New member needs help with senior cat

[Mae’s Mama]

Hello cat parents!

My senior girl Mae was recently diagnosed with diabetes and she’s been on Lantus (well generic glargine) for 2.5 weeks. Mae is 13 and up until the last year has been very healthy. On top of the diabetes which is new she has really bad skin allergies and suspected autoimmune disease pemphigus. The normal treatment for pemphigus is prednisone for the rest of her life but due to the diabetes she can’t be on that. Instead she’s now on cyclosporine (has been only for the last few days as it took the medicine awhile to come in special order).

Mae is on 2 units of insulin twice per day approximately 12 hours apart. Her glucose at the start was 540 and we started her on 1 unit 2x per day. I brought her back in at 2 weeks to do a checkup and she had gone down to 490 which is of course still super high so we increased to 2 units 2x per day. I haven’t started home testing yet as the vet advised me to wait until we get her numbers a little lower. Not sure if this is good advice based off reading other threads though?

I am feeding her the Purina pro plan diabetic management dry food. I also sprinkle some fortiflora on there because she was having some loose poops and it seems to be much better. (Is it fine to keep her on the fortiflora long term?)

id like to incorporate some wet food in but she’s super duper picky so will likely have to try a bunch.

This post doesn’t have a point really I guess just looking for some insight, advice, etc. especially if you’ve had cats with double issues! I was told her kidney and liver functions are great.

Thank you for all you do!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hello cat parents!

My senior girl Mae was recently diagnosed with diabetes and she’s been on Lantus (well generic glargine) for 2.5 weeks. Mae is 13 and up until the last year has been very healthy. On top of the diabetes which is new she has really bad skin allergies and suspected autoimmune disease pemphigus. The normal treatment for pemphigus is prednisone for the rest of her life but due to the diabetes she can’t be on that. Instead she’s now on cyclosporine (has been only for the last few days as it took the medicine awhile to come in special order).

Mae is on 2 units of insulin twice per day approximately 12 hours apart. Her glucose at the start was 540 and we started her on 1 unit 2x per day. I brought her back in at 2 weeks to do a checkup and she had gone down to 490 which is of course still super high so we increased to 2 units 2x per day. I haven’t started home testing yet as the vet advised me to wait until we get her numbers a little lower. Not sure if this is good advice based off reading other threads though?

I am feeding her the Purina pro plan diabetic management dry food. I also sprinkle some fortiflora on there because she was having some loose poops and it seems to be much better. (Is it fine to keep her on the fortiflora long term?)

id like to incorporate some wet food in but she’s super duper picky so will likely have to try a bunch.

This post doesn’t have a point really I guess just looking for some insight, advice, etc. especially if you’ve had cats with double issues! I was told her kidney and liver functions are great.

Thank you for all you do!

Don't mean to tag you again Wendy, I would give Mae's Mama some information but I have a terrible headache and need to get off
Thank you Wendy
@Wendy&Neko
I can try @Suzanne & Darcy
@tiffmaxee
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Bandit's Mom

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Mae made me a liar this morning and ate a good amount of a can of wet Friskies salmon. I think I read on someone else’s posts that Friskies is okay but better to do chicken and meat versus fish and NO gravy. Can someone confirm that? Is Friskies isn’t okay, what wet food do you all recommend?

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Until one of the members I tagged we need some information about Mae
Tap on the blue link
Here is the link so you can set up your signature and spreadsheet
Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help.

The signature is at the end of

everyone's post in gray ,information about our cats

• Add info we need to help you:
  • Caregiver & kitty's name
  • DX: Date
  • Name of Insulin (do not include dose or frequency)
  • Name of your meter
  • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
  • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
  • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
  • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
  • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
  • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.

Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.

