Just diagnosed this past Thursday

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Mark & Skittles, Feb 28, 2017.

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  1. Mark & Skittles

    Mark & Skittles New Member

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    Feb 28, 2017
    My cat, female, 8, was diagnosed Thursday with diabetes. She was at the vet all day Friday getting her blood tested every couple of hours. Since then I have been testing her blood before each meal and have switched her to diabetic food, a wee bit of kibble but mostly wet. Her numbers seem good, 16 or there abouts before her meals. Still getting the hang of drawing that little bit of blood and not sticking myself or getting a error reading because not enough blood.
     
  2. Amanda & Ham

    Amanda & Ham Member

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    Jan 30, 2017
    Hi and welcome, try warming up a wash cloth with warm water and rub the ear for a min first, it'll get the blood flowing a little easier. I use a folded up tissue on the other side of Ham's ear so I don't poke myself.
     
  3. Mark & Skittles

    Mark & Skittles New Member

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    Feb 28, 2017
    Thanks, I will give those things a try this evening for 5pm feeding.
     
  4. Amanda & Ham

    Amanda & Ham Member

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    Jan 30, 2017
    Your gonna wanna check her more often then just before feedings. This is something I learned here as I am also fairly new to this. It allows you to see how Skittles is reacting to the insulin.
     
  5. Amanda & Ham

    Amanda & Ham Member

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  6. Mark & Skittles

    Mark & Skittles New Member

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    Feb 28, 2017
    For now I am sticking strictly to my vet's instructions. If her reading is lower then 12 I have been instructed to feed her and test her again in 30 minutes...so far her readings have been strong.
     
  7. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    May 10, 2013
    There's really no reason to buy the expensive "diabetic" food......and the kibble is too high in carbs for a diabetic anyway!! Most of us here feed plain old Fancy Feast Classics (Pate's in Canada), Friskies pate's or 9-Lives ground foods

    The key is the percentage of carbs.....just like humans are told to go on a low carb diet, it's important for our sugarcats too! The dry "diabetic" food is over 30% carbs! We want them eating something less than 10%

    There's a great food chart with lots of kinds of foods HERE......Just look in column C for the amount of carbs and choose ones that are less than 10%
     
  8. Mark & Skittles

    Mark & Skittles New Member

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    Feb 28, 2017
    Thanks. She is only getting about 1/8th of a cup of kibble but we do plan to even ween that away after a while. My vet seems very reasonable about things, once we have been doing this for a few weeks and get used to the routine etc. I will look into other foods. The diabetic food we are buying from the vet isn't too expensive but the store brands are cheaper that's for sure.
     
  9. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    May 10, 2013
    Oh I also meant to post this for you!!

    Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too! (substitute "her" for "him"...LOL)

    It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

    You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him
    ...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

    It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

    When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge.
    Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

    Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too!
    Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
     
  10. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Jan 11, 2017
    Welcome!
    Might want to put the warm wet wash cloth in a plastic baggy so the water doesn't get on test strip with blood. :)
     
  11. Mark & Skittles

    Mark & Skittles New Member

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    Feb 28, 2017
    Thanks for all your help, suggestions and encouragement. Skittles reading this morning was strong and she seems to be doing well. Still anxious about getting the blood for the reading, but I am sure I am getting better. She is a patient kitty.
     
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