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Carol&Friends

Carol&Friends

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Hi All,
I am new to this forum as of yesterday. I spent the entire day reading all the wonderful info you have all shared and feel like I have found a lifeline.
I am currently Mom to 6 furbabies. LOL, I'm the "little old lady on the corner with all the cats" and have had over a dozen at one time or another.
My POTO (Phantom Of The Opera) is an 8 year old, 23 pound, tuxuedo who was born in my garage and was diagnosed a diabetic nearly 3 years ago. He was listless all the time, drinking gallons and peeing like a race horse. The Vet did a BG in the office which was 120 and was about to send me on home when he thought better of it and sent a panel out. The next morning he called and told me the results were back and he BG was over 500. Poto was stated on 5U of Lantus once a day and went in for a curve every month til he leveled out on 9 units BID.
That has gone up and down over the past few yeas with different circumstances and events (like eating the garland off the Christmas Tree last year and needing emergency surgery :o ) and he is now on 7U of Lantus BID and hits a peak BG of around 270.
Yesterday had an episode about an hour after his am dose that worried me. He vomited his breakfast and promptly started squatting in every nook and corner in the place peeing less than a thimble full at less than 5 minute intervals. He seemed more agitated than lethargic and this lasted for well over an hour. I did manage to get him to eat again, which he kept down, and he was at the water dish a few times.
I found this forum while trying to research symptoms of hypo and spent the rest of the day watching him and reading as much as I could of what you have shared.
I am an RN and have always wanted to do hometesting but the vet seemed opposed, though he never outright said as much. I asked him to show me how to draw blood about a year ago and was treated to a lesson on a jugular stick! There was no way I was going to try to jam a needle into the cat's neck at home!! Hubby is a diabetic and we have his Freestyle Meter to use and after reading all about the ear stick here, I did get a BG last night and won't ever hesitae to do it again. Poto's BG was 220 at hour 11 so I kept to his usual dose and feeding schedule. Today he seems his usual self but I will get a BG at hour 6 so I can start to watch what his curve looks like.
I plan to call the Vet first thing tomorrow morning and let him know what happened.
Thanks so very much for being here and for all the wonderful information. I am sure I will have other questions soon.
Big Hugz,
Carol
 
Welcome Carol and extra sweet POTO! Awww....another 'FunnyFace'.... :-D I lubs him already....Mookie (Randa) and one of my "civies" (non-diabetic) cats, Nuisance, both have the same kind of face markings.

I'm SO glad you've already started home testing. Most vets test using veins and don't know how to test using capillary blood. Home testing, just like human diabetics, is how we keep them safe. Your hubby tests before using insulin - same thing for sweet POTO. We all have or have had diabetic kitties so we live it 24/7 - vets don't so most only know the basics of the disease.

One thing that stuck out in your post was the meter you're using. That (or any of the 'free.xxx' anything) meter tends to not show accurate results for cats. We've had several using them that discovered they were reading quite a bit lower than true numbers. Right now I can think of 'Weezer (Linda/Weezer) but I know there are others.

Jump in and ask any question! I'm not a dosing expert so won't even go there but wanted to say Welcome!

Here's a 'Nuisance' welcome too...

 
Carol - we're all glad that you and POTO found us. You'll find people w/ lots of experience with Lantus at their subforum. As different insulins work differently, the Lantus folks will be your best bet for advising on the insulin, dosing, side effects, etc. The rest of us here are happy to answer any other questions that you may have.

You've gotten here, which is huge, and we'll look forward to sharing our experiences with you down the road. Read through posts, check out our spreadsheets, and ask questions. Welcome!

Lu-Ann
 
Wanted to say welcome!
I used PZI (Bean is in remission), so dont know much about lantus,except what I read here.
Sooo glad you are testing! could you possible get a meter etc from Walmart? Very affordable. I know that the PZI can drop a number very very quickly. Please glance at Beans spreadsheet in my signature. Woe, what .50 of insulin can do!
Have you been able to test again?
Please keep us posted!
Sending welcoming paw hugs!
 
