Wet food - diabetic + urinary?

[Kim&Buddy]

Hi everyone,

Beware of a long-winded newbie story…I apologize in advance!

My cat Buddy (age 12) was recently diagnosed as diabetic. The poor thing has been through hell the past few months. I boarded Buddy with a new, close to home vet over the Christmas holiday and brought him home to find him not acting like himself. I brought Buddy in a couple of days later and testing showed he had a UTI. A couple of days after that he developed an upper respiratory infection (URI). It was a pretty severe and persistent URI, resulting in a last ditch effort to calm things down with a steroid injection.

A couple days after receiving the injection, Buddy's problems progressed to a new level. He was showing classic signs of diabetes. I decided to follow my instincts and return to my old vet hospital even though it meant a 35 minute drive. Buddy was in fact diagnosed as diabetic and prescribed compounded glipizide (which gratefully is working) and recommended wet Purina DM for food (which is hit or miss in terms of Buddy's interest level).

Three years ago, Buddy developed a significant urinary blockage that was successfully treated. At that time, he was put on a prescription diet (Royal Canin SO33) and had no further urinary problems until this past UTI (which gratefully never progressed to something worse).

Sorry for being so long-winded…I promise I’ll get to my question. :smile:

I've been reading and reading and reading posts in the forum, Dr. Lisa's information, have looked at Janet & Binky's food chart, and read about calculations. It's safe to say that I am overwhelmed and thoroughly confused. The Purina DM is killing my bank account so I'm hoping to find something affordable and nutritious. And I also need to find something that will address both issues – his diabetes and urinary issues.

Based on my research, I can find food that’s low in phosphorus (recommended level – less than 250 mg) but it tends to come in food that is higher than 10% carbs. Or I’ll find vice versa. Or I might find a food that’s tolerable in terms of phosphorus and carbs, but the protein level is low.

I really could use specific guidance here. I’ve got the Janet and Binky’s chart out. It looks like my most affordable choices are Fancy Feast and Friskies (although I don’t really like Friskies because of meat byproducts being the 1st ingredient in much of their food).

So….drum roll…finally here comes the question… Can anyone with a diabetic cat with urinary problems recommend specific varieties of wet food? I’ve reached the point where I can’t see straight with all the posts, charts, calculations, etc. and could use some old fashioned, specific, opinionated guidance.

Thanks for letting me ramble!

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Welcome!

One big problem that is jumping out at me right away is the fact that he's on glipzide. Glipzide is not recommended for use in cats. It might work for a short period, but it ends up over taxing the pancreas and worsening the diabetes for the long term. See p. 218 (4) of the AAHA diabetes guidelines where it states:

Oral hypoglycemic drugs, combined with diet change, are only indicated if owner refuses insulin therapy or is considering euthanasia. These agents are not considered appropriate for long-term use.

Insulin therapy, on the other hand, allows the pancreas to rest and heal, and with the correct type of insulin (Lantus, Levemir, or Prozinc) and a low carb, canned diet, in the majority of newly diagnosed cases sends the cat into remission (insulin no longer needed). The glipzide only postpones the need for insulin, and once it does destroy the pancreas you will have no chance of it healing and getting your cat into remission. At that point he will likely need insulin for the rest of his life.

How was the diabetes diagnosed? Was there a fructosamine test done or just blood testing in the vet's office? Infections can lead to unusually high numbers, and once the infection clears the cat's BG can return to normal. If a fructosamine was not done, I would question the diagnosis to begin with. Vet stress also leads to inflated blood sugar from testing at the vet's office. A fructosamine test gets an average of blood glucose for the past few weeks.

Ok, so on to the food. Most urinary tract problems are caused by the cat being chronically dehydrated by dry diets. Once all of the dry is removed and the cat is being properly hydrated by eating canned food (you also might want to mix a little water in with his food to get some extra moisture in him), UT problems are prevented. I would urge you to read this section of Dr. Lisa's page: http://catinfo.org/#Cystitis_.

