New Member, Kanirniq and Little Man

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kanirniq

kanirniq

Member Since 2023
Hi, I'm Kanirniq and my diabetic cat is little man. He was diagnosed in February. We have finally got him stabilized and is on Vetsulin.
 
Welcome to FDMB.

It's great to hear that Little Man is stabilized. If you would like to participate on this forum, we encourage you to read over this link to our post on helping us to help you. There are instructions for what to include in your signature (so we don't keep asking for the same information) and for setting up a spreadsheet that allows us to track your cat's progress and so we can follow along.
 
Hi and welcome!

Thank you for setting up your signature and spreadsheet!

are you in the process of getting a meter and starting to home test? If you’re not currently home testing, I assume when you say he finally stabilized is based on the spot checks or curves at the vet. That doesn’t really give you the full picture. And since Vetsulin is a fast acting and harsh insulin no longer recommended for cats, I’d really encourage you to start home testing to make sure he’s safe. Little Man is a cutie!

what dose is he on and what are you currently feeding him and how often?

With a diabetic cat you need:
  • A low carb wet diet that is 10% carbs or under. Most of us use around 4-7% carbs
  • A suitable insulin such as Lantus or Prozinc which are long acting, more gentle insulins than the old insulins.
  • We recommend hometesting the blood glucose with a human meter…it is not necessary to use a pet meter which is expensive to run and is no better. It will keep your kitty safe and you will know how the dose is working for your kitty. Only testing every so often will not tell you what is happening in between those times and an awful lot can happen in even a day.
  • HELP US HELP YOU also has information about the hypo box which you will need to be able to look after your beloved kitty properly

A word of warning though…don’t change the food you are feeding at the moment over to the low carb food until you are testing the blood glucose because a change over can drop the BGs by up to 100 points and we don’t want you to have a hypo on your hands.

We are happy to help you sorting out what food to buy, how to transition safely to a low carb diet, how to learn to home test and much more.

FOOD CHART have a look on this chart for foods that are under 10%.

You will also need some higher carb foods for that hypo box..information in the help us help you link.

This is an excellent site for diabetic cats…it has been around for more than 25 years and has very experienced people to help you.

Keep asking lots of questions!

Fyi, here are the guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Assn for the treatment of diabetes in both dogs and cats. the AAHA no longer recommends Caninsulin/Vetsulin for treating feline diabetes.
 
Thank you for your questions! He is on 2 units of Vetsulin and I'm feeding him FF pate and Purina Pro Plan which is what the vet wanted him on (one can and 1/8 cup twice daily).

I am wanting to start testing at home (the vet hasn't even mentioned the option to me). I'm wanting to take a proactive stance on monitoring his diabetes.
 
Great. I’m not sure about the carb content of Purina pro plan but I think @Sienne and Gabby (GA) may!

most of us use human meters as I mentioned and a favorite is Walmart’s ReliOn as it’s fairly accurate and has the most affordable test strips. You can get the meter, test strips and lancets at any Walmart or order from them online. We have a lot of great tips on home testing so let us know when you’re ready to get started so we can help :)
 
Actually, I see a lot of pro plan flavors listed in the food chart I linked for you above. You can take a look and see the carb content on the one you’re feeding him.
 
Welcome just want to be sure that with Vetsulin you need to wait 30 minutes to give Vetsulin after Little man eats . I would also pick up a human meter and start testing .
We also feed our cats a couple small snacks during each 12 hour cycle , such as teaspoon of low carb wet food , maybe @+2 and +4.
If you live in the US
Most of us use the Relion human meter from Walmart
Here is the link for the meter and test strips so you don't have to search for them
Relion Premier Classic Meter at Walmart for 9 dollars
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-CLASSIC-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/552134103

The tests strips are 17.88 for 100
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-Blood-Glucose-Test-Strips-100-Count/575088197

Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
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6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with
Here is a video one of our members made testing her kitty
She's using a pet meter that has to be coded ,with a human meter you don't have to code it.
So ignore that
I have always used a human meter
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar

Do you have the U-40 syringes with the half unit markings ?

For your Hypo kit
Med and High Carb food and some honey/karo
If you can get these where you live


Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about the med and high carb foods


https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-

10% and under is low carb
11% -15 is medium carbs.

16- 24 is high carb.
 
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I'm looking to get a meter in a few days to start home testing, I don't know why the vet never mentioned doing it to me. The Pro Plan is my vets recommended dry food, but I've been looking at the ingredients and the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are rice and corn gluten meal, so I don't know if it's the best option. I'm going to get an emergency put together I learned about the corn syrup the hard way but now I have some for the (hopefully not) eventual low glucose emergency. Thankfully we've only had one low episode.
 
