What's Wrong with my Cat, Snoopy?

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by Stacer

I just read through the entire thread, and boy am I glad you found a diagnosis for Snoopy!

Sugarcatmom's advice is just out of this world! It's great to be able to glean first hand knowledge from someone with experience.

Welcome back to the forum Shabby! Keep us posted on Snoopy.

Thank you very much. Yes, Sugarcatmom is definitely knowledgeable and I am extremely grateful for her assistance and everyone else's help too!

I will definitely be keeping everyone informed on how Snoopy makes out.

[Shabby]

Snoopy is home but it just hasn’t been our day.

A lot of you asked me to let you know the results of today’s visit with the new vet. Sugarcat, you had asked that I let you know the type of insulin and how much.

INSULIN: Lantus (Insulin glargine injection) 100 IU

DOSE: 2 units to be given twice a day at 8:00AM and 8:00PM immediately following his meal

FOOD: Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d (canned). We are to give Snoopy 1 to 1 ½ cans each day, divided into 2 meals to be given 20 minutes before each insulin injection.

They said we’re to continue with the above until Monday when we have to taken Snoopy in again, but can bring him right home again.

I’m NOT happy because:

I had a doctor’s appointment this morning myself for 10:20 which my husband had to stay home from work for to take me. I can’t drive at the moment due to my injury and the medications I take. Also, we live 25 kilometers outside the city where he works, the vet office is and our doctor’s office is. We had told the vets office that our meeting with the vet would have to be later today because of my appointment and hubby having to miss work this morning. He could NOT take the whole day off. That’s why the vet’s office made our appointment for 4:45 today.

We get home from my appointment, hubby leaves immediately again to drive back to the city to work and arrives there at 1:25. The VET’s office called me at home at 1:30 and said we needed to come in “NOW” as the vet wanted to leave early due to the weather. I told them there was no way we could do that because of the reasons above, and that they KNEW that when THEY made the arrangements with my husband on MONDAY for today! They then asked: “Well, isn’t there someone else who can drive you in now? You really need to get here as soon as you possibly can.”

I called my husband at work and he managed to track down our oldest son, who was about 35 kilometers away from home. He drove all the way home to get me, drive me back to the city to the vet’s office and we arrived at 3:00 p.m. The VET HAD ALREADY LEFT!!! So the only person my son and I spoke to was the technician.

She showed us a “shaved” spot on Snoopy’s back, between his shoulder blades that is approximately 2 inches x 2 inches. They said they did that to him to show us how and where to give the injection. Then they gave me a bag with FOUR cans of Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d; about 10 syringes and the bottle of insulin.

I asked: “What about glucose testing? How will I know if I’m giving Snoopy enough insulin or too much if I’m not testing him at home? And why are you giving me this canned food when Snoopy has only eaten DRY food his entire life and not this brand? Why didn’t you feed him what my husband brought in with him on Monday?”

She replied: “Oh, don’t worry about any of that. He’ll be fine until Monday when you bring him in again. We gave him the food because it‘s much better than what you‘ve been feeding him so don‘t change him back when you get home today or his sugar will be off.” I told her that I CAN’T DRIVE right now; my husband has to WORK; and our two boys will be in school on Monday. She told me to tell my husband to drop Snoopy off in the morning at 8:00a.m. again when they open (he’s supposed to be at work at 8:00am) and then pick Snoopy up on his way home at 5:30 and that we’ll have to do that at least 3, 4 or 5 more times over the next two weeks until THEY get his sugar and insulin dose level.

So…I’m very upset…I’m worried and afraid for Snoopy…and I’m a tad put out by this whole experience with this office.

I’d already had a bad day when my doctor told me I had to have an I.V. drug heart test on Feb. 21st that I don’t want to have. Why? I’M TERRIFIED.

So, I think I really need to go to bed. That is, if I can sleep without worrying to death about Snoopy all night.

Good night friends.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Shabby

Snoopy is home but it just hasn’t been our day.

Oh no! I'm glad Snoopy is home but I'm sorry to hear about your lousy day. Sounds like the vet clinic was being pretty insensitive.

