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Milocat

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Hi - my name is Lynda and we just found out yesterday our 9 yr old DSH has been diagnosed as Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). He is going into today for fluid treatement even though he is drinking alot of water.

The vet is calling around to get his insulin in a liguid form and she said we will need special food.

Needless to say we are upset and shocked as this came on very fast. Last week he was fine and took a nose dive on Monday. I can't even think right now and and the verge of tears.

So I have some questions in regards to insulin (it begins with a "G' and is the human form??), diet and what comes next?
Insulin - we will be giving him the liquid form of this medicine as I was told they no longer make the pills. Has anyone used this and if so have you had good reuslts?

I have heard from friends and family that the Purina DM dry is a good food as is the wet food. Which would be better to use as he is not eating very much at all right now. Is this safe for my non diabetic cats to eat?
Is there any other food out there that is just as good but not as expensive? Which is better - canned or dry food or does it matter?

I know every cat is different but some basics, opinions and what worked for you would be helpful right now.

Vacations / Long Weekends will present a problem for us. Our cat does not like strangers, even family and friends who are over all the time scare him. So I am guessing it would be better to board him for vacations, but for a long weekend where we would leave Friday afternoon and be home Sunday am, can he miss one day of insulin once he gets back to "normal"? Does boarding your cats stress them out and upset the balance of everything?

Thank you for reading my post and answering questions.

Lynda - Milo's "Mom"
 
Hi Lynda and WELCOME to FDMB!!!

My name is Leah and my Jezzi was Diagnosed March 22. You couldnt have found a better place in regards to advice, tips and tricks, and overall support. People here are caring and knowledgable. And while I'm still very new myself, I can tell you that if you are not already testing, that we urge you to home test. I had a very scary night last week that if it weren't for the caring people on this forum, I'm not sure my sugarcat would have made it. The very first night I started test she went hypo due to the negligence of an inexperienced vet, who set her on a regiment of 6U x2 daily.

Here's is what I think, I know people are going to urge you to get you kitty off dry food. Start home testing, we can teach you how. I know it sounds intimidating, it took my way too long to get over my fear. It was actually easier on me to inject her insulin then it was to do BG test, but once I did, it's like second nature. And it doesn't bother her in the least.

There is no reason to spend money on special diet food, I will let the more experienced members tell you about that. I just wanted to welcome you and to tell you to ask questions, a lot of questions. For me, when I first joined here, I was afraid I was bothering people and that they were going to get tired of me bugging them, but it is far from it. They want you to ask. They are patient, caring, generous people.

I too have been thinking about what to do as far as vacations, so I'll be waiting to see what kind of ideas are mentioned.
But the best and most important thing I can tell you is that you found the best place to get ideas and suggestions. These people know what their talking about.

So again...welcome!
 
Hi Lynda.

As far as I know, yes insulin is only available in liquid, injectable (normally 2x per day) ... G name, probably Glargine? Commonly known as Lantus, and is one of the better insulins available for cats.

As for diet, you want low carb, high protein, although the low carb is the most important aspect for a diabetic. There is a nice list here listing many aspects of the diet for many of the available foods, % kcal from carbs is the important column for you, ideally you want to keep carbs under 10%, but less if your cat will tolerate it. The prescription food is often not as good as even some of the cheaper store bought foods, and on top of that, are largely liver based, so most cats usually won't eat it for more than a few days.

Dry food is NEVER good, as cats have a very low thirst drive and don't drink enough to make up for what their food is lacking. Even carbs aside, you should try to get your kitty on all wet food - some more info on this subject can be found here written by a vet.

As for time away... I can't speak much on that, but essentially, IF you can get your cat diet regulated to where he no longer needs insulin it shouldn't pose a problem... however, getting to THAT point is a goal, not a guarantee... not all cats go 'otj' (off the juice) aka remission. Really depends on the cat.

I'm sure someone else will be along soon with better, more in depth answers for you, but in the meantime, Welcome to FDMB, the best place you never wanted to be.


