Introduction with my newly diagnosed cat Bonk

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CanisLupus

CanisLupus

Member Since 2014
Greetings all,

My name is Brian, and it was suggested I come here from someone at the Feline_Megacolon yahoo group. I hope everyone here doesn't mind a long introduction, there is a bit of history here.

My 11ish year old cat Bonk was diagnosed with Megacolon in the beginning of January (after several years of fighting chronic constipation), and just last Wednesday was diagnosed with Diabetes. The diagnosis wasn't a surprise, as he had been giving me many of the classic symptoms of diabetes (Excessive drinking, Urinating, Lethargy, weight loss). The symptoms started right around the same time I started his new medications for megacolon, so I assumed it was a side effect. He is prescribed 3ml Lactulose, 1/4 tsp Mirilax, and 5mg Cisapride every 8 hours.

He was also put on the Royal Canin Fiber Response high fiber Dry Food. The vets told me it's the best thing to come out for megacolon cats. I gather from reading the Feline_Megacolon group, it's the exact opposite from what they recommend for megacolon cats. And I know it's a horrible diet for diabetes.

But anyway, up until a few days ago, despite the excessive drinking, he has had a great appetite. But I've noticed he has been rather lethargic. Then his eating started slowing down right around the time I brought him to the vet for his blood test (2/25/14). The following day, I got the diagnosis of diabetes. I think, if I remember correctly, she said his number was 316. My vet prescribed Lantus, 1 unit every 12 hours. (painfully expensive stuff!)

She also had some concerns about the readings during the blood test on his liver. He may have Fatty Liver Disease. This could be contributing to his problems. He did go from 18.6 pounds just before his clean out on his megacolon diagnosis to 15.8 pounds measured this week.

I set an appointment to return on Tuesday, March 4th, for them to show me how to administer the insulin (it was the only time they had open that would work with my work schedule. Yesterday, however, I had him back to the vets because his eating almost came to a stop. They gave him some sub Q fluids, and told me to give him 5mg pepsid. They also gave me an appetite stimulant (which I have yet to give).

Since I have experience with giving cats shots, and I don't want to make him wait until Tuesday to start the treatment for diabetes if they are really making him feel this bad. I asked my vet if it's okay to start the treatment now. She said okay.

When I got him home, he headed straight for the food bowl! He still had no interest in the prescription diet food, but I got him eating canned food, which was great! He ate more than half of one of the small cans. I'm thinking the Sub Q fluids helped.

He still didn't have a great appetite, but he was eating. I started him on his first dose of insulin at 9pm last night. I left food out for him overnight, which he ate quite a bit more of by morning. I got him to eat more this morning, and gave him his second dose of insulin.

After that, I had to leave for work, and that's where I am now. There are others in the house keeping an eye on him though, with instructions to call me if anything is wrong. I'll see how he is doing when I get home.

I'm just not sure what I should be doing. I don't know if his inappetence is due to the diabetes or something else. I hope I don't have to keep fighting every day just to get him to eat. I'm worried, feeling overwhelmed right now. And it's a lot worse when you are not sure what is really wrong. My vet was telling me the next step if I can't get him eating will be hospitalization. I don't even want to think of how much that will cost. But I'll find a way to do it if I need to.

I know from reading here, that home blood testing is highly suggested. I'm surprised my vet never even offered the idea. Frankly, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with drawing blood. So at the moment, I'm giving him insulin (thankfully a very small dose) without home testing. We will test his glucose again Tuesday when I bring him back.

So, that's where I'm at now. I'm not sure what to do, but sure would love some guidance from those who have been there. Thanks for reading my rather long story.

Brian
And my two furballs Bonk and Faolan.
 
Welcome Brian and Bonk!

Home testing - you don't have to 'draw blood', it's a 'pokie' in their ear edge to get just a bead of blood. The vet's office uses blood draws because they're usually doing other tests OR they just plain don't know HOW - my vet - I taught HIM how to test a cat using a human meter. He was convinced I was torturing my cat until I did a test on a lady's laid back cat in the waiting room (bless that lady's sweet heart). When I could do it on a cat that didn't know me from Eve and had never had it done before, he started listening.

