Newbie in Northern Ireland!

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moof86

moof86

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Oh goodness, where to begin! My name's Margaret, I'm based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and I am currently in the process of adopting a sugar cat. He's 14 years old and has been at the local Cats Protection for over a year and is desperate for a home, and well, I just can't tell him no. Still gathering as much information as I can, so much to take in to try and be prepared to when I do bring him home (could be 2 weeks or so, for the home visit etc) Just got off the phone to CP and discussing what the costs might look like for wee Morky's meds and a bit overwhelmed, but slowly getting my head around it!

The few concerns I have at the moment is that they have him on Hills MD for food, which I'm not a huge fan of Hills in the first instance. I am feeding my current non sugar cat Applaws, which her and I both adore. Has anyone had much experience with Applaws dry food and diabetic cats? Is this an appropriate diet and have the cats reacted well?

Also starting to look up where to get diabetic supplies, syringes, etc. I will be home testing once he's home (I get the impression they're not testing him regularly at the moment), any suggestions where to pick up the necessary gear, what works best, best value for money?

I feel a bit mad for inviting this onto myself and my partner is less then thrilled with the idea, but I know I can do right by this kitty. Any advice, tips, etc are well appreciated! Looking forward to moving through the forums!
 
Re: Newbie!

First - BIG HAPPY DANCE!!!! ANOTHER SUGAR KITTY WITH A FUREVER HOME!!

.....oops, sorry for shouting, that just makes me SO happy!

I'm in the US so can't help you with much other than a welcome! Someone that can help will be along shortly.
 
Re: Newbie!

I'm really excited to bring him home! But the wait gives me enough time to a)talk the boyfriend around and b) get all my info sorted. Most folks who embark on this journey aren't given the luxury of a warning, so I'll take full advantage. We just lost a wee kitten back in June (dropped from a heart attack, just passed his first birthday) and I can't think of a better way to honour the one we lost then give a kitty who so desperately needs a home. The cats protection have been great, I think they're just so excited someone is willing to take him home!

No worries, I'll take welcomes where I can get them! :D
 
Re: Newbie!

Welcome. And good on you for taking him home.

A couple of questions that will help other more experienced members give you suggestions.
Is he on insulin now? Type? Dose and how many times a day? How long since he was diagnosed?

Generally, dry food is just too high in carbs to be good for a diabetic cat. I think that there is a list of foods with the carb content for the UK - not sure if that will help you or if you have different suppliers. I'll try and find it and post the link. There are members of this board in England and Scotland - perhaps they have suggestions too. Maybe if you put your location in the heading of your first post it will catch their attention.

Most of us use a human glucometre for testing our kitties blood glucose. I think that you can buy them w/o prescription at a pharmacy. You will also need testing strips and a lancet device to be able to prick his ear to get the drop of blood. This is not nearly as hard as it sounds. I'll grant that there is a bit of a learning curve, but maybe you have already done this at CP. If not, there are several you tube videos to help. For syringes, it depends on the type of insulin that he is on. They come in 2 strengths -U40 and U100, and you must use the syringes that match the strength of the insulin. If he is on a U100 (Lantus or Levemir), you might be able to get the syringes at the pharmacy or perhaps there is a diabetic society that sells them.

Can't think of anything else at the moment. I'm sure that others will hav thoughts for you.
 
Re: Newbie!

Welome and Thank you for saving another Sugarcat!!

I am the proud servant to two such extra sweet kitties that I also adopted BECAUSE they were diabetic.

I'm in the US so can't really help too much except in very general ways. Any human meter and test strips will do just fine, just make sure it takes the smallest sample of blood possible, and the strips (where your expense is) are something that fits your budget.

As far as food goes....what to you have around there for canned pate-style (the finely ground stuff, not the gravy laden) this is absolutely the best for your new sugar cat as well as your non-diabetic. Dry food regardless of the type is going to be way too high in carbs for a diabetic, and really isn't that great for cats in general.
Which I can easily say since there is a total of 13 cats here, only two of which are diabetic, but everyone eats what the diabetics eat, in our case here in the US, Friskies pate style canned food...On this diet change, one of my diabetics has been diet controlled and off insulin for 10 months now, my other one is still fairly new to me so she is still a work in progress, but it is my 11 non-diabetics that have benefitted the most, they are full of energy, their coats are sleek, shiny and soft.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
He is currently on Canninsulin (I know I've misspelled that, lol) and he's getting 4 units twice a day. I don't know how long it's been since he's been diagnosed, but I will ask.

The Applaws is a no cereal based dried food with 47% protien, 20% oil and fats, 9.9% ash, 2% fibre. The food they've got him on at the moment, second ingredient is maize, which probably isn't a great sign. Applaws also do a great wet range (looks so good, I'm tempted to throw a bit of mayo in and put it between bread) but as it's not 'complete' don't think it would be okay on it's own.

I'm going to start prowling around for blood glucose meters, should be able to pick one up here shortly. Thankfully the kitty is already use to getting the shots and that, so it's more me getting use to it, and the Cats Protection will be training me how to do it for him :)

Thanks for mentioning about the syringes, I would have really regretted just buying some and having them be the wrong ones!