So that means ANY canned food under 10% carbs is fine to feed. You don't need the prescription DM (canned I presume? Any dry food is too high in carbs). If you look at the ingredients, it's pretty much the same thing as the cheaper-mid grade grocery store brands of food like Special Kitty and Fancy Feast. Here's a link to the cat food nutrition charts: http://felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm. You can get a premium, human grade cat food for less than what you're paying for the DM.

You mentioned phosphorus--does he have kidney disease? If not, then you don't need to worry about phosphorus levels. If kidney disease is in the mix, then use this more recent food chart for foods: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8U...MyMC00Y2Y3LWI4ODMtMzhkYTkxOGM4NThk/edit?pli=1, or you can cross reference the carbs from Binky's charts with the Phosphorus values on Tanya's CRF Page: http://www.felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm. Do NOT use the phosphorus values from Binky's charts--they are no longer current and some things that were formerly low in phosphorus are now very high.

If it were me, I would stop the glipzide immediately, get a human glucose meter from the grocery store, and start getting random tests throughout the day to see what his blood sugar is actually doing. After doing that for a week to see what the diet change alone is doing, if he's still in the diabetic range get one of the three insulins I mentioned from your vet and start insulin therapy. The sooner you start insulin therapy, the greater are his chances of diet-controlled remission.

I've also attached an article for you to print and give to your vet--it discusses the 84% remission rate for insulin therapy with Lantus (and Levemir works the same way), and outlines the treatment guidelines for Lantus and Levemir.

 

[squeem3]

I’ve got the Janet and Binky’s chart out. It looks like my most affordable choices are Fancy Feast and Friskies (although I don’t really like Friskies because of meat byproducts being the 1st ingredient in much of their food).

Besides Binky's charts, there is also the Pet Food Nutritional Vales list, Dr. Lynne's Wet Food list, and the list of low carb gluten free Fancy Feast

So….drum roll…finally here comes the question… Can anyone with a diabetic cat with urinary problems recommend specific varieties of wet food? I’ve reached the point where I can’t see straight with all the posts, charts, calculations, etc. and could use some old fashioned, specific, opinionated guidance.

*Any* low carb canned food will help with the urinary issues (and the diabetes). The key is getting more water into the cat to keep the cat hydrated and flush out crystals and stuff. There is no one brand that will work better than another. Whatever brand your cat likes to eat is the "best" choice, IMO. http://www.catinfo.org has a section on urinary issues and diet.

 

[MikeysMom]

I don't have one with both issues, but I do have one of each, and I want my civvie, who had a full urinary blockage, to stay a civvie! According to Janet & Binky's chart, Royal Canin's Urinary SO canned is only 4% carbs. Jesse James doesn't love it, but eats it. I also add a little bit of Friskies canned Special Diet Turkey and Giblets, which is 5% carbs and low phosphorus (actually lower than the rx food) Jesse James loves the Friskies and it's a less expensive way to supplement his rx diet with the extra calories he needs. I know that many don't feed the rx urinary foods at all, but after all we went through, I'm afraid to risk it. I also add extra water to his meals.

 

[kimouette]

Hi there,

I have a 12 year old cat that suffered from urinary problems for almost an entire year. During that period, she spent many days at the veterinarian to receive fluids and antibiotics. She was eating Royal Canin Urinary S/O but the problem kept on disappearing and reappearing (by the way, at that time she was not diabetic). She wasn't much of a drinker but I would still give her that Royal Canin dry food until she became really sick (started to have dandruff and refused to eat or go into her litter box.. so no pee nor poop for almost 5 days!). My vet. then decided to put her on "Hills Prescription Diet C/D" WET canned food (I have no idea what it is worth in terms of carbs %, but it was pretty damn expensive food anway!). Within 3 days she got much better! I still didn't pay too much attention to the difference between dry and wet food though. But many months later she started to have diabetes : fed with Royal Canin diabetics dry food: her BG remained really high. Then I started to give her low carb canned food... no more diabetes! Actually it's even better than that, cuz she still had dandruff, sort of "greasy hair" and her blood analysis showed different high or low values compared to the normal ranges. Another blood test was done 2 weeks after she was eating wet food, and the results all got back to normal (except for calcium, but that's another story).

