Introducing Dulcinea from Romania!

Hi everybody! Thank you for accepting us!
This is Dulcinea, my fostered kitty, she is around five years old and we are from Romania. All her life has been living on the streets, but in August she was rescued by a friend of mine. By the end of October we found out that she has feline diabetes. Now she receives Caninsulin (Vetsulin) injections twice a day and Royal Canin Diabetic dry food. She is feeling fine, although her blood sugar level is still high.
Dulcinea is my first diabetic cat, so you can imagine I am overwhelmed and I want so much to be able to take care properly of her needs. So, I could use any advice on how to low blood sugar or any other tips you have.
Thank you so much, guys!

 

Hi and welcome to you and Dulcinea! Diagnosis of diabetes can be overwhelming, but you've come to the right place. Are you home testing her glucose levels? We recommend that you do because it is the only way to keep her safe from hypoglycemia and to see how well the insulin is working. Once you start that, then a change to a low carb wet food will help you get her numbers lowered. If you have any questions, please ask, and again Welcome!

 

Oh, Dulcinea is so pretty! Welcome to you both.

You've found a great place to learn about how to help Dulcinea with her diabetes, and also get plenty of reassurance along the way - we all know that overwhelmed feeling very well!

Thank you for letting us know which food and insulin she is receiving. Are you testing her blood glucose levels at home yet? If not, we can help you to learn. Most people here use human glucometers (much more economical to use than pet-calibrated meters).


Mogs
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Welcome. Here is some additional information. You food list to choose from may be a little different. It is so wonderful for you to take in this beautiful cat. Just holler if you have any questions.

Good Reading: This is a must read. It is an excellent 18 page informative document that covers feline health and nutrition. Don't take short cuts and read it all. www.catinfo.org Also read other postings and their spreadsheets. You will learn a lot more from others.

Home Testing: Here, we all home test. It is mandatory to understand how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and the dose. You will want to test before each shot and some additional test in between the 12 hour cycle. Another reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Hometesting Links and TipsHere is a picture of where you test on your kitty. http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

Here is another good link on Home Testing:http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

Meters: There are many meters. There is a pet meter called the Alpha Trak2 and human meters. Some use the pet meter because it is what the vets use so the numbers will match up. The meter and strips are expensive though. Most use human meters that can be purchased at any pharmacy. It typically reads a little lower than the pet meter but we have ways of compensating those lower numbers. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro, Relion Prime or Relion Confirm. The Micro and Confirm only needs a tiny drop of blood but the strips are a little more expensive than the Prime. The Relion Prime meter needs a little more blood than Micro and Confirm. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each.

Lancets: These are used to poke the ear to get blood. There are many different sizes (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge. Also, it would be a good idea to pick up Neosporin WITH pain reliever to apply on the edge of the ears and don't forget to alternate ears.

Spreadsheets: Our spreadsheet instructions are here. If you look at the signatures of the members here, you will see a link to their kitty’s spreadsheets. We keep track of all our tests. This is basically a place to collect data and help you to determine patterns, doses, etc. It also aids those that may be helping you to better understand your kitty.

Food: There are many reasons why we are here but one is due to feeding dry cat food which is high in carbs. You will want to consider changing your food to wet, low carb food. It is recommended to feed food that is under 10% carbs. Here is a list of cat food to choose from food chartyou will note that the food with fish are lower in carbs however it is recommended that you only give fish once a week due to its mercury content. Many use Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies, etc. This list can also be found in www.catinfo.org If you are already giving insulin and you have not transitioned to wet, low carb cat food, be sure to test while you are transitioning. This is because by changing to low carb food, it could decrease your kitty’s number by 100 points or more. One last thing, many of us add water to the wet food so your kitty is getting plenty of water to flush out the toxins and to keep them hydrated.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin Forums are stickie’s labeled Hypo Links. Here is one: How to Handle a Hypo. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc.

Ketones: Diabetic cats are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is best to buy testing strips that will measure (if any) ketones in the urine. One brand is Ketostix which can be found at Walmart or any pharmacy. You will want to test periodically unless you continue to get high numbers, then it is suggested to test more frequently. Ketostix typically costs around $10.

Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty especially when testing or when they decide not to eat. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredient is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cat likes it, then I would go to the dog section where it is cheaper than the cat package. It is bigger chunks but no problem in breaking it up. Another option is to use Bonita Flakes. There is a link here somewhere that has a list of low carb treats but I don't have it right now.

Injections: Most folks here use one of these main insulins; Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. Then you will test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. The reason why you do not want your kitty to eat two hours prior to your test is because food elevates BG numbers. So you do not want to dose based on a food influenced number. Here is a link on how to give injections.http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm

Note: Please check your insulins as there are some (the harsher ones like Humulin, Novolin, Vetsulin, etc.) that would be best to allow some time i.e. 20 minutes, after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.

 

Thank you so much for all the precious information! I am very scared, I want to do everything to keep her healthy and happy. You know, Dulcinea is a fostered kitty, I am supposed to find her a proper forever home, so I am more stressed, knowing that she was rescued from the streets, where she managed to survive for so many years, and now, I could fail taking care of her.
Regarding the blood glucose levels, yes, I am testing her at home. My main concern after reading your replies, is the food I'm feeding her. The vet recommended the diabetic dry food, so I'm giving her this. In the beginning I gave her 60 grams of kibbles, 30 in the morning and 30 in the evening. And she was so hungry all the time, so I talked to the vet and now I'm feeding her the same food, but more often. But I will surely look for a wet low carb food, as this seems to be the first important thing I must do now.

 

Hello and welcome to the FDMB, this is a great place with lots of knowledge and help for you and Dulcinea. You must be a wonderful person to foster a diabetic cat and do it so lovingly and wanting the best for her. You have all ready been giving lots of information and I just wanted to add to keep asking questions as that is how we all learned and now we are paying it forward.

 

Bine ai venit
This is a good place to be. You will find all kinds of info on the pages here. I can tell you that my kitty does so much better since I removed all the dry food.
Hope you and kitty have a good day.

 

Is Dulcinea underweight/losing weight? When a cat is not yet regulated, their bodies can't use the food they eat properly because the cells can't use blood glucose properly to provide energy for cell metabolism, so it's common practice to feed a bit more. As a cat's regulation improves its body will be able to benefit more from the nutrients it consumes and the food allowance can be adjusted accordingly.

BEFORE you switch to a wet, low carb food, for safety it is vital that you are home testing. From the start of the food transition blood glucose levels can drop fast and drop significantly. You need to stay on top of this because her insulin dose may need to be reduced. Without the home testing, the risk of hypoglycaemia would be greatly increased. If you can't home test, I'd suggest speaking to your vets about doing the food change with assistance from them on the testing.

Are you home testing yet? If not, we can help you to learn how. Most people here monitor their cats' blood glucose levels with human meters and a human meter reference range appropriate to cats (the strips are much, much cheaper than the strips for pet meters).



Mogs
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Yes, I am home testing the blood glucose level. And I have already switched to wet food, I feed her Mac's now, a low carbs canned food ordered from Zooplus. Her level is already lower after just a few days. And I managed to figure out how to use U-40 insulin with a U-100 syringe. And all these only with your great help. Thank you so much, I will monitor her levels and see how she will be doing in the next days.

 

And I reduced the insulin dose already. I give her 4 units daily instead of 8, as it was her dose before changing her diet.

 

Hi @Danezul

Good to get an update from you. I'm glad to hear that you're home testing and that you've found a good food for Dulcinea. What are her BG numbers like now?


Mogs
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Her BG was 229 yesterday and before she had over 400 almost every time. And I reduced the insulin dose already. I give her 4 units daily instead of 8, as it was her dose before changing her diet. And today I shall start the glucose curve.

Dana

 

Hello Dana! You are doing a beautiful job of taking care of Dulcinea already! What a lovely avatar you have, of your kitty. So artistic! Wow, white whiskers on a black face, so beautiful.

Everyone here is so helpful to each other. You've come to the right place if you need help. Again, welcome!

 

Hello and Welcome ...

 

Just checking - is the 4 units per day split into 2 doses of 2 units 12 hours apart? No insulin lasts 24 hours (yet) in cats.
And good job on the food switch - often that can result in a 100-200 mg/dL drop in the glucose level.
Some folks note a lack of duration with Caninsulin/Vetsulin, with it wearing off around +8 to +10 hours post-shot. tests during that period will show you if this hppens for your cat.