Originally Posted by Shabby

INSULIN: Lantus (Insulin glargine injection) 100 IU

DOSE: 2 units to be given twice a day at 8:00AM and 8:00PM immediately following his meal

Lantus is a good insulin and I'm glad that the vet is prescribing this instead of another one like Humulin N, which doesn't tend to work as well with cats.

Originally Posted by Shabby

FOOD: Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d (canned). We are to give Snoopy 1 to 1 ½ cans each day, divided into 2 meals to be given 20 minutes before each insulin injection.

Uh-oh. I was afraid of that. Please don't be alarmed at what I'm going to say, but Hill's W/D shows very old-school thinking by this vet. It is completely inappropriate for any cat, let alone a diabetic one. W/D is high in fibre, with the premise being that a high fibre diet will moderate the absorption of insulin. This may be true for people and dogs, but is so NOT true for cats. They just were not built to handle such a large amount of carbohydrate. 26% of the calories in W/D come from carbohydrates, and cats really shouldn't be eating more than 10%. It was probably excessive carb intake that pushed Snoopy into the realm of diabetes in the first place, and feeding such a crappy high carb food such as this one is only pouring gasoline on the fire. Just check out these ingredients and ask yourself if that sounds like something worth eating:

Water, pork liver, pork by-products, chicken, powdered cellulose, starch, oat fiber, guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, chicken liver flavor, ....

Liver should never be the mean ingredient in a cat food. Cats don't go around ripping the livers out of their prey and leaving the rest. They eat predominantly muscle meat, with the appropriate amount of organs that would be found in the typical mouse or bird (10% or less).

Pork by-products aren't muscle meat either, they're the leftover bits like hooves and snouts and eyeballs. They aren't bad in and of themselves, unless they're in excess, but we don't know where they came from and if diseased or decaying parts were included.

Powdered cellulose is wood pulp. Sawdust. No nutritional value whatsoever. It's absolutely ridiculous that this would be considered something worth feeding to anyone. Then we have starch on top of that! And more fibre! CATS EAT MEAT! That's what they've been eating for milleniums. It's no wonder that diabetes in cats is becoming an epidemic, we're feeding them nothing but Froot Loops and Twinkeze! Seriously, do not feed this food. Take the cans back to the vet next time you're there and get a refund. Instead, go to PetSmart and pick up some cans of gluten-free Fancy Feast: http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm We can work on getting Snoopy to eat one of the better quality foods like Wellness or By Nature Organics later, but for now, we just want to start introducing him to canned, and Fancy Feast tends to be well-liked by many cats. Now I'm not saying to take away all of his dry yet, but eventually that will be the goal. For the time-being, I think just offering him some canned at meal times to see if he goes for it will be a good enough.

Originally Posted by Shabby

They said we’re to continue with the above until Monday when we have to taken Snoopy in again, but can bring him right home again.

If you can get a human glucometer from the pharmacy and test Snoopy yourself, you won't have to make all of these ridiculous vet visits. I urge you to check out some of the info on home-testing: http://tlb.best.vwh.net/bg_punkin/test_bg.html It's going to be the best tool in your arsenal. Diabetes, above all else, is a home managed disease, but many vets don't seem very up-to-date regarding these tools and it's probably rare that they bring up home-testing right away, if at all. Some are even completely against it, for various stupid reasons, but the fact is, you wouldn't give insulin to your child without knowing what their bg number is, why would it be any different for your cat?

You don't need the vet to show you how to do it. If it helps to have some hands-on guidance, the message board here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/list.php?8 has members from all over the world, many even in Ontario that would be happy to come demonstrate. I guarantee you'll get lots of caring responses and some very detailed step-by-step instructions.

Originally Posted by Shabby

She showed us a “shaved” spot on Snoopy’s back, between his shoulder blades that is approximately 2 inches x 2 inches. They said they did that to him to show us how and where to give the injection. Then they gave me a bag with FOUR cans of Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d; about 10 syringes and the bottle of insulin.

Did they at least go over how to recognize hypoglycemia and how to treat it? What about ketones?

Originally Posted by Shabby

I told her that I CAN’T DRIVE right now; my husband has to WORK; and our two boys will be in school on Monday. She told me to tell my husband to drop Snoopy off in the morning at 8:00a.m. again when they open (he’s supposed to be at work at 8:00am) and then pick Snoopy up on his way home at 5:30 and that we’ll have to do that at least 3, 4 or 5 more times over the next two weeks until THEY get his sugar and insulin dose level.

