? New Member - Looking for Food Recs

[Kara & Ember]

Hello everyone! I've been lurking since April (when my kitty was diagnosed with Diabetes) but with the additional diagnosis of Cushings (and the seeming lack of other kitties with it) I wanted to hop in and start posting to maybe help provide some new info.

I tried to post the below in my profile, but it was giving me an error so maybe it'll work here lol

Intro:

I'm Kara, my sweet girl is Ember (14yo, 9/19/10). She was diagnosed with Diabetes on 4/30/24, and then with Cushings (Pituitary variety) on 7/11/24. We are currently using Lantus, and I use the Libre Freestyle currently to keep track of everything as home testing doesn't seem like an option for us. (she has double transdermal meds, so her ears are off-limits, and she is very jerky/jumpy and getting her to sit still for a prick let alone AFTER it to actually collect the blood without a second person to help me out seems an impossible task. I can barely get her insulin shots done if she's feeling particularly feisty).

Complications:

• PU/PD (was the initial reason for testing)
• Constipation
• Dramatic Weight Loss (Was ~14lbs, borderline diabetic for a while, but continued hill's z/d prescription food at Vet's recommendation due to pancreatitis/hepatitis flareups, and suspected IBD. Lost ~1lb due to Hyperthyroidism which is now managed. Then lost another ~1lb before being diagnosed with Diabetes. Since starting Insulin treatment, she has lost another ~1lb, but hopefully is starting to stabilize now that Trilostane has been started. Down to 11lbs on home scale pre-food).

Other Medications and Health Issues:

• Amlodipine (Transdermal) for Hypertension
• Methimazole (Transdermal) for Hyperthyroidism
• Trilostane (Liquid) for Cushing's
• B12 Supplement for pancreatitis/etc. (Likely doesn't need this anymore, but she thinks it's a treat, so haven't bothered to try and test to see if she can stop)
• Gabapentin for Vet Visits due to high stress
• Previous Pancreatitis flareups (none since 2021, usually caused by fasting for vet tests or stress, since declining any further fasting appointments, she's been doing ok. Recent ultrasound showed some inflammation and some thickening of intestines, but nothing the internal med specialist found worrying)
• Miralax due to constipation
• Solencia for Arthritis

Steroids - Yes, I believe so, a handful of times to treat her Pancreatitis flareups, though I do not have the records to note which type.

Diet:
Currently 2 meals per day, 30g Hill's m/d dry and 22g m/d wet


Other Information:
Ember is extremely difficult in terms of treatment - I live alone at the moment, and I simply do not have enough hands to try and wrangle her to do her shots. With the recent Cushing's diagnosis, I am working to get that hopefully managed, and then work to possibly transition her diet again to go OTJ. She's an old gal, and my mindset is to try and give her as much time as possible that is comfortable. (Money is hopefully not an obstacle, I am currently out of work, but hopefully securing work soon so that it can continue to be such - for context, I have spent over $20k on this gal in the past 4-5 years between hospitalizations with her pancreas flareups, meds, food, normal vet visits, etc.) I am always cautious about making too many changes at once since I worry about her flareups.

timeline of recent events:
She had her first Pancreas issue in 2020, and she was switched to z/d after the second flareup just a few months later (both required hospitalization, symptoms were vomiting and lack of appetite, brought to my normal vet, liver values were extremely elevated and essentially she was having liver failure). She had some smaller out-patient flareups, plus one more hospitalization in 2021, and no others since.

Beginning of July 2024 finally brought her to an internal medicine specialist (admit I put this off because of the long trek - she doesn't do well with car rides, and I was extremely nervous that it would cause another flareup). They diagnosed Cushing's (wanted to rule it out because of her difficulty with sugar regulation, she does not have skin tearing) - both adrenal glands were enlarged, and her cortisol was high. Did the 8 hour dexamethasone test to confirm. Started on Trilostane 7/16.
They also approved a diet switch (now on Hill's m/d, fully transitioned on 7/16) as they didn't feel the z/d was necessary.

No questions at this time, but I may be looking for some food recs once we settle on a trilostane dosage.

EDIT: I am now looking for food recs - I've been trying to do some research on my own and based on what I am seeing, the best option would be Tiki Cat (but at almost $5/day, my currently unemployed wallet is cringing). Looking to see whether Tiki Cat is actually worth it, or if there are some cheaper options that are low-carb.

