Help with food for diabetic cat

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Manuela Walden

Member Since 2016
Hello everybody,
I'm new to this forum. Charlie has been diagnosed with diabetes about 1 1/2 years ago. We are having a really hard time getting his diabetes under control. He was just switched to Lantus (3units twice/day) about 9 days ago and it seems like his glucose levels are higher now then they were before. He was on Prozinc every since he got diagnosed with getting 6 units twice a day until the vet decided we should try Lantus because his glucose levels stayed consistently in the high 300's on Prozinc. Now with Lantus 8 hours after his shot his glucose is at 482 -:(. We already had all kinds of blood test done and everything was fine besides his glucose.
He gets mostly dry food because he's not having it just eating wet. He gets some wet food twice a day (Fancy Feast Classic) but unfortunately he wants his dry food as well or won't eat at all. I had switched him from Blue Buffalo Wilderness to Nature's Variety Instinct Grain Free Chicken Meal Formula Dry Cat Food. I have read in a few areas that it's supposedly low in Carbs but i'm wondering if it really is. Should I switch him to EVO since he wants to eat the dry food? Any help is appreciated.
 
If you have a confirmed kibble addict, another low-carb option is Young Again Zero Carb. It's available only online and a bit pricey (though it ends up working out on a per-meal basis), so ask for a free sample first to see if your cat likes it before committing to a bag. I am not sure about the EVO, got some iffy results with it, but Young Again has never raised my diabetic cat's BG.
 
Manuela Walden said:
Now with Lantus 8 hours after his shot his glucose is at 482 -:(.
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What was the BG reading before the shot? Without know that and BG at about 5-6 hours we can't tell how the insulin is working
Most of us here test our cat's blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Here is a link to home testing blood sugar
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
 
Natural instinct isn't bad at 8ish % carbs... Evo is about the same at 7% I second the young Again zero. They will send you a free sample if you ask. Youngagainpetfood.com
 
Larry and Kitties said:
What was the BG reading before the shot? Without know that and BG at about 5-6 hours we can't tell how the insulin is working
Most of us here test our cat's blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Here is a link to home testing blood sugar
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Click to expand...

HI, yesterday was the first time I tested after the switch to Lantus. I have a ReliOn but the vet is insisting that I need to use a "Pet glucose Meter" so I bought another Alphatrek. Charlie got his shot yesterday at 6.10am 3 units, then I tested at 2.10pm with the Alphatrek and it was at 464. I tested him before his next shot that night 5.23pm with Alphatrek it was 397 and with ReliOn it was 305. I tested him again today at 2pm approx. 8hours after his shot and it was at 482 with Alphatrek. The Vet said that with Lantus I need to test 8 hours after he got his shot.
 
Nan & Amber said:
If you have a confirmed kibble addict, another low-carb option is Young Again Zero Carb. It's available only online and a bit pricey (though it ends up working out on a per-meal basis), so ask for a free sample first to see if your cat likes it before committing to a bag. I am not sure about the EVO, got some iffy results with it, but Young Again has never raised my diabetic cat's BG.
Click to expand...

I'll have to look into that food. I buy mine at Amazon right now and it's not cheap at all. EVO is even more expensive. How do you calculate the Carb percentage for dry food?
 
Based on your data with 6 units ProZinc and 4 units Lantus you may have a high-dose cat. You received better (lower) BGs with the 6 units than the 4 units.
To help confirm BG before shot and BG at about 6-7 hours after the shot during the same cycle and using the same meter (either meter is OK)
 
Manuela Walden said:
Hello everybody,
I'm new to this forum. Charlie has been diagnosed with diabetes about 1 1/2 years ago. We are having a really hard time getting his diabetes under control. He was just switched to Lantus (3units twice/day) about 9 days ago and it seems like his glucose levels are higher now then they were before. He was on Prozinc every since he got diagnosed with getting 6 units twice a day until the vet decided we should try Lantus because his glucose levels stayed consistently in the high 300's on Prozinc. Now with Lantus 8 hours after his shot his glucose is at 482 -:(. We already had all kinds of blood test done and everything was fine besides his glucose.
He gets mostly dry food because he's not having it just eating wet. He gets some wet food twice a day (Fancy Feast Classic) but unfortunately he wants his dry food as well or won't eat at all. I had switched him from Blue Buffalo Wilderness to Nature's Variety Instinct Grain Free Chicken Meal Formula Dry Cat Food. I have read in a few areas that it's supposedly low in Carbs but i'm wondering if it really is. Should I switch him to EVO since he wants to eat the dry food? Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...

please get charlie the dry food know as young again! My boys get both wet & young again, I leave the young again out all day.
 
JanetNJ said:
Natural instinct isn't bad at 8ish % carbs... Evo is about the same at 7% I second the young Again zero. They will send you a free sample if you ask. Youngagainpetfood.com
Click to expand...
I just checked with the carb calculators for the dry food from Nature's Variety Instinct Grain Free Chicken Meal Formula and this comes up as over 20% in carbs. What in the the world. I've read in several places that it was low carb and ok for diabetics. Now I fell like a failure to Charlie giving him this high carb food. It shows under the "Guaranteed Analysis":45% Protein, 19% Fat, 3% Fiber, 10% Moisture, it doesn't show any Ash.
 
Manuela Walden said:
I just checked with the carb calculators for the dry food from Nature's Variety Instinct Grain Free Chicken Meal Formula and this comes up as over 20% in carbs. What in the the world. I've read in several places that it was low carb and ok for diabetics. Now I fell like a failure to Charlie giving him this high carb food. It shows under the "Guaranteed Analysis":45% Protein, 19% Fat, 3% Fiber, 10% Moisture, it doesn't show any Ash.
Click to expand...
According to this chart the raw natures variety is 7... I didn't use a calculator. Maybe it's changed since this chart was made. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html
 
Manuela Walden said:
I"m going to order it right now.
Click to expand...
Hope I'm not too late, they will send you a free sample first!:) It's like a treat sized bag but can use it to make sure 1.) Kitty likes it 2.) Doesn't show any immediate signs of upsetting tummy. A lot of cats do not do well with Pork.

Also, I calculated the numbers and still ended up with 18% carbs. Relatively close the Purina DM. That's why I decided to just get the YA :)
 
Larry and Kitties said:
Based on your data with 6 units ProZinc and 4 units Lantus you may have a high-dose cat. You received better (lower) BGs with the 6 units than the 4 units.
To help confirm BG before shot and BG at about 6-7 hours after the shot during the same cycle and using the same meter (either meter is OK)
Click to expand...
What was the dose when you switched to Lantus? If you are changing the dry food to a lower carb type, then I would suggest that you also lower the insulin dose. Otherwise you risk hypoglycemia.
 
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