Newbie here

[Jenifer]

Hello- My 9 year old cat was officially diagnosed as diabetic on Friday. It was suspected back in May but the vet had me change her diet first to see if she would level out. They put her on Hills which I am now learning is NOT good. But she did respond well at first and put on weight and started acting like her old self for almost 2 months. Then about 2 weeks ago she started going downhill again and lost a bunch of weight really fast. More bloodwork and a fructosamine test confirmed she is diabetic. Glucose levels this morning were 450+
They started her in 1ml (I think that's the correct unit of measure) of Lantis insulin. My question for anyone on here is what food should I feed her now? I don't want her on Hills anymore and she LOVES wet food so switching her won't be an issue but I haven't really seen a brand listed that I should get. I know there are a few suggestions as to wet foods that are "ok" like Friskies, but I want to know what people are feeding that they LOVE.
Also, wondering if since she started insulin today,and it's a low dose, if I am ok to cold turkey her off dry food to the low carb wet? My other cat who's not diabetic is going to love this new switch!
And one more question, I never see "carbohydrate" % actually listed on most cat foods. Do I basically just have to check all the ingredients and look for hidden carbs?

On a side note, I see the term "dry food addict" a lot in my reading. I didn't know that was a thing. My cats are wet food addicts. It they here a can open, they lose their minds! They only eat their kibble because that is the only thing available to them on a regular basis.........
Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Hi Jenifer and welcome!!

I’m sorry to hear about your cat’s diagnosis but as you’ll learn, diabetes is a very manageable condition. I’m happy to hear you’re using Lantus, which is a great insulin for cats, and starting at the right 1 unit dose so yay! Are you home testing or was the reading at the vet? Home testing is the best way to manage your cat’s diabetes, especially if you’re going to switch foods which can drop the BG levels considerably, and we have lots of tips to help you with that. Most of us use human meters which are affordable and easy to use. If you’re in the US, Walmart’s Relion is a favorite on this site

As for food, most of us here feed our sugar kitties fancy feast pate. It’s low carb abs good quality. The carb content is never in the cans and you usually have to dig for it on the food company’s website or call/email them. Dr. Lisa’s food chart is a great resource and it lists the majority of foods out there.

here is a good link for you to browse and get us the info we need to help you best. Start here

if you can start but setting up your signature, that would be great.

Make sure your signature is up-to-date.

• 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.

Thank you and welcome again!

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

WELCOME TO FDMB Jenifer! So glad you and your sweet kitty found us! As you have already seen through Ale we are a dedicated group of kitty cat lovers, that are tied together, compliments of the disease called diabetes!
I happen to have had a wonderful kitty named Trouble who was one of those dry food addicts. He onlky knew dry food before he came to live with us. I removed his dry food and his blood glucose numbers dropped 100 points, just like that. The problem happens when its removed all at once (instead of weening) I was on top of it though and we didnt have a hypo episode. Had I not known I could have killed my cat. I learned here a kitty needs to be weened from the dry. Trouble is long gone now but his story is as new as tomorrow.
Everything about diabetes is FOOD related. Dry food feeds diabetes. Plain and simple.

Are you planning to home test your kitties blood glucose? I hope so because it is the ONLY way to keep your kitty safe We have a way to track her numbers and trends on how the insulin is working in her body. It gives our helpers the information they need to give good sound advice on how to proceed with your cats insulin needs. Are you interested? You can learn how to set up a spread sheet here:
FDMB SPREADSHEET INSTRUCTIONS

Again welcome to the best darn site on this planet to help you help your diabetic kitty. You've landed in a safe place with lots of knowledgeable caring people.
jeanne

 

[Jenifer]

Hi Jenifer and welcome!!

I’m sorry to hear about your cat’s diagnosis but as you’ll learn, diabetes is a very manageable condition. I’m happy to hear you’re using Lantus, which is a great insulin for cats, and starting at the right 1 unit dose so yay! Are you home testing or was the reading at the vet? Home testing is the best way to manage your cat’s diabetes, especially if you’re going to switch foods which can drop the BG levels considerably, and we have lots of tips to help you with that. Most of us use human meters which are affordable and easy to use. If you’re in the US, Walmart’s Relion is a favorite on this site

As for food, most of us here feed our sugar kitties fancy feast pate. It’s low carb abs good quality. The carb content is never in the cans and you usually have to dig for it on the food company’s website or call/email them. Dr. Lisa’s food chart is a great resource and it lists the majority of foods out there.

here is a good link for you to browse and get us the info we need to help you best. Start here

if you can start but setting up your signature, that would be great.

Make sure your signature is up-to-date.

• 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.

Thank you and welcome again!

Thanks for the info. I haven't had time to read through everything on here yet and just wanted to be able to get the right food on my way home from picking her up at the vet this afternoon. I added a signature. Not sure what the dosing acronyms mean yet so I didn't put that on there. I will figure that out in the near future I suppose. I am testing levels at home. I have an AlphaTrak2 meter and a Henry Schein meter. I had Farmina N&D food recommended to me and I didn't see that when scrolling through the list of foods on the sheet. I guess I will just start simple with the Fancy Feast and go from there Hoping to have more time tonight to really dig in to this site and the forums and get this all figured out.