 

[CORKY]

Hello everyone! I've been lurking since April (when my kitty was diagnosed with Diabetes) but with the additional diagnosis of Cushings (and the seeming lack of other kitties with it) I wanted to hop in and start posting to maybe help provide some new info.

I tried to post the below in my profile, but it was giving me an error so maybe it'll work here lol


Intro:

I'm Kara, my sweet girl is Ember (14yo, 9/19/10). She was diagnosed with Diabetes on 4/30/24, and then with Cushings (Pituitary variety) on 7/11/24. We are currently using Lantus, and I use the Libre Freestyle currently to keep track of everything as home testing doesn't seem like an option for us. (she has double transdermal meds, so her ears are off-limits, and she is very jerky/jumpy and getting her to sit still for a prick let alone AFTER it to actually collect the blood without a second person to help me out seems an impossible task. I can barely get her insulin shots done if she's feeling particularly feisty).

Complications:

• PU/PD (was the initial reason for testing)
• Constipation
• Dramatic Weight Loss (Was ~14lbs, borderline diabetic for a while, but continued hill's z/d prescription food at Vet's recommendation due to pancreatitis/hepatitis flareups, and suspected IBD. Lost ~1lb due to Hyperthyroidism which is now managed. Then lost another ~1lb before being diagnosed with Diabetes. Since starting Insulin treatment, she has lost another ~1lb, but hopefully is starting to stabilize now that Trilostane has been started. Down to 11lbs on home scale pre-food).

Other Medications and Health Issues:

• Amlodipine (Transdermal) for Hypertension
• Methimazole (Transdermal) for Hyperthyroidism
• Trilostane (Liquid) for Cushing's
• B12 Supplement for pancreatitis/etc. (Likely doesn't need this anymore, but she thinks it's a treat, so haven't bothered to try and test to see if she can stop)
• Gabapentin for Vet Visits due to high stress
• Previous Pancreatitis flareups (none since 2021, usually caused by fasting for vet tests or stress, since declining any further fasting appointments, she's been doing ok. Recent ultrasound showed some inflammation and some thickening of intestines, but nothing the internal med specialist found worrying)
• Miralax due to constipation
• Solencia for Arthritis

Steroids - Yes, I believe so, a handful of times to treat her Pancreatitis flareups, though I do not have the records to note which type.

Diet:
Currently 2 meals per day, 30g Hill's m/d dry and 22g m/d wet


Other Information:
Ember is extremely difficult in terms of treatment - I live alone at the moment, and I simply do not have enough hands to try and wrangle her to do her shots. With the recent Cushing's diagnosis, I am working to get that hopefully managed, and then work to possibly transition her diet again to go OTJ. She's an old gal, and my mindset is to try and give her as much time as possible that is comfortable. (Money is hopefully not an obstacle, I am currently out of work, but hopefully securing work soon so that it can continue to be such - for context, I have spent over $20k on this gal in the past 4-5 years between hospitalizations with her pancreas flareups, meds, food, normal vet visits, etc.) I am always cautious about making too many changes at once since I worry about her flareups.

timeline of recent events:
She had her first Pancreas issue in 2020, and she was switched to z/d after the second flareup just a few months later (both required hospitalization, symptoms were vomiting and lack of appetite, brought to my normal vet, liver values were extremely elevated and essentially she was having liver failure). She had some smaller out-patient flareups, plus one more hospitalization in 2021, and no others since.

Beginning of July 2024 finally brought her to an internal medicine specialist (admit I put this off because of the long trek - she doesn't do well with car rides, and I was extremely nervous that it would cause another flareup). They diagnosed Cushing's (wanted to rule it out because of her difficulty with sugar regulation, she does not have skin tearing) - both adrenal glands were enlarged, and her cortisol was high. Did the 8 hour dexamethasone test to confirm. Started on Trilostane 7/16.
They also approved a diet switch (now on Hill's m/d, fully transitioned on 7/16) as they didn't feel the z/d was necessary.

No questions at this time, but I may be looking for some food recs once we settle on a trilostane dosage.

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Ember has a lot going on.
Are you giving her something to eat while you give her the insulin dose? That might help keep her still/calm.
Also it is fine to let her eat more than twice a day, especially since she has lost weight. We suggest 2 or 3 snacks during each cycle.
MD Hills is not the best food to be feeding a diabetic cat. It is dietetic not diabetic and the dry food is 18% carbs. I am going to tag @Wendy&Neko as she may have some suggestions about Lemi’s various issues.

