Newly diagnosed Chloe

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Lau

Lau

Member Since 2018
Morning,
I am the mother of 4 dog fur kids and 6 feline fur kids one of which was just diagnosed with diabetes. Chloe is a 13 year old 16 pound DSH polydactyl silver tabby. Yesterday her vet proscribed Prozinc 2 units 12 hours apart and I haven’t started yet was going to start this evening.

Her reading at the vet from her full panel bloodwork was 20.* (I can’t remember the decimal point). I purchased a one touch verio flex meter last night and tetsed her blood at 7pm (22.9) and 7 am this morning(21.9). I’ve been reading everything I can find in here for more info to get us started on the right foot.

I plan to switch Chloe to wet food right before dosing but will leave out dry food for the others at all times. The dry food they are currently on is authority chicken and rice and I was going to switch to simply nourish high protein dry as I figured it would have less carbs. I get a significant discount on it so I was hoping to stay within the authority/simply nourish lines of food as I have 10 mouths to feed. The wet food I will feed will either be simply nourish or fancy feast.

My main questions are regarding food. Should I switch the food right now for all before I start giving insulin as I’ve read you shouldn’t switch that fast once your cat is on insulin. Or should I leave them on it and give Chloe the wet food right before the insulin injections? If I do switch how long should she be on it before I start giving insulin? I’m so confused with feeding and want to make Chloe feel better ASAP. I do plan to continue to free feed dry so she will have access to it throughout the day I would like a better dry for them.

Thanks
Lau
 
Lau, I am going to tag some more experienced members to help address your questions and concerns. @Chris & China @Kris & Teasel
I have read that you should change the diet to all wet, low carb before starting the insulin if you can, as it can lower the blood sugar levels sometimes significantly. There are a couple of lower carb dry foods, but they are more expensive and I don't know if that's an option with other cats and dogs in the house. Plus, will Chloe have access to the other pets' food?, the higher carb dry food will not be beneficial for her at all. There may be other alternatives for Chloe to have small snacks throughout the day and not have to have dry.
 
All of the easily available kibbles are going to be too high in carbs...be it Nourish, Authority or Meow Mix....they're all too high.

The best thing for all your cats is to be switched to a low carb canned diet.....the worst canned food is still better than the best dry. (Lots of great information at www.catinfo.org -- It's well worth the time to read)

If you absolutely HAVE to have kibble in the house, there are 2 that are low enough in carbs for a diabetic. Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein (available at Chewy) or Young Again Zero (only available on their website)….but they're both pricey.

I know someone who has 19 cats.....she feeds Friskies pates from the big 12-13oz cans to keep costs down

It's much safer to switch the food first as long as there aren't any ketones in the picture.

Within a week, you'll be able to see what impact the change is having on your cat and be ready to start insulin if it's still necessary. We've seen quite a few cats that didn't need insulin once they were eating a species appropriate diet!
 
I agree with Chris. Do the swap over to low carb wet food first. But I would get some KETOSTIX from Walmart or the pharmacy (they only cost about $10) and test the urine for ketones as ketones can develop in a diabetic cat if it is not getting insulin. But by testing for ketones first, you are ok to do the changeover to low carb food safely.

I also second Chris’s suggestion to change over all your cats to low carb. You will be doing them all a big favour and preventing health problems further down the track.
Also it is much easier with a diabetic cat to have all the others on low carb wet.
 
Chris & China said:
All of the easily available kibbles are going to be too high in carbs...be it Nourish, Authority or Meow Mix....they're all too high.

The best thing for all your cats is to be switched to a low carb canned diet.....the worst canned food is still better than the best dry. (Lots of great information at www.catinfo.org -- It's well worth the time to read)

If you absolutely HAVE to have kibble in the house, there are 2 that are low enough in carbs for a diabetic. Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein (available at Chewy) or Young Again Zero (only available on their website)….but they're both pricey.

I know someone who has 19 cats.....she feeds Friskies pates from the big 12-13oz cans to keep costs down

It's much safer to switch the food first as long as there aren't any ketones in the picture.

Within a week, you'll be able to see what impact the change is having on your cat and be ready to start insulin if it's still necessary. We've seen quite a few cats that didn't need insulin once they were eating a species appropriate diet!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. I’ve been feeding Chloe wet food only since the other day post and have been giving it to my other cats as well when I’m not home. When I’m home I’ve been leaving a little dry for them out where I can watch constantly and make sure Chloe doesn’t get into it. When I’ve been leaving I’ve been picking it up and putting it away from a everyone. I’ve been testing her 3 times a day and her levels have been going down and I’ve updated her spreadsheet she’s gone from a start of 412 to 326 tonight. I have ketostix as I’ve been on a keto diet but I haven’t been able to get a urine sample out of her to test. I keep trying to put her in the box with the nosorb cat litter from the vet but she refuses to go in it. I’m going to try plastic cling wrap over litter tomorrow and see if she’ll go in that. I’m not sure if the full blood panel from the vet tested for ketones the other day but the only level on her entire bloodwork that was high was her glucose. That’s for all the advice as I figure this all out.
 
I’m not sure if I’ll get replies here or if I should start a new post but when shouldn’t I start her on the Prozinc? I’ve been testing her blood at least twice a day and have put the number in her spreadsheet. Her numbers have gone down slightly from the diet change, would it be ok to wait until Thursday and Friday when I’m off next so I can monitor her while she’s started the Prozinc.
 
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