New Member. Feb 26 first day of insulin (Prozinc), in Ontario,Canada

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Cosmo

Cosmo

Member Since 2021
Hello!
I am Sara and Cosmo is my newly diagnosed diabetic cat. He is 9 yrs old.
I am enjoying reading EVERYTHING here and have a couple of questions to start.

Vet has put Cosmo on 1.5units of Prozinc 2x day. as of now, he has had 2 shots (last night and this morning). So far, so good - no problem administering.

Cosmo has been a dry food eater. Vet suggested Purina DM. PLUS canned food which I feed him before his shots. He loves wet food and would happily eat only that. I have two questions about that though:

1) what will happen to his teeth? He is decidedly NOT a cuddly cat and wouldn't let me near his mouth to clean his teeth. Is there a crunchy treat that would help with his dental hygiene? enough to replace the kibble chewing?

2) how do i ensure he has food available throughout the day/night? There is another cat in the mix. Sheila is petite and slim and is LOVING Cosmo's new kibble (her diet will be whatever his is because there isn't a way for me to feed them separately on a consistent basis) and would also love a full canned food diet! I am concerned that they will run out of food in the night and that could be harmful for Cosmo. Thoughts? Advice?

And as for home testing - vet has suggested we wait until his two week checkup before doing a curve etc. I talked to them about this site (they were thrilled!) and that I would be supported in using a human monitor/testing kit. They were fine with that and suggested that if I want to go that route, when it comes time to do the first curve that I rent their AlphaTrak II for that curve so that we can see it's results compared to whichever human monitor I have. This way they have the info from their benchmark source and can compare it. Does this make sense to you? Should I wait to buy a monitor until after the first checkup?

And in my research so far, the AlphaTrakII is by far the most expensive monitor ($150 for the monitor and $150 for 75 test strips!).
Does anyone here use the Bravo human monitor? it is the least expensive one I can find ($40/ 100 strips includes free monitor).
Money is scarce at this moment so an affordable monitor/strips is important. Any advice on monitors would be much appreciated - again, I am in Ontario, Canada - would love to hear from fellow Canadians and want to avoid purchasing from Amazon if possible.

Thanks in advance for ANY thoughts, ideas, suggestions and advice.
 
Hi! Just wanted to say welcome :bighug: Others will be by - and there are lots of Canadian members!

Cosmo said:
1) what will happen to his teeth? He is decidedly NOT a cuddly cat and wouldn't let me near his mouth to clean his teeth. Is there a crunchy treat that would help with his dental hygiene? enough to replace the kibble chewing?
Click to expand...
Get a good cleaning once a year (or as advised by your vet) and check out this article: https://littlebigcat.com/does-dry-food-clean-the-teeth/

Dry food in general is too high carb for diabetics so a lot of us feed wet food - Perhaps read through this post from another person with similar questions from Canada - there are links to food list and references to supplies - the Bravo monitor seems good! https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-in-canada.240760/

Hope that helps some :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Welcome to FDMB!!

I have no idea why vets -- and many of us-- think that dry food helps to keep teeth clean. If that were the case, humans would have excellent dental health if all we were to eat was biscotti, corn chips, and pretzels. Crunchy food is typically carbohydrates (well, unless you want to include romaine lettuce). Most of us would have significant dental problems if that's what we were eating. It's the same for cats. Dry food doesn't clean teeth!

The other issue with the Purina DM is that it is not a prescription food the content of which helps to manage diabetes. There is currently litigation that is aimed at pet food manufacturers to try to get them to stop saying their food is "prescription." There is nothing in DM that targets diabetes. In fact, there are many foods that contain better ingredients and cost the same or less. The canned DM is about 7% carbs. Fancy Feast pate style foods are about 4 - 5% carb and cost a lot less. The dry DM is well over 10% carb and we consider under 10% to be low carb.

Many people here use a timed feeder to make sure there's food out over night. The hard part is whether you will know who's eating. The only way to insure that Cosmo is the cat that has access to what's in the feeder is to get a microchip enabled feeder. It will only open for the cat who's microchip is paired with the feeder. The downside is that these feeders are expensive - around $125.

I would honestly encourage you to not wait to go to the vet and learn how to home test. We have lots of videos that can help you learn how to test. The danger of waiting is that if Cosmo's numbers drop low, you will have no idea what's happening. Testing is the best, if not the only way to keep your kitty safe. It also means you do not have to spend money to get a curve at the vet's office. For most cats, having the vet do a curve is a waste of money. The majority of cats are stressed when at the vet. Stress causes blood glucose numbers to rise -- sometimes by a lot. If your vet is going to base the dose on what happens in the office you could end up increasing the dose, Once Cosmo is home and more relaxed, the numbers will be lower and the recommended dose could end up being too large.

Hopefully, some of our Canadian members will be by with their thoughts on meters.
 
Hello and welcome from the west coast of BC.

Yes, start home testing - we are strong believers in that and see way too many people here having to learn to test when there is a low numbers crisis, so better learn the basics now. Most of us use human meters here - much, much cheaper in Canada! You want a meter that has as small a blood drop requirement as possible to make it easier for you. The Freestyle is one such meter. I've heard some people in Ontario buy at Shoppers and get points they use on test strips, plus shop (or get a friend to shop) on seniors days. Shoppers is too high priced here. I found Safeway pharmacy (Sobeys) cheaper - go figure. Do shop around. Costco also has decent prices for testing supplies. Cheapest of all is buying on line, though less convenient if you need something right away. The Bravo meter is the best price there. Or get another meter you like and get the test strips on eBay. We have a couple members, who are testaholics, that buy strips on a subscription service. If you get so you find you are testing a lot, we can get you details on that.
 
