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chamil

chamil

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hi my cat chamil was diagnose with diabetes last Saturday and i was able to take her home just a few hours ago, up to now the longest she had been at the vet in her 9 years was to be spayed. can't sleep my first night and i'll be using my temporary insomnia to get better educated about my chamil's diabetes but any advise is appreciated
 
My cat was just diagnosed, as well. It's pretty scary, and I'm still getting into the routine, as is my cat Julian.
I'm still relying on the advice of others, so I'll leave the words of wisdom to them! From what I've found, this place is awesome, the people care, and their cats are happy! I know it's scary, but Chamil is in good hands, and both of you will do fine with all of this :-D
 
My 5 YO was diagnosed on Good Friday. while my vet is experienced with diabetic animals (has cat & dog that are diabetic in his home), the advice and help that I got here really helped Cedric go into remission, which was my vet's goal. I'm not going to lie - it was difficult. But you have to look at it as these people have been living with/dealing with these issues for a long time, in some cases. Lots of experience=good & helpful advice.

Welcome!
 
Welcome Chamil and Chamil's parent ( A name would be helpful).

You are now in the best place to help you help Chamil.

Some quick questions for you. What type of insulin did the vet start Chamil on? And at what dosage? Also what is she eating? Diet will play a huge role in treating this disease.

We promote a low carb/high protein canned wet food diet. This diet doesn't need to break the bank either. I personally have 11 cats atm and only one if a diabetic. Everyone here eats exactly what my diabetic eats, good old fashioned Friskies Pate style. You don't need the expensive prescription food from the vet's either there is plenty out there on the commerical market that works just fine. This is a link to the food charts we use to treat our FD kitties http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html Just look for things that are below 10% carbs. (third column). I personally try to keep my boy between 5-8%.

We also strongly suggest you learn to test Chamil at home, this is for several reasons. 1) It will tell you in seconds if she is high enough to safely give insulin to, thus help you avoid hypo. 2) it gives you truer numbers because there are very few cats that aren't under stress at the vets. Stress raises BGs, even my most laid back guy who head butts and whisker kisses his vets and vet techs will go up about 100 points at the vets. and 3) it keeps $$$ in your wallet. Since you can run your own curves at home and then either email or phone in those numbers to your vet instead of having to drag Chamil to the vet's for all day testing. You will find lots of tips and tricks as well as lots of videos on how we test here http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

This is a very easy disease to manage at home. In fact so easy that not only did I adopted my Maxwell from this very board, after my first FD cat Muse passed away (from cancer), but I am waiting right now for my second diabetic cat to get well enough to travel (she is in VA and I'm in NE) that I just adopted. Now with all the critters in my household if it wasn't so very easy to treat, I wouldn't be adopting a second one.

Home testing while it can be a little frustrating in the beginning it gets so easy once you find your groove that you can do it in your sleep, and I'm pretty sure I have. You alo don't need a pet only meter, any human meter will do as long as it takes a very small sample of blood, and the strips are affordable. As your major expense won't be the meter but the test strips. We even offer a newbie kit through this site that will contain everything you need to get started. Lori and Tom run this program and you can find it at the top of this forum under Kits for Cats.

Welcome to the family

Mel, Maxwell & The Fur Gang
 
hi and thanks Lucy and Julian it really is scary, especially last night when i had to give my cat her very first shot after just doing 1 practice shot just 2 hours before nailbite_smile . but im sure its gonna get easier

doombuggy maybe my vet is just inexperience, because i was told that is rare for a diabetic cat to survive without the insulin shots :? . After starting to read more about this illness it seems that it can be control with a change in diet alone Glad to hear your Cedric is one of these insulin shot-free cats :-D

MommaOfMuse thanks for the helpfull links, i read the whole "Diabetes in Cats for Beginners" article that is link in the main page as well as some of the nutrition articles and are very surprise at how bad dry cat food is for cats :shock: . the starter kit seem helpful but i want to test her as soon as possible since she seem a bit odd last night. Any meter recommendations? my vet didn't emphasize how important home testing is and made it seem as an optional thing. i was worried since my vet told me i had to get blood from the paws but after seeing Mark and Buddy's video it doesn't seem too bad.

oh and about the insulin i got its ProZinc its a 10ml Vial
he also sent me home with antibiotics needles and food - hills M/D and W/D cans as well as the M/D dry food and told me that there was little difference between the dry and the can from this brand

she'll take her 2nd shot soon so for all your advise my cat chamil and i say thanks

Almost forgot my name is Dan nice to meet you all :mrgreen:
 
Hi Dan (much nicer)

Yes I have a great and cheap meter for you...Got a Walmart close? If you do they have their own brand called Relion, I personally use the Relion Micro for Maxwell, it runs about $9-$12 depending I think on the state, and the test strips are about $20 for 50, which is enough to get you a good start.