 

[Jenifer]

WELCOME TO FDMB Jenifer! So glad you and your sweet kitty found us! As you have already seen through Ale we are a dedicated group of kitty cat lovers, that are tied together, compliments of the disease called diabetes!
I happen to have had a wonderful kitty named Trouble who was one of those dry food addicts. He onlky knew dry food before he came to live with us. I removed his dry food and his blood glucose numbers dropped 100 points, just like that. The problem happens when its removed all at once (instead of weening) I was on top of it though and we didnt have a hypo episode. Had I not known I could have killed my cat. I learned here a kitty needs to be weened from the dry. Trouble is long gone now but his story is as new as tomorrow.
Everything about diabetes is FOOD related. Dry food feeds diabetes. Plain and simple.

Are you planning to home test your kitties blood glucose? I hope so because it is the ONLY way to keep your kitty safe We have a way to track her numbers and trends on how the insulin is working in her body. It gives our helpers the information they need to give good sound advice on how to proceed with your cats insulin needs. Are you interested? You can learn how to set up a spread sheet here:
FDMB SPREADSHEET INSTRUCTIONS

Again welcome to the best darn site on this planet to help you help your diabetic kitty. You've landed in a safe place with lots of knowledgeable caring people.
jeanne

Thanks Jeanne. I plan to test at home and will check out the link to the spread sheet. My vets office is showing me how to do it this afternoon when I pick her up. I'm a needle phobe so this is going to be quite the undertaking. Hoping I can suck it up and do what needs to be done. Glad I found this site with all this info and super helpful people!

 

[Butters & Lyla]

Hello- My 9 year old cat was officially diagnosed as diabetic on Friday. It was suspected back in May but the vet had me change her diet first to see if she would level out. They put her on Hills which I am now learning is NOT good. But she did respond well at first and put on weight and started acting like her old self for almost 2 months. Then about 2 weeks ago she started going downhill again and lost a bunch of weight really fast. More bloodwork and a fructosamine test confirmed she is diabetic. Glucose levels this morning were 450+
They started her in 1ml (I think that's the correct unit of measure) of Lantis insulin. !

Hi Jenifer! Welcome. KittenCat is so adorable! You mentioned your vet started out with 1ml of Lantus. Insulin doses are measured in units. As Aleluia mentioned, the vet started KittenCat on 1 u ("Unit" is the measurement). I don't mean to be picky, just want to note there is a massive difference between 1ml and 1u.

There is a tonne of information on the forum to read and absorb. Don't beat yourself up if you don't understand everything all at once. Ask questions! Everyone here wants to help. People here are so kind! If you don't feel super confident at first with everything, that's totally normal. I remember feeling very overwhelmed taking my kitty home the day she was diagnosed. It was only 2.5 months ago. Those feelings will dissipate with time. It took me almost two weeks after my kitty's diagnosis to find the forum. You've found it before you even brought KittenCat home from the vet. You're going to do great.

Here is a link to some tips and tricks for hometesting; it may come in handy.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

If your cat is already on insulin, which I see he is, stopping the dry food completely could easily drop his BG levels by 100 basis points or more. Please be home testing the blood glucose before you totally stop the dry food.. You don't want him to have a hypo,
Each couple of days you can take away some of the dry food and add more wet.
Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics Pate.We try to stay under 10 carbs
Most of the FF Classic Pates or 3 % or 2 %

You should also pick up some FF Gravy Lovers high and medium carb
Just to have on hand in case your kitties BG drops to low and you need to bring it up to safe levels

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Just in case you ever need higher carbs to bring his BG up
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 Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

I JUST posted this on another thread:
Trouble who was one of those dry food addicts. He only knew dry food before he came to live with us. I removed his dry food and his blood glucose numbers dropped 100 points, just like that. The problem happens when its removed all at once (instead of weening) I was on top of it though and we didnt have a hypo episode. Had I not known I could have killed my cat. I learned here a kitty needs to be weened from the dry. Trouble is long gone now but his story is as new as tomorrow.
Everything about diabetes is FOOD related. Dry food feeds diabetes. Plain and simple.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

BTW Kitten is a beautiful Cat!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

. Here is the link for the food chart :http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome to you Jenifer and your beautiful KittenCat.
You have been given some great info.
Looking forward to seeing your spreadsheet.
Make sure you test before every shot to see it is safe to give the dose and try and get tests in every cycle to see how low the dose is taking your kitty.
Please read through this post and make sure you have a hypo kit ready. If you have any questions we are happy to help you.

 

[Jenifer]

Hi Jenifer! Welcome. KittenCat is so adorable! You mentioned your vet started out with 1ml of Lantus. Insulin doses are measured in units. As Aleluia mentioned, the vet started KittenCat on 1 u ("Unit" is the measurement). I don't mean to be picky, just want to note there is a massive difference between 1ml and 1u.