Carol&Friends said:
Hi All,
I am new to this forum as of yesterday. I spent the entire day reading all the wonderful info you have all shared and feel like I have found a lifeline.
I am currently Mom to 6 furbabies. LOL, I'm the "little old lady on the corner with all the cats" and have had over a dozen at one time or another.
My POTO (Phantom Of The Opera) is an 8 year old, 23 pound, tuxuedo who was born in my garage and was diagnosed a diabetic nearly 3 years ago. He was listless all the time, drinking gallons and peeing like a race horse. The Vet did a BG in the office which was 120 and was about to send me on home when he thought better of it and sent a panel out. The next morning he called and told me the results were back and he BG was over 500. Poto was stated on 5U of Lantus once a day and went in for a curve every month til he leveled out on 9 units BID.
That has gone up and down over the past few yeas with different circumstances and events (like eating the garland off the Christmas Tree last year and needing emergency surgery :o ) and he is now on 7U of Lantus BID and hits a peak BG of around 270.
Yesterday had an episode about an hour after his am dose that worried me. He vomited his breakfast and promptly started squatting in every nook and corner in the place peeing less than a thimble full at less than 5 minute intervals. He seemed more agitated than lethargic and this lasted for well over an hour. I did manage to get him to eat again, which he kept down, and he was at the water dish a few times.
I found this forum while trying to research symptoms of hypo and spent the rest of the day watching him and reading as much as I could of what you have shared.
I am an RN and have always wanted to do hometesting but the vet seemed opposed, though he never outright said as much. I asked him to show me how to draw blood about a year ago and was treated to a lesson on a jugular stick! There was no way I was going to try to jam a needle into the cat's neck at home!! Hubby is a diabetic and we have his Freestyle Meter to use and after reading all about the ear stick here, I did get a BG last night and won't ever hesitae to do it again. Poto's BG was 220 at hour 11 so I kept to his usual dose and feeding schedule. Today he seems his usual self but I will get a BG at hour 6 so I can start to watch what his curve looks like.
I plan to call the Vet first thing tomorrow morning and let him know what happened.
Thanks so very much for being here and for all the wonderful information. I am sure I will have other questions soon.
Big Hugz,
Carol
Click to expand...

OK first thing. that dose is crazy high and wrong. Cats are dosed twice a day, every 12 hours because their metabolism is nothing like a human.
If a cat needs that much insulin you are looking at an insulin resistance issue or a need to change the diet to a low carb wet one.

The freestyle meters are not good. They have given most people artificial BG readings. Get a Relion or any meter other than the freestyle ones. I reported their meters to Abbott as giving incorrect numbers in the 200's when numbers on all other meters proved the real numbers were much higher.


OK please so not give any more 9u shots without testing first; a dose that high could definitely cause fatal hypo to your cat. There are not many FD cats who ever need more than 3 or 4units twice a day. The ones who need more are usually eating dry cat food which is horrible for a diabetic, or the cat has a resistance condition.
Here are your hypo infos:
List of Hypo symptoms
How to treat HYPOS-They can kill! Print this out!
Jojo’s HYPO TOOLKIT

For food, please feed low carb wet foods, like fancy feast or Friskies pates.
here's a link to lists of other foods; stick to under 10% carbs
Binky’s Food Lists
Feeding Your Cat: Know The Basics of Feline Nutrition
List of Low Carb Healthy Treats

For testing, do not feed the 2 hrs prior to shots, and test before every shot.
Lantus works best given at 12/12 schedules.
Info on Lantus:
Tight Regulation Protocol
Lantus & Levemir – Insulin Depot –AKA- Storage Shed
Lantus & Levemir – Data Ready to Shoot Low Numbers
Curves at the vet are useless at they are a snapshot at the time of stress in vet environment and seldom matches what the cat will test when at home.

People normally track all testing on a google spreadsheet so that others can access the sheet and help you with advise
Testing on cat’s ear
Create your Spreadsheet

Ask any questions you may have

Please ask any questions you may have.
 
