Newbie With A Lot of Questions

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Tamaraidic

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...so many, in fact, that I can't remember them all :( 4 days ago my 10 year old tabby, Sonic, was diagnosed with diabetes during a routine exam. Since then I have saturated myself with so much info that I'm more confused than I was when I left the vet's office. Sonic is on 1u Prozinc insulin 2x per day...got that part down. Here are some things I need advice on:
-DIET- I had previously been feeding him IAMS (which I now know is garbage) dry food (which I now know is wrong). 3 yrs ago when I met my boyfriend (who has 2 cats) I began giving Sonic canned food once per day & now find out that he should be eating only canned! My vet wants me to use some Rx stuff which I've read is probably just as bad.

-HOME TESTING- vet didn't say & I was crying @ the time and didn't think to ask. Should I?

-home made treats- (kind of goes along with diet, oh well). My mother makes her own dog treats (has a miniature schnauzer allergic to wheat). Any good recipes for treats.

My poor baby was sick & I didn't even realize it! Now that I know what the symptoms are it seems like I should have :(

Thanks for any & all suggestions and advice.
 
We were all where you are in the beginning ... many worse. My cat was Dx and went straight into DKA which is a life or death thing. BUT with knowledge you can turn it all around. Also you should come over to the PZI support group where you will learn about your insulin.

Canned food is the best, low carbs better such as Fancy Feast, in pate. It is also good to mix a little water in with it.

If you don't home test how will you know it is ok to give a shot? I have a cat that never goes low but a couple of weeks ago she tested 74 at shot time and she gets 4u of prozinc. If I had given her the shot I could have killed her. So .... to be safe you need to test before every shot. Most of us use human meters and supplies. If she were your human baby you would not give her a shot without knowing what her blood glucose # is.

Treats are ok if healthy, most of us tie treats into the test and shot. Most cats do well being tested, especially if they get a treat ....

Don't beat up on yourself, how would you know what to look for in a diabetic cat? You are being a good parent, we call ourselves beans :) keep asking questions, you will be fine.
Nancy and Payne .....
 
Thanks Nancy & Payne :) It's been so frightening! I've been feeding Sonic Fancy Feast after reading it was pretty good. I've left the remainder of his IAMS down as to ease the transition to the FF...he hasn't even eaten any of the IAMS! I'm going to purchase a test kit but am confused about what kind to get. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Please, as Nancy said, don't beat yourself up. You're a good kitty mommy! :-) You're doing research and asking questions and you have the determination to do what it takes to get your baby better. You can do it! The great people on this board will help you just like they helped me.

As Nancy said, there's a forum on this board just for people who use Prozinc. Here's the link:

viewforum.php?f=24

They'll help you with any questions you have about the insulin.

As for home testing, it's easy! If I can do it - and I hate needles and blood and all that stuff - anybody can. Cats can be tested using human glucometers. I use the ReliOn Confirm, you can get one at any WalMart for about $9. You'll need testing strips - you can get 50 strips for about $20, just make sure you get the right ones because you can't return them since they can come in contact with blood - the box will say 'for Confirm or Micro' right on it (the Micro is the other small glucometer WalMart sells). The strips are sold right next to the meters, in the pharmacy department. WalMart even has a sign that says 'diabetic supplies'. That's where you go.

Whatever glucometer you get will come with a lancet so you can poke kitty's ear to get a little blood. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt - especially not if you give a treat! :-) YouTube has a lot of great videos showing the best way to get a blood sample from a cat, so check those out and you'll be a pro in no time! :-)

As for food, I go Fancy Feast Classics all the way. There's a wide variety (only buy the cans that say 'Classic', that's how you know they're low-carb which is best for diabetic kitties!), you can buy them anywhere (not just at a vets!) and best of all, if you go on eBay people will sell you coupons to get money off buying lots of cans! Gotta love it.

Most important of all, relax and know that you're doing all you can for Sonic, and it won't be long before he's a happy purry kitty again. This is a great community and when Casey was first diagnosed I found a lot of fantastic people here who make you feel right at home.

Good luck! We're all behind you! :-)
 
Tamaraidic said:
-HOME TESTING- vet didn't say & I was crying @ the time and didn't think to ask. Should I?
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Yes :smile: A Human diabetic would never blindly give himself or herself insulin without testing the blood glucose level first and if he/she feels odd, a blood glucose test is needed to see if the level is too low. Since cats cant't test their own blood glucose level, they need the person to do it for them :smile: It's really important to know what your cat's blood glucose levels are and how the insulin and dose is working.

Hometesting tips and videos: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

You can request a free hometesting kit from this board. Go here http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=60261

-home made treats- (kind of goes along with diet, oh well). My mother makes her own dog treats (has a miniature schnauzer allergic to wheat). Any good recipes for treats.
Click to expand...