Head to WallyWorld and pick up one of their 'ReliOn Confirm' or 'Micro' meters, a box of test strips and a box of lancets. Meter is roughly $17, box of 50 strips, about $20, lancets are about $5 for large box. I also use those little cotton cosmetic pads to put under their ear during a prick but a folded paper towel will work.

Shooting insulin blind is dangerous - no most vets won't tell you this but would you do it to a human child? Nope! Why would we do it to our cats? We don't. 'Watching' will not give you clues you need - by the time you start seeing a hypo, it's already doing damage and may not be easy to stop requiring an ER visit. Let us teach you - it's not hard!

BIG HUGS AND WELCOME!
 
Hey Brian

I like you was overwhelmed a few weeks ago when my favorite fur person was diagnosed.
This is my original freak out post http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=113348

If you read it I asked so many questions I felt like it was over, I thought I was going to lose my buddy. I felt it was going to be to hard and to expensive and consume my whole life. At first it did, but I learned fast how to home test and what food to get and this helped greatly. If I would have listened to my VET and gave him 2 units twice a day without checking his blood I am sure he would have went hypo and possibly died.

So many people here supported me with my crazy questions and concerns.

3 weeks later after starting Wease he is already off insulin and on his OTJ (off the juice trial) I know I am getting seriously lucky with him compared to some of the kitties here, but there is hope! His diet change had a huge effect on him I think.

Taking blood from the ear if REALLY easy, I thought it was going to be hard but I was surprised how little blood you actually need. He barely even notices and it literally took me under 2 minutes the very first try. I would use the lancet tool tho, it comes with the relion confirm meter.

And hey, as a guy we get to be surrounded by fur mommys here :p lol

And oh try and make a spreadsheet like everyone has here in their signature under there posts, you can see mine below this text. It greatly helps members here watch his progress and give you suggestions.
 
Hello and welcome to the board

I don't know if your vet also said but a vial of Lantus will last up to six months if you keep it in the fridge and don't shake or roll it - contrary to what it says on the label.. so not so expensive when you consider it that way.

Also home testing is a must - it will keep your cat safe and help watch for remission as well as give you and your vet more data and control over whats going on. Its a simple pin prick of the ear and as cats have few nerve endings there, they barely feel it. My boys sleep through the testing. Heres some tips https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub and a shopping list...

1. Meter ie Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro.
2. Matching strips
3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool.
4. Cotton balls to stem the blood
5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment with pain relief to heal the wound
6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against
7. Ketone urine test strips ie ketodiastix - Important to check ketones when blood is high
8. Sharps container - to dispose of waste syringes and lancets.
9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken
10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

What food does the Feline_Megacolon group recommend? You may have read that low carb wet is good for diabetic cats but I don't know what megacolon cats should eat.. however until you home test i wouldn't advise a food change anyway as he could go into remission.

Wendy
 
You may already have this website: Feline Constipation
If not, it provides an extensive overview of how the feline GI tract is supposed to function and, of course, the options for dealing with it when it doesn't. I'm sure most of that will already be familiar to you.

Instead of the high carb prescription food he doesn't like, you may find that adding plain psyllium powder will provide fiber without carbohydrate, if he really needs to have more fiber. Based on your post, it sounds like that may not be helpful.

We use a food list from Cat Info to find low carb foods (under 10% calories from carbohydrates) which may reduce glucose levels by as much as 100 mg/dL.

Vet stress can raise glucose levels from 100 to 180 mg/dL; home testing will help keep your cat safe by letting you see if its OK to give the insulin and how low he goes on it. You did get a good insulin.
 
question. i have always wondered...how does stress raise BG? how is it possible. interested/curious. i know how it works on blood pressure. this puzzles me, however.
 
When under stress, various hormones are released in the body to prepare for fight or flight. These amp up the blood pressure, increase respiration, and increase muscle tension. They also release glucose so the muscles can work.
 
Squeaky and KT said:
Welcome Brian and Bonk!

Home testing - you don't have to 'draw blood', ....
Click to expand...