Oh and not sure if you’re vet had mentioned but with Vetsulin since it acts so fast, you need to feed and wait at least 20-30 minutes before giving the shot.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice and helpful links! The needles are U=40 1/2 ml but I don't know if it has the half markings, I didn't know that you could get those, I get my supplies from the vet, I've trusted them to give me what I need but I'm learning a lot more from you guys then I have from the vet. I'm working on reading all the links you are sharing and am wanting to take a much more proactive role in Little Man's condition.
 
kanirniq said:
I'm looking to get a meter in a few days to start home testing, I don't know why the vet never mentioned doing it to me. The Pro Plan is my vets recommended dry food, but I've been looking at the ingredients and the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are rice and corn gluten meal, so I don't know if it's the best option. I'm going to get an emergency put together I learned about the corn syrup the hard way but now I have some for the (hopefully not) eventual low glucose emergency. Thankfully we've only had one low episode.
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Unfortunately most vets do not know a lot about feline diabetes….they have many animals to look after and they all have different diseases and treatments. Vets also get their information about nutrition from the big cat food manufacturers so they are biased in what they recommend. A dry high carb food is not good for any cat, especially a diabetic cat. That’s like feeding your diabetic child a diet of chips, ice cream and sweets. However, I would not make any changes in the diet until you’re home testing since it can drop his bg by as much as 100 points making the dose he’s in now no longer safe. You’ll want to get him on wet food only. There are only 2 dry foods low in carbs, Dr Elsey's and Young Again Zero Carb.
 
kanirniq said:
I'm looking to get a meter in a few days to start home testing, I don't know why the vet never mentioned doing it to me. The Pro Plan is my vets recommended dry food, but I've been looking at the ingredients and the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are rice and corn gluten meal, so I don't know if it's the best option. I'm going to get an emergency put together I learned about the corn syrup the hard way but now I have some for the (hopefully not) eventual low glucose emergency. Thankfully we've only had one low episode.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the group. I'm glad for you and Little Man that you've found it.

I had to contact Purina after my email wasn't answered. After a few days, I received the information regarding the carb content for Purina Pro Plan. I used Prime Plus. It was 24.6%, they told me. I have never tried to use the calculation listed on this site to determine the true carb content because I was able to switch my cats to a low carb kibble. I have a feeling it is even higher than the 24.6% though.

If Little Man is a carb additct like a lot of kitties, you may try to SLOWLY introduce a low carb kibble, but I would try to remove it completely. If your guy is anything like mine, he will not accept this, but it is worth a try. LC kibble is very expensive.

I emphasize SLOWLY because any food change could cause GI issues, but cats don't need carbs in their diet and they can only break down animal protein. Because the food our cats are used to eating, doesn't contain much animal protein and is full of carbs, it takes even linger for their systems to adjust. My female isn't diabetic, but loves kibble and she hasn't adjusted to this new kibble as easily as her diabetic brother, but I can't risk having the other kibble in the house.
 
Basic's Mom said:
Welcome to the group. I'm glad for you and Little Man that you've found it.

I had to contact Purina after my email wasn't answered. After a few days, I received the information regarding the carb content for Purina Pro Plan. I used Prime Plus. It was 24.6%, they told me. I have never tried to use the calculation listed on this site to determine the true carb content because I was able to switch my cats to a low carb kibble. I have a feeling it is even higher than the 24.6% though.

If Little Man is a carb additct like a lot of kitties, you may try to SLOWLY introduce a low carb kibble, but I would try to remove it completely. If your guy is anything like mine, he will not accept this, but it is worth a try. LC kibble is very expensive.

I emphasize SLOWLY because any food change could cause GI issues, but cats don't need carbs in their diet and they can only break down animal protein. Because the food our cats are used to eating, doesn't contain much animal protein and is full of carbs, it takes even linger for their systems to adjust. My female isn't diabetic, but loves kibble and she hasn't adjusted to this new kibble as easily as her diabetic brother, but I can't risk having the other kibble in the house.
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Slowly and not until she’s home testing
 
When he was diagnosed, he became a food obsessed and hungry kitty so the wet just isn't enough to satisfy his hunger, hence the dry kibble. I'm going to look into Dr Elsey's and Young Again Zero Carb food to see if it's much more expensive than what I'm paying for the Pro Plan.

I've been thinking about adjusting their feeding to move the kibble from breakfast to a snack because all 3 of my cats don't like the two mealtimes only feeding schedule. I'm glad to hear that it is an option.
 
You don’t have to feed only twice a day. Cats are grazers and do better with multiple meals or snack throughout the day. It’s old fashioned advice and I feel like your vet is not up to the latest on feline treatments or he’s treating cats the same as dogs which doesn't work since cats have a much higher metabolism. It’s easier on their pancreas to feed multiple meals and it also helps avoid big sugar spikes. What’s his weight and how many cans of Ff is he getting a day?
 
kanirniq said:
When he was diagnosed, he became a food obsessed and hungry kitty so the wet just isn't enough to satisfy his hunger, hence the dry kibble. I'm going to look into Dr Elsey's and Young Again Zero Carb food to see if it's much more expensive than what I'm paying for the Pro Plan.

I've been thinking about adjusting their feeding to move the kibble from breakfast to a snack because all 3 of my cats don't like the two mealtimes only feeding schedule. I'm glad to hear that it is an option.
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Dr. Elsey's kibble is $15 for 2lbs or 6.6 lbs for $51.99. Again, it isn't cheap, but if they refuse to get off kibble, it is an option.

