Introduction.Food questions .. just diagnosed yesterday

My husband and I just found out our 11.5 year old kitty is diabetic. His level is at 381, which the vet said is not the worst they have seen. We just moved to a new area with our newborn baby so it is all a lot to take in, but we love our kitty Salem so want to do all we can the right way. He is having issues walking around because his paws are now bent higher up than before... does anyone have advice on food to purchase for him? A specific brand or kind of wet food??

 

I see you received help on your other post about diet and food.

The walking issue may be diabetic neuropathy. Methyl-B12 (aka Methylcobalamin) is a special form of vitamin B12 (not the same as regular B12) and can help neuropathy, but it can take time.

I hope this helped!

 

Hi Jose, Julia and Salem welcome to FDMB. It is scary and overwhelming to get a diagnosis of feline diabetes, but I can assure it that it is very manageable. We can help you overcome your fears. First take a big breath and relax.

Did the vet start Salem on insulin yet? If so, what kind and what dose?

Also what are you feeding him?

Diet plays a major part in managing FD. You need to feed him a low carb/high protein diet. If he is eating dry food, you want to begin transitioning him over to canned food. Dry food is high in carbs and that cause the glucose levels to raise. By switching over to canned food, you can significantly lower his glucose levels. Some cats also can become diet controlled. There are many brands of foods that are available, but a lot of us feed our cats either Friskies or Fancy Feast pate flavors. You want to avoid canned foods with gravy in them.

If your vet is going to prescribe insulin, there are several that work well in cats: Lantus, Levemir, Prozinc and BCP PZI. The first two are human insulins. If your vet prescribes either of these, ask for the prescription for the pens instead of vial. In the long run, this will save you money. Prozinc and PZI are bought through your vet's office.

You also want to learn to hometest. This means testing a small drop of blood before every shot. This will help you determine if it is safe to give the insulin and how well the dose is working. Don't worry, we can help you learn how to test if your vet's office does not show you how.

It sounds like Salem may have neuropathy. The methyl B12 will help with it. You can find it online or at health food stores, such as Vitamin Shoppe. With the combination of the methyl B12, proper diet and insulin, if needed, you should see an improvement within a few weeks. Several years ago I adopted Spot. Her previous owner was not giving her the proper treatment for her diabetes and she had severe neuropathy. She could barely walk. Within a few weeks of receiving insulin, a low carb diet and methyl B12, her walking had significantly improved and she was beginning to jump on things.

Begin reading the posts on this site and ask any questions you may have. You have a lot of experience on this board and we are here to help you.

 

The walking and standing difficulty also may be low potassium. This can be checked with a blood test. Do not give potassium on your own, as too much can harm the cat.