New Here and I have a TON of Questions

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BrandyMom2AFew

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So I got my friends Grandmother's old cat today after her funeral. He is 18 years old, weighs aprx 20lbs and is diabetic. The insulin they gave me was Lantus and he is (according to the prescription) supposed to get 11 units BID. Her son said they have most days been giving him 10 units once daily and before grandma started going in and out of care centers she forgot a lot so no telling how regular it was. The times they have been giving him the shot vary as well. He is currently eating Science Diet Hair Ball Control.

I am calling the cats vet on the prescription to get the dosing straightened out. Then having them fax my vet with the information so I can get in to see them and get a plan worked out. I want to see about home monitoring and a food change. Then how to coordinate less insulin based on BS levels and food intake.

Is a raw diet better or should I try to find a suitable food?

So any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.
 
Good morning and welcome to FDMB. Also a big thank you for taking this cat into your home.

11 units is an extremely high dose of insulin unless there are other health issues going on. Most cats usually get 1 - 2 units BID. Most likely the only thing that has prevented a hypo was the diet.

The first suggestion is to greatly reduce the dose and basically start over to find the optimal dose. You need to do this before changing the diet. If you do not, you could easily risk having a hypo occur. I am glad to see you want to learn to hometest. We highly recommend it and that will help you in finding the dose that will work best for this cat.

You can use any human glucose meter to test, including store brands. Many of us use the Walmart Relion brand meters. I recommend that you drop the insulin back to 1 unit twice a day. When you test, you want to test before giving the insulin. The recommended plan is to test, feed, then shoot. For newbies, we suggest not giving insulin unless the glucose reading is 200 or greater.

Once you drop the dose back then you should change the diet. Raw is a good choice, but many of us feed our cats either Friskies or Fancy Feast canned foods. Stay away from any foods that have "gravy" on the label. That usually means higher carbs also.

I'm sure you will have lots of questions. Please ask any you may have, we are here to help you. And thank you for giving this cat a chance to have a good life. It sounds like you are on your way to becoming a great sugar mom. :thumbup
 
Hi Brandy, and, of course, your friend's Grandmother's cat (his name would be helpful...),

I'm sorry about your friend's Grandmother. Something tells me her new place as an angel is looking down on you warmly and with love for taking in her sweet furry boy... Bless you, Brandy.



My humble suggestion is to start home testing your friend's Grandmother's older furry gent (see how his name would fit in here?). Although Lantus is a wonderful insulin for a diabetic cat, 11 units BID is pretty much beyond my comprehension in terms of a whopping dose. Unless, of course, he has other medical issues such as Acromalgy (sp?) or Cushing's... Even though he's a big boy, chances are he may not need that aforementioned whopping dose. It's really good you're calling his vet to get the dosing straightened out. Bless you, Brandy.

You can get a human glucometer kit for almost or maybe free, after rebates, from Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, or whatever drug store or mass merchandiser with a pharmacy. The kits usually come with the meter, 10 strips, and 10 lancets. Many here really like the Wal-Mart Reli-On meter (think there's two kinds). Their test strips are less expensive. Believe it or not, you'll need a sock with a small handful of uncooked rice in it that you'll put in the microwave for about 20 seconds, depending on the sock thickness and your microwave wattage. A warm ear is a giving ear... You'll also need Vaseline as it helps bead the very tiny drop of blood you'll be getting from your friend's Grandmother's furry gent's ear (name...).

You can also request a newbie kit from one of the links on the top of the page. It will have what you need for basically the price of postage. Do pick up a meter kit locally to buy you some testing time before your newbie kit arrives, should you request one. Having a couple of meters around never hurts, Brandy.


Okay, let's move on to the food your friend's Grandmother's furry boy (name...) eats. You mentioned Science Diet Hair Ball Control, right? Is this dry food or canned food? We generally recommend a low carb, high protein diet for sugar cats. Something like Fancy Feast Classic or Friskie's pate. I'll give you the link to Janet and Binky's Famous Food Charts. But, before I do, want to humbly explain how much a diet change can affect a diabetic cat's need for insulin. TONS!

Sue's Oliver dropped something like 100 points in his BG (blood glucose) reading after switching from dry food to wet food. Thus, the importance of home testing. Make sense? Had she not been home testing, Sue wouldn't have known and might have given Oliver too much insulin. Too high is do-able for a time. Too low for an instant, can be an incredibly serious situation.