Also almost all of us use human meters that's what our numbers are based on

About the spreadsheet
AMPS - means AM Pre Shot the first test you take in the AM ,you need to withhold food 2 hours before testing so it's not food influenced

Units is where you would put how much insulin you gave
+1 is one hour after giving insulin if you were to test then that's where you enter his _BG number
+2 two hours after giving insulin. ditto
+3 and so on until you get to PMPS - PM pre shot withhold food 2 hours before testing

+1 same as you do for AM cycle

We don't give times because we are all in different time zones that's why we use the + numbers



You can look at any members spreadsheet to see what it looks like, it's at the end of everyone's signature just tap on it

If you need help setting up the spreadsheet just ask, we have a member who will be happy to do it for you

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

The Purina Pro Plan dry cat food
The diabetic dry food you are feedingis about 14-16 % carb.... Much too high for a diabetic cat . I wouldn't change what you are feeding yet until you start to home test because it can drop Mae's BG by 100 points. Your vet is wrong by telling you to wait until he gets her numbers a little lower
It's the only way to keep Mae safe
Also we don't adjust the dose going by what the pre shot BG number is
We adjust the dose by the lowest point during the cycles which is called the nadir
We don't increase by whole units, we adjust the dose by 0.25 units at a time

Do you live in the US?
Most of us use the Relion human meter
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

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


Learn how YOUR kitty is responding to insulin:

• Onset - the length of time before insulin reaches the bloodstream & begins lowering blood glucose
• Peak/Nadir - the lowest point in the cycle
• Duration - the length of time insulin continues to lower blood glucose
• How to do a Curve - a simple explanation

I would read all the yellow stickys about Lantus
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Mae made me a liar this morning and ate a good amount of a can of wet Friskies salmon. I think I read on someone else’s posts that Friskies is okay but better to do chicken and meat versus fish and NO gravy. Can someone confirm that? Is Friskies isn’t okay, what wet food do you all recommend?

Friskies is OK, but we suggest only feeding fish flavors like once a week because of the mercury in it
Fancy Feast Classic Pates are also OK
Most feed anywhere from 2% carbs to 5 % carbs
Here is the food chart to take a look at which lists carbs
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
The following I Copied from one of our members
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. 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 has information about the spreadsheet, signature and 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 with setting up the spreadsheet, sorting out what food to buy, how to transition safely to a low carb diet, how to learn to home test and much more.

I suggest you set up your hypo kit in case you need to bring Mae's BG up
For your Hypo kit
Med and High Carb food and some honey/karo



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.
from The Official Lantus, Levemir & Biosimilars Slang Dictionary MC =11=15% and HC is usually 16-24%

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Wow, I thought I was getting an okay handle on this but now I’m really overwhelmed because it seems I’m being advised wrong by the vet.

I’m confused on the diabetic dry food- it’s marketed specifically for a diabetic cat but it’s too high in carbs? That’s scary… what about the wet food? I’m okay with spending the money on the special food if it’s truly worth it.

I will get the home test kit and hypoglycemia kit together this week. I am in the US so will go for the kit you linked above, thank you.

also confused on the home testing- I have been giving her insulin between 7/7:30 AM; usually while she is eating as she doesn’t notice at all. Is that okay to do? And if I’m feeding her/dosing her at 7/7:30, that means to do the first blood draw at 5/5:30?

thank you again from an overwhelmed newbie!

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Also, she’s on the solostar pen version of glargine insulin. Is this okay? For next month would it be better if I asked for the kind with a regular syringe?

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

You test, feed and shoot, so you can do it all at the 7-7:30 time. You just need to make sure she hasn’t eaten for at least 2 hours prior to that so no food after 5-5:30am so that the number you get is not good influenced and you know it’s safe to give the shot

 

[Mae’s Mama]

You test, feed and shoot, so you can do it all at the 7-7:30 time. You just need to make sure she hasn’t eaten for at least 2 hours prior to that so no food after 5-5:30am so that the number you get is not good influenced and you know it’s safe to give the shot