Can't help with the insulin as my guy was a Lantus boy, for the whole 2 weeks he was on insulin before going into remission. But we do have an insulin support group for PZI that can help you out there.

Other things you will want to pick up while you're there. You will need a lancet device and lancets to fit it, Ketostixs to check her urine for ketones which can be a serious side effect for some FD cats.

While you can test on the pads, most of us use the edge of the ear, as it is much easier to see where you are aiming. To warm up the ear a rice sock was our best friend. It is simply a fairly thinnish cotton sock (baby and toddler socks work great) filled about 2/3 full of plain white rice. (Not instant).Toss that in the microwave for a few seconds until very warm but not hot. I check the heat on the side of my neck or wrist just like you would a baby bottle.

You will definitely want to be testing her before changing her diet, as many times just removing the dry food will drop a cat 100 points or more. And if you would like any hands on help, just give us a general location (city and state) and we will see if we can hook you up with a local member that can swing by and give you some help with those first few tests

Mel, Maxwell & The Fur Gang
 
HI Dan and Welcome,

Lots of people here use the ReliOn from Walmart. The meters are generally inexpensive - it's the strips that are costly. The ReliOn strips are the cheapest. If you buy a brand name meter (sometimes they are free on promotion) you can get strips on ebay for a good price. Here is a shopping list for hometesting:

A human glucometer. Any one that sips and takes a tiny sample is fine. The meters are often free at drug stores; it’s the strips that are expensive. You can, however, buy them on ebay at less than half the price of stores. Lots of people here also like the ReliOn from Walmart. It is an inexpensive meter and its strips are the cheapest around. Try the meter out on yourself or someone else before you try it on your cat. You want to be familiar with it before you poke the cat.

Lancets and a lancet device. Usually, until the ears “learn” to bleed, a 25-26 gauge is good. Any brand will work.

Ketone strips. (Ketostix) Just like human diabetics use. You will sometimes need to test urine if the numbers are high.

Rice sack. Make this out of thinnish sock, filled with raw rice or oatmeal and then knotted. You heat this in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Then heat the ears before poking.

Also nice to have. Flashlight: so you can look at the ears and find the little capillaries that come off the vein running down the ear. Vaseline: Put a tiny smear where you want to poke. It will help the blood bead up.

And some lo carb treats to give your kitty, successful test or not Lo carb treats


Not sure if you have seen the food chart: Janet and Binky’s chart The consensus here is that the RX food is no better and often worse than the OTC food and more expensive. Lots of us feed Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness and Merrick.

PZI is a mild, long lasting insulin. Here is information on how it works: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32799 We suggest to start low and go slow with the dosage - starting at 1 unit twice daily, testing before each shot and mid cycle.

Keep reading and asking questions. We will be glad to help you and your cat.
 
I'll just add welcome, since it looks like you've gotten all them main newbie's information. This is a great place!
Health gets the most visitors, so for quick replies this is usually the spot to go to. If you're on at morning evening with questions PZI is good.
Food change and testing are your biggest bang for the buck.
Everyone here is always willing to help/advise.
 
chamil said:
oh and about the insulin i got its ProZinc its a 10ml Vial
he also sent me home with antibiotics needles and food - hills M/D and W/D cans as well as the M/D dry food and told me that there was little difference between the dry and the can from this brand
Click to expand...

Hi Dan! I just wanted to comment about the food...a diabetic cat needs a canned diet under 10% carbs. None of the food you're feeding right now is under 10% carbs. In fact, the W/D is extremely high in carbs and I would urge you to return it to the vet immediately. Weight loss diets are very problematic for diabetic cats, and I'm convinced W/D is what caused my cat's diabetes to begin with. Just tell your vet that Chamil wouldn't eat the food because she didn't like it. A lot of cats get sick of it anyway because of the low-quality ingredients.

You don't need a prescription diet. Here's a link to the cat food nutrition charts to help you select a food--just look for anything under 10% carbs (although I have to stay under 6% with Bandit because he's very carb sensitive). http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm I fed the low carb flavors of Fancy Feast while treating Bandit's diabetes (he's in remission now): http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm. I recently switched him to a higher quality low carb diet (Merrick's and EVO 95%), and he's doing great, his diabetes is diet controlled. A lot of people here also feed the low carb flavors of Friskies and Wellness, too. Check out the charts and pick something in your budget that Chamil likes.
 