Okay, let's consider your friend's Grandmother's cat (...). He's getting this big whopping dose of insulin. My extremely humble suggestion is to let him eat whatever he wants to eat until you can figure out his dosing with his vet -- and, you start home testing. Then, and only then, I extremely humbly suggest you start transitioning his diet s-lo-w-l-y -- I'm talking adding a teaspoon at a time of the wet food to the dry food. If he seems to like it, add another teaspoon and start removing some of the dry. This process could take a couple of weeks. The most important thing is that he eats. Period.

Here are the links to Janet and Binky's Famous Food Charts:
Dry food:
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html
New wet/canned food:
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html
Old wet/canned:
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodOld.html

There's also a link to Dr. Lisa's website at the top of this page. It will explain the raw diet, which is definitely another way to go -- s-l-o-w-l-y.



One more thought. Lantus likes a 12/12 schedule. Meaning, dear Brandy, once you get your friend's Grandmother's furry gent's proper dosing figured out with his vet, you pick the times (morning and evening) where you can test and shoot pretty much 12 hours apart that best suits your schedule. Making this work for you is very important. Bless you, dear Brandy!

Welcome to the place you never wanted to be; but, will be blessed for having found.

Love and encouraging hugs,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...

PS: Long ago and far away, my dad was a brigade commander at Fort Gordon, GA. Deep in the woods of that massive Fort, he and his troops started an unofficial sanctuary when they found unexpected critters... I was 16 at the time and learned a monkey can actually poop in mid-air swing... Also learned that pythons are surprisingly dry and warm as opposed to cold and wet like I thought...
 
His name is Bingo.

The food he eats is dry food.

Hmmm I wonder if there something else going on healthwise because 11 is what the script says on the box.

A cool note he has extra toes.
 
BrandyMom2AFew said:
His name is Bingo.

The food he eats is dry food.

Hmmm I wonder if there something else going on healthwise because 11 is what the script says on the box.
Click to expand...


Well, the dry junk food is one reason why the cat needs such a huge amount of inulin. Science Diet Hairball has 26% carbs per cup, way way too much for any cat to have http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html The "light" hairball one is even worse, 40% carbs :shock: The right diet will help the blood glucose levels, no different really from how Human diabetics watch what they eat and limit sugary foods.

After a complete check up at the vet to rule out underlying health issues such a bad teeth, Acromegaly, and urinary infections, you'll need to start Bingo back at square one. First, learn how to test Bingo's blood glucose levels at home. Yes, the vet can do this for you but it's $$$ you can easily save and the results you get will be more accurate. Then slowly switch Bingo's diet from the dry junk to either low carb canned food or raw. Keep a very close eye on blood glucose levels during the diet change because it's not uncommon for blood glucose levels to drop like a rock as soon as the high carb dry food is gone. You most likely will need to drop the insulin dose from 11 units twice a day to something much less. Work with your vet on determnining the dose. If you track Bingo's blood glucose levels in an online spreadsheet, you can share that with your vet. Monitor Bingo's urine for ketones during this time. Ketones can pop up quickly and requires immediate veterinary attention.

Bingo could probably also lose some weight but work with the vet on that. Extra weight can affect how well the diabetes is regulated.
 
How old is the Lantus you are currently giving. I'm wondering if the vial currently in
use is ineffective (worn out), and the high dose is partly because of ignorance by the vet:
that it has a short shelf-life once opened.

Lantus 'poops' out after 2-3 months being opened. (The mfg says throw away after 28 days...but
most here get more use out of it by caring for it properly).

Which brings me to the following: Have your vet write the Rx for Lantus <b>cartridges or pens</b>.
You get five 3ml cartridges instead of one 10ml vial. You use one cartridge at a time and can often
use up the whole 3ml before it 'goes bad'.

Otherwise you will be throwing away 80%-90% of a 10ml vial, which is not cheap ($100+).

Getting the cartridges will save you a LOT of money in the long run.

You still use regular insulin syringes, not the 'pen needles' that people use with the cartridge/pens.

Waving to you down there in Oregon from wet (very wet) Washington State.
 
Hi there! Good on you for taking in this poor baby!

I would give you slightly different advice than what's been given...in that I wouldn't cut the dose to 1 unit, rather, I'd cut it in half and make sure its given BID. Like the others have suggested though, I'd make sure its not expired first! My reason for only cutting in half to start with is that you do not know this cat's history, and while it is absolutely entirely possible that there was no good rationale for 11 units, you don't know that and neither do we (could be in part due to the food they were feeding). And we do not want to severely underdose the cat while sorting things out..

