New to Feline Diabetes. Need Help!

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JessicaAnn393

JessicaAnn393

Member Since 2020
Hello,

My seven year old male cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He was drinking a lot and urinating a lot so I took him to get checked. His glucose was 404 last week. I went back to the vet yesterday and it was 333. I am overwhelmed and not sure what to do. The vet recommended a prescription food Hills Prescription Diet. I read about it and it does not have good reviews. I don't know what to trust. Any food recommendations? I have learned he needs to be on a wet food that is low carb and high protein. Is prescription food needed? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Jessica
 
JessicaAnn393 said:
Hello,

My seven year old male cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He was drinking a lot and urinating a lot so I took him to get checked. His glucose was 404 last week. I went back to the vet yesterday and it was 333. I am overwhelmed and not sure what to do. The vet recommended a prescription food Hills Prescription Diet. I read about it and it does not have good reviews. I don't know what to trust. Any food recommendations? I have learned he needs to be on a wet food that is low carb and high protein. Is prescription food needed? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Jessica
Click to expand...
Hi Jessica, you found the best place you could be.
Nothing special about the hills prescription food.

What is your cats name and what has he been eating, wet ,dry or both?

Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics Pate or Friskies Pate under 10 % carbs

I will post the link to the food chart for you

Is he getting insulin , if so what insulin and how many units.
I will post something for you it's called a signature, it's in grey writing underneath each persons posts.

Are you interested in home testing?
We all home test , first of all taking him to the vet to test can cause numbers to be high because of stress.

If you are giving insulin home testing is the only way to be sure it's safe to
give the insulin and get more tests in during each 12 hour cycle to see how low the insulin is taking your kitty.
Let's do this first fill in your signature
I'll post it for you
If it wasn't for the experienced members here helping me , my cat wouldn't be doing
as awesome as he doing now.

Edit. If you do decided to home test ( highly recommend) we have what's called
a spreadsheet we use to enter our cats readings

Let us know and we can give you the instructions and understanding the grid ( spreadsheet)

If you have trouble with creating it we have 2 awesome members that can set it up for you
 
Last edited:
  • It would be helpful if you can set up your signature
  • On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • 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.


tap on your avatar where it says your name ,then hit profile page ,tap on that ,then go up to the very top, upper right hand side and tap on your name ,it will bring down a drop box, tap on signature, the signature will be under settings, tap on the signature then and you can start to add what I posted above, make sure you hit save ,
Welcome to the best place you could ever be and an awesome group of people
 
Hi Jessica
Sorry to hear about your kitty but don't panic! You have found the best support family you could ever need to help you get your him through this. I say family deliberately as it is much more than a support group - the people on here do really care!
The expert members will soon pop along with lots of useful info but I just wanted to say welcome!
I believe that most will say definitely no need for prescription food unless there is another underlying condition he has.
There are various useful food lists on here depending whether you are in the US or elsewhere. If you can reply with where you are we'll find the right one for you.
All the best to you both.
Gill
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
  • It would be helpful if you can set up your signature
  • On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • 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.


tap on your avatar where it says your name ,then hit profile page ,tap on that ,then go up to the very top, upper right hand side and tap on your name ,it will bring down a drop box, tap on signature, the signature will be under settings, tap on the signature then and you can start to add what I posted above, make sure you hit save ,
Welcome to the best place you could ever be and an awesome group of people
Click to expand...
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Hi Jessica, you found the best place you could be.
Nothing special about the hills prescription food.

What is your cats name and what has he been eating, wet ,dry or both?

Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics Pate or Friskies Pate under 10 % carbs

I will post the link to the food chart for you

Is he getting insulin , if so what insulin and how many units.
I will post something for you it's called a signature, it's in grey writing underneath each persons posts.

Are you interested in home testing?
We all home test , first of all taking him to the vet to test can cause numbers to be high because of stress.

If you are giving insulin home testing is the only way to be sure it's safe to
give the insulin and get more tests in during each 12 hour cycle to see how low the insulin is taking your kitty.
Let's do this first fill in your signature
I'll post it for you
If it wasn't for the experienced members here helping me , my cat wouldn't be doing
as awesome as he doing now.

