Ziggy & diabetes

[Tigresseyes]

Thank you everyone who has helped me I feel very sad as all I desire to do is help him and I so believe I was not going about it wrong this all began because I believe I started him on some lower calorie crunchy since my vet made me think he was overweight he has always been a very fluffy kitty and do believe he has Maine coon in him so that was the error in the beginning but I guess I dreaded the I Dublin checks and do realize it must be done

How do I know how to give him less or more depending on his readings is there some kind of chart to go by this is all very trying for me and I just hate that perhaps the fact and truth is I contributed to his diabetes from th start by feeding him a predominetly dry food diet high in carbs though didnt even know it I realize I should not beat myself up over it though it does bother me and I can now only try to better

The challenges do arise constantly as I pray and ask if I am the right mom I actually work with big cats and am a head keeper at a tiger rescue there every weekend it's so hard with ziggy as my life is back and forth leaving events and engagements for business and so difficult to travel I am on my own the tiger rescue is 4 hours away I used to sleep there and work weekends which was much more convienent now my life consists of pressure and such responsibly I will work all day with the tigers and as exhausted as I am rush back just to get my cat his insulin I've been doing so for a year but like I said do wonder if I'm the right mom I'm single and doing it alone its so very hard

Does anyone know if it does get to a point if he deserves better ones whom would possibly adopt a diabetic cat he is so young and I want what's for the best for him

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

...How do I know how to give him less or more depending on his readings is there some kind of chart to go by this is all very trying for me and I just hate that perhaps the fact and truth is I contributed to his diabetes from th start by feeding him a predominetly dry food diet high in carbs...

Hello,

I think you are using Lantus insulin? If that's the case then there is a tried and trusted dosing protocol that you can use. There are a lot of Lantus users on this forum and they will gladly help you. :smile:

Please don't feel bad about having fed your kitty dry food in the past. A lot of us did the same as you, believing that it was good for our cats.... :roll:

I know this feline diabetes stuff can seem very challenging at first, but it does get easier. Honestly. And I'm sure you will manage just fine. (If you can manage to care for tigers I think you can care for a diabetic kitty! ;-) )

It is occasionally possible to get a diabetic cat adopted, but it's not easy.
It's very early days for you. And who knows, maybe your cat will be one of the lucky ones that goes into remission...? ('Remission' means that the diabetes can be diet-controlled).

Eliz

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Don't feel bad. Many of us have been where you are now. Fortunately this is a process that you can start at any time and we have seen some great results.

First, you want to learn to hometest. This means using a glucose meter to test a drop of blood for your cat's glucose levels. You can use either a human or pet meter. We recommend the human meter because they are less expensive to use. Both work equally well. You will test a drop of blood taken from Ziggy's ear before every shot. The purpose of this is to see how well the insulin is working and also if it is safe to give the next shot.

You also want to change Ziggy's diet. Feed him low carb/high protein canned or raw food. Friskies and Fancy Feast are good choices. There are other brands too. Usually the pate flavors are better than anything with gravy in it. You want to also stop feeding any dry food. However, you should start hometesting before taking away the dry food. Since we do not know what the glucose levels are, by taking away the dry, Ziggy's BG levels may drop too low and that could be dangerous. Right now, feed him as much canned food as he wants. Since he is not regulated, his body is not processing the food correctly and that is why he is always hungry. Once you get his BG levels regulated, you should see his appetite also get better.

What insulin are you using? Long acting insulins such as Lantus, Levemir, PZI and ProZinc work best for cats.