New cat Ben,New to group

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Merlin said:
So what is your name?

I am not familiar with Novolin but I believe all insulin need to be given shots twice a day i.e. every 12 hour cycles. I am sure someone will chime in on that but since Novolin is a very short cycle insulin, it doesn't has the lasting power to go 24 hours but rather it only goes about 8-10 hours.

Yes, most people change to another insulin because Novolin is not one of the better insulins. The better ones are Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc.

You might want to start checking this website. http://felinecrf.org/ It is the best if your kitty has kidney issues. Merlin has Stage 3. This site is awesome has lots of information. There is a list there, much like our list, that has foods that contain low phosphorous. Since Merlin and many other cats here have diabetes and kidney disorders, we have to find food with low carbs and low phosphorous. You usually cannot find that at the vets office (prescribed food). I use Wellness Turkey but there is EVO too that has low in both as well as a few others. They are much cheaper than the vet's office.

You will be able to tell much more after you get your spreadsheet up and running and get more tests in. I think that is the key right now.
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Hello,

Which Wellness Turkey do you feed? I was looking at the Wellness site and saw Complete Health Turkey Recipe, Minced Turkey Entrée, and Cubed Turkey? I didn't see anything that mentioned carbs or phosphorus on the site It did mention grain free though.

Thanks,

Windy Ben's Human
 
I use Wellness Turkey. It is basically a pate. It has 4 carbs and 200 Phos or around 1%. It is in a green label.
 
Hi Cindi,

Thanks for the info. I just ordered him some Wellness grain free turkey. I hope he likes it. Do you think Merlin is doing better because of the diet you feed him?
 
Absolutely it helped...however what works for one cat may not work for another cat. If you look at Merlin's SS, I had to switch to another food i.e. Wellness Turkey because his previous cat food (Friskies Special Diet Turkey & Giblets) was being discontinued. So the end of May, I spent about two weeks trying other food. I first started out with Wellness Turkey but none of the cats liked it. I tried about a half dozen other food and they didn't like them either. So I went back to Wellness Turkey, and they all loved it. Go figure. Anyway, Merlin started on June 6 and you can see that his numbers improved almost immediately with his new food. The Friskies SDT&G was 5 carbs and Wellness Turkey is 4%. It is amazing that 1 % carb makes that big of difference. Good luck and let us know how he likes it. Oh by the way, because of his kidney disease, I just started giving him Phosphorous binders.
 
Ben seems to be doing really well. He is alert and interested in his surroundings. I have an exercise pen set up he can come out in when he wants to, to see whats going on. He is eating and drinking and seems happy. Even in his eyes they are brighter and have more life in them.
I may never be able to let him out with my other cats because I don't want him going after their food and since he is a lot older he may be more fragile and wouldn't be able to handle them and their constant energy and being really rowdy.

Windy, Ben's Human
 
So glad Ben is doing well. You're probably right to keep him separate at least for now. When he gets stronger you can try them together if you want too. Either pick up their food, or transition them all to a food Ben can have. He is such a cutie I wish you both the best of luck!:cat::bighug:
 
Glad to hear Ben is perking up!! You've given him a new lease on one of his 9 lives! Good job! Even tho he's being kept separate from the others, he sounds quite happy and with a good quality of life. Your instincts are spot on. Nora and Kali.
 
Last night he was swatting at a little moth, it was cute. I was looking on the ingredients for the DM wet and dry and it has corn meal or something like that and some other grain in it. How can this be made for diabetic cats?

I have classic fancy feast that was recomended by this board and wellness grain free turkey for him to try. I dont think I want him eating anymore DM after its gone.
 
Benshuman said:
the DM wet and dry and it has corn meal or something like that and some other grain in it. How can this be made for diabetic cats?
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It all marketing - vets don't get a lot of nutrition training. You need to be home testing when you change carb levels - the insulin dose may need to be dropped 1-2 units to avoid hypoglycemia, which can kill.
How to Handle A Hypo
 
BJM said:
It all marketing - vets don't get a lot of nutrition training. You need to be home testing when you change carb levels - the insulin dose may need to be dropped 1-2 units to avoid hypoglycemia, which can kill.
How to Handle A Hypo
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He seems to like the DM savory but not really into the fancy feast classic, I have tried different flavors too. He is on 0.01 of insuin. Can that be dropped further, its such a tiny amount.
 
As an FYI, 0.01 mL = 1 unit. We dose in units of insulin.
Yes, it can be dosed in 0.5 units and some folks use calipers to measure 0.25 units or smaller.
Pop over to the food chart at Cat Info and take a look at more food options.
You may find this online calculator handy for estimating the calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrate, then calculating the % of calories from carbohydrate, which we aim to keep under 10%.
 