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the links! Slowly starting to piece this puzzle together, hopefully by the time I bring him home, we'll be ready to hit the ground running!
 
Hi Margaret :) Welcome!

You are so nice to adopt that extra sweet kitty. I applaud you. You will get lots of help and support here.

I just did a search for "Ireland" and found someone with an id of jhonan, and sent him a PM (Private Message) to see if he can help you in your search for supplies, food, etc. The last time he posted was in March, so I'm not totally sure that he'll get the message, but it's worth a try.

I hope you'll post often. We're like a family here, and help each other whenever needed.

Edited to fix gender. jhonan is John and he is going to contact you :-D
 
Hi Margaret!

Yup, I'm here - Thanks for linking me to this thread Dyana.

I live in Dublin, and was starting to think we had the only diabetic cat in the country! - So first of all, don't worry too much. It all sounds very daunting at the start, but you'd be surprised how quickly you get into the routine. And that's probably the most important piece of advice, get into a routine with the injections and food, and stick to it. (my wife looks after that part, Smudgie runs a mile from me :roll: )

As for our cat, Smudgie... She's about 11yo. We have her on Caninsulin 4.5 units twice a day 8am/8pm (that's the only brand available down here anyway) and a dried diabetic food, 'Royal Canin' Feline Diabetic. We absolutely don't give her any cat food in gravy, or 'normal' dried food. We sometimes give her a pouch of whiskas/felix in jelly ( http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/uk.htm ) as a treat. Oh, and keep a bottle of squeezy honey handy.. just in case! (we haven't had that happen to us, thankfully)

Your biggest challenge will be finding a diabetic-friendly cattery to look after her if you're away on holidays. We couldn't find a handy one here, so we board her in the vets itself, she's become a bit of a celebrity down there, and plus we know they're giving her the correct dosages at the right times.

Again, don't get too stressed. I know I was in the start, but it was unfounded. PM me if you'd like to know more (just in case I don't check back on this thread)
 
Thanks for responding John. I don't know what time it now is in Ireland 1:14am?
I'll try to send Margaret a PM to tell her to check this condo, in case she misses it tomorrow. ;-)

Have a Great Night!
 
Just wanted to give a shout out to someone from my mum's hometown! She now resides in Florida, quite a long way and time from her Belfast roots but they are certainly still apparent.

Welcome!

Lisa and Spooky (GA)
 
A couple of lines below the logo in the upper left hand corner of this page is the "User Control Panel." Click on it and when it comes up, select "Profile." Put your City, Country in the field labeled "Location." Your location will appear to the right on all your posts and save you the trouble of answering the question again and again.

Do you have Walmart in Northern Ireland? Seems like they are everywhere. They carry an inexpensive meter by the brand name of Relion Micro. The test strips are inexpenive (as strips prices go). They also carry a low-carb canned food in the States called, Special Kitty. Someone posted a link to Janet & Binky's Food Tables. You can find carb into for Special Kitty in those tables.

Once you start feeding low-carb, your kitty will not need as much insulin -- but we will help you when that time comes.

Lana
 
Welcome, Margaret. How wonderful you are giving a precious sugarcat a home. My Shiloh lived 9 years with his diabetes. You have come to the best place to learn how to take care of your kitty. It's not too hard once you have the flow going.

My grandmother came from a village called Moneymoor (spelling) in N. Ireland. Is that near you? I had a patient on Maternity who came from the next village from Moneymoor. She had little twin boys. She always called them her wee ones. It was so cute.

Donna
 
Margaret,

Welcome!

Thank you for giving your new sugar baby a forever home. What a great way to honour your other wee kitty!

Low carb food in the UK:
You have received a lot of good advice from our members so I won't repeat them again. I used to live in London, UK. I did quite a bit of research on UK cat food after my Major was diagnosed with diabetes. I just wanted to mention that I switched my sweet boy Major from dry food, Hills MD (recommended by my vet EVEN after Major was diagnosed) to Nature's Menu wet food (which you can get in the UK/N. Ireland) AND raw diet after I discovered this wonderful board and started learning about proper nutrition for cats.

After I switched Major from the so called prescription dry food (and wet food) for diabetic cats, especially prescribed by my first vet to low carb Nature's Menu wet food, I noticed a significant drop in his blood glucose numbers within days. Initially, I was very reluctant to put Major on raw diet because I was concerned about bacteria and contamination but I gave in at the end because there were limited sources of good quality, low carb wet cat food in the UK. At about the same time, I discovered that my Major was allergic to chicken and turkey. Since most of cat food in the UK contain chicken or turkey, at the end I decided to feed Major raw rabbit (I made my own cat food). His insulin requirement dropped dramatically after I switched him to raw rabbit diet, and he eventually came off insulin. If raw diet is an option for you, and you are interested in more info, please send me a private message, I'd very happy to help you.

Nature's Menu Cat Food:
http://naturesmenu.co.uk

I was able to talk to the nutritionist at Nature's Menu before putting Major on this food. One of their nutritional consultants was Dr. Nick Thompson (not sure if he is still a consultant for Nature's Menu) http://www.holisticvet.co.uk/. He probably knows more about proper feline nutrition than most UK vets I know.