There is a tonne of information on the forum to read and absorb. Don't beat yourself up if you don't understand everything all at once. Ask questions! Everyone here wants to help. People here are so kind! If you don't feel super confident at first with everything, that's totally normal. I remember feeling very overwhelmed taking my kitty home the day she was diagnosed. It was only 2.5 months ago. Those feelings will dissipate with time. It took me almost two weeks after my kitty's diagnosis to find the forum. You've found it before you even brought KittenCat home from the vet. You're going to do great.

Here is a link to some tips and tricks for hometesting; it may come in handy.

Thank you! Yes, one unit. There is a lot of info getting thrown at me in a short amount of time. Lol! Thank you for the link too. I really appreciate all the help

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Thank you! Yes, one unit. There is a lot of info getting thrown at me in a short amount of time. Lol! Thank you for the link too. I really appreciate all the help

It can be rather overwhelming Take your time. We have the patience of Job.

 

[Jenifer]

Hi and welcome to you Jenifer and your beautiful KittenCat.
You have been given some great info.
Looking forward to seeing your spreadsheet.
Make sure you test before every shot to see it is safe to give the dose and try and get tests in every cycle to see how low the dose is taking your kitty.
Please read through this post and make sure you have a hypo kit ready. If you have any questions we are happy to help you.

Thank you! I have a few things for a hypo episode. I need to get a few different types of wet food still I guess. And I'm trying to test levels twice a day. So far so good I think

 

[Jenifer]

I think if I post this update it will reach all of you who have so kindly commented and posted links. i picked KittenCat up from the vet and her BG was 119 when they tested at 3pm. Down from 460 t . When I got there at 5, they showed me how to use the meter and she tested at 65. So the vet decided to not do an evening injection and try her at 1 unit once a day and see how she does. He also told me about the dangers and symptoms of a hypo incident and told me to have Karo syrup on hand. I picked up a range of wet foods. Mostly fancy feast without gravy. I got a few Farmina N&D cans and Koha brand. All grain free and high protein and no fish. I also got Farmina N&D dry food while transitioning her and my other cat to wet food only. It is high protein and pretty low carb and I figured it would be better than the prescription garbage they had her on.
I did my first ever injection and am happy to say it went really well. I was scared to death because I can't do needles, whether its my skin or any other skin. It freaks me out. KittenCat handled like a champ and didn't even seem to care or feel it. Testing her BG has been a little more challenging. The vets office told me to test from her paws which works well for me since I'm by myself and holding her and grabbing a paw is easier than holding her head and trying to keep her ear from moving. But I've had to stick her twice every time I've done it because the first poke never seems to either be deep enough or hard enough. Or maybe there's another reason it hasn't worked on the first try. i feel like the paws are more sensitive than the ears though and am thinking of trying her ear but don't want to mess it up and have her be traumatized by it and then not want to be poked at all anymore. Her ears don't really have a lot of hair anymore because of her autoimmune disorder and shes white so it's super easy to see her veins.......
Also, how long until you guys all saw a turnaround in your cats. Kitten has always been around 12 lbs and pretty active for an indoor cat. She was 7.004 lbs. upon diagnoses last Friday and definitely not active. She's still trying to sneak out the back door though every time I let the dogs out but just not with her usual determination. Also, I swear I'm not a horrible pet parent and didn't let her get to this weight with no vet visits. We have been at the vet monthly and sometimes more than that since last December treating her autoimmune disorder and also had bloodwork done. She was on medication that causes a lot of the same symptoms diabetes causes, along with vomiting, so a little weight loss and more water consumption wasn't too concerning. It was when i noticed she seemed pretty weak and wasn't doing her normal activities that I made her an appointment in between her monthly check ups and we re-ran bloodwork and learned she was most likely diabetic. Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there. I would be concerned if I had read a post like mine without any explanation.
Thank you all again!!!

 

[Butters & Lyla]

i feel like the paws are more sensitive than the ears though and am thinking of trying her ear but don't want to mess it up and have her be traumatized by it and then not want to be poked at all anymore. Her ears don't really have a lot of hair anymore because of her autoimmune disorder and shes white so it's super easy to see her veins.......
Also, how long until you guys all saw a turnaround in your cats. Kitten has always been around 12 lbs and pretty active for an indoor cat. She was 7.004 lbs. upon diagnoses last Friday and definitely not active. She's still trying to sneak out the back door though every time I let the dogs out but just not with her usual determination. Also, I swear I'm not a horrible pet parent and didn't let her get to this weight with no vet visits. We have been at the vet monthly and sometimes more than that since last December treating her autoimmune disorder and also had bloodwork done. She was on medication that causes a lot of the same symptoms diabetes causes, along with vomiting, so a little weight loss and more water consumption wasn't too concerning. It was when i noticed she seemed pretty weak and wasn't doing her normal activities that I made her an appointment in between her monthly check ups and we re-ran bloodwork and learned she was most likely diabetic. Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there. I would be concerned if I had read a post like mine without any explanation.
Thank you all again!!!

Hi Jenifer!

I'm not yet experienced enough to weigh in on Kitten's numbers and skipping insulin, etc. But I can help you with some other things.