In conclusion if your cat has diabetes AND urinary problems, just like mine had, well you are in front of a cat that definitely NEEDS to eat wet food to keep his bladder "rinsed" by a good amount of water.

You do have to be careful when choosing you next cat's food especially in terms of carbs and meat quality (to treat diabetes and general health), but WATER in canned food is the ONE simple ingredient that will help your cat with his urinary problem!

 

[Kim&Buddy]

Wow, thanks everyone for your feedback!

Buddy's diagnosis stemmed from blood work and urinalysis - along with symptomatic behaviors. The tests have been done twice now with same results. I'll ask about the fructosamine test. I knew vet visits can affect some test results but I didn't realize blood sugar was one of them.

The more I read, the more I realize all of this isn't so cut and dry. I didn't realize glipizide was a controversial form of treatment. I don't feel comfortable stopping it on my own, but I think what I'll do is call my vet on Monday and see if she'd be willing to let me try it Monday-Wednesday. His next appointment is late Wednesday afternoon, so I'd in essence be getting in three solid days. A question comes to mind though: if Buddy wasn't diabetic, wouldn't he being showing signs of hypo while on the glipizide?

I have definitely made the switch to all wet food. I didn't realize the harm I had been causing him all these years. MikeysMom - do you mix the Friskies in with his rx food? I don't want to go down that road with the urinary blockage ever again and maybe irrationally worry that even with diluted canned food, that it could happen all over again.

Thanks for the links to the other food charts. I'll check them out.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Buddy's diagnosis stemmed from blood work and urinalysis - along with symptomatic behaviors. The tests have been done twice now with same results. I'll ask about the fructosamine test. I knew vet visits can affect some test results but I didn't realize blood sugar was one of them.

If a urinalysis was done in conjunction with the blood work and it showed he was spilling glucose into his urine, then it's likely he's diabetic. You probably don't need a fructosamine. However, some vets will diagnose based on bloodwork alone, which is not accurate at the vets office because blood glucose will often rise due to stress.

The more I read, the more I realize all of this isn't so cut and dry. I didn't realize glipizide was a controversial form of treatment. I don't feel comfortable stopping it on my own, but I think what I'll do is call my vet on Monday and see if she'd be willing to let me try it Monday-Wednesday. His next appointment is late Wednesday afternoon, so I'd in essence be getting in three solid days. A question comes to mind though: if Buddy wasn't diabetic, wouldn't he being showing signs of hypo while on the glipizide?

Glipizide isn't controversial--it's NOT recommended for use in cats unless the owner refuses insulin therapy and is considering euthanasia. It basically a last ditch effort to prolong the cat's life in that scenario. I provided a link above to the American Animal Hospital Association Diabetes guidelines for you. This is the article that discusses the damage glipizide can do to the pancreas in cats: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885761/. Here's another link that discusses its efficacy in cats: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=627. In a best case scenario, your cat will be one of the lucky 20-30% that it works for, but you would still have to administer a pill for the rest of his life. The more likely scenario is that the pill will stop working after a while and you'll have a permanently damaged pancreas, so he will need permanent insulin injections. With the insulin therapy I discussed, he has an 84% chance of becoming independent of insulin, and maintaining normal blood sugar levels based on diet alone. I speak from experience--Bandit's been in remission for some time now and is healthier than he's ever been.