 

[Kara & Ember]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Ember has a lot going on.
Are you giving her something to eat while you give her the insulin dose? That might help keep her still/calm.
Also it is fine to let her eat more than twice a day, especially since she has lost weight. We suggest 2 or 3 snacks during each cycle.
MD Hills is not the best food to be feeding a diabetic cat. It is dietetic not diabetic and the dry food is 18% carbs. I am going to tag Wendy&Neko as she may have some suggestions about Lemi’s various issues.

Thanks!
I have attempted to give her food while dosing, but she just moves around if I attempt it lol. We have an ALMOST process down, but yeah, it is very inconsistent, with some days being much easier than others.

I've currently been going based on my Vet's instructions on All Things, and only recently starting to become comfortable with the idea of going against their instructions (thanks mainly due to this board and my own research - it has been very overwhelming and difficult to parse through all of the conflicting information. She currently has two vets, her primary and the internist, and even they don't agree on everything, which just makes me question everything even more).

She was on the z/d (hydrolyzed diet) for four years (and she was only getting dry food during that time), so I've become very "only feed what the vet tells me to feed", and that has also meant no treats - I am definitely wanting to look into some good diabetic friendly treats. I have also been looking at Dr. Lisa's homemade food recipe and her wonderful food chart, I am just cautious about changing food again so quickly - I don't know what I don't know, so making my own judgements about things has been difficult and I end up relying on other, more experienced/educated, folks, which has been primarily my vet due to how very many health issues my poor girl has (but also see above re: "even my two vets don't agree so how am I to know who's right?"). Mostly I am worried about her getting another pancreatitis flare up, especially now with the cushings diagnosis I am thinking treating it would be difficult. Basically, trying to address one thing at a time instead of everything all at once. Her libre numbers have been better since starting the trilostane and m/d only a week ago and she's held her weight since then too, and I am working to transition into a heavier wet food ratio. I've mainly been worried about the calories (and cost) of wet food (as in, not calorie dense, thus more expensive to keep her weight stable).

Sorry if that's kind of rambling, I have been having a lot of thoughts/concerns/etc. about her diet lol I want to do right by her and I'm honestly terrified of screwing it up and making the wrong choices

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

You are not rambling at all. It’s good to hear your thoughts.
I feed a home made raw diet and I find it cheaper than canned food from the pet store. I don’t know if you can feed a raw diet to a Cushings kitty though. We need to find that out but I’m sure it could be cooked.
Whatever you decide to do you need to do it slowly.
Definitely give more food than just the 2 main meals a day. That is old thinking.
My Sheba had pancreatic flares and I don’t think it had to do with food. I think stress had more to do with it.
I’m going to tag @Wendy&Neko again. Maybe she missed the first tag.

 

[Kara & Ember]

ooh ok good to know re: raw diet and cushings.

She used to get 4 meals per day, of roughly the same size. With her insulin being twice per day (4am & 4pm) with meals (hence the vet saying to switch to the 2 meals per day), should I be doing meat snacks (until I can get her diet switched) or is some of her m/d wet food ok? I was considering getting her some chicken thighs to snack on (I assume I want to get skin on, but also have the concern of phosphorous to calcium ratio? Is there a different snack that would just be better?)

and yeah, slow is definitely how I want to go with all of this - I don't want to overwhelm her. Her pre-dose cortisol test is next Wednesday, so depending on the results of that I'll start looking at food options.

I agree that the issues were stress related for Ember as well (I am watching her like a hawk because she has had a lot of appointments lately and am worried she might have a flareup - usually hers were stress/fasting related).

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

You could use the md wet or some cooked chicken thighs for snacks, until you do the swap. As long as the chicken is not more than 20% of the daily intake (without calcium etc supplements ) that would be ok.
I am not saying definitely that the home made diet needs to be cooked … I think it needs to be checked to see if that is the case. Some cats with immune systems that may be compromised need the food to be cooked.

 

[Kara & Ember]

You could use the md wet or some cooked chicken thighs for snacks, until you do the swap. As long as the chicken is not more than 20% of the daily intake (without calcium etc supplements ) that would be ok.
I am not saying definitely that the home made diet needs to be cooked … I think it needs to be checked to see if that is the case. Some cats with immune systems that may be compromised need the food to be cooked.

oh, yes I got that, and thank you for clarifying just in case! I had meant that it's good to know that I shouldn't assume it's ok to start on it without further info

and thank you re: snack advice!

