Nightmare Day

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Scarlett White

Scarlett White

Member Since 2016
I don't even know where to begin - this isn't as bad as it could be and that is what I keep reminding myself.

First of all Dozer is struggling, not like painful - like disinterested, to eat a 5.5 oz can of food a day. He does not like the shredded food like Soulistic, he will only eat pate style of wet food (like Friskies) or not eat at all. He has been starting to act off again, so we planned to test him tonight - more on that to come. Back to food - I have tried mixing Soulistic and Friskies, adding hot water, microwaving, chopping smaller, glass bowl, plastic bowl, you name it. (INSERT CAT HELP HERE) He just will ignore his food. I am trying to stick to the cat guide of under 10% carbs, 60% protein, 40% fat, and he should eat about 240-260 calories.

Next point - shopping for food. NIGHTMARE. Go to petsmart, go to petco, trying to do Raw, no raw, read catinfo.org spreadsheet, read binksys spreadsheet, headache, (INSERT EMOTIONAL HELP HERE) pick food finally, leave. This is where I know more than ever the petition (yes shameless plug lol) will come in handy.. - Those of you that don't know there is pet food petition for the battle we go through on food please sign and share http://wh.gov/iGBLH -

Testing - We tried to test a couple nights ago just to keep an eye on the new diet and Error with the AmTrack 2. I get home feed him, wait hour, go to take blood sugar - Prick small blood..Error. Round 2, go to other side, grab another strip, major blood... Error. *Every curse word possible. Let poor monster (I usually call him that lol) go, comfort, play.. back to monitor - test strip, test blood-type-liquid "control substance".. Just fine. (INSERT CAT HELP HERE) I think it is reacting poorly to me putting on the neosporin PRIOR to test like suggested. Will be testing tomorrow, poor thing is wore out.

After all this definitely, less than thrilled, (INSERT EMOTIONAL HELP HERE) so I take to the computer to push on the petition so that hopefully- HOPEFULLY... in the near future no one has to feel this way anymore.
1. I want to destroy Yahoo Groups - great suggestion, but after a couple groups it just says "no response received" when you try to apply to join. For the last few days straight. So move on.
2. I've been DM on Instagram until it get's locked for an hour, then I comment on peoples posts until I run out of creative ways to say the same thing because it says "you are posting the same thing" blah blah blah then I switch to Twitter and tweet at as many accounts as I can find and #meaningless-trending-topics until it says you posted the same thing to much to
3. Then I reach out to any websites I can find from google-ing random pet terms to try to get it some attention
4. Finally, I stooped to the all low. Because it is the most effective. Facebook. I hate FB and I never ever ever get on - except the one night I did to post about the petition because it means that much to me. So I get on and start replying to the groups that accepted me from a few nights ago, joining some new groups, getting great feedback and FB F'ING BLOCKS ME. I am not allowed for 24 hours to apply or post to groups. LIKE WTF. I lost it about here.
- I want to be done, I want to be really done. Then Dozer curls up on me and across the computer and reminds me why I am doing this.
5. So though I hate FB I do have a job in the digital space for a very large automotive group in Utah. So I took to what I know and paid for ads (out of my pocket, not theirs lol) - On FB to go out about the petition.

But now we are here, it is late and I am so worn out and upset. Sorry for the Epic Rant.. I don't have anywhere that truthfully understands what it is like going through this turmoil of constantly spreadsheeting, reading, poking him and being devastated when you can't find research. I would not wish this on my enemy. Then I see these groups as I am telling everyone about the petition with things that aren't curable or treatable or even predictable in some cases. My heart is heavy with so many things.

Overall I just want to wish everyone the absolute best. I want to send all my love everyone's ways. If you have any tips on getting him to eat more, food that might help be the middle ground of healthy and appetizing to him, getting amtrak 2 to not be a d**k with testing, or where else I can post petition seems I am running out of steam I would appreciate it.