Thanks so much for the warm welcome and tips.
I did get another BG at the 6 hour mark and it was 91.
The Rx mail away company that Hubby uses is no longer going to provide strips for the Freestyle and are in the process of setting him up wth an Accucheck. I believe we also have a Walgreen's Meter around here somewhere. He used to work and live out of state so there are a lot of duplicates to choose from. I used the Freestyle cuz it is the one he uses, was readily available and free.... At least I got a rough idea of what the BG was which is better than I have been able to do for the last 3 years. Right now, DH is out of work and we've really got to pinch pennies wherever we can. It's the dang strips that are so costly, most of the companies will give the meters away free with a large enough strip purchase.
I have to confess that I do feed them all hard food. I use Purina One Chicken and Rice and it is left down for them to graze. They're all also fed Friskies Pate' twice a day... sometimes more, it depends on who is climbing my leg... I have tried taking up the hard food at night but then at meal time in the morning, they tend to inhale and puke it right back up. I always feed Poto canned food at insulin time, both morning and evening, and sometimes in the middle of the day if he asks. have always preferred to give him a bit too much rather than too litte and have him get light on me. With having 6 of them, it's a bit difficult to keep one from eating the other's food and Poto is big enough to take whatever he wants, whenever he wants. The dope is in love with bananas and I have to keep them wrapped in plastic on top of the frig to keep him from eating them, peel and all... :!:
Hugz,
Carol
 
if you go with Relion, it's going to be the cheapest one for strips. I am sure when you compare all the others to Relion, you will see that there is a big savings on the strips.

There are a great deal of cats who are DIET CONTROLLED .... switch off the dry food, completely, and you may not need to give any insulin at all! I recall there was one cat who was getting something like 20units and went down to 1unit just by switching from dry food to wet food... it's worth a try, especially since POTO is eating some wet already.

When it comes to how much food for POTO, you will see him acting hungrier as his body is getting regulated. My two were eating close to 30oz and 24oz a day before they were regulated and later, they were closer to 10 and 6oz a day. Big change while their body is adjusting. See if you can keep him on only the wet food, but be sure you are testing him as his numbers are going to drop and he will not need near as much insulin. If you switch the foods to all wet, you may save money on insulin for sure.

When you can, it would be great for you to do a curve. Test at shot time and then every 2 or 3 hrs. You want to see how well the insulin is working, when is his low point in the cycle, and when it starts wearing off.

How to do a Curve
Example of a typical curve:
+0 - PreShot number.
+1 – Usually higher than PreShot number because of the last shot wearing off. May see a food spike in this number.
+2 - Often similar to the PreShot number.
+3 - Lower than the PreShot number, onset has started.
+4 - Lower.
+5 - Lower.
+6 – Nadir/Peak (the lowest number of cycle).
+7 - Surf (hang around the nadir number).
+8 - Slight rise.
+9 - Slight rise.
+10 - Rising.
+11 - Rising (may dip around +10 or +11).
+12 - PreShot number.
 
I'm the only one that calls them 'FunnyFace' babies - that black streak down their noses is just silly sweet. That and those huge green eyes were what caught my attention with Nuisance as a very undersized runt. There's a song from eons ago..."Funny Face, I love you, Funny Face, I need you...my whole world's wrapped up in you"...I sang it to him as a bitty tiny kitty then when he got sick and almost died at 8 months old. I still sing it to him, HE likes to think he's the only one... :-D

I learned the song on the oldies channel.... :roll: ;-)

HUGS,
 
Carol&Friends said:
Yesterday had an episode about an hour after his am dose that worried me. He vomited his breakfast and promptly started squatting in every nook and corner in the place peeing less than a thimble full at less than 5 minute intervals. He seemed more agitated than lethargic and this lasted for well over an hour. I did manage to get him to eat again, which he kept down, and he was at the water dish a few times.
Click to expand...

Hi Carol, and Welcome! I am really glad you found this place!!!! :mrgreen:

These symptoms you describe sound much like a possible urinary tract infection or related issue. Because he is a male cat, there could be concern of a blockage...which is typically an emergency, from what I understand. How is he urinating today?

Here is some information on feline urinary tract diseases:
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

I think it is a very wise idea to contact the vet first thing in the a.m. He should probably be seen and get a urinalysis via Cystocentesis for most accurate results.
a very common method to obtain urine. This procedure involves introducing a needle directly into the bladder through the body wall. This is a relatively painless and quick procedure. The pet can be lying or standing. The bladder is palpated (felt) and a needle is inserted into the bladder.
Click to expand...
http://www.petplace.com/cats/the-importance-of-a-urinalysis-in-cats/page1.aspx

I agree with Gayle, that 5, 7, 9u is an awful lot of insulin to start with based on a fructosimine test or reading at the vet office!!!! It is much safer to start lower and work your way up, while testing at home. I hope you will keep testing and consider a lower amount. Especially if you decide to switch your kitty to wet food.