 

[CORKY]

Thanks!
I have attempted to give her food while dosing, but she just moves around if I attempt it lol. We have an ALMOST process down, but yeah, it is very inconsistent, with some days being much easier than others.

I've currently been going based on my Vet's instructions on All Things, and only recently starting to become comfortable with the idea of going against their instructions (thanks mainly due to this board and my own research - it has been very overwhelming and difficult to parse through all of the conflicting information. She currently has two vets, her primary and the internist, and even they don't agree on everything, which just makes me question everything even more).

She was on the z/d (hydrolyzed diet) for four years (and she was only getting dry food during that time), so I've become very "only feed what the vet tells me to feed", and that has also meant no treats - I am definitely wanting to look into some good diabetic friendly treats. I have also been looking at Dr. Lisa's homemade food recipe and her wonderful food chart, I am just cautious about changing food again so quickly - I don't know what I don't know, so making my own judgements about things has been difficult and I end up relying on other, more experienced/educated, folks, which has been primarily my vet due to how very many health issues my poor girl has (but also see above re: "even my two vets don't agree so how am I to know who's right?"). Mostly I am worried about her getting another pancreatitis flare up, especially now with the cushings diagnosis I am thinking treating it would be difficult. Basically, trying to address one thing at a time instead of everything all at once. Her libre numbers have been better since starting the trilostane and m/d only a week ago and she's held her weight since then too, and I am working to transition into a heavier wet food ratio. I've mainly been worried about the calories (and cost) of wet food (as in, not calorie dense, thus more expensive to keep her weight stable).

Sorry if that's kind of rambling, I have been having a lot of thoughts/concerns/etc. about her diet lol I want to do right by her and I'm honestly terrified of screwing it up and making the wrong choices

Welcome, Kara & Ember, I can say that you are in the right place I have trusted this Forum 100% blindly and my Corky has flourished to be the same cat before diagnosed with diabetes, I can, according to what your baby can eat, for snacks it's really difficult to find a low carb treat, so I have found as snacks, Frick's Gourmet Ham 1 % carbs, my cats loves it, I cut it up in tiny pieces, it comes wrapped almost looks like half football, in the meat department it goes a long way, and again, Welcome

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I’m going to tag @Wendy&Neko again. Maybe she missed the first tag.

Nope, just out of town visiting my mother all day.

I don't have experience with Cushings, but do with IBD. M/D isn't anything special for either diabetics or IBD. I do not feed z/d, my vet calls it "hydrolized chicken feathers". Side note, she also has an IBD cat. IBD can often be treated with novel protein and a good probiotic. Visbiome is made specifically for IBD and they have a line or products for pets too. Same product, just smaller amounts in a capsule.

@Ana & Frosty (GA) does have experience with a cat with pituitary Cushings and Trilostane. She's been around lately with another cat.

It would be good if you could tell us more about the insulin and how much you are giving. We had one cat here go on Trilostane and have her dose start to drop rather dramatically. To the point the poor cat hypoed. You will see that many of us have spreadsheets of blood sugar numbers in our signatures. Information on how to do so is in the post:
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

 

[Kara & Ember]

well.. unfortunately, I just spent about 30 minutes typing up a response and now it is gone because I guess I got logged out and didn't realize lol that's frustrating.

anyway, thank you for the post! Here's a few clarifying points - I hope it helps, but let me know if there's anything else I can clarify!

I don't know what she has been "officially" diagnosed with; my vet has said several things but as far as I know none of it was confirmed - pancreatitis, hepatitis, IBD, Cholangiohepatitis. her pancreas was inflamed and her intestines had thickening (noticed at ultrasound 7/2) but the internist did not think they were concerning. I don't know the diagnostic confirmations of these, but I don't believe she's had it. All I know is she would get sick, vomiting and not eating, and when I brought her to the vet she had increased liver values, and she'd either get to be an outpatient with steroids and pain/nausea meds, or she'd end up hospitalized. Whatever that is, is what I mean when i say "flareups".

