Introducing myself :)

[PaulBenjaminB]

Hi everyone!

My name is Paul, and I have two beloved cats, Boudicca (Boudy) and Algernon (Algy), who will turn 13 this summer. I've had Algy since he was a month or so old and Boudy since she was six months old.

Algy and I just concluded an extremely stressful week. He was diagnosed with diabetes and pancreatitis on Wednesday (following a bout of lethargy and no appetite) and admitted on Friday to the ICU, where he entered ketoacidosis but quickly stabilized; he was released back into my care Sunday evening. I'm writing to you after administering my first dose of insulin with the Lantus Solostar pen --- such a relief! I'm looking forward to learning about nurturing a diabetic cat from all of you.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Hello and welcome to you and sweet Algy.

A couple questions for you - did they give you any medication other than the Lantus for Algy? Good to hear he stabilized quickly and is back home now. How is his appetite? Appetite can be an issue with recent DKA and/or pancreatitis and there are medications that can help. Here is some information on pancreatitis you might want to read: A Primer on Pancreatitis. With recent DKA he needs to make sure he's eating lots of calories, about 1.5 times his normal amount. Also he needs to get plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. One thing that is handy to test at home is ketones so you can get him to the vet quickly if the levels go above normal. Another post about that: Tips to catch and test a urine sample

There are three things we believe are important for treating a diabetic cat. A good insulin is one, and Lantus is a good one for cats. What dose is he on now? Most of us use U-100 syringes for injections instead of the pen needles, so we can make smaller changes in dose.

What food is Algy eating now? And before his diagnosis? Low carb wet or raw food is best for diabetics.

The third thing we recommend is home testing blood sugars. That is the best way to keep him safe, and can save you some money instead of going into the vet for curves, where cats can be high from the stress. Let us know if you are interested in learning how to home test.

We find it's handy to put some of the answers to common questions in our signature. This post tells you about that: New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

 

[PaulBenjaminB]

Hello and welcome to you and sweet Algy.

A couple questions for you - did they give you any medication other than the Lantus for Algy? Good to hear he stabilized quickly and is back home now. How is his appetite? Appetite can be an issue with recent DKA and/or pancreatitis and there are medications that can help. Here is some information on pancreatitis you might want to read: A Primer on Pancreatitis. With recent DKA he needs to make sure he's eating lots of calories, about 1.5 times his normal amount. Also he needs to get plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. One thing that is handy to test at home is ketones so you can get him to the vet quickly if the levels go above normal. Another post about that: Tips to catch and test a urine sample

There are three things we believe are important for treating a diabetic cat. A good insulin is one, and Lantus is a good one for cats. What dose is he on now? Most of us use U-100 syringes for injections instead of the pen needles, so we can make smaller changes in dose.

What food is Algy eating now? And before his diagnosis? Low carb wet or raw food is best for diabetics.

The third thing we recommend is home testing blood sugars. That is the best way to keep him safe, and can save you some money instead of going into the vet for curves, where cats can be high from the stress. Let us know if you are interested in learning how to home test.

We find it's handy to put some of the answers to common questions in our signature. This post tells you about that: New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

Hello and thank you for the welcome!

In addition to the Lantus (Glargine U-100 pen), Algy was prescribed Cerenia, Mirataz (which I administered after the first vet visit and before his hospitalization), and Buprenorphine (which I gave him last night in accordance with the doctor's orders).

He was quite hungry when he came home, and although the doctor said he now needs to eat once at night and once in the morning---both my cats have been grazers all their lives---he woke me up twice at night to feed him, so I gave him two salmon poke cubes and a small amount of his normal dry food (Natural Balance Limited Ingredient: Chicken & Green Pea). He was also eager to eat this morning, but he didn't finish all of the dry food I gave him. The doctor mentioned that for now, he can continue eating his dry food, but eventually he'll need to transition to wet food (perhaps a prescribed wet food for diabetic cats). In the meantime, do you think I should supplement his dry food with wet food? If so, any recommendations? I haven't given either of my cats wet food since they were kittens and am not sure what would be best for Algy. On that note, during my first vet visit, the vet gave me Royal Canin Satiety Support (Weight Management) so that I could entice Algy to eat (before his hospitalization), and my other cat ended up eating it and now loves it.

