Overwhelmed! Need help!

Hello,
My cat Ducky was just diagnosed with Diabetes last Tuesday. The vet put him on .5ml of Lanux Glargine twice a day. His BG was at 536 at the vet. I got a monitor and after much headache got was able to test his BG today. He is at 515 and still seems very sick. The vet said not to change his diet but everything I have been reading says to change it. He is currently eating Purina Dry food for indoor cats. I really think i need to change his diet but i have no idea which brand to give him.... I am terrified I am going to do the wrong thing. I am not sure when or how much to feed him either... he was a free feeding kind of cat before. Also do you have to take blood from the ear or can you take it from his foot? PLEASE HELP!

 

I think you mean 'Lantus Glargine' - a very good insulin. Your vet might not have wanted you to change his diet until you started home testing - as a precaution. Now that you are home testing, most people here, myself included, will advocate that you change his diet ASAP to a lo-carb diet. Canned is preferred over dry foods, because it is healthier for cats and there are many good options available at your neighborhood grocery store. His blood glucose levels will come down quite a bit once you get him off of that Purina as it is VERY high in carbohydrates. Pretty much if it does not have 'gravy' in the title and it is 'pate style', it is going to be lo-carb. Here is the section to the food tables - try to choose foods under 10% carb value:

http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html

Most average sized cats, (8-9lbs), eat about 6oz of canned food per day. Some need a bit more, some need a bit less depending upon their own dietary needs and their size.

And yes, you can test from the footpad if it is easier for you, and kitty.

Many others will come along soon with more detailed advice for you

~M

 

Welcome :smile:

You mean units, not ml. Insulin is measured in units. I hope your vet did not prescribe 5 units because that is a HUGE dose for a new diabetic cat , with some exceptions. I hope your cat's dose is really 0.5 units of Lantus twice a day.

The preferred insulin syringes to use are U100 3/10cc (30 unit) with half unit markings. If you don't have these, just buy them when you need more :smile: If you're in the US, you can buy insulin syringes online with no prsecription. Here's a list of preferred brands and where to buy: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12053 and http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... 22,1959486

Was that from a blood glucose test or a fructosamine test? A quick blood glucose test done in the vet's office is often inaccurate because many cats are so stressed out that their blood glucose levels are really really high.

Is your cat showing symptoms of diabetes? Excessive urination in (or out of) the litter box? Always hungry and eating a lot but losing weight?

Great that you are learning how to hometest :thumbup How many hours after the insulin shot was the 515? Keep a log of your cat's blood glucose levels and when they were taken in relation to the insulin shot because the data you accumlate will help you manage your cat's diabetes. Most people here use a Google spreadsheet. Template and instructions here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16

It takes time to get the blood glucose levels under control. Just be patient and follow the advice of this board.

Is your cat eating and using the litter box ok? Did the vet say anything about ketones or how to test for it?

You can certainly go ahead and change the diet. Dry food is what causes many cats to become diabetic so get rid of the dry food. Canned food is best for diabetic cats. Low carb ones are preferred. Use these charts to find low carb foods: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html There are two charts, and old one and a new one, so look at both. Bacially, feed your cat any canned food that has a number 10 or less in the carb column. These are what we call "low carb". Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, and many other commericial brands are good. Here's a list of gluten free low carb Fancy Feast: http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm

Free feed your cat the canned food. Unregulated diabetics are always hungry so feed as much as the cat wants but without causing a huge weight gain. When the diabetes is under control, the excessive hunger will go away.

Frequent small meals is best for most diabetic cats. You can use a timed feeder to allow your cat to eat throughout the day or freeze cubes of canned food and let a couple cubes thaw in a bowl over the course of the day.

Feed low carb treats, too. Hee's a list of popular ones: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172

You can take blood either from the ear or the paw. The ear is the easiest for most people. See this for where to poke to get blood: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m267 ... etspot.jpg You can poke either the furry side of the ear or the inside.