Sorry for the heavy post ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 
Oh, ((((Scarlett))))....
I am so sorry that you are having such a difficult time. (Sending you a huge reassuring hug from across the pond).

Feline diabetes certainly can be challenging in the beginning. There seems to be SO much to take in and learn all at once. Added to which, you are now promoting the food petition, which is entirely understandable, necessary, (and laudable), but will inevitably also be taking some of your energy.

Please do remember that, as we say in these parts, managing feline diabetes 'is a marathon and not a sprint'.... It's OK to slow down. Baby steps are fine. And remember to breathe......
It is vital that the caregiver remembers to take care of themselves. We often recommend the value of little comforting rewards; chocolate, a glass of wine, a magazine, a bubble bath (not necessarily all at once ;) )

Stress is tiring. And when we get tired we're even more prone to the effects of stress. It's hard to see and think clearly at those times. Things can sometimes seem a lot worse than they really are. So do please try to get some good restorative sleep.
Be kind to yourself.

And do feel free to rant. There will always be someone here to hear you. :bighug:

Eliz
 
I'm sorry to hear you've had such a difficult day Scarlett. I'm not sure how much, if anything I can do to help but I'll certainly try.

If there are no other health issues going on with Dozer, then Friskies pates are a suitable food for a diabetic. I would agree they're maybe not the best quality food on the market, but the best food for a cat is the food that he will eat. I have tried, without success, to get our cats to eat Weruva foods because they contain human-grade meat. Not one of the 5 was interested in any of them - the first day they tasted the food and after that they ignored them no matter which flavor I tried. We can know for sure that one food is better than another, but our cats don't understand that - they like what they like. For now, that is one battle you do not need to be fighting with him - you have time to change the food he's eating once you're more settled in a routine.

I have signed your petition and shared it on my Facebook. I'll share it to some other pages tomorrow when I have a little more time. I know it's not much, but you might just get a few more signatures that way.

You will get to grips with testing. It takes time. I had 2 days of unsuccessful tests when I first started testing Rosa before I was finally able to get a reading. And once you do get used to it, it only takes a few seconds each time. Dozer's ears will learn to bleed over the first couple of weeks and then it gets much, much easier to get successful tests each time. When I was testing a lot, I used neosporin after testing, not before. These days, with Rosa OTJ, I don't use anything as we're only testing once a week so there really isn't anything much to heal.

Dealing with feline diabetes really is a steep learning curve. But, remember, Dozer didn't become diabetic overnight and it will take time to get him well again. Try to limit the length of time you spend researching each day - take some time out for yourself. The research, although important (I'm an information collector too) will still be there tomorrow. Dozer needs you to be healthy so that you can help him to be healthy - if you get sick from stress then you're not going to be able to help him as well.

And remember - you can do this. You've already learned a lot and you will learn more. Soon, this will all become second nature to you and you'll be handling Dozer's diabetes like a pro. For now, just take one step at a time and remember to BREATHE. :bighug:
 
Scarlett White said:
If you have any tips on getting him to eat more, food that might help be the middle ground of healthy and appetizing to him..
Click to expand...

Scarlett,
Do you know why Dozer doesn't want to eat? Does he have other health issues going on? (Sorry if I missed that...)

I have - over the past few months - spent quite a bit of time trying to get food into poorly kitties who don't really want to eat, so I really do understand your frustration when, despite your best efforts, they just turn their noses up.
I've tried all the things you listed in your first post; and for one of my lot, mashing the food and mixing with hot water works quite well most of the time...

I can't recommend specific foods (we have different ones in the UK), but I have found the following ideas helpful:

1. Raising the food bowl helps two of mine. And I wonder if that's because their sense of smell is diminishing, or because they feel a little nauseous and lowering their heads to eat makes them feel worse.

2. 'Sleepy eating' can be worth a try. If you gently wake a cat from sleeping and immediately put a little food under it's nose it may eat that straight away. I use this technique to get more calories into my oldies.