Thank you for that clarification!!!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Diane already gave you great info and I know it’s a lot and overwhelming but as she already said, most vets don’t know much about how to manage diabetes especially when it comes to food. Are you sure the Purina food is not dietetic instead of diabetic? There are only 2 dry foods that are low in carbs and you can try them to see if she’ll like it, Dr Elseys and Young Again Zero Carb

we recommend you start home testing right away. It’s the only way to keep your cat safe. We also don’t do dose adjustments by full units like your vet did. We do them by 1/4 units so we don’t risk speeding past the ideal dose. Feline diebetes is a marathon not a sprint so it can take a while for you to see major improvements, but testing daily will give you control and peace of mind. Most of us use Walmart’s ReliOn meter and you can get it along with all the supplies you need online or at a Walmart pharmacy. Do the syringes you’re using now have 1/2 unit markings?

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Also, she’s on the solostar pen version of glargine insulin. Is this okay? For next month would it be better if I asked for the kind with a regular syringe?

So you’re using the pen and not a syring to shoot the insulin? It’s better to have a normal pen and draw the insulin with a syringe, again more control especially because you’ll may need to give 1/2 and 1/4/ units. Any pen should last you more than just one month. Where are you getting your Lantus from? We have lots of tips about discounts. I ordered mine from Canada because it was 1/3 of the price.

Here are the syringes I used and they’re from Walmart too:

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Last thing, here’s the link to the Lantus forum. You’ll want to read all the yellow sticky notes as there’s a ton of very useful info there about the insulin, the dosing methods we use here (on dry food you’ll only have one method you’d be able to follow and that’s SLGS) and much more:

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

I think I get it. You mean vial versus pen. A pen is fine. I never used a vial as I always was afraid of I dropped that was it while I always had more than one pen at hand. If you keep the pen in the fridge it will last you months maybe even a year. They’ll tell you it goes bad after a month because it’s made for humans who take them everywhere so it’s not kept refrigerated. Each of my pens always lasted over 6 months.

https://www.goodrx.com/lantus?label...d-pens-of-100-units-ml&quantity=1&slug=lantus
Make sure that the pull down menue says generic glargine 1carton of 5 3ml pens.
We buy the pens but use the syringes to draw out the insulin because if you use the pen you can only adjust by full units ,we adjust the doses by 0.25 units

Also
The 5 pens will last about a year, we use the pens just like a vial, you would just insert the syringe it the gray rubber stopper on the pen and draw out your insulin

I see some members will call CVS, Rite Aid, Costco, Walgreen's, to get the price for 5 pens
Posted by another member
One members posted this
. I paid $175 for a box of 5 pens at Walmart pharmacy, but GoodRX coupon says you can get it for around $90 if you have a Rite Aid pharmacy near you.

Just call around for the best price

A member just posted this
Allie was using the Lantus and I just switched to the generic and using the GoodRX I got 5 pens for $81.30 at Walgreens. GoodRX has a 1-800 number to assist you in using their services to get your pets prescriptions filled if the pharmacy gives you any issues.

GoodRx / Customer service

1 (855) 268-2822

Just take the cap off the pen and use a U100 syringes and pull the insulin out of the pen! You will see a small gray rubber stopper, insert the syringe there

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Diane already gave you great info and I know it’s a lot and overwhelming but as she already said, most vets don’t know much about how to manage diabetes especially when it comes to food. Are you sure the Purina food is not dietetic instead of diabetic? There are only 2 dry foods that are low in carbs and you can try them to see if she’ll like it, Dr Elseys and Young Again Zero Carb

we recommend you start home testing right away. It’s the only way to keep your cat safe. We also don’t do dose adjustments by full units like your vet did. We do them by 1/4 units so we don’t risk speeding past the ideal dose. Feline diebetes is a marathon not a sprint so it can take a while for you to see major improvements, but testing daily will give you control and peace of mind. Most of us use Walmart’s ReliOn meter and you can get it along with all the supplies you need online or at a Walmart pharmacy. Do the syringes you’re using now have 1/2 unit markings?

You are correct I’m sorry it’s the Purina Dietic Management dry food! Is that okay to feed for a dry food?

