newly diagnosed, new and bad vet, please help!

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by MissPumpkin, May 27, 2010.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    I just moved and took my cat Pumpkin in to a new vet for her annual shots. I thought she looked a little thin, but was very surprised to learn that she had lost 30% of her body weight in just a few weeks. The new vet has given me almost no info, her bedside manner was ATROCIOUS, she has barely communicated anything to me at all, and now she's out of town for a week! I've found a new vet, whom Pumpkin will see next Tuesday, but I'm a wreck and am totally overwhelmed by this news. I love all cats and have cherished every one I have ever served, but Miss Pumpkin is a bundle of joy and easily the sweetest cat I have ever known. I am totally shocked by this diagnosis and am ignorant of the disease. I have no prescriptions and the vet gave me no brochures, instructions or printed information. The only thing I've done is put take both my cats off their high-carb dry food diet and move them to canned tuna. Please help!
     
  2. Jean and Megan

    Jean and Megan Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Canned is excellent. Tuna is not necessarily the best choice, though, unless Pumpkin won't eat anything else.

    Chicken or turkey is preferable for most cats. I'm sure you've seen the food charts: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html Look for any canned with a number below 10 in the "carb" column. You generally don't want to feed fish more than once or twice a week.

    Whichever food you choose, be sure it is a complete diet, not just a supplement or treat. Straight meat doesn't have the complete array of nutrients a cat needs.

    Changing the diet is an excellent start and may have very positive effects.

    Sorry you've had a bad start. I hope things work out better with the new vet. Keep us posted.
     
  3. MommaOfMuse

    MommaOfMuse Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2010
    Welcome Miss Pumpkin...Muse is newly diagnosed and just got home....These people are wonderful here as you are beginning to see....I've learned tons already...For now just breathe :D

    Mel & Muse
     
  4. Donna & Shiloh (GA)

    Donna & Shiloh (GA) Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    You've gotten some good advice already. A lot of us feed the low carb Fancy Feast. (See Janet and Binky's chart). Read all you can here about diabetes.

    Does your cat drink alot and pee tons of urine? Any other symptoms besides weight loss?
     
  5. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    Thanks Megan and Momma of Muse and thanks in advance to all who respond to my post. I'm reading the FDMB FAQ now. I tried a Science Diet canned food and she and my healthy cat did not take to the first can I gave them. I'm happy that Pumpkin is at least eating the tuna (though I worry about the salt content).... I think she wasn't really eating before her last vet visit. The food was spread out on the floor instead of eaten.... I thought I would minimize the changes until the next vet visit. (She and her sister were free feeders before.) I don't think the healthy one is eating much at all right now. I'm definitely keeping a close eye on both of them right now. The holiday weekend should help with that.
     
  6. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    Donna and Shiloh, I didn't notice any excessive drinking. Yes, there was extra urine in the litter box; at the time, I thought the quality of the litter had just gone downhill. Also, I hadn't noticed the usual amount of waste in the previous few weeks. (The two cats share a litter box.) The final symptom--actually, the first I can recall--was that she seemed a little weak in her right front leg. The vet couldn't figure it out and told me just to watch it. That was two months ago and since then, she's gone from 11 pounds to 8.
     
  7. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    Thanks, Jean and Megan! The Science diet food I bought was super high in carbs. I'm getting an education by the second! She's gotten regular vet visits her whole life. I'm disappointed that I didn't know about this diet issue until now.
     
  8. Jean and Megan

    Jean and Megan Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    It can take some experimentation to find a food that your kitties like. Mine eat Wellness Chicken, Wellness Turkey, Merrick Grammie's Pot Pie, and sometimes Merrick Cowboy Cookout (a beef food, so an allergen for some kitties, including one of mine).

    When I was starting out, I would get two little cans each of a bunch of different flavors and brands, all diabetic-friendly. Then I offered each one and took notes about who liked what. Sometimes everybody would just inhale the first can but then refuse to touch it a second time. Some flavors were acceptable but not great (in acceptance). Some were puked up (by my allergy cat) immediately. Finally, some were consistently liked. What will be preferred is absolutely not predictable.

    I ended up with the Wellness and Merrick as the most consistently liked. (PetCo sells Wellness in little cans - those are great for trying the food out, but for consistent feeding I order 12.5 oz cans by the case. Much more economical that way. I found Merrick at a little mom-and-pop pet store; that, too, I now order by the case, though it doesn't come in big cans - 5.5 oz seems to be the largest.)