The best and safest thing for your cat's health is to have a functioning, healthy pancreas that produces adequate insulin on its own. I'm actually shocked that your vet would not discuss insulin therapy as your fist option with you before giving you glipizide. Keep in mind that many vets are not current in feline diabetes. Vets are general practioners--they must know a little bit about a lot of diseases for many different animals, so usually they either aren't current or are missing an important detail about treatment. They can't be expected to know everything about every animal. However, even a simple wikipedia search will tell you that glipizide isn't appropriate for cats. If you bring this information to your vet and she still tells you to give the pill--I would switch vets to a vet more knowledgeable about feline diabetes. If you post your city and state, perhaps there is a member near you who can suggest a knowledgeable vet.

As for becoming hypoglycemic on glipizide--hypoglycemia is very rare on that drug, so no, it doesn't necessarily mean he'd become hypoglycemic. If you're worried about hypoglycemia and insulin, as long as you're home testing (like a human diabetic would do), and dosing according to the recommended guidelines (slowly with small (.25u) increases), it's perfectly safe for your cat.

Home testing is THE most important thing you can do to keep your cat safe, regardless of treatment. Vet numbers are inflated due to stress and inaccurate, and the vet cannot test your cat on a daily basis. Human diabetics need to test their blood sugar multiple times a day, and it's the same with cats.

 

[Kim&Buddy]

Thanks again. I have so much to learn! I'll find out why she didn't recommend insulin right from the start and will post something in a minute to see if a member can recommend someone in my area.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Actually, I know of a member in your area--I'll ask her to check out this thread!

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

One more thing--it may seem like the glipizide is working right now, but without home testing, you don't really know that. It's more likely that your cat is experiencing lower blood sugar levels than before because of the the diet change, not the glipizide.

 

[doombuggy]

Got a message from Julia & Bandit and Mommaof Muse that you needed some input from me. I actually live in Oviedo, but when I moved down here in 2004, my BFF recomended her vet, now called Kindred Spirits Animal Clinic. They are located on OBT just north of Sand Lake Rd/FL Mall. Dr. Kindred is familiar with FD, as they have one (I believe it's actually his GF's who is also a vet).

Cedric went in 4/20/11 for his annual ckup and I mentioned that he had been drinking alot of water over the prior few weeks, sometimes drinking the entire bowl. Immediately Dr. Kindred took blood (or whatever) for the fructosiamine (bet I didn't spell that correctly). He said he was pretty sure Cedric was diabetic, but that they would confirm the next day (Good Friday 4/21/11). So the next morning when I was supposed to be working, I was looking up FD info online and found this board. Dr called and confirmed the dx and we went back later that day for a demo and script. Went back home, called around to CVS, Walgreens & Publix to find out how much the vial of lantus would cost. Publix was cheaper than CVS by 5 cents. I got the syringes there too but was never able to find syringes with 1/2 marks. On Easter Sunday I went to Wal-mart to get a Relion micro meter - Dr. Kindred was very postive of me testing cedric as it is VERY important. Unfortunately, the strips are sold behind the pharmacy counter and the pharmacy gets holidays off. I went back on Tuesday to get them and start testing (he was getting Lantus for 3 days w/o me testing). I did all 3 of his curves myself and gave the doctor the results. Cedric stayed with them a couple of weeks later because I had a vacation scheduled so he got a dentail when he was there. Note Cedric's regular kennel, Happy Paws would not give him insulin. Part of my "vacation" was spent at WDW (I work there part time) so he was scheduled to stay at Best Friends which is on property, but they wouldn't give him insulin either - hence the stay at the vet. Expensive b/c of the dental but necessary.

i changed his food to high protein, low carb grain free. Dr Kindred is very pro-canned wet food. Cedric was eating a combo of wet & dry because I work 7 days a week. In the end, the gang here wore me down and I took away his dry (he was getting Blue Buffalo Wilderness, which meets the criteria above). I was giving him Wilderness canned, along with EVO and Wellness canned. I took his dry away on 5/19/11 (note he was getting 1/8 cup a day by then) and within 24 hrs his Bg dropped 100 pts. See spreadsheet below. Two days later he got his last insulin shot. He's been OTJ since 5/21/11.

