New member - help & advice appreciated

Hi all, my 8 year old big black man cat Tommy was diagnosed with diabetes a week ago As you can see from the profile picture he's an adorable cat who's very greedy and a little lazy.

Since his diagnosis last week we have switched his diet to Hills m/d, both dry and canned as recommended by our vet. Also insulin twice a day with a syringe - as the days have gone on we're getting a little more comfortable with this, however, we're finding this to be a 2 man job - watched loads of vid's on YouTube but our fur baby doesn't seem to sit still like the cats in all the demo's do! I've done a load of Google searches in the last week to see if there's any alternative as my partner and myself are not always home at the same time due to work patterns. I've asked my vet about the insulin pen but they said that wasn't really an option for cat's? I've also searched online if there's a tablet alternative to insulin injections but haven't really got a clear answer? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated thanks, Laura

 

Thanks for the reply- I've just copied my previous post on to this main forum. I've been a little confused with the dietary information- all the research I've done online the past week has suggested that it's best to try and remove dry food from his diet, however, the vet has suggested the opposite and we should try and aim for the hills or purina dry m/d food only?!

He was diagnosed last Friday and spent the whole day at the vets today to monitor him throughout the day- after a week on his new diet and insulin no change as of yet unfortunately.

We saw a different vet today who's advised that he needs a higher dosage of insulin than what we've been administering the past week- dose now is 1.5 Caninsulin twice daily. We're due to take him back to the vets for monitoring again in 2 weeks time- after reading some of the posts here I'm wondering if I should purchase a home testing kit and do this more frequently?

Thanks again
Laura & Tommy

 

I'm sorry, Laura. Your post was hung up in Moderation. It should be visible now.
Welcome to the FDMB!

 

Here is your previous thread in the Introduction forum (for continuity) http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-member-help-advice-appreciated.212268/#post-2352624

I responded to you about the importance of a low carb diet and what a difference it can make to our sugar cats. I am currently feeding Idjit a raw diet with a commercially prepared supplement. I did transition him from dry and high carb canned foods to a low carb canned diet on diagnosis. Here is a link to information about food and supplies in the UK:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...-cats-food-insulin-and-other-supplies.137376/

Testing is something I would definitely recommend, as I told you a random test caught Idjit on the verge of a hypo. You should always test before injecting insulin to be sure it's safe to do so, and then during each cycle as you can, to see how the insulin is affecting Tommy, find how low the insulin dose is taking him. I would advise you to do some reading, and educate yourself about feline diabetes, Caninsulin and effective diabetic treatment. Basically, effective diabetic treatment consists of proper diet, insulin therapy and blood sugar testing. It's a steep learning curve, I won't lie to you. But everything you learn, and question is going to benefit Tommy, and you too. Read the Getting Started and Education sections on the Home Page, visit the FAQs forum and scroll through the Index for pertinent information right now, and visit the Caninsulin forum. Read the stickies at the top of the page. I know it's a lot, and you work, and even possibly try to have a semblance of a normal life. But when you get this information under your belt and start getting input from the Caninsulin users, it's going to get a whole lot easier.

You can use a human blood glucose monitoring system, many of us do. But you will have reference points and can see what's happening. It's the best way to keep Tommy safe.
There is a difference in the meter ranges, and BG range in the dosing protocols are adjusted accordingly. For example, a normal range on a human meter is 50-120, while on a pet meter it is 70-150. You cannot compare numbers from a human to a pet meter because you're using a different point of reference for them. It's more important that a meter be consistent, than accurate (we are generally looking for trends in data to adjust the dose, not single, exact numbers). There is also a +/- 20% variable allowed in any glucose meter, including pet meters.

We will help every step of the way, that big beautiful black kitty is worth every effort.
I am tagging another UK member that I want to alert so that she knows you are here and just beginning. @Elizabeth and Bertie

 

Thanks for all the info! I'll take a look at all the links ☺

 

How are the shots going? Is it getting any easier?

 

Thanks for checking in on us- It's a real learning curve! We've had a few shots whereby he's hardly flinched and then yesterday eve and this morn was a different story- Not really sure why as we've followed same pattern and tried to keep a routine. He doesn't seem to have a lot of loose skin around the scruff area to be honest..not sure if we need to alternate areas maybe or if he's just getting wise and knows what to expect

 

Try a little desensitization. Several times a day (as often as possible) go up to Tommy, pet him, pinch up the skin in the scruff (or whatever area you want to shoot) just like you’re going to give a shot, but instead give him a treat, a rub or whatever he likes. After awhile maybe he will relax. Also before you shoot, be sure you’re relaxed. Take a deep breath and be confident. They can read us and if you’re expecting a fight, you’ll probably get one...