Starting new food adventure..stay with me.

[George and Bert]

I will report as I go any results I obtain hoping to help whoever I can in whatever way I can. This may be a warning not to do what I'm doing or maybe a little encouragement to try it.
Due to my disappointment with NV Chicken meal and Wysone Ep 90 ( they changed formulas) I have to either switch to Core or Young again zero carbs. I will continue to give Wellness Chicken canned twice a day to everyone regardless of the kibble which I leave out in many bowls throughout the house.
I spoke to Mike at YA and he is encouraging me to feed YA and remove all the other dry food without any of the normal blending in. It's an instant switch from one to the other.
Then, since I cannot test Andre' ( unless at the vets and we all hold him down ) Mike suggested I cut back the dose to zero in unit increments to zero. ( since Andre' is on 1.75 u BID of Lantus it would take about four days )
Then after a few days take Andre' in to the Vet to be tested and expect remission or at kleast very good numbers.

Any thoughts, ideas, warnings, interest in general?

 

[BJM]

If what you are feeding is already pretty low carb, there isn't likely to be a dramatic drop in glucose. If you were starting from feeding high carb dry, you could get a drop of 100-200 mg/dL in the glucose and a drop of 1-2 units in the insulin dose by switching to low carb.

See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools to see if any of them would be helpful in monitoring Andre'.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I'd have to wonder what kind of experience Mike at YA has in treating diabetic cats if he's telling you to drop back to zero within 4 days just because you're switching to YA food.

YA certainly isn't a cure for diabetes

What kind of trouble do you have with Andre' when you're trying to test? We may be able to offer you some helpful suggestions

 

[Mogmom and Goofus]

I'd have to wonder what kind of experience Mike at YA has in treating diabetic cats if he's telling you to drop back to zero within 4 days just because you're switching to YA food.

YA certainly isn't a cure for diabetes

What kind of trouble do you have with Andre' when you're trying to test? We may be able to offer you some helpful suggestions

My thoughts exactly! If changing food could cure diabetes we'd ALL be doing it.

 

[bsmith]

I'd have to wonder what kind of experience Mike at YA has in treating diabetic cats if he's telling you to drop back to zero within 4 days just because you're switching to YA food.

YA certainly isn't a cure for diabetes

My thoughts exactly! If changing food could cure diabetes we'd ALL be doing it.

If you look at a lot of the Young Again information it really does seem that they are promoting it as a "cure" to diabetes. Their Zero Carb Mature definitely got Edwin OTJ, but then again he was transitioning off Hill's k/d (44% carbs!). Another lower carb food may have been able to do the same thing, but YA Zero Carb Mature is the only dry food that I've found that addresses both Edwin's diabetes and his CKD.

I also didn't just totally take up the k/d all at once, as demanded on the YA packaging, since Edwin had hard stomach issues from trying to change foods too fast. Though Edwin loved YA at first, I am now having issues with him eating it, and with eating enough of anything at all, so we are doing some tests. I am still mixing some ground YA into the canned food he is currently agreeing to eat. (The canned food is okay on carbs and phosphorus, but not ideal. The whole no fish thing makes finding an acceptable canned food more difficult.)

I would also be hesitant about just stopping insulin without being able to hometest Andre's BG. @George and Bert, if you are switching from a higher carb food to YA (or even if you're not), I would closely monitor Andre's clinical signs. (For hypos: is he alert, can he walk normally, are his pupils overly dialated? For high BG: is he drinking a lot of water, is he peeing a lot, does his breath smell fruity or like nail polish remover [keytones]?)

Getting Andre into the vet to get his BG tested as frequently as you can will also be very important. Hopefully that will help guide you in adjusting his insulin dosage. Going from 1.75 u Lantus BID to no Lantus in four days seems like a bad idea. Too bad Andre's such a fighter as being able to hometest his BG would make this much easier and safer.

 

[BJM]

You can use water and food intake and elimination, plus hydration checks, and urine ketone/glucose testing to monitor him.

The diabetic cat eats and drinks a lot and thus may eliminate a lot. Observing calmer eating and drinking, and maybe 1/2 to 1 cup of wet litter from him each day suggests you are getting better control. There is an older protocol which used that information, plus biweekly vet checks, to manage diabetes.