Edit to add: Yes, Leah is correct, home blood glucose testing is really the first major step you should be taking, in order to truly keep your kitty as safe as possible.

also, a really good 'starter' shopping list by Wendy in this thread
 
Welcome!

First off- the insulin is most likely glargine, also called lantus, and we have two whole forums of people who use it. It is a very good insulin. You want to get the prescription for the PENS, not the VIALS. While they cost more upfront they last longer and it is like you have 5 little vials to use up over the course of time and while most people finish the pen while it is still good compared to the vial which can become contaminated. Or it can be dropped and break into a mess of glass and insulin- it has been known to happen.

Two- food- don't buy the dry. At all. Dry is like feeding your cat peanut butter- high carb PB that has a candy coating to entice the cat to eat it. Choose a canned catfood that is low in carbs (8% or lower). Here are 3 lists that we use- a lot of man hours went into making this list so our cats can have the appropriate food to eat:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... hYXc#gid=0 (called Hobo's List)
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html (called binky's list)
http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Food%20Char ... -22-12.pdf (new list from CatInfo.org)

As you can see- fancy feast, friskies, 9-lives are on this list. Walmart special kitty even has 5 cans you can feed under 8%. If you got talked into purchasing the dry from the vet- take it back and say your cat refused to eat it (same for the canned- the makers of the canned also make... FF, friskies, 9-lives so all you are paying for is the label)

The biggest and most IMPORTANT thing you need to do is start home testing.You need to get a glucometer to test your cat- a human one is fine and reliable to use. It reads different than the pet ones but all you really need is the consistency of the levels day in and day out. You might be able to get a free one- there is a spot just at the top of every page that says home testing kits. Here is a link to what's inside:
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=60261

If you purchase one here is a list from Consumer Reports:
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=70140

You need to look at the ones that have the cheapest strips- not the cheapest meter. The meter you will buy once, the strips you will continue to purchase over and over again. A lot of people on the board use the Relion micro/confirm meters from Wal-mart because the strips are the cheapest around- $.36 each and usually easy to get (and you can get the strips even cheaper online through the ADW site). Bayer is another popular one. Be wary of the generic kinds that have the word TRUE in the name- those have been inaccurate in the past for higher #'s or don't go above 299- and another bad one is the Freestyle Light with the butterfly on the strips- both of these have led many pet owners to believe their cats were okay when they were really in trouble. And you can do your own curves at home when you hometest- that is cheaper than doing it at the vet.

To keep up with the BG #'s there is a spread sheet (SS) that we link to our signature line. Here is the link to set up:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

And finally- this is a lot I know but with a DKA diagnosis you also need to get:
Incidentals-
- I would suggest getting ketosticks (found in the diabetic supply aisle) to test your kitty for ketones that leads to DKA- this is a very serious and deadly (and EXPENSIVE) illness as you are finding out. For $7 you get 50 strips- the best insurance against ketones possible. If you catch it early the easier it is to treat.
- Lancets- for your first box go for the lowest gauge you can find- 26 or 28. His ears won't bleed that much at the start. There are so many u-tube videos out there that can show you how to test the ear. You can either use the lancet pen or free-hand. I free-hand as I feel like I have more control over the pointy end. After the first box is used up you can switch to 31 gauge.
- TREATS! In the videos you see the cats eager to be tested. That is because they are shamelessly bribed into sitting still because of a yummy treat that is given after testing. Freeze-dried chicken, beef, shrimp are no carb treats and there are others out there that get used as well. Give this treat ONLY a poke time- tests or shots. Your cat might not care for treats, mine never did. She just knows it comes before her food

Let us know if you have any questions- we are all here to help.
 
Some vets may suggest glipizide pills, but it's horrible and causes more damage than any good at all.
Refuse any suggestions to use glipizide.

The human insulin glargine is referred to as Lantus by most people.
 
