Monty

I am so concerned

Monty was diagnosed in Nov 2017
He is on Lantus 3.5 units twice a day
He seems depressed and not the happy cat he was ... understandably so .
He is 12 years old
Feeding him one cup of W/d hills brand prescription dry food and I am adding in tuna as he is not enjoying his food .
I have two glucometres .. and I have a .25mm needle /s from the vet
He hates me poking him, I get so upset that I am hurting him, he growls and is not happy... is there anywhere else I can take blood besides the ear .
Also his skin is very dry , fur is dull ..
Help please ... sad mommy / sad cat

 

We can help! For testing, try to desensitize him to the process. Take him to the test spot and pet him, rub his ear, give him a treat and let him go with no test. Do this as often as you can throughout the day until you both relax a bit. When you’re ready, add the poke. Be sure the ear is warm, some use a rice sock warmed in the microwave, rubbing or milking the ear towards the poke spot helps too. Most of us use 26-28 gauge lancets that can be bought at any pharmacy. Also be sure that your meter uses the smallest amount of blood, .3 microliters. If he will not accept ear testing, you can use the paw pad.
For food, we recommend a wet food under 10 carbs. Friskies Pate and Fancy Feast Classics are fine, but do not switch foods until you can test as the switch could lower his blood glucose significantly. If you switch foods now, and can’t test, you should lower his dose.
Here’s some testing info
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

Aww, I'm sorry you and Monty are having such a tough time, but you have come to the right place for help.

First of all, can we get you to fill out your "signature"? It helps us see vital information up front, without having to ask you over and over. Also it would be extremely helpful to you and to us if you would like to start using our spreadsheet to track you test results.

Cats have very few nerve ending in the edges of their ears; nature designed the this way as ears are so often a "target" and apt to be torn or get ragged. Chances are that you are not really hurting your cat when you test, but that he objects to being held or having his ears messed with, something like that. It helps a lot if you always reinforce each test with a nummy treat afterward; I use a favorite treat that my kitty doesn't get any other time, so it's special. He knows this is the only time he will get this nummy tidbit so he comes to me willingly to be tested.

What do Monty's numbers look like? 3.5U is a fairly high dose. His diet may be helping to keep him in high numbers. We recommend canned food that has 10% or less carbs. Dry food is way too high in carbs for diabetic kitties, and is actually not really good for any cats! You also don't need to feed any of those pricey "prescription" foods, there is nothing at all in them that would require an actual prescription. Among other things, the Hill's is full of powdered cellulose which has no nutritional value at all, it is nothing but wood pulp! Here is a chart listing tons of different cat food and their analyses, look for ones under 10% carbs. Most of us feed readily available foods like Friskies or Fancy Feast. However, if you switch over to wet food the transition must be gradual and you MUST be testing and monitoring closely, as Monty's blood glucose may start to drop too low without all the extra carbs to boost it up. If that happens you need to be ready to give him some gravy from a gravy-style food and/or some Karo or honey to prevent hypoglycemia. (Please don't let this scare you away from transitioning to a low-carb canned food! It's just that forewarned is forearmed!)

Kitties with unregulated diabetes do develop dry skin and dull fur, frequently with dandruff-type flakes. Once Monty's diabetes is regulated his skin and hair will improve, as will his mood and demeanor.

Hopefully we can put you and Monty on the road to happy mommy / happy cat!

 

Thank you for your kindness
I will fill in the forms
Purchase some wet food
And as I am home this week .. March break .. it will be easier .to monitor
Just running to tutor and will be back on the forum later
Grateful for your support

 

Hi
Thank you again
When I do switch him to wet food only .. how much am I giving him
He weighs 15.4 pounds and was : is on 1/2vup of dry food am and pm
Thank you

 

Hi Kim. It will depend on the calorie content of the food you choose and whether or not Monty needs to gain or lose weight. Many of us feed several meals a day and use a timed autofeeder when we’re not home or asleep, others free feed except for 2hours before you test and give the insulin. There’s a calorie calculation to help you determine how much food he’ll need. I’ll tag @Bobbie And Bubba to post that. You’ll want to transition slowly to avoid stomach upset as well and you need to be testing in case his blood glucose comes down from the switch. Have you given the testing another try?

 

Hi
Thank you again for your concern and help.. I tried again tonight ... and tried to be calm ... no avail (
I shall continue trying tomorrow morning...
With the food / and timing of insulin
I am up by 6 and leave by 7.40... my vet da

 

The formula for caloric intake is as follows:

(weight of cat x 13.5) + 70 = number of calories needed

My cat weighs about 14 lbs, so for him it would be (14 x 13.5) + 70 = 259 calories per day.

This is really just a rough guide. It can be adjusted up or down if your cat needs to lose or gain weight. You can put in desired weight in place of current weight, as well.

 

Please, I must stress again, don't try to transition Monty over to canned food until you are testing on a regular basis! Unless you are testing you have no way to know if he is safe from hypoglycemia, which can be fatal. Better to err on the side of caution.

 

The two hours without food is before the test, then you feed and give the shot.
Try the desensitization technique I described above.

 

Thank you for all your concern / advice

I will not switch him completely
And will take him to his vet for a glucosamine ... at the end of the week
I am home the whole week and have honey should he appear to be lethargic etc

 

I saw in your other thread that he likes the Friskies Pate, that’s great!!! Since you’re home a lot this week, please try the desensitization and ear warming steps and get some 26-28 gauge lancets. It really helps.

 

Yes I shall
And I am playing with him and touching his ears a lot ... poor kitty... but I will persevere ... thank you for all your help ... so grateful that I discovered this forum !!!!