Hi from Smokey and his mom

So happy to have found all of you!

I’m in a rural area, and we often have ferals or drop-offs show up. Smokey was one of several community cats eating and sleeping in our garage. Smokey even made friends with my 85 lb shepherd mix, Harrison, when we went out on walks during Harrison’s recovery from his second ACL surgery (!) I am no stranger to caring for animals with complicated (and expensive) health situations.

When it got so cold during the Polar Vortex a few months go, we brought those cats that were willing inside for a few nights, and Smokey and another male (named Velcro) decided to stay indoors after the cold weather passed through. What could go wrong, right?

Smokey is a talkative boy & has the pudgy look of a British Shorthair with a round tummy. He had been seen by his vet a couple of times, first to be neutered and then for worms, and then we thought he’d be good to go health wise. It wasn’t until he recently began drinking and urinating A TON that we were concerned. Sure enough, he was diagnosed with diabetes on May 30. It’s a good thing he’s sweet and cute.

We’ve been given a prescription diet to try until his next appointment on 6/20, when I presume we’ll learn about more insulin. Once I have some numbers, I’ll create a signature with all the details.

I just wanted to say hello, and that I’m already grateful for the info I’ve already been able to read through.

Smokey’s Mom, SunshineJones

 

Welcome to the forum! It is so great that you are such a caring cat mom who is taking responsibility for Smokey's healthcare head on! It sounds like you and Smokey have a really great connection

Isn't it awesome (and a relief) how much information you can gather from this site? it was such a relief to me when I found it, everyone here is caring, supportive, and very helpful... I'm glad you decided to sign up

 

It really is awesome.
Looking forward to learning from the experts.

 

It's a lot of information but it is a huge step in the right direction that you're already here and looking before you start insulin for Smokey Also: Amazing that you're all ready to commit to the spreadsheet... it really is so helpful for providing any insight into what Smokey could need Does that mean you're going to test Smokey's Blood Glucose levels too? It is highly recommended here. Most people from the US use the Relion Prime meter from Walmart because the strips are the most affordable and the results are consistent / accurate. Beginners usually start with 28 gauge lancets for poking, and we usually do it without the lancet pen (free hand) so that we can forgo the click sound that risks a cat head move.

I think getting a couple BG readings at home might be a good idea since stress can send a cats BG levels through the roof, and nothing is more stressful to a cat than the vet! getting a couple of tests at home will give you a better idea of his baseline BG levels. No pressure, just an idea

One bit of advice that I got early on is that you don't need to pay through the nose for prescription diet food. Regular fancy feast / friskies pates are perfect for the average diabetic cat (phosphorous levels are high for cats with kidney probs from what I understand). There are many options low in carbs and they're much more affordable Sometimes just the switch from dry / high carb wet food can put a cat right into remission. There are a couple of really useful stickys at the top of the Main Health Forum (which you may have already read) that go over diet you may find useful.

Good luck to you and Smokey

 

Welcome Sunshine and Smokey, I'm so glad you found FDMB so quickly. AmandaE is correct, you don't need the expensive Rx dry food, dry food isn't the best choice for our sugar cats, and even the type from the vet isn't any better. We do recommend the low carb wet diet, and Idjit is living proof that eliminating the dry food, and feeding low carb canned can lower the blood sugar enough to move into remission, a diet controlled diabetic. It doesn't always happen, but we have had many cats go OTJ (off the juice) here on the board. There are many low carb wet food options besides the Fancy Feast and Friskies, but some have to be ordered from online sites or found at a pet store.

Check out www.catinfo.org. Dr Pierson recommends " start with protein minimum of 40, fat maximum of 50, carb max of 10, and for cats with kidney issues....phos less than 300."

Testing the blood sugar is going to be the way that you will know, real time, what the blood sugar is and how a diet change, as well as insulin therapy, is affecting Smokey. We can help you with choices for testing supplies, where to get them, and how to test the blood sugar. Changing the diet is a big step in lowering the blood sugar, and as Amanda said being at the vet is very stressful for our furkids, and can raise that BG significantly. If Smokey is a dry food eater, there are ways to transition without hopefully too much stress on either of you and we can offer some tips on how to do that.

You may want to start this sugar dance by taking a look at the FAQs forum, and scanning through the Index.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/health-links-faqs-about-feline-diabetes.14/
You will find info on testing and transition from wet to dry there.

Going forward, please start a thread in the Main Health forum with further questions or concerns, more members monitor that forum and will be able to see and help out.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/feline-health-the-main-forum.28/

There is a wealth of information here, and it can seem overwhelming at first, but just take this one step at a time and we will help you in every way we can.
Very best wishes going forward

 

Thank you! I appreciate the help. I’ll be doing a lot of reading between now and next Thursday!

 

Gaaahhh! I LOVE Smokey's pic! he looks like a total bad-ass!.. straight from the streets... but has a loving side HANDSOME!

 

He is street wise