I’m going to Walmart this afternoon to get the home testing supplies recommended.

 

[Mae’s Mama]

I think I get it. You mean vial versus pen. A pen is fine. I never used a vial as I always was afraid of I dropped that was it while I always had more than one pen at hand. If you keep the pen in the fridge it will last you months maybe even a year. They’ll tell you it goes bad after a month because it’s made for humans who take them everywhere so it’s not kept refrigerated. Each of my pens always lasted over 6 months.

https://www.goodrx.com/lantus?label...d-pens-of-100-units-ml&quantity=1&slug=lantus
Make sure that the pull down menue says generic glargine 1carton of 5 3ml pens.
We buy the pens but use the syringes to draw out the insulin because if you use the pen you can only adjust by full units ,we adjust the doses by 0.25 units

Also
The 5 pens will last about a year, we use the pens just like a vial, you would just insert the syringe it the gray rubber stopper on the pen and draw out your insulin

I see some members will call CVS, Rite Aid, Costco, Walgreen's, to get the price for 5 pens
Posted by another member
One members posted this
. I paid $175 for a box of 5 pens at Walmart pharmacy, but GoodRX coupon says you can get it for around $90 if you have a Rite Aid pharmacy near you.

Just call around for the best price

A member just posted this
Allie was using the Lantus and I just switched to the generic and using the GoodRX I got 5 pens for $81.30 at Walgreens. GoodRX has a 1-800 number to assist you in using their services to get your pets prescriptions filled if the pharmacy gives you any issues.

GoodRx / Customer service

1 (855) 268-2822

Just take the cap off the pen and use a U100 syringes and pull the insulin out of the pen! You will see a small gray rubber stopper, insert the syringe there

Rite aid sold me a single Solostar pen for $20 and then gave me the pen caps from BD that are the 29 gauge. Directions say to not put the pen back into the fridge once in use- is that incorrect? I’ve kept it out on the counter at room temperature since giving her first dose.

If I understand correctly above, I can use the pens since it’s a little easier to handle but get the syringes instead because can measure in 0.25 doses instead? If so, I’ll look into the Walmart syringes you posted above. The vet wrote the prescription for the 29 gauge needle- is that wrong? Should I ask her to write one for a bigger gauge?

I so appreciate all of this help! I feel like a total dummy lol.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

There is a huge issue with the so-called "prescription" foods. The pet food manufacturers lost a class action suit due to their calling their foods "prescription." So, calling a food a diabetic food, was false advertising. The ingredients in what was a "diabetic" food are the same as a dietetic food. Basically, a diabetic cat needs to be on a low carbohydrate diet. Cats are obligate carnivores so a high protein diet is a good thing. No fruits or veggies or grains or potatoes are needed. Friskies and Fancy Feast are the lower cost brands that have varieties -- usually their pate style foods -- that are low in carbs. There are a large number of foods that are low in carbs. This chart includes most of the canned foods available in the US along with their nutritional values, including carbs. We consider low carb as under 10% although most people select foods that are in the range of 5%.

If you are looking for syringes, please make sure you don't need a prescription for them. Many states in the US require a prescription. You will need U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings. I used 31 gauge syringes.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Rite aid sold me a single Solostar pen for $20 and then gave me the pen caps from BD that are the 29 gauge. Directions say to not put the pen back into the fridge once in use- is that incorrect? I’ve kept it out on the counter at room temperature since giving her first dose.

If I understand correctly above, I can use the pens since it’s a little easier to handle but get the syringes instead because can measure in 0.25 doses instead? If so, I’ll look into the Walmart syringes you posted above. The vet wrote the prescription for the 29 gauge needle- is that wrong? Should I ask her to write one for a bigger gauge?

I so appreciate all of this help! I feel like a total dummy lol.

Yes you’ll need the syringes for better dosing control. The ones I posted I get at Walmart but I don’t need a prescription in California so call before you go to see what their policy is where you live

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

You are correct I’m sorry it’s the Purina Dietic Management dry food! Is that okay to feed for a dry food?