Hi Dan,

Just chiming in with a welcome since everyone else has hit the high points :-D

I've only been here 3 weeks myself and am still adjusting to this whole adventure, I know how overwhelming this can all seem. My girl is on Hills m/d wet too because she likes it, which is important, and the switch already dropped her numbers dramatically, and I don't want to make any more changes until both of us have settled a bit.

The hardest thing I'm finding is to be patient when her BG numbers are still up in the treetops but slow and steady is the only way to go. I've made a sign that says that and stuck it on my fridge :lol:

Hang in there.

Lesley
 
chamil said:
hi
: my vet didn't emphasize how important home testing is and made it seem as an optional thing.
Click to expand...

Hi Dan,

If you want to optimally manage your cat, home testing is certainly not to be considered as "optional". It really makes me sad to continue to see my colleagues make such light of this very valuable - and life-saving - tool.


i was worried since my vet told me i had to get blood from the paws
Click to expand...

I would suggest trying the ears first.

hills M/D and W/D cans as well as the M/D dry food
Click to expand...

I would not be feeding any of these diets to diabetics, or non-diabetics for that matter, and the VIN Feline Medicine consultants agree that these are definitely not optimal diets to be feeding to diabetic cats - especially w/d since they are all too high in carbs.

Plus, you are paying a lot of money for a marginal quality food.
 
hi again
mommaofmuse i went ahead and bought the relion meter and an the test strips and but my attempts at getting blood from her ears utterly failed, could have swore i saw my cat laugh at me the second time :smile:

hi sue i really should have scrolled down instead or rushing out the door to buy the meter :oops: , so i guess i'll take another trip to the market saturday morning to get some ketone strips and a small flash light. about the many choices of wet foods, i looked at Janet and Binky’s chart and noted some of the brands and flavors in it to see if i can find some in the store while im there.

thanks Kathyh glad to hear that pzi is also ok (i assume that its what chamil is on :? )

Julia 26% carbs!! i'm surprise the vet even gave me W/D as a can food option im starting to think chamil might be the first FD pet he has treated. i've printed the the chart and will see about getting different flavors for her.

lesley yes i can relate to that feeling, i'm so glad for a community that's here to make this not as scary, thanks for the support

hi lisa
i'm planing to go shopping for better can food saturday morning
since she seems to eat very little of the m/d can food and to find a wet food that she will prefer over the dry m/d (it seems she would eat that if given a choice between the dry and the wet m/d). i didn't want to do the paws for testing for risk of infection from the litter box/anytree she climbs on . Testing still very new to me and i only manage make 3 blood-less pricks on the ear rim, so im a bit hesitant to change her diet until i successfully get a bg reading


( im sorry all i haven't reply sooner im still getting use to posting in a forum and should really make a habit to check my post every day :oops: )
 
It is rare to get blood the first time. Keep trying. We say three tries and it's time for treats for Kitty and bean. We spent an entire weekend poking poor Oliver before we got a drop.

The magic for us was heating the ear well with the rice sack. It also helps to have something to poke against, whether it's a folded kleenix, the rice sack or a makeup sponge like we used. You can also double poke - a quick second poke in the same spot to make the hole a little bigger.

We all have little tricks that helped us. We are happy to share!
 
Hi again Dan,

Don't feel too bad about the bloodless ear pokes, it is very rare that any of us get blood on the first attempt, it takes some practice to become a vampire.

A few things that help us when Maxwell and I first started, get the ear really warm, the rice sock was our best friend. Warm ears are giving ears. Try both ears if you haven't already, Maxwell has one ear that bleeds well and one that doesn't want to bleed at all. I also found that if I poked right above that little double flap on the edge of the ear where it connects to his head, I get blood just about everytime.

What size lancets are you using? You might need a larger lancet. The smaller the number the larger the lancet size and in the beginning I found that a 28 - 30 gauge worked better. As bizarre as it sounds after awhile their ears do learn to bleed. The other thing that worked for me, was to take the cap off the lancet pen (mine doesn't have clear cap option) then aim free hand, but use the spring action of the pen to do the actual poke.

Now I don't remember if Chamil is long haired or short haired, but Maxwell is very long haired so I put a very light smear of neoporin on his ear to help the blood bead up. Above all remember to give Chamil a treat everytime you test whether you get blood or not, afterall it's not her fault, she has upheld her part of the bargin by sitting and letting you poke.

Remember to just breathe, it does get easier, it just takes some time and practice to become a skilled vampire, and before you know it, you will nick yourself, see blood and run for your meter..lol.

Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
 
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