First off, nobody on here will think you are a horrible pet parent. You are truly an amazing one! You're looking after her autoimmune disorder and now you've found this forum and are determined to manage Kitten's diabetes, and with a needle phobia. I'd say that's pretty admirable. Your story isn't unusual in terms of not picking up on symptoms right away. Our kitties are masters at hiding them from us. So please don't feel bad, okay?

Congratulations on giving her her first injection and getting the BG tests! That's a pretty awesome feeling, isn't it!

I am approaching three months since Butters' diagnosis and I remember seeing some symptoms disappear fairly quickly: less visits to the water bowl, less begging for food happened within a few weeks. At this point, she has regained the weight she lost and regained some strength in her back legs. ECID (Every Cat is Different), though, and I know you hope for immediate results, but they will come in time. You want to see that she is on the right path. And I can't speak to the role that her autoimmune disorder would play in the equation.

I do home testing (well, everything) by myself, too. I don't have to hold Butters for it and have only ever tested Butters' ears. She isn't a particularly easygoing cat. She takes great offense to me putting my hands on her. But I was able to train her with treats (dehydrated pure chicken...no carbs!) because she is food motivated. We always test on the same blanket, and I got her to associate the sound of me opening the test strips container (and the poke) with getting treats. Now she sits on the blanket when I get things ready. I give her a treat, then do the poke and give another treat right after. It took me about three weeks for her and I to both get completely comfortable with the routine and for me to get better at the ear pokes. Patience is key.

This picture shows you where you want to aim for on your cat's ear, especially when you are first starting out. You want to try not to hit that vein as shown. And very important especially when first starting out is to warm up the ear to get good blood flow. The ears don't bleed easily at first, but the more you poke the more capillaries will grow in and the easier they will bleed. A number of people use a little sock filled with rice that they microwave for a bit (not too hot!) and then hold against the cat's ear for 30 seconds or so, until it is warm. You can use that to steady Kitten's ear for the poke. I use a cotton ball or pad underneath. Especially helpful in case you poke all the way through lol! It happens to me on occasion.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

I agree with everything @Butters & Lyla said!

I also trained Minnie. I sing the same lullaby each time so now when she hears it she sits still because she knows what’s happening. I don’t ever hold her head. I just hold the ear firmly against 2-3 cotton ovals so have a thick backing and then I prick a spot. Are you warming up the paws? Warming up the ears makes all the difference in the world to me. I nuke a sock filled with rice, like a lot of us here so, and press it agains the ear. When it’s warm to the touch I prick with the lancet and I’ll 99% of the time get a nice big drop (sometimes too much pours out and it’s a bit of a bloodbath ) anyway I’d try that. I’ve never tried the paws but holding Minnie always has the opposite effect. She tends to freak then and struggle to get away.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Did we talk about ideal weight and daily calorie intake yet? Do you know to multiply ideal weight by 20 to get the daily calories you should be feeding?

 

[Jenifer]

Did we talk about ideal weight and daily calorie intake yet? Do you know to multiply ideal weight by 20 to get the daily calories you should be feeding?

No, I have not read or heard about that. I have always free fed the cats so I've never even looked at calories or anything when it comes to either of the cats. I'm guessing that also needs to change now that shes gotten this diagnosis?

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

No, I have not read or heard about that. I have always free fed the cats so I've never even looked at calories or anything when it comes to either of the cats. I'm guessing that also needs to change now that shes gotten this diagnosis?

If she’s losing weight it’s a priority to get her to gain or at least not lose more and that’s where this comes into play. The caloric content is on the back of each can of cat food. You just need to figure out her ideal weight.

 

[Jenifer]

Hi Jenifer!

I'm not yet experienced enough to weigh in on Kitten's numbers and skipping insulin, etc. But I can help you with some other things.

First off, nobody on here will think you are a horrible pet parent. You are truly an amazing one! You're looking after her autoimmune disorder and now you've found this forum and are determined to manage Kitten's diabetes, and with a needle phobia. I'd say that's pretty admirable. Your story isn't unusual in terms of not picking up on symptoms right away. Our kitties are masters at hiding them from us. So please don't feel bad, okay?

Congratulations on giving her her first injection and getting the BG tests! That's a pretty awesome feeling, isn't it!

I am approaching three months since Butters' diagnosis and I remember seeing some symptoms disappear fairly quickly: less visits to the water bowl, less begging for food happened within a few weeks. At this point, she has regained the weight she lost and regained some strength in her back legs. ECID (Every Cat is Different), though, and I know you hope for immediate results, but they will come in time. You want to see that she is on the right path. And I can't speak to the role that her autoimmune disorder would play in the equation.

I do home testing (well, everything) by myself, too. I don't have to hold Butters for it and have only ever tested Butters' ears. She isn't a particularly easygoing cat. She takes great offense to me putting my hands on her. But I was able to train her with treats (dehydrated pure chicken...no carbs!) because she is food motivated. We always test on the same blanket, and I got her to associate the sound of me opening the test strips container (and the poke) with getting treats. Now she sits on the blanket when I get things ready. I give her a treat, then do the poke and give another treat right after. It took me about three weeks for her and I to both get completely comfortable with the routine and for me to get better at the ear pokes. Patience is key.

