More questions on BG's and wet food?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Harley's Mom, Jan 28, 2010.

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  1. Harley's Mom

    Harley's Mom Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2010
    I am sorry but I have to ask more questions and solicit more advise. Please be patient because I am one of these people that understand the spoken word very well but have a very hard time with in depth written instruction. I know it sounds nuts but I am a show me person. Its like when there is a lot of written instruction or detail explanation my brain goes numb! LOL :oops:

    Here are the numbers so far:

    Vet diagnosed diabetes on dry food Wysong Uretic BG 443
    Vet tests 10 days later on Wellness Core for 10 days BG 341


    I changed to wet food and started BG tests myself
    Tues 26th 6:15 p.m. Before meal 287 - 1st Day on Wet Food

    Wed 27th 6:00 a.m. Before meal 204 - Wet Food

    Wed 27th 6:00 p.m. Before meal 238 - Wet Food

    Thurs 28th 6:00 a.m. Before meal 225 - Wet Food

    I realize I need to get a test in during the day to see where he is sitting but I work 25 miles away and can't go home for lunch. I will do some daytime tests over the weekend.

    My whole goal is to avoid using insulin if at all possible but will go there if necessary.

    As for the food, I hope I haven't been doing something wrong because when I read Friskies food, I just bought Friskies. Are there better Friskies to buy with no grain??? I haven't noticed that on a label?
    I do realize that EVO 95% is good but that really isn't the cats preference so I have been trying all sorts of wet food without really reading detail.
    HELP
     
  2. Jen & Squeak

    Jen & Squeak Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Hi there

    No worries, I'll be patient lol

    You are missing some info in your post; which friskies did you buy and what is your concern?

    Some cats are very carb sensitive and others aren't, so a few % in calories from carbs may or may not make a difference. If you meant to buy a friskies that was lower in carbs than what you actually bought, it may or may not make a difference.

    When choosing foods you need to balance ingredients, quality of ingredients, what your cat will actually eat, cost, other medical conditions, etc.

    As for those bg numbers, they are a great improvement :D Yes, you'll need to test at other times when you can...how about in the evening? Those BGs are borderline...some people would give insulin, others would say wait a bit. How is Harley's behaviour? Is he drinking and peeing less? Has the condition of his coat improved?

    Jen
     
  3. Harley's Mom

    Harley's Mom Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2010
    By the way, I almost fainted this morning!
    I thought Harley's BG was 522! Then I realized it was upside down.....Phew............ 225
    ohmygod_smile

    Thanks Jen for the quick reply

    The truth is Harley is acting better. He is out in the sun room more and moving around the house a little more. He is alert and not peeing or drinking as much.

    I guess my question is, Is it alright to feed him any wet food he will eat or should I be very picky and I don't remember any of the Friskies cans say NO grain.
     
  4. Jen & Squeak

    Jen & Squeak Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    the cans won't state whether they have grains in them or not. Janet's chart http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html shows the range in values for friskies and you'll see that many are under 10% calories from carbs but not all. But don't stress it for now, just check what you've bought against the chart when you have time.

    It is a very good thing that he's showing signs of feeling better. Give it a few days and then you can post and discuss next steps.

    Jen

    I just re-read what I wrote. The cans won't say on the front whether they are grain free, but their ingredients labels will. DOH! ohmygod_smile
     
  5. Hillary & Maui (GA)

    Hillary & Maui (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    It's best to review Binky's chart as that will tell you the flavors that you should purchase. You want to look for ones that are 10% or less in carbs.

    So, what does that mean - it means, anything with gravy in it, will be high carb - you want pate style foods.

    If you are buying friskies do not get anything shredded, sliced, diced, marinated or in gravy etc.

    That leaves the boring stuff, but I'm not sure how that translates in the friskies world. I can tell you in the Fancy feast world...... :roll:
     
  6. Jayne & Sweety

    Jayne & Sweety Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2010
    Yup, those numbers are coming down. That's a good sign. What I did for the food was to look on Janet & Binky's food page for the lowest carb ones. It used to be very accessible and noticable on the other board, (very helpful for us less computer literate people) but I think you have to hunt for it here - I think Jen gave you the link. I actually highlighted the low ones and took the list to the store with me. Walmart's tuna & shrimp was the lowest (at the time, not sure now but I think it still is) with only one carb. I know it isn't good to feed fish all the time but I did in the beginning, and it worked for us. I didn't have a problem with getting her to eat it. She was only given wet food once in a while before and she loved getting "spoiled" every day. That list saved my Sweety from ever getting insulin. ( I was terrified!)
    I also measured how much water she was drinking and watched it go down. I used a styrofoam bowl. Filled it and then I removed an ounce at a time with a turkey baster and marked each one with a pen. Making it kind of looking like a ruler - with every 5 labeled. That way I could see, with a glance, how she was doing.
    Keep up the good work and I hope you are one of the lucky ones too!
     
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