    Lots of people here feed Fancy Feast or Friskies (diabetic-friendly flavors). Sophisticat (Petsmart) and Special Kitty (Walmart) also work for some. It depends on what you can find locally, what your budget can take, and what your kitties like. Diet is tremendously important, though. With a good diet, you can be halfway to getting the diabetes under control.
     
  9. Bone Daddy

    Bone Daddy Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2010
    My cat Duke was (is) having a really hard time regulating his BS. Our "family" vet couldn't come up with any answers - not for not trying - so I went to get a second opinion. The first was just a consult. We talked about Duke, his problems and his treatments for about 30 minutes. No charge. I made an appointment and brought Duke in. She was supportive about us home testing. Her office made 2 follow up phone calls (one by her and one by her tech) to see how Duke was doing. I stopped in and talked with the tech (vet was at the other clinic) - no charge. She was great. We are switching all our cats over. They are even within walking distance to the house (new location).

    All I can say is don't stand for bad bedside manners, poor communication or being nickeled and dimed (more like dollared and more even more dollared) to death. Find someone you feel comfortable with. It has helped me and I'm sure will help Duke.
     
  10. jeanene and chase

    jeanene and chase Member

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2010
    One thing you might want to try is picking up some ketodiasticks. You can check the urine to make sure there are no ketones. They are very serious, and until you are home testing and probably treating, it's important to make sure nothing major is happening.
     
  11. Phoebe_TiggyGA_NortonGA

    Phoebe_TiggyGA_NortonGA Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2009
    What area do you live in? If a current FDMB member lives nearby, maybe they can suggest a vet.
    (just post city and state or province)

    There is a spot in your PROFILE to specify Location -- then it is printed to the right of every post =====>>>>>>>>
     
  12. Hillary & Maui (GA)

    Hillary & Maui (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    There are three key factors to managing diabetes: food/nutrition, home testing and insulin

    1) Feline Nutrition: Now, as far as diet - definitely dump the dry food (if you are feeding any) and if the vet recommends purchasing prescription food like DM just say "no thank you". ALL cats, and especially those with diabetes, do best on a species appropriate diet that is high in protein and low in carbs. Dry food DOES NOT fit that bill and DM food, even canned, just really isn't that great as far as quality. Most here on FDMB feed low carb/high protein canned, raw bought from a pet store or they make there own.

    Here great links, one is to a food chart put together by one of our board members that breaks down the carb % and protein % of most of the commercial brand foods. You want to keep the carb % below 10% and around 7% is great. The other link is to a site by a vet "Dr. Lisa DVM" ... who also posts on this board from time to time ... there is in-depth info. there about many things, including nutrition and how to make raw food.


    The good thing with feeding your diabetic cat this way, is that it is ALSO good for any non-diabetic cat too. All your cats can safely eat the same food without worry and it may save you some costs and headaches of having to do separate feedings and keeping track of what they are eating.


    2. Home testing: It is impossible to convey the value of testing your cat's BG (blood glucose) level at home. Some vets will "suggest" this, but most won't even mention it. They will send you home with insulin and an amount to shoot and maybe some instructions about hypoglycemia (blood sugar dropping to a dangerously low level).

    Well, the thing is, human diabetics don't EVER give themselves insulin without checking there BG to make sure it is safe to do so, so why shouldn't it be the same for our kitties. Here on FDMB it is. You will notice that the vast majority of people here test their cat's BG at least 2x/day (before giving each shot to make sure the level is safe enough) and periodically at other times to see how the cat is responding to the current dose. We use a human glucometer, test strips and lancets - which are all very readily available and easy to use.

    Our kitties get lots of love and treats for "putting up" with this and most of them actually come out to be tested on their own 'cause they want those treats . Here is a collection of great links that "Carolyn and Spot" pulled together about hometesting. See what you think ... it truly is the best way to not only keep Your cat safe but also really get a handle on this disease and help him to live a healthy life with FD (feline diabetes).


    3. Insulin: There are several types of insulin available. Many people, myself included use Lantus or Levimer both of which are great insulins. They are gentle insulin and given twice (BID) per day in 12 hour increments. Or you could also choose PZI or the new version called Prozinc.

    Please read up on the insulins available, here is a link to the Insulin Support Groups:


    However, one caveat and again this shows how these three things are inter-related:

    If you are feeding dry food or even a high carb food, BEFORE removing these foods, please make sure of your insulin dose as it will most likely need to be reduced, so as to avoid a possible hypoglycemic situation due to the removal of the dry/high carb foods that will lower the BG’s and reduce the amount of insulin required. Again, another reason why home testing is important.