I have seen stuff about trilo causing cats to hypo, so she has got a perma-libre until everything is figured out. I can't test at home, so all I would have for information would be the libre numbers - is that something I should be making a spreadsheet for? She is currently on 2 units of Lantus, 2x per day (with bad regulation and giant swings during the day according to the libre prior to the Trilo, and a bit more consistently tighter numbers since starting the Trilo).

She is no longer on z/d (I don't remember who prescribed it, but my new internist said they never give that even to confirmed IBD patients, so I got her approval to switch foods since my primary vet was not comfortable with it). If I had been more confident/educated at the time, I would have just figured out a low-carb food to swap her to right away. But I've been very "listen to the vets" about everything, so I pushed as much as I could and they agreed to hills m/d. I understand this isn't ideal, and I do plan to get her changed over to something better once we can get the trilo dosage figured out, as I am concerned about flareups with too many changes.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

We have quite a few members who use the Libre as their primary way to test for sugars, and they track in a spreadsheet. Note that it's less reliable in lower numbers, but given your situation, it's better than no data at all.

No worries on the food, changing one thing at a time is the best way to go. I had to wait until Neko finished her food before shooting, but she only took about 30 seconds to inhale it, so it wasn't a long wait.

The B12 supplement you are giving is this methylB12 of cobalamin B12? Was her blood B12 levels ever tested? It's not uncommon for IBD (or whatever GI thing) kitties to be low in B12. You can get a GI panel that includes a test for pancreatitis and B12 through Texas A&M - maybe through Idexx as well. An official IBD diagnosis needs a biopsy, either through endoscopy (depending on location of thickening) or surgical biopsy. Doing a novel protein diet trial can also give you an idea if IBD is present.

For flareups, do you have pain and nausea meds on hand at home? I'd recommend ondansetron as I find it better than Cerenia for nausea, though if vomiting then Cerenia helps with that. You can give both. People here whose kitty gets chronic pancreatitis will treat at home at the first sign of it.

 

[Kara & Ember]

We have quite a few members who use the Libre as their primary way to test for sugars, and they track in a spreadsheet. Note that it's less reliable in lower numbers, but given your situation, it's better than no data at all.

No worries on the food, changing one thing at a time is the best way to go. I had to wait until Neko finished her food before shooting, but she only took about 30 seconds to inhale it, so it wasn't a long wait.

The B12 supplement you are giving is this methylB12 of cobalamin B12? Was her blood B12 levels ever tested? It's not uncommon for IBD (or whatever GI thing) kitties to be low in B12. You can get a GI panel that includes a test for pancreatitis and B12 through Texas A&M - maybe through Idexx as well. An official IBD diagnosis needs a biopsy, either through endoscopy (depending on location of thickening) or surgical biopsy. Doing a novel protein diet trial can also give you an idea if IBD is present.

For flareups, do you have pain and nausea meds on hand at home? I'd recommend ondansetron as I find it better than Cerenia for nausea, though if vomiting then Cerenia helps with that. You can give both. People here whose kitty gets chronic pancreatitis will treat at home at the first sign of it.

oh, awesome ok - I will work on getting a spreadsheet set up.

She has cobalequin for her B12 (edit to add: I think that is cobalamin), she gets one chew every other day - she did get a test done when I brought her to the internist on 7/2 and it was high, so we aren't sure if she actually NEEDS it, but she likes taking it (it's been her only real treat for 4 years lol) and the internist said we'd need to have her stop and then recheck bloodwork in 2 weeks to see if its necessary, and since its not really a concern if it's high, I passed on the extra needle pokes and additional changes.

in terms of novel protein - that just means a Different Protein right? she's technically not been on actual protein for 4 years, so would the m/d qualify? she had some particularly soft/grainy/light brown stools while on the z/d and even just starting the transition period they firmed up and darkened really fast (even while getting twice daily 1/4 tsp miralax). amazing what having actual protein will do for ya lol. I'm not sure what I would be looking for to determine IBD in this scenario (if it would qualify).

Since she hasn't had any flareups in a few years, the stock I had expired, so I don't currently have meds. Basically if she ever vomits (and it's not just foam, which... apparently they can force themselves to do and she will if I don't get out of bed when she starts yelling because she knows that will get me up lol) my first course of action is check for hairballs to get a "reason" and then if none, try to get her to eat more because most likely she scarfed-and-barfed. If she eats, cool, not a flareup. If not, I do the song and dance lol. Which yes, I did used to treat her when there were issues when I had leftover meds (not the steroids, of course, but the anti-nausea). She does have gaba for vet visits, so I've got that on hand, though I think that's more for the pain than the anti-nausea?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Correct, gabapentin is a pain med. Good to hear it's been a few years since flareups.