Thank you all for the wonderful tips, information and links. It is greatly appreciated!

I just rec'd a call from the Vet and his sugar is over 500 and s/b 160, so we are setting aside our fear, nervousness, etc to start him on insulin shots to get his numbers down and then switch over to oral insulin if needed.
My other big concern is Milo is not eating and Iplan to pick up some wet canned food for him today. I will look for the carbs < than 8-10%...I have to look at labels for my son so we will just add Milo to the list.
The vet is giving him fluids and antibiotics today because of liver inflammation and pancreatitis that will last for 2 weeks.

I am still amazed at how fast this came one.

Thank you all again.
 
No, there is no oral insulin.... you will be giving insulin shots.

Your cat does not need to stay at the vet for fluids; you can give them yourself at home.
Your cat will not become regulated at the vet office, so get a human blood glucose meter and test him yourself at home.
Cats can take weeks and months to become fairly regulated, so save your money and treat at home. Your cat will be happier at home.

Pancreatitis is very painful and it will not last weeks; I am not sure who told you that.
You can give pain meds (buprenex) at home and also give subQ fluids at home..... there are several people here who treat their cats at home. My Oliver needs fluids every 2nd day for megacolon; it's not difficult, and cats prefer to be at home. If he is not eating, he should be getting something for nausea.... ask the vet what he's been given there - what insulin and how much, what food and how much, what meds and how much. You want to know the name of the insulin, the antibiotics, and the nausea meds.

Again, there is no oral insulin; the shots will work just fine.

Gayle
 
AFAIK - there is no oral insulin for cats.
The shots aren't difficult, really. Blood testing isn't bad either, once you get a little practice in. Make sure you give low-carb treats (like freeze-dried chicken) and Milo may learn to come running for his tests.
Cats are so good at hiding when they don't feel well. They're fine, they're fine, they're fine - they're really really sick. I'm sorry he got sick like that...But I'm glad he's getting treatment and he'll be better soon.
 
Oh OK. I will double check the oral meds as the vet said there are pills and / or a liquid that we can give him after the counts are better. Hmmmm....

We will be doing this at home after today, she wanted to run a couple of more tests and the liquids plus antibiotics.

Thanks again.
 
Milocat said:
Oh OK. I will double check the oral meds as the vet said there are pills and / or a liquid that we can give him after the counts are better. Hmmmm....

We will be doing this at home after today, she wanted to run a couple of more tests and the liquids plus antibiotics.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
There ARE pills and they are called GLIPIZIDE. They are horrible and do more harm than good for cats. They do not help the pancreas to heal; they just force the pancreas to work harder and end up wrecking the pancreas...... do NOT use those pills.

ETA: Think of a little dog who can't walk fast. You want the dog to walk faster so you get a leash and pull the dog to go faster. How do you think that dog feels? Any better? NO! That's what those pills will do to your cat; make him feel worse and get sicker.
 
Hi Lynda,
I just wanted to say welcome to the board and as previously stated, you're in the best hands possible here. FDMB helped me with the HUGE transition process from diagnosis to treatment to remission. You are going to receive a lot of information here all at once and with a new diagnosis, it can be very overwhelming - I know. Just remember that when you get stressed out, just breathe... a few good deep ones. :-D I think the key to success here is getting started, learning how to home test, reading and researching as much as you can and asking every question you can think of. Even if you think it's a dumb one. So welcome to FDMB and we are all here to support you and your sugarcat.
 
Good Morning - thanks again for all the answers, advice, knowledge share, etc. Milo has to have insulin shots 12 hours apart. He is responding to the fluids and the antibiotics and looked 100% better than he did Wednesday night. I was not even sure he would make it thru the night Wednesday. He was finally lying down – relaxed & not hunched up – and purring, meowing and eating.

Katie - you are correct. Alot of information - all good and overwhelming too. Your cat was OTJ after just a month? What are you doing now? Just diet and monitoring? I am hoping / praying for that for Milo. :)

I do have another question and I probably missed it on the labels, but how do I know what the carb percentage is? I saw protein, fiber, water, ash, taurin but not carb so I am guessing I missed it somewhere.