As for monitoring, the vet attached a FreeStyle Libre 3 sensor to him, but she said that will come off in a week or so. What do you recommend buying as a replacement?

I'm very overwhelmed, but I greatly appreciate your support. I'm also anxious about adapting to this new routine---my routine has sustained me through a series of hardships over the past few years (including the deaths of both of my parents), so I'm feeling a bit deranged at the moment. I want to be healthy and stable so that I can be an optimal caretaker for my precious Algy. :')

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB!

The dry food is likely quite high in carbs. There are only a very few dry foods that are low carb and as Wendy noted, canned or raw food is overall a better option. Quite honestly, dry food is not great for any cat and the prescription food, even the diabetic prescription dry food, is high in carbs. You do not need to feed your cat a prescription food. There are many low carb canned food and frankly, there's nothing "prescription" worthy in the so-called prescription foods. This is a link to a website on feline nutrition. On the menu bar on the right side is a link to a food chart that has info on the nutritional values for canned foods. We consider low carb as under 10% although most of our members feed their cat in the 5% neighborhood.

The Freestyle Libre should be good for 2 weeks unless Algy is part magician and is able to get it off. Many of our members continue to use the Libre. If you want to use a hand held glucometer, many of our members use the Walmart Relion meter as the strips are inexpensive. Are you getting readings off of the Libre? If so, this is a post on helping us to help you. It has instructions for setting up a spreadsheet so you can monitor your cat's progress. There are also instructions for putting together your signature so we don't pester you with the same questions about your cat and it includes how to link your spreadsheet to the signature.

Please let us know how we can help.

 

[PaulBenjaminB]

Welcome to FDMB!

The dry food is likely quite high in carbs. There are only a very few dry foods that are low carb and as Wendy noted, canned or raw food is overall a better option. Quite honestly, dry food is not great for any cat and the prescription food, even the diabetic prescription dry food, is high in carbs. You do not need to feed your cat a prescription food. There are many low carb canned food and frankly, there's nothing "prescription" worthy in the so-called prescription foods. This is a link to a website on feline nutrition. On the menu bar on the right side is a link to a food chart that has info on the nutritional values for canned foods. We consider low carb as under 10% although most of our members feed their cat in the 5% neighborhood.

The Freestyle Libre should be good for 2 weeks unless Algy is part magician and is able to get it off. Many of our members continue to use the Libre. If you want to use a hand held glucometer, many of our members use the Walmart Relion meter as the strips are inexpensive. Are you getting readings off of the Libre? If so, this is a post on helping us to help you. It has instructions for setting up a spreadsheet so you can monitor your cat's progress. There are also instructions for putting together your signature so we don't pester you with the same questions about your cat and it includes how to link your spreadsheet to the signature.

Please let us know how we can help.

Hello! Thank you for the warm welcome and for introducing me to that highly informative website. The hospital vet encouraged me to buy Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic Management Wet Cat Food (5.5-oz), which I did, but I'm reading that there are plenty of non-prescription wet foods I should consider. Any recommendations for high-protein, low-carb wet foods? It looks like Nature's Recipe (Grain Free in Broth): Chicken is a good option, as are the Meow Mix Tender Favorites in Sauce: Salmon & Crab and Tuna & Shrimp, Fussie Cat Premium (most varieties), and Fancy Feast Natural (all varieties).

And yes, the Freestyle Libre will be on for two weeks (I misspoke -- so many numbers and units swimming around my head, haha), and I'm getting readings that the hospital vet is also monitoring. I look forward to populating my signature and exploring all of the helpful posts.
.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Tiki Cat is also popular. A lot depends on how much you want to spend. Many members feed their cat Fancy Feast Classics (it's the pate style). It's less expensive than some of the other brands.