Plain cooked chicken is great :smile: Boiled in water or plain baked with no seasonings is fine. A little tuna (the kind in water, not oil) is good, too.

You can also buy treats: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172

Not all of the FF are low in carbs. Be sure to feed only the low carb ones. Have you seen Binky's food chart? http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html The regular FF is on the "old chart". Stick with the foods that have under 10% carbs. Here's the list of low carb gluten free FF: http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm There are many other brands of canned foods you can feed as well.
 
HI there - I know how you feel - when I found out Sitka was diabetic I went home and cried too. However - three months later Sitka is great - well regulated and amazing! Doing home testing is a challenge but after a couple of weeks you'll be a pro at it. In my case a side benefit is that my hubby, who is type 2 diabetic, started testing himself regularly after he saw the cat didn't mind it LOL. Home testing gives you the advantage of knowing how your cat is doing all the time (not just when the vet is doing a curve) and also saves money because you can do a curve yourself. A curve is when you test before the am shot, then at 3 hour intervals retest the blood glucose until you reach the 12 hour time for the next shot. This will tell you exactly how your cat is processing the insulin and if a dose change might be needed. A general rule of thumb is if you test and their blood glucose is under 200 do not give insulin (it can cause blood sugar to go too low). However once you do some curves and feel comfortable you may decide to go tight regulation and give insulin at lower numbers. Hang in there - it really does get better and your cat be feeling better in no time. Jan
 
Hello and welcome from a fellow Pacific Northwesterner! My baby boy was just diagnosed Friday and I can totally relate to what you're feeling. But the good news is that just a few days in and LOTS of wonderful advice and support from the terrific people here I feel like this is completely manageable. We just began using Prozinc and switched over to the Fancy Feast classic wet food.
Home testing I've already found is a huge help. Walmart has the Relion brand which is highly affordable. We are using the Relion Confirm which only needs a very small sample of blood. Also there's a spreadsheet on here which helps you keep track of the blood glucose levels at different times of the day in relation to the insulin injection. It's also helpful because others on here are able to see your BG numbers and are better able to help answer questions with your kitty.
Definitely come visit over on the PZI forum. There are so many people who have the experience and knowledge and are more than happy to pass it along to us newbies.
Once again welcome!

Stephanie and Kale
 
You are all so wonderful! I can't express my thanks enough! We've made the switch to FF Classic (going very well, other 2 cats in the family love it too!) Sonic isn't drinking water constantly anymore :) closer to normal amts...his poopy box isn't filled to the brim with pee anymore (almost back to a normal amt). The info & support I've gotten here is so appreciated! All of you kitty-parents are the best!

Now for another nutrition question. I've found some canned food & am rather impressed with the ingredients. Found it at a local health food shop. The brand is "Kitty's Favorite" and ingredients consist of RED MEAT TUNA, MACKEREL (or chicken depending upon variety) & WATER. Analysis is 16% protein, 0.5% fat, 0.3% ash 80% moisture. Sounds good but after trusting a well-respected brand to find out it's garbage I thought I'd inquire. Meanwhile, we are still feeding FF until I decide if this new stuff is better. I'm reluctant to jerk the diet around any more than necessary.

<3
 
While you are out shopping for food, pick up a few cans of FF grilled chicken in gravy. You are probably thnking 'but isn't that too high carb?' and you are right! But this is for your hypo tool kit. There may be a time when you test your kitty and her bg is a little too low - this is the time when you would give her a bit of hi carb food to raise the bg. You also need to have some syrup on hand as well (or honey) in case she goes really low. There is a list of hypo symptoms and treatments - I'm sure that someone will have the link. You are obviously a gret kitty mom and I knew that you'd want to be prepared.

You're doing a great job.
 
Just-As-Appy said:
While you are out shopping for food, pick up a few cans of FF grilled chicken in gravy. You are probably thnking 'but isn't that too high carb?' and you are right! But this is for your hypo tool kit. There may be a time when you test your kitty and her bg is a little too low - this is the time when you would give her a bit of hi carb food to raise the bg. You also need to have some syrup on hand as well (or honey) in case she goes really low. There is a list of hypo symptoms and treatments - I'm sure that someone will have the link. You are obviously a gret kitty mom and I knew that you'd want to be prepared.

You're doing a great job.
Click to expand...
:) thanks for reminding me of low BG. I've been so focused on reducing crabs that I've neglected the "what-ifs". I do have both honey & corn syrup just in case.

My Sonic sure is wonderful!
 
