new user seeks advice

rusty is a 14 year old Maine Coon adopted from a shelter in 2004
recently exhibited beginning signs of FD-excessive drinking, frequent urination , large amount glucose in urine (and then loose bowels)
I stopped all his dry food (Hills Science Diet and Greenies) and switched his canned to Wellness (from Friskies Special Diet) and all symptoms disappeared and his urine now tests glucose free
I have 2 Questions
1. rusty does not tolerate handling. giving him insulin would not be possible so I want to keep him OK. Janet and Binkys List shows Friskies Special Diet and Wellness to be comparable as to protein and carbohydrates. Can I safely return him to the Friskes Special Diet? It would be easier on my budget, but the table of contents lists rice?
2.I have always put a little raw wheat bran in his canned food to help him with a regularity problem.I stopped that along with the dry food . He's now a little constipated. Is there a safe supplement I can put in his food for this condition .
Rusty and I would appreciate your input. Thanks

 

Hmm. If Wellness is working and he didn't have any dry wiht the Friskies Special diet, I wouldn't change back for a while. Wellness will send you coupons each month if you write them every month from their website. That could help make it more affordable. Just go to the site and email a comment telling them how this helped your cat and ask if they could send you coupons. They are quite generous. You could try benefiber instead of the wheat bran. My vet said 1/4 tsp a day mixed in to the food. It should not disturb glucose levels. Did your cat have any infections possibly or a recent steroid shot?

 

Hi Bob,

Good job on the food switch and all your research! Does he have any other symptoms, such as increased appetite, unkempt appearance or continued weight loss? Since Rusty is not all about being handled, I am assuming a trip to the vet is out of the question?

If so:
Definitely keep an eye on him to make sure he maintains the glucose-free urine.
I am not a fan of Friskies and their rice, but that said, I do feed it exclusively since I am unemployed. I don't feed the special diet varieties very much but on occasion I will pick one or two flavors up. Mine all get the Friskies pate's. Poultry platter, salmon (2-3 times a week max), turkey and giblets, and a few of the other flavors. They all have rice in them, and I don't understand why it's not affecting the bg's of either my diabetic or my girl that's diet-controlled.. trying not to look that gift horse in the mouth! I think Friskies would be just fine unless you notice his symptoms coming back.

Is there a reason you're sticking with the special diet flavors?

As far as supplements, Benefiber and Miralax are the two most commonly used here. I use Miralax, 1/4 tsp twice a day and that does a very good job for my constipation-prone boy.

 

where would I find the benefiber?
thanks!

 

Wow.... You did your homework and really helped your kitty. Good for you and welcome.


Personally... I would not switch to a food with a grain, rice or wheat gluten... But what you can do if your budget is really strained is to mix some of the friskies in with the wellness and test the urine. But remember, those symptoms are symptoms of a terribly uncomfortable and painful disease so you don't want him to have any of it. And once a diabetic, always a diabetic which means that adding in carbs will likely bring it back. I know that the carbs are about the same on the chart, but I do not believe that all carbs are created equally. And the ones in wellness may be because of the fruit and/or veggies in it, not rice.

And I would normally give you a bit of information on home testing him so you can check his blood... but you say he would not handle insulin needles so I am assuming you mean he is fractious and would not handle blood testing either. If I wrong here, please let us know because home testing is the way to go to really know how the food affects him. You could test him before a meal and then an hour after the meal to see if the rice does raise the BG.

As for the constipation, many cats experience a little bit of that when they make the switch... less garbage in means less garbage out so the poops are harder and drier. I would first add water to his food to make it a bit of a thick shake consistency... he will stay hydrated and it may help with the constipation. There might be other things to supplement his diet with instead of bran.... The bran is a carb and could very well bring back the diabetes.

Others will be around to give you their thoughts and more information... Take time to read it all.

Congrats on being pro-active and helping your kitty.

 

Any grocery store has it.

 

Or you could try miralax - this is available in any grocery store or pharmacy and if you look online you may find printable coupons for benefiber or miralax.

 

Rusty and I thanks you all
havn't figured out how to respond individually here so....

will try the Benefiber or Miralax. sounds good

he looks fine, coat is good, has not lost weight, and his energy level is ok

Russ is a maniac at the vets
he would definitely not allow home blood testing. forget it!

reason I used the Special Diet variety is he had FLUTD (urinary tract infection) when I got him from shelter in 2004

again, we thank you all!

 

Bob - cats are not designed to eat high fiber diets and so, *generally* speaking, I would much prefer the Miralix over Benefiber - especially in an older cat whose colon may not be up to snuff, motility-wise.