I'd also point out that if you look at the Purina Pro Plan it's now called "dietetic" (not diabetic) management. The name was changed when the pet food companies lost a class action suit for indicating their food could treat a medical condition. It was false advertising.

If you're wanting to do some not so light reading, check out the Health Links page. It may be a bit overwhelming but there's tons of good information there.

 

[squeem3]

Any low carb food your cat likes and you can afford is fine Fancy Feast Classic / Gourmet pates are popular. Store generic brands are often similar to Fancy Feast.

There's info on using the Libre here: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/think-tank.22/

You do need to know how to manually test blood glucose levels from an ear or paw pad just in case the Libre fails or reads LO. If your cat doesn't mind ear or paw pad testing, you can just do that instead of the Libre. Blood glucose meters and supplies are cheaper than a Libre. It seems that many vets now are just automatically sticking a Libre on a new diabetic cat and sending him / her home without much info or giving the option of manual testing.

Are you using insulin syringes with the pen? Using the pen the way a Human diabetic would doesn't work for cats. The pen only doses in whole units and there's some insulin loss so you're not getting the full unit. By using an insulin syringe with the pen you can dose half and even quarter units which many cats need. You just stick the needle into the rubber end of the pen and draw out the insulin without injecting air into the pen (one way to ruin the insulin). There's a coupon floating around on FDMB to get a box of 5 pens for $35 (US only).

 

[PaulBenjaminB]

Any low carb food your cat likes and you can afford is fine Fancy Feast Classic / Gourmet pates are popular. Store generic brands are often similar to Fancy Feast.

There's info on using the Libre here: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/think-tank.22/

You do need to know how to manually test blood glucose levels from an ear or paw pad just in case the Libre fails or reads LO. If your cat doesn't mind ear or paw pad testing, you can just do that instead of the Libre. Blood glucose meters and supplies are cheaper than a Libre. It seems that many vets now are just automatically sticking a Libre on a new diabetic cat and sending him / her home without much info or giving the option of manual testing.

Are you using insulin syringes with the pen? Using the pen the way a Human diabetic would doesn't work for cats. The pen only doses in whole units and there's some insulin loss so you're not getting the full unit. By using an insulin syringe with the pen you can dose half and even quarter units which many cats need. You just stick the needle into the rubber end of the pen and draw out the insulin without injecting air into the pen (one way to ruin the insulin). There's a coupon floating around on FDMB to get a box of 5 pens for $35 (US only).

Oh, that's a great tip re: the syringe! My vet prescribed those short needles that you screw onto the pen -- I already bought a box of them for $120, ugh. (I think I lost the receipt, too...). I don't know anything about syringes -- what kind do I need, and where's the best place to get them?

 

[squeem3]

Know of any Human diabetic who might be able to use those pen needles? You could try offering them on FB Marketplace or other place if there aren't any restrictions on what can be posted.

You want U100 3/10 cc with half unit markings. Needle length and gauge is preference. The short 5/16 inch 31 gauge needle ones are popular. Any pharmacy will have some and a prescription from the vet is required. Wal Mart's Relion brand of insulin syringes are popular. They do have half unit markings but it's not specified on the box and many pharmacists have no clue what you are talking about if you ask and may insist that what you really want are 1/2 cc (50 unit) syringes (you don't).

If you're in the US, you can buy insulin syringes from Amazon with no prescription. Chewy.com sells insulin syringes, including pet specific ones which are more expensive than Human ones and there may only be 60 in a box vs 100, and you may be asked for a prescription or the vet's phone number. (Human) diabetic supply web sites obviously will have lots of different brands of insulin syringes. They may or may not ask for the vet's phone number to confirm a prescription. It depends on what your state law is on insulin syringes is.