Has anyone boarded their cat while giving insulin? Milo is so shy that he runs and hides from people - even those that are there alot of the time, so having someone come in and try to medicate him is not going to work. We are not thinking of boarding him yet bu possibly in the future. I am thinking of a vet clinic that offers boarding also.

Thanks again everyone - I really appreciate it and I could ask intelligent questions yesterday at the vet's. :)
 
I find it easier to look up what food I want to purchase first and then go out and find it rather than browsing at the store, since cat food labels are seriously confusing! Another board member put together a good list here: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=94685
with all the recommended low carb food, so all you have to do is pick one you like and see where you can get it!
 
Thanks Becky - I printed the list off and can now safely choose his food and the others.
I hope one day I can post that Milo is OTJ!
 
Hi Lynda,

Sorry for my late reply as I have been very busy on a little mini-vacation. As for your questions, yes, Mego is now diet controlled only and I monitor twice a day (before morning & evening feeding times). Although I have been a bit lax on that the last 2 weeks. I think the reason Mego was OTJ so quickly is because of the people here helping me and I'm fairly sure I caught his symptoms early - within 3 weeks. I hope Milo will be the same - that's what we all hope for.

As for the food labels, and as mentioned earlier, they don't list what is helpful for us to know with regards to carb content. I researched the food lists provided as links on the FDMB site and then went shopping. I started Mego out on Friskies pates. The vet wanted me to use the Purina DM but after hearing from so many people that I didn't have to use it, I didn't. I am now feeding Mego the Wellness brand of wet cat food (turkey & chicken flavors). After my experience here, I will never feed any present or future cats dry cat food.

I hope things continue to improve for Milo.
 
Lynda, You have definately come to the right place. They helped me so much! I have two diabetic cats, a 15 year old and a 7 year old. The 15 year old is now off the insulin and his diabetes managed completely by diet thanks to this group. The 7 year old is more stubborn but starting to really show improvement now that she is off the dry food. Once you start the BG testing and the insulin shots, it get easier over time. My 7 year old (Pita) comes running as she loves the treats when it is time to test. I give her the insulin shot when her nose is buried in food. She doesn't even notice.

I also have a really shy cat. I bought a cat play pen at the pet store and I lock him in it when I am out of town. I have a friend who comes by and does the testing and gives the insulin shot. Allow the cat does not like to be locked up she is still more relaxed then in a strange environment.

Good luck and keep us posted.

R, Monica
 
Lynda and Milo!
Welcome to the board! It sounds like you have made some great first steps - a low carb canned food is key as is a good insulin. Can you confirm which insulin you are getting and when you plan to start it?

Reason i ask is that a low carb canned food can start having an impact on his blood glucose immediately and his insulin needs . So I would advise you to start home testing his blood as soon as possible to check for this. Home testing is also important to see how he is doing (watch for remission!) and to keep him safe. The sooner you get all the keys in place the better his remission chances.. food, insulin and home testing.

Let me know and we can give you more info.

Wendy
 
Hi Lynda,

Welcome to the board here! ... I feel a bit weird saying that, being a relative newcomer myself, but the people here are awesome and the support and friendly advice (their's, not mine!!) is amazing :-D

I hope Milo is feeling a lot better now (and you too!! I know how stressful it all is at first, though fortunately for us, my own cat was diagnosed with diabetes, not the DKA - can't imagine how much there must be for you to think about now! :shock: )

Insulin - Jazz is on Glargine (Lantus) which seems effective - not sure if that is what your vet has prescribed, but it sounds likely.

