Hello, new to the forum

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Sarah and Edgar, Mar 23, 2015.

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  1. Sarah and Edgar

    Sarah and Edgar New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2015
    Hello

    My boy Edgar, ex stray, adopted in Jan 2014, now approx. 8 years old, was diagnosed as diabetic in September 2014. He started on Caninsulin, but after being taken on the Feline Diabetes Remission trials at the RVC, is now on glargine. His symptoms - weight loss, over urination and drinking - have drastically receded, and his recent glucose curve was much lower, but it is inconsistent. Acromegaly and pancreatitis have been ruled out. He is on 2 unit twice a day. On recommendation from elsewhere, I give him pro enzorb every other day and a CoQ10 supplement every day - this also to help with gingivitis. Initially the vets at RVC and our own local surgery were adamant that he had to have prescription food, but he doesn't like it and I think it undid the good work on his gums which high quality cereal free food did. Eventually, the vets admitted/accepted that it was not essential to be on the prescription foods. He is now on ultra low carb foods - Bozita and Lily's Kitchen wet and Origen or James Wellbeloved dry (I know the ideal is not to have dry at all but we are a multi cat household and one of my girls only grazes on dry food so I cannot withdraw it from the household altogether. We have struggled to home test and this is something we need to overcome. Edgar's insulin doses have reduced considerably from the outset, but we are still looking for the key to complete remission. He is a happy, loving and characterful boy, who I love beyond words. He is a fantastic companion for our little tabby girl. Our older tuxie girl is not a cat lover, but she tolerates him well and he is learning how not to wind her up.
     
  2. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    An option for your dry food hold out is to bake the canned food on a jelly roll pan until dry, or even crispy. Of course, the smell of baking cat food better not bother you!
    See also some of the tips at Cat Info.
     
  3. Sarah and Edgar

    Sarah and Edgar New Member

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    Mar 23, 2015
    Hi BJM, that is a great idea. Thank you. definitely worth a try.
     
  4. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2010
    Hi Sarah,

    Lovely to see you here. Welcome! :bighug:
    I'm so glad that Edgar doesn't have Acromegaly after all. I know that was a particular concern.

    I switched all my kitties to low carb wet food when Bertie was diagnosed with diabetes. But one of them, Jim-Bob, was really hard to transition and it took a tidy while to get him to eat wet food. Crushing some of his dry food and sprinkling it onto a tiny amount of wet food helped us to switch over. He was also inordinately fond of tuna, so mixing that with a bit of wet food helped too. I can't say that he ever really liked wet food, but he learned to tolerate it, bless 'im...

    I see from your other thread that you and Cassandra have got in contact with each other. That's excellent news. It'll be good to be able to discuss things with someone else on the RVC remission trial; and you never know, maybe Edgar will follow Angel into remission one day....;)

    Best wishes,

    Eliz
     
  5. Sarah and Edgar

    Sarah and Edgar New Member

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    Mar 23, 2015
    Hello Eliz. Thank you for putting me on to this forum. It looks a great source of advice and support. I crumbled up some wonderful new Nature's Menu freeze dried meat chunks onto Applaws chicken for Lou Lou this morning and she had a reasonable stab at it. We've also looked at a microchip feeder which would store some dried food for Lou but would not allow Edgar access. I'm not moving fast on that as it's an expensive option if she won't go near it.

    I was so pleased that Edgar doesn't have Acromegaly. At least we don't have to consider the options for him there, although the RVC seemed quite keen to promote themselves as the only place in Europe which does a surgical procedure for it! They were concerned that it would wipe our insurance too but that wouldn't have been an issue at all. As if we would withhold what our boy needed because of that.

    I've suggested to Cassandra that she signs up on the CC forum too. I don't know what I would do without that.

    Love to your gorgeous boy. He looks so sophisticated compared with my bruiser!

    All the best
    Sarah and Edgar
     
  6. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

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    Sep 6, 2010
    Hi Sarah,

    Are those the treats that are a bit like dried-out Oxo cubes? If so then I've also found them really useful to crumble up and sprinkle onto food; a great way to tempt those with finicky appetites...:rolleyes:

    Actually, the cat who is currently sitting by my chair indirectly owes his life to the CC forum (http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/)...
    Last summer I was thinking about trying to foster, but wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it; and it was the folks on the CC forum that gave me the confidence to have a go at fostering.
    The kitty sitting by my chair, Elliot, was a foster kitty that came here in November. Then a couple of weeks later he was found to have kidney disease. The charity couldn't rehome him because of that and it was suggested that he be put to sleep straight away. I said I thought he had a bit of living to do, and the charity agreed to fund his care and give him a "few nice months" with us before re-evaluating the situation. A few days ago the charity got in touch to discuss what happens next, and I said we would be willing to formally adopt him. So here he is! But if he hadn't come here, and if I hadn't posted on the CC forum and got the encouragement from folks there to foster in the first place, he wouldn't be alive today. So, the CC forum really did save his life! :)

    Eliz

    PS. Bertie's photo was taken 8 years ago when he was first diagnosed. He looks a bit more, um, what can I say... 'shabby chic' these days...;)
     
  7. Sarah and Edgar

    Sarah and Edgar New Member

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    Mar 23, 2015
    Yes, that is exactly how my OH described the treats! They are going to be very handy.

    I'm so glad your little boy Elliot found such a wonderful home. Do you know Carol and Fluffy from CC? Little Fluffy has kidney disease and a heart murmur and Carol had a little boy called Harvey who was FIV. Carol originally directed me to find you on CC when Edgar was diagnosed. I know she is on a CRF forum too.

    I'm sure that Bertie is just as beautiful as he is in this picture, just looking more lived in!
     
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