Update Smiffy

[Looby & Smiffy]

Crikey you ought to be a paid up Consultant on the subject ..... I have been on Facebook raising questions and I am a bit distressed as I have had a message from one of the Vetenary Nurses from my Vet's Surgery who found me through our local girls group and messaged me to say she would answer any questions ... she said that she has not known of many cats to go into remission !!!! The girls on Facebook are confirming things that you have said about Caninsulin being short lived and that wet food is the only food that will enable the Pancreas to rest so that it can start to produce beta cells again and so start to produce insulin by itself again and so the cat goes into remission ... I was asking two questions ..... how does a cat go into remission and one girl said that the low carb diet and the suppplement of insulin would allow the pancreas to rest and as I said just now start to produce beta cells again and then start to produce insulin itself and then the cat go into remission (sorry I am tired today so I am repeating myself!) Is that true? I wanted a short plain English explaination of how the pancreas starts to produce insulin again ....... why is wet low carb food so much better than dry? I get more and more worried each day that she is not on the right treatment ... one lady said that because Caninsulin was so short lived that I should be shooting more than once a day but I wouldn't dare risk it - I suppose ECID!

Have a look at the debate that I was having on Facebook @Elizabeth and Bertie please

 

[Looby & Smiffy]

Ha ha, yes, Elizabeth should be a paid-for consultant on FD! She is quite simply brilliant, and a lovely person as well

I'd be inclined to post questions here, Looby, where you know we are all rooting for you and can give you solid advice as well as virtually 24/7 support thanks to our awesome members from around the globe. A more informed group of people you could not wish to find.

Diana

I know .. it's just that I am on Facebook for other reasons and I know that Elizabeth is there too as she is a friend on Facebook ... I have no contact with the outside world being confinced to the house so it is nice for me to have see people and pictures and take my mind off things that I am worried about by having chats about other things ....

 

[Diana&Tom]

I know .. it's just that I am on Facebook for other reasons and I know that Elizabeth is there too as she is a friend on Facebook ... I have no contact with the outside world being confinced to the house so it is nice for me to have see people and pictures and take my mind off things that I am worried about by having chats about other things ....

Understand, Looby!

 

[Diana&Tom]

OK... Glass of wine in hand... Not very technical but as simple as I can: Wet food is better than dry simply because it is much lower in carbs so is going to be easier on the cat's pancreas when it comes to requiring insulin to metabolise the food. Everyone is agreed on that. If low-carb food alone is not enough to keep BGs at an acceptable level, insulin must be given to assist in the job of metabolising food. I wouldn't like to say how many cats go into remission but it's ok to carry on giving insulin and a wet food diet for the whole of a cat's life (Elizabeth's Bertie is a prime example). Insulin is not a nasty drug, it's a vital part of metabolism, and while we may AIM for remission (no insulin necessary) it's nothing to be ashamed of or worried about if that's not possible.

Yes, owners who give Caninsulin often find that two doses a day are required, because it is a short-lasting insulin and the aim is to keep one's cat in acceptable numbers for as long as possible. It takes effect quickly but is used up quickly (typically). A longer-lasting insulin may be termed "gentler" because it may not have such a quick effect; it has a more gradual onset and a longer "life" (duration). It's only when an owner tests their cat's BG regularly that they will know exactly how a particular insulin is working in that particular cat. Typically, Caninsulin works fast so may produce a steepish drop quite quickly, but then fizzle out so there wouldn't be much if any insulin left in the cat's system until the next insulin shot... And the same thing will probably happen. When people are able to shoot a dose of Caninsulin twice a day, probably at 12-hourly intervals, this might help the process of maintaining insulin in the cat's system for as long as possible within that period... Which is what we're aiming at.

You're right, ECID, whicb is why testing to find out how the insulin is working is what will inform your decisions. I'm really pleased that you're going to have some help in working out how to use the meter tomorrow... It will be a little learning curve but once you've grasped the essentials you will feel so much more empowered in this so-called "sugar dance".

If I've got anything wrong here I hope others will chime in and correct me... I don't have a diabetic cat these days and in fact never did have... My Tom had acromegaly which presented symptoms of diabetes but was a whole different ballgame. But let me reassure you - whatever the journey you and Smiffy are on together, the support you will get from this board is unsurpassed. If only there was an Oscar for FD management, this board would win it every year!

Diana