3. If your cat likes to play then you may find that a play session stimulates appetite because it mimics the 'hunt, catch, kill, eat' cycle.

4. I rely a lot on using tempting toppings to sprinkle on food. And I've found that if the cat will begin to eat the food they will often continue once they've got past the tempting topping.
The ones I've found most helpful are freeze dried chicken treats or tuna treats, crushed to a powder; Fortiflora; and nutritional yeast flakes.
Sometimes one tempting topping isn't enough and I may use more than one during the course of a meal.

Really hoping you find something that works for Dozer.

Eliz
 
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I'm sorry you had such a miserable day. It certainly sounds frustrating! I know it probably doesn't help much but I also posted your petition on FB, and I'm pretty sure at least a couple of folks I know will sign it and share it. :)

'Fraid I can't really help with the food, I have a hard time getting my four to all eat! I guess you've already tried the crumbled treats, Parmesan cheese, etc? My Squallie should be eating about 250 calories a day, and I have a very hard time convincing him to eat enough food to meet that requirement; we go through lots of crumbled treats as food toppings!

When I test, I lightly pat his ear with the tissue, cotton ball, whatever I am using to blot blood, after I have put on the Neosporin. That way I don't have a big grease slick to stick the test strip in, lol. Seems to do the trick! An the cotton or whatever is still good to use to put behind the ear for the poke and to blot the blood after the fact! :)

Here's some hugs to help at the end of a tough day, and a couple more for tomorrow, too! :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
:(Owie, Scarlett..you've had a rotten time of it. If you were a country-western singer you could write a song about it and at least make some money back. You have the "First Weeks Of Diabetic Feline" Blues. Some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue..and this is one day you were definitely the statue:eek: So here's some hugs to tide you over a bit. :bighug::bighug::bighug: Good thing Dozer is there to deal out his own brand of appreciation. It makes it all worth it in the end. And don't go feeling all guilty for being a bad catmom. You're stellar, excellent, wonderful...you are a GREAT catmom.:woot:

If it helps, you have one more person here...me... who's signed that petition. So we're making progress. And to Hades with FB. I hate FB too. Joined it recently and already I want to rip it off my phone.



As to Dozer eating...Remember when you were little, and didn't feel like eating, and your mother put in front of you a GREAT BIG PLATE FULL OF FOOD...your appetite, what there was of it..just collapsed in a heap at the prospect of getting all that down, right? Especially if Mom was there, pointing at the dish and begging you to eat it all.

Dozer might feel the same way...so start out with just a tiny bit of food..if he eats that, you can refill his plate. Try dusting it with some parmesan cheese..most folks have that in their fridge....it has a very strong smell, and a lot of cats seem to love it. Hopefully Dozer will too. (Love his name, btw:joyful:) You might also try adding a little tuna on top of the food..or heck, anything special that he might like, fortiflora, a piece of fresh chicken, a dead bug...as long as it gets his attention.

If that doesn't work..try mixing it with a bit of water, until it's softer...then get a dab on your finger, and smear it on his lips. He's got to lick it off so he can taste it....because, it's possible that if he's an older cat, Dozer has lost a lot of his sense of smell. A lot of cats have this happen to them. So he needs a little reminding that yes, that is food sitting there in front of him. Once he tastes it, he might be willing to chow down. This almost always works for my kitties...almost always. They're catso_O..so nothing's absolute.

The first days of poking ears are awful, just awful. :facepalm: In addition to stabbing your baby, his eyes are just below those ears, and they keep looking at you like "MOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HOW COULD YOU?", and that doesn't help. Grit your teeth and remind yourself that it's all For His Own Good. Then wipe the blood from the finger you poked because you stabbed his ear too deep, and make sure you get his blood, not yours, into that meter. Once that's done, give him a treat..something he l o v e s ....and treat yourself, too. Coffee, chocolate, a mars bar? (Mogs loves mars bars..she even sleeps with em, ;))

It does help to have a PLAN when getting ready to poke, in those first days. I always took out several test strips and had em ready, because those error messages can mount up fast. Same goes for lancets...they get dull really fast, too..so I keep out more than one.

