Introducing J.J.

I adopted J.J. from a local shelter on 2/2/2008. He was about 8 weeks old. He's nearly 12 now, and was always healthy til I notices his water intake and output increasing dramatically, and his weight dropping quickly. He was diagnosed with diabetes on 3/31/19m and finally his glucose is mostly stable with 2 units (Lantus) every 12 hours, but he's gone from a healthy 9.6 lbs. a year ago to a frail 7.1 lbs., though he's always ravenous. He gets small meals every couple of hours consisting mostly of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers (various flavors) and a high protein, no grain, high end dry food my vet says should help add weight. So far, it hasn't and he's still losing. I saw somewhere adding meat baby food to his wet food might add calories, but I would welcome any and all suggestions to put some meat on his little bones. He has some diabetic hair loss on his bony-but-adorable little rump, and I can feel every rib and every bone when I stroke his beautiful bunny-soft fur. He appears to be Tonkinese and fits the description of this breed to a tee. Talkative, social, funny and full of purrs. He still loves shredding tissue paper and picking on his adopted sister who is around he same age (12) but long-haired and weighs twice as much as little J.J. Thanks for all the great support and info I see on this wonderful site! Please reach out to us!

 

Hi and welcome Gail and JJ. So glad you are here and we can help with information and support while you are dealing with JJ's issues.

First, please create a signature so we can see JJ's info each time you post.
Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using/glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the country/time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

Then please set up the spreadsheet and plug in the insulin and testing data so we can see how the insulin is working for JJ.

• FDMB Spreadsheet Instructions
• Understanding the Spreadsheet/Grid

I realize that might be a lot to record from last March, but even the last month or so would be helpful, then perhaps add data going back as you can.

I would then like you to copy your post here and start a new thread in the Main Health forum HERE, and paste the message so that we can go into more detail about suggestions for diet, etc. This forum is only the welcome mat and more members monitor the Health forum to be of assistance. We definitely want to help JJ stop losing weight and get a bit "fluffier".

 

Ok we can definitly help you. Number one his diet needs to change asap. Gravy food is what we keep in hand for hypoglycemic events. It's about 16-20% carb. Same for dry food. Some of those are 35%carb. Grain free does not mean low carb.

Get him strictly on fancy feast classic pate foods. No more gravy or dry. BUT, SINCE this could potentially lower his insulin needs it's important you learn how to test at home. This is the best way to keep your cat safe and find the ideal dose. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.

Once you get his numbers under control it should be easier for him to put on weight.

 

Oh, my...!? Thanks so much for your suggestions! It was JJ's vet that wanted him to free feed on dry food to put weight on! I was never told about the Gravy issue! Fabulous info. I tried Friskies pate. He liked it for a while then turned it down. I will try FF pate! A zillion thanks for yout help !

 

There's a link to the food chart in my signature. Choose foods under 10% carb (under 7% is even better).

 

JanetNJ, Thank you (and C.C.) so very much for all the help!!!

 

I'm afraid I still am in need of help with the Spreadsheet! Idjit's Mom, are you still willing and able to help? Thank you so much!!! I'm better with kitties than technology! Warm Purrs and CyberFuzzies to all...

 

Gail, it looks like you have set up the spreadsheet, now you just have to plug in the insulin and testing data. You can't update the ss via the link in your signature, that's to prevent anyone else from editing the data, it's view only to us. You would go back to Google Drive and find your ss there. I bookmarked my spreadsheet so that I can just click the button and can enter the testing data.

When I first arrived here all I was working with was my Kindle and it doesn't work with Google, so a member set it up for me and I used my cell phone to enter data. I have Google Sheets on my cell phone and if I don't have the laptop up and running, I enter the testing data that way too.

You may wish to read through the Understanding the Spreadsheet/Grid again, to see how and where to enter the data.

Let us know if this is still confusing and we will work on this, OK?