I hope you can get him in to the vet tomorrow, and please make sure you check his blood sugar before you give anymore insulin. If you are uncertain as to whether or not you shoot give the insulin after testing, post here and someone should be able to help you decide.

Thank YOU for finding us!
 
out of curiosity, which freestyle are you using? i've used the flash since 2006 and have never had a problem with it although i'm not sure if you can buy it anymore. when abbott redesigned the test strips for the lite models is when some people started having problems with them i believe. if by chance you are using an old flash you're probably just fine with it in my opinion.
 
It is a Freestyle lite and right now DH has about a years back log of strips for it.
They have sent him the accucheck that he is supposed to switch to but only sent 10 complimentary strips with it. They are contacting the doctor's office to get a script before will send more strips... Makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. I can stroll into Walgreens and buy syringes with needles without any written anything, (Insulin comes from a different pharmacy) but this company will not provide strips for a new machine for hubby, that THEY insist he change to, without a written Rx, even though they have been sending him strips for the freestyle for over 10 years!

Did another BG on Poto at zero hour and it was 208. I gave his "skinny" 7U and will contact the Vet tomorrow. He seems to be right back to his usual self, eating, drinking and urinating just fine. He has been maintained on 7U twice a day for more than 18 months without incident and still runs BGs over 250. Bear in mind, he is no featherweight. At his lowest, he weighs 23 pounds. It is not fat either. The father was second cousin to a mountain lion and that whole litter turned out to be heavyweights. The girls are little pudgepots but Po is big boned and rather lean. The pic I used of him as an avitar was taken when he was only about 7 months old and now he is all "growed up". Truth be told, I do not have an accurate accounting for the hard food he eats. It sits out 24/7 and he, as well as the others, nibble ad lib. The two girls will not eat canned food and the third, the baby, won't eat hard food. The other male will eat both but develops diarrhea with even the slightest hint of a dietary change. :-)
I will try putting less of it out and see if we can start backing off a bit.

My hometest BG's so far are:
last night 1 hour pre shot 220
today at 6 hours post shot 91
zero hour tonight pre shot 208

Thanks for all the input,
Hugz,
Carol
 
The FreeStyle Lite meter gives the majority of BG in the 200 range; you could double Poto's dose and still get the same readings. I would NOT trust that meter or strips. I am not suggesting you double his dose though!
I bet if you tested him with another meter, Relion for example, you would likely see higher readings.

The dose you are giving is quite high and makes one think that Poto may have an insulin resistance condition, such as acromegaly, but with his eating dry food, and being tested with a Freestyle meter, there is no way to tell. His weight/size goes along with acromegaly; my Oliver was up to 33.8lb at one point.

If you are removing the dry food, please watch closely because his dose will be too much once he is not eating the dry food, and you could have a hypo situation.
 
I use the Aviva AccuChek and I think it's a wonderful meter. I got one because a friend of mine who only tests occasionally due to low blood sugar had a ton of strips that she wasn't using and just throwing away until she heard that I could use them. If you can use the same strips your husband does, it will save you a lot of money. The only thing is that the AccuChek strips are very expensive in the store when they are not covered by insurance--so when I do have to buy some myself I get them on Ebay or Amazon where they are much cheaper.
 
Hi guys, I just wanted to say welcome to the board! Mocha was on purina one chicken and rice for all of her 5 short years before becoming diabetic. Then we switched her over to wet cat food, wal marts special kitty turkey and giblets. She loves it! We do have another non diabetic cat (a "civvie") named twix who needs to eat dry food. We feed them at the same time, but thankfully I'm home all day and can make sure no cats sneak bites out of the others bowl .. it would be a lot harder to separate 6 cats .. ever try switching all of them over to wet cat food? It's much better for them .. just a thought!