 

Hi Angel, and, of course, you too, sweet Ducky,

I'm just going to welcome you both and remind you, dear Angel, to breathe, okay? It's all do-able, trust us.

About switching Ducky's diet, my most humble suggestion is that you do it slowly. Kind of like adding a teaspoon/tablespoon wet in addition to the dry as you make the transition. Why? Because now he's on insulin. You don't want to make too many changes at once. Just let him get used to getting juice (insulin).

Once you start hometesting, you'll have way more information to know when you can completely transition him to low-carb/high-protein wet food.

Welcome to the place you never, ever wanted to be, but are blessed to have found, kind of hugs,
Deb and Nikki, sent by Gizzie, who forever whispers in my heart...

PS: Darling kidimal parents, please correct me if I'm wrong -- or old-fashioned -- regarding the go slow food change approach. Thanks!

 

Thank you all for the advice. You can tell I am new to this. The first test was done at the vet where it was 536, my vet didn't say anything about testing the ketones. I am not sure what kind of test it was. He is on one unit twice a day of Lantus Glargine. He is showing all the signs such as eating alot, thirsty and excessive urination, and of course the weight loss. I just took his blood sugar and it is at 471. We gave him his first insulin shot 9 hours ago. He is due for his next one in 3 hours. I went out and bought some Wellness and Evo wet food... and will see which one he likes best. Thank you for advising to change his diet slowly. How often and when is the best time to test the BG?

 

While alarming, it can take time to bring those bgs now and it is a delicate balance between rushing and going too slow. You cannot be impatient with lantus.

To test for ketones, an absolute must, you need ketostix from the pharmacy. catch your cat while peeing and stick it under their butt (works for most) or immediately after into the puddle of urine.

Food is a huge issue as carbs only increase blood glucose levels; food changes for sensitive tummies should be slow, but if you can do it over a few days and test a lot then you may be ok.

testing should be prior to shot (to ensure things aren't too low) and trying to catch the low point or nadir which may be anywhwere starting 6 hours post shot all the way to 10 hours post shot (generally...always someone who is different)

Jen

 

You test ketones through a urine test. Go to any pharmacy and pick up KetoStix. It looks like this:



There is also Ketodiastix which tests for both glucose and ketones in the urine. Buy it if it is the only thing the pharmacy has:



To test for ketones, you need a fresh urine sample from your cat. This is easier said than done :smile: Some people just stalk the cat and when the cat goes to use the litter box, the person quickly sticks a test strip under the urine stream. For the squeamish, you can collect the urine using a long handled soup ladle or something and then stick the test strip into that. There are other ways to collect urine.

Ok, so todays +9 is 471 on 1 unit of Lantus. The number doesn't mean much right now but just keep track of the numbers and the data will eventually make sense and help your manage your cat's diabets :smile:

Be sure to feed the Wellness varieties that have the little yellow grain-free triangle on the label. A few of them aren't grain-free. The CORE ones are grain-free. Innova EVO cat/kitten and all of the 95% ones are llow carb and good to feed.

Don't be suprised if your cat doesn't like one or the other or both brands. Some cats are finicky :razz: Try other brands until you find one that your cat likes and you can afford and can find in the local stores.

Always test before giving the insulin shot. So twice a day every single day at the very minimum.

Always test if your cat is having a hypo (low blood glucose level, generally considered under 60 mg/dl) or if you think your cat might be having one. Here is the hypo reference sheet: http://www.felinediabetes.com/hypogly.htm and what to keep on hand to use: http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... 207,859277

Randomly check your cat's blood glucose levels during the day and/or night if you can. These are called "spot checks". Spot checks give you some idea of how the insulin is working for your cat. Once or twice a day is usually plenty. You don't need to do this every day.

Check out the Lantus board: viewforum.php?f=9 Read the stickies at the top of the board to understand how Lantus works for cats and all the little quirks of using the insulin.

 

Thank you for the advice. I will pick up the strips tomorrow, and start filling out my spreadsheet now It is great to know you are all here. I can't thank you enough.