Diagnosed Friday

Hello Everyone,

I am so happy to have found this message board. My name is Alison, and Toby, my8 year old Male cat was diagnosed with diabetes on Friday after I found him unresponsive in my kitchen in the middle of the night. We had no warning signs except for a few incidences of urinating outside of his litter box which was chaulked up to the fact that I had bought him a new box and started using different litter at that same time. Boy do I feel guilty.

The past few days have been so stressful! (For me). He is doing great with glucose testing and insulin injections -it is just nerve wrecking going to work and wondering if I'm going to find him like that again when I come home. It is a relief to know I'm not alone and other cat parents are out there dealing with the same issues.

The Emergency Vet started him on Humilin N BID and gave us a few samples of Royal Chain Rx food ( which he loved but holy cow $$). I just restarted him on his regular food again (FF classics) which I've read is preferable for diabetic cats. I am waiting for our primary vet to call me to set up an appointment ( was wondering if I should do a glucose curve at home before our first follow up appointment).

Toby still seems traumatized by the entire event on Friday and is not 100% himself but is doing well. I have so many questions and have started a journal recording all of his glucose readings and measuring his behavior & how much he is drinking/eating in preparation for our first follow up appointment.

Any tips or advice for beginning this process would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Alison & Toby

 

Hi Alison & Toby,

Welcome to the board. There is a bunch of very helpful people here.

Jones and I just started on this journey a few months ago. Good thing on the home testing. That is your number one tool for know how Toby's doing. As well, it will help when you are looking for dose advice in the future. I think you will find us very data driven and the moto - is all data is good data, so if you can do a curve...I don't think it will hurt.

Here is the instructions on setting up the spreadsheet that we all use here that way if you need help in a hurry everyone can see Toby's data and assist as needed. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/ I also have mine on my phone so I can update whenever and see if I have someone else doing testing for me.

Also if you want to set up your signature so we don't keep asking you the same questions over and over that would be good. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/creating-a-fdmb-profile.159626/.

The other piece of advice - read the sticky note posts and if anything print out the information on Hypos - fingers crossed you will never need it but I have a copy of the fridge and I am glad I do.

We will see you in the forum for you specific insulin for any further questions you have.

ETA - I see you have a signature...so I guess that is taken care of. Need more coffee I think LOL.


Toby will need a few days to recover most likely. Can I ask, was it that he was low or did he develop DKA?

FF is a fine food, I actually found Jones liked it more then the Rx food anyway.

 

Welcome Alison and Toby!
Was he on insulin therapy when you found him unresponsive or something to do with his enlarged liver? Great to hear you are home testing and taking so many notes . If you'd like we use Spreadsheets here to record BG levels and share with each other (links in signature). Here is the instruction link to template:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

You already have some signature information setup , maybe just add the dosage of Humilin he is on?

Many will say the expensive prescription food is not necessary either. Feel free to ask any questions . See you on the Main Health Forum!

 

Whoops, now you have the SS link twice and some more duplicate information

 

I'm so impressed you jumped right into testing right away! You asked about doing a curve.... Any data you gather is helpful! . Def set up the ss when you get a chance. Good call on switching back to ff classic. The prescription food is a waste of money.

 

Thank you everyone for all of this helpful advice, I really appreciate it. This has been a rough few days, I cannot wait to follow up with the vet next week. I am definitely going to take the day on Thursday to do a curve, just to have more information for the vet visit.

The emergency vet was unsure if the unresponsive episode was from his hyperglycemia or potentially a head injury. Prior to the episode he had been running around (he usually becomes hyper before I go to sleep) and jumped off of my bed, subsequently flying into a wall. I mentioned this to the vet and he said he could have been suffering from a concussion. His glucose was 360, >1000 in urine & urine ketones were 15. His liver being enlarged is a result of the undiagnosed diabetes.

Thank you again everyone for the warm welcome to your group

Alison & Toby

 

Hello Alison and Toby, welcome!

It would be good for Toby if you start monitoring his urine for ketones as your routine. You can buy testing strips at any human pharmacy. There are many methods of doing it but I found catching some urine into a long handle spoon to be the easiest way.

One of the earlier posts says that yo have the SS link twice, sorry I do not see any link at all, is it me or has it been removed?

 

Welcome!

 

Was this recently at the ER vet visit? On my Bayer KetoDiastix bottle, 15 corresponds to a "small" rating for ketones. I strongly suggest you get some urine ketone test strips at a human pharmacy and test Toby once a day for now. It's easier than you think and here are some methods that we use:

• put the end of the test strip right in his urine stream as he's peeing
• slip a shallow, long handled spoon under his backside to catch a little pee - you don't need much
• put a double layer of plastic wrap over his favourite part of the litter box and poke some depressions in it too catch pee.

Most test strips have to be dipped and allowed to develop for 15 seconds before viewing the colour change in very good light.

 

Thank you for the tips! The urine was at the emergency vet-he did note the ketones in the urine but he wasn't too concerned, I also made his primary vet aware. I am going to pick up some urine strips and begin experimenting with ways to test his urine tomorrow on my day off.

 

I saw the SS link and I think someone also posted it in this thread for me, thanks!