We also use the relion micro from wal mart .. 50 test strips cost about 20.00 though I know several people on this board are ordering them online, for cheaper .. they are called akray? brand .. you could look into that option too, if you want ..

Mocha was on lantus for 22 months and just celebrated her first year OFF insulin and is now completely diet controlled!

I hope you stick around and read up and ask questions and make yourself at home!
 
There is a food that you may want to try.... one lady has a cat who had vomiting issues and another cat with bad diarrhea, plus one diabetic cat... she is feeding this food, and it has just about eliminated the vomiting, the diarrhea, and has also helped to lower the diabetic cat's dose needs.

No, it's not on Binky's list but it works.

Castor & Pollux canned cat food. All three flavors are in the 5.xx% range for carbs (per the company not the label).

if you can find the food, why not pick up a couple cans and give it a try.
 
Gayle Shadoe & Oliver said:
There is a food that you may want to try.... one lady has a cat who had vomiting issues and another cat with bad diarrhea, plus one diabetic cat... she is feeding this food, and it has just about eliminated the vomiting, the diarrhea, and has also helped to lower the diabetic cat's dose needs.

No, it's not on Binky's list but it works.

Castor & Pollux canned cat food. All three flavors are in the 5.xx% range for carbs (per the company not the label).

if you can find the food, why not pick up a couple cans and give it a try.
Click to expand...

Make sure it's the Ultramix label and not the Organix--the Organix all contains brown rice and is not low carb. I'm assuming the Ultramix are the 5% carb ones because they contain potato starch, but no grains. I remember reading the labels for both at the organic grocery store.
 
PetSmart carries Castor & Pollux dog - I buy their dry dog food. I don't know if they carry the cat food or not. KT (diabetic) loves the EVO dry and I just tried the Wellness Core dry but he didn't seem in love with it.

Wow - POTO is a REAL big boy! Nuisance would fit in his mouth, he's a bitty runt. I can't wait to see more pictures.

HUGS!
 
Evening Everyone,
I got Poto to the Vet this afternoon and he feels it might be a non-specific cystitis or urethritis. He was not able to do a U/A because the bladder was empty but gave him an injectable NSAID and advised us to watch him. He was pleased with the BG's that I got over the weekend and wants me to check the nadir tomorrow . He prefers to keep his daibetic cats between 120 and 250 in the curve so there is less chance of bottoming out (ie, not crazy about the 91). I am also glad to know that I can check at home if a crisis arises and not fret and stew about being able to get in touch with the Vet.
In the mean time, Poto seems fine. He is eating, drinking and urinating normally and I have no idea what that episode on Saturday was.
Doc does agree that we need to cut down on the dry food (gained another pound) but doesn't see the need to eliminate all of it knowing the history with our other cats and the digestive disorders.
Thanks again for all the input,
I'll keep you posted.
Hugz,
Carol
 
Can you find out what was the name of the injected NSAID? if you know the name, people will be able to advise you of the warning signs.
 
I believe it was Metacam.
I wrote it down on the back of my credit card reciept as their printer was acting up and I didn't get the usual visit history print out to refer back to. LOL
 
Thanks for the heads up.
To my knowledge, he has never had it before. I will keep is in mind for te future and keep a eye on him.
 
Hi Carol,
If you continue to see symptoms with unusual urination, I would again bring him in to try and get another sample. *Note...never let a vet squeeze the cat's abdomen first thing if you think you may need to get a Urinalysis! The sample will get lost on the exam table. :lol:

:YMSIGH: on the metacam.
There was a part of me last night that wanted to warn you that a vet may offer it, in case he was in pain. I need to do better. :cry:

Things will probably be fine. But please take the time to look at the link in my signature regarding metacam (metacamkills.com). The front page will show you adverse reactions you want to watch for in the next week or so. If you notice any of the symptoms, please DO NOT write them off as nothing. They need to be followed up with immediately by getting a renal (kidney) blood panel. Your vet should have informed you and given other options. The injection is not off label (or black boxed). IMHO, it was just a pointless, and possibly harmful thing to give w/o a definite diagnosis, and labwork to make sure kidneys were ok. (sorry...I try not to show too much opinion and more fact when talking about metacam....)

It is most important that you are informed and aware, so you can make an informed decision on the medications you give Poto.