I have a big dilemma now. I went ahead and had Ben's bloodwork done today and he has moderate kidney failure. The vet said to give him fluid therapy twice a week, without it he may only have a few more weeks or months to live. He told me I can give him a senior diet since it is lower in protein and I should focus his diet on his kidney issues now. Does anyone have any food suggestions? I gave him the wet turkey wellness that was suggested to me by Cindi. I have to find a place that I can get this ringer lactate solution cheaper and learn how to do it on my own. Money is an issue for me in helping Ben now. The first few times I am taking Ben in so they can show me how to give him the fluids, right now I don't know if I can do it on my own. They are going to have to show me how to test his glucose too as that isn't going very well. I don't want money to come between Ben's life. The vet said he may have a year or two if he gets fluid therapy. I am really overwhelmed right now and don't know what to do. He did have fluid therapy today and his glucose was really high because I messed up his insulin and there was a tiny air bubble and he didn't get his full dose.
 
Have you been to Feline CRF? It is all about feline renal disease and ways to manage it. The renal stage determines how much you need to control protein levels.
 
BJM said:
Have you been to Feline CRF? It is all about feline renal disease and ways to manage it. The renal stage determines how much you need to control protein levels.
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I go to that site all the time, thats how I found out about this site. I wish the foods the cats can have was easier to find. I am still looking on the site.
 
Be patient with yourself. Did they say what stage of CRF he has?

Feline CRF notes that cooked egg white is low phosphorus.
Cat Info states that you can add 1 ounce of lean protein to cat food, mix well and portion out.
Combining those 2 bits together, if you add 1 ounce of cooked egg white to the canned food, you keep the protein quality good, and reduce the phosphorus and carbs per serving.
 
BJM said:
Be patient with yourself. Did they say what stage of CRF he has?

Feline CRF notes that cooked egg white is low phosphorus.
Cat Info states that you can add 1 ounce of lean protein to cat food, mix well and portion out.
Combining those 2 bits together, if you add 1 ounce of cooked egg white to the canned food, you keep the protein quality good, and reduce the phosphorus and carbs per serving.
Click to expand...
I have know idea what stage. I didnt even know to ask. The vet said its moderate. I will call tommorow and ask. Thank you for letting me know about the egg and adding it to cat food. I fed him the Wellness Turkey tonight and he seemed to like it. He does tend to like one thing one day and is picky about it the next. He did not like the hills k/d chicken or oncean fish.
 
The most important thing is that he eat. You can adjust the insulin around the food, as needed.

When you have a moment, could you add a few tidbits to your signature? It will help us give you feedback.

Editing your Signature

In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

Click on your ID.

On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback. You are limited to 2 hard returns, so separate pieces by | or -.
This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name | cat's name | date of Dx (diagnosis) | insulin | meter
general location (city and state/province)
any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.
 
BJM said:
The most important thing is that he eat. You can adjust the insulin around the food, as needed.

When you have a moment, could you add a few tidbits to your signature? It will help us give you feedback.

Editing your Signature

In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

Click on your ID.

On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback. You are limited to 2 hard returns, so separate pieces by | or -.
This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name | cat's name | date of Dx (diagnosis) | insulin | meter
general location (city and state/province)
any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.
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Thanks, I was wondering how to do that. Ben had his fluid therapy about 7 hours ago, should there still be fluid under his skin very noticibly hanging from him, shouldnt it have all been absorbed by now?
 
Benshuman said:
I have a big dilemma now. I went ahead and had Ben's bloodwork done today and he has moderate kidney failure. The vet said to give him fluid therapy twice a week, without it he may only have a few more weeks or months to live. He told me I can give him a senior diet since it is lower in protein and I should focus his diet on his kidney issues now. Does anyone have any food suggestions? I gave him the wet turkey wellness that was suggested to me by Cindi. I have to find a place that I can get this ringer lactate solution cheaper and learn how to do it on my own. Money is an issue for me in helping Ben now. The first few times I am taking Ben in so they can show me how to give him the fluids, right now I don't know if I can do it on my own. They are going to have to show me how to test his glucose too as that isn't going very well. I don't want money to come between Ben's life. The vet said he may have a year or two if he gets fluid therapy. I am really overwhelmed right now and don't know what to do. He did have fluid therapy today and his glucose was really high because I messed up his insulin and there was a tiny air bubble and he didn't get his full dose.
Click to expand...


I'm so glad you found that poor little guy in time! Some people think they can just dump a cat (even a declawed one) and that it'll survive by its natural instincts, stupid, stupid people.

Trust me, everyone here went thru everything you're feeling now, scared of doing something wrong, anxiousness, being overwhelmed, worried about the financial part of it, confusion and just down right exhaustion. But it really does get better! Really!

