Just a photo today of my very much loved Kitty (yeah, his name is Kitty).
Stay tuned for more...
My Diabetic Cat
Just a photo today of my very much loved Kitty (yeah, his name is Kitty).
Stay tuned for more...
Best websites for information and support for Feline Diabetes
There are many resources on the Internet when it comes to Feline Diabetes.
I will highlight some of my personal favourites and give a brief description of what you can expect there:
1) Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB): www.felinediabetes.com Any google search on Feline Diabetes will send you to the FDMB, owned by Dr. Rebecca Price. It is an amazing site for information on feline diabetes. Basically, they host a message board where people post questions about feline diabetes. There are many members that have dealt with feline diabetes for years, so the information is very good. There is also a community board, where people share stories etc. things not related to the health questions and concerns of feline diabetes. As well, there is a huge repository of information, from Janet and Binky's Food charts (listing of Fat/Carb/Protein/Phosphorus/FIber and calories for a plethora of cat food) to a FAQ section. It is a great place for a newly diagnosed cat owner to start learning; a true community of cat lovers! I have learned so much there and gotten so much support during many dark days.
2) Sweet Talk: http://p076.ezboard.com/bventboard This board was a spin off from the FDMB. One of it's functions is as a back up to the FDMB, when it goes down. Many people are dependent on FDMB for help, sometimes quite urgently, so this board was set up as a back up. It is also a community board, with message board for non diabetic pet discussion, prayers needed, photos, information on the folks using the board etc...It is a very warm friendly place, the moderators really try to make sure that people behave :). It is owned by Yolanda and her diabetic cat Goo.
3) Bonny Dune : www.ecattery.com This is another community board that was a spin off from FDMB. The owner is Jon and he dedicated the site to his first diabetic cat Patches. It is also a friendly, small community, with pictures, forums etc.
4) Gorbzilla: wwww.gorbzilla.com This board is owned by Lisa who had a diabetic cat, Gorb. It is also a community message board. There is an abundance of information on pet care and health, as well as similar forums to the other sites mentioned.
Any search will help you to find information on the internet on Feline Diabetes. These few sites are great places to start because of the warm, caring community found in each. Pet lovers love other pet lovers and if you want to learn and help your cat, all these people want to help you!
I will highlight some of my personal favourites and give a brief description of what you can expect there:
1) Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB): www.felinediabetes.com Any google search on Feline Diabetes will send you to the FDMB, owned by Dr. Rebecca Price. It is an amazing site for information on feline diabetes. Basically, they host a message board where people post questions about feline diabetes. There are many members that have dealt with feline diabetes for years, so the information is very good. There is also a community board, where people share stories etc. things not related to the health questions and concerns of feline diabetes. As well, there is a huge repository of information, from Janet and Binky's Food charts (listing of Fat/Carb/Protein/Phosphorus/FIber and calories for a plethora of cat food) to a FAQ section. It is a great place for a newly diagnosed cat owner to start learning; a true community of cat lovers! I have learned so much there and gotten so much support during many dark days.
2) Sweet Talk: http://p076.ezboard.com/bventboard This board was a spin off from the FDMB. One of it's functions is as a back up to the FDMB, when it goes down. Many people are dependent on FDMB for help, sometimes quite urgently, so this board was set up as a back up. It is also a community board, with message board for non diabetic pet discussion, prayers needed, photos, information on the folks using the board etc...It is a very warm friendly place, the moderators really try to make sure that people behave :). It is owned by Yolanda and her diabetic cat Goo.
3) Bonny Dune : www.ecattery.com This is another community board that was a spin off from FDMB. The owner is Jon and he dedicated the site to his first diabetic cat Patches. It is also a friendly, small community, with pictures, forums etc.
4) Gorbzilla: wwww.gorbzilla.com This board is owned by Lisa who had a diabetic cat, Gorb. It is also a community message board. There is an abundance of information on pet care and health, as well as similar forums to the other sites mentioned.
Any search will help you to find information on the internet on Feline Diabetes. These few sites are great places to start because of the warm, caring community found in each. Pet lovers love other pet lovers and if you want to learn and help your cat, all these people want to help you!
Top 8 things required to optimize treatment of a diabetic cat
Below is my Top 8 list of things that will help you to regulate your diabetic cat.