Novel protein just means one she hasn't had before. M/D (wet or dry) wet has sort of proteins in it. Pork liver, pork by products, chicken fat. But lots of carbs from corn, potato, paper (powdered cellulose), some gums - which can be hard on IBD. The dry is also chicken and pork. In z/d, the only protein (chicken) is hydrolized - it's mostly rice. Novel proteins might be something like lamb, venison, rabbit, kangaroo, depending what she's eaten in the past.

 

[Kara & Ember]

Reviving this thread instead of making a new one - I am now looking for food recs!

I've been trying to do some research on my own and based on what I am seeing (using Dr. Lisa's chart), the best option would be Tiki Cat (but at almost $5/day, my currently unemployed wallet is cringing). Looking to see whether Tiki Cat is actually worth it, or if there are some cheaper options that are still good quality?

As she has had GI flareup issues in the past, I am hoping to keep her on a primarily chicken diet, since she seems to do OK with that protein. I was looking at the Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau (Chicken with Egg) https://www.chewy.com/tiki-cat-luau-chicken-egg-in-chicken/dp/37715

Also wondering if anyone has recommendations on whether it is too soon to try to transition her food again? She recently transitioned to Hill's M/D as of 7/16 - should I wait longer before trying to swap to something else?

We are just about 3 months into her diagnosis, so I am anxious about wanting to both get her swapped fast to increase her chances of remission while also not wanting to cause more harm.

Other notes: I have read up about insulin and changing to a low carb diet and would be closely monitoring her with a libre during the transition, as well as reducing her dose (currently on 2.25u, 2x per day). I want to avoid fish in her diet, and would probably want to avoid beef (mostly for personal reasons, so if it's actually something thats GOOD/BETTER for her, then I can disregard that, but I figure cats are generally not eating cows out in the wild). Would be willing to try other proteins, but want a chicken-based one as well. She does have Cushing's, so it's yet unknown whether a raw diet would be ok for her, so probably looking to avoid that for now.

If there's any other info I can provide to help, please let me know!

 

[CORKY]

Reviving this thread instead of making a new one - I am now looking for food recs!

I've been trying to do some research on my own and based on what I am seeing (using Dr. Lisa's chart), the best option would be Tiki Cat (but at almost $5/day, my currently unemployed wallet is cringing). Looking to see whether Tiki Cat is actually worth it, or if there are some cheaper options that are still good quality?

As she has had GI flareup issues in the past, I am hoping to keep her on a primarily chicken diet, since she seems to do OK with that protein. I was looking at the Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau (Chicken with Egg) https://www.chewy.com/tiki-cat-luau-chicken-egg-in-chicken/dp/37715

Also wondering if anyone has recommendations on whether it is too soon to try to transition her food again? She recently transitioned to Hill's M/D as of 7/16 - should I wait longer before trying to swap to something else?

We are just about 3 months into her diagnosis, so I am anxious about wanting to both get her swapped fast to increase her chances of remission while also not wanting to cause more harm.

Other notes: I have read up about insulin and changing to a low carb diet and would be closely monitoring her with a libre during the transition, as well as reducing her dose (currently on 2.25u, 2x per day). I want to avoid fish in her diet, and would probably want to avoid beef (mostly for personal reasons, so if it's actually something thats GOOD/BETTER for her, then I can disregard that, but I figure cats are generally not eating cows out in the wild). Would be willing to try other proteins, but want a chicken-based one as well. She does have Cushing's, so it's yet unknown whether a raw diet would be ok for her, so probably looking to avoid that for now.

If there's any other info I can provide to help, please let me know![/QUOTE
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[CORKY]

Reviving this thread instead of making a new one - I am now looking for food recs!

I've been trying to do some research on my own and based on what I am seeing (using Dr. Lisa's chart), the best option would be Tiki Cat (but at almost $5/day, my currently unemployed wallet is cringing). Looking to see whether Tiki Cat is actually worth it, or if there are some cheaper options that are still good quality?