I have a cat that had so many health issues when she was a little baby, my vet said she'd probably only live to be 7 or 8........ She turned 12 this month. Try not to focus too much on timelines, every cat is different (you'll see that phrase quite often on this board ) so Ben could be with you for a long time. As to the CRF, I'm guessing if the vet said moderate, it probably means stage 2 or 3, so it could take longer for fluid to absorb, but id think that it would get better each time. For now, you do need to feed for the kidneys and let the insulin control the diabetes. Just curious, what was his BG ( blood glucose) number at diagnosis?

I wish you and Ben the best!
 
Mogmom and Goofus said:
I'm so glad you found that poor little guy in time! Some people think they can just dump a cat (even a declawed one) and that it'll survive by its natural instincts, stupid, stupid people.

Trust me, everyone here went thru everything you're feeling now, scared of doing something wrong, anxiousness, being overwhelmed, worried about the financial part of it, confusion and just down right exhaustion. But it really does get better! Really!

I have a cat that had so many health issues when she was a little baby, my vet said she'd probably only live to be 7 or 8........ She turned 12 this month. Try not to focus too much on timelines, every cat is different (you'll see that phrase quite often on this board ) so Ben could be with you for a long time. As to the CRF, I'm guessing if the vet said moderate, it probably means stage 2 or 3, so it could take longer for fluid to absorb, but id think that it would get better each time. For now, you do need to feed for the kidneys and let the insulin control the diabetes. Just curious, what was his BG ( blood glucose) number at diagnosis?

I wish you and Ben the best!
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Thanks Tammy,

It really is overwhelming, especially because I do have other pets, one being a special needs dog who is blind with a microscopic liver shunt and has seizures occassionally. He is on a special diet and is on meds too. I just dont know if I will be able to give Ben fluids on my own. I will have to be shown and do it at the vet office a few times. I know doing it on my own will be better for Ben and wont cost as much, but just the thought of doing it makes me nervous. Plus I am back in school and trying to balance studying and pet needs. Are you doing anything special for your cat that is now 12?

I called the vet and they said Ben is muld to moderate for his kidney failure and that is still considered severe where he needs fluids and the fluids may or may not help. To me mild to moderate doesnt sound severe. I was told they dont give stage levels for his condition like in humans. I am waiting for his Epakitin and kidney diet to arrive.

Maybe its just me but the vets office makes it seem like he is alot worse off.

Thanks ,
Windy, Ben's Human
 
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Hi Windy, sorry about Ben's Dx, but you'll do fine. I have had to give fluids on many occasions and was terrified the first few times, but I got used to it and now it's easy. Cindi posted above (post 16) that Merlin has stage 3 kidney failure and he's doing well. She also has mentioned using Phosphorus binders(post 55). I don't know about those, but maybe ask your vet. You may want to start a new thread in Health to ask questions about how to deal with the double Dx. A lot of people here have cats with both problems and may be able to give you more insight.
 
Sharon14 said:
Hi Windy, sorry about Ben's Dx, but you'll do fine. I have had to give fluids on many occasions and was terrified the first few times, but I got used to it and now it's easy. Cindi posted above (post 16) that Merlin has stage 3 kidney failure and he's doing well. She also has mentioned using Phosphorus binders(post 55). I don't know about those, but maybe ask your vet. You may want to start a new thread in Health to ask questions about how to deal with the double Dx. A lot of people here have cats with both problems and may be able to give you more insight.
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Hi Sharon,

Thank you for letting me know where to post about cats with both issues. I did get the phosphorus binder that Cindi mentioned. How often do you give fluids?
 
I'm not giving any right now. When Colin was first Dx. I had to give them to him every day for the first week. Then he was doing better on his own. I keep them on hand though just in case he, or one of the others, needs them. I just had bloodwork done on him and am waiting to see about his kidneys.
 
Sharon14 said:
I'm not giving any right now. When Colin was first Dx. I had to give them to him every day for the first week. Then he was doing better on his own. I keep them on hand though just in case he, or one of the others, needs them. I just had bloodwork done on him and am waiting to see about his kidneys.
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I hope the results of his kidneys come back fine. How do you store the fluids? Do they have to be kept refrigerated? What is Dx? I googled it but I did not find anything relating to cats.
 
Dx is diagnosed. I don't keep mine in the fridge, although I think you can. My neighbor runs a pet rescue, so between us we use them up pretty fast and one of us always has some around. Ask your vet for sure though.

Colin doesn't have CKD as far as I know, had bloodwork done yesterday. When He was diagnosed with diabetes, he was dehydrated and needed fluids.
 
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