Spicey is diabetic

Takayuki wrote:
Spicey is diabetic, according to her lab results. Her other values were ok.

It looks like she'll need twice daily insulin injections for the rest of
her life, a delicate sounding procedure which will be impossible for me
until I get to the point where I can at least pet her. I feel more urgency
now to get her tame.

Does anyone have any experiences treating a diabetic cat?

No experience with diabetic cats, but just wanted to say that I've got
Kotyo and Sweety purring for you and Spicey.

Nadia, Kotyo and Sweety
--
Little Monster pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nnakova/Kotyo
Sweety pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nnakova/Sweety
Kotyo and Sweety together:
http://picasaweb.google.com/nnakova/KotyoAndSweety

I have read a number of reports of diabetic cats that went into
remission just by eliminating ALL dry food from their diet.

---MIKE---

In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44� 15' N - Elevation 1580')

On 10/7/2012 5:41 PM, Christina Websell wrote:
"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Oct 2012 12:44:33 -0500, "cshenk" wrote:
Not diabetic cats but taming them, yes. I do rescue ferals of various
levels.

Keep in mind that this cat is lucky to have you and was never properly
socialized (Not her fault or your friends fault under the
circumstances).

What you are battling is also an overstimulation issue most likely.
There's a very fine line there with some cats and frankly, she was
allowed to be a terror and now at nearing 10 years old, she's never
going to be a lap kitty.

This is good advice, and I'll save it for when we have more advanced
introductions. It looks like that'll be on hold for a little while until
I'm sure I can treat her diabetes ok

Some of us don't need a lap kitty to help as much as we can.
I never thought Boyfie would get on my knee but he did, eventually. If he
hadn't it would not have mattered.



Agree! Bonnie will never be a lap cat, and for that matter, neither
will Rhett. But he's extremely affectionate on my bed, and when he's on
the couch next to me, and Bonnie has her moments, too. Though she might
have had a set-back even after all these years with all of the people
coming and going lately, and with me with weird contractions to walk
around the house (a walker, then a cane).

My cat Lexie never sat in a lap. I went to visit a friend a couple
of years ago for a weekend, and when I came home, Lexie started
sitting in our laps. She still does at least once a day.

AB



This is good advice, and I'll save it for when we have more advanced
introductions. It looks like that'll be on hold for a little while until
I'm sure I can treat her diabetes ok

On 2012-10-07, AB wrote:

The urine was what was tested for glucose at home in order to tweak
the amount of insulin needed.

In humans, anyway, your blood glucose has to be higher than normal before
you spill sugar in your urine. Been there.

Bud

Takayuki wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes:

On Sun, 07 Oct 2012 12:44:33 -0500, "cshenk" wrote:
Not diabetic cats but taming them, yes. I do rescue ferals of
various levels.

Keep in mind that this cat is lucky to have you and was never
properly socialized (Not her fault or your friends fault under the
circumstances).

What you are battling is also an overstimulation issue most likely.
There's a very fine line there with some cats and frankly, she was
allowed to be a terror and now at nearing 10 years old, she's never
going to be a lap kitty.

This is good advice, and I'll save it for when we have more advanced
introductions. It looks like that'll be on hold for a little while
until I'm sure I can treat her diabetes ok.

You are welcome and as you can see, I took it from 'worst case' view
there not really knowing how difficult she is.

I started taking in cats as a foster meowmie in 1978, slowly working my
way to the most difficult sets. A lot of what I do is now pretty much
'instinct' with them so I have to stop and think before I can explain
it.

I won't say Spicey will 'never' be a lap kitty but the odds are highly
against it. That ok. Not all of us like a lap kitty that much believe
it or not!

Want a hoot? Daisy-chan in some ways has turned 'lap kitty' but only
at night. She loves to sleep on my belly and legs then.

--

---MIKE--- wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes:

I have read a number of reports of diabetic cats that went into
remission just by eliminating ALL dry food from their diet.

---MIKE---

Hi Mike, I've heard that before but I think it may have been more
related to cheap wheat based kibbles (high glycemic index) then a swap
to a more quality wet with a lower glycemic index for cats.

I think it's worth to note that a low calorie kibble is not the same as
a low glycemic index kibble.

Since Spicey is a bit traumatized right now (has to be, that's part of
the problem), swapping anything of primary comfort out, isn't a good
idea unless it absolutely HAS to go.