I’m going to Walmart this afternoon to get the home testing supplies recommended.

Nope. See the 2 brands I told you above they are the only low carb dry foods out there.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

29 is a larger gauge than 30 or 31. It’s counter intuitive but the smaller the number, the larger the gauge. It’s a matter of preference. I use the ones I posted above and I think they are 30. For the lancets for home testing, until you get the hang of it, it’s best to start with a larger gauge so you get more blood out. I’d say a 29 or even 26

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Walmart the other box may look like this either one is fine. You can't order the Relion Syringes you have to go into the store. I'm not sure if you need a script for Walmart , call and ask them

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Directions say to not put the pen back into the fridge once in use- is that incorrect? I’ve kept it out on the counter at room temperature since giving her first dose.

No ,you put the insulin pens in the fridge, middle shelf ,they will last until the expira expiration date on them

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Also, she’s on the solostar pen version of glargine insulin. Is this okay?

Yes glargine is fine

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Yes you’ll need the syringes for better dosing control. The ones I posted I get at Walmart but I don’t need a prescription in California so call before you go to see what their policy is where you live

I went to my local Walmart today and they told me I don’t need a prescription - yay! They sell the same ones you posted for $12.88 per box of 100 but also sell the inner packs of 10 for $1.96. I bought an inner pack just to make sure it works for my girl and then I’ll buy the big pack. I also got the supplies needed to start home testing. Definitely nervous to start that!!!!

 

[Mae’s Mama]

No ,you put the insulin pens in the fridge, middle shelf ,they will last until the expira expiration date on them

Oh jeez so since I’ve had it out at room temp for the last few weeks, I imagine I shouldn’t put it back in the fridge and should dispose of it after 28 days, right?

When I get the next one, I’ll know that I can keep it in the fridge even while using it.

 

[Mae’s Mama]

29 is a larger gauge than 30 or 31. It’s counter intuitive but the smaller the number, the larger the gauge. It’s a matter of preference. I use the ones I posted above and I think they are 30. For the lancets for home testing, until you get the hang of it, it’s best to start with a larger gauge so you get more blood out. I’d say a 29 or even 26

I got the Relion 26 gauge lancets!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Oh jeez so since I’ve had it out at room temp for the last few weeks, I imagine I shouldn’t put it back in the fridge and should dispose of it after 28 days, right?

When I get the next one, I’ll know that I can keep it in the fridge even while using it.

It lasts longer than 28 days, that's just for humans , one pen should last you more than 3 months or longer , all of us use it to the last drop.
Hopefully it should be still, as long as you don't see can't white floaties in it.Put it back in the fridge. A favor when you read when someone responds back to you can you hit the work like just so we know that you read it

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Friskies is OK, but we suggest only feeding fish flavors like once a week because of the mercury in it
Fancy Feast Classic Pates are also OK
Most feed anywhere from 2% carbs to 5 % carbs
Here is the food chart to take a look at which lists carbs
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
The following I Copied from one of our members
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. 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 has information about the spreadsheet, signature and 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 with setting up the spreadsheet, sorting out what food to buy, how to transition safely to a low carb diet, how to learn to home test and much more.

I suggest you set up your hypo kit in case you need to bring Mae's BG up
For your Hypo kit
Med and High Carb food and some honey/karo



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.
from The Official Lantus, Levemir & Biosimilars Slang Dictionary MC =11=15% and HC is usually 16-24%

I got my hypo kit together today- at least a starter version! I got 1 each of the above 4 cans that you recommended, a bottle of corn syrup, and printed out the instructions on the beginner posts about hypoglycemia along with writing down the nearest emergency vets. There are two within 10 minutes of my house which I am very thankful for.