This picture shows you where you want to aim for on your cat's ear, especially when you are first starting out. You want to try not to hit that vein as shown. And very important especially when first starting out is to warm up the ear to get good blood flow. The ears don't bleed easily at first, but the more you poke the more capillaries will grow in and the easier they will bleed. A number of people use a little sock filled with rice that they microwave for a bit (not too hot!) and then hold against the cat's ear for 30 seconds or so, until it is warm. You can use that to steady Kitten's ear for the poke. I use a cotton ball or pad underneath. Especially helpful in case you poke all the way through lol! It happens to me on occasion.

Wow! This seriously is more helpful than you know! i never even thought about trying to train her to just accept what I'm doing to her. I'm honestly not really a cat person and don't know much about training them. I kind of thought it would be impossible to train a cat. Especially to train her to let me "hurt" her. I'm going to have to find a treat that she likes that is an approved food I guess. She's not a huge foodie and has never really shown interest in much aside from wet food. She'll run over the other cat and all the dogs to be first in line when I pop a can top. And I wasn't expecting changes overnight, but I didn't want to miss any milestones. Like maybe she should be doing something after a few days and she didn't but I missed it because I didn't know what to look for type of thing. I just want to make sure she doesn't get worse and is in fact getting better and was hoping there were "signs" that i might need to know about. Lol.
I really appreciate all your help and tips. I'm going to stop on my way home and pick up some supplies and start the training tonight. Maybe I'll be brave and try the ear.........

 

[Jenifer]

If she’s losing weight it’s a priority to get her to gain or at least not lose more and that’s where this comes into play. The caloric content is on the back of each can of cat food. You just need to figure out her ideal weight.

Ok. i think she should be around 10 lbs. She was a little chubby before her illness last year but not obese and she was 12-13 lbs. I will check the cans I got and see what it says. I will start feeding the cats separately too so I can make sure she is getting everything she needs. My other cat has always been very lean and svelte but has gained quite a bit of weight since I switched KittenCat to the prescription food back in May. So he could probably benefit from a more controlled diet as well.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Ok. i think she should be around 10 lbs. She was a little chubby before her illness last year but not obese and she was 12-13 lbs. I will check the cans I got and see what it says. I will start feeding the cats separately too so I can make sure she is getting everything she needs. My other cat has always been very lean and svelte but has gained quite a bit of weight since I switched KittenCat to the prescription food back in May. So he could probably benefit from a more controlled diet as well.

10 mean she should get about 200 calories give or take. FF cans are usually anywhere from 60-90 depending on the flavor. You can do low carb treats too like freeze dried or even cooked chicken. A little cheese as well

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Wow! This seriously is more helpful than you know! i never even thought about trying to train her to just accept what I'm doing to her. I'm honestly not really a cat person and don't know much about training them. I kind of thought it would be impossible to train a cat. Especially to train her to let me "hurt" her. I'm going to have to find a treat that she likes that is an approved food I guess. She's not a huge foodie and has never really shown interest in much aside from wet food. She'll run over the other cat and all the dogs to be first in line when I pop a can top. And I wasn't expecting changes overnight, but I didn't want to miss any milestones. Like maybe she should be doing something after a few days and she didn't but I missed it because I didn't know what to look for type of thing. I just want to make sure she doesn't get worse and is in fact getting better and was hoping there were "signs" that i might need to know about. Lol.
I really appreciate all your help and tips. I'm going to stop on my way home and pick up some supplies and start the training tonight. Maybe I'll be brave and try the ear.........

Don’t forget to warm the ear!!!

here’s another diagram for ya! Just different angle

 

[Butters & Lyla]

Wow! This seriously is more helpful than you know! i never even thought about trying to train her to just accept what I'm doing to her. I'm honestly not really a cat person and don't know much about training them. I kind of thought it would be impossible to train a cat. Especially to train her to let me "hurt" her. I'm going to have to find a treat that she likes that is an approved food I guess. She's not a huge foodie and has never really shown interest in much aside from wet food. She'll run over the other cat and all the dogs to be first in line when I pop a can top. And I wasn't expecting changes overnight, but I didn't want to miss any milestones. Like maybe she should be doing something after a few days and she didn't but I missed it because I didn't know what to look for type of thing. I just want to make sure she doesn't get worse and is in fact getting better and was hoping there were "signs" that i might need to know about. Lol.
I really appreciate all your help and tips. I'm going to stop on my way home and pick up some supplies and start the training tonight. Maybe I'll be brave and try the ear.........

My personal opinion...once you are confident in the home testing, try to test more often. The data you collect will be invaluable to you. There is a “remarks” column at the far righthand side where you should record how much you are feeding and when. And you can also record your observations of KittenCatt there, too: things like energy level, any changes you've noticed, litterbox habits, less water drinking. Whatever you are observing, along with BG numbers and feeding schedule, will be good info for the very experienced people on here, so that they can help advise you. And also it will be good info for you! Looking at other kitties’ spreadsheets is a great way to learn too.
I don’t think there’s really a schedule of when you see improvements per se. The first thing I noticed with Butters is she started drinking way less and peeing way less.

