Newly Diagnosed Mikey and Mary the Human

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Marycatmom

Marycatmom

Member Since 2014
Hi Everyone,
My beloved Scottish Fold Mikey was diagnosed on Tuesday. I've know Marje and Gracie for many years, so they were my first phone call when I got the news. Marje sent me here, and I'm very grateful. Mikey is on one unit of Lantis twice a day. I am transitioning him from kibble to Fancy Feast Classics. My vet is pushing me to feed the Purina DM, but my gut and my budget tell me it's not the right food for my guy. I have two questions at the moment. The first is for those who feed a food with different "flavors". Do you stick with one kind or switch it up. Right now I'm giving Mikey only the chicken classic. Is that ok? I'm currently mixing it with dry food, because I don't want to switch him too quickly for several reasons. The other question is one I'm not sure I'll get an answer to. Unlike Gracie, Mikey has folded ears. Does anyone have any tips for how to keep a grip on them while testing? I find that I get blood, lose my grip while switching from the lancet to the meter, then the ear folds back over, and I lose the blood. Poor Mikey!
Thank you for all your help!
 
Welcome Mary and Mikey,

The food is completely your and Mikey's preference. If he loves one flavor, it's fine to stick with it. If he seems to get bored with it, try a new one. Humans like variety in their meals; some cats seem to and some don't.

One thing that might help with the folded ear is to get the drop of blood on your clean fingernail. Then you can test it from there.
 
Not a fan of Purina DM. Squeaker wouldn't eat it at all. I tried to feed it to the local strays and they wouldn't eat it either. Tells you how bad it must be :lol: . I just fed Squeaker Little Friskies Classic Pate and Fancy Feast. He didn't mind switching brands or flavors.

Anita and Squeaker
 
Hey Mary and Mikey!!

Welcome to FDMB. I'm glad you found us. Great suggestion from Sue on testing Mikey :-D

I just took a peek at his SS. Great job doing a curve today....you are really on top of things.

I am concerned about that big drop from PMPS to +2 tonight. Mikey might want to have a pj party with you tonight but hopefully he will flatten out. I'd suggest a +3 test. Then we can go from there.

I know Mikey is smaller than Gracie and has lost weight so I'm wondering if your vet started him a little higher on dose than he needs. So it's s good idea to stay on top of the numbers...he Is showing a quick response to the insulin but it can also be the switch from dry to wet. It's something to do slowly.

Let us know your questions. I'm really happy you are here!
 
Just checked back to see if you were able to get a +3. Great job.

I'm glad he's slowed down a bit but I might give him a tsp of his FF with a few kibbles. I want to be sure we aren't giving him a lot more canned than kibble since you just started the transition.

Just FYI, if he decides to have some lower numbers, kibble takes a long time to affect the BG and then hangs around. So it's normally best to manage lower numbers with wet food. We will cross that bridge when we get to it but just a general thought to keep in mind.

I'd probably get a test no later than +4 but sooner (30 mins or so after he eats) would be better since its early in the cycle and he's still coming down quickly.
 
Hi Mary! just want to add my welcome to you and Mikey! You've found the Feline Diabetes Mecca! FDMB is full of wonderful information and people who will teach you how to apply it to Mikey. Good for you for getting on all of this right away - newly diagnosed cats who get on long-lasting insulins (lantus or Levemir) right away after diagnosis have the best chance of becoming diet-controlled and going off of insulin. We never know which cats that might be, but you've increased his chances by using a good insulin and beginning to learn right away how to control his blood sugar.

People have already answered your questions about food - i fed punkin mostly chicken or turkey fancy feast classics, and occasionally gave him one of the other classics for variety. When his kidneys needed low-phosphorus foods, we switched to Friskies which he liked. You just want to give him something low carb that he likes.

I'm thinking MJ might have some tips for you on testing with folded ears. I'll send her a message and ask her to come chat with you. Butthead was a SF and his ears looked pretty small in her videos.

Keep asking questions - we're glad to give you a hand!

julie
 
Hi Mary. My foldie Butthead was not diabetic, but my Maine Coon/Scottish Fold Donovan was. I used a rolled up baby sock under Donovan's ear to keep it unfolded while testing. I suppose I could fake-test one of my other foldies to demonstrate it on video if you want.

MJ
 
Hi, Mary and welcome to FDMB!

I've been feeding Gabby and my civvie (i.e., non-diabetic) Gizmo, Wellness chicken or turkey for years. I alternate between the two. The only thing I'd suggest with Fancy Feast is that you read the labels. Many of their non-fish flavors actually contain fish. For some cats, this is a concern either due to allergy, the formation of crystals, or other issues related to frequently feeding fish flavors.

As far as hanging onto Mikey's ear, all I can advise is a Vulcan death grip. Or, like Sue suggested, "scraping" the drop of blood onto your finger.

Like Marje suggested, you may want to keep an eye on Mikey's numbers. He's dropping a bit and some food may slow things down. You might want to consider Marje's suggestion about lowering the dose, as well. This looks like a pretty marked response to Lantus coupled with the switch to canned food.
 
Welcome Mary and Mikey!
You've come to the right place and will get lots of invaluable help here. I'm a relative newbie myself (3 months) but just wanted to tell you "welcome" and I don't believe I've ever seen a cuter cat than Mikey :smile:

Christi
 
Thank you all so much for the warm welcome and the great information. I'm going to stick with the chicken FF right now, because he's willing to eat it. I'm not sure he'd eat the beef, and fish is off limits for him, because he's had cystitis in the past. I'll be checking the ingredient list on the chicken ASAP. MJ, thanks for the sock idea. I have tons of leftover yarn here (knitting addict) so I will roll some into the shape of a rolled up baby sock and give it a whirl! Meanwhile, I'm going back to bed. It was a long night.
 
Good job last night, Mary. Mikey likes blue but looks like his liver doesn't. ;-)

Looks like a good time to catch up on your sleep. Hope the switch from dry to wet is going well.
 
I also wanted to chime in just to say hi and your Mikey is so CUTE! It must be a lot more difficult to get an ear prick with his folded ears but I can't help but think...Aww what a sweet little diabetic w/ cute folded ears!
 
Hello and welcome Mary and Mikey. Mikey is definitely a cutie. Great cycle last night and great job on the testing. :-D

My non-diabetic kitty also has cystitis. You might want to look for a low carb food that is also lower in phosphorus. I feed both mine raw food, but there are several canned options that are low carb, low phosphorus. Dr. Pierson has a good description of what to feed for urinary health. Adding plenty of water to the wet food also helps.
 
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