Edit. If you do decided to home test ( highly recommend) we have what's called
a spreadsheet we use to enter our cats readings

Let us know and we can give you the instructions and understanding the grid ( spreadsheet)

If you have trouble with creating it we have 2 awesome members that can set it up for you
Click to expand...
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
  • It would be helpful if you can set up your signature
  • On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • 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.


tap on your avatar where it says your name ,then hit profile page ,tap on that ,then go up to the very top, upper right hand side and tap on your name ,it will bring down a drop box, tap on signature, the signature will be under settings, tap on the signature then and you can start to add what I posted above, make sure you hit save ,
Welcome to the best place you could ever be and an awesome group of people
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for this information. I put some information in my signature. I do not know much about this yet. I have a prescription for insulin (PZI 10-40 give one unit twice daily.) I am not even sure where to get the insulin. Leo is my cats name. I live alone so this is feelings a bit overwhelming. He is not neutered and polydactyl . My vet just gave me the prescriptions and not much information. I am not allowed in the office because of COVID and I DO NOT know how to give him a shot. The vet said to try new food and see if it helps but then also gave me the prescription for food and insulin. I just don't know what I should be doing right now. I am going to get some new food today. I will get a wet food but also wanted to know if there are any dry foods that he can have as well?
 
JessicaAnn393 said:
I live alone so this is feelings a bit overwhelming.
Click to expand...
The early days are indeed very overwhelming. I'm glad you've found FDMB, Jessica Ann. You're not alone with this any more, OK? We'll do all we can to help you and Leo every step of the way. :bighug:

Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein chicken variety is a dry food that's under 10% carbs. It's better overall to feed an exclusively low carb wet food diet but the Dr. Elsey's can sometimes help with transitioning from a high carb dry diet.

Really cool that Leo's a thumbcat! :cool:

@Chris & China (GA) or @JanetNJ - Can you advise Jessica Ann where she can fill her insulin Rx please?

More to follow shortly...


Mogs
 
JessicaAnn393 said:
Thank you so much for this information. I put some information in my signature. I do not know much about this yet. I have a prescription for insulin (PZI 10-40 give one unit twice daily.) I am not even sure where to get the insulin. Leo is my cats name. I live alone so this is feelings a bit overwhelming. He is not neutered and polydactyl . My vet just gave me the prescriptions and not much information. I am not allowed in the office because of COVID and I DO NOT know how to give him a shot. The vet said to try new food and see if it helps but then also gave me the prescription for food and insulin. I just don't know what I should be doing right now. I am going to get some new food today. I will get a wet food but also wanted to know if there are any dry foods that he can have as well?
Click to expand...
Can you also put DX date when ? in your signature Thanks
Oh we are all in different time zones, what state do you live in
Sorry just saw you are from Jersey, me too and other members also
 
Covid restrictions are making access to veterinary care and support very difficult. :(

To help get you started, here are a couple of useful threads with lots of information and videos on how to give injections and test blood glucose levels:

Testing and Injection Tips

Home Testing Links and Tips

When learning to inject, it's helpful to draw up some water into a syringe and practice injecting an orange (builds a bit of confidence!).

Can you confirm whether you've been given a prescription for 'Prozinc' insulin please, Jessica Ann. (Hoping to point you to additional helpful info.)


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
Covid restrictions are making access to veterinary care and support very difficult. :(

To help get you started, here are a couple of useful threads with lots of information and videos on how to give injections and test blood glucose levels:

Testing and Injection Tips

Home Testing Links and Tips

When learning to inject, it's helpful to draw up some water into a syringe and practice injecting an orange (builds a bit of confidence!).

Can you confirm whether you've been given a prescription for 'Prozinc' insulin please, Jessica Ann. (Hoping to point you to additional helpful info.)


Mogs
.
Click to expand...

Thanks this is helpful! Yes, I have a prescription for insulin
 
For members replying to this thread, on the picture of the prescription the vet has included "PZI IU-40 insulin, 1IU twice daily" plus U-40 syringes. Tagging some US members who might be able to advise you further on this. (@JanetNJ, @Deb & Wink).

BTW, Jessica Ann, for safety I suggest you now take down the picture you've posted because it contains personal info and this is a public board. (Click 'Edit' underneath your post. You will then be able to delete the attached image, then save the changes.)


Mogs
.
 
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugarsugar
Here is a video that one of our members posted .

When it comes to meters Janet uses a pet meter, the strips are expensive, you will
go through a lot of them in the beginning
Off the top of my heard about 54.00 for 50 strips
Meter is close to 50.00

Most of us here use human meters from Walmart
Relion Prime it's 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 strips
You will need 26 or 28 gauge lancets to poke his ear
Cotton rounds to put behind the ear so you don't get poked
Then you will get the cotton round and press gently on his ear to stop the bleeding
about 20 seconds or less.

