Andddd I'm back

Hello all!

It's been exactly 6 years ago to the day that I first found this site while freaking out after my Maine Coon "Syd" was diagnosed.
Thanks to all the wonderful information and help from this site I was able to get him OTJ just by changing his diet and he is a happy 16 yr old love bug.

Well, now it looks like its Samantha's turn.
We recently noticed that she has been having back leg issues and having trouble walking. I thought it was due to her weight (15lbs.) so I put her on a weight loss diet and thought she was losing weight, but it seems that's not the case.
Her BG test came back at 369 and her Fructosamine at 489.

So, the vet wants me to give 2 units of Vetsulin twice a day and then do a curve in 2-3 weeks.
I told her I could test BG during this time, but she said it wasn't needed as Sam's #'s would be "all over the place" at first and to wait until I do the curve.
That didn't make much sense to me since BG should be monitored to know if a shot should be given in the first place.
Any thoughts on this?

I still have my old Accucheck Compact that Rebecca was kind enough to send me for Syd, but I need to purchase new strips. The vet suggested I purchase the AlphaTRAK 2, but i'm not really impressed with the reviews about accuracy on Amazon or the pricing on strips.
Should I stick with the Accucheck Compact (not PLUS) or maybe get a new model? I'm open to suggestions.

The vet of course recommended the usual prescription foods, Royal Canin GI dry/wet, Hills and whatever the other one is.
She didn't approve of my use of Friskies Pate for Syd (although she was glad I was able to get him into remission) and she strongly suggested I use the prescription food (she even suggested purchasing it elsewhere to save money).
I am not convinced and everything I read still seems to support not using those, ESPECIALLY the dry foods.
I'm thinking i'll slowly switch her to Friskies Pate like I did Syd. I just have to figure out how to keep the ants out of her food.(she's an outdoor/garage kitty)

Sooo, We're back. Hopefully we can get Miss Sam Sam into remission as well.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and insight!

-Glenn, Sam & Syd

 

Hi Glenn, Sam amd Syd. Welcome back to the forum.
How fabulous you were able to get Syd into remission just by changing the food and keeping him there for 6 years.

Your instincts are right. I would definitely start testing the blood sugars now.
I would switch to a low carb diet first before starting the insulin. It is safer that way.......as long as there were no ketones in the urine.
Test before every shot and during the cycle if possible.
I am sure your Accucheck meter is fine. Buy some strips and test yourself to see what the result is. If you are concerned buy a new one but I'd get a human meter if it was me.
TheAlphatrak 2 is expensive to maintain....the strips are expensive. And our protocols are based on human meters.

Re the food. Here is a link to suitable foods. There are many suitable foods at the supermarket and pet stores. Don't waste your money on prescription foods.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

Here is a link to FAQ so you can refresh you memory about FD.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/health-links-faqs-about-feline-diabetes.14/
Bron

 

Welcome!