The poorly controlled diabetic cat finds it difficult to drink enough water and is often dehydrated. The scruff test can identify moderate to severe dehydration. The gum test can identify mild dehydration or more. (in my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools).

Checking the urine for ketones and glucose helps identify too little insulin, as both show up more when there is less control. KetoDiaStix or generic may be obtained at many pharmacies, though you may have to ask for them at the counter.

 

[George and Bert]

I used to be able to test Andre', but hois former Vets Tech brutalized him with needles and nw he sees one and runs of I get close to his ear and he fights like a cat.. a big one and I cannot hold him still. The way I have been going for the past three years was working great! He ate EP 90 , NV Grain free Chicken and wellness canned along with 2.0 u BID of Lantus. I would have kept going with that, bit two things happened. The Vet refuse to fill another scrip without seeing him and he got a belly ache from the EP 90 and was niot eating so I brought him in. Because I believe the two food will be recalled and definately causing problems I am searching for a new way.
As a note NV is 12.5 % carbs and Ep 90 supposedly 2%. EVO has too many recalls since P&G took them over for me to use. I don't trust it.
Now, Andre's friend Mattie, a chubby Norwegian Forrest cat, is also Diabetic, but tests easily. Her numbers don't seem to be as steady as Andre's and she seems to tolerate very low numbers.
If I don't do something with Andre' I will come home one day to find him Hypo. If he is not on Insulin that can't happen and if he starts flooding the box ill now he is rising and will then give doses accordingly. I'ts worth a gamble short term to pull him off it.
Read some of the reviews here where cats have gone ofj with YA zero carb.
Andre, is muscular and solid fourteen pounds, He is my third sugarcat. I have given thousands of shiots and hundreds of tests pover the years. I am not new to this and just looking for a new, perhaps better way for me and my guys.
Anyone heard of a food called Nulo?

 

[bsmith]

I used to be able to test Andre', but hois former Vets Tech brutalized him with needles and nw he sees one and runs of I get close to his ear and he fights like a cat.. a big one and I cannot hold him still.

I realize that you're experienced with diabetic cats, but have you tried using Andre's paw for testing instead of his ear? Maybe that might be less scary for him. It might be worth a try.

 

[mirnta]

I'm using young again right now and his numbers are almost normal, I only give a small dose of insulin, so I would say this food helped dramatically.

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Then, since I cannot test Andre' ( unless at the vets and we all hold him down ) Mike suggested I cut back the dose to zero in unit increments to zero. ( since Andre' is on 1.75 u BID of Lantus it would take about four days )
Then after a few days take Andre' in to the Vet to be tested and expect remission or at kleast very good numbers.

Any thoughts, ideas, warnings, interest in general?

Thoughts...Everyone on here is VERY careful to give warnings that we are giving our opinions based on experiences and are not vets and do not give veterinary advice. Someone who is food salesman and not a licensed vet and does not know a cats history of things like DKA giving advice to remove all insulin therapy BEFORE getting any BG checks terrifies me.

 

[George and Bert]

I realize that you're experienced with diabetic cats, but have you tried using Andre's paw for testing instead of his ear? Maybe that might be less scary for him. It might be worth a try.

Thanks..tried paw, side..you name it. As I approach him from the back I see him look at me through the corner of his eye checking to see what is in my hand. If he does not like the way it looks...zoom !!!

 

[George and Bert]

Supposedly YA has more cats in remission and using the food than a dozen crazy cat ladies or men.
Call them and have a conversation...very convincing. I've seen Bert drop over 100 points switching over to canned. Mike at YA has his own cats as well as many others whos owners he has a lot of conversations with on an ongoing basis. It is worth a call to convince you one way or another.

Forget about Core it's 16% carbs !!

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

FWIW, with regard to testing difficult cats; I was convinced that my Bertie would be impossible to test. But he has a fondness for freeze-dried chicken treats. So I crumble a few treats for him to munch on, and can get the test done before he's even finished them. I'm not saying this 'distraction technique' will work for other difficult cats mentioned in this thread, but it may work for someone else out there.