UK Barf Club:
http://www.ukbarfclub.co.uk/


Insulin:
I am really not a fan of Canisulin. It was intended to treat diabetes for dogs when it first came on the market; hence the name. I understand this is the only veterinary licensed insulin in the UK. HOWEVER, I do know it is possible to get a cascade prescription (your vet just needs to fill out some paper work) from your vet so you can get either Lantus or Levemir which are gentler and longer duration insulin.

If you can gather some supporting documents on Lantus and Levemir from the links others have sent you and listed in FDMB board, you may be able to convince your vet to give Lantus or Levemir a try. I truly hope your new sweet boy will have a chance to try Lantus or Levemir.

I truly admire your decision to adopt a diabetic kitty. Taking care of a sugar baby is a special bonding experience. I am cherishing every moment I have with my sweet boy.

Syringes:
I used to get Major's syringes from this UK site:
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/veterinary-suppl ... demi-p-296

You want to make sure you get syringes (U100 for Cannisulin, Lantus or Levemir) with half marking (demi unit).
 
Hi Margaret
I live in Kerry and have a 12 year old kitty who's been diabetic for 3 years. At first, I was getting my supplies from my vet here - my cat was the first one that he'd seen with diabetes and although he is a very good vet it took a while to get her regulated. I was giving her Caninsulin for a while and she was not responding greatly to it ( It is primarily for dogs), but then I discovered Lantus and that seems to be working well. Very important to test her blood before each shot - my little friend had a few terrifying seizures before I got the blood monitor (Contour). I have a friendly Pharmacist who gets the Lantus for me. It costs about 85 pounds and lasts three months or more. You can buy syringes on the Net or again from your friendly Pharmacist. This site will have all the information that you need - so you are on the right track. It's best to feed wet canned food.
My cat, Baby, has just been diagnosed with a tumour - unrelated to her diabetes ( that is under control) - so I don't know how much longer I'll have her; at the moment she's doing fine and showing no ill effects, and I'm spoiling her rotten. Which is her right.
Good luck with your new little friend and best wishes. You are a good and kind person.
Daniel
 
Oh wow!! Firstly thank you to everyone who has jumped in with welcomes and there is some really invaluable advice!

I would love to do a raw diet for both cats, but I don't know if it's economically viable for me at the moment, Mrs Treacle (the current kitty) already eats better than me, lol!! But I will have a look into Nature's Way! I've always been picky regarding the food I give to my cats, I am definitely not sold on the whole Hills thing, over priced for a bunch of rubbish really!!

I'll also have a chat with the vet regarding the insulin, as this is not the first time I've heard Lantus is better for kitties and hopefully he'll be willing to work with me on this one.

Next step is to track down a glucometer. With a family of human diabetics, it's surprising vets don't make this mandatory for diabetic animals, knoweldge is power!

And thank you everyone for your kinda thoughts! Roll on adoption day!
 
moof86 said:
Oh wow!! Firstly thank you to everyone who has jumped in with welcomes and there is some really invaluable advice!

I would love to do a raw diet for both cats, but I don't know if it's economically viable for me at the moment, Mrs Treacle (the current kitty) already eats better than me, lol!! But I will have a look into Nature's Way! I've always been picky regarding the food I give to my cats, I am definitely not sold on the whole Hills thing, over priced for a bunch of rubbish really!!

I'll also have a chat with the vet regarding the insulin, as this is not the first time I've heard Lantus is better for kitties and hopefully he'll be willing to work with me on this one.

Next step is to track down a glucometer. With a family of human diabetics, it's surprising vets don't make this mandatory for diabetic animals, knoweldge is power!

And thank you everyone for your kinda thoughts! Roll on adoption day!
Click to expand...

Margret,

Feeding raw can be more economical than commercial food.
 
Dear Margaret, and, of course, you too, extra-sweet Morky,

Greetings from NJ, USA!

Nikki rescued me at around age 8. We've been dancing about 3-1/2 years now!

Bless you for giving wee Morky a forever home. I know I personally have never regretted being rescued! Okay, maybe once when Nikki chose to be a cat and I went nuts... I'm not a mathematician, but that sounds like good math to me!




Dear Margaret and wee Morky, welcome to the place you never wanted to be; but, will be blessed for having found. Trust me. Better yet, trust Nikki!

Love and encouraging hugs for you both,
Deb and Nikki (new rescue moms can get nuts, morky, it just requires patience and a lot of naps to train them) -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...
 
Cheers Deb and Nikki!

Home visit is tomorrow, so with any luck Morky will be home this weekend, if not Friday! He'll be my second rescue kitty, alongside his new sister Mrs Treacle (9 years old, had her for a year and a half :D)

This place has been brilliant so far, lovely people and full of information!! I'm very blessed to know what I'm getting myself into, rather then having it come up as a surprise, but I'm looking forward to giving a sugar cat a much needed home.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!!
 
Don't be a stranger. Post anytime, you need to. Whenever you have questions, or need help, or support. We're here for you. And we like cat pictures, too :) I hope your weekend goes really well.
 
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