Sorry for my rant. ;-)

I am glad he is feeling better. Please keep testing him regularly, especially as you work him off the kibble.
 
I make sure that all of my cats' files at vet offices are marked
NO CONVENIA
NO METACAM
 
I appreciate the info. I will watch him carefully. So far, he seems just fine but I know that is always subject to change and I'll be on the alert for any signs of distress.

Several of my furbabies have had Covenia, what is the problem with it??
I've never see any adverse effects from it at all.
 
Wanted to say welcome! This is the place to be!

I was wondering if someone in your area could bring their test kit to you to borrow for a test? I had a lower reading w/ Bean, so I had Sara bring over her tester and did it again. Was the same within a few numbers of mine, but it sure made me feel better.

I know taking Bean off dry lowered her numbers by almost 100! I am a multi cat family, work full time and will have to constantly keep Bean out of
Slappys foods! She is 16, was ONLY DRY until she became sick. I had to puree wet and dropper feed her. Now, she will eat wet, in her favorite bowl only, but at least it is now f.feast chicken and Bean can sneak all she wants.

We have a smaller addition to the family, Ittle Sista, and she was on dry at 6 wks when she found us....did not take me long to switch her to wet.

I also feed raw that I am now grinding myself. Bean and Sista eat that everyday with petsmart brand wet & a bit of f.f. chicken. My goal is 100% raw, at least for these two.

I know I am crazy, but if my budget would allow, I would have many more! :o

Good luck, please test before each shot and get that test curve in when you can. All of us are here to help!

Sending paw hugs your way
 
You may want to read this info from catinfo.org - Dr. Lisa's site

http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

What happens if your cat has a bad reaction after a day or two of the convenia shot?
There is nothing you can do to take back a shot that is said to last for 2weeks but actually is in the body for closer to 2 months.
 
Thanks for the link.
I guess I've been very lucky not to have experienced any bad reactions to meds with these guys.
Over the past 3 years we've been through Diabetes, FeLV, Lymphoma, Mylenoma, CRF, and acute macrocitic leukemia (real bone marrow cancer). I've lost 6 of them to these dastardly diseases and most fortunately, never had to deal with a bad drug reaction.
Hugz,
Carol
 
ohbell said:
Wanted to say welcome! This is the place to be!

I was wondering if someone in your area could bring their test kit to you to borrow for a test? I had a lower reading w/ Bean, so I had Sara bring over her tester and did it again. Was the same within a few numbers of mine, but it sure made me feel better
Click to expand...

My Hubby is a diabetic and has just recently been changed to an accucheck, current problem being that the mail away pharmacy sent him the meter with 10 "complimentary" test strips and are waiting for his doctor to authorize a Rx before sending his usual 90 day supply. That can sometimes can take up to 2 weeks.
For now, I have a vague idea of the BG with a freestyle where before I was adjusting the insulin based on the drink and pee factor. nailbite_smile
I do realize that he is not a cat (LOL) but DH did his own testing with both the freestyle and the accucheck yesterday and there was only a 4 point difference. That is an acceptable varriable for me until the other test strips arrive.

Thanks so much for your super greeting :-D

Hugz,
Carol
 
Poto's 6 hour BG today was 102

He seems to be doing quite well except for an increased appetite. He has asked to be fed more often today than usual. The norm is about every 4 hours during the day.
At BG time, he crawled in the bathtub, crouched down and hissed at me but we were friends again as soon as the treat showed up ;-)
We use the Enisyl-F LysineTreats provided by the Vet to help boost his immune system and he is quite fond of them.
 
Do you think he would like a treat that is frz dried? I have used merricks - lamb; grandma lucys - lamb & chicken & stella & chewys duck! they love all of them and no carbs.
 