Food - While researching foods, I initially switched her (cat, not vet!) to Hill's m/d wet but was not impressed at all - she's now on Wellness Turkey, which she seems to like and I feel much more comfortable with the ingredients and nutritional analysis of that food. The Wellness should be fine for all your cats too. I would say definitely avoid any dry foods (including for all your cats, diabetic or not). I really think it was the (vet-recommended) dry food that brought on Jazz's diabetes :-| Not sure where you are, but I've been able to find the Wellness food (155 g tins) in Australia for slightly less than the same size of Hill's m/d. I think Wellness is significantly cheaper in the US/Canada.

Home-blood-glucose-testing - definitely do this if you possibly can! It's really not that hard, and gets so much easier once you get the hang of it! (really!!) definitely try to test before giving each insulin shot :) Buy a human glucometer (mine is a Freestyle Optium - works well for cat purposes) and then you buy the matching test 'strips' separately (make sure they are the right sort for your meter). Look for a meter with a small amount of blood required for each test (0.6 uL or less), and I have also found the memory function (shows past test results so you don't have to rush to write the number down after each test while dealing with wiggly cat) and the 'beep' when enough blood is collected on the strip to be really helpful. Also handy (esp. at first) is a meter that lets you 're-dose' the same strip with extra blood if you don't get enough first time (usually gives you 5 secs or so to 'top up' the blood). It all sounds terribly dramatic and vampire-ish lol but it's really not that much fuss once you and the cat are in the routine :) Do make sure there's decent light so you can see what you're doing though, and warm up the ear before poking - this helps so much! I use a small face towel and pour boiling water over (or zap wet towel in microwave until I somehow blew it up! :shock: :? ) then wave it around till safe temp and stick in a ziplock bag and press against cat ear to warm. I would also suggest placing cat on your lap (or whatever works) in the same place that is comfortable for both of you for each test. There is a doc on the psychology of cat testing somewhere on the board, but I'm sorry I don't know where it is... Maybe someone else can point you in the right direction?

Vacations - for holidays, maybe you could try some kind of vet boarding facility?? Or ask a vet you trust if they can recommend any vet nurses/staff who cat sit and can look after Milo occasionally? (as a past pet-sitter myself, I would suggest carefully screening any potential sitters and see how Milo gets along with them, and you might also want to offer 'extra' in terms of payment and the vet info and a separate trusted local emergency contact who knows the details of Milo's care, as it is quite a big responsibility to care for an animal needing ongoing medical attention/treatment. just a thought :smile: )

I hope that might help a bit... it seems like so much to organize and deal with at first, but it does get easier, really! Hang in there and I hope Milo's feeling better soon! :smile:
 
Good Morning - thank you all again for the wonderful advice.
Milo is responding to the insulin and to the liver med that we rub in his ear 2x daily. He is filling out again and gaining some weight back and we are seeing the return of old behaviors and patterns, and the other 2 cats are not hissing and avoiding him.
He is grooming himself now although not all the time, so I brush him several times a day.
He is on the human form of insulin - N and I finally found a dry cat food that he will eat as will the others. That was a real struggle and I feared he would have to be put down as he was not eating and not getting his meds...boiled chicken and treats are not going to substain him for long.
None of them liked the wet cat food I offered and I offered several different types and they walked off. I talked to the vets and they all said that some cats are not wet food cats and mine aren't. I am feeding them all Healthy Life Recipe which has no fillers, sugars, preservatives, artifical colorings and flavorings. They all love it and the vet said that is fine. I will try and mix the DM into it and try to get them all on that as my goal is to get him regulated on just the food.

Have a great day!

Lynda and Milo
 
Is that insulin you are using the Novolin N or the Humulin N? I have some experience using those insulins and can help you with some suggestions. Like not feeding after the mid-day point in the cycle.

We need to find out from some testing , what the onset is (when it starts working), the duration is (how long it lasts), and the nadir (lowest point).

Not many cats do well on the NPH type insulins like the Novolin N. A cat's metabolism is simply too fast and it is unusual to get more than 6-7 hours of the insulin at work. That would mean you would need to dose 3 times a day and not many people can do that with a full time job and all of lifes other responsibilities.