Lyresa, I know it's not really drawing blood, but I will be making Bonk bleed, and it still makes me uncomfortable. It's odd, actually. I have no problems giving him a shot, but getting the blood is another story. Thank you for the input on the meters. I looked those models up on Walmarts site, a lot less money than I expected. I'll go out tomorrow and pick one up. Getting myself comfortable enough to use it is a different story.
 
NitroViper said:
Hey Brian

I like you was overwhelmed a few weeks ago when my favorite fur person was diagnosed. ....
Click to expand...

Jason, thank you very much for posting the link to your first post. Reading what you went through mirrors a lot of what I'm feeling right now. Just sitting there tonight, reading through the entire topic, was a big help. In fact, your experiences have given me some confidence that I will be able to do home blood testing. And now that I have him eating a little more, I'm feeling a bit more at ease. I will certainly make up one of those charts once I have the meter.
 
Wendy&Tiggy said:
Hello and welcome to the board

I don't know if your vet also said but a vial of Lantus will last up to six months if you keep it in the fridge and don't shake or roll it....
Click to expand...

Wendy, Yes, my vet indicated it should be good for six months, though she didn't mention anything about shaking or rolling it. I did read about not shaking it in my research. Though from what I read online, you should roll it a little between your hands to mix up the particles inside, is this not correct? And thanks for the shopping list. I will print this up when I head over to Walmart.

The Feline Megacolon group recommends a low fiber canned food diet, the exact opposite of the high fiber dry my vet sold me. Sounds like a low fiber diet would also be low carb though, so that might work.
 
BJM said:
You may already have this website: Feline Constipation
....
Click to expand...

Thanks BJM, I have been on that site plenty of times. I can't tell you the number of times Bonk has needed an enema over the years. I have done plenty of research. Everyone at the Feline Megacolon group agrees though, that low fiber is the best for the cats with Megacolon, even though high fiber is better for chronic constipated cats. Otherwise, the fiber bulks up in the already too large colon, and things stop moving. I was hoping I might find another megacolon+diabetic kitty to find out what they have been through.

Thanks for the link to the Catinfo site. I'll have to see if I can find a good food that mr. picky will actually like.
 
Lantus doesn't have particles so no need to roll it.

Do the board recommend a specific brand and type of food for the mega colon? We can check too if it's low carb..
 
CanisLupus said:
Getting myself comfortable enough to use it is a different story.
Click to expand...
Test yourself first to see how it works. ;-) And, the prick you feel will be more than what Bonk feels since cats have fewer nerve endings in their ears than we do in our fingertips (one of the reasons they clip TNR cats' ears).

Most cats simply don't like being held or restrained and it's just a matter of training them to sit still for it (and training yourself to be patient :lol: ).
 
yes, if u do it right, it wont hurt them. believe me, a cat would run away or cry. my boy is so patient. he sits and flicks his ear, but i think his ear is itchy bc its dirty :( :)
other than that, hes a saint. just how he lays there, most of the time, tells me it doesnt hurt. i was really worried at first. he was impatient, but i learned it was bc he was really high, or hungry.
like kay said, try urself first. they have gotten so sophisticated, it doesnt hurt me anymore :) and i hate being stuck with a needle. thats a good reference.
u can do it.
 
Hi all,

I got the meter today, among other things. Thanks again to Wendy for the great shopping list. It made sure I didn't forget anything important. I also tried it on myself, as suggested. Honestly, I wouldn't have done it any other way though. I needed to know how the meter works before I try it on Bonk. I got back a reading of 81 right after eating dinner. At least I know I'm not a diabetic. :)

I also finally broke down and gave Bonk that appetite stimulant my vet gave me. That stuff works fast. He ate quite a bit of food, so hopefully this will lead towards him getting his appetite back on his own. So I'm starting to feel a lot better myself tonight. Now I just need to get up the courage to test Bonks blood sugar level.

I also setup a spreadsheet tonight. I'll post the link to it later.

Wendy, as to your question on food. They don't have a specific brand, but they suggest grain free canned food with a fiber content of 1% or less generally. Some of the popular brands are BFF (0.2% fiber) and Weruva (0.5% fiber).
 