As she has had GI flareup issues in the past, I am hoping to keep her on a primarily chicken diet, since she seems to do OK with that protein. I was looking at the Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau (Chicken with Egg) https://www.chewy.com/tiki-cat-luau-chicken-egg-in-chicken/dp/37715

Also wondering if anyone has recommendations on whether it is too soon to try to transition her food again? She recently transitioned to Hill's M/D as of 7/16 - should I wait longer before trying to swap to something else?

We are just about 3 months into her diagnosis, so I am anxious about wanting to both get her swapped fast to increase her chances of remission while also not wanting to cause more harm.

Other notes: I have read up about insulin and changing to a low carb diet and would be closely monitoring her with a libre during the transition, as well as reducing her dose (currently on 2.25u, 2x per day). I want to avoid fish in her diet, and would probably want to avoid beef (mostly for personal reasons, so if it's actually something thats GOOD/BETTER for her, then I can disregard that, but I figure cats are generally not eating cows out in the wild). Would be willing to try other proteins, but want a chicken-based one as well. She does have Cushing's, so it's yet unknown whether a raw diet would be ok for her, so probably looking to avoid that for now.

If there's any other info I can provide to help, please let me know!

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I see by your spreadsheet that the Libre seems to be quitting. They won't last more than 2 weeks, some people find they die before that. Looks like day 14 to me. Hopefully the vet can get a new one on quickly.

Given where her numbers are at now, I think you can go ahead and start a food transition. It should be done slowly, a little bit at a time, not all at once. Otherwise a fast transition can cause tummy upset. Plus the slower transition means you can stay at her current insulin dose and let the numbers guide you if she needs to have her dose reduced.

For food, there are a few options. Some of us made our own cat food and I found that cheaper per day. You can either use a premix just added to meat and water (FoodFurLife's EZComplete or Alnutrin are two of them). You can use cooked meat for that too. The Catinfo website also has a page on making food from scratch, where you essentially source all the ingredients to make your own equivalent of the premix.

There are quite a few canned can food options out there that contain just chicken and are low carb. You do have to read ingredients though, as some like the Fancy Feast (low cost option) also contain fish. I too have a kitty that can't handle fish. If your kitty can handle chicken, turkey or duck might be other options. I've seen a number of foods that are a combination of poultry proteins.

 

[Kara & Ember]

Yeah, the libre died today (about 13 days; this is her 4th, I've had them last 9 days, full 14, and 8-9, now 13, so it really all depends). I'm also running into a loss there because I took it off and it looks like using skin-tac and doing it at home (as opposed to the vet-done tissue glue) is still giving her skin a hard time. It's hard to see because her bristly underfur has grown over it, but it looks better than the tissue glue (since it didn't completely rip up the skin and fur), but still not good. I can't tell if its just red from irritation or actually an open wound. I just don't know how to keep track of her sugars when all the options seem to cause harm.

She has an appointment on Weds, I'll have them take a look at the last site then and try to go from there.

thanks for the info on the food; I'll have to go to the store and take a look.

 

[CORKY]

Yeah, the libre died today (about 13 days; this is her 4th, I've had them last 9 days, full 14, and 8-9, now 13, so it really all depends). I'm also running into a loss there because I took it off and it looks like using skin-tac and doing it at home (as opposed to the vet-done tissue glue) is still giving her skin a hard time. It's hard to see because her bristly underfur has grown over it, but it looks better than the tissue glue (since it didn't completely rip up the skin and fur), but still not good. I can't tell if its just red from irritation or actually an open wound. I just don't know how to keep track of her sugars when all the options seem to cause harm.

She has an appointment on Weds, I'll have them take a look at the last site then and try to go from there.

thanks for the info on the food; I'll have to go to the store and take a look.

Hi, in reference to the Libre I have a book on bad experiences (my Own) and yes for starters, the do stop working before the 14 days even sooner they fall off or the cat removes it, and they read low BG incorrectly, you can get from your Vet a PRN prescription, is for one year, otherwise you will have to pay your vet every 14 days to replace and for the script, they like that, if one stops working before the 14 days or falls off you can have it replaced by the Company, number on the back of box, however they cannot know is for your cat or they will not replace it takes them about 48 hours before you get it, so is good to have an extra one on hand, you do not need your Vet to replace it and pay the bill; instructions in the box is as easy as taking the wrapper off a lollipop, with a shaving razor you can remove the hair big enough to center the sensor We/I chose the ReliOn Premier monitor and strips, (nightmares resolved) very accurate and inexpensive, unlike the LIbre2 sensors, the cheapest I found was at Walmart for over $75.00, there are footnotes in the forum on how to test with strips. About the foods I only use Fancy Feast pates that are between 0-10% carbs, I do have some medium and high carbs in case of very low BG also There's a food chart in the main forum you can refer to for your preference, just make sure all the food intake is between 0-10% carbs no gravies only when needed. Best to you and you fur ball
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

 

[Wendy&Neko]

There is a FB group for caregivers of cats and dogs that use the Libre. Not on it so I don't know the name, but people there are supposed to be really helpful in teaching you best practices to apply and remove the device.