There are 3 better insulins out there for use in a cat: Lantus, Levimir and PZI or Prozinc.

Do you have some BG (blood glucose) test numbers to share with us?

The closest thing to that food you mentioned that I could find was Purina Healthful Life. Is that the dry food you are feeding? if so it is very high in carbohydrates. The ingredients list I found shows that food is mostly grains, like corn, wheat,soy and rice. Not a good food for a diabetic cat.
 
Hi Deb - no this is not made by Purina but by the Mars Company. I took it to the vet with me on Friday and she looked it over and said it was Ok to get him to start eating and then slowly introduce the other food to him and the other 2 cats. It is made of chicken, garden greens and brown rice.

I can give him the insulin (and will double check the name) and if it is Novolin N I will talk to the vet about switching it. He will not however let me test him for his BG numbers so the vet is doing it and not charging me. His last number I have was 150 and that was after 3 hours post injection.
He just explodes when I try and test him and then hides.
 
The Lynda said her cat has been diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). That requires IV fluids and that requires staying at the vet.

Blue said:
No, there is no oral insulin.... you will be giving insulin shots.

Your cat does not need to stay at the vet for fluids; you can give them yourself at home.
(snip)
Gayle
Click to expand...
 
Larry and Kitties: But the DKA was on May 16th. It is now May 28th. I do not think the DKA is a factor any more. at least not as far as needing any fluids and support at the vet is concerned.
 
Milocat said:
Milo is responding to the insulin and to the liver med that we rub in his ear 2x daily. He is filling out again and gaining some weight back and we are seeing the return of old behaviors and patterns, and the other 2 cats are not hissing and avoiding him.
He is grooming himself now although not all the time, so I brush him several times a day.
Click to expand...

It's good to hear that Milo is feeling better and acting like his old self. We like to know how the 5 P's are: peeing, pooping, purring, playing, preening. These plus his appetite give us what we call the WCR or whole cat report.

How is Milo doing today with all of those things?

I was trying to find out exactly the name of the food you are feeding. Would you be willing to put the entire name in a post so I can look it up and find the carb content? I do not think that is a good low carb dry food for a diabetic but I will check. I can not find anything by Mars called Healthy Life. Is there more to the name? Like Goodlife or Whiskas or Sheba?

Some good low carb dry foods for a diabetic cat are Natura/Innova EVO, Wellness Core, Nature's Variety Instinct and Young Again Zero Carb (mail order only on this last one). We try to keep the carb content under 10%.

The higher carb content foods can keep a cat in higher BG (blood glucose) levels. You want to get them down to 50-130 on all tests, without insulin to get your cat into remission. We have found that remission is almost impossible on a high carb food and a short acting insulin like the N you are using.

Where do you live? Maybe the vets are not allowed to prescribe a good insulin in the country you live in.


He is on the human form of insulin - N and I finally found a dry cat food that he will eat as will the others. That was a real struggle and I feared he would have to be put down as he was not eating and not getting his meds...boiled chicken and treats are not going to substain him for long.
None of them liked the wet cat food I offered and I offered several different types and they walked off. I talked to the vets and they all said that some cats are not wet food cats and mine aren't. I am feeding them all Healthy Life Recipe which has no fillers, sugars, preservatives, artifical colorings and flavorings. They all love it and the vet said that is fine. I will try and mix the DM into it and try to get them all on that as my goal is to get him regulated on just the food.

Have a great day!

Lynda and Milo[/quote]
 
Hi Deb - my sincere apologies on the food name. It is Goodlife Recipe made by Mars Inc from Franklin TN.

If you can tell me where to look or how to look or what to look for on the carb content then I can look for that also. I did not see it on the bag of food, only that is has no sugar. Believe me after him not eating for a week, we were thrilled that he at 60 pieces at one time. Someone told me to look at the fiber content also?? Which I understand he needs the fiber but not sure what % I should be looking for.