I have everything lined up a few minutes BEFORE I go to poke my kitty's ears..adding a thing at a time, trying to look casual..so kitty doesn't get a panic attack before you can get a grip on him. And here's an important part...get that treat lined up, too..where he can see it. (also one for yourself where YOU can see it.)

Do you have an ear sock? It's a plain old sock with some rice in it...knotted...that you toss in the microwave for a bit. Hint: before putting it on Dozer..test it's heat on your own ear...not even the inside of your arm is as sensitive..and only then use it on Dozer. And remember...the moment after the ear poke...GIVE THE TREAT! And stuff your own treat in your mouth. Close your eyes, and enjoy.

One thing at a time. First concentrate on just getting the blood poke done. If you can't deal with the spreadsheet, write down what you have, in list form, until you're able to tackle the spreadsheet. The nice folks here will help you with that if they can. Everyone here is wonderful. We all want you to succeed. And you will.

Oh...if you want to keep a close watch on his cycle..and you have a smartphone..get different alarms and use them to signify each event you need to be hailed for. Like, when you're asleep..use a baby crying as your alarm. You won't sleep through that one. I guarantee.

:bighug::bighug::bighug:You'll be fine. Honest.:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
OH....and as to how much Dozer should eat? I noticed the other day that as to volume recommendations , some cats may vary in their requirements up to 50% from the daily recommended amounts, and still hold their weight well. So don't stress out too much if he doesn't absolutely clear his plate.
 
Hi @Scarlett White!

Holy smokes, I absolutely hear and know your experience on the food-buying, the failed testing, the frustrations. I remember my lowest moment when, after Moby had gone to the ER for two days after vets had screwed up in all ways ROYALLY, I was sitting on the ground, kitty in lap, failed test strips strewn about, in a puddle of salty tears and expletives.

From my experience on the food issue: Moby is the SAME WAY. Pate' only, loathed Soulistic/Weruva, or anything shred-like. I stood in stores for hours at a time, clutching my crumpled tear-stained foodlist, creeping out the clerks. I learned that it's ok to not be perfect and to buy the best food I can. Moby refused a lot of the food he should be eating, so we did our best on what he would. He ate a lot of Wellness Core, Halo's Spot Stew, some Fancy Feast options.

I signed the petition and I will absolutely tweet and share it! On Twitter/Instagram I am the same name, @Marciegee, I would love to connect with you on those platforms if you would like.
 
Ah you had a Murphy's Day. Breathe, do something for yourself. It does get better. Friskies pate is fine for him. If that is what he will eat by all means stick to it. I have a civvie who will only eat Purina 1 beef and then very little of it. Occasionally she will "taste" another kind or flavor but will not eat it.

I signed the petition and I hope I shared it properly but I'm not to good with that.

Hang in, things will look up soon.
 
Hi Scarlett.
Today is a new day and I hope it will be a better one for you and Dozer. :bighug:
I'm having food issues myself right now with my civvie girl :banghead:, so I know, as we all do, how frustrating it can be. Just keep opening those cans.
I'm pretty sure that all meters can be d**k s:D at times, too much blood = error, not enough blood = error, just because = error.
I have only used an Alpha Trak 2 once, but the thing that comes to mind and I could be and most likely am way off base but,
is the meter set to the same code that is printed on the container of strips?
I think I've read that if the meter isn't coded to the strips you can get an error message.
 
Take a deep breath and remember that you don't have to switch his food immediately. I also wouldn't worry about how much protein or fat is in the food right now. Just focus on trying to bring the carb level down betwee 4-6 and 10%. But do it slowly and don't stress him or you. He has to eat so if all he wants right now is something other than Soulistic, let him have it and gradually try something with lower carbs.

