Friday, December 7, 2012

Why does my diabetic cat get aggressive when I give her Insulin?

Q. I recently found out my cat has diabities and we started her on Insulin but it makes her really vicious. She's attacked me (never has before, put a hole the whole way through my lip) and she started beating up on my dog, really bad.

Do you know why this is happening? Or has you cat behaved like this too?

A. Diabetic cats are notoriously cranky, especially when their insulin dose is first being fiddled with. It takes a long time to get a cat on the correct dose and type of insulin, and until that happens, their blood sugar is like a roller coaster--up and down up and down. If you've ever gone too long without eating, and found yourself dizzy and shaking, you probably also noticed you were really irritable and cranky too. The insulin shot itself doesn't hurt, though it may feel cold, which cats don't like. Low blood sugar can make crankiness stand out too. Has she been back to the vet to have her dose checked? Or you can get a glucometer to use at home to check it and record everything to show the vet. The vet's office would be happy to show you how to use it. If her dose hasn't been checked and fiddled with, I would say that's the first thing to check. She also probably doesn't feel great yet. Diabetes makes them feel pretty cruddy, and now she feels cruddy AND is being messed with. As her dose is stabilized and she starts feeling consistently better and gets used to the daily tackling and injections, she'll be less cranky.


The best way to lose weight being a female diabetic?
Q. I am a young girl, not over wieght but I would like to lose 10 pounds to be more healthy and of course look better. I know having diabities type 2 complicates weight lost. I sure could use any advice.

Thank you!

A. Weight loss is an overall process. You need to think about many factors. There are many sensible things you can do that will make a tremendous difference over the long term if you need to lose weight. It can be done in a healthy way. This is what has worked for me.

Keeping a food journal really does help. It will give you a much better sense of how much you are eating, and when, and why.

Make a few additional small changes - walk everywhere, always use stairs instead of elevators, walk on escalators, get up and move around at least once an hour if your work or your life in general is sedentary, walk every day, use a pedometer. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a really good idea. Build up to a long brisk walk everyday, or most days. Be more active and watch less TV and spend less time on the computer. Buy one piece of exercise equipment to have at home and be strict with yourself about using it. Sometimes you can find mini-steppers or exercise bikes at second hand stores and thrift stores for just a few dollars.

Start a weight lifting routine. Join a gym. Possibly you can find one that has someone who specializes in weight lifting programs for beginners. Weight lifting will increase your metabolism as well as improve posture and appearance overall. Even if you can't get to the gym you can work out at home using things around the house. Invest in a good weight training book. The Dummies series actually has a good one.

In terms of diet, cut out or reduce things like junk food, pop, fat, fast food. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish. Particularly if you choose a vegetarian lifestyle include natural peanut butter, hummus, dried fruit and nuts. Pay close attention to getting the nutrients your body needs to be healthy.

Make your portion sizes smaller. Use a smaller plate - in our society we have become accustomed to thinking that we need a large plate of food at every meal, and we don't. About quarter of your plate of food should be protein and at least half of it should be veggies.

Learn to count calories. At your current weight and activity level, you may possibly need about 2000 calories or more to maintain your current weight. So you will lose weight at a reasonable and healthy rate if you cut back to about 1600 or 1700 calories a day.

Eat small amounts frequently, rather than three large meals. Never skip breakfast. Include some protein in your breakfast. It will help get you through the day.

Drink plenty of water, at least 8 big glasses of water a day, and more if it is very hot, if you sweat a lot, or if you are exercising intensely, and eliminate fruit juices. Fruit juices have too many calories, so get your vitamins from fresh fruit, not the juice. You will begin to see changes in your body.

An area that many people overlook is getting enough sleep. You are much more likely to overeat or to binge eat if you are tired and not well rested, so get enough sleep.

Check out websites about nutrition, exercise, weight training, etc. Here are a few helpful links.

http://www.nutrawatch.com/
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/
http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Lose-Weight-the-Healthy-Way
http://weightloss.about.com/cs/fitness/a/aa011503a.htm
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/no-weight-workout?page=4


Why is my cat urinating and deficating in inappropriate areas?
Q. He is an older cat, has no urinary infection, and is defiant about going to the bathroom on the carpet - even when the litter box is clean.
He has a heart murmer and diabities.
I'm worried he's getting ready to die... is there another explanation?
He is on isulin. He is 'ok' per vet. Carpet has been steam cleaned multiple times. And he doesn't seem to drink that much more now that he's on insulin.
He doesn't seem confused - more difiant.

A. Cats can develop an aversion to a litter box. How do you know - well, first rule out your cat has a urinary tract infection or other health problem. It can be hard to do - but if possible, when you see your cat urinating - slip a pie plate under him to catch the urine. And then pour the urine into a small bottle - put it in fridge until you take it into the vet. If the urine is cloudy, or red, your cat could have an infection. Urine samples can also be tested for bladder stones but your vet must do this.

Now, assuming hes not ill - its back to the aversion. This is not uncommon and sometimes, it is triggered by stress. Has your personal situation changed - do you have new people in the house - have you moved from one home to another, or have you recently moved the cats litter box. Cats can become upset if you change the enviornment, introduce new people (babies). They can also become resistant to a litter box that is too dirty.

Try:
- changing the type of litter you buy - typically clumping litter is better - but you have to keep it clean
- moving the litter box to another location. A quiet, private location is better but to start - move the box to the place where the cat is now urinating (ie the livingroom). Gradually, each day, move the box a bit further ...so that you end up with the box in a place you want.
- having more than one litter box in the house. Have 3 or 4 - put one in each room and keep them all clean.


Worse case - some cat owners must sequester their cat to a small area (ie a bathroom) and using the above ideas (new litter, clean litter) try to get the cat to go in the box. You must put water and food in the room, make sure the cat is comfortable (not too hot or cold) and try over a period of a week or two to get the cat to return to the litter box. Once she does, try bringing the cat back into the house - using some of the above tips.

Some cats become `dirty cats` and owners have to make hard choices about either letting the cat outdoors or (...)


How come I get sick after eating sugar?
Q. I dont have diabities or anything like that. everytime I eat sugar I puke. this just started happening last week. I eat sugar only twice a week. I dont have a sweet tooth so I dont eat sugar often.

A. because all the white sugar and processed stuff does not agree with your body..
so take the hint..

dont eat it :)





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