Your vet is dead wrong about the dry food, any dry food is bad because of the carb load. My own mother is a diabetic and she also has to watch her carbs as well as sugar in diet. One slice of bread can send her sky high. My original FD kitty Muse was started on DM canned out of then 9 cats not a single one of them would touch that junk. It reeks and doesn't even look fit to eat. It was originally formulated when they believed that fiber was the way to control diabetes in cats.
Max went OTJ in less than 3 weeks on simply a diet change and a small amount of insulin and he eats just plain old fashioned pate flavors of friskies or 9-lives, along with all the rest of my fluffy bunch. Not only is he OTJ, he is gaining weight and frisking through the house playing with my 2 seven month old kittens. If you like check out his SS in my sig.
I'm also in college right now to be a Vet Tech and I recently posted an article that I found at my college in one of the recent AVMA journals. Which also suggests that a diet high in protein & low in carbs as well as home testing it the best way to go for FD kitties. If you would like to read it you can find it here
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=30016If you would like print it out and take it to you vet.
And while on the subject of Vets I love mine but he will readily admit that he knows next to nothing about diabetes, but he has been very willing to learn. I take what I have learned here and pass it along to him. To the extent that the other day when I took a little feral in to be spayed I was asked for "that food list I'm always carrying around." They wanted it so they could give it to their clients who not only may have a diabetic but just to give to owners of a new kitty. They saw my cats before the change in diet and they have seen them since and were wowed by the change in their over all health and coat condition and asked what I had done to "shine them up". It has been simply a changed in diet thats it. No extra vitamins, so prescription food, nada, Just ditched the dry and started giving them wet.
I don't use a fancy meter, just a little cheap Relion, works great. Takes a very little sample, easy to use and read even if I don't have my reading glasses handy. sips well. My only complaint is I hate the container the strips come in because one of my other kitties can open it and likes to help me test Max.
One thing to remember about dosing off the numbers at the vet's is that they are likely higher than when your cat is at home and relaxed in her own enviroment, so you could very likely over-dosing her. I know even my most laid-back easy going civie who adores his vettybean will shoot up 100 points at the vet's ( I know this because I tested him there once to show my vet how we do it here). Now Bert adores his vet, he will climb on his shoulder and give him lots of head butts and yet his BG jump that high. I can only tell you what I would do if it was Max. I would start out at 1u bid and test before each shot and try to catch random other ones at different times to see how the insulin was working.
But remember this is YOUR baby, you are the mommy and you have to do what feels right for your baby. Also remember you are the one footing the bills so in a way you are the boss of your Vet not the other way around. You can either follow the advice, or smile and nod and then do it your own way or look for a vet that you are more comfortable with, but ultimately it is your choice and your the one in control.
Mel & Max