 

[Butters & Lyla]

Don’t forget to warm the ear!!!

here’s another diagram for ya! Just different angle View attachment 55397

Oh I like this one! I’m going to hang onto it for future use, too. Come to think of it, I’m positive you posted the diagram that I used above into my first condo on the forum. I saved it.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Oh I like this one! I’m going to hang onto it for future use, too. Come to think of it, I’m positive you posted the diagram that I used above into my first condo on the forum. I saved it.

I started saving diagrams and links too, otherwise I can never find them when I need them haha!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

HI Jenifer,
Just confirming you are using the Alphatrack meter. Is that correct? Would you mind putting that into your signature please so we can see it at a glance. 65 on the alphatrack is a take action number....anything under 68 and you need to feed high carb food or honey to bring the number up over 68. and you need to test after 30 minutes to see it is rising not dropping.
With the dose of Lantus....you would be much better off giving 1/2 unit twice a day instead of 1 unit once a day.
If you give 1 unit once a day, you are still risking the BG drop below 68 as it did yesterday. Also KC will be spending 12 out of the 24 hours with no insulin so will be in higher numbers.
Lantus likes consistency and if you give the dose only once a day, the depot will not have a chance to stabilise and you could get wonky numbers. I'm not sure your vet is experienced with diabetic cats or Lantus

 

[Hercule's mum]

Hi Jenifer,

Just wanted to invite you to look more closely at Hercules picture. This is two weeks after we started testing. I have this towel that I always put down in the same spot, and bring a snack (freeze dried meat, very low carb). He is given the treat when the glucometer goes beep. Now, he jumps on the table by himself every time he sees me picking up the table and set-up (as per picture).
I started this crazy journey like you just a few weeks ago and was completely overwhelmed. From what you read you have a better vet than most, and you found the forum, so everything will be OK. In no time, you will be a PRO.
We had a few close encounter with a Hypo while changing to wet low calorie food, so I am very grateful I was on top of it with a glucometer. Being able to test has really helped me, because the symptom of hypo and hyper are actually quite similar.
He steel pees and drinks a lot, but his hair, behaviour and weight turned around quite fast ( a few days?)

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Well look at you Lyla and Karen! Jumping in to give advice and support! KUDOS to you both! I believe its just as important for a new person to hear these stories from newer folks such as yourselves. I'm SO proud and inspired by you both.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

HI Jenifer,
Just confirming you are using the Alphatrack meter. Is that correct? Would you mind putting that into your signature please so we can see it at a glance. 65 on the alphatrack is a take action number....anything under 68 and you need to feed high carb food or honey to bring the number up over 68. and you need to test after 30 minutes to see it is rising not dropping.
With the dose of Lantus....you would be much better off giving 1/2 unit twice a day instead of 1 unit once a day.
If you give 1 unit once a day, you are still risking the BG drop below 68 as it did yesterday. Also KC will be spending 12 out of the 24 hours with no insulin so will be in higher numbers.
Lantus likes consistency and if you give the dose only once a day, the depot will not have a chance to stabilise and you could get wonky numbers. I'm not sure your vet is experienced with diabetic cats or Lantus

Oh I totally missed that. I thought the vet meant just to skip that night. Bron is 100% correct. Lantus once a day is not a good idea. As mentioned, it only works for 12 hours so her numbers will go high after that and you’ll never reach regulation that way. Lantus needs consistency so splitting the dose to .5 twice a day is indeed a much better way to go!

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Your vet suggesting once a day ...sorry but it shows the lack of understanding insulin.

 

[Jenifer]

Hi Jenifer,

Just wanted to invite you to look more closely at Hercules picture. This is two weeks after we started testing. I have this towel that I always put down in the same spot, and bring a snack (freeze dried meat, very low carb). He is given the treat when the glucometer goes beep. Now, he jumps on the table by himself every time he sees me picking up the table and set-up (as per picture).
I started this crazy journey like you just a few weeks ago and was completely overwhelmed. From what you read you have a better vet than most, and you found the forum, so everything will be OK. In no time, you will be a PRO.
We had a few close encounter with a Hypo while changing to wet low calorie food, so I am very grateful I was on top of it with a glucometer. Being able to test has really helped me, because the symptom of hypo and hyper are actually quite similar.
He steel pees and drinks a lot, but his hair, behaviour and weight turned around quite fast ( a few days?)

Thank you for your comment! It is very encouraging. Hopefully I can get a routing like that down.

 

[Jenifer]

Your vet suggesting once a day ...sorry but it shows the lack of understanding insulin.

He is not my regular vet. My vet was on vacation until today. I actually have to go in today with a sick dog so I am going to try and go over KittenCat's treatment with him while I'm there. I'm guessing I would need to get new syringes if I start half dosing. It would be very difficult to measure out a 1/2 dose with the ones I have now. It's difficult to measure out 1 unit That's assuming they make smaller syringes. I haven't really looked yet since the vets office gave me enough for a couple of weeks.

