Introducing Gwen & Cinnamon

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gwen and cinnamon

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Hi,

Just had a consultation with Dr. Pierson. She recommended joining the boards, so here I am. I look forward to learning how to manage this disease successfully and getting Cinnamon back to good health and hopefully remission.
 
Cinnamon is newly diagnosed as of 11/9. Currently on Lantus, 1u 2x a day. We are hometesting BG's. Not quite in a rhythm yet. Haven't managed twice a day yet. Ear pricking issue. He's not too happy about it but I think we'll get where we need to be over time. He's underweight and this is my main concern right now. His BG's aren't astronomical but clearly he is diabetic. We're also switching over to wet at the moment which has had me quite undone. He's been pretty stubborn about it. Rejected so many already; Wellness, many Fancy Feast varieties, and many Friskies varieties too. However, at the moment I am tickled pink because as I type this he is dousing himself in Fancy Feast chicken and tuna. I'm ecstatic. I found one he likes! Let's hope he likes it tomorrow too... Thanks for the welcome.
 
Hi and Welcome,

You're in great hands with Dr. Lisa and the FDMB family. Home testing will get easier. Feeding will get easier.

Keep asking any questions you have and we will walk you through it.

Robin
 
Welcome to you both to the FDMB family,

You are in great hands with Dr. Lisa, and it is fantastic that you are home testing. It does get easier as you go along.

I feel your pain with transitioning to an all wet diet, as I had 10 civies that I had to finally convince that dry food was not good for them, when I adopted Max as a diabetic. Finding enough flavors/brands that my entire bunch could all agree on was daunting, but it does eventually get easier, just takes a lot of trial and error. But it is so worth it, not only is my sugarkitty Max now OTJ but all my civies are better for it as well. I had several that I thought for the longest time were just rough coated cats, but since they have all been eating a wet food only diet, I can't tell one from another by feel alone anymore. They are all like touching silk, now if I want to know who has crawled into bed with me, I have to rely on things like body shape and purrsonality...lol.

Hang in there it will all become so routine in time. And as you have questions post them and we will do our best to walk you through it all

Mel & Max
 
rewards for ear pricking

I am really having a tough time with the bg ear pricks. He's so upset I went out and got the one touch ultra soft lancets to use manually and got a reading. I gave him a small dab of tuna as a reward (about the size of my pinky nail). Is this ok? If I'm going to try to be testing several times a day is this too much tuna? I must emphasize that it really was a very small piece. From what I understand, the bg levels can spike up a bit if the cat is stressed - is this correct? I feel anxious that between the ear pricks, insulin, and food changes I am totally stressing him out and prolonging his recovery.
 
I think you need to chilll a bit :)

I'm wondering what is causing him to freak, as the ear pricks shouldn't hurt. Could you tell us what your routine is so far? FWIW, I would sit on the floor with Squeak between my legs. I would warm his ear with a ricesock in my left hand, brush him for a minute with my right. My testing equipment would be beside me, softclix lancet device ready and a strip halfway inserted in my meter. Then I would grab the lancet device, do a click poke with the sock still in his ear as support, grab my tester and test the droplet of blood. Squeak is a cat who HATES being restrained but this worked very well for us.

Tuna does not contain carbohydrates, so you won't affect bg readings by feeding it. Yes, stress can elevate bgs in SOME cats but you need to test so it is what it is. It will get easier, trust me.

One thing...YOU need to relax even if it is tough to do. Visualize in your mind what you will do and tell him. Be very matter of fact/clinical about it, and explain that treatment will make him feel better and then he'd better just accept the testing. And if it takes some time to get a routine that works, don't stress it...

Jen
 
hi there,
a few tips on the pokey. first are you sure your poking in the right place. i'm going to link you to the video of one of our members doing it just in case.
next. are you trying to make the experience a love fest for cinnamon. whatever type of luvin he likes, lots of praise beforehand, stroking, a little catnip, whatever works so that cinnamon understands this is 'good stuff'.... and of course never let cinnamon know if it's a failed attempt. he gets praised no matter how badly it goes. and treated and whatever else you can think of. spoil him silly.
also do you have a rice sock ear warmer....the ears bleeds easier when warm.
now let me go find you my favorite video.
 
Just a note that different people have different places they like to test...many links here reference a sweet spot near the top of the outer edge of the ear, but I always preferred the inner edge about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom...so my point is that if one spot doesn't work for you, try another!
 
