My 16 year old Beaner is diabetic, I'm new here

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Beaner2016, Jan 4, 2016.

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  1. Beaner2016

    Beaner2016 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2016
    Hi everyone!

    I'm new here, just created account.

    I have to get ready for work, but just wanted to give a brief intro.

    My 16 year old cat was diagnosed with Diabetes maybe a year ago??? I don't feel my vet has been very "informative" probably to get more $$$ out of me. I learned WAY more from catinfo.org which led me here to this forum!!! Beaner actually has an appointment on Wed. He had an appt 2 weeks ago. They said to keep him at 2 CC's a day, 1 in the first feeding, 1 12 hours later for the 2nd feeding. This has been the regiment for a while now.

    I'm going to tell my vet that I am switching Beaner to a soft can food ONLY diet as well as keeping him from "the gravy's" and the "veggies" and making it a more high protein and less carb diet, as well as straight up tuna from a can or maybe some baked chicken.

    I am hoping the vet will tell me to REDUCE the amount of insulin to give him (right???)

    I just read about HOME testing. Sounds intimidating, but something I would like to do. Getting him tested at the vet and paying $21 for it and then them tell me to keep giving him insulin 2x a week just isn't sounding right to me, or at least, I wanna be "in the know", ya know? :/

    Any advice will be great!!!

    I'm Derick, Beaner is my 16 year old :)
     
  2. Critter Mom

    Critter Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2014
    Hi Derick and Beaner. Welcome to you both. :)

    If you're looking to make a food switch to a low-carb, wet food you'll probably have already seen Dr Piersen's warning on catinfo.org about how important it is to be home testing during the transition as the blood glucose (BG) levels are frequently much lower as a result of the change and Benaer's current dose of insulin may need to be reduced. Home testing will help keep Beaner safe.

    To get you started with learning how to home test, here are some forum stickies that I found very helpful when I was a beginner:

    Testing and Shooting Tips (has a very helpful diagram of the 'sweet spot' on the ear where it's easiest to get a sample).

    Home Testing Tips and Links (includes links to video tutorials).

    Be sure to shout for any help you may need.


    Mogs
    .
     
  3. Merlin

    Merlin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2014
    Some of this may be repetitious but some of it may have additional information for you. What kind of insulin are you using?

    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.
     
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