I do recommend reading this sticky when you have a few spare moments.

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...r-more-than-just-carbohydrate-content.175004/

Adjusting any food, will affect the bg. I didn't read everyone's messages to you, but I would NOT make changes to the food without being able to test bg often. That could be very dangerous.

The top priority is to keep your cat safe.
 
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Basic's Mom said:
I wasn't attempting to give advice about when, but how.

And, to answer the question about the carb % in that food.
Click to expand...
That’s fine but when giving advice to newcomers it’s important to cover all the details so they don’t rush to switch foods before they start to home test which could put the cat at hypo risk
 
Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) said:
Unfortunately most vets do not know a lot about feline diabetes….they have many animals to look after and they all have different diseases and treatments. Vets also get their information about nutrition from the big cat food manufacturers so they are biased in what they recommend. A dry high carb food is not good for any cat, especially a diabetic cat. That’s like feeding your diabetic child a diet of chips, ice cream and sweets. However, I would not make any changes in the diet until you’re home testing since it can drop his bg by as much as 100 points making the dose he’s in now no longer safe. You’ll want to get him on wet food only. There are only 2 dry foods low in carbs, Dr Elsey's and Young Again Zero Carb.
Click to expand...
You covered that already.

Also, while it is important to try an remove kibble out of a cat's diet, it isn't always possible.

Every cat is different.
 
Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) said:
You don’t have to feed only twice a day. Cats are grazers and do better with multiple meals or snack throughout the day. It’s old fashioned advice and I feel like your vet is not up to the latest on feline treatments or he’s treating cats the same as dogs which doesn't work since cats have a much higher metabolism. It’s easier on their pancreas to feed multiple meals and it also helps avoid big sugar spikes. What’s his weight and how many cans of Ff is he getting a day?
Click to expand...

At his last appointment last month, he was 13 and change (I don't remember the exact ounces) and he gets 1 can of ff and 1/8 cup of Pro Plan twice daily. No snacks which makes everyone sad.
 
kanirniq said:
At his last appointment last month, he was 13 and change (I don't remember the exact ounces) and he gets 1 can of ff and 1/8 cup of Pro Plan twice daily. No snacks which makes everyone sad.
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I don’t think that’s enough calories. A good rule of thumb is 20x ideal weight. If he should be 14 pounds, he needs to get about 280 calories a day. More if he’s still acting ravenous and unregulated and if he’s losing weight. I’d feed about 300 calories right now. That’s closer to 2 cans a day. I’m not sure how many calories in 1/8 cup of pro plan though
 
Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) said:
Unfortunately most vets do not know a lot about feline diabetes….they have many animals to look after and they all have different diseases and treatments. Vets also get their information about nutrition from the big cat food manufacturers so they are biased in what they recommend. A dry high carb food is not good for any cat, especially a diabetic cat. That’s like feeding your diabetic child a diet of chips, ice cream and sweets. However, I would not make any changes in the diet until you’re home testing since it can drop his bg by as much as 100 points making the dose he’s in now no longer safe. You’ll want to get him on wet food only. There are only 2 dry foods low in carbs, Dr Elsey's and Young Again Zero Carb.
Click to expand...

I'm starting to see that I've learned more in the last few hours then the vet taught me in 8is months of frequent visits.
 
Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA) said:
I don’t think that’s enough calories. A good rule of thumb is 20x ideal weight. If he should be 14 pounds, he needs to get about 280 calories a day. More if he’s still acting ravenous and unregulated and if he’s losing weight. I’d feed about 300 calories right now. That’s closer to 2 cans a day. I’m not sure how many calories in 1/8 cup of pro plan though
Click to expand...

He gets 2 cans of FF a day, but he's been putting on a small amount of weight over the last several vet visits. That is probably because he has developed an obsession with getting into the trash can, I can only take it out so many times a day, lol. Which is one of the reasons I've been thinking about adjusting their food intake to include a snack, I'm also looking into getting a few food puzzles.
 
kanirniq said:
I'm going to look into Dr Elsey's and Young Again Zero Carb food to see if it's much more expensive than what I'm paying for the Pro Plan.
Click to expand...
None of them are cheap
They are about 5 or 6% carbs
You need to order them online
Dr Elseys you can buy on chewey site get the chicken flavor
https://www.chewy.com/dr-elseys-cleanprotein-chicken/dp/146269?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12791446238&utm_content=Dr. Elsey's&utm_term=&show-search=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0PvU2Zj79wIVRIdbCh3JawEkEAQYASABEgIInfD_BwE

Young again on their web site
https://www.youngagainpetfood.com
Take a look at the young again zero or the zero mature

Dr Elsey's also at Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dr-Elsey...ViI3ICh0suwO_EAQYAiABEgJrOPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Dr Elsey's Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FCJHDPR/ref=twister_B09GHFJY65?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

the Dr Elsey's comes in different size bags
None of these can be bought in stores

Also
Wysong Epigen 90

Most feed the Dr Elsey's Chicken flavor
I've read that the Young Again caused diarrhea in some cats
 
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