Well, it took about an hour, and several attempts, but I finally got some blood, and did my first test. The number was much higher than expected, as it came back at 512! He was already very annoyed by the testing, to the point of giving me these very low meows. so I didn't want to put him through a retest, but that number seems awfully high! It could be because I put him on that appetite stimulant, and he has been eating quite a bit tonight, and probably not the best food for him either.

For reference, the meter I got is the Relion Confirm.

I gave him the prescribed 1 unit of Lantus, but given the number I got back, I wonder if he needs more. Especially since he has been getting this 1 unit twice daily since Thursday night.

And as promised, here is his spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... utput=html

I'm also going to use this chart to monitor his megacolon progress, as I've been meaning to come up with a way to track his bowel movements.
 
Welcome to the Vampire Club!

Dose calculation for Lantus:
How much does he weigh?
How much should he weigh?
Take the lower number.
Convert to kilos (= pounds/2.2)
Multiply by 0.25
Round down to nearest quarter unit (syringes don't mark 0.25 or 0.75, so we eyeball).
Give every 12 hours.

Lantus is a depot insulin and takes time to build up in effect. Likewise, if you get too much in, it takes lots of time getting it used up/worn off. As someone who stayed up with Spitzer most of one night, testing every 30 minutes, I suggest patience - lots and lots of patience!

Once you become more adept at testing, the tight regulation protocol does have an option for dose increases when nadir testing, around +5 to +7 hours after the shot, shows nadirs over 300 mg/dL. We just need the data for that time to make sure it is safe to increase.
 
Thanks BJM, I have a ways to go yet. I couldn't get an AMPS today. I made several attempts over the period of a half hour with no blood. I finally got some, got it in the tester, and it came back with an error. Probably not enough blood. Bonk was getting irritated, and I'm shaking, so I had to stop. It was getting late anyway, and I had to give him his insulin. I'll try again later today, but so far, it's not working well.

Bonk is now hiding upstairs because of my attempts to test him. And I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

To answer your questions, he weighs 15.8 pounds. When my vet gave me diet instructions, he weighed 18.6, and told me to feed him as a 15 pound cat. But she never told me his ideal weight, and I never thought to ask.
 
Morning Brian and Bonk!

Are you giving Bonk treats after test pokie? Many use freeze dried chicken as there's no carbs. Keep trying, Bonk will also learn the dance and NO, he's not going to hate you...PROMISE! It takes a bit for their ears to 'learn to bleed' - actually, expand the small capillaries in their ear. The key to mine is to be sure their ears are warm, VERY warm....if not, KT's ears just as well be turnips, he has very thin ears. Dakota's bleed easier but his are thicker and stay naturally warmer.

Keep it happening! You're both doing fine!
 
Ideal weight, then is 15 pounds.
Divide by 2.2 -> about 6.8 Kg
Multiply by 0.25 -> about 1.7
Round down to nearest quarter unit -> And you get 1.5 units as a starting dose.

Remember, you can aim for the vein if you have to.

I used to do Spitzer in the half bathroom, which has good lighting, and shut the door.
Gracie is much calmer for the most part. I just get her on a shelf a bit over 3 feet tall, snuggle her under an arm, and test that way.

If you hands are clean, you can get a droplet on a fingernail and test from there.

And always treat after testing, successful or not.
 
BJM said:
And always treat after testing, successful or not.
Click to expand...
A treat for both of you. ;-) And remember, 3 pokes and you're done, whether you get blood or not. If no blood, try again in 15 minutes if your schedule allows it.

Throughout the day, you might want to try "testing" him without actually testing him to help you both get used to the process.
 
We made another attempt at the blood test this evening. I came at it calmer, and tried a different technique. Got it on the third try. 422, still much too high, but we did just have dinner about two hours ago.

Squeaky and KT said:
Morning Brian and Bonk!