Tak, if you see this, tell us what brand of kibble she gets now? We
might find a brand that is closer to optimal. Oh, I forgot to mention
it but diabetes can cause 'mood shifts' in cats and people. With her
free-feeding kibble this may be hard to determine but she may also be
'self adjusting' around it with the free-fed kibble which will mask it.



--

On Monday, October 8, 2012 9:06:34 AM UTC-5, cshenk wrote:
---MIKE--- wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes:



I have read a number of reports of diabetic cats that went into

remission just by eliminating ALL dry food from their diet.



---MIKE---



Hi Mike, I've heard that before but I think it may have been more

related to cheap wheat based kibbles (high glycemic index) then a swap

to a more quality wet with a lower glycemic index for cats.



I think it's worth to note that a low calorie kibble is not the same as

a low glycemic index kibble.



Since Spicey is a bit traumatized right now (has to be, that's part of

the problem), swapping anything of primary comfort out, isn't a good

idea unless it absolutely HAS to go.



Tak, if you see this, tell us what brand of kibble she gets now? We

might find a brand that is closer to optimal. Oh, I forgot to mention

it but diabetes can cause 'mood shifts' in cats and people. With her

free-feeding kibble this may be hard to determine but she may also be

'self adjusting' around it with the free-fed kibble which will mask it.







--

Mike is correct about some cats achieving remission just from changing the diet and this is exactly what will help Spicey right now. Prescription diabetic diets are NOT appropriate as they are too high in carbs and contain extremely poor ingredients. AFAIC they are the worst thing that can be fed. There are plenty of OTC canned foods that are a million times better. Foods that would be appropriate would be *canned* Wellness Chicken, Turkey or Beef and Chicken, Before Grain Chicken, Turkey, or Quail and Innova EVO 95 Chicken/Turkey, Beef, Venison, or Duck. These are all extremely low-carb foods and are the only ones I allow for diabetics I work with including two cats I have personally taken in that were surrendered to my clinic upon diagnosis and went into and stayed in remission after I brought them home since they were given the correct diet and proper insulin administration. FYI there is NO dry food that is appropriate for a diabetic. Even the so-called "low-carb" dry foods are too high in carbohydrates and inhibit remission. Feeding a diabetic dry food of any sort is irresponsible and harmful, and will result in a diabetic cat staying that way for life.

On Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:06:33 -0500, "cshenk" wrote:
Since Spicey is a bit traumatized right now (has to be, that's part of
the problem), swapping anything of primary comfort out, isn't a good
idea unless it absolutely HAS to go.

Tak, if you see this, tell us what brand of kibble she gets now? We
might find a brand that is closer to optimal. Oh, I forgot to mention
it but diabetes can cause 'mood shifts' in cats and people. With her
free-feeding kibble this may be hard to determine but she may also be
'self adjusting' around it with the free-fed kibble which will mask it.

I put Spicey on wet food only last Thursday, and wet low carb food only
since Saturday. She seems to prefer that to kibble, so it's win-win!

On Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:14:21 -0400, Cheryl
wrote:

On 10/7/2012 5:41 PM, Christina Websell wrote:
"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Oct 2012 12:44:33 -0500, "cshenk" wrote:
Not diabetic cats but taming them, yes. I do rescue ferals of various
levels.

Keep in mind that this cat is lucky to have you and was never properly
socialized (Not her fault or your friends fault under the
circumstances).

What you are battling is also an overstimulation issue most likely.
There's a very fine line there with some cats and frankly, she was
allowed to be a terror and now at nearing 10 years old, she's never
going to be a lap kitty.

This is good advice, and I'll save it for when we have more advanced
introductions. It looks like that'll be on hold for a little while until
I'm sure I can treat her diabetes ok

Some of us don't need a lap kitty to help as much as we can.
I never thought Boyfie would get on my knee but he did, eventually. If he
hadn't it would not have mattered.



Agree! Bonnie will never be a lap cat, and for that matter, neither
will Rhett. But he's extremely affectionate on my bed, and when he's on
the couch next to me, and Bonnie has her moments, too. Though she might
have had a set-back even after all these years with all of the people
coming and going lately, and with me with weird contractions to walk
around the house (a walker, then a cane).


I have lap cats for different places. When I sit in one of the big
chairs in the living room, Scooter will almost invariably come and hop
in my lap. But if I'm in the work chair in the computer room, it's
Marlo's turn to be lap cat. Marlo almost never hops the lap in the
living room, and I don't think Scooter has ever done so in the
computer room. They're so weird.

Spicey may surprise on what she does. Changing the circumstances seems
to set new rules. I really look forward to hearing how this
progresses.