Just a thought! Good luck and please let us know how things go!

Jen
 
Hi and welcome.

My advice is going to differ slightly too :)

I've adopted several senior kitties, 16+, and one thing my husband and I try to do is not change too many things on them at once. This kitty is greiving too, having lost his mom and his home and now he's in a strange place.

If I were taking care of him, I'd keep his food the same for now. Also, if you can get a blanket or something from his old home so that he has that scent it would really help him.

I would ask your vet for a fresh prescription of Lantus, I would try to start hometesting quickly and also would start the dose at around 4-5 U BID but only IF you think he's really been getting good insulin during this time. Lantus can go bad easily and Grandma may have been shooting insulin that was bad and ineffective, like shooting water. If the vial of Lantus is old, smelly or just in otherwise suspect shape, I might consider a starting dose of 2 Units BID.
 
Hiya Brandy and Bingo,

I am pretty new to all this too, my guy was diagnosed in mid-March of this year, so my advice would be to listen to the pro's here who have a TON of experience with FD.

I found this site that first day after we got home from the vet, but I was to shy to post and ask questions right away. I read over the basic info they have posted here:

http://binkyspage.tripod.com/faq.html,

panicked, and did everything wrong. I switched from a really hi carb indoor dry food, to wet low carb all at once. I didn't get a meter right away, I waited almost 2 weeks because my brother said he could get me a free one (he did, but was really slow about it). I wish I had gotten an inexpensive one, like the walmart one, while I was waiting. And, my vet had prescribed 2 units pro-zinc BID for Saatz.

The day I got the meter I started testing and realized that with the immediate diet switch and the high dose of insulin, my kitty had been having nadirs in the low 30's! And that could have been happening for the whole 2 weeks till I started testing. He never once (I checked OFTEN) had any signs of hypos, which is even more dangerous I think.

Here is a link from elsewhere on the site about hypos:

http://www.indulgedfurries.com/petdiabe ... ycemia.htm

I just want to make sure you are aware of what to watch for, but don't panic. Just test and go slowly and everything will be alright! :-D

Also, welcome, and continue to ask questions, the people here are super nice, there is no reason to be shy at all!

Debbi and Saatz
 
The insulin was just bought on the 17 of April.

I figured the dry food was crazy.

I will check out all the links when I am on my PC not phone.
 
BrandyMom2AFew said:
The insulin was just bought on the 17 of April.

I figured the dry food was crazy.

I will check out all the links when I am on my PC not phone.
Click to expand...


Sounds like the insulin is 'fresh'....but please read about handling Lantus, here:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

In fact, it would be good for you to read all the 'Sticky Notes", in the Lantus
Insulin Support Group (aka 'Lantus Land'), here:

viewforum.php?f=9
 
I agree that April 17 is a good date, fresh insulin, but now my question is, do we have a way of finding out when the family switched to once a day dosing?

Original post says "Her son said they have most days been giving him 10 units once daily and before grandma started going in and out of care centers she forgot a lot so no telling how regular it was."

I would encourage blood testing at home so you can get an idea of how this cat is. I'm not positive from what was posted that this kitty got daily shots so the starting dose is a concern for me.

Also agree that you should check out the Lantus forum when you get a chance, lots of great information there.
 
I called Bingo's vet; I should receive a call back today about it. I called my vet they said they perscribe prozinc so would probably change it since we don't know the exact dosing history. They also said we'd do a prescription diet but their are better foods out there yes? I have an accu-check meter from when I was pregnant is that okay to use? I have the strips and such to. I can get it for 90 day supplies for 15$ from my insurance.

Should I call around to a different vet who uses Lantus or is it moot because we really don't know anything? I
 
You have what we think is a good vial of insulin, I'd stick with the Lantus, it's a nice gentle insulin and there are a lot more people that use that for cats than the ProZinc.

AccuCheck Aviva is a wonderful meter. Make sure your test strips are fresh, do you have the control solution for it?
 
I know a lot of people on here use Lantus and love it. I use the Prozinc, that is also what my vet prescribes. From what I understand they are both long-acting insulins, but I am still too new to know all the exact differences between them. Personally, Prozinc works fantastic for my cat, I cannot say enough good things about how well he is doing.

As for the perscription diet, yes, there are much better and less expensive foods to feed. I would say to start with the Binky's wet food list and find something on there that works for you, and something that he will eat, of course. :smile:

Here is that list:

http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html

And you can for sure use the meter you already have, that will work great!
 
personally? While your vet may not be familiar with lantus, I think it is a much more successful insulin than prozinc so I'd stick with it.
 