I saw the others on line yesterday from PetSmart (I live in Missouri) and saw the Wellness Core brand. I have seen this brand on several posts on here and have it written down to try. My cats are not wet food cats so I will need to stick with the dry. I have read that under 10% carbs is good and I am aiming for that. I would love to get him into remission and that is my goal fo him and me.

He is on Novolin N insulin and I do plan to talk with the vets when we go in next week about changing this to a better brand and one that he won't metabloize as fast. Thanks for tha tadvice on that.

He is peeing, pooping, purring loudly again as of this am, playing a bit but not as much as he used too yet and he is preening more but I still comb him. Something I have always done anyway. He did groom the ears of one of my other cats the other day and that cat in turned groomed Milo. It is a group effort! He even was sprawled out on the arm of the couch and swatted at me as I went by, and then laid on the back of the couch when I was sitting there with his paw on my head. Normal for him. :lol: His eyes are clear and bright again and he does not look 'sick' in them anymore, and his haunches are filling out as his is back and sides.

He has to continue the liver medicine for another 2 weeks but after getting 5 days of it on a normal cycle he appears to be even perkier than this time last week. Also probably because of eating too.
 
Its great to hear he is doing so well and eating again.

Once he is eating well its a good time to try and transition to a lower carb dry, or even better a low carb wet canned. I dont worry about fiber as much as % carbs - you are correct, under 10% is what you are looking for - I aim for 8 or lower if I can.

He is on Novolin N insulin and I do plan to talk with the vets when we go in next week about changing this to a better brand and one that he won't metabloize as fast. Thanks for tha tadvice on that.
Click to expand...
Ask about Lantus, Levemir or Prozinc (PZI). Those are best for cats and best chance for remission. Sooner the better since the remission window is short.

. He did groom the ears of one of my other cats the other day and that cat in turned groomed Milo. It is a group effort!
Click to expand...
Hand the other cat the lancet and meter and get him to test lol!!

Wendy
 
Thank you for the 5P's report this morning. Sounds good! Mutual groom fests occur here too.

If you ask your vet for a better insulin, the Lantus has a savings card program from the manufacturer for the Lantus Solostar pens. Savings card program here: http://www.lantus.com/considering/save-on-lantus/default.aspx Sometimes it can take a bit of work on your part to find a pharmacy that is willing to break up a box of 5 solostar pens and sell a single pen. The initial cost of 5 pens are higher but you can use them to the last drop and less chance of the insulin losing effectiveness and having to throw out a 10ml vial.

Food charts we use: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf with all the canned foods.
Low carb healthy treats: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172
Dry foods , low carb are not many out there. Old list http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.htmlhere but it hasn't been updated in about 6 years so your food may be missing. We have some carb calculator tools we can use to determine the carb percent from the list the other protein/fat/ash content on the dry food.

Ok, that Goodlife dry food is 42% carbs according to my dry food calculator. Not a good choice for a diabetic cat. We want under 10%.

Transitioning tips for dry food addicts here: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf I had a dry food addict diabetic cat also . He only gets canned food now, under 10% carbs. Took every trick in the book.
 
Thank you Deb and Wendy for the tips. I plan on start transitioning them all to the low carb food this weekend and try the wet food again. I also will check the links for the tips that you provided Deb.

Is there a place I can find a low carb calculator so if I am in a store and forget my list of what to buy and what not to buy, I can quickly find out if the food is a good choice or not?

I have a PetSmart or Petco close to me at work and will go there tomorrow and get a small bag of Wellness Core and start them on that. I plan to call the vet tomorrow - the one I have dealt with the most - and talk to her again about the insulin.
 
Wendy - I like your comment "Hand the other cat the lancet and meter and get him to test lol!!"

If Sammy or Shadow had opposable thumbs I would! :lol:
 
I only have a carb calculator that works on my laptop. There must be one out there for use on a phone. Maybe check the app store for one?

I don't even remember now where I downloaded the one I use from.