1) A diabetic cat: really, otherwise, what's the point? (small joke)
2) A glucometer used to measure blood glucose: We use the AccuCheck Advantage. Many people do not test their cats at home and the cats do just fine. However, it can save a lot of money by not getting curves done at the vets as well as time and stress on the cat. As well, it's is a great tool if something doesn't seem right and you want to see if your cat is suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
3) A low carb cat food. Feed your cat what he will eat. However, if you can switch to a high quality low carbohydrate cat food, that may reduce your cat's insulin needs. My diabetic cat does not like wet food much, so I am feeding him Science Diet MD, a lower carb dry food available by prescription from the vet. He likes it, so we are sticking with this for now.
4) A cooperative vet knowledgeable in feline diabetes: We are lucky, our vet is wonderful and lets us do all our testing at home and then report in to her, where we make dosing decisions. It would be a nightmare if we had to take Kitty to the vets for this!
5)Insulin: A long lasting insulin such as PZI, Lantus, Caninsulin/Vetsulin.
6) Syringes: We started with Caninsulin and the syringes that we purchased did not work well for us. Kitty would fight his shots. We ended up buying syringes from the pharmacy, BD Ultra Fine, 31 gauge, short needles and have not had a problem since. Note that insulin comes in different strengths, U100, U40, U50 (all of which indicate the number of units of insulin ber ml). Therefore, if your cat is getting Caninsulin, a U40 insulin and you wish to use the U100 thinner syringes, you would need to inject two and a half times as many units using the U100 syringe. If you were giving your cat 2 units of Caninsulin, using the U100 syringes, you would take the insulin to the 5U mark. Please make sure to double check with your veterinarian before changing syringes. Ideally, it is best to use the syringe designed for your insulin, but there are options if you run into trouble.
7) Ketostix: These are available at any pharmacy and are used by people to check for ketones in the urine. Ketones are formed when there is a) not enough food and/or b)not enough insulin. The body starts to metabolize body fat, and a by product is ketones. A serious complication of ketones is possible diabetic ketoacidosis (dka), which requires immediate veterinary attention. If you ever check your cats urine and see ketones, it is best to contact your vet immediately.
8) Patience: Regulation is not a race. Start with low doses and increase slowly. Cats can live with high blood sugar for a long time (it has been 5 months for us with little improvement) but extremely low blood sugar can kill very quickly.
Good luck treating your diabetic cat!
1) A diabetic cat: really, otherwise, what's the point? (small joke)
2) A glucometer used to measure blood glucose: We use the AccuCheck Advantage. Many people do not test their cats at home and the cats do just fine. However, it can save a lot of money by not getting curves done at the vets as well as time and stress on the cat. As well, it's is a great tool if something doesn't seem right and you want to see if your cat is suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
3) A low carb cat food. Feed your cat what he will eat. However, if you can switch to a high quality low carbohydrate cat food, that may reduce your cat's insulin needs. My diabetic cat does not like wet food much, so I am feeding him Science Diet MD, a lower carb dry food available by prescription from the vet. He likes it, so we are sticking with this for now.
4) A cooperative vet knowledgeable in feline diabetes: We are lucky, our vet is wonderful and lets us do all our testing at home and then report in to her, where we make dosing decisions. It would be a nightmare if we had to take Kitty to the vets for this!
5)Insulin: A long lasting insulin such as PZI, Lantus, Caninsulin/Vetsulin.
6) Syringes: We started with Caninsulin and the syringes that we purchased did not work well for us. Kitty would fight his shots. We ended up buying syringes from the pharmacy, BD Ultra Fine, 31 gauge, short needles and have not had a problem since. Note that insulin comes in different strengths, U100, U40, U50 (all of which indicate the number of units of insulin ber ml). Therefore, if your cat is getting Caninsulin, a U40 insulin and you wish to use the U100 thinner syringes, you would need to inject two and a half times as many units using the U100 syringe. If you were giving your cat 2 units of Caninsulin, using the U100 syringes, you would take the insulin to the 5U mark. Please make sure to double check with your veterinarian before changing syringes. Ideally, it is best to use the syringe designed for your insulin, but there are options if you run into trouble.
7) Ketostix: These are available at any pharmacy and are used by people to check for ketones in the urine. Ketones are formed when there is a) not enough food and/or b)not enough insulin. The body starts to metabolize body fat, and a by product is ketones. A serious complication of ketones is possible diabetic ketoacidosis (dka), which requires immediate veterinary attention. If you ever check your cats urine and see ketones, it is best to contact your vet immediately.
8) Patience: Regulation is not a race. Start with low doses and increase slowly. Cats can live with high blood sugar for a long time (it has been 5 months for us with little improvement) but extremely low blood sugar can kill very quickly.
Good luck treating your diabetic cat!
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