 

[Kara & Ember]

There is a FB group for caregivers of cats and dogs that use the Libre. Not on it so I don't know the name, but people there are supposed to be really helpful in teaching you best practices to apply and remove the device.

Yes! I did take a long look at their tutorial (and tried to create a FB account yesterday just to join, I deleted mine a while back; and it looks like they've changed their signup protocols so I haven't finished that process).
I followed their instructions; Libre stayed on nicely, lasted almost the full 14 days, and when I went to remove it, it seemed to just slide off which was wonderful! I just don't know what caused the issue I think the adhesive just tore away when I was trying to remove it, possibly because I used the adhesive remover wipes instead of the spray. It also didn't help that Ember hated the whole process and kept jumping away/running away with a half-stuck libre on her side...
I'm also thinking there's a chance that the skin tac caused some issues with her fur because she had a bit of an abrasion just above the libre, and I'm thinking it stuck her fur together, so when she tried to groom the area, it pulled at the skin.

Had a small cry yesterday because I just hate this; I hate that there isn't an easy solution that doesn't cause her more pain I'm holding out hope that the Trilostane and switching her to low-carb food will be The Miracle Answer and that it hasn't been too long for her to go into remission because between the libre and the shots, she's starting to have a lot of trust issues with me :'(

 

[Kara & Ember]

I've been window shopping on foods, and interested in other's opinions.

Going based on Dr. Lisa's website, I am looking for something with liver as an ingredient, no fish, and of course low carb. These were the guys I found on Chewy, and I'm having a hard time determining what priorities I should have. Dr. Lisa mentions feeding something with liver at least a couple times per week. Is there a good liver treat people recommend that I could supplement one of the no-liver items with? (maybe something like the chicken variety of this: https://www.chewy.com/temptations-creamy-puree-beef-liver/dp/398329 or if there is a freeze-dried brand people like?)

Also seeing mixed information regarding Salt content for cats... some studies show that higher salt does not have negative impacts on hypertension (already a concern) and of course there's the "why add something they get naturally through meat" thing.

 

[CORKY]

I've been window shopping on foods, and interested in other's opinions.

Going based on Dr. Lisa's website, I am looking for something with liver as an ingredient, no fish, and of course low carb. These were the guys I found on Chewy, and I'm having a hard time determining what priorities I should have. Dr. Lisa mentions feeding something with liver at least a couple times per week. Is there a good liver treat people recommend that I could supplement one of the no-liver items with? (maybe something like the chicken variety of this: https://www.chewy.com/temptations-creamy-puree-beef-liver/dp/398329 or if there is a freeze-dried brand people like?)

Also seeing mixed information regarding Salt content for cats... some studies show that higher salt does not have negative impacts on hypertension (already a concern) and of course there's the "why add something tbeef & Chickenhey get naturally through meat" thing
View attachment 70657

Yes!
Fancy Feast
Tender Liver & Chicken Feast 2%
Tender Beef & Liver Feast

Friskies
Tender Liver & Chicken Feast 2%
Tender Beef & Liver Feast 9%
Liver & Chicken 5%
Beef & Liver with Cheese Pate 9%

Hope some of these can help,

 

[Kara & Ember]

I went to my local pet store, and decided to pick up a can of the weruva chicken to try, and some freeze-dried duck liver bites. She was a big fan of the bites lol (only gave her one, since I don't want to overdo it and the m/d has liver - she was very upset that I didn't have any more for her lol) had some issues with her libre (put on a new one, which was a Whole Production) and then i guess I put it on wrong or something because it just never worked so I picked up another one today and going to have the vet help me tomorrow, and then I'll start transitioning her food. I'll probably keep the rest of the m/d on hand as a "in case of emergency medium carb food" (even though it's pretty awful... but at least I know she'll eat it).