Just a note about Cinnamon. He was a rescue that had been stepped on at 6 weeks. When I got him I had to have a cast put on his right hind leg for the first few months. He wouldn't let me touch him. I think the being stepped on has left a permanent mark. Ours has been a long relationship of patience. I wasn't able to pet him until three years had passed and it was about three more before I could pet his belly. His typical behavior of affection will be him lying down next to me on the sofa or at the foot of the bed. He will lick my face and that kind of stuff. He has never been a cat that will sit on my lap, jump on my lap, or let himself be picked up and held. He wriggles right loose. He has always been skiddish and I suspect it's part personality and part being stepped on early on. When healthy, he is playful, enjoys being groomed, and will let me rub his belly and paws but that is where we stop. I have watched the youtube videos several times prior to these boards. The videos of a cat sitting still on a counter or on a lap... well, that's not Cinnamon even in full health. I just tried to do the bg this morning. I am pricking in the right part of the ear. He wriggled loose before I got the blood. I let him smell the little piece of tuna prior. We did a little petting and calming talk. No dice. He left. I gave him the tuna anyway. I know I need to calm down but I have been crying over this. I feel like this is so much change for him and although we've done the bgs several times now and each time it feels like I am restraining him when I straddle him, even when I'm calm and talking softly - HE IS UPSET. I used the one touch soft lancet - he cried out! If he were human he'd be cursing me out. I am not going to try again this morning because I want him to eat and this is now the next battle.

He would not eat the wellness I left out. I mixed it with a little chicken broth. He licks it because he likes the chicken broth, but that's it. He does like the Friskies Chicken and Tuna flaked variety. This is the only one out of many that he actually went to and I didn't have to dress up or trick him into eating. Can I give him this one every day? Is there a problem with them eating so much fish? I am going to go get another can and try to put a spoonful of wellness at the bottom and see if I can get him to eat it.

-update 8:25am I mixed some tuna 'juice' from the can and mixed about a thumbnail size of tuna chopped up fine with wellness chicken. I wish I could just buy a can of tuna juice. He's eating it... I am going to try to do a bg again after I give him his lantus. He doesn't seem to mind the lantus shots at all :-) phew....
gwen.
 
Can I give him this one every day? Is there a problem with them eating so much fish?
Click to expand...

Gwen,

Take this off your list of worries and feed it to him every day if he likes it. Given the fact that he is a dry food junkie, I don't care what canned food he chooses to eat. I'm just happy that he is eating canned food.
 
Well, Cinnamon's history does make this more complicated for you. But not impossible - we have people here who have gotten blood glucose readings from very skittish, fearful cats. It may take a little longer and some experimenting with things, but it is possible.

One of the first things we can offer is some hands-on help. You're in Brooklyn. We certainly have members in New York, so I will post over on Community to see if anyone can help. And if no one sees it here, post again with another subject like "Hometesting help needed in Brooklyn". It is amazing how much help it is just to have someone talk you through it, even if they can't touch Cinnamon.

Another idea is to use the clothespin trick. Several people with difficult cats used this at first. After a while, they were able to get readings without it: http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_ ... _peg_trick It doesn't hurt; it mimics the way mother cats hold their kittens by the scruff of the neck.

To eat him eating, see if some of these ideas will help: http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm The fish mixture will be okay for a while; it isn't all fish so the mercury issue is "diluted" a little. You do want him to be interested in several flavors, so keep trying. You can buy single cans and try them out. Any unopened cans he won't eat can go right back to the store; they are very good about taking it back.

Another thing to start is the rice sack. Fill a thinnish sock with raw rice, put it in the microwave and heat until very warm but not hot. See if Cinnamon likes the sack on his body, and hopefully eventually on his ear. Just warm him up - no poking yet.

I hear through your words that you might be frightened that doing this will hurt your hard won relationship with Cinnamon. We understand; lots of us worried about that. But please believe us, what we have experienced is that as a group after you get a routine down, and you and your cat are working together, you become closer. It is true that eventually cats go to the testing spot and some purr through the testing. It may take time, but we want to help. You need to make this work. We won't give up; please don't on your side either.
 
artfreak said:
I wish I could just buy a can of tuna juice.
gwen.
Click to expand...

From my website:

You can make your own tuna water by taking a can of tuna and adding 3 cups of water. Break up the tuna and let it sit for awhile (~15 minutes, give or take) and then pour the tuna water into covered ice cube trays.

3 cups of water fills two 16-cube trays.