Are you giving Bonk treats after test pokie?....
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Good evening to you Lyresa. I'm just getting back here. Needed to take a break after this mornings failure with the blood test. Coming back at it with a clear head made a world of difference. Anyway, I always give treats afterwards. Not the best for him though, regular Temptations from the supermarket. I'll try some freeze dried Chicken, but I suspect he won't care for them. He is a strange cat. He doesn't like people Chicken or Ham. I know I'm bad, but when we have home cooked Chicken or ham (without seasoning, garlic, onions, etc of course!) I'll give my boys a couple small pieces. Bonk has no interest in them though. Faolan, on the other hand, sucks up whatever he can get. But I'll look for a good, low carb treat Bonk will enjoy.

BJM said:
Ideal weight, then is 15 pounds.
Divide by 2.2 -> about 6.8 Kg
Multiply by 0.25 -> about 1.7
Round down to nearest quarter unit -> And you get 1.5 units as a starting dose......
Click to expand...

Hmmm, 50% more than I'm giving him now. But given his numbers, it may be what he needs until I get his diet improved. Should I be upping his dosage now, or at least wait until his next vet appointment on Tuesday to verify with their readings and see what my vet says? I'm leaning towards the latter, but I also want to get his levels down.

As for how I took his reading this time, I tried putting him up on a table. It made a big difference.

KPassa said:
A treat for both of you. ;-) And remember, 3 pokes and you're done.....
Click to expand...

I like treats, but I think I'll pass on the freeze dried Chicken. :-D I like the three poke rule, that works well for me, and I'll use that. Thanks for the link, a wealth of information. I'll work on getting us both used to the test without actually doing it, that's a great idea!

Wendy&Tiggy said:
BFF also is low in carbs so its a great choice for diabetic cats. Weruva is too but you have to be careful....
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Thanks Wendy, I actually bought a can of the Weruva yesterday on a whim while I was at the local pet store. He loved it, and it's one of the good ones on the chart too. 8%. Not cheap food though. I did more research on the megacolon food, and it looks like anything 1.5% fiber or less is good. So most of the less expansive options such as fancy feast classics will work. I just wonder if Mr Picky will like them. I don't see his favorite food on the chart though, the Meow Mix brand Chicken and Beef in Sauce. It's too bad, but I suspect it's very high in carbs. Wheat Gluten is one of the ingredients, and I imagine that's not good for either of his problems.

I'm just using the lencets that came with the meter right now. I haven't bought any others yet. These are listed as Ultra Thin, 30g. I'll buy another package in the next day or so. I tried both freehand and with the tool. The two successful readings I got were both with the tool.

Thanks again everyone, I'm feeling much better about this. Bonk seems to be feeling a little better too.
 
Hi Brian and kitty Bonk from another Massachusetts diabetic cat owner. I see you are in Stoneham, just a bit south of me.

It takes time to get good at the ear testing and get blood every time. Give yourself time to get the hang of this. If we can't help you figure out the home testing over the internet, a home visit is always an option for you to consider.

How about some shrimp as a treat for Bonk? Or some freeze dried liver?

For you, how about some of your favorite snack as a treat? I never cared for the freeze dried chicken treats myself, although my sugardude Wink sure loved them. ;-)
 
If you want to try 1.5 units, I'd do it during the day when you can monitor him for unusual behavior, though I don't think it likely while you keep the food the same.

Testing takes practice. I still miss upon occasion, partly because I have some vision difficulties.

Sometimes, vets want to run a curve. All that means is testing every 2 hours from shot to shot. If you try that for a day, even missing a couple will give lots of practice.
 
Thanks Deb! Good to see someone else from Massachusetts here. I'm up in the North Shore all the time. I think I'll get the hang of it. I'll just need some more practice. I'll take a look for the shrimp and liver. We'll find something he likes. As for me, I think I'll take a treat with Chocolate! :lol:

Thanks BJM, that won't be tomorrow then, as I have to work. So I'll wait until Tuesday, I'll have the vet appointment then anyway. I'll be slowly adjusting his diet this week, trying to get him more on canned food. We will see if my vet wants to do a curve, considering she never even presented the idea of home testing. She'll probably be surprised when I show up Tuesday with what I have for a chart in hand. But the curve would give me some practice.

Since I haven't formally introduced everyone to my furry family, here is a photo of Bonk taken just a week or so ago doing one of his favorite things:


This is one of my favorite shots, taking in 2008:


More photos to come in future posts. Thanks everyone!
 