Fiber adds BULK to the stool....often not a good thing for an old colon.

Miralax does NOT add bulk to the stool but, instead, just increases the water content which is preferable.

 

These two issues are not synoymous.

Please see my Feline Urinary Tract Health page below for important reasons why we all need to stop lumping these issues together.

 

You might be surprised at how easy it is to give insulin injections (if it comes to that).


Some folks here just give the shot while the cat is eating...not even noticed.

Really, the shots are barely felt...not even like a flea bite.

 

cats who are very upset at the vet can often handle home testing. If you can cuddle your kitty and touch his ears, you can probably test your kitty at home. You just need to be of the mind set that this needs to be done, and your cat WILL accept it (firm not mean) and most cats will take to it, especially if there is something yummy to eat afterwards.

there are a lot of videos out there about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6iXetR ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8

Connie

 

Pearl is awful at the vets, but sits very patiently for all tests, pokes and puffs at home.

 

REPLY to Lisa DVM
Didn't mean to confuse isues. Are you able to retrieve my original post?
I adopted him in 2004. He had developed FLUTD at the shelter (I think due to stress.)
I had him on Friskies Special Diet because it is labeled as promoting urinary tract health (magnesium 0.025. max.) I add about 100mg vitamin C (Acerola complex.) I also gave him a small amount of Hills Science Diet Senior dry (about 4 tablesppons a day) and Greenies (10 a day). I added a small amount of wheat bran to the canned food because of constipation.
He recently began exhibiting diabetes symptoms. After consulting your information on the FD website,I stopped theHills, the Greenies and the wheat bran. I switched from Friskies to Wellness canned. All symptoms disappeared and his urine tests glucose free.He is 14 yrs old.
Questions1.He weighs 14 lbs. (big not fat.)How much canned food a day is appropriate?
2.Is Benefiber (in place of wheat bran) OK? How much?
3.Is the vitamin C (Acerola complex) OK? How much?
Again if you can, please refer to my first post on Jan. 2. This cats would absolutely not permit insulin treament. Finding you and FD.com saved him, I think.He and I THANK YOU!

 

Reply to all you others
This cat permits very little touching! Insulin injections would be an impossibility.

 

Acerola complex-vitamin C-any comments?

Hi Bob,
I'm not sure if you saw what Dr Lisa said about Benefiber?
Afraid I can't offer comment on the Acerola complex,but hopefully someone can.

Sounds positive no glucose in the urine, but still a good idea to monitor, especially in older kitties. Once diabetic always diabetic, just that they become diet controlled.

Your one step ahead on us if Rusty allows even a smidge of handling. Lucky wa extremely fractious. We weren't so fortunate and she needed insulin, however with perseverence and lots of ideas from FDMB we got there.Testing became an opportunity for scritches. She still had a moments but usually the minute she was picked up she'd purr. So there is always hope.Having a 'can do' attitude definitely helped too. Kitties pick up on our stress.

Dr Lisa's info on diet may have the answers you need:

http://felinediabetes.com/diet.htm


I wish you all the best on Rusty staying diet controlled :mrgreen:

 

Hi Bob,

I only pop in here when I get a chance and only to post very general issues.....I am rarely able to answer specific questions outside of the context of a phone consultation but quickly....

1) In GENERAL.......Too fat? Feed less. Too thin? Feed more. Keep it simple.

2) I already posted on Benefiber.

3) Do not feed Vit C - it can promote CaO stones.

 

Here's a pretty good chart to visually determine body condition:
http://www.creswellvet.com/Obesity_files/image005.jpg

 

How do you feel about Petromalt? Is it OK on a regular basis to control hairball problem?
If not, what is a good alternative?
Thanks.

 

Petromalt has sugar so not the best for diabetics. The standard here for years was VetBasis. It went out of business for awhile, but I think I heard it was available again. Also other people have said a dab of vaseline on the paws; never done this.

 

I use a dab of vaseline on the front paw, and my kitties lick it off. It helps control hair balls quite well and does not affect bgl. I use about 1/4 tsp every other day.

~M

 

how do I post cat's picture?

What is procedure and how do I get to instructions for posting cat"s picture?

 

Re: how do I post cat's picture?

If u go to the TECH forum, there are many threads (scroll to the next pages too) about how to do your AVATAR (pic)
start a new thread in TECH if u have problems.

then u can test in the EVERYTHING forum.

 

I'm a recent convert to Miralax, after many other less successful things. Just be sure to measure it with your smallest measuring spoon so you know how much to give. Seems like most people add +/-1/8 teaspoon to the food. some told me that a few sprinkles help. It may take a good week to get the right dose because it has to work its way through the pipes...