KSAC was confidnent that he was going into remission because of the remision rate with the Lantus (which is a human insulin) but the were surprised that Cedric went so quick. He eats 4 smaller meals a day all canned and gets some more exercise (we were living in the new townhouse I bought a week before his dx). I bought Cat Mate 20 autofeeder to give Cedric 2 meals during the day when I am at work.

KSAC is a great vet. It's about 20 miles from where I live but worth it for me. They open tomorrow at 7:30am and their number is 407-855-1350. Tell them cedric's mom Jesse gave you the number. Even if you want to just get info from them. Vet techs are Lisa & Lindsay, office mgr is Michelle. http://www.kindredspiritsanimalclinic.com/
Their website needs to be updated, but that is expensive - we are going thru that at the small business I work f/t at.

Good luck and welcome!!!

 

[Kim&Buddy]

Thank you so much for all the information!

my BFF recomended her vet, now called Kindred Spirits Animal Clinic. They are located on OBT just north of Sand Lake Rd/FL Mall. Dr. Kindred is familiar with FD, as they have one (I believe it's actually his GF's who is also a vet).

Thanks for the recommendation to KSAC! Do you go down 417 to get there? I'm in Winter Springs with quick access to that highway. I'm driving 35 minutes'ish right now so I think if I stay in that travel window I should be OK. Also, a straight highway shot would be much preferable to the city driving I'm doing now.

Went back home, called around to CVS, Walgreens & Publix to find out how much the vial of lantus would cost. Publix was cheaper than CVS by 5 cents. I got the syringes there too but was never able to find syringes with 1/2 marks.

If you don't mind my asking, how much is the cost of a month's worth of insulin and supplies (testing and medical)? This is all so overwhelming. The more I read, the more I'm surprised by how little my current vet seems to know. Not only did she not put Buddy on insulin but she also never mentioned anything about me testing his blood. So I pretty much have been trusting the medication is the right dose for him. Thanks to the feedback of everyone, it's obvious to me now how dangerous that is. I put my trust in bad medical advice.

KSAC was confidnent that he was going into remission because of the remision rate with the Lantus (which is a human insulin) but the were surprised that Cedric went so quick. I bought Cat Mate 20 autofeeder to give Cedric 2 meals during the day when I am at work.

I'm so glad Cedric is in remission!!! Thanks for the suggestion about the autofeeder. I can get three meals into him, but would am not able to get a lunchtime one in, so I leave his food out while I'm gone and he grazes throughout the day.

Thanks again!!!

 

[Kim&Buddy]

The more likely scenario is that the pill will stop working after a while and you'll have a permanently damaged pancreas, so he will need permanent insulin injections. With the insulin therapy I discussed, he has an 84% chance of becoming independent of insulin, and maintaining normal blood sugar levels based on diet alone. I speak from experience--Bandit's been in remission for some time now and is healthier than he's ever been.

Yay for remission!!

Home testing is THE most important thing you can do to keep your cat safe, regardless of treatment. Vet numbers are inflated due to stress and inaccurate, and the vet cannot test your cat on a daily basis. Human diabetics need to test their blood sugar multiple times a day, and it's the same with cats.

Thanks so much! Seeing as it's Saturday and I don't know what I'm doing if I were to test, should I take him to an emergency clinic? He's acting OK- not overeating, not overdrinking, not lethargic (well...he's 12 so the old man sleeps a lot to begin with). The only thing that's happening is that he's sneezing up a storm, but has been doing that ever since he got the upper respiratory infection back in January.

 

[doombuggy]

Thank you so much for all the information!

my BFF recomended her vet, now called Kindred Spirits Animal Clinic. They are located on OBT just north of Sand Lake Rd/FL Mall. Dr. Kindred is familiar with FD, as they have one (I believe it's actually his GF's who is also a vet).

