New Member

[Lisa MH]

Hi,
My cat Rusty, 13 years old, was diagnosed at the beginning of this year. He became very sick and wouldn't eat or drink. After an ultrasound at the emergency vet, he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. He stayed at the vet for 2 nights and was treated for that. When he was discharged, he remained on antibiotics for about 10 days and started on insulin 1 unit twice a day.
He had a fructose test last Thursday and now receives 2 units twice a day based on that result. His CBC was normal.
He is also overweight so was prescribed Royal Canin Satiety Support which he does not like so far. He has lost 3 lbs since this all started which the vet feels is too much too soon.
He has always eaten wet food so now just feeding him FF and Friskies pates and trying to mix in the prescription food.
We go back to vet in about 2 weeks for the glucose curve test.
Looking forward to getting to know others who have diabetic furbabies.

Lisa

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi Lisa and Rusty and welcome to the forum.
Can you tell us what type of insulin you are giving Rusty please?

I am going to give you a link to our FOOD CHART .
Look for foods that are 10% or under carbs.
There is absolutely no need to feed the expensive prescription foods. They are nothing special and are mostly too high carb for diabetic cats.
If the RC satiety support is the dry food it is 20% carbs and that is high carb and totally unsuitable.
I’m not sure what the wet food carb content is.
You need to be feeding him something he will eat as eating food is very important with diabetic cats. If they don’t eat, you can run into all sorts of problems.
However before you changed completely to a low carb diet, I would recommend you look into hometesting the blood glucose, as swapping to a low carb diet will most likely reduce the amount of insulin needed. You don’t want him dropping too Low.
Make sure you have some honey or Karo in the house in case of low numbers.

Here is a link to HOMETESTING

here is a link to our spreadsheet and signature. Both these are needed if we are to help you, which we would like to do. HELP US HELP YOU

If you live in the US you can buy a ReliOn premier glucose meter and test strips very cheaply. You also will need lancets size 26 or 28 and some cotton buds to hold behind the ear.
It probably sounds scary to hometesting but both you and Rusty will get used to it very quickly and it will not adversely affect your relationship with him.
Ask lots of questions

 

[squeem3]

If your cat doesn't like the Royal Canin, don't feed it. There's nothing in the Royal Canin, dry or canned, that will help any diabetic cat. It's a bunch of poor quality ingredients at a huge price. Dry food is horrible for any cat's health. If you want all the details why, you can read one vet's perspective at Catinfo.org It's fine to disagree with the vet about food Return any unopened food to the vet for a refund. FF Gourmet / Classics pate and some Friskies are perfectly suitable for a diabetic cat. Any canned food that has under 10% in carbs is suitable. Bron posted the link to the food chart above. Freeze dried meat treats are best. There are lots of brands such as PureBites.

Weight loss is one common symptom of diabetes. Until your cat is better regulated, there will be some weight loss. The general suggestion is to feed the diabetic cat as much as they want daily since their bodies are literally starving from not being able to process nutrients properly.

What is the name of the insulin?

 

[Lisa MH]

Hi Lisa and Rusty and welcome to the forum.
Can you tell us what type of insulin you are giving Rusty please?

I am going to give you a link to our FOOD CHART .
Look for foods that are 10% or under carbs.
There is absolutely no need to feed the expensive prescription foods. They are nothing special and are mostly too high carb for diabetic cats.
If the RC satiety support is the dry food it is 20% carbs and that is high carb and totally unsuitable.
I’m not sure what the wet food carb content is.
You need to be feeding him something he will eat as eating food is very important with diabetic cats. If they don’t eat, you can run into all sorts of problems.
However before you changed completely to a low carb diet, I would recommend you look into hometesting the blood glucose, as swapping to a low carb diet will most likely reduce the amount of insulin needed. You don’t want him dropping too Low.
Make sure you have some honey or Karo in the house in case of low numbers.

Here is a link to HOMETESTING

here is a link to our spreadsheet and signature. Both these are needed if we are to help you, which we would like to do. HELP US HELP YOU

If you live in the US you can buy a ReliOn premier glucose meter and test strips very cheaply. You also will need lancets size 26 or 28 and some cotton buds to hold behind the ear.
It probably sounds scary to hometesting but both you and Rusty will get used to it very quickly and it will not adversely affect your relationship with him.
Ask lots of questions

Hi Lisa and Rusty and welcome to the forum.
Can you tell us what type of insulin you are giving Rusty please?

