Newbie question about low carb transition

[ZulusMom (GA)]

Zulu was diagnosed last Wednesday and started insulin at the vet's direction (2 units of Prozinc/day) Friday evening. I want to transition him to a low carb diet since two of his main meals are wet food already and he eats pate with no problem, but I haven't been able to (successfully) start home monitoring yet. We have an Alpha Trak2 monitor, but Zulu is very skittish about his ears and I'm trying to ease him into it. I've been heating the rice pouch and rubbing it on him and clicking the lancet near him to get him used to things, and giving him a small treat afterwards, but tonight we tried the real deal and it didn't go well at all. :-( Anyway, should I hold off on any sort of transition towards low carb until I can successfully monitor him? His current diet has too much dry food in it, but I would think it's too risky to change anything while shooting blind?..

 

[vbc2000]

His bg will decrease, probably dramatically on lower carb food. Be very careful. My Tigger's did. Around 7/18 if you look at my spreadsheet. We also decreased prednisolone around then too. Best way to go I think is advise the vet first and also if a decrease in insulin would be wise. How are his numbers now? Probably a good idea to set up a spreadsheet.

 

[ZulusMom (GA)]

His bg will decrease, probably dramatically on lower carb food. Be very careful. My Tigger's did. Around 7/18 if you look at my spreadsheet. We also decreased prednisolone around then too. Best way to go I think is advise the vet first and also if a decrease in insulin would be wise. How are his numbers now? Probably a good idea to set up a spreadsheet.

It was 357 at the vet's on Friday, but he was pretty stressed out so it might have been high; I wasn't able to get a successful reading tonight. I think you're probably right about advising the vet first. I hate putting off something that could possibly help him, but I don't want to put him at risk either. He goes back on Tuesday for another reading there. I'm going to try home monitoring again tomorrow and will keep him on his regular diet until I get more data.

 

[vbc2000]

Good plan.

 

[Mogmom and Goofus]

You could start by adding a little canned and just a little less dry. You're probably going to want to do it that at anyway to avoid too much gastric upset,