Lars and I are new here...

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Lady Curmudgeon

Lady Curmudgeon

Member Since 2015
Hi there. My name is Pam and I'm owned by a 6 1/2 year old boy named Lars (in the user pic) who's very recently been diagnosed with diabetes. He's got a lot going on health wise: asthma, stage IV phsiologic heart murmur, stage II renal failure, small intestine dysbiosis, and idiopathic hypercalcemia. Lots of chronic health conditions requiring daily meds and care.

We (and our vets--his regular vet and his internal medicine specialist guy) suspect the oral prednisolone Lars was put on to get his asthma under control two months ago was a contributing factor for the diabetes to manifest itself, but no one can be totally sure. Regardless, he's being weaned off the oral pred in favor of using a corticosteroid inhaler (talk about an adventure getting a cat used to that sort of thing!) in its place.

All the medical stuff aside, Lars is a very content and happy cat aside from medication time twice daily. He'll play with his three "sibling" cats, suns himself liberally in front of the glass door in the den, and really enjoys his time with his mama and daddy. He doesn't seem to be in any discomfort of any sort, so that's why we keep going with treating his myriad conditions.

As for his diabetes...We picked up his Rx food last night and have started transitioning him from Hills K/D (renal food) to W/D (diabetic). We just received the Alpha Trak II glucometer starter kit via amazon.com this morning, are going to pick up Lars' insulin later today (he's been prescribed Glargine/Lantus, starting with 1 unit 2x daily), and have an appointment with his regular vet tomorrow morning first thing to be "trained" on how to go about using all of the new things.

The Dear Partner is taking all of this in relative stride, but I'm very scared and anxious about things! Thankfully I've a good friend who's owned by two insulin dependent diabetic cats who's already given me some very good tips, which have helped to calm my fears/anxieties.

I look forward to exploring things on this forum and to learning more about my boy's latest health related "acquisition." Thank you for reading this! :)
 
It sounds like you and Lars are on the right track. The only thing you might consider is a lower carb food. A vet explains why low carb wet food is best here: www.catinfo.org. She has a food chart that will help you figure out the carbs in his current diet. The insulin is a great choice and your testing at home will keep him safe. And yes, often steroids push a cat into diabetics. As it could be a short term issue, testing will help you stay on top of his levels.
 
There are several over the counter foods which are low carb and renal-friendly. The food list at Cat Info, given above, should help you ID them, or you can search the forum (upper right corner with the magnifier icon) for low phosphorus food.
 
Welcome to FDMB! You have come to the right place for support. There are a lot of caring and experience folks here. You will be given a whole lot of information and at first, it will seem very overwhelming however in a couple of weeks, things will start falling into place.

I looked up your prescription food and it has 37% carbs and 220 phosphorous. Dry food does not contain enough moisture that your cat needs especially since it also has Stage 2 CKD. Merlin is Stage 3 CKD (for two years now) too. You have to find low carb food (below 10%) as well as low phosphorous (below 200 or lower). Fortunately, there is wet, canned cat food that it much better for you and it can be found in the links that Sue and BJM have given you. Anyway, below is some additional information. Holler if you have any questions.

Good Reading: This is a must read. It is an excellent 18 page informative document that covers feline health and nutrition. Don't take short cuts and read it all. www.catinfo.org Also read other postings and their spreadsheets. You will learn a lot more from others.

Home Testing: Here, we all home test. It is mandatory to understand how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and the dose. You will want to test before each shot and some additional test in between the 12 hour cycle. Another reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Hometesting Links and TipsHere is a picture of where you test on your kitty. http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

Here is another good link on Home Testing:http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

Meters: There are many meters. There is a pet meter called the Alpha Trak2 and human meters. Some use the pet meter because it is what the vets use so the numbers will match up. The meter and strips are expensive though. Most use human meters that can be purchased at any pharmacy. It typically reads a little lower than the pet meter but we have ways of compensating those lower numbers. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro or Relion Confirm, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each.

Lancets: These are used to poke the ear to get blood. There are many different sizes (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge. Also, it would be a good idea to pick up Neosporin WITH pain reliever to apply on the edge of the ears and don't forget to alternate ears.

