Introduction and a question

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IBJack

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My name is Lynn and we just started our cat, Jack, on insulin yesterday. I've had cats my whole life and can't imagine life without a couple of kitties around. My husband, Garry, had never been around cats before. When he proposed to me, I told him and me and my cats were a packaged deal. He has come to love them both as much as I do. Jack is a 10 year old short haired tabby and Sydney (we actually call her Girl Kitty!) is a 9 year old black and white domestic long hair.

I had a 10 year old cat with diabetes in the mid-90s and at the time had limited knowledge of feline diabetes. I did what the vet told me regarding insulin and testing. I've always free fed my cats with dry food. I had no idea I was feeding her the wrong food. She lived for about a year and 1/2 before getting cancer.

Both Jack and Girl Kitty had been eating Royal Canin Calorie Control before switching to Royal Canin for Diabetics. Per our vet's instructions, the dry food is gone now and I'm feeding them Hills W/D and supplementing additional protein. They are not thrilled with the Hills but do eat it. I might try the Purina DM especially since it has a higher protein content and less carbs than the Hills. I'm still trying to find out what works best for us as far as food goes.

Our vet, whom we like very much, had an emergency while we were there discussing treatment. We understood she was preoccupied. Jack is going back to see her on Monday for a follow-up after he has been on insulin for one week. Jack was started on Lantus - 1.0 unit 2x per day.

I have read so much on this site and others but have not found an answer to a basic question. I'm sure the answer was there somewhere but my head has been swimming trying to digest all the info and stay sane at the same time. I need some advice on timing of food and insulin. I've been feeding first and then insulin after he has finished and washed his face. Is this correct? Insulin first and then feed? I would appreciate any help and/or suggestions.
 
To give a quick answer to your question, the general protocol is test - feed - shoot. That said, each insulin acts a little differently, and so the Lantus users may have some refined info for you. You didn't say if you are home testing - you'll see that most members of this board do for the simple reason that it gives you the data to know exactly how your cat is responding to the insulin and if her dose needs to be adjusted. It is especially important before each shot.
 
IBJack said:
Jack was started on Lantus - 1.0 unit 2x per day.

I have read so much on this site and others but have not found an answer to a basic question. I'm sure the answer was there somewhere but my head has been swimming trying to digest all the info and stay sane at the same time. I need some advice on timing of food and insulin. I've been feeding first and then insulin after he has finished and washed his face. Is this correct? Insulin first and then feed? I would appreciate any help and/or suggestions.
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Welcome :)

Lantus is a great insulin and the dose your cat is on is a good low dose.

You can give the Lantus right before your cat eats, while your cat is eating, or right afterwards. It doesn't really matter. Lantus is a pretty gentle insulin. With some insulins, like Humulin N, you do want to feed some food and give the insulin about half an hour later along with the rest of the food.

Did your vet say anything about testing your cat's blood glucose levels at home? It's really really important to know what your cat's blood glucose level is *before* you give the insulin. Not doing testing and just blindly giving insulin is kind of like driving a car with a paper bag over your head. The result can be dangerous even fatal. You do not need the vet's permission to test and you don't need a special animal blood glucose meter. Nearly everyone here uses a Human blood glucose meter on their cat. You can buy one at any pharmacy. A basic meter is all you need.

IBJack said:
Both Jack and Girl Kitty had been eating Royal Canin Calorie Control before switching to Royal Canin for Diabetics. Per our vet's instructions, the dry food is gone now and I'm feeding them Hills W/D and supplementing additional protein. They are not thrilled with the Hills but do eat it. I might try the Purina DM especially since it has a higher protein content and less carbs than the Hills. I'm still trying to find out what works best for us as far as food goes.
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You don't need the prescription junk. W/D is really high in carbs which is bad for diabetics because it keeps blood glucose levels sky-high which is not what you want. There are many commercial brands of canned foods that you can feed both your cats. Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, Merrick, and many more are suitable and easy on the wallet. There is a canned food chart you can use: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html Look at the column for carbs and choose foods that have a number 10 or less. These are "low carb" and good for diabetics. Just feed your cats whatever low carb brand they like to eat and you can afford and can find in the stores.
 
Thank you for your responses!

I'm going to continue with the insulin after feeding.

Yes, I intend to test. I've been afraid to leave Jack since yesterday so I haven't bought a meter yet but will do so tomorrow. In the past I used the urine strips. Jack is a sweetheart but can get aggressive at the vet. I can pretty much do anything with him but I'm not sure how well testing his ear will go over.

Thanks for the list of food! I was very happy to see that the Fancy Feast Medley Fare would be a good choice. We've been giving both cats Fancy Feast already so I will just give up the Hills W/D and stay with the Fancy Feast.

Lynn, Garry, Jack and Girl Kitty
 
We have ways to make the testing easier even with a difficult kitty. Here is a list of things you will need to hometest: 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.

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

When you get the meter, try it out on yourself first so you are ready to go before you practice on him.
 
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