After warming the flavored ice cubes to 'mouse body' temperature you can:

add to canned food

set out as a separate drink of water
 
Gwen you are not alone, i promise you. in a way those video's are a bit unfair. those cats have become accustomed to testing. very few if any start out that way.
please be patient with yourself as i can understand you love and concern over all this new stuff. it's only new stuff now. in time it will become 'same old stuff' and a new bonding agent for you and cinnamon. that much seems true for almost all of us.
i had to straddle tom sometimes.
some of us had to wear 'special gear' to test their cats.
we can laugh now.
and i know dr. Lisa HATES the idea of scareing a cat (as per the how to pill story) as we all do, but if she says it's right to do...then do you must. but this will become easier and almost a no stress situation.
no matter how kitty behaves you must remain strong, certain, sweet, gentle but firm, all that stuff. they DO pick up on this.
IT WILL GET EASIER....ask anyone here.
Lori
 
I think of it like taking off a bandaid - it just has to be done, and we'll do it as quickly and painlessly as possible, but it will be done. Others have suggested talking to him and telling him what is going to happen and how quick and successful it will be. Kind, firm, businesslike. You can do it - look at how much progress you have made with him already in just a few years. Visualize success and then make it so!
 
everything is hard....until it's not. you can do this...and so can cinnamon. you just have to assure him he can. this time you have to be a tough love mommie...with treats and kisses.
 
Let me assure you, only a few short weeks ago I was in your shoes with the BG testing and the ear pricks(tears included!)...Now don't get me wrong everyday is NOT a cake walk (and mowgli didn't have the same kitten trauma cinnamon remembers)...But in THREE short weeks, as soon as Mowgli hears the test strips container, he actually goes to the poking spot!!!! :o You can imagine that I am baffled by this everytime, as he may go there and wait for me, but it doesn't mean that sometimes he doesn't hiss any less.... I guess he is just showing me that he isn't traumatized by it, and that in the long run it is okay..
Good luck and keep at it! Welcome to the greatest forum ever!! lol
P.S--they REALLY do pick up on our stress!! i have found that I have become more "lovingly" firm with him and wayyyyyy less stressed..And I do talk to him and tell him what is going on, but I also tell him, he is not going to get away with any nonesense..the longer he fusses the longer we take... lol.... loves our kitties
 
it is true that an amazing number of cats actually come to get their test after a while.
and even purr.
tom's ear is sensitive and he actually says "ouch" with each pokey as he tugs his head away...yet he comes on his own AND purrs for it....all the while knowing it hurts.
amazing. i don't even have to give him treats anymore, or do much talking. we do the luvies and i massage him and kiss him---that's about all that's required. and we both love that.
 
fattening up cinnamon

So, I got Cinnamon to eat a small can of fancy feast (over the course of the day) with a chunk of wellness mixed in. I put out the same mix before I went to bed and he ate it again. He's only eating the equivalent of two small cans in a 24 hour period. He's underweight, 8lbs. 12 oz down from 12lbs. His coat does look a bit better but he is so thin. Any ideas on stimulating the appetite? No complaints here. This last 24 hour period is progress and I'm gonna stick to the ff wellness mix and maybe increase the mix on the wellness side a teaspoon every few days. Should I be concerned? I haven't given him anything dry in the last 48 hours (not even the wellness dry). I couldn't find the evo at the pet stores. I may try one more store today. I would love to stick to the wet food and get him to eat more of it.
 
idea's on creating an appetite. sprinkle parmesan cheese over the food. that's one. i know there are others.
 
Welcome, Gwen and Cinnamon!!!

I know it is all so hard and overwhelming in the beginning. I promise it gets so much better.

First, you are in great hands with Dr. P. She is the best and helped my baby, Sue, get off insulin in three weeks!

I cried A LOT in the beginning, too. Ear testing was very difficult for me at first, too. I tried to free hand the lancet and I think it hurt his little ears (I just wasn't good at it). In the end, using the lancing clicker worked for me.

Good luck and know that everyone here will help you so much!!! By the way, my baby had lost 3 lbs when diagnosed. 7 weeks later and he's back to his normal weight!

Jenny (and Sue)
 
He's only eating the equivalent of two small cans in a 24 hour period.
Click to expand...

I would be THRILLED if he was eating 5-6 ounces per day!

Remember....an unregulated diabetic cat is starving internally so regulation is an important factor in weight gain.

Our goal right now is to not let him lose anymore weight...and to keep him off of dry food, if possible, per our discussion.
 
eating

Well Happy Thanksgiving all. Cinnamon and I just went through our second 24 hour period of just Fancy Feast mixed with Wellness. No other enticements! And he ate the same mixture last night. I woke and the bowl was just about empty. Hooray! Looks like we are at a solid 5-6 oz two days in a row.
 
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