BrandyMom2AFew said:
I called Bingo's vet; I should receive a call back today about it. I called my vet they said they perscribe prozinc so would probably change it since we don't know the exact dosing history. They also said we'd do a prescription diet but their are better foods out there yes? I have an accu-check meter from when I was pregnant is that okay to use? I have the strips and such to. I can get it for 90 day supplies for 15$ from my insurance.

Should I call around to a different vet who uses Lantus or is it moot because we really don't know anything? I
Click to expand...


Absolutely you can use the AccuChek (that's what I used with Smokey)...and if you can get strips that
cheap, it's an absolute bargain. Hopefully your meter requires just a very small amount of blood....like
.3 mu or less (.3 micro-liters). Do not let any vet try to sell you a 'veterinary BG meter'. Just
be firm and say no. (Wayyyyyy expensive....strips not readily available....etc.).

Check that your strips are not expired.

I would stay with the Lantus. And CANNED Fancy Feast "Classic' varieties, and CANNED Friskies Pate' varieties
are better than the Rx diets. Better ingredients....way cheaper....readily available (PetSmart, WalMart).

Many cats won't eat the Rx stuff anyway . You can get a few cans from the vet, (6 or less) and
say you'll try it. Then bring back 4-5 cans for a refund and say 'Bingo won't eat it'....probably true !

But DON'T completely switch to a canned diet unless you drastically lower that dose. The carbs in the
dry food are working with that high insulin dose to protect Bingo against a hypo right now.

And a gradual switch from dry to canned is better for Bingo's tummy...he needs time to get used to it.

I hope Bingo likes canned food.
 
BrandyMom2AFew said:
I called Bingo's vet; I should receive a call back today about it. I called my vet they said they perscribe prozinc so would probably change it since we don't know the exact dosing history. They also said we'd do a prescription diet but their are better foods out there yes? I have an accu-check meter from when I was pregnant is that okay to use? I have the strips and such to. I can get it for 90 day supplies for 15$ from my insurance.

Should I call around to a different vet who uses Lantus or is it moot because we really don't know anything? I
Click to expand...

Lantus is great insulin for cats and in my opinion I wouldn't change it until you home test and change diet to see how the insulin is really affecting Bingo's blood glucose levels. I was a Lantus user with great results, so I would also get the opinion of some others who have experience with both.

I have the Aviva accu-chek for Bandit and I love it. I switched to it from the Relion Micro, which was also a good meter but I liked the accu-chek better. You lucked out big time being able to get the strips so cheap!

There are definitely better foods than the prescription. They're mostly liver and cats tend to not like them. I feed Bandit the grain free Fancy Feast flavors: http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm.
However, you can look at the food chart and pick something under 10% carbs. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.htmlThere are lots of foods Bingo can eat! If you want to go for a higher end food, a lot of people like the grain-free Wellness flavors, EVO 95%, and Merrick's before grain and low carb flavors.
 
It is nearly 1pm and Bingo's vet hadn't called back yet so I called my vet and they said to have them fax all the records and we'd go over them on the phone since they don't have an appointment today.

So when I self test what should the numbers be? How often am I testing?
 
Numbers is a difficult question. My civvies (civilian kitties who are not diabetic) they test anywhere from 40-90, my diabetics they have higher numbers. You might see anything from 40 up to 400.

Don't worry too much about what numbers you get immediately. Let's gather some data (BGs - blood glucose numbers) and once we have that you can talk to your vet about a good starting dose.

Testing may come easy to you, if it does you can test as often as you like. If it's difficult and sometimes it's not always easy in the beginning to get that droplet of blood, testing AM and PM PS (morning and night preshot) is important and some times in between. Not sure what your schedule is like, but I'm home for lunch so I get a +6, six hours after morning shot. I also get a PM +3, three hours after the night shot.
 
Ok Bingo's old vet called and spoke with me. He is apparently supposed to be on 11 BID because of the food he eats, they apparently tried the prescription diet but he wouldn't eat it.

I offered him 9lives with eggs in it and he devoured it so I don't think he'll be a hard convert.

I asked if they had tried home testing and apparently he spazzes out if you prick his ear (this was in the office though so he might respond better in a home environment)

She recommended I switch to a lower carb food if he'll allow it and keep him at 11 BID for 3 weeks and then get his levels checked at the vet. Though if I am switching food shouldn't I adjust his insulin?