I am going to give you a link to our FOOD CHART .
Look for foods that are 10% or under carbs.
There is absolutely no need to feed the expensive prescription foods. They are nothing special and are mostly too high carb for diabetic cats.
If the RC satiety support is the dry food it is 20% carbs and that is high carb and totally unsuitable.
I’m not sure what the wet food carb content is.
You need to be feeding him something he will eat as eating food is very important with diabetic cats. If they don’t eat, you can run into all sorts of problems.
However before you changed completely to a low carb diet, I would recommend you look into hometesting the blood glucose, as swapping to a low carb diet will most likely reduce the amount of insulin needed. You don’t want him dropping too Low.
Make sure you have some honey or Karo in the house in case of low numbers.

Here is a link to HOMETESTING

here is a link to our spreadsheet and signature. Both these are needed if we are to help you, which we would like to do. HELP US HELP YOU

If you live in the US you can buy a ReliOn premier glucose meter and test strips very cheaply. You also will need lancets size 26 or 28 and some cotton buds to hold behind the ear.
It probably sounds scary to hometesting but both you and Rusty will get used to it very quickly and it will not adversely affect your relationship with him.
Ask lots of questions

 

[Lisa MH]

Thank you for all of the information. The insulin is Lantus Solostar.
He is eating the canned food and I am trying to feed him small amounts throughout the day. He eats the pate formulas of Fancy Feast (salmon, chicken, turkey) and also Friskies (salmon, chicken & tuna, mixed grill).
Because I am not home all day, I'd like to leave out some dry for him. I have two other cats as well. One is slightly overweight with no health issues and the other is very small and has some kidney issues. I have been looking at Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein but it is out stock on a lot of websites.

 

[Lisa MH]

If your cat doesn't like the Royal Canin, don't feed it. There's nothing in the Royal Canin, dry or canned, that will help any diabetic cat. It's a bunch of poor quality ingredients at a huge price. Dry food is horrible for any cat's health. If you want all the details why, you can read one vet's perspective at Catinfo.org It's fine to disagree with the vet about food Return any unopened food to the vet for a refund. FF Gourmet / Classics pate and some Friskies are perfectly suitable for a diabetic cat. Any canned food that has under 10% in carbs is suitable. Bron posted the link to the food chart above. Freeze dried meat treats are best. There are lots of brands such as PureBites.

Weight loss is one common symptom of diabetes. Until your cat is better regulated, there will be some weight loss. The general suggestion is to feed the diabetic cat as much as they want daily since their bodies are literally starving from not being able to process nutrients properly.

What is the name of the insulin?

It is Lantus Solostar.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

hank you for all of the information. The insulin is Lantus Solostar.

Lantus is a great insulin for cats
With the solostar pen you can only give doses in 1 unit increments.
Cats are only small creatures and we recommend going up and down in 1/4 unit increments.
To do this you need an insulin syringe which I would strongly recommend you get.
The syringes you need are U100, 3/10ml, 30 or 31 gauge, 6 or 8 mm insulin syringes with 1/2 unit markings.
You can by these at Walmart if you are in the US or other pharmacies or online.

As far as the food goes, you could think about getting an automatic timed feeder which has a chip that only Rusty can access. They are not cheap but are a great solution when there are other cats in the household. Otherwise the low carb dry is another option.
@Diane Tyler's Mom GA may be able to help you access the low carb dry food

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Otherwise the low carb dry is another option.
@Diane Tyler's Mom GA may be able to help you access the low carb dry food

I do see the chicken flavor Dr Elsey's kibble is out of stock on Walmart and Amazon. There are other flavors though. Tap on here and look at the other kibble flavors and Google them and see who has them in stock
https://www.drelseys.com/product-types/food/



If you must feed dry food
Young again on their web site
https://www.youngagainpetfood.com
Take a look at the young again zero or the zero mature. Some members have said the Young Again caused stinky poops

In the past I have used The Dr Elseys and had no problem

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

If you call they will send you samples
Phone: 877-311-2287… Dr Elsey's

PHONE:
800.311.6646. Young Again

1-800-748-0188 •Wysong Epigen 90

Carbohydrate amounts can be found on the Kibble Values Chart

https://www.drelseys.com/faqs/what-are-the-carbohydrate-amounts/

Tap on where it says Kibble Values Chart it will give you the carbs and flavors
@Lisa MH

 

[squeem3]

All your cats can benefit from a low carb canned food only diet Even the overweight one. Dry food is so calorie dense per cup which is why so many cats gain weight. A healthy cat with no health or weight issues should eat roughly 20 to 25 calories per pound of ideal body weight daily.

https://www.felinecrf.org/ has info on canned foods that your kidney cat can eat. I think there may be a list somewhere on FDMB on low carb kidney and diabetic friendly foods.

