Newly diagnosed 8yr/f Tuna, and concerned Owner Ian : )

Hi, I've been reading these forums and several others over the last few weeks after my Tuna was diagnosed with Diabetes. I have a Alphatrak 2 monitor and Lantus insulin, and have been home testing for about a week now, with results ranging from 600s to low 300s. I was given some pork flavored M/D food from the vet, which my cat hates and tries to bury when i give it to her. Her appetite isn't fully back yet, and she has always been a dry food cat, but wont touch it at all now : ( SO far I've learned i can get a relion monitor for cheaper testing, and hold unto the Alphatrak for testing if the numbers are low or high and not average. Just as a second opinion kind of thing. I need to know what kinds of food people have had a lot of success with in regards to picky eater cats, and any home remedies to fixing dinner for your furbaby if she doesn't like the food. Thank you all in advanced for the advice, and thank you for all that i have already received in previous posts : D - Ian

 

Hi Ian, welcome to you and Tuna! My cat hated the M/D food too, but loves the Fancy Feast Classics. You can also try warming up the food for a few seconds in the microwave, then stirring it up good, or sprinkling some Parmesan cheese on top.

 

Welcome, Ian and Tuna =)

Like you, I'm new posting here, but have been reading like crazy since Kizzy's diagnosis in early August. I am not nearly as experienced and knowledgeable as the others in here, but I'll toss in what I've learned.

As for food.... my girl loves Fancy Feast Classic Chicken pate (loves it even more when I add some water to it). There are many inexpensive grocery store foods that are perfectly suitable. As for Fancy Feast, it has to be the 'classic' versions/flavors. Anything with gravy on the label will be way too high in carbs for our sugar kitties.

There is a list for low carb foods to choose from . hopefully someone will share that link.

On a side note: I find it hysterical when Kizzy takes one whiff of her food and then tries to cover it up! Cats truly train US...lol!

Thankfully, Kizzy was VERY easy to switch to only canned food, but I have another cat (non-diabetic) who will N-O-T play the canned food only game. She not only tries to cover it up, she likes to throw it back up to over-emphasize her point (gotta love it)

I've read others suggest taking a little of dry food and crushing it up...then sprinkling just a little on top of the canned. Or it just might be a matter of finding that ONE canned food that Tuna likes. When it comes to cats and their owners with food - it's a battle of the wills, isn't it? If there is food out, most cats will not starve instead of eating at all.

As for meters... my vet insists on Kizzy's curves being done with an AlphaTrak meter so I have one and use it for her curves that I let the vet see. Otherwise, I have a FreeStyle Lite human meter that I use for my day-to-day testing. That's just my personal (and financial) preference. Not only is the AlphaTrak strips more expensive, I'm also not a fan of the really high numbers my AlphaTrak gives me on readings. Makes me nervous that I might miss a 'low' -and I prefer to play this more safe than sorry.

I'm sure you will get lots more great advice and suggestions. Just wanted to welcome you and offer my 2 cents.

Sounds like you are off to a great start. The "congrats, your cat is diabetic" diagnosis is very overwhelming and you're doing great!

Kizzy's Mom

 

Friskie Pate flavors are also another good choice.

 

Welcome Ian and Tuna. Love your kitty's name! Looks like you have been doing some homework. What insulin are you using? Can we get you interested in creating a spreadsheet? Also, if you could put some information in your signature like Tuna's age, insulin brand, Food, etc. You can check others to see what you will want to put in there. You update your signature on the upper right corner, just click on your name. Below is a bunch more information for you.

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 or Relion Confirm, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. 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. Some use it after they have tested to reward. 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 after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.

 

There are some Secondary Monitoring Tools in my signature you may find helpful in evaluating your cat.

 

Thank you all SO much : D I work from home so i will be pouring over all of this information tomorrow. Tonight was a bit of a nightmare, she wasn't eating today and her hydration levels got very low (folds on back falling Very slowly). I have a SubQ kit that i got when she was first diagnosed, and used it tonight. I am very squeamish about hurting her, and she Hates the SubQ needle and entire process. Got a decent amount of fluid in her, still no food today, but hopefully will be eating tomorrow (last time she was dehydrated she stopped eating, but the subq helped get her appetite back). I will be changing her to all wet low-carb food over the next week, the big problem is finding a flavor she likes, and then moving to it from what she is eating now. Since her appetite has been poor im focused mostly on stuff she will eat at all, but am only providing low-carb options. I tried the parmasean, it didnt take today, but will try again tomorrow. Again, thank you all SO much, this forum has already been very helpful and i will read Every bit of information you have posted. I plan on doing a curve later this week, waiting on more strips and only have enough for the twice a day until they get here. Once they do, since i work from home, it will be easy to do an hourly curve for a 12 hour period. I will post in my Info everything suggested as well : ) Thank you again - Ian

 

Cats can't go without food for very long before they get liver problems - hepatic lipidosis - you may need to start syringe feeding. Using the food she already hates could be good as it's common for kitties to develop an aversion to what you syringe feed them. I wouldn't be overly concerned about carbs at this point either if she'll eat something higher carb then let her you can worry about the food adjustment later.

Also I would be testing for ketones, high numbers and not eating can often be a precursor to diabetic ketoacidosis which is life threatening. You can pick up ketodiastix from the pharmacy to check her urine yourself. The strips are pretty cheap.

 

Yes, please make sure you get some food into Tuna. Doe as she like tuna? Meat baby foods are good too, very easy for syringe feeding, just make sure it has no onions. Whatever she will eat for now then you can worry about the right food for her diabetes.

 

Yes very important you get them to eat. They also should have a little food in their system just before the shot. Here are some of the things that I have tried.

1) Chicken Broth or Beef Broth (no sugar added); could be made from bouillon cubes
2) Tuna or tuna broth/juice
3) Parmesan cheese sprinkled on food
4) Bonita Flakes sprinkled on food
5) Pepcid AC 1/4 tablet - may have to crush and syringe feed; wait 20 minutes and try feeding again
6) Boiled chicken shredded or pureed
7) Baked/broiled/boiled Salmon, White fish, etc.
8) Warm up regular food in microwave
9) Medium or, last resort, the high carb, wet food

 

Small Update: I purchased the Salmon Patte Fancy Feast Classic and she is Devouring it! : D I just sat there for 5 minutes while she stuffed her little face and was so happy to see her so happy. Will be transitioning to that full time for now : D

 

Florti-Flora is also a good aid to sprinkle a bit on top of the food. It has the same animal enzymes in it that is in the dry food that cats get so addicted too. Florti -Flora is actually a probiotic for diarrhea but works well as an appetite stimulant, so it is good to have on hand. As others have said above, it is very important for her to eat and drink, so if it means higher carb food which she will eat, then so be it. You can tackle the low carb wet food once she gets back on the feed.

You are a good Bean to be here and wanting to help her the way you are.

Also, since she is not eating and her BG is high, please get the ketone strips and check her urine for ketones because it would be very important for you to have her seen by the vet if you detect ketones in her urine.

About the Relion Meters if you haven't already bought it, the Relion PRIME meter's strips are 1/2 the price of the Relion Micro which is a nice savings when you are testing a lot.

Oh, and Welcome!