 

[Jenifer]

HI Jenifer,
Just confirming you are using the Alphatrack meter. Is that correct? Would you mind putting that into your signature please so we can see it at a glance. 65 on the alphatrack is a take action number....anything under 68 and you need to feed high carb food or honey to bring the number up over 68. and you need to test after 30 minutes to see it is rising not dropping.
With the dose of Lantus....you would be much better off giving 1/2 unit twice a day instead of 1 unit once a day.
If you give 1 unit once a day, you are still risking the BG drop below 68 as it did yesterday. Also KC will be spending 12 out of the 24 hours with no insulin so will be in higher numbers.
Lantus likes consistency and if you give the dose only once a day, the depot will not have a chance to stabilise and you could get wonky numbers. I'm not sure your vet is experienced with diabetic cats or Lantus

I am using a Henry Schein pet glucometer. The lady said it was an AlphaTRAK2 but when I went to pick it up, it definitely was not. I started using it since I didn't have anything else.

 

[Jenifer]

Question for all of you since the overall consensus is to 1/2 dose her 2x daily: Do I still give her her shot if her level is low? Like this morning when I tested her she was at 85 which is normal but on the lower side of normal. Wouldn't I risk dumping her if I were to have given her a dose this morning. I do her shot at night btw.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

I *think* this is why you are getting the numbers you are getting (is there any way you can squeeze in more tests?) I'm wondering what your regular Vet thinks about this vets instructions. I do hope you get better answers from your regular vet. How frustrated you must be! Hang in there, everyone here is pulling for ya! I agree that 1 unit should be split. You have to give Lantus a chance to work in the correct fashion for which it was designed. (NOT AN EXPERT HERE) Just my gut speaking out loud.
As always hold on for more replies.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

He is not my regular vet. My vet was on vacation until today. I actually have to go in today with a sick dog so I am going to try and go over KittenCat's treatment with him while I'm there. I'm guessing I would need to get new syringes if I start half dosing. It would be very difficult to measure out a 1/2 dose with the ones I have now. It's difficult to measure out 1 unit That's assuming they make smaller syringes. I haven't really looked yet since the vets office gave me enough for a couple of weeks.

You can 100% get 1/2 unit marked syringes. I buy the Relion ones from Walmart so you couldn’t basically get them right away there, but you can also order them online from sites like ADW diabetics

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Question for all of you since the overall consensus is to 1/2 dose her 2x daily: Do I still give her her shot if her level is low? Like this morning when I tested her she was at 85 which is normal but on the lower side of normal. Wouldn't I risk dumping her if I were to have given her a dose this morning. I do her shot at night btw.

Here’s something to read over. With Lantus we have 2 protocols for dosing here. You need to select the one that works best for you and sugar baby. I was on SLGS until recently and switched to TR because Minnie needed faster dose increases. TR is a bit more aggressive and requires more testing, I’d suggest starting with SLGS until you’re comfortable with testing and you can switch over anytime Lantus Dosing Protocols

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Here’s another great link with guidelines for shoot not shoot and token doses: Dosing Methods
I suggest bookmarking this one. I pasted some of it below.

SLGS:
There's no hard and fast rule, but if you don't have data on how your cat responds to insulin, here are some general guidelines.

• Below 150 mg/dl (8.3 mmol/L), don't give insulin.
• Between 150 and 200 (8.3-11.1 mmol/L), you have three options:
  • a.) give nothing
  • b.) give a token dose (10-25% of the usual dose)
  • c.) feed as usual, test in a couple of hours, and make a decision based on that value
• Above 200 (11.1 mmol/L) but below the cat's normal pre-shot value, a reduced dose might be wise.
• In all cases, if you are reducing or eliminating insulin, it's wise to check for ketones in the urine.
• Above the normal pre-shot value, give the usual dose, but if the pre-shot value is consistently elevated, it's a good idea to schedule a full glucose curve to see whether a change in dose or insulin is appropriate. In most cases, the target "peak" value should not be below 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/L), and for some cats it might be higher.

Keep in mind these are general guidelines, and they should be personalized to your own cat's response to insulin. If your experience is that your cat does not became hypoglycemic with a dose which is close to her usual, then personal experience should be your guide.

With experience, you may find that lowering these thresholds may work well for your cat. When you have reached that stage, the following guidelines are suggested for Lantus, Basaglar, and Levemir users following the Start Low Go Slow approach:

If the preshot number is far below usual preshot numbers:

• Do you need to stay on schedule? Then skip the shot.
• Do you have some flexibility with your schedule? Then stalling to wait for the number to rise might be a good option. Don't feed, retest after 30-60 minutes, and decide if the number is shootable.
• Repeat until the cat either reaches a number at which you are comfortable shooting, or enough time has passed that skipping the shot is necessary.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

And pic of the syringes if you want to call Walmart to check availability

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Jenifer I see I had a typo in my previous message to you. I typed 65 as the take action BG on a pet meter. It should read 68 on a pet meter is the take action number.

 

[Jenifer]

hi everyone! I've read through all your comments finally and appreciate all the links and explanations of important things like abbreviations. I printed everything out and have a "diabetic cat shiz" folder that I keep with me. Lol! . I have a really sick dog who's having a bad pancreatitis flare up so things have been crazy the past two days. It has revolved around vomit and not good things coming out of the other end
I actually have those syringes. I thought maybe there was an even smaller one that was easier to see for 1/2 dosing but I'm sure I can make these work. I also found a bunch of syringe/needle combos at my house from when my husband had to have testosterone injections. they are 28g needle and 1ml size. Is dosing the same with those? Like 1 unit in the 3/10 syringe is still 1 unit in the 1ml syringe? There are just more line markers?