Invest in a programmable timed feeder so you can leave canned food out all day. You may need more than one if the cats squabble over one feeder. Canned food is literally cooked right in the sealed can so it's fine to leave out all day. It might get dry but most cats are ok with it.

If you have to feed some dry, maybe use a microchip feeder to keep the diabetic cat out of it. Surefeed is one brand. Some diabetic cats are so carb sensitive that even a few pieces of dry can cause blood glucose levels to go up really high.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

low carb/ low phosphorus for diabetic cats
if you tap on this link and look at post #32 I listed some Weruva pates for another member that's low carb/ low phosphorus.
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-11-8-and-i-am-tired.283363/#post-3124085

@Lisa MH

 

[Lisa MH]

I do see the chicken flavor Dr Elsey's kibble is out of stock on Walmart and Amazon. There are other flavors though. Tap on here and look at the other kibble flavors and Google them and see who has them in stock
https://www.drelseys.com/product-types/food/
Thank you so much for all of this!
I just feel that I want the cats to have some food during the day on the days I work. I am a teacher and will be home during the day soon, but until then, I would like to have some to offer.

I already contacted Dr. Elsey's and they are sending some samples.


If you must feed dry food
Young again on their web site
https://www.youngagainpetfood.com
Take a look at the young again zero or the zero mature. Some members have said the Young Again caused stinky poops

In the past I have used The Dr Elseys and had no problem

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

If you call they will send you samples
Phone: 877-311-2287… Dr Elsey's

PHONE:
800.311.6646. Young Again

1-800-748-0188 •Wysong Epigen 90

Carbohydrate amounts can be found on the Kibble Values Chart

https://www.drelseys.com/faqs/what-are-the-carbohydrate-amounts/

Tap on where it says Kibble Values Chart it will give you the carbs and flavors
@Lisa MH

 

[Lisa MH]

All your cats can benefit from a low carb canned food only diet Even the overweight one. Dry food is so calorie dense per cup which is why so many cats gain weight. A healthy cat with no health or weight issues should eat roughly 20 to 25 calories per pound of ideal body weight daily.

https://www.felinecrf.org/ has info on canned foods that your kidney cat can eat. I think there may be a list somewhere on FDMB on low carb kidney and diabetic friendly foods.

Invest in a programmable timed feeder so you can leave canned food out all day. You may need more than one if the cats squabble over one feeder. Canned food is literally cooked right in the sealed can so it's fine to leave out all day. It might get dry but most cats are ok with it.

If you have to feed some dry, maybe use a microchip feeder to keep the diabetic cat out of it. Surefeed is one brand. Some diabetic cats are so carb sensitive that even a few pieces of dry can cause blood glucose levels to go up really high.

This is so helpful. I never thought of putting canned food in a programmable feeder. That would certainly alleviate my concern of not having food throughout the day.

 

[squeem3]

There are ways to keep canned food cool and fresh in a feeder. Some feeders have an ice pack feature. You can freeze canned food into portion sizes and put the frozen chunk into the feeder where it will slowly defrost at room temperature. It might take an hour or two for a frozen chunk to defrost enough for a cat to eat so you may want to put straight-from-the-can food into the first compartment and the later meals the frozen chunks. Otherwise the cat might get frustrated with a chunk of frozen food and decide it makes a better toy to bat around the house and hide

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@Lisa MH

some info on auto feeders always add a little water to the wet food. You can set it to open at what times you want to feed Cooper
Here is an auto feeder that hold 5 slots and comes with 2 ice packs for wet food
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-C500-Digital-Automatic/dp/B01AUYLVU8/ref=sr_1_6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuM_y2p79_AIVDvrICh1_xAy6EAAYASAAEgJBDfD_BwE&hvadid=178540036693&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9003521&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6990619631848479728&hvtargid=kwd-12652445711&hydadcr=10635_9894649&keywords=petsafe 5-meal automatic pet feeder&qid=1675560889&sr=8-6

Extra ice packs so you can keep them in the freezer ready to go
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-Rep...5c-bd5c-e23f6094563c&pd_rd_i=B091HTXNHR&psc=1

This one has 3 slots with one ice pack
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-Automatic-Feeder-Digital/dp/B01MXDFB28

Extra ice pack
https://www.amazon.com/Mate-Replace...cb-974a-deec2fb8a80c&pd_rd_i=B07KFP7PRG&psc=1