    I know this all seems like a lot, and that's because it is ... there is a learning curve here. But as long as you are determined and keep at it, you will have it down before you know it and you'll be seeing the results in Your cat' overall health and happiness. Ask all the questions you can think of - that's why we are here!

    Also, if you haven't done it yet, take the time and fill out your profile. It will help when others come on and read this. Also, let us know where you live - city/state as there are probably people in your area who can provide on the ground support and help you to learn home testing, etc.

    Finally, I too had a very bad vet experience, I won't bore you with the details, but you can read about it in my signature (Maui's one year OTJ). We get it, let's see how else we can help you.

    Were you given insulin? What were you told on dose, frequency, etc.?
     
  13. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    Thanks, Jeanene and Chase. I followed this advice and have been testing daily. So far only trace levels. :)
     
  14. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    Hillary and Maui, thanks for all the suggestions. I really appreciate it. I've been going through the FAQ and other materials that folks have provided on this site, but I didn't read this particular post until today. We did see a new vet this morning and one of the food choices he gave me was DM; he wasn't even pushing it, but I recognized it from the pet store, so I asked for that--again, not having read this post. Another dry food option he presented was Evo Turkey and Chicken. I'm probably going to start her off on dry high-protein/low carb food and then transition her to canned. Her test results were much better under less stress. BS was half what it was at the nightmarish vet (220 versus 450). I've been doing daily ketone testing and so far have only found trace levels in her urine. The new vet does not have her on insulin at this time. Still very much a novice at all this, but I believe Pumpkin is currently not exhibiting symptoms other than weight loss and slightly greater urination. The vet is going to examine and test her again next week.
     
  15. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    I'm very happy to say I found a wonderful vet through Yelp: http://www.capitalcat.com/ He handled her very well one week after her traumatic vet visit and was able to test and examine her without only a hiss or two. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment. Still one day at a time and reading up so that I can best care for my kitty.
     
  16. Connie & Em (GA)

    Connie & Em (GA) Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    unless you are having issues with your kitty refusing to eat canned food, you really shouldn't pick a dry food. All dry food by definition is too high in carbohydrates (have to be to form the pellets/kibble) it is also too low in moisture which cats really need. They don't have a very high thirst drive - being they were designed (be it intentionally or evolution which ever your beliefs maybe) to live in the desert. They would hunt small rodents and birds and survive off that, so their diet would be idea if it mimicked their natural diet / prey. (see http://www.catinfo.org for more on that)

    DM is not a great quality food, and is much higher in carbs then many other available foods.

    Connie
     
  17. Karen & Smokey(GA)

    Karen & Smokey(GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Even TRACE Keytones are a cause for concern....please inform your vet.
     
  18. MissPumpkin

    MissPumpkin New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2010
    I did this the day you suggested it and it's been very helpful. Thank you!
     
  19. heidi and doodles

    heidi and doodles Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2010
    Sorry about the bad visit! I can relate, Doodles took 3 days to recoup from her visit. Never again.

    Diet is huge, at first you're like a fool buying everything and walking up and down the isle with your Janet and Binkey List :lol:
    I too have two fur kidz one DB and the other not but blood related. That was a huge change for Gotti, non DB. He would only eat tuna ohmygod_smile you hear good and bad, my mom
    fed our cat CJ tuna for 22 years! They now eat Fancy Feast Cod, Shrimp Feast it's lo carb only 3 carbs and calories are almost 85. If you feel she is too thin I found this formula
    the other day on a post to figure out the amount of calories your cat should have. Take your ideal weight if its the 11lbs x 13.9 + 70 = 223 calories for the day. I let Doodles eat what she wanted
    to see how much she actually ate. I went from free feeding and had no idea what she really ate. She eats about 200 to 250 cal a day. I've become her persoanl trainer :lol: I took into consideration her
    age (7) her activity etc...
    Get rid of the dry food, it is kitty krack!!! Take notes and see what works ECID (every cat is different).

    Breathe, it's a lot to take in at first. I had many sleepless nights and still do at times. Just remember you are doing great, she loves you and you will make it through this. This board is awesome
    and the people are great. The hardest thing for me was trying to be perfect...medicine is not perfection :smile:

    I love Lantus and love the structure of the testing and know this board and my friend Lori saved Doodles life!
    Good Luck!
    Heidi
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page