JaxBenji said:
Hi! Just wanted to say welcome :bighug: Others will be by - and there are lots of Canadian members!


Get a good cleaning once a year (or as advised by your vet) and check out this article: https://littlebigcat.com/does-dry-food-clean-the-teeth/

Dry food in general is too high carb for diabetics so a lot of us feed wet food - Perhaps read through this post from another person with similar questions from Canada - there are links to food list and references to supplies - the Bravo monitor seems good! https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-in-canada.240760/

Hope that helps some :bighug::bighug::bighug:
Click to expand...

THANK YOU - all good info!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Hello and welcome from the west coast of BC.

Yes, start home testing - we are strong believers in that and see way too many people here having to learn to test when there is a low numbers crisis, so better learn the basics now. Most of us use human meters here - much, much cheaper in Canada! You want a meter that has as small a blood drop requirement as possible to make it easier for you. The Freestyle is one such meter. I've heard some people in Ontario buy at Shoppers and get points they use on test strips, plus shop (or get a friend to shop) on seniors days. Shoppers is too high priced here. I found Safeway pharmacy (Sobeys) cheaper - go figure. Do shop around. Costco also has decent prices for testing supplies. Cheapest of all is buying on line, though less convenient if you need something right away. The Bravo meter is the best price there. Or get another meter you like and get the test strips on eBay. We have a couple members, who are testaholics, that buy strips on a subscription service. If you get so you find you are testing a lot, we can get you details on that.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I will do some more shopping around. Any thoughts on where to get U40 syringes (other than the vet?)
 
Cosmo said:
Any thoughts on where to get U40 syringes (other than the vet?)
Click to expand...
Sorry, I used Lantus and Levemir primarily. Bought a few U40 when on Caninsulin and they were pricey! Maybe start a separate thread either here and/or the Prozinc forum asking for cheap places to buy U-40 syringes in Canada. I found a few just googling "U-40 syringes in Canada", on line suppliers. I think Carepoint is a popular brand.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Welcome to FDMB!!

I would honestly encourage you to not wait to go to the vet and learn how to home test. We have lots of videos that can help you learn how to test. The danger of waiting is that if Cosmo's numbers drop low, you will have no idea what's happening. Testing is the best, if not the only way to keep your kitty safe. It also means you do not have to spend money to get a curve at the vet's office. For most cats, having the vet do a curve is a waste of money. The majority of cats are stressed when at the vet. Stress causes blood glucose numbers to rise -- sometimes by a lot. If your vet is going to base the dose on what happens in the office you could end up increasing the dose, Once Cosmo is home and more relaxed, the numbers will be lower and the recommended dose could end up being too large.

Hopefully, some of our Canadian members will be by with their thoughts on meters.
Click to expand...
Thank you SO MUCH for all this.
The vet already taught me how to do the testing (at same time we did the lesson on shooting) and I am fine with that! Cosmo, while not a cuddler, LOVES his treats so the testing shouldn't be a problem. My question was more that when told the vet i would be using a human monitor and testing at home, they said they would like the first curve testing to be done on their monitor (I rent for the day and do it at home). That way, they can compare my monitor's results with theirs which is their benchmark. It seems reasonable to me?.........
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Welcome to FDMB!!


The other issue with the Purina DM is that it is not a prescription food the content of which helps to manage diabetes. There is currently litigation that is aimed at pet food manufacturers to try to get them to stop saying their food is "prescription." There is nothing in DM that targets diabetes. In fact, there are many foods that contain better ingredients and cost the same or less. The canned DM is about 7% carbs. Fancy Feast pate style foods are about 4 - 5% carb and cost a lot less. The dry DM is well over 10% carb and we consider under 10% to be low carb.

Many people here use a timed feeder to make sure there's food out over night. The hard part is whether you will know who's eating. The only way to insure that Cosmo is the cat that has access to what's in the feeder is to get a microchip enabled feeder. It will only open for the cat who's microchip is paired with the feeder. The downside is that these feeders are expensive - around $125.
Click to expand...
Such good points! Money is super tight right now (ugh!) so the feeder is out of the question for the moment. I have found all the awesome food lists here (vet gave me a list too - of less expensive canned foods) and will wean them off the dry stuff. I will make it work - if I have to get up in the middle of the night to check, i will do that. I also read in a post here somewhere that people freeze small portions of wet food and put that in the bowl at bedtime - it will take some time to thaw! the cats won't just gobble it up right away. Clever!

Thanks again!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Sorry, I used Lantus and Levemir primarily. Bought a few U40 when on Caninsulin and they were pricey! Maybe start a separate thread either here and/or the Prozinc forum asking for cheap places to buy U-40 syringes in Canada. I found a few just googling "U-40 syringes in Canada", on line suppliers. I think Carepoint is a popular brand.
Click to expand...
I will do exactly that! (post in Prozinc forum!)
 
Cosmo said:
That way, they can compare my monitor's results with theirs which is their benchmark. It seems reasonable to me?
Click to expand...
The numbers will be different so you can expect that. Just resist any pressure from the vet to buy the pet meter. My vet used a human meter - not that long ago that's all that were around.
 
A note on making frozen cat food...

Add enough water to make the food a bit soupy . My kitty was very food motivated. She would lick at the frozen catsicle until it was gone. Some cats just do not want to wait for it to thaw!!
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
A note on making frozen cat food...

Add enough water to make the food a bit soupy . My kitty was very food motivated. She would lick at the frozen catsicle until it was gone. Some cats just do not want to wait for it to thaw!!
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHA - that sounds like what will happen here! Thanks for the tip!:)
 
If cost is a factor, it might be worth your while looking at Lantus. A box of 5 pen vials available at any pharmacy runs about $120 and should last you a year if kept properly in the fridge. It uses U100 needles.
 
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