Whole Foods "DeckHand" cat food?

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Deb and Dr Fish

Deb and Dr Fish

Member Since 2015
Hello!

Has anyone here tried the Whole Foods brand of cat food called "DeckHand"? I've been feeding it to my diabetic cat Dr Fish for a little while because it has the highest protein content of any cat food I've encountered on this journey, and the fact that it's pretty much all tuna fish seemed like a good idea given his needs.

But lately he's been exhibiting increased signs of uncontrolled glucose, including constant food-seeking and meowing, and lots of water drinking and peeing.

He is on NovolinN insulin, which we buy at Walmart for $25 a vial where I live. He has been getting 9 units twice a day. After reading a bit on here and around the web I'm wondering if perhaps he is getting too much insulin for this low-carb, high-protein food?

He used to eat the Fancy Feast classic cans, 2 in the am and 2 in the pm (small cans) and take 9 units. I feel like a bad mommy admitting this given what I've read and what I know, but when I switched foods I didn't change his insulin dose. He had one low glycemic event during the change, but acted fine afterwards. The event happened after he ate my other cat's dry food and I gave him a tiny bit of extra insulin that day. I figured it was because of that.

I did a couple blood tests today to see if he's in his healthy range and sure enough, he way high. About 6 hours after his injection his BG was at 394; 2.5 hours later he was at 472. It's clearly too high, but I'm not sure if I should increase his dose (he seems to be getting more than most of the cats on these boards) or if I should actually cut it in half...?

Any thoughts or advice or similar experience would be greatly appreciated. And in particular, if anyone has any experience with this brand of cat food I would love to know whether it is, in fact, a good thing to be feeding him.

Thanks everyone!
 
There's nothing wrong with the Fancy Feast classics!! That's what a LOT of us feed!! They're low carb enough for our kitties but a lot less expensive than some of the alternatives.

There are problems with feeding fish....One is that it can be addicting....and they'll end up not eating anything but fish, but the more serious one is that it can contain small amounts of mercury! We don't recommend feeding fish more than about once a week.

NovolinN also really isn't a great insulin for cats.....it can hit hard, hit quickly and then wear off in about 6 hours. There are much better insulins for cats like Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc (but they're more expensive)

A lot of us using Lantus or Levemir are getting it from Canada because we can get 1500 units for about $150 (which is enough to last most cats over a year)
 
We tried Lantus when he was first diagnosed (about 2.5 years ago) and for the cost (at the time, $160/vial) it was not effective. I think we tried one thing in between the Lantus and the NovolinN but it also didn't work. Oddly (and, I thought, conveniently (on my pocketbook)), he responded really well initially to the NovolinN...so we stuck with it.

The best vet Dr Fish has had happened to be a diabetic himself; he was very empathetic to Fishy's suffering and could give me a really good sense of what he was experiencing during low and high BG times... It helped me understand the disease a lot better, and what was required of me as his guardian and companion human.

But we recently moved, and we no longer can visit that vet because he's just too far away. I need to establish him at a new practice. I feel I should do that before trying to switch his insulin... But maybe it's not necessary?

Has anyone ever switched insulin while NOT under the supervision of a qualified professional?? I feel very comfortable taking care of every aspect of Fishy's diabetes management, including BG testing and curves and such. We've never tested for ketones, but I wouldn't mind doing that if I need to.

We haven't tried ProZinc. Cost is something of an issue, but I'm willing to shell out some bucks for quality meds that work well.
 
The problem with switching is that Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc all require prescriptions unless you're in Canada (they can get Lantus and Levemir over the counter without the script)
 
Right... Are people in the US able to secure the meds online or anything? If so, how/where would I do that?

Also, do you have any knowledge or experience with insulin resistance or the Somogyi effect??

PS: thanks for your responses and help! :)
 
Humulin/Novolin NPH lasts roughly 6-8 hours per shot in most cats. Because of this, some cats will do better if given insulin every 8 hours. Any dose adjustment should be made on the lowest glucose between shots, not the pre-shot test. For N (aka NPH), this usually happens about +3 to +4 hours post shot.

Can we get you started using our grid to record your glucose tests? It will help us give you better feedback and let us see what his response is to the N. Instructions are here.

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid:

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning pre-shot test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening pre-shot)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.
 
Chris & China said:
A lot of us using Lantus or Levemir are getting it from Canada because we can get 1500 units for about $150 (which is enough to last most cats over a year)
Click to expand...

Hi there! How would one go about getting Lantus from Canada if we are living in the states? That sounds too good to be true!
 
Look at the last post in the "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" thread

I was SO thrilled to find them last July!! The Lantus Solostar pens are the best deal since you can use every last drop (unlike the vials that can poop out on you by 5-6 months)

Here in Missouri, the exact same 5 pack of pens is over $460!

They do require a script though, so you'll have to find a vet willing to prescribe it....but you can call vets in your area and ask the vet to call you when they have time....that's a good way to find out how that vet deals with their diabetic cat patients....and if they won't call and talk to you, you don't want them anyway
 
Wow, this forum is amazing! You guys really do think of everything when it comes to our sugar kitties :)

I'm gonna talk to my vet this weekend about this. Thanks so much!!!
 
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As soon as I can get a day off and be home I will definitely use that grid to post Fishy's numbers... Thanks BJM.

And thank you, Chris, for all your helpful responses. I will be getting Fishy established at a new clinic shortly so I can get him some proper meds.

This forum is awesome. Thank you.
 
Until then, if you post the numbers in AMPS, +# format, we'll be able to give a better interpretation of the results.
 
Deck Hand Cat Food "Pole & Line Caught Albacore and Skipjack Tuna Mercury Levels are well below U.S. and International safety standards."
http://poleandlinecaught.com/mercury-info/


What's the Best Insulin for Diabetic Cats and Dogs? by Dr. Mark E. Peterson
"In cats, I never use NPH because of it's short duration, but I will sometimes use Vetsulin as an intermediate-acting insulin." http://www.endocrinevet.info/2013/05/whats-best-insulin-for-diabetic-cats.html ****Glargine is now $245.00 per 10ml bottle
 
The US cost for Lantus, aka glargine, is the reason we suggest purchasing in pens (so you don't waste any), refrigerate them (to make them last longer safely), and order from Canada, or check your local Craigslist.
 
Thank you BJM but I have gone back to Vetsulin and my cat Samuel is doing just fine. The high cost of Lantus is INSANE!!!!!! The main reason for my post was in response to Deb & Dr. Fish's post.
 
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