This is silly. There is no need for this, not to mention that regulating a diabetic cat can potentially take months. They can't expect you to keep running Snoopy around like this, it's too stressful for everybody. Not to mention pricey. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but testing him yourself is the best option.

Originally Posted by Shabby

So…I’m very upset…I’m worried and afraid for Snoopy…and I’m a tad put out by this whole experience with this office.

It's rough at first, no doubt about it, but it does get better. If this vet isn't willing to work with you on caring for Snoopy, you might need to shop around some more for another one. You can ask for recommendations on the FDMB.

Originally Posted by Shabby

So, I think I really need to go to bed. That is, if I can sleep without worrying to death about Snoopy all night.

Good night friends.

I'm so sorry to hear that this has turned into a bit of a shmozzle. It's important to remember to breath, and you have to look after yourself in order to be able to look after Snoopy. Get some rest, take it one day at a time. Snoopy will be fine. You might feel more comfortable giving him less insulin until you can test him. If you can get him eating canned food, I'd drop his dose to 1 unit twice a day, but if he'll only eat his dry for now, 2 units is quite likely okay. And just so you know, I didn't learn to test my cat until we were 2 weeks into it, and he turned out just fine. Hang in there girl!

[loopoo]

everything that sugarcat said... right on..

your vet does sound "old school" and i am being polite here, i agree her having you running back and forth is for lack of a better word, suspicious. Once you get used to treating your littlle kittie, and feeling comfortable about that, you may want to look into another vet, and speak with them first to get a feel for their attitude, openness and energy. I agree with the food too, w/d is another old school thought on how to feed these cat, and one i dont and i am sure most dont agree with here.

Get some rest, and when you do have time, browse through sugarcats website links, and the one i posted with the food, protein and carb links.

Snoopy will be fine, and everything will be okay.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Shabby sorry your day was horrible

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

Just check out these ingredients and ask yourself if that sounds like something worth eating:

Liver should never be the mean ingredient in a cat food. Cats don't go around ripping the livers out of their prey and leaving the rest. They eat predominantly muscle meat, with the appropriate amount of organs that would be found in the typical mouse or bird (10% or less).

Pork by-products aren't muscle meat either, they're the leftover bits like hooves and snouts and eyeballs. They aren't bad in and of themselves, unless they're in excess, but we don't know where they came from and if diseased or decaying parts were included.

I also wanted to mention pork is never used in cat food. No other canned food I've seen has pork in it. I'm exclusively raw feeding & asked the people @ the store where I buy my raw food about it cuz Duffy loves cooked ham, they no pork it's never used apparently cats don't digest it very well.

[pbpatti]

Shabby, I am so sorry that you are going through this and I will send up a great big HOORAY for all of the members here who will always step up to the plate and help. Hope you have a good sleep. pbp

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

Oh no! I'm glad Snoopy is home but I'm sorry to hear about your lousy day. Sounds like the vet clinic was being pretty insensitive.

Lantus is a good insulin and I'm glad that the vet is prescribing this instead of another one like Humulin N, which doesn't tend to work as well with cats.

Uh-oh. I was afraid of that. Please don't be alarmed at what I'm going to say, but Hill's W/D shows very old-school thinking by this vet. It is completely inappropriate for any cat, let alone a diabetic one. W/D is high in fibre, with the premise being that a high fibre diet will moderate the absorption of insulin. This may be true for people and dogs, but is so NOT true for cats. They just were not built to handle such a large amount of carbohydrate. 26% of the calories in W/D come from carbohydrates, and cats really shouldn't be eating more than 10%. It was probably excessive carb intake that pushed Snoopy into the realm of diabetes in the first place, and feeding such a crappy high carb food such as this one is only pouring gasoline on the fire. Just check out these ingredients and ask yourself if that sounds like something worth eating:

Liver should never be the mean ingredient in a cat food. Cats don't go around ripping the livers out of their prey and leaving the rest. They eat predominantly muscle meat, with the appropriate amount of organs that would be found in the typical mouse or bird (10% or less).