As a general rule, stick with the pate styles of food. Anything with gravy or gravy lovers or that says 'weight control' will be higher carb.

You can also look on the ingredients label and as long as any grains are minimal, far down in the list of ingredients, then it will probably be low carb. If you happen to buy a food that is higher carb, you can add it to your hypo tool kit for later use in case the BG drops low.

In fact, you probably want to have 3-4 cans of a gravy lovers food on hand for your hypo tool kit. Buy a few of those when you are next shopping, write directly on the can with a black or dark magic marker what the carb percent is.
 
Good Morning!

It has been a good weekend for Milo and the other 2 cats and the dog. They all love the Wellness CORE, gluten free / grain free WET and dry food. Finally found something they all will eat.
The cats get the wet food in the am, afternoon and pm ( they split a 1/2 can between 3 as they are not big eaters) and then the dry food - 1/8 of a cup between the 3 for during the day and night time.
I also got the freeze dried turkey and chicken which Milo LOVES and then Science Diet gluten free chicken snacks which Milo does not like but my other cats do.
The dog loves his new dry food and will pick it out of the bowl because I was mixing it with his other food to get him used to eat.

I also found a carb calculator on line where i just plug in the numbers and it does the work for me. http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html

I hope to have him OTJ in a couple of months or at least reduced down to 1x a day.

Thanks everyone for your advice and support! Milo is back to his old self and now doing all the 5 - P's although I still comb him as he likes it. dancing_cat
 
Your cat has an AWESOME name cat_pet_icon, I have a Milo too!!

Wishing you the best of luck on your journey with your sugar kitty...YOU CAN DO IT!!!


Bebe and Milo
 
I am very concerned about the food change without testing since his insulin needs will drop and he could have a hypo.

So - how often does your vet check his levels? I am hoping at least every week if not more.

Please print and read this carefully and set up your hypo kit. How to treat hypos :http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15887

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY - YOUR HYPO KIT
Put together NOW the following items and put in an easily accessible place!
Phone number of your vet
Phone number, address and map/directions to your nearest emergency vet (or phone number of the cab company and some cash/credit card)
Karo syrup, honey or corn syrup
High carb canned food with gravy – 2-3 cans
Some favourite treats
Spare pack of 25 blood glucose strips
Coffee for you ;)


Also you will want to use these secondary monitoring tools: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1r6ktdF7AMJCYHgPkVQWFUFy5Ag6OnbmfNfQqL3zX_88

Wendy
 
Hi Bebe - your Milo looks like my cat Max. I had him for 18+ years. My son named him Milo after the cat fromt he movie Milo and Otis

Wendy the vet is checking once a week (no charge to me) and so far he is still 'high' on the numbers. She will check him again this week. I have printed off the info you sent and will read it shortly. Thank you.
 
Good Morning - I am very, very sad today :cry: as we had to have Milo put to sleep today. wings_cat rb_icon
He just was not responding to the any insulin and he went from dry cat food, to wet (all good brands and low carbs) to baby food to not eating at all. I just could not let him go any longer suffering.
I am trying not to cry all the time but it is hard when you lose a 4 legged family member who has been part of our lives for so long. I know Milo will be wating for us on the Rainbow Bridge with our other beloved 4 legged family members.

Thank you all for your support and advice - it really helped me these last 3 months. Good luck to all you and your sugar kitties. God Bless you all.

Lynda and Milo
 
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this Lynda. :cry: My deepest sympathies.

Fly free little Milo, you have earned your wings wings_cat. You we're dearly loved and will be sorely missed.
 
Oh, Lynda, you poor love...

Will be holding you in my thoughts and wishing Milo a safe journey.
(I lost one of my own kitties 2 weeks ago and SO know how you feel....)

(((Hugs)))

Elizabeth
 
Thank you all for the sweet messages. Thank you Jeanne for the candle for Milo. It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.
My other 2 cats are lost with out him - they have been mewing and chirping for him all week. :)
 
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