Thanks for the recommendation to KSAC! Do you go down 417 to get there? I'm in Winter Springs with quick access to that highway. I'm driving 35 minutes'ish right now so I think if I stay in that travel window I should be OK. Also, a straight highway shot would be much preferable to the city driving I'm doing now.

Went back home, called around to CVS, Walgreens & Publix to find out how much the vial of lantus would cost. Publix was cheaper than CVS by 5 cents. I got the syringes there too but was never able to find syringes with 1/2 marks.

If you don't mind my asking, how much is the cost of a month's worth of insulin and supplies (testing and medical)? This is all so overwhelming. The more I read, the more I'm surprised by how little my current vet seems to know. Not only did she not put Buddy on insulin but she also never mentioned anything about me testing his blood. So I pretty much have been trusting the medication is the right dose for him. Thanks to the feedback of everyone, it's obvious to me now how dangerous that is. I put my trust in bad medical advice.

KSAC was confidnent that he was going into remission because of the remision rate with the Lantus (which is a human insulin) but the were surprised that Cedric went so quick. I bought Cat Mate 20 autofeeder to give Cedric 2 meals during the day when I am at work.

I'm so glad Cedric is in remission!!! Thanks for the suggestion about the autofeeder. I can get three meals into him, but would am not able to get a lunchtime one in, so I leave his food out while I'm gone and he grazes throughout the day.

Thanks again!!!

Sorry I couldn't post last night - I got home late from work at Disney and my dad chose to call me to yap for a half hour. :lol:

1) Yes, I take 417 to 408 then hop on I-4, get off at OBT (left exit) and shoot down OBT, as KSAC will be on your right side. It is across from the 7-11, just past the car wash (I forget the name of it). When I was making Cedric's annual appointment the other day, I asked how late their latest weekday appt is, and I thought she said 4:50pm. I just told them 4:30 and will leave the office an hour early to take him. I can get there in less than a 1/2 hour from my house (off Aloma & Dean, you can see our development from the 417). I used to live in WS at Legends apts, so that's an additonal 5-6 miles, just to give you an idea.

2) I remember the insulin vial was $119.95. The box of syringes was $17.95. Dr. Kindred gave me a script for the syringes although I am not sure you need one in this state. Note I could not find any syringes with 1/2 marks anywhere around here , which includes Wal-mart, but I am not sure if my problem lied in the fact that I was requesting the small skinny needle. Since Cedric went off the insulin after a month, I had more than 1/2 of the syringes left over, most of which I gave to DCIN. The syringes might take more research on your part. a new Wal-Mart opened a couple of weeks ago next to the Kohls here in Oviedo (you can see from the 417), so you might want to try there, I thought they had a pharmacy...it's a smaller one. Pet stuff is on the back wall on the left behind the groceries.

3) the autofeeder has worked great. I give him a scoop that is cold to open between 10-11 am and a frozen portion to open between 3-4ish in the afternoon. Since my hours at WDW vary on the weekend can vary, sometimes I have to adjust that. When I recued the other guy in September, I got him one too and he eats all the same stuff.

I'll send you a pm too. I am working today 10:15-4:15 so I will be home this evening - but watching "Once upon a Time" at 8pm though!!! :thumbup

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

I hope things are getting straightened out in your head, there is so much to absorb initially.

I'm not that familiar w/ urinary foods, but if you are looking for low carb/low phos foods Wellness grain Free turkey is a good one, also Merrick BG Turkey or beef flavors. As others have mentioned Friskies Special Diet Turkey and Giblets is both LC and Low Phos. The nice thing about the Wellness is that you can get it in 12.5oz. cans, which makes the cost about the same as FF and it has higher quality ingredients.

Tess has had UTIs as well, things depend on whether it is "infection" or "inflamation". Tess gets infections and I don't think the urinary foods help w/ that . I give her 2 supplements that were recommended by my vet: Cosequin, works to soothe tissues in the bladder and strengthen it: Probiotics, increase the levels of good gut bacteria and lower the bad, which spread to the urinary tract and can cause urinary infections. We use a live probiotic called Petdophilus that I get in a health food store.