Pork by-products aren't muscle meat either, they're the leftover bits like hooves and snouts and eyeballs. They aren't bad in and of themselves, unless they're in excess, but we don't know where they came from and if diseased or decaying parts were included.

Powdered cellulose is wood pulp. Sawdust. No nutritional value whatsoever. It's absolutely ridiculous that this would be considered something worth feeding to anyone. Then we have starch on top of that! And more fibre! CATS EAT MEAT! That's what they've been eating for milleniums. It's no wonder that diabetes in cats is becoming an epidemic, we're feeding them nothing but Froot Loops and Twinkeze! Seriously, do not feed this food. Take the cans back to the vet next time you're there and get a refund. Instead, go to PetSmart and pick up some cans of gluten-free Fancy Feast: http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm We can work on getting Snoopy to eat one of the better quality foods like Wellness or By Nature Organics later, but for now, we just want to start introducing him to canned, and Fancy Feast tends to be well-liked by many cats. Now I'm not saying to take away all of his dry yet, but eventually that will be the goal. For the time-being, I think just offering him some canned at meal times to see if he goes for it will be a good enough.

If you can get a human glucometer from the pharmacy and test Snoopy yourself, you won't have to make all of these ridiculous vet visits. I urge you to check out some of the info on home-testing: http://tlb.best.vwh.net/bg_punkin/test_bg.html It's going to be the best tool in your arsenal. Diabetes, above all else, is a home managed disease, but many vets don't seem very up-to-date regarding these tools and it's probably rare that they bring up home-testing right away, if at all. Some are even completely against it, for various stupid reasons, but the fact is, you wouldn't give insulin to your child without knowing what their bg number is, why would it be any different for your cat?

You don't need the vet to show you how to do it. If it helps to have some hands-on guidance, the message board here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/list.php?8 has members from all over the world, many even in Ontario that would be happy to come demonstrate. I guarantee you'll get lots of caring responses and some very detailed step-by-step instructions.

Did they at least go over how to recognize hypoglycemia and how to treat it? What about ketones?

This is silly. There is no need for this, not to mention that regulating a diabetic cat can potentially take months. They can't expect you to keep running Snoopy around like this, it's too stressful for everybody. Not to mention pricey. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but testing him yourself is the best option.

It's rough at first, no doubt about it, but it does get better. If this vet isn't willing to work with you on caring for Snoopy, you might need to shop around some more for another one. You can ask for recommendations on the FDMB.

I'm so sorry to hear that this has turned into a bit of a shmozzle. It's important to remember to breath, and you have to look after yourself in order to be able to look after Snoopy. Get some rest, take it one day at a time. Snoopy will be fine. You might feel more comfortable giving him less insulin until you can test him. If you can get him eating canned food, I'd drop his dose to 1 unit twice a day, but if he'll only eat his dry for now, 2 units is quite likely okay. And just so you know, I didn't learn to test my cat until we were 2 weeks into it, and he turned out just fine. Hang in there girl!

Sugarcat THANK YOU for the wonderful reply! Why are all you superbly knowledgeable folks out WEST????? Have you considered moving to Ontario?

Snoopy was eating his regular DRY food right up to the day he went into their facility. We had sent his food from home with him. Instead, they decided to begin feeding him the canned Hill's, which by the way, he chows down like it's his last meal. So I think switching him permanently to a canned food is NOT going to be a problem. I might as well keep him on canned from here on out.

[Shabby]

SUGARCAT…Sorry about that, I’m gonna start again. I wasn’t finished the reply and must have it something. Ugggh! I should have stayed in bed but couldn’t sleep.

Like I said…THEY began Snoopy on the canned food so I’ll just keep going now with it. He wolfs that canned stuff down like it’s his last meal which is great, because as you said, getting him on canned food is the goal in the end anyway. I will get him the fancy feast for now.

You mentioned PetSmart but we don’t have one where we live. The closest one to us is about a 1 ½ hour drive. I think I mentioned that we feed “Wellness” brand to our 2 German Shepherds and I’ll certainly buy whatever is best for Snoopy too. So should I just get the “Wellness” or the “By Nature Organics” now instead of the Fancy Feast then? How much of these foods should I feed him per day? Which “flavour” should I buy for him in these foods?