When you buy the U-40 syringes ask for the ones with half unit markings.
It makes it easier to decrease or increase by 0.25 units. You can also get the RELION SYRINGES at Walmart with half unit markings
 
Last edited:
JessicaAnn393 said:
Are all Fancy Feast Classic Pate and Friskies Pate 10% carb or is there a specific kind? Also, how do I feed daily? I was trying to find the food chart but I am new to this forum and not exactly sure how it works.
Click to expand...
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/

Food chart, you want anything that is less than 10% carbs
Most Fancy Feast Classics pates are either 2 or 3 percent carbs
You want less than 10% carbs tap on the blue writing I sent you
 
JessicaAnn393 said:
Are all Fancy Feast Classic Pate and Friskies Pate 10% carb or is there a specific kind? Also, how do I feed daily? I was trying to find the food chart but I am new to this forum and not exactly sure how it works.
Click to expand...
Here's a link to the US food chart:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...m6PPfEUz9YmzMGMxkmcBk6uRR0/edit#gid=113878384

(FYI, if you're looking for it again, it's in the first thread at the top of the Feline Health board.)

For general day-to-day feeding, you're looking for anything with less than 10% carbs.

Also, you'll need to grab a few cans of higher carb food (e.g. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers in 15-20% range) to keep to one side in case there comes a time when Leo's BG levels run low. The higher carb foods are used in such instances to help raise BG numbers. Here is some important safety info from the forum FAQs section:

How to Treat Hypos (Familiarise yourself with this and also print out a copy that you can leave somewhere that it's always quickly accessible.)

Hypo Toolkit (Info on additional supplies.)

I've not used a PZI insulin but the members I've tagged above should be able to advise you on specifics, but in simplified terms the general drill morning and evening is as follows for each 12-hour period (cycle):

* Withhold food for 2 hours before insulin dose is due.

* Take fasting BG reading (preshot test).

* Assuming preshot BG is high enough, feed a reasonable-sized meal.

* Administer insulin dose.

* Check BG again during the 12-hour cycle, around the time when the insulin is working at its strongest and BG is therefore likely to be at its lowest for the current dose.

* It's OK to give small feeds between doses, but it's preferable to give them in the early to middle part of the cycle before the effects of the insulin dose start to wear off.


Mogs
.
 
Jessica I know about the covid rules but you can't ask your vet to let you in to show
you how to inject the insulin. they can use water to show you how to inject.
Really tell them how the hell are you supposed to know where and how to do it.
Ask them to show you after all their patients have left
 
Leo is very cute Jessica Ann!

I know how overwhelming it all is in the early days but you will get there with the great help from everyone on here.

When you get a chance to grab a minute for yourself - have a read of the post below - although it is a light hearted letter from a sugar kitty to his mum it is wonderful to put everything in perspective. I found it in the early days after Mac's diagnosis and it helped me realise I was not alone in some of the things I was doing & to relax.

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/posts/1349391/
 
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
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

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
 
Important safety info:

Leo's current blood glucose levels warrant the standard safety precaution of testing his pee for ketones daily, especially as he hasn't yet started on insulin. You can pick up urine ketone test strips at Walmart or any regular pharmacy.

In brief, unregulated diabetics can't metabolise the food they eat properly and this can sometimes lead to the body producing ketones. Any build-up of ketones is a medical emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention so as to prevent the kitty developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA - a dangerous potential complication of diabetes). Testing for ketones daily is a very wise protective and preventative measure. Negative result is OK. Trace result needs to be monitored. Any result higher than trace and it's time to get to a vet.

More info:

Ketones, DKA and Ketone Meters

Tips for Collecting Urine Samples


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
Important safety info:

Leo's current blood glucose levels warrant the standard safety precaution of testing his pee for ketones daily, especially as he hasn't yet started on insulin. You can pick up urine ketone test strips at Walmart or any regular pharmacy.

In brief, unregulated diabetics can't metabolise the food they eat properly and this can sometimes lead to the body producing ketones. Any build-up of ketones is a medical emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention so as to prevent the kitty developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA - a dangerous potential complication of diabetes). Testing for ketones daily is a very wise protective and preventative measure. Negative result is OK. Trace result needs to be monitored. Any result higher than trace and it's time to get to a vet.

More info:

Ketones, DKA and Ketone Meters

Tips for Collecting Urine Samples


Mogs
.
Click to expand...