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Hi Brian,

Concerning low carb treats, I used EVO Cat and Kitten kibble. It's not actually marketed as a cat 'treat', but it is one of the very few lower carb dry cat foods available. My cat wasn't a fan of dried chicken and I am allergic to shrimp, so I wasn't able to give that to my cat as a treat!

Liz
 
Thanks for the suggestion Liz! That's not a bad idea. He loves dry food, so as I switch him to an all canned food diet, the Evo will do the trick. I'll add that to my shopping list for the next time I'm at the local pet supply store.

And thanks everyone for the help so far. I wouldn't have made it here without it. I'm starting to get the hang of these tests. I got blood this morning on the first try, though it took all three tries to get it this evening. And he slept through the whole evening blood test!

His preshot number this evening was also slightly better, but still very high. Though he didn't eat as much, so that could have contributed to it. I stopped on the way home from work and bought some more of that Weruva brand food, he seems to be enjoying it. It's not cheap, but I think I might mix some in with the less expensive Fancy Feasts and such.

I also wonder if any of his Megacolon meds could be contributing to his high numbers?
 
Lantus is a depot insulin which means it takes time to build up (or drain) from the cats system. It usually takes a few days which is why we say to hold a dose for a few days to see how the dose is working. However when you first start lantus, it takes 5-7 days to settle. I believe you started the insulin on Thursday night? So it's only been four days right? Give it another day and keep testing blood and for urine ketones. (U are testing his pee for that right. It's very important when his BG is high, and even when not you should do it 1-2 a week as diabetic ketoacidosis is serious and expensive to treat)

We want to see a few mid cycle tests to see how low this dose is taking him then we can see if a dose change is needed.

Wendy
 
Thanks Wendy, yes I did start insulin on Thursday night. I should add that into the chart so I have it on record. So only four days. I'll keep at it. As for urine testing, I did get the test strips, as per your shopping list, but haven't used them yet. I just thought they were another way of testing for very high blood sugar. I'm not even sure what to look for or even what to do if I get a reading?? But I will put them to use.

Now that I'm finally getting a good success rate on the blood tests, I'll work on getting some mid-cycle test results. I'll also get my vets take on this tomorrow, as Bonk has a perfect mid-cycle appointment with her.

Brian
 
It's a good thing I'm seeing the vet today. I just took Bonks AMPS, and the meter just read "Hi." This after getting a lower reading last night. I'm getting real worried the insulin isn't working at all.
 
Meters vary by 20% so he is kinda flat. He probably does need an increase since we aren't seeing anything low enough yet so lets see what the vet says. Its often the case of slowly increasing the dose until you reach the right level and then you see better numbers. He probably just hasn't reached the right dose yet.

Are you urine ketone testing? I STRONGLY recommend it (see my above post). You can get a pack of urine ketone strips for like $15 in most pharmacies

Wendy
 
So, my vet was impressed when I came in with a printed copy of my chart, that I had been teaching myself home testing, and such. So thanks everyone for the help so far! This will mean less trips to the vet for Bonk, and better monitoring. All good stuff! Their testing came back at 374 for his gloucose level, much better than my off the scale reading I got this morning. She did say to increase his insulin to two units twice a day. And given the high number, it may be what he needs.

I also got a complete copy of his blood test results from last week. How does a cat on a prescription diet have high cholesterol? Oh well, more to work on.

Wendy&Tiggy said:
Are you urine ketone testing? I STRONGLY recommend it (see my above post). You can get a pack of urine ketone strips for like $15 in most pharmacies.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wendy, I am now. As per your last comment, I did buy the test strips based on your shopping list, and started using them last night since you commented on it yesterday. So far it looks good, just trace readings. The same thing my vet got on his blood test last week.
 
Great! I am glad too that you didn't increase yet to two units, 1.5 is a nice safe dose for now. You don't want to skip past the right dose or cause chronic bouncing or a hypo by increasing too fast. So give 1.5 units for three days and see how it goes and if you still see no blue or green , you can look at another increase.
 
