9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about food

Hi!

I just wanted to say that last night when we checked Dude's ketones he tested at .3. We are getting ready to do a curve on Saturday for our Vet so that we can figure out what in the heck is going on with his crazy numbers. He's testing in the 400's for BG now for yesterday AM and PM (which is unusual because he usually tests really low at night) and again at 408 this morning.

I did want to ask about a new dry food we bought though. We went to the Petsmart to find him something he will eat because he's been so picky and we discovered some dry food called Blue Buffalo. When we got it home on Monday Dude gobbled it up like he'd never had anything so wonderful his whole life and since we're trying to get him to eat I'm hoping we can leave it out for grazing. We checked the ingredients and it seems to be very high in proteins and low in carbs but I wonder if anyone here knows for sure if its a good alternative to the M/D.

Thanks for your help!

Temujin

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

Is there a reason why you have to feed some dry food? Cats who readily eat canned food have no reason to also eat dry. If they like "crunchies" there are hard treats you can feed, some of which are low carb. Can you leave canned food out for grazing? Many people here use a timed (automatic) feeder. Fill the compartments/bowls with food, set the timer, and go about your day :smile: The PetSafe 5 compartment timed feeder is popular.

Did you buy the Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry? That is the grain-free line. http://bluebuffalo.com/dry-cat-food Looks like the adult ones contain potato starch and potatos which may raise bgs in some cats.

Innova EVO, Nature's Variety Instinct, and Wellness CORE are the often recommended dry foods to feed to a diabetic during a diet change or for inappetence due to illness. There are some people who feed a piece or two of dry food as a treat.

Just my thoughts :smile:

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

Dear Temujin, and, of course, you too, sweet Dudester,

I'm sure you've heard that no dry food is good for a diabetic cat. That said, the most important thing for a diabetic cat is that they eat. Period. Having ketones on board makes it even more important.

I was trained by probably one of pickiest eaters in FDMB history, Gizmo. So, I come from kind of a different place than most parents here. In the beginning when she came home from the ER hospital for DKA, whatever she seemed interested in eating, I fed her. I'm talking anything. I'd put out ten plates, bowls, saucers of different foods; and she'd often decide she liked the 11th item -- usually something offered on my fingers stretched out under the bed with me begging her to eat. Fortunately, I have long arms...

Then I'd burst into tears with both gratitude and frustration. Would then call my friend and sort of unofficial adopted mom and Gizzie's unofficial adopted Grandma, Joanie, and sob. Joanie is a born and raised New Yorker. She simply said, Why don't you just print out a menu and let her put her paw on her choice? I'm keeping Joanie forever and a day...

The first two or three weeks were very rocky for us both, trust me, Temujin. Trust me.

Eventually we got into a sort dysfunctional food routine. But, hey, whatever works, right?! Giz got a 1/4 cup of DM dry and a 1/2 can of DM wet morning and night. Well, and other stuff... Was this a great diet? No. But, it worked for Giz for about four or five months, until she decided she didn't like DM wet anymore. Tried probably most every kind of wet food out there. But, Giz, decided she didn't like any wet cat food anymore. Thus began our George Foreman Grill era which lasted for the rest of her four years dancing. The only cat food Giz would eat was DM dry. So, for four years, 1/4 cup of it was placed for her dining pleasure day and night.

Since Dude has ketones going on, I say let him eat whatever he wants. But, I have to ask what kind of Blue Buffalo? The reason for this is Janet and Binky's dry food list:
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html
Granted, it hasn't been updated in over three years; but, it is a fountain of information:
• Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Adult: 28% carbs
• Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Lite: 48% carbs
• Blue Buffalo Hairball: 27% carbs
• Blue Buffalo Adult Food: 27% carbs
• Blue Buffalo Lite Food: 48% carbs
• Hill's M/D: 13% carbs
• Purina DM: 13% carbs
• Innova EVO Cat & Kitten: 8% carbs

I would humbly venture to guess that a lot of dry foods today probably have better ingredients than M/D or DM. It ends up being a trade off between carbs and dose -- and what a sugar cat wants to eat. With Giz, I learned to shoot around her eating higher carb dry food. Quite frankly, though, until pet food manufacturers come to realize that cats are carnivores and don't need grains, rice, veggies, etc. I don't know what to say...

There's a sticky on the top of the page that will take you to Dr. Lisa's site. Please go there and read, okay, Temujin? Dr. Lisa is a wondrously caring vet who knows volumes about cats and what they should be eating. But, rock bottom, Dude must eat. Rock bottom Giz had to eat and actually -- and finally -- wore Dr. Lisa down, and received special dispensation for those two 1/4 cups of DM dry. Dr. Lisa knows how grateful I will always be...

Read, Temujin. And read more whilst petting the Dudester... He's still your cat you know. He's just extra sweet is all.

Much love and countless good appetite hugs for you both,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who sent me Nikki, a sugar cat who actually eats wet cat food...

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

Hi!

We leave dry food out for grazing. He does get wet food in the morning and at night but sometimes he doesnt want that and right now if there is something, anything he will eat, we give it to him. Since we discovered a couple days ago that he is sneaking dog food at night, we changed Fritz's food to the Blue Buffalo also.

Basically we are just trying to find something he will eat for longer than a day before he decides he doesn't want it anymore. He's so picky these days and I'm afraid that if he ever misses a meal again he'll go right back into DKA. We can't have that obviously.

Temujin

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

Hi Deb,

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write all that for me. I appreciate it. And yes, that is EXACTLY where I am right now. Dude has to eat, period. So we're trying literalyl everything. The Blue Buffalo we got for him is the Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice I think except I don't remember it being that high in carbs. I can look again when I get home. We bought the dog the exact same type except we got the salmon. I know its weird that I'm telling you what I buy my dog but Dude is eating it at night I'm positive so it is a factor. I don't know why I couldn't find Binky's dry food list the other day but I will go look at it now also.

BTW Dude has completely gone off the FF Classic, will not touch the stuff. We're trying all different kinds of other wet food though. I've been looking at Binky's wet food list everyday for a week now trying to figure out what to try next.

Maybe I need to make a menu

Temujin

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

This is the Blue Buffalo we got:

http://bluebuffalo.com/cat-food/wilderness-chicken

Its not on that list.

t

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

Dear Temujin, and, of course, you too, sweet Dude,

Nothing is weird dancing with a sugar cat. And, yes, what Dude's dog is eating, is a factor as Dude is sampling it as well...

The trick is to leave enough space between entrees for Dude's paw... ;o)

Love and silly hugs for you and the zoo,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz...


PS: You're most welcome. I was a complete train wreck when Giz was diagnosed. The lovely people of the FDMB held my hand and her paw every step of the way. It is an honor to pay it forward to you and Dude.

 

Re: 9/28 Dude's ketones look sooo good today and ? about foo

Every cat is absolutely different in this type of situation, so I will not pretend to have any answers for you as far as what Dude might eat. But when Saima was sick and would not eat, all she would really touch were the following: canned chicken, Cat Sip cat milk, freeze-dried salmon, and raw steak. She also ate some Primal frozen beef and salmon food, but that's kind of a gamble since you have to buy a big bag and it costs a lot. Just a few other ideas in case he goes off his food again and you need to try some new stuff (I think all of this is reasonably low-carb, but I would have fed her anything if she would have eaten it). She wasn't big on tuna or baby food.

Anyway, I think in this case it is great news that he is enjoying the Blue Buffalo dry so much! You must be so relieved.