DM dry without a prescription, I was getting it from Walmart RX with very old prescription). Should I try other wet food low in carbs (fancy feast pate not working now)? Do I start home testing? Do I go insulin route? I’m freaking out cuz I don’t know if I can do the home testing and insulin shots myself.
Any advice?
 
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Hello and welcome! I was very nervous to start testing and giving shots but it just takes some practice to get used to it. It makes me much more confident that I’m trying to help my kitty the best to be able to know what his BG numbers are.

I’m still learning but this place has been great!
 
Welcome Nina and Yogi
First of all I would not feed the Purina DM Dry it's about 18% carbs too high
You don't need to feed the DM wet nothing special about it
I can give you our food chart look for carbs that are 6% and lower
Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classic Pate or Friskies or any other ones you find on the food chart
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
We feed our cats multiple times per day ,
The only way you will know what his BG is by starting to test him again
I can tag other members for you for advice
What type of insulin was he getting before
 
I took him to a new vet last year and he was in Remission!!! Low 100’s. I was feeling like we are good!!!
If you were testing him with a human meter
Normal bg on a human meter is 50-120
Did you continue to test him after seeing the new vet
strong remission we like to see 50-80, with occasional bg under 120 for 14 days
I would stay with a low carb wet food diet and start to test him
If you live in the US you can buy The Relion Premier Classic Meter 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 test strips
26 or 28 gauge lancets
Cotton rounds
Don't feed 2 hours prior to testing first thing in the AM , then test him again around 2-3 hours after that and then again a few more times
Same at night
You can feed him small meals during each 12 hour cycle
 
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Hello, looking for advice/help. My name is Nina, my 15 year male cat is Yogi. NEW MEMBER
I grew up a dog person but took my aunts cat (I lived with him for a while prior) when I bought my house 5 years ago. Found out when I took him in that he was diabetic. His numbers were in the 500’s. Long story short they gave me insulin (I’m not good at it, my ex was) I brought him back in and he was 62. He hates car rides and the whole ordeal so when I went home I decided I would try the diet change first. He was always a dry food eater so got him the dry food Purina proplan Dm diabetic mgmt and the same in wet food, reading wet food is better.
Then I found this and other groups and started giving him low carb wet food. I ended up giving Fancy Feast Pate 1 can in AM 1 can PM and used the Purina DM dry food as a “snack” in afternoons. I took him to a new vet last year and he was in Remission!!! Low 100’s. I was feeling like we are good!!!
He is 15 years old and I’ve noticed he is throwing up more, always hungry, peeing a lot. Took him yesterday for his annual, blood work showed diabetic again, 300’s. The vet wants to give him the Purina DM dry and Purina DM wet food.
I don’t want to go the insulin route because I am not good at giving the shots. I’m not even good at holding my cats scruff. But I will try anything for my furbaby.
Do I try the DM wet food? (The vet was like how are you giving him the DM dry without a prescription, I was getting it from Walmart RX with very old prescription). Should I try other wet food low in carbs (fancy feast pate not working now)? Do I start home testing? Do I go insulin route? I’m freaking out cuz I don’t know if I can do the home testing and insulin shots myself.
Any advice?
@tiffmaxee

@Wendy&Neko

@Suzanne & Darcy

@Bron and Sheba (GA)

@Bandit's Mom

Thanks ladies, I did give her some information
 
Welcome to the FDMB. It’s true that wet low carb food is best. Did you get a copy of his labs? If all is good except glucose he needs insulin. A second remission is more difficult to get but totally possible. Are you testing at home? Cats often test higher at the vet. If you aren’t get a human meter and test with an ear prick before eating morning and night. We are data oriented here so need you to set up a spreadsheet and signature first.

I’m not sure he was ever in remission if in low 100’s but possible. Testing at home will help determine what is best for your cat.
 
Hi there! You can do this. I cried the first week of trying to ear test. I didn’t think I would get it, but I was determined that I would keep my baby safe on insulin and that I must know what his blood glucose was before giving him insulin and during the cycle. I had no problem giving insulin shots as I was already familiar with giving subcutaneous injections of B-12 to my cats as well as giving sub-q fluids. The insulin injections are actually easier than the ear testing (which is only a little tricky at first.). We can help you with all of this and, honestly, this is the best place to be if your kitty does have a chance at remission. I know this because I received some not very good advice in other groups. This Board can get you there if it’s at all possible. But we can also help you get into better, healthier glucose numbers for your cat.

The Purina DM is not only expensive but is too high in carbs for a diabetic cat. That will definitely raise his blood sugar. You have time to put him on a low-carb diet, buy a human glucose meter and strips, and learn to test. His numbers will come down with a switch to a low carb wet food diet, but he may still need insulin - at least for a time.
 
There are plenty of low carb wet food options out there. Fancy Feast is not magic but a lot of people here recommend it. It's just one of many low carb wet food options.

If the thought of ear testing is intimidating at first (been there, done that:bighug:), you are lucky that now there is the option of the Freestyle Libre that the vet cat attach to the cat. It only lasts two weeks, provided cat doesn't take it off, but it'll get you started and give you time to learn ear testing.
 
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