I have used plain vaseline for constipation and hairballs, but I try not to do it a lot. I think it possibly can block nutrient absorbtion. Laxatone for hairball has some kind of sugar as a main ingredient, so steer clear.

Adding water to the food really helps and is especially important when you use miralax, which works by drawing water into the colon.

The tech section has all the info you need for avatars, profile, and spreadsheet if you ever start testing.

 

How do you test urine for glucose? Strips? I don't know when Max uses the box since it's on the ground floor of my town-home in the bathroom just before going out to the garage. The living spaces are 1 and 2 levels up. But the "good" thing, I guess, is that Max does not cover his urine. Would it be okay to test it once it is in the litter?

 

unless it's fresh and it forms a little "puddle" u can dip the stick lightly, BUT it is much better to get the urine sample directly from the cat , in action, so to speak.

u may consider moving the litter box to a location that is more accessible, if possible, but other than that, the sample needs to be fairly fresh.
u could always follow him when u know he is going to the litter box and stand guard.

 

Re: new UK user seeks advice on diet

Hi! I am in the Uk and wanted to know if there is anyone out there who has seen succesful results by diet change only. My cat Willow has been diagnosed with diabetes. Willow refused to eat after the blood tests at the vet & the vet suggested putting him to sleep 2 weeks ago as he is 14years old & said treatment would be too invloved. I am also needle phobic so insulin is not an option for me. Anyway, I refused & took him home and have been syringe feeding him since. He has lost a lot of weight over the last year and drinks a lot but seems a bit better now than he was just after the vet visit. He has pottered about a bit but is quite lethargic & mainly stays in one room.
I just don't want to give up on him. He eats Whiskas canned food. According to the Binky's Food table I should prob avoid the Whiskas in gravy which is high in carbs.
I am confused as Hill's website suggests 2 foods for diabetic cats (M/D & W/D) but they seem quite high in carbs and are certainly not under 12% as suggested on this site.
Any advice appreciated.

 

Re: new UK user seeks advice on diet

Hi there!
Welcome to the FDMB! You might want to begin a new thread for your question - you'll get more eyes on it that way.
Just copy and paste and you're off! Mention in your subject line "UK" - we have a some members from that area as well.

 

I moved your post so you could start your own thread. (Every time a new person wants to post, they pick : Start a new topic. That way, advice to Bob and Rusty won't get mixed up with yours. No worries - takes a while to figure out this board.

Go back to the Feline Diabetes Health board and look for your name. I will answer on that thread.

 

my cat has blood glucose level of 154-have him on wellness canned-he seems fine
Vet said his USG is a little low- 1.020 wants me to use Hill Sc. Dt. k/d but that's high in carbs and low in protein. I dont think its a good idea.
what is a good USG for a cat
what is a good urine ph- his is 6
any ideas?

 

Bob, could you start a new thread with these questions so that people with kidney experience can see it and help?

Meanwhile, if his blood glucose is 154, is he on insulin?

KD is crap and you are right to refuse it.

Jen

 

Hi Bob - it would be a good idea to start a new post, because most people will start reading at the top (I just spent about 20 minutes reading before I realized that this was all old news from January).

 

Hi Bob,

Would love to see a picture of Rusty. I picked up on your post today because your cat's name is Rusty. I fostered a beautiful rusty colored Maine coon until March of this year. His name was Rusty, he now lives with Pheobe in Michigan.

Can you pet Rusty? If you can, you could give insulin. Try seeing if you can stroke Rusty's ears. Get him used to it with chicken treats (much better than Greenies). Make them yourself, and it will save money. Then, after using treats to get him acclimated to having his ears stroked, you can get a glucometer and begin testing.

Diet for early stage renal issues is very similar to the diet for diabetes. Just add water to the wet food. I add the water from rinsing the can.

Just a note, I mix Wellness, Friskies, Fancy Feast and certain Merrick varieties for my 6 cats that free roam. My semi-feral gets FF and the newest one is still on Wellness with a smidge of FF.

Good luck,

Claudia

 

No. Vet hasn"t suggested it. Thinks i54 is in normal range (below 170). You don"t agree?

 

how the h__l do you start a new post? and what the h is a thread? this site is impossible to negociate.

 

IT is tricky until you get it figured out. Go back to the Feline Diabetes Main Page. (Its' on the grey border at the top of this page starting with Board Index.) Choose NEW TOPIC. Put your kidney questions in the subject line. Then choose submit. That should do it.

A thread is your post and all the replies to it.

 

thanks Sue. tricky's not the word for it but i'll try. give my love to oliver.

 

wow, it worked. Sue's pretty smart, huh Oliver.