Going to call my vet now.
 
Yes, reducing his carb intake and keeping him at the same high dose (for three weeks with no other monitoring?) is a potential recipe for disaster.

I am looking forward to hearing what your vet has to say.
 
BrandyMom2AFew said:
I asked if they had tried home testing and apparently he spazzes out if you prick his ear (this was in the office though so he might respond better in a home environment)
Click to expand...

Hopefully with some of the hints we can give you, he will become easy to test.

Right now, just 'play' with his ears as much as possible and try to make it something he
enjoys.

BrandyMom2AFew said:
She recommended I switch to a lower carb food if he'll allow it and keep him at 11 BID for 3 weeks and then get his levels checked at the vet. Though if I am switching food shouldn't I adjust his insulin?
Click to expand...


Oh no. NO!!!! If you switch to a low carb food, you must lower the dose. BG will drop overnight
by 100 points or more, 3 weeks on 11u might kill him (I'm not kidding).

You MUST drop the insulin dose. I would say to not more than 2-3 units 2x/day.

Depends somewhat on how fast you make the transition from dry food to low carb canned.
 
OK just got off the phone with the vet tech. They want to see me on Thursday so hopefully he has calmed down some by then. They aren't going to do a draw but are going to do some guide lines for me. They said with the low carb food I need to adjust it by watching his behavior so less if seems lethargic and more if increased urine is noticed.

I feel so overwhelmed. Why can't this be a simple case of the worms that I treat with a pill today and another two weeks from now?
 
Getting blood glucose numbers from that monitor you have will take away much of the guesswork of 'seeing how lethargic he is" and "seeing how much he is urinating' especially since this is a cat that you don't know well enough to recognize what 'normal' is for him. You can start blood testing right away. Please keep asking questions. Everyone here is so nice and really wants to help.

You might also want to take a peek at the LANTUS support group board: viewforum.php?f=9 and read the stickys and look at how other cats are doing and what they are doing. Don't be scared to ask questions!

It gets easier! *HUGS*
 
I'm too new to this to be giving detailed advice. I'll post on the lantus forum to get some eyes over here onto your post.
 
Dear Brandy, and, of course, you too, Bingo!

My Grandma Mary used to have a serious love/hate relationship with the game...

BrandyMom2AFew said:
A cool note he has extra toes.
Click to expand...
Awesome! He's polydactyl (Latin for many digits). Hemingway's cats often had extra toes...

Extra hugs for you and Bingo! and his extra toes,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...

PS: Used to have an upstairs neighbor with two cats where I used to live. We had opposing work schedules, but would occasionally collide on the stairs. She apologized during one of our collisions about the noise her cat and kitten might be making when they romp. Had Gizzie then, and simply said, Love it! Between you and me, Brandy? Was shocked to discover the sound of a thundering herd of buffalo was being created by one cat and one kitten. Then, I met the kitten. The tiniest ball of white fluff with the biggest damn feet and the most toes I could ever imagine... You needed a calculator to count those toes... I loved taking care of Scout (the cat) and Hemingway (the kitten) when my neighbor would go away for the weekend. Why? Because then I could actually witness the activity that created the sound of a thundering herd of buffalo...
 
BrandyMom2AFew said:
So how much food should I feed him?

I am going to get some fancy feast later today,
Click to expand...

At least two 3 ounce cans of Fancy Feast per day. If he seems 'starving', give him
a snack of another Tablespoon. Since we are starting over with regulation, we usually
say to let kitty eat all he wants.

I think just watching behaviour is dangerous. Lethargic can quickly become diabetic coma
with that high dose...

You're greatly dropping the dose, aren't you ?
 
Dear Brandy,

BrandyMom2AFew said:
So how much food should I feed him? I am going to get some fancy feast later today,
Click to expand...
Until you get a handle on things, home testing and dosing wise, I'd feed him whenever he wants. Fancy Feast cans are small. Just put out one and see what happens...

Then again, I still humbly suggest a s-l-o-w feeding transition... Both you and Bingo (!) have a lot going on right now.

Love and continued hugs for you both -- and his extra toes,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz...
 
Deb415andNikki said:
Dear Brandy,

BrandyMom2AFew said:
So how much food should I feed him? I am going to get some fancy feast later today,
Click to expand...
Until you get a handle on things, home testing and dosing wise, I'd feed him whenever he wants. Fancy Feast cans are small. Just put out one and see what happens...