LOL.. I was reading that on the label as I was writing my post and knew I'd get called on it.
I asked the Vet about that when he gave them to me and he felt it was not enough sugar to cause a problem.
I only give him one or two a day and not every day. He had a nasty bout with an intestinal virus over the Christmas Holidays and Doc put him on these to try to ward off other evil spirits. He has done well since recovering and I had all but stopped giving them at all til I started sticking holes in his ear this weekend.
He is very good with the insulin shots but not at all sure about this ear prick business... :?
:YMHUG:
Hugz,
Carol
 
ohbell said:
Do you think he would like a treat that is frz dried? I have used merricks - lamb; grandma lucys - lamb & chicken & stella & chewys duck! they love all of them and no carbs.
Click to expand...
I truthfully don't know. I will have to check at Pet'sMart and see what they carry. After we lost Sam in October, I stopped giving them the treats at all (used to love Pounce Salmon and Tuna) because they are all pudgepots and did not need the extra calories. Our Sam had bone cancer in his jaw and sometimes the only way to get him to eat anything at all was to grind his favorite treats on top. It's awfully hard to give treats to one and not the others esp when they know what opening that container sounds like ... LOL
 
pick up a pack of PureBites; it's 100% freeze dried chicken, and you are safe to give that snack.
It's also good if you find your cat is a bit off eating.... just sprinkle some of the crumbs on top of the food, and you may see your cat eat a bit more.

Petsmart has a few flavors, another is tiny shrimps.
 
I am sure the small bit of sugar in it may not make a difference, but it's always good to read every ingredient in all items you feed...

The first batch of gabapentin that my vet mixed up for my cats caused a slight rise in their numbers and I questioned the vet on the ingredients of the suspension, and sure enough, there was a sweetener in it.
He got some SUGAR FREE syrup, chicken flavor, and my cats were good again.

Just like the pill pockets that many people use for pilling their cats. All the flavors have a sweetener except the Duck and Pea Allergy flavor.

In time, you will be automatically scouring the labels and picking apart the ingredients.
 
Guess that means I shouldn't share my Chocolate Moose Tracks Ice Cream with him either, hum??.... haha_smiley

Thanks for all your help, everyone, You're great!
Hugz,
Carol
 
LOL to Ms. Carol & Sweet Poto
I know what you mean by sharing. I can no longer eat cereal because of Bean wanting to share and I just feel like it is unfair! She has had enough things taken from her that I just cant bring myself to pour up a bowl. She hears me in the box, she is right there wanting her spoon of sugary milk :-D
I have to be very very careful with what goes in her mouth. Even one of those purina treats - good for hair balls- will make her levels go up. Since I do not want to ever have to give insulin again, she is flat cut off! lol

But we have found many other things to change to and now that the habit is formed, she is not feeling so deprived...but it took a while.

Doing great and Poto is going to be very happy that you are his mommabean! ;-)
 
Wow, what a week....
After I got Poto to the vet on Monday, he wanted me to do another 6 hour BG on Tuesday.
I got 102
I called and reported the results on Wednesday (My Vet is not in on Tuesdays) and was instructed to decrease the Lantus to 6U from the 7U he's been getting.
I was to check a pmps. That was 279, and again at 6 hour the next day. I opted to give his usual 7U and start the 6u in the morning when I would be awake to watch him.
Thursday am I went to give the Lantus, hubby chose that exact moment to tramp up the hall... cat startled, pulled off the needle, and I have no idea how much insulin he got. Called the Vet again to report this and the results of the pmps the night before and he still wants me to decrease to 6U tonight and check a 6 hour BG in a few days.
Okay .... Today is a few days ... Mind you I have seen the light with the Purina One and have all but removed it. He's getting roughly 1 and a half cans of Friskies Pate only for the past 3 days.
Today 6 hour was 220 ... Ummm, I'm still using the Freestyle ...
Today pmps 199...(Freestyle) ... I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!!
Today pmps 385...(Accucheck) I'm a convert!
Now the poor little dude is cowering in the bath tub and hisses at me every time I walk by. confused_cat

The strips for the accucheck have still not arrived and there are only 4 left but Caremark says they've been shipped so should be here Mon or Tue.
Hubby is going to use the Freestyle on himself and I'm going to use the Accucheck for Poto

I only gave 6U again tonight but will call the Vet again tomorrow and see what he wants me to do.

I was perfectly happy with the 91 and 102 at the 6 hour mark but he felt it was too tight. Poto's BG has been as low as the 60's and he's shown no symptoms. That was while recovering from having the Christmas Tree Garland cut out of his gut last year and he was stressed and off his feed.

Sleep Well Everyone,
Hugz,
Carol
 
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