CanisLupus said:
S...How does a cat on a prescription diet have high cholesterol? ...
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When the cat food doesn't have a lot of carbohydrate, the next cheapest thing is fat, so that's what manufacturers add. Per Dr Pierson of Cat Info, you can improve the ratio of protein : fat : carb by adding about 20-25% plain meat, poultry, or fish, mixing well, then portioning out meals. This ups the % calories from protein, slightly decreases the calories for fat and carbohydrate.

If you're feeding canned, try added plain canned baby food versions of beef or chicken with nothing else added.
If you're feeding raw, add raw.
 
Origen has a new line of freeze dried treats out that are awesome for diabetic cats...wild boar, lamb, etc. I am suggesting this because Bandit can't even have a little bit of evo or wellness kibble or his numbers will skyrocket. That's because even though the food is low carb, it's not low glycemic.
 
Mixed news this morning. Bonk had the lowest AMPS to date today at 371. But shortly after giving him his meds for megacolon, he threw it all back up again. I wasn't sure how much I got into him, so I couldn't give him another dose. And of course, I just gave him his insulin, and most of his breakfast came up with it too. He showed no interest in eating again afterwards (not surprising), and I had to go to work. So hopefully he has enough carbs in him his sugar doesn't drop too low. There is someone keeping an eye on him, but they can't monitor his glucose level. I also left him plenty of food if he gets hungry again. I'll get out of work as soon as I can to check on him.

Wendy&Tiggy said:
Great! I am glad too that you didn't increase yet to two units....
Click to expand...

It seemed to make sense to me, I didn't want to double his dosage all at once. I've learned enough from this board to know to go slow!

BJM said:
When the cat food doesn't have a lot of carbohydrate, the next cheapest thing is fat...
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, his prescription diet has lots of carbs, which is why I'm working to move him off it. But I guess the cholesterol is one more thing to work on. Hopefully that will settle as I work on other problems with him. Thanks for the info.

Julia & Bandit said:
Origen has a new line of freeze dried treats out that are awesome for diabetic cats...
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Thanks, I'll take a look for it when I can. Interesting to know about the Evo.
 
Also, when there are excess carbs, the body takes them and stashes them as fat as fast as it can.
 
Thanks BJM, that makes sense. As I said, something else to work on.

I had to give him another appetite stimulant tonight. He wasn't eating again. I have no idea what is going on. I'm not seeing anything but trace ketones in his urine, his AMPS was the lowest yet, and he has been having good bowel movements, but he still goes through these periods where he doesn't want to eat. And I was trying to entice him to eat with anything I could, which includes high carb foods he usually loves, and now his numbers are off the scale again. I don't know what else I can do for him.

When this happened last week, when I brought him to the vets, and got the appetite stimulant, she also gave him some sub Q fluids. When he got home, he seemed to be feeling much better, and ran straight for his food bowl. I wonder if it would be worth while asking my vet about doing some at home sub Q fluids? Maybe it will help keep his hydration up while we get his glucose under control.

I'm getting frustrated and worried. It seems no matter how much I do, he's not showing any signs of improvement.
 
Something for upset stomach, before an appetite stimulant is suggested. Nothing as uncomfortable than wanting to eat with an upset stomach.

Check with the vet about using 1/4 of a 10 mg Pepcid (regular version) about 20-30 minutes before meals. I put it in an empty oral syringe, add some water, then give it that way.
 
Yes, good point. I should have thought of that. I gave him a 1/4 pepsid last night in a pill pocket. I should have given him another before the appetite stimulant. I will make sure I do that in the future. Good idea on doing it through an oral syringe. I tried crushing one up once, and mixing it in water, and gave it to him in an oral syringe. That didn't go over so well. I think I got more on him than in him.
 
It's still early days and high blood sugar may make him feel not well.. I understand its like having a hangover.

Keep watching for ketones and try and be patient. The fact he is now getting insulin will be helping him process the high blood sugar a bit, even if it's not bringing him down enough..., yet. Give this dose another 3 cycles and if you don't see a change, increase again.
 
Thanks Wendy. He is doing much better today. He even looks comfortable. And he is eating well. His numbers are still way too high. I actually had a quite day at home today, so I have been testing him every three hours to see how he is responding to the insulin. This is day two at the higher dose, but he has been sitting in the 400's all day. Despite this, I should still hold the dose here?

