New to site, cat was diagnosed a week and a half ago, have some questions about getting started

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site and to FD. We got Pumpkinhead Jack 2 years ago from a shelter I was working at. I fell in love immediately because he was such a sweetheart. He has always been a big cat, ever since we got him but since last year's vet checkup he has gone from 12lbs to 14lbs. We brought him into the vet July 10 2015 because I noticed he seemed to be drinking more water than usual, and the litterbox that was usually fine was a stinky, sticky mess. I noticed right off the bat when we first adopted him that he peed more than my other cat Molly. I thought maybe the amount just varies from cat to cat and since he's a bigger cat, he goes more. Now I'm beginning to wonder if he had diabetes all along and if just recently it got worse. He's still being regulated and his BG is still at least 500. Just wondering what kind of litter I should use because right now I use Fresh Step Extreme which clumps and works just fine with the other cat, but my diabetic kitty turns it into wet cement just a day after it's cleaned.

 

Welcome to FDMB, the best place you never wanted to be.
We strongly encourage home glucose testing to keep your cat safe. An inexpensive human meter such as the WalMart Confirm or Confirm Micro, plus feline-specific reference numbers from my signature link Glucometer Notes will help ensure that it is safe to give insulin and that the glucose is not dropping too low between shots.

I see you are feeding the prescription DM, so I'm going to encourage you to read Cat Info for some vet-written feline nutrition information.

 

Welcome! I don't know what to advise you about the litter. I was having the same issue before Shiloh was diagnosed, and switched litters three times because I thought it was a problem with the litter. Boy was I wrong! I could have used that stuff to patch the sidewalk!

 

I think home glucose testing is the best way to go from here too. I'm going to see if I can get a meter very soon, which shouldn't be too difficult since they're pretty common. My concern as far as wet food is the cost. I'd like to give it a try because I know it's basic and simple- low carb. I guess for cat litter I'll have to stick it out until his glucose becomes regulated. If only others knew the struggles of a diabetic cat and cat litter

 

Amen, sister! Or Brother? What is your name?

As far as the cost, it's not as much as you would think. I feed Friskies to both my cats, and and go through about 2 1/2 cans a day. Comes to about $1.25 per day.

 

Welcome to you and Pumpkinhead Jack! Love his name btw. I have the same issue with litter, it's a different kind than what you use, but a high end clumping one. I found that a flat spackle knife works well to pry the "cement" out of the litter, a large trowel or spatula might work well too. I broke my regular cat litter scoop trying to get the cement out of the box! Good luck to you and PJ, you are in the best place for help, great caring people here!

 

Starting with a clean box, spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Let dry, then fill with litter. This really helps when the wet litter wants to stick to the pan. Also, make sure the litter is deep enough - a good 3-5 inches may help the litter to clump into lumb rather than glueing itself to the pan.

 

Great tip about the non-stick cooking spray! I never thought of that...duh! thanks BJM

 

Wow! That is a great idea, thank you from me too BJM.
CatX4- I am indeed a female so you had it right the first time I should try a flat spatula, that sounds like it could work! I'm very surprised my plastic scoop hasn't broken yet

My dad has been doing some research too and he agrees with the canned food idea. It most likely is cheaper than the Feline Dietetic Management Purina dry food.

 

Wood-based clumping litter is much, much cleaner and easier to use than clay clumping litters. It's also really easy to clean the litter box.

I'm in the UK and I use a product called Okoplus Cat's Best. It clumps really well (even for a diabetic kitty) and the clumps are very easy to remove. It deodorizes brilliantly, and it's much more economical to use than the clay litters. It's biodegradable, too. As with all litters, it does track a little but a small 'loop' carpet mat or similar in front of the litter box cuts down most of it.

I had a scout on amazon.com and this is a similar product (maybe other members might know more about it or maybe you could check out the Amazon reviews to see if it might suit your needs).

http://www.amazon.com/Hammer-Feline...sim_199_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EKYH71KA84CDSQB1Y0E

 

You'll want to aim for low carbs under 10%. Canned food is best. This link (also in BJM's link above) will help you find cheaper alternatives to the expensive DM prescription diet you're feeding: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

Giving smaller portions and not allowing your cat to graze may help him lose weight and that in turn may help lower the glucose #'s.

 

Hi @Pumpkinhead Jack
I just wanted to add something
I use common kitchen utensils, such as metal spatulas, or sturdy thick, plastic "pancake turners" or ANY utensil that looks as if it could be used to loosen or lift that "brick".
I have bought them at Dollar Stores, garage sales and thrift stores very cheaply.
Use your imagination, lots of things will work!
And, don't forget..you can coat them too with cheap non stick cooking spray for easier cleanup.
All the best! -Brenda

 

Terry had the same problem right before her surgery. It seems to have gotten better on it's own quickly although her numbers were never quite that high. Having a metal litter scoop seemed to make it easier.

 

Hi @Pumpkinhead Jack
What's new pussycat?
Haven't heard any news from you and wondering how you are getting on and how we can help?
I hope you've been able to locate some low carb flavors & brands that PJ will eat..
And, if you have..that you are noticing a decrease in litter box bricks...?
Let us know how it's going OK?

 

Just got back from vacation recently, Pumpkin was taken care of by a friend of mine who knows how to give insulin. He seems to be doing good. My friend also recommended Fancy Feast Classic because it's very very low in carbs. He didn't get any of the canned FF when I was away because I was worried about his BG # dropping too much. Now that I'm back he's getting 1/4 of a 3 oz FF Classic can and still getting 1/3 c of his prescription food since we still have all that food and I haven't found the right BG meter yet..I want to be testing him before I make any drastic food changes.

Litter box still seems to be flooded and cement-y, he's going to the vet tomorrow and I'll ask him about BG testing. He seems flexible and I think last visit he said we could do BG tests at home too...although we were talking about a lot and I wasn't taking notes like I should have been.

 

Great! Nice to hear you have discussed home testing with your vet, and he is supportive. Mine was not, and advised against it.
However. Had I chosen NOT to test, I probably would have murdered my cat. When I began the injections, I dosed only HALF that amount the vet prescribed, because I was skittish. Good thing too, because he went HYPO on very second cycle, on that half dose.
Try not to let the vet talk you into a pet glucometer. It's not really necessary, expensive and the strips are too. A good share of us just purchase ReliOn meters from good old Walmart, and you can get strips or lancets at 3 am!

If you need help with the spreadsheet, for your BG test #'s
Just give a shout.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...te-a-ss-and-link-it-in-your-signature.130337/

 

My dad decided to get the AlphaTrak2 because the vet said it was easier to use since it's calibrated for animals. It was $45 and came with 25 test strips and some number of lancets, I can't remember. We're going to try it out, we will most likely be getting the FreeStyle test strips when we run out of the ones the meter comes with since I heard they're compatible with the AT2. As far as lancets, we're gonna go with good ol Walmart once we go through the ones from the meter.

Thank you very much for all of your help, everyone!
~Pumpkinhead Jack and Johanna