Which glucometer would you recommend? I’m willing to purchase whichever is best for Snoopy, I’m not concerned with the cost of it. I read the page you provided on glucometers and they said there are various ones. One of the links did recommend one type over the other because you needed a lesser amount of blood for testing. I’ll have to read through all the pages I printed out again.

Did they go over hypoglycemia, how to recognize it, treat it and mention ketones? Well, the answer to that is not really. The girl handed me a “small” piece of paper that says:

“If your cat receives too much insulin, it’s possible for the blood sugar level to drop dangerously low. For this reason you need to be very careful in ensuring the cat receives the correct dose of insulin. The typical signs displayed by a cat with a very low blood sugar level are: severe weakness and lethargy, shaking, unsteadiness and even convulsions. If a diabetic cat shows any of these signs it is important to seek immediate veterinary attention. If more severe signs are displayed (ataxia or unsteadiness during walking, and/or convulsions) a tablespoon of honey, corn syrup or sugar solution should be given by mouth. The seek medical help immediately and your vet can advise you on specific emergency treatment of low blood sugar in your cat”

That was it and no mention whatsoever about ketones.

I hope I didn’t miss anything. I’m going to try to sleep again and will check in again tomorrow.

THANK YOU!!!

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by loopoo

everything that sugarcat said... right on..

your vet does sound "old school" and i am being polite here, i agree her having you running back and forth is for lack of a better word, suspicious. Once you get used to treating your littlle kittie, and feeling comfortable about that, you may want to look into another vet, and speak with them first to get a feel for their attitude, openness and energy. I agree with the food too, w/d is another old school thought on how to feed these cat, and one i dont and i am sure most dont agree with here.

Get some rest, and when you do have time, browse through sugarcats website links, and the one i posted with the food, protein and carb links.

Snoopy will be fine, and everything will be okay.

loopoo...THANK YOU. I will be re-reading the pile of information I printed out the other day from everyone who supplied me with links.

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by growler

Shabby sorry your day was horrible

I also wanted to mention pork is never used in cat food. No other canned food I've seen has pork in it. I'm exclusively raw feeding & asked the people @ the store where I buy my raw food about it cuz Duffy loves cooked ham, they no pork it's never used apparently cats don't digest it very well.

Growler...Thank you to you too! I'm indebted to everyone for all their support and advice.

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by pbpatti

Shabby, I am so sorry that you are going through this and I will send up a great big HOORAY for all of the members here who will always step up to the plate and help. Hope you have a good sleep. pbp

pbpatti...Another thank you! All of you folks are soooooo caring, knowledgeable, compassionate, understanding and willing to share.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Shabby

He wolfs that canned stuff down like it’s his last meal which is great,

Well yay for that! Certainly makes your job easier.

Originally Posted by Shabby

You mentioned PetSmart but we don’t have one where we live. The closest one to us is about a 1 ½ hour drive. I think I mentioned that we feed “Wellness” brand to our 2 German Shepherds and I’ll certainly buy whatever is best for Snoopy too. So should I just get the “Wellness” or the “By Nature Organics” now instead of the Fancy Feast then? How much of these foods should I feed him per day? Which “flavour” should I buy for him in these foods?

Absolutely give some Wellness a try. It has better quality ingredients (no by-products) than Fancy Feast, although both are low-carb and grain free. My guy eats mostly Wellness but I do give him FF for some variety now and then. The best Wellness flavours are the ones that have a little yellow triangle in the corner that say "grain free". Turkey, Turkey & Salmon, Chicken, Beef & Chicken, and I think Chicken & Herring are the ones you want. Feed Snoopy up to 2 of the 5.5 oz cans a day if he wants it. As he becomes more regulated on the insulin, he'll need less food and you can slowly adjust the amount downwards to about 1 can (or 2 of the smaller 3oz cans - that's what Aztec gets now).

Originally Posted by Shabby

Which glucometer would you recommend? I’m willing to purchase whichever is best for Snoopy, I’m not concerned with the cost of it.