I also signed the petition. If you think you might want to move to raw so you control what goes in the food, you might start with easy homecooked using a pre made supplement such as EZ Complete or Alnutrin. I have used them both although currently use the former as I like the added digestive enzymes and glandulars and they have a lot more detailed info on making homecooked and converting then to raw. My Gracie ate the homecooked with alnutrin and I started Tobey on raw with alnutrin and now EZ Complete. I know the owners of both companies and they are extremely knowledgable about feline nutrition and they disclose their ingredient sources. The EZ Complete also has the dry matter basis analysis for different types of meats on their website.

If you need any help with the spreadsheet, please just send me a private message and I'll do it for you...it will take me less than one minute and it will be one less thing for you to stress about. To send me a PM, just click on my user ID under Gracie's photo and select "start a conversation".

FD is very stressful starting out so try to do things that a only really necessary. There is a lot of info...all that you need to start out ...on this forum alone. Focus on learning to hometest and, yes, we all deal with the early testing stress but it does get better.

A good starting estimate for calories is 15-20 calories per pound per day (this from Dr. Lisa). I took her advice and weighed my cats, fed them 20 calories/lb/day for a week, weighed them again and adjusted slowly based on whether they lost or gained weight.

Also...focus on the purrs of sweet Dozer and that just by giving him insulin, he will start to feel better. Remember this is all new and stressful for him, too, and he will feed off your stress. So breathe deeply, center your thoughts on being calm, and help him through this learning time. In one month, you will look back and be amazed at how far you have both come. And if he's like my baby girl, he will eventually sleep or purr through his pokes.
 
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{{hugs}}

Campaigning is hard work.
As far as the petition goes, sometimes biting off small chunks of the target first can work.
- Is there a regional level where you can focus?
- Is there a particular group of people to target - consumers, vets, other - where you can focus your efforts?
- And don't forget the regular media - publicity is what you want. Contact radio stations, newspapers, locate places to put up informational flyers, consider public speaking at local libraries once things calm down a bit at home.
- Maybe start a local consumer group, educate folks, then get them to go out and educate others. Spread th
 
I signed your petition. I think finding the right foods has been absolutely the most frustrating part of dealing with FD. I think I've had more emotional breakdowns over figuring out foods than anything. *sighs*

Also shared on my FB page.
 
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LaraB said:
I think finding the right foods has been absolutely the most frustrating part of dealing with FD. I think I've had more emotional breakdowns over figuring out foods than anything. *sighs*
Click to expand...
That's certainly the case with pancreatitis. (Took me 9 months to find a food that Saoirse could eat with minimal discomfort. I just wish it was better quality for her.)


Mogs
.
 
It doesn't help that cats are extreme keepers of habit, and want to stick to foods they've been eating for years. They're like infants who clamp their mouths shut, while you do everything from eating the desirable food yourself, to dancing around waving a spoon, singing "Here comes the airplane".

BTW, the last attempt does NOT work with a cat, and the first is inadvisable unless you want to gag for an hour.

It's hard to convince folks who have been following the old ways concerning pet food for years. Push them the wrong way, and they'll dig in their heels and balk at your message. Many also use denial as a way to cope with unsettling news. It takes tact and determination to get the message across.

I see there are Facebook groups designed for proponents of Raw feeding. Some smaller companies are also placing ads/groups in FB. If you believe in them, link to them. Due to all the hype about recalls on human foods, let alone animal chows, and the dangers of bacterial contamination due to potentially unsanitary conditions in large commercial enterprises, ..people in general tend to stick to brands of processed foods that are familiar, because in the past, they've been told they are safe. The message that there ARE alternatives that are better, can be consistantly placed in front of them without heavy pressure.

A petition is a sound way to give change a push. But it does need backup in a non-confrontational way. So any ad campaigns you might have in mind, need to be directed at the heart, not the intellect. Go in the back door..if an ad is clever and even a bit on the light side, people will listen more because they're not threatened or overwhelmed.
 
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