I know, I just want to get those numbers down, and get him better. But I know this takes time and patients. I just hate seeing him like this.

Thanks.
 
Hi Brian!! I'm late, but I want to welcome you to the FDMB too!! It's great that you got the mini-curve in today! There's just no such thing as too much data!

We all know how you feel. We see our babies feeling bad, or see high numbers and want them cured yesterday!! But this disease takes patience, and lots of it. We usually tell our members to pick their favorite color of "Patience Pants", but seeing that you're a man, here's some men's styles for you to pick from!


Now that you have the hang of testing, and have your spreadsheet set up, I'd like to invite you over to the Lantus Tight Regulation Forum There, you'll get the most experienced eyes to help watch over you and Bonk (would love to know the story behind that name!..and Faolan too!)

Each day, you start a new post (we call them condo's) and put the date, cat's name and the AMPS number, so today's would have looked like this at first 3/6 Bonk AMPS 564

Then, as you get tests during the day, you go back to that first subject line and "edit" it and add your tests, so today's would then look like 3/6 Bonk AMPS 564,+3 446,+6 486,+9 406,PMPS 505 (When you get to the PMPS, you can also delete out the AMPS numbers so you'll have more room for PM tests)

In the body of the condo, you'd give the WCR (Whole Cat Report)..How Bonk is doing. Good appetite? How are the 5 P's? (Purring, playing, preening, peeing, pooping) Anything you think would be helpful in helping us get to know your wonderful cat! This is also where you'd ask any questions.

Also, it's important that you put the link to the prior condo in too. You just copy the link address to the prior post, click on the URL tab, and "paste" the link in. It would look like Your Link Here[url] That makes it ...lose family there, and we won't let you down.
 

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Definitely pop over to the Lantus Tight Regulation forum and especially read the stickies on Lantus. When nadirs are above 300, the protocol has a more aggressive adjustment for that which the group will help you follow.
 
I agree with you looking at that board, and also I think it might be time for another increase - to 2 units .. BUT.. you really need to try and get some PM cycle tests in.. i.e. before bed 2-3 hours after your PM test because many cats go lower at night.. and you are missing half your data.

Wendy
 
It's interesting, just yesterday I was going through the tight regulation board with the idea of joining that group, reading through the protocol, etc. As a computer tech, having a protocol to follow works well for me. So I will join everyone over there, and I will post a link from here.

Chris & China said:
Hi Brian!! I'm late, but I want to welcome you to the FDMB too!! It's great that you got the mini-curve in today! There's just no such thing as too much data!....
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great welcome Chris! All I can say is those are some colorful pants! I'll have to go with my favorite color, and grab the blue. :)

Thanks for the info on how the title of the condos works, I can certainly work with that. I have been peaking at others charts, and yes, I see they do often start high. I hate to see it though, but I'm sure you understand that. And I have been testing for ketones, so far so good. As for water in his canned food, he won't eat it without the water. He prefers it that way, so I'm not complaining. Understood on the overnight test as well. I will work on that.

It's my somewhat arthritic parents who cat sit their grandcats while I'm at work. I asked them about the possibility of testing, but I won't hold my breath on that one.

Looking forward to joining you on the other forum. And yes, Bonk and Faolan both have stories behind their names. I will include that on my introductory post on the other forum.

quote="BJM"]Definitely pop over to the Lantus Tight Regulation forum and especially read the stickies on Lantus. When nadirs are above 300, the protocol has a more aggressive adjustment for that which the group will help you follow.[/quote]

Thanks BJM, I was reading about that in the stickies, seems reasonable to me. I will be there!

Wendy&Tiggy said:
I agree with you looking at that board, and also I think it might be time for another increase - to 2 units .. BUT..
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Thanks Wendy, I agree in the increase, and have implemented that tonight. He is now on 2 units. And I will get in a test or two tonight, as I want to see how he is doing with the change anyway.

Thanks again everyone!
 
Brian, you are awesome for taking on this journey! I am impressed by your progress thus far. Bonk is a lucky kitty!
 
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