Then again, I still humbly suggest a s-l-o-w feeding transition... Both you and Bingo (!) have a lot going on right now.

Love and continued hugs for you both -- and his extra toes,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz...
Click to expand...

So since he is was used to free feeding dry food in a giant 4 cup dog bowl should I mix some dry and wet food together?
 
Do not mix dry food with wet and leave it out all day. The dry will mold very quickly.

You can put them side-by-side. He is eating canned, right ?

See if he takes to the canned food and if he gets any intestinal upset.

It is common for too fast a food change to result in diarrhea. But if he
seems OK with it...you can make the change as fast as his body can handle it...

.... but you need to be home testing and DROP THE DOSE (you still haven't answered that question---
are you dropping the dose, and to what).
 
You mentioned raw food in your first post. If you're intersted in that, there's great information about raw feeding at http://catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood and http://feline-nutrition.org/index.php. You can make your own homemade raw food using a recipie such as the one at Catinfo.org, buy commerical raw pet food (look for grain-free raw), or do a sort of semi-homemade by using raw meats of your choice (from supermarket/butcher shop or from raw pet food supply place) and adding in a pre-mix such as TC Instincts.

An 18 year old cat may be difficult to try to eat raw food but you can certainly try :smile: You can start by offering small pieces of raw meat such as chicken as treats.

If Bingo just won't go for raw food, no big deal :smile: Canned food is just fine :smile: Some cats like commerical freeze dried raw better than frozen or fresh raw. You can use these as treats. More treat suggestions here http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172
 
Sorry I missed the dropping dose question. When I fed him about an hour ago I fed him 1 can of 9 lives. I offered him some dry but he didn't take it, I gave 5 units because he pee'd in the litter box an took up an entire corner.

I am watching him and he seems ok so far. I think I will do that again in the morning. I have his food out in a bowl but only a 1/2 cup and he hasn't eaten any of it.

I haven't tried to take his BS yet but when I pet him I rubbed up on his head and massaged his ears. So hopefully it will be easy when I try to take it in the morning.
 
I'm worried that 5 units is still too high, considering he is eating mostly canned food now.

Watch him closely and if he exhibits any unusual behavior, pleas come here and
post right away for advice.

Do you have something on hand for a possible hypo ?

Karo syrup is recommended, but honey, pancake syrup or even apple jelly will work.
(Do not use grape jelly. Grapes and raisins are toxic to cats and dogs, too.)

Read here about symptoms of hypo and how to treat:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/hypogly.htm
 
Hi Brandy,

It's very easy to become overwhelmed with all the information you have gotten here, but please remember that everyone is here to try and help you make Bingo feel better. I was in your exact shoes a month ago, and trust me it does get easier, just remember to breathe and don't try to remember everything the first few days....i was on information overload!

Good Luck with Bingo and you are an amazing person for helping this kitty out!!!
 
I think 5 might be perfect for now with the combination (separate dishes) of dry and wet food. Bingo decided to venture out in to the living room, got a quick love from me, and is now laying about 3 feet in front of me in the middle of the floor.

And of course no batteries are charged or done charging for a good picture.
 
How is Bingo's coat? Greasy, flaky, dry? Some signs of diabetes can be a greasy and flaky coat on Bingo's fur, on his back by the base of his tail. Also watch for crankiness, which may be a difficult sign since he's new to you. Meatloafing, when a cat is sitting sphynx statue style, seeming to be hiding a belly ache.

Other signs as you know are increased water intake, urine output, but watch for increased hunger. Some cats will self regulate, if their going too low they will be very hungry, feed him. Also going to high will be hungry, feed there too. An unregulated FD doesn't get nutrients into the cells the same way other cats do.

Cats just switching from dry to canned will be hungrier from not having as many carbs to try to digest.

This is overwhelming at first. I felt that way too. But pretty soon you'll be an expert :-D
 
What a beautiful boy Bingo is and he is so lucky to have such a wonderful person step up to care for him in his time of need.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
Wow, Bingo is stunning! Is he a Maine Coon? They have such wonderful temperaments. My Gabby was half Maine Coon and she was the smartest, most caring cat I ever knew.

I would say a cat his size will need at least 3 cans of Fancy Feast a day. If it helps to compare, Bandit is about 12.5 lbs and needs 2.5 cans a day.

Remember that once all the dry is gone, you should start over with a much smaller dose of insulin, about 2u. The way you'll find his correct dose is by home testing. :smile: Getting him off the dry food might even get him off insulin eventually, too!
 
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