Brand is preference. Some brands are expensive, like the BD / Embetca. Others are inexpensive like Relion. Some brands work better than others or have better QC than others (smudged lines or inconsistent line markings between syringes in the same package can be a problem).

 

[PaulBenjaminB]

Know of any Human diabetic who might be able to use those pen needles? You could try offering them on FB Marketplace or other place if there aren't any restrictions on what can be posted.

You want U100 3/10 cc with half unit markings. Needle length and gauge is preference. The short 5/16 inch 31 gauge needle ones are popular. Any pharmacy will have some and a prescription from the vet is required. Wal Mart's Relion brand of insulin syringes are popular. They do have half unit markings but it's not specified on the box and many pharmacists have no clue what you are talking about if you ask and may insist that what you really want are 1/2 cc (50 unit) syringes (you don't).

If you're in the US, you can buy insulin syringes from Amazon with no prescription. Chewy.com sells insulin syringes, including pet specific ones which are more expensive than Human ones and there may only be 60 in a box vs 100, and you may be asked for a prescription or the vet's phone number. (Human) diabetic supply web sites obviously will have lots of different brands of insulin syringes. They may or may not ask for the vet's phone number to confirm a prescription. It depends on what your state law is on insulin syringes is.

Brand is preference. Some brands are expensive, like the BD / Embetca. Others are inexpensive like Relion. Some brands work better than others or have better QC than others (smudged lines or inconsistent line markings between syringes in the same package can be a problem).

Got it, thanks! So these would work for the Lantus Solostar pen? UltiCare VetRx U-100 Pet Insulin Syringes (or see attached screenshot)

 

[Wendy&Neko]

A tip, you might want to read over the yellow starred Sticky Notes on the top of the Lantus forum. This one: Insulin Care & Syringe Info: Proper Handling, Drawing, Fine Dosing has a list of some of the syringes that will work:

• BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.

The ones you listed are included in that list.

 

[squeem3]

Yes but you don't need the pet specific syringes (that's what the VetRX is). Regular UltiCare syringes work just as well and you get 100 in a box instead of 60 for the pet ones.

UltiCare U-100 Insulin Syringes 3/10 mL/cc 6mm (1/4") x 31G Half Unit…

I'm not finding these on Amazon, just the non-half unit marking ones.

But here's one on Amazon with half unit markings and 100 in a box. It is a pet specific syringe.

https://www.amazon.com/Elimedical-V...913B/dp/B07H5QT4K4/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

You may want to look up what your state law is on purchasing insulin syringes is. If you don't need a prescription to buy online, great. You can buy syringes anywhere online. But it's usually not a big deal to provide the vet's phone number so your order can be processed.

 

[PaulBenjaminB]

Hi everyone!

Algy has been responding well to the insulin injections. My vet and I are still determining the best dose, but Algy's behaving normally (keeping in mind his recent traumatic ICU visit), and my vet isn't concerned about anything at the moment.

However, I'm driving myself a bit crazy (as I'm wont to do, haha) over new feeding regimens for both my cats. For most of their lives, they've grazed on dry food throughout the day, but now I know that this isn't salubrious for Algy or for Boudicca (Boudy), my non-diabetic cat, who exhibited a pronounced taste for wet food when I opened a can to try to entice Algy to eat back before he was hospitalized. I recently gave both Algy (with my vet's approval) and Boudy small spoonfuls of the Fancy Feast chicken and beef pates, and they loved it. Once they've transitioned to eating wet food exclusively, how many cans of wet food should they each consume daily? Both cats range from 10.5 to 11 pounds in weight and always stay indoors.

Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Do you have a pet scale at home? Do you know what their ideal weight should be per the vet? Cats vary in calorie needs, based on age, metabolism, activity levels.

 

[squeem3]

Roughly 20 to 25 calories per pound of ideal body weight daily but every cat is different.

Several small meals daily is ideal for your diabetic.