I spoke with my regular vet and he wants me to stick to once a day dosing for a week or so and see how it goes. He said if it was any other insulin he wouldn't advise to do that but said that Lantus is a long acting insulin and usually does ok with once a day dosing. I'm not sure what to do about that because I don't want to go against what my vet says but I also understand that twice a day dosing, in theory, should give more consistent results......... He also wants to attach a glucometer thing to her for a day or two (cant remember exact time frame) so he can get a more accurate reading of her BG levels throughout the day. He said it gives a reading every 5 minutes or so....... Anyone ever done that? i ordered a bunch of food on amazon that will be here Sunday. I got FF naturals which are 0 carbs, 9Lives pate which are under 5, Friskies meaty bits which are 13-15 and Friskies Indoor which are the highest at 25+. Do you think that is a good spread?
Still trying to find a good treat for her for BG testing training. She's starting to get leery of me when she sees me coming now and I don't want that. I'm also going to try giving the liquid immuno suppressant she has to take in the mornings now instead of in the evening when I do her shot. And I'm going to see if she will take it with her food instead of me having to hold her and squirt it down her throat since she hates that. I'm off work this weekend so I am going to try and get more of a routine going with more testing. I've only been able to test her in the morning one time out of the 4 days I've had her home so I've got to figure something out there. This is all quite overwhelming and I feel like I am sucking pretty bad right now. Ugh!

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

From all Ive read here lantus must be dosed twic in 24 hrs 12 hrs apart. I would split the dose. I'm sure others will chime in on this.
good luck!

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

I completely disagree with your vet. I know it’s intimidating to go against what they say, but Lantus does not last longer then 12 hours. It’s in in your cats best interest to do twice a day. I don’t think your vet really knows how Lantus works. It’s long lasting because it lasts for 12 hours as opposed to Vetsulin which lasts about 4-6 hours. Trust us, no one here on Lantus is doing once a day only. It just doesn’t work to get your cat regulated.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

And it’s overwhelming at first but it does get easier. We promise! He’s talking about the freestyle libre and a lot of members here have used. It gives you readings without the need to test as long as it stays attached to her. You will definitely see how much higher she’ll go after Lantus wore off in 12 hours. Maybe that will change his mind!

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Once a day shooting looks like this:
Give shot.
Don't give shot. Depot depleted.

Give shot.
Don't give shot. Depot depleted.

 

[Patty & Teal'c]

This is a good moist treat I've used with Teal'c. He loves them

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

You don’t have to take our word for it. Google Lantus dosage for diabetic cats and you’ll get a ton of articles that will confirm it needs to be given every 12 hours. You could print some and show to your vet...?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I also found a bunch of syringe/needle combos at my house from when my husband had to have testosterone injections. they are 28g needle and 1ml size. Is dosing the same with those? Like 1 unit in the 3/10 syringe is still 1 unit in the 1ml syringe? There are just more line markers?

NO. Only use the insulin specific 3/10 syringes, otherwise you will give the wrong dose!!

He said if it was any other insulin he wouldn't advise to do that but said that Lantus is a long acting insulin and usually does ok with once a day dosing.

Your vet is completely incorrect. Yes, Lantus is a longer acting insulin and it lasts 24 hours in humans but cats have a faster metabolism and it only lasts 12 hours.
If you only give lantus once a day, you are leaving KC 12 hours without any insulin. If you look at her spreadsheet you will see that KC has red numbers at the PM shot time. This is because of no insulin for the previous 12 hours. Then she is dropping down to greens overnight.
And with the 1 unit it dropped KC down to 65 on the pet meter which is too low. This means that potentially every day KC could drop too low. If you split the dose and give 1/2 unit twice a day you are not only giving a safer dose for KC, you are going to have 24 hour coverage of the insulin and the depot will fill and you will start to see better numbers. Please don't give the 1 unit once a day. I don't think it is safe.

. He also wants to attach a glucometer thing to her for a day or two (cant remember exact time frame) so he can get a more accurate reading of her BG levels throughout the day. He said it gives a reading every 5 minutes or so....... Anyone ever done that?

That meter is called a Freestyle Libre and costs around $80 for 2 weeks. It has mixed results. Some fall off after a few days and some don't.
Its up to you if you want to pay that money but if you are testing yourself it isn't really needed. But completely your choice.

i ordered a bunch of food on amazon that will be here Sunday. I got FF naturals which are 0 carbs, 9Lives pate which are under 5, Friskies meaty bits which are 13-15 and Friskies Indoor which are the highest at 25+. Do you think that is a good spread?

Are they all wet food or some dry? If all wet, they look fine.

This is all quite overwhelming and I feel like I am sucking pretty bad right now. Ugh!

It is overwhelming in the beginning, especially if you are not getting good advice for the vet but I think you are doing pretty well! It takes a while to absorb it all.