After nearly 7 years of Kitt-N-Kaboodle, my Grayson LOVES FF classic seafood flavors! But for more reasons than the heavy metals/mercury, I was told they don't recommend you give seafood flavors more than once a week. I use it as a filler when I'm doing an houly curve on weekends, as it doesn't increase his BG and give my numbers food spikes.

Grayson primarily gets FF Classic Chicken and Turkey & Giblets. If you can eliminate as many variables as possible in your routine, you can get some good data to compare - whereas if you're changing the time of the shot, the dose, the food, the quantity, the timing of meals... you're not comparing apples & apples. You can always adjust to more variety after you get him settled in.

Good luck - we'll look for you on the Prozinc board. If you haven't already mentioned it, tell us your name and whereabouts you're located.

Lu-Ann
 
Were you able to get a glucose tester? If not we can work out a way to send you mine since you're just a state below. Either way it's going to get donated so thought I'd check. This is a Relion Confirm w/ lancet, lancet sticks, 50+ test strips.
 
Tamaraidic said:
Now for another nutrition question. I've found some canned food & am rather impressed with the ingredients. Found it at a local health food shop. The brand is "Kitty's Favorite" and ingredients consist of RED MEAT TUNA, MACKEREL (or chicken depending upon variety) & WATER. Analysis is 16% protein, 0.5% fat, 0.3% ash 80% moisture. Sounds good but after trusting a well-respected brand to find out it's garbage I thought I'd inquire. Meanwhile, we are still feeding FF until I decide if this new stuff is better. I'm reluctant to jerk the diet around any more than necessary.

<3
Click to expand...

I think those kinds of foods are just meant to be fed as a treat/appetizer, sort of like the Fancy Feast ones that come in the clear containers. They do not have added vitamins/minerals/taurine so they are not good for regular feedings. You also don't want to feed fish frequently as explained above. I personally feed Special Kitty Select - it's almost identical to Fancy Feast but even cheaper.
 
Tamaraidic said:
Now for another nutrition question. I've found some canned food & am rather impressed with the ingredients. Found it at a local health food shop. The brand is "Kitty's Favorite" and ingredients consist of RED MEAT TUNA, MACKEREL (or chicken depending upon variety) & WATER. Analysis is 16% protein, 0.5% fat, 0.3% ash 80% moisture.
Click to expand...



If those are the only ingredients, then, no, this food is not suitable to feed your cat daily. It does not contain any vitamins and minerals that a cat needs. You can feed it as a treat but not as the regular food. Such foods are only supplements/treats and there should be a teeny tiny sentence on the label somewhere that says this.

As a rule, if there are no vitamins or minerals listed in the ingredient list, then the food is not a complete diet and should only be fed as treats. These products are meant as a complement to a dry food only diet. Fancy Feast Appetizers is another supplement only food. There are others out there.

Stick with the regular Fancy Feast canned and whatever low carb brands of foods your cat likes from the food charts :smile:
 
sengibous said:
Were you able to get a glucose tester? If not we can work out a way to send you mine since you're just a state below. Either way it's going to get donated so thought I'd check. This is a Relion Confirm w/ lancet, lancet sticks, 50+ test strips.
Click to expand...
We are going to Wal Mart tomorrow (we're way down on the south coast about 5mins from the CA border. Very remote...2hrs to Wal Mart). Very kind of you to offer :) but I'd rather you donate your's to someone who who is financially strapped, we are both employed at good jobs so I'd feel badly if I took one that someone else needed for their kitty and couldn't afford one. Must admit, I'm a bit apprehensive about testing but I must so I'll do it and I'm sure I'll do just fine. Thanks again.
 
Thanks Squeem3/Ry & Scooter :) nice to know about the canned! Can't believe I've owned cats for as long as I have and am so misinformed! Wow! I'll stick to FF.

Next question I have is regarding injection sights. Vet tech taught us to use the area between his shoulder blades. Working fine but won't that area get sore from injections? Is there another area we could switch to periodically? Appreciate any thoughts.
 
You can inject almost anywhere--just avoid the scruff. I used to rotate between Bandit's shoulder blades and flank. You can also inject in skin at the side of his belly or at his armpit. Anywhere on his body that you can get a good tent is okay.

Bandit gets the Fancy Feast appetizers as an extra special treat a few times a week, but they (and the Kitty's Favorite) should only be fed as such, and not as complete diet. So if you were going to get the Kitty's Favorite as a treat for Sonic, that's perfectly fine. I also get Beefeaters freeze dried chicken and salmon from PetSmart--it's very reasonably priced. Anything that is just 100% meat (as long as it's not fried), is ok to give as a treat. You mentioned your mom makes dog treats--does she make them freeze-dried? If so, you could easily have her freeze dry any meat and make your own treats. Cat treats only need one ingredient, so it'd be super easy for her to do if she knows how. :-D
 
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