Confused in Canada

First of all thank you for providing a message board for people with diabetic kitties to come and share information.
My around 14 years young cat Sumo just got diagnosed with diabetes last week.He was always a very big cat hense the name but not very fat just a big big tabby cat. He was not feeling good, loosing weight and diarrhea. Since then I have been reading up alot on this and still have alot to learn. He was put on Glyburide( I know it's not as good as insulin but we are trying it for now) He feels much much better today. He has not been this spunky in years.
We are attempting to change his eating habits but are very confused. The vet gave us a bag of royal canine diabetic but this is somewhat out of our price range( We have multiple cats) and I'm not too convinced on the ingredients or the carb content. We are feeding him wet food and attempting to figure out how to limit his dry food intake. I know dry food is not the best but we have many kitties and dry food must stay for the other ones.( Feeding everyone on the vet suggested food is not possible money wise so I looked at many brands and tried to calculate the carbs on them. I was suprised that the royal canine was around 24 percent. I did find one with about 18 percent that has no grains and seems much better for all the cats than the previous diet of whiskas. I know whiskas is bad but first a little back story on our cat situation.
When I moved to this rural home 15 years ago there was a cat colony. Being a bleeding heart I took care of them, sterilized them and found homes for many. Whiskas was cheap and plentiful. Now we have 4 and I would like to give them something a bit better to prevent more becoming sick.They are indoor only. The food I found is this https://www.mondou.com/en-CA/p-high-protein-formula-for-indoor-adult-cats/1018858-MASTER
Is this food better than whiskas? My vet still seems to label this as junk food..
Also for glucometers...My vet said only the alpha track is reliable but the strips are very expensive. I'm so confused with info on the net and what I am told.
I just want him to be comfortable and happy for however much time he has but I also want to prevent problems in the other cats. Thanks you for any info provided.

 

We have a food chart that might be easier for you. Here is one for That includes Canadian choices:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...for-europeans-and-international-buyers.64843/

 

Here's another food chart for Canada:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...0KlRA2ZVTk_tYNVRaoG_3Dfy64/edit#gid=964479244


Mogs
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Welcome. The ALPHA TRAC is reliable. I used it for quite awhile and when compared to outside labs it was spot on. The strips are expensive. Now that I realize how often testing is done I did switch to human meter. Human meter does run lower but so much more cost effective. Once you wrap your mind around the lower numbers it's really not a big deal. On AT meter the low is 68, on human meter the low is 50. Those are really the only two you have worry about to prevent a hypo episode. As you see the spreadsheet used is color coded. If you get darker green you monitor more frequently. The lighter green requires action. Regardless of which meter you are using.

 

Thank you for your kind welcomes. I will buy him some president choice soft food. Did not know they were ok and the big cans are fun because everyone can get some. I look forward to reading alot on the board and learning how to help him. I just want my big purr monster to feel better. Going to take it one day at a time.

 

Welcome to FDMB. Fellow Canadian here from Ontario. Feeding can definitely be a bit of an issue when you have multiple cats to deal with who all seem to have their own specific preferences. I have a kibble addicted diabetic so my hunt for the most suitable dry food has been extensive. While there is nothing available in Canada that is ideal, there are some choices better than others.

I had never heard of the VetDiet brand and checked the label. My big concern is that fish is the main ingredient and that's not recommended as a steady diet for cats and especially males. The fat content is also very high so portion control would have to be watched to avoid any waistline problems but that tends to be true with a lot of the dry foods that are suitable or at least "better" for diabetic cats.

The best dry foods (lowest in carbs) available here in Canada if you cannot get your entire crew transitioned to canned food and/or find Sumo pilfering the other cats' kibble are:

Nature Variety Instinct Raw Boost (approx. 17%)
Nature Variety Instinct Ultimate Protein (approx. 15%) - has tapioca in it high on the ingredient list but this food has not raised my cat's BG and may be helping lower it??)
Orijen Cat & Kitten (approx. 18% carb)
Go Fit & Free (approx 14% carb)

All of these can be a little pricey but not as expensive as prescription vet diets and the ingredients are much better than the Rx diets. There are also some freeze dried varieties available here in Canada but they tend to be even more expensive. Fingers crossed you won't have to resort to using any of these foods!

On the subject of glucometers, I agree that the AT is expensive to use due to the cost of the strips. A human meter works just fine but you would need to make sure your vet is aware that you are using a human meter and that it will read lower than the AT meter. If you do decide to use the AT meter, it's important to note that all the reference numbers in the documentation on this forum are based on human meters unless specified otherwise.

You will find a treasure trove of information and support on this board so keep the questions coming and you'll learn the steps to the sugar dance in no time!

 

Thank you so much I will look into the foods you listed. I like that term, the sugar dance.Cute
Aww gezz another thing I did not know, I did not think about the urinary problems with male cats. I don't have problems at the moment with urine and I do not want to start that as well. It's a shame because everyone liked it. Where can I find this documentation for the reference numbers for the human meters? My vet is probably going to scold me for not getting the alpha track but the strips are just so expensive. She is understanding and is always willing to humor me. Have yourself a nice day.

 

Below are links to the methods of regulation used on this site. The second link has internal links to medically published documentation for Tight Regulation protocol using human meter reference numbers. Admittedly there is mention that a pet meter is preferred but the whole paper is based on human meter readings I believe because of the fact that most people use human meters due to the prohibitive cost for the pet strips and the fact that the strips are not readily available at local retailers.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/lantus-levemir-start-low-go-slow-method-slgs.129446/

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/lantus-levemir-tight-regulation-protocol-tr.1581/

Hope that gives you some ammunition to deal with any push back from your vet. I reality, it's only the low range of numbers that matter as far as the different meters is concerned. High is high no matter which meter is being used.

You have a great day too and don't be a stranger. Let us know if we can help you out in any way!

 

I do like that!

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Welcome to FDMB.
For some great info on feline nutrition, check out www.CatInfo.org. There's a note buried in that site which states you may add 1 ounce of lean protein to 5 ounces of cat food, mix well, then portion out to improve the proportions of protein:fat:carbohydrate. And if it is cooked egg white, that is low phosphorus, should you have any kitties with renal insufficiency. concerns per www.FelineCRF.org.
Check my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some other useful assessments in evaluating your cat, too.