 

[Mae’s Mama]

It lasts longer than 28 days, that's just for humans , one pen should last you more than 3 months or longer , all of us use it to the last drop.
Hopefully it should be still, as long as you don't see can't white floaties in it.Put it back in the fridge. A favor when you read when someone responds back to you can you hit the work like just so we know that you read it

Will do, thank you so much!

 

[Mae’s Mama]

Until one of the members I tagged we need some information about Mae
Tap on the blue link
Here is the link so you can set up your signature and spreadsheet
Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help.

The signature is at the end of

everyone's post in gray ,information about our cats

• Add info we need to help you:
  • Caregiver & kitty's name
  • DX: Date
  • Name of Insulin (do not include dose or frequency)
  • Name of your meter
  • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
  • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
  • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
  • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
  • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
  • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.

Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.

Also almost all of us use human meters that's what our numbers are based on

About the spreadsheet
AMPS - means AM Pre Shot the first test you take in the AM ,you need to withhold food 2 hours before testing so it's not food influenced

Units is where you would put how much insulin you gave
+1 is one hour after giving insulin if you were to test then that's where you enter his _BG number
+2 two hours after giving insulin. ditto
+3 and so on until you get to PMPS - PM pre shot withhold food 2 hours before testing

+1 same as you do for AM cycle

We don't give times because we are all in different time zones that's why we use the + numbers



You can look at any members spreadsheet to see what it looks like, it's at the end of everyone's signature just tap on it

If you need help setting up the spreadsheet just ask, we have a member who will be happy to do it for you

Once I start home testing I’ll do the spreadsheet and will update my signature. Thank you!

 

[Mae’s Mama]

This is probably a DUH question but this low carb diet is fine for my non-diabetic girl too, right? She’s 8 years old and I’ve always fed them the same thing just to make my life easier.

 

[Mae’s Mama]

In reading the Lantus forums, I’m scared that I did this tonight with my first time using a syringe versus a pen cap (when adjusting the syringe I was pulling back and forth a little). Is there anything I should look out for with Mae?

• If you draw up too much insulin in the syringe... squirt excess either into the air dramatically like they do on TV or into a paper towel... anywhere but back into vial/cartridge/pen. There is a silicon coating inside the syringe. It may contaminate the insulin vial with silicon.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

This is probably a DUH question but this low carb diet is fine for my non-diabetic girl too, right? She’s 8 years old and I’ve always fed them the same thing just to make my life easier.

Yes it's fine

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

In reading the Lantus forums, I’m scared that I did this tonight with my first time using a syringe versus a pen cap (when adjusting the syringe I was pulling back and forth a little). Is there anything I should look out for with Mae?

• If you draw up too much insulin in the syringe... squirt excess either into the air dramatically like they do on TV or into a paper towel... anywhere but back into vial/cartridge/pen. There is a silicon coating inside the syringe. It may contaminate the insulin vial with silicon.

That's OK, but next time if you overdraw the insulin just squirt the excess out into the sink

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

I honestly never did that and my insulin was always fine but better safe than sorry.

for testing, you want to make sure to warm up the year first and always aim for the sweet spot:

 

[Mae’s Mama]

I honestly never did that and my insulin was always fine but better safe than sorry.

for testing, you want to make sure to warm up the year first and always aim for the sweet spot:

View attachment 67829

Never did what with insulin, sorry?

I’m moving this weekend and super overwhelmed with getting things done so just keeping her on what I’ve been doing for the last few weeks and plan to start home testing her Monday or Tuesday. I have to keep watching videos because I’m so scared to hurt my girl!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

The excess from the syringe. I just always put it back in the pen.

That’s fine to wait, just don’t change the food until you are home testing.

you can go ahead and test yourself to see what it feels like and how much pressure to apply. And to see how the meter works.

@Diane Tyler's Mom has lots of great tips about how to warm up the ear. Always give a low carb treat immediately after each test attempt to build up positive association.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Once I start home testing I’ll do the spreadsheet and will update my signature. Thank you!

Hi ,once you start testing , if you did get the Relion Premier Classic Meter can you add that to your signature