Spreadsheets: Our spreadsheet instructions are here. If you look at the signatures of the members here, you will see a link to their kitty’s spreadsheets. We keep track of all our tests. This is basically a place to collect data and help you to determine patterns, doses, etc. It also aids those that may be helping you to better understand your kitty.

Food: There are many reasons why we are here but one is due to feeding dry cat food which is high in carbs. You will want to consider changing your food to wet, low carb food. It is recommended to feed food that is under 10% carbs. Here is a list of cat food to choose from food chartyou will note that the food with fish are lower in carbs however it is recommended that you only give fish once a week due to its mercury content. Many use Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies, etc. This list can also be found in www.catinfo.org If you are already giving insulin and you have not transitioned to wet, low carb cat food, be sure to test while you are transitioning. This is because by changing to low carb food, it could decrease your kitty’s number by 100 points or more. One last thing, many of us add water to the wet food so your kitty is getting plenty of water to flush out the toxins and to keep them hydrated.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin Forums are stickie’s labeled Hypo Links. Here is one: How to Handle a Hypo. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc.

Ketones: Diabetic cats are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is best to buy testing strips that will measure (if any) ketones in the urine. One brand is Ketostix which can be found at Walmart or any pharmacy. You will want to test periodically unless you continue to get high numbers, then it is suggested to test more frequently. Ketostix typically costs around $10.

Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty. Some use it after they have tested to reward. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredient is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cat likes it, then I would go to the dog section where it is cheaper than the cat package. It is bigger chunks but no problem in breaking it up. Another option is to use Bonita Flakes. There is a link here somewhere that has a list of low carb treats but I don't have it right now.

Injections: Most folks here use one of these main insulins; Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. Then you will test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. The reason why you do not want your kitty to eat two hours prior to your test is because food elevates BG numbers. So you do not want to dose based on a food influenced number. Here is a link on how to give injections.http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm
 
Thank you all for your welcoming words, reassurances, and the dizzying amount of educational information I need to read through! :cat: So much to learn, and fast! :nailbiting: Our internal medicine doc's office sent me some info, but not nearly the vast array of knowledge and experience that all of y'all have imparted here! Lars' testing/insulin treatment starts tomorrow morning at our regular vet's office at 0930, and his nervous mama is up this late typing this right now because she can't sleep a wink for how nervous she's feeling about the new journey our family's about to embark upon. Wish us luck, and, if you're so inclined, say a prayer/light a candle for us and our boy?
 
One thing we have noticed, with the thousands of diabetics on this site, is that very often cats are stressed at the vet and stress raises blood glucose levels, sometimes over 100 points higher than they'd be at home. So doses prescribed based on those vet inflated numbers can be higher than needed once the kitty gets home. I hope your vet will start a low dose and let you raise, if needed, based on numbers from home. We suggest 0.5 or one unit to start with.
 
Hi Pam and Lars, welcome. Lars is a beautiful cat, love his markings! It is a lot to learn and may seem overwhelming, but it gets easier as you go along. You've taken the first and most important step by deciding to educate yourself on Lars' condition. I wish I had done that instead of blindly following my vets advice. Since finding this site, I've learned so much and now when I go to the vet, I know what to ask. I'm sure everything will go well today at your vet visit. Post here after and let us know what he said. Good luck.
 
Hi everyone, I'm Jason and the partner of @Lady Curmudgeon (Pam), and "daddy" to her Lars - which is why I chose a picture of her loving on him. Of course that's sorta confusing and I'm probably gonna have to change it later so people don't think I am her! ;)

Primarily I help with dispensing medication, veterinary transport, feeding and general loving on our fluffball (along with her other cat and my two special-needs kitties). I'm following her and will track her posts that way, though occasionally I may post a question or clarifying information.
 
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JasonOlsen said:
Hi everyone, I'm Jason and the partner of @Lady Curmudgeon (Pam), and "daddy" to her Lars - which is why I chose a picture of her loving on him. Of course that's sorta confusing and I'm probably gonna have to change it later so people don't think I am her! ;)

Primarily I help with dispensing medication, veterinary transport, feeding and general loving on our fluffball (along with her other cat and my two special-needs kitties). I'm following her and will track her posts that way, though occasionally I may post a question or clarifying information.
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Hey Jason and welcome! Lars is a lucky kitty!
 
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