Most meters are free if you buy 100 test strips. That's where the main cost comes in, with the test strips. Some are more expensive than others. The One Touch Ultra tends to be popular, but the test strips can be around $80-100 for 100 strips. The Ascensia Elite is $75/100 strips. I'm currently using something called the iTest and I love it. Strips for that one are $69/100. I started with the Elite, which is good but it can give falsely low readings if you don't get enough blood. There's another meter called the Precision Xtra that also tests for blood ketones, but I've never been able to find the special test strips for it (which are also very $$). Instead, I recommend picking up some Bayer Keto-diastix while you're at the pharmacy. Those test urine for both ketones and glucose.

Gotta run to work but I'll try to give you some more tips during the day. You're doing great!

[chico2]

Shabby,a great bigfor you and Snoopy,hopefully today will be a better day
It seems together with your own health-problem and Snoopys + a rather incensitive vet,you are overwhelmed:sad:
You'll soon get the hang of the insulin-injection and Snoopy will be fine,I know it's scary at first..
I am sooo glad Snoopy really likes his canned food,that's often half the battle,when someone changes from dry food.
I would return all the Hills cans to the vet,for a full refund,once you have found a better food.
I used to think,if a vet says they are selling the best food for my cats,it must be true

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

Well yay for that! Certainly makes your job easier.

Absolutely give some Wellness a try. It has better quality ingredients (no by-products) than Fancy Feast, although both are low-carb and grain free. My guy eats mostly Wellness but I do give him FF for some variety now and then. The best Wellness flavours are the ones that have a little yellow triangle in the corner that say "grain free". Turkey, Turkey & Salmon, Chicken, Beef & Chicken, and I think Chicken & Herring are the ones you want. Feed Snoopy up to 2 of the 5.5 oz cans a day if he wants it. As he becomes more regulated on the insulin, he'll need less food and you can slowly adjust the amount downwards to about 1 can (or 2 of the smaller 3oz cans - that's what Aztec gets now).

Most meters are free if you buy 100 test strips. That's where the main cost comes in, with the test strips. Some are more expensive than others. The One Touch Ultra tends to be popular, but the test strips can be around $80-100 for 100 strips. The Ascensia Elite is $75/100 strips. I'm currently using something called the iTest and I love it. Strips for that one are $69/100. I started with the Elite, which is good but it can give falsely low readings if you don't get enough blood. There's another meter called the Precision Xtra that also tests for blood ketones, but I've never been able to find the special test strips for it (which are also very $$). Instead, I recommend picking up some Bayer Keto-diastix while you're at the pharmacy. Those test urine for both ketones and glucose.

Gotta run to work but I'll try to give you some more tips during the day. You're doing great!

Sugarcat, are you sure you're not a veternarian who specializes in diabetic cats? Your knowledge is phenomenal. I'm very grateful to you for both the info. and the time commitment you're giving Snoopy (and me)

I will call hubby at work today and ask him to pick up the Wellness on his way home tonight. He also passes a Shopper's Drug Mart in the city so I'll ask him to pick up the glucometer and test strips as well.

I'll be busy reading, reading, reading today! How much I'll retain on the 3 lousy hours of sleep I got last night is questionable.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT day!

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by chico2

Shabby,a great bigfor you and Snoopy,hopefully today will be a better day
It seems together with your own health-problem and Snoopys + a rather incensitive vet,you are overwhelmed:sad:
You'll soon get the hang of the insulin-injection and Snoopy will be fine,I know it's scary at first..
I am sooo glad Snoopy really likes his canned food,that's often half the battle,when someone changes from dry food.
I would return all the Hills cans to the vet,for a full refund,once you have found a better food.
I used to think,if a vet says they are selling the best food for my cats,it must be true

Hey chico2...thanks for the vote of confidence! I need it. The 2 tiny weeny units of insulin is soooo small, like a pin drop!!

Yes, I am feeling quite overwhelmed between poor old Snoop, my own health and the fact my Dad will be gone 1 year on Feb. 19th. Not a good time right now.

I know so much about dogs, their habits, training, nutrition, health issues but feel my knowledge about such things for kitties is zilch! I've never in my life been without a dog(s). I too felt if the vet says it's good for kitty, it must be. I'm disappointed in myself to think I've been so naive.

[ancientgirl]

Goodness, you have had a hard time dealing with these vets. I hope things get better for you.

I'm glad to hear you have Snoopy with you. You are obviously very much committed to your Snoopy, and I know you will do just fine keeping him regulated properly. Right now for you it's just a matter of learning what you can to make sure you know what to look for and what to do. Sugarcatmom gave you some fantastic advice. She's the BOMB!!!