Inflamation from crystals is another matter. I would highly recommend Dr. Lisa Pierson's page on urinary diseases. The most common crystal are struvite crystals, which can be caused by alkaline urine which is more likely from foods w/ grains!

While keeping in mind that cats are obligate carnivores (see Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition), it is important to understand that a meat-based (carnivorous) diet naturally leads to an mildly acidic urine.

Grains, on the other hand, promote a more alkaline urine due to their carbohydrate level as shown by this study.

Due to Man's focus on profit margin, diets higher in grains (higher in carbohydrates than a cat's natural diet) have flooded the market - along with pet food manufacturers' unscrupulous advertising onslaught designed to persuade the feline caregiver to think that feeding a water-depleted, grain-laden dry food diet constitutes optimal nutrition.

Keep in mind: Meat is expensive. Grains are cheap.

Meat (animal-based protein) promotes a mildly acidic urine which is normal for the cat.

Grains (plant-based protein and high carbohydrate content) promote an alkaline urine.

As mentioned below in the Crystal section, struvite crystals are more apt to form in an alkaline urine and calcium oxylate crystals are more apt to form in an acidic urine. Many 'urinary tract' diets - including some of the prescription diets - overly acidify the diet past what would be normal for a cat eating a species-appropriate diet. These diets can dissolve struvite stones but will lead to other problems, such as calcium oxylate stones, if they are fed past the therapeutic time frame.

Please understand that we would rarely have to address pH or crystals if cats were fed a water-rich diet. However, because Man insists on feeding cats species-inappropriate, water-depleted diets in the dry form because they are cheaper and more convenient to deal with and because many cats are addicted to them, the cat continues to suffer with urinary tract issues.

For many years, struvite (magnesium, ammonium, and phosphorus) was the predominant mineral mixture found in cat urine due to the species-inappropriate level of grains in cat food. Knowing this, Man then stepped in and started acidifying commercial cat food with things like dl methionine - instead of cutting into profit margin by removing the grains and going back to meat.

The so-called 'urinary tract formulas' were born.

A good meat based wet diet supplemented w/ water mixed in is good for both the UTI and the FD.

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

2) I remember the insulin vial was $119.95. The box of syringes was $17.95. Dr. Kindred gave me a script for the syringes although I am not sure you need one in this state. Note I could not find any syringes with 1/2 marks anywhere around here , which includes Wal-mart, but I am not sure if my problem lied in the fact that I was requesting the small skinny needle. Since Cedric went off the insulin after a month, I had more than 1/2 of the syringes left over, most of which I gave to DCIN. The syringes might take more research on your part. a new Wal-Mart opened a couple of weeks ago next to the Kohls here in Oviedo (you can see from the 417), so you might want to try there, I thought they had a pharmacy...it's a smaller one. Pet stuff is on the back wall on the left behind the groceries.

You have 2 options for the Lantus, which is often the insulin recommended now. A10ml vial which is around $110 or a pack of 5 3ml. "pens". If your cat is only on insulin a short time the vial might be the better value. The pens are around $200, but you get half again as much and you only open 3ml at a time, so the rest stays fresh longer. Don't buy the needles that are meant for the pens, we use the same syringes as with the vials. We often have partial unit doses, which you cannot do using the automatic dosing on the pens. Also some pharmacies will sell single pens for about $40. It's hard to find one that will do that, though.

Many of us order the 1/2 unit marked syringes from ADW. They have meters, strips and lancets at great prices too. The company is in Florida and I get my shipments all the way out here in CA in about 5 days.

The Relion Meter at Walmart seems to be the most popular. The strips are comparatively inexpensive, but are usually behind the pharmacy counter, so you can only get them when the pharmacy is open. You can also get the same meter and strips from ADW under the brand name Arkray, they make them for Walmart. The strips are even cheaper that way.