Leo's urine analysis tested negative for keytones but I understand this is something to be monitored. Thanks for this information!
 
Gill & Mac (UK) said:
Leo is very cute Jessica Ann!

I know how overwhelming it all is in the early days but you will get there with the great help from everyone on here.

When you get a chance to grab a minute for yourself - have a read of the post below - although it is a light hearted letter from a sugar kitty to his mum it is wonderful to put everything in perspective. I found it in the early days after Mac's diagnosis and it helped me realise I was not alone in some of the things I was doing & to relax.

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/posts/1349391/
Click to expand...

Thanks so much. I am happy to have knowledgeable people who know what needs to be done :)
 
JessicaAnn393 said:
Leo's urine analysis tested negative for keytones but I understand this is something to be monitored. Thanks for this information!
Click to expand...
Good that the previous urine test was ketone-negative, Jessica Ann. The reason you need to test daily is that if a kitty does start producing ketones they can build up within a matter of hours.

JessicaAnn393 said:
I made me very uneasy and not sure what to do which is why I was desperately going through the internet and found this
Click to expand...
We've had a few members join in the last few months who experienced similar difficulties. IIRC, one member had a vet tech do a demo by reaching into their car to inject the cat.


Mogs
.
 
Last edited:
JessicaAnn393 said:
I know! I made me very uneasy and not sure what to do which is why I was desperately going through the internet and found this
Click to expand...
Heeeey fellow Jersey person! What area? I am in North Arlington by the Meadowlands. I know it's so overwhelming and scary, but will soon all be routine. My cat was diagnosed 4.5 years ago. They can live long, happy lives.

My cat uses Prozinc. I get it from chewy.com. I put it on auto ship so it’s only $101 per vial. You keep the vial in the refrigerator and it will last a good 4 months. Not too bad, right? You are also going to need u-40 syringes. https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/18570/bd-pet-syringes-u40-29g-3-10cc-1-2in-half-unit

These are also good, and have a small gauge, and ship fast!

https://www.countrysidepet.com/prod...00-syringes-total?_pos=1&_sid=6d13e401f&_ss=r


These are my favorite lancets for testing. They also sell them on adw.

TruePlus Sterile Lancets, 28 Guage, 3 Boxes of 100 (300 Total) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4MOK5Q/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.
 
JanetNJ said:
Heeeey fellow Jersey person! What area? I am in North Arlington by the Meadowlands. I know it's so overwhelming and scary, but will soon all be routine. My cat was diagnosed 4.5 years ago. They can live long, happy lives.

My cat uses Prozinc. I get it from chewy.com. I put it on auto ship so it’s only $101 per vial. You keep the vial in the refrigerator and it will last a good 4 months. Not too bad, right? You are also going to need u-40 syringes. https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/18570/bd-pet-syringes-u40-29g-3-10cc-1-2in-half-unit

These are also good, and have a small gauge, and ship fast!

https://www.countrysidepet.com/prod...00-syringes-total?_pos=1&_sid=6d13e401f&_ss=r


These are my favorite lancets for testing. They also sell them on adw.

TruePlus Sterile Lancets, 28 Guage, 3 Boxes of 100 (300 Total) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4MOK5Q/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this information! I am in North Jersey too! Bergen County. I am out shopping now. Are there any treats diabetic cats can have?
 
JessicaAnn393 said:
Thanks for this information! I am in North Jersey too! Bergen County. I am out shopping now. Are there any treats diabetic cats can have?
Click to expand...
Heyyyy. Fellow Bergen County person! North Arlington is bergen county too. Excellent. Nice to have you here neighbor. :) my cats fav treats are purebites. It's just freeze dried chicken. I get the dog size bags from Amazon or chewy. She also likes the salmon ones. Other than that you can give meats for snacks. Chicken, tuna, ham, turkey... Sometimes a bit of cold cuts. No temptation or party mix or anything like that. Cat nip and cat grass are fine too.
 
JanetNJ said:
Heyyyy. Fellow Bergen County person! North Arlington is bergen county too. Excellent. Nice to have you here neighbor. :) my cats fav treats are purebites. It's just freeze dried chicken. I get the dog size bags from Amazon or chewy. She also likes the salmon ones. Other than that you can give meats for snacks. Chicken, tuna, ham, turkey... Sometimes a bit of cold cuts. No temptation or party mix or anything like that. Cat nip and cat grass are fine too.
Click to expand...
Hey Janet, I never knew you were that close to me I'm in Lyndhurst ,small world
@JanetNJ
 
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