[want4rain]

i think many vets see so many owners come in with pets who dont want to go through all of the work of taking care of them so they come up with the easiest and simplest method of treatment. heck i think some people still ahve their cats upt down for being diabetic or have thyroidism.

SCM, have i ever told you how cool you are?? because you are super cool.

Shabby, you guys will pull through this just fine. if you are also interested, there are more than a few members who feed a raw meat/bones/offal only diet. i dont know what kind of relevance that would have to a diabetic cat, im sure SCM does though.

-ashley

[krdahmer]

Glad to hear Snoopy is finally home with you... I haven't been on here much as I've been cleaning up a flooded basement and dealing with a 'slummy' out of town landlord....

I'm sure you'll get the hang of the insulin in no time. And Snoopy will love Wellness... my Buddy gobbles that stuff up. So sorry you've had such a stressfull week... And that your vet seems so unhelpful... and don't forget to take care of yourself.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by want4rain

i think many vets see so many owners come in with pets who dont want to go through all of the work of taking care of them so they come up with the easiest and simplest method of treatment. heck i think some people still ahve their cats upt down for being diabetic or have thyroidism.

It's true, and sad, that there are people out there who opt not to treat their cat when it becomes ill, even with something as treatable as diabetes. I totally understand how vets would not want to bombard their clients with too much info in order to lessen that risk. Some of the other reasons that vets often don't go into a lot of detail about diabetes management are because they don't trust the clients to make the right decisions (a tad patronizing), and also because they make more money off of the increased number of vet visits and testing.

Originally Posted by want4rain

SCM, have i ever told you how cool you are?? because you are super cool.

You're making me blush! I'm honoured that you would say that, as I happen to think you rock!

Originally Posted by want4rain

if you are also interested, there are more than a few members who feed a raw meat/bones/offal only diet. i dont know what kind of relevance that would have to a diabetic cat, im sure SCM does though.

A raw food diet is the ultimate for pretty much any feline, but even more so for ones with compromised health. So Shabby, if you're ever interested in going that route I can point out some good resources. But first things first, let's get you comfortable with treating Snoopy.

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Goodness, you have had a hard time dealing with these vets. I hope things get better for you.

I'm glad to hear you have Snoopy with you. You are obviously very much committed to your Snoopy, and I know you will do just fine keeping him regulated properly. Right now for you it's just a matter of learning what you can to make sure you know what to look for and what to do. Sugarcatmom gave you some fantastic advice. She's the BOMB!!!

It's been a challenge, that's for sure. However, having Snoopy back home is what makes me happy. Learning to control his diabets will increase my happiness infinitely!!

And yes...Sugarcatmom is definitely the "BOMB"!! An invaluable source for sure.

Thanks for your kind words!

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by want4rain

i think many vets see so many owners come in with pets who dont want to go through all of the work of taking care of them so they come up with the easiest and simplest method of treatment. heck i think some people still ahve their cats upt down for being diabetic or have thyroidism.

SCM, have i ever told you how cool you are?? because you are super cool.

Shabby, you guys will pull through this just fine. if you are also interested, there are more than a few members who feed a raw meat/bones/offal only diet. i dont know what kind of relevance that would have to a diabetic cat, im sure SCM does though.

-ashley

You know Ashley, I believe there is alot of truth in what you've said about vets. Alot of them do take a lacsidasical and simplistic attitude, however I'm sure somewhere out there, are vets who don't take these more 'easy-way-out' attitudes but a more up-to-date, what's best for kitty approach. I'm just having a hard time finding one here.

Thanks

[chico2]

Shabby,love your avatar,love your GSD's,do you have any bigger pics??Or maybe you already posted pics and I missed them.?
Good luck with Snoopy

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by krdahmer

Glad to hear Snoopy is finally home with you... I haven't been on here much as I've been cleaning up a flooded basement and dealing with a 'slummy' out of town landlord....

I'm sure you'll get the hang of the insulin in no time. And Snoopy will love Wellness... my Buddy gobbles that stuff up. So sorry you've had such a stressfull week... And that your vet seems so unhelpful... and don't forget to take care of yourself.

