New from Ottawa, ON

Hello,

I am new to the forum. My fur family (2 adorable cats and one terrific dog) are from Ottawa, Ontario. Chicklet (my dear Calico) was recently diagnosed this past weekend with diabetes. I ended up making an appointment with a vet hospital on Saturday after testing Chicklet's urine with a Ketodiastix test strip. Her urine glucose was the highest colour on the test strip. I am originally from Montreal and have not really found a vet yet that I am totally comfortable with. I may just have Chicklet's glucose curve done by the vet hospital while I look for a vet. Would anyone know of any vets in the Ottawa area that have experience and/or an interest in feline diabetes. I guess I am just a little worried because the vet hospital said they would give her insulin even if she did not eat while at the clinic. I thought that could cause hypoglycemia.

Chicklet is a very nervous and anxious cat that has never been away from home. She really has a hard time with change. I know she will not eat anything during the 12 hour glucose curve that is take place at the vet hospital. I am so scared that Chicklet will end up in a emergency situation after returning home but I also don't want to wait to have the glucose curve done. Any guidance is much appreciated.

LM

 

Would you be willing to learn how to test her at home? Everyone here does. It is more accurate than at the vet because the kitty is not stressed. Then you can do a curve that has true numbers and report back to the vet.

We have videos, information on meters, lots of tips and advice.

 

Hello,

Thank you for responding. I am very willing to learn to test at home. I don't feel I would be able to give an insulin shot unless I tested her BG first. The vet wants to do the curve first in case Chicklet has a hypoglycemia episode. They would be willing to train me to test at home following the glucose curve Should they really be giving her insulin shots (during the 12 hour glucose curve) if she has no food in her belly? They want to introduce a new vet food tomorrow and conduct the glucose curve. I know my 10 year old cat best and she will not eat a new food in a very scary place.I also tried to talk to them about canned food (50-60 % protein and less than 10% carbs). The vet was thinking of prescribing dry kibble that they sell. I guess I am just hesitant for a couple of reasons but I think the longer I wait the worse it will be for my fur friend. I have been checking her urine twice a day for ketones and so fare she is negative. I am ready to jump in and help my fur baby but I guess I am not feeling confident with the treatment approach I was given.

LM

 

You could try to convince your vet about the food. You might have him look at www.catinfo.org. It's a vet's website and she makes a very compelling case for wet low carb food. If not, he isn't there when you feed her. You can feed her what you want; you are her best advocate and her diet is your decision in the long run.

The trouble with the curve at the vet is that her numbers are very likely to be inflated as she will be stressed. Then doses based on those numbers can be too high once she gets home. You could let him do the curve, prescribe the insulin and then you do the tests at home. We suggest starting with one unit twice daily and increasing as your testing indicates. You can start at that dose and see how she does.

Here is a thread on home testing with lots of information:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

In general, we test first, then shoot and feed. There are a couple of harsher insulins that require food first; Canninsulin is one.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I will look at all threads that you provided.

LM

 

Hiya CM Nice to meet you. I'm new too. These folks are awesome. Helped me save my Dottie! Whole lotta good advice here, from wiser heads.

Do consider looking at the food issue. Depend on these folks, for many of them have had diabetic cats for YEARS and they know what works, and what doesn't. They're there for you, trust me.

Cats aren't human, and most vets don't know much about nutrition for them. The average vet is very basic, and depends a lot on the pet food industry and pharmaceutical companies to do the research for them. This is a bit like asking a fox to guard the henhouse. Sad but true.

Anyway, WELCOME! You and Chicklet have found a family.

 

Hi LM,

Welcome to you and your dear little Chicklet.

Here's another home testing link for you. It has a diagram of the best place to test on the ear. I found it really helpful when I was learning.

Testing and Injection Tips


Mogs
.

 

Welcome to FDMB from a fellow Canadian in Toronto. This board is a priceless repository of information and knowledge that cannot be surpassed. Everyone here is ready willing and able to assist you with all aspects of dealing with Chicklet's diabetes.

Since you plan to home test.....your vet may suggest purchasing a pet meter called an AlphaTrak2. It's a good meter and works well however the strips for it are quite expensive and can only be purchased through your vet, a pet pharmacy or online. Most folks here use a human meter so all the reference numbers in the documentation on this site are based on human meter readings unless stated otherwise. It's important to note that human meters read lower than pet meters, so if your vet suggests the pet meter but you choose to use a human one, make sure your vet is aware and understands there is a difference in the readings.

Please let us know how the vet appt. goes and keep the questions coming.

 

Also, if you do decide to use a pet meter, ask your vet for a reference range to use with the meter. In particular, you need to ask your vet for:

1. The BG level - as measured on a pet meter - at which a cat is considered to be in hypoglycaemia.

2. The full reference range for normal, non-diabetic cats - again, as measured on a pet meter.



Mogs
.

 

Hello everyone,

Everyone has already been so nice, welcoming, and helpful. This site is a life saver. My vet keeps telling me that I should not worry about the numbers once we start insulin. I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard that. I believe the numbers will tell me alot (i.e. hypoglycemia). Chicklet is not really eating right now so I am waiting until she eats more before we start insulin. The vet sent me home with a Alpha Trak 2 to borrow until they get some in. She wants me to get used to testing Chicklet's BG I have to say the first night was a bit disastrous. I was not able to get a reading as Chicklet started to bite and get very agitated. I think this will get easier after some practice. I just hope my feline friend starts to eat so we can start insulin. Thanks again for everyone warm welcomes.

LM

 

Hi LM,

Can you tell us a little bit more about Chicklet's not eating? We might be able to suggest something to help. Also, can you let us know how her weight is at the moment and how much she manages to eat on average each day. Here's a link to a body condition chart to help you assess Chicklet's status:

Body Condition Chart


Mogs
.

 

Hello and greetings from the west coast (Vancouver area). Good on you wanting to get Chicklet on a low carb diet. It is very important that she eat something at this point. We have some tips here on how to get a cat to eat. You don't want her going very long without some food.

Has the vet said which insulin he/she wants you to use? Lantus and Levemir are two human insulins that work very well on cats, and are available at your local pharmacy without a prescription.

 

@Critter Mom @Wendy&Neko LM started a new thread on Health . Here's a LINK.

 

Thanks for the link, Linda.

 

A quick search of threads shows that @Xtian liked their cat-only vet: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...rything-going-wrong-help.146488/#post-1521816

And it was fairly recent (Oct 2015). I haven't looked at any of their other threads to see if their opinion has changed now that they are a few months in, but you might want to check with them if you don't yet have a lead on a vet.

Best of luck to you and the rest of your fur family!
Sandi.