I was wondering where you'd disappeared too! you're having to deal with a flood! Your landlords absence and as you said "slumminess" certainly isn't help you deal with this. I'm here, we're all here for morale support so just when you need to vent or need . Well, we'll give ya one anyway

I think at this point, with Snoopy's ravenous appetite, he'll eat ANYTHING no matter what brand, soft or dry. lol I don't think he'll have a problem adapting to the Wellness.

By the way, you asked me the other day in the PM if I had a photo of "my girls" and Snoopy on here yet. As of today...YES!!!

Nellie and Shadow are my login name (Shabby) photo. Nellie is on the left and her sister Shadow is the one on the right.

Snoopy's photo can be found on my profile page!!

I'm you're flood will cease!

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by chico2

Shabby,love your avatar,love your GSD's,do you have any bigger pics??Or maybe you already posted pics and I missed them.?
Good luck with Snoopy

Thank you!!! And YES, YES, YES I have LOTS of other photos that are much bigger but don't know how or where to post this here?

If you can tell me, I'll post them for everyone to see!

My "four-footers'' make me feel and I feel honoured to be their Mom. I'm on when I'm with my babies!

Cheers to you!

[phoozles]

You can stick them in the pet photography thread - I saw the little ones of the girls and Mr. Snoopy - adorable!

There are tips in the photo thread as well re: resizing the pictures if you need to.

I can't wait to see more, and it looks like you're going to get Snoopy's diabetes under control - he'll be with you for years to come!

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by phoozles

You can stick them in the pet photography thread - I saw the little ones of the girls and Mr. Snoopy - adorable!

There are tips in the photo thread as well re: resizing the pictures if you need to.

I can't wait to see more, and it looks like you're going to get Snoopy's diabetes under control - he'll be with you for years to come!

THANK YOU for your help! I'll will go and post some photos right now! However, I'm on "dial-up" out here in the countryside and am currently using my laptop. I'll log off here, then go to the desk computer where all my photos are stored, sign back on and post the photos.

Be back soon!

[Shabby]

Sugarcatmom or anyone else who'll know the answer to this question

Sugar, as you know we're getting Wellness canned for Snoopy. Hubby wasn't sure which ones to get tonight so he'll get them tomorrow night. I still have 2 cans of that awful Hill's left that he can eat tomorrow.

Question:

You gave me the list of the Wellness "meat" flavours. Do I pick only ONE flavour and feed Snoopy only that, or can we buy a variety of the different meats and feed him something different each day for a change?

I printed out the entire "Canned Cat Food Nutritional Information" pages provided in the one of the links given to me.

Under the Wellness canned the flavours are:

Beef and Chicken - carbs are 4/protein 31/fat 65/fibre 0.2/phos 226
Chicken and Herring - carbs are 6/prot 34/fat 60/fibre 0.2/phos 303
Chicken and Lobster -carbs are 11/prot29/fat 61/fibre 0.2/phos 264
Salmon and Trout - carbs are 8/prot 27/fat 65/fibre 0.2/phos 248
Sardines, Shrimp & Crab - carb 16/prot 34/fat 50/fibre 0.2/phos 293
Turkey - carbs 4/prot 31/fat 65/fibre 0.2/phos 200
Turkey and Salmon - carbs 5/prot 37/fat 58/fibre 0.2/phos 299

The Sardine/Shrimp/Crab seems to have the most carbs.

Thanks once AGAIN for the help.

[want4rain]

under normal circumstances you would want to feed as much of a variety as your cat will tolerate to prevent allergies by challenging their immune system. i would think that would still apply to your situation. while the carbs in each of these are different, they are still considerably lower than cat food with grains in it.

-ash

[growler~GateKeeper]

Shabby you can feed a variety of flavours, figure out which Snoopy likes & rotate through those varieties

[Shabby]

Originally Posted by growler

Shabby you can feed a variety of flavours, figure out which Snoopy likes & rotate through those varieties

In others words, we can get 2 of each of the flavours I listed so he can try them all, and then just continue to buy the ones he really likes?

So I could feed him the turkey on Monday, Salmon on Tuesday, Beef on Wednesday etc., OR should I stick with just turkey for 2-3 days at a time and then give him something different?