Casey and Shelby, not officially new

Hi all,

(Warning: Super long and probably too detailed info on my baby Shelby. Sorry in adance).
I have been on here for a few years now but haven't posted much. After 3 years and 3 months on Lantus I am switching Shelby to Levemir. I am now going to be on here all the time asking for help, haha. Shelby is 17 years old. I rescued her when she was approximately two years old, abandoned and pregnant. Since being diagnosed with diabetes, she has had multiple pancreatitis flare ups, three teeth cleanings with multiple extractions (and one before diagnosis), and two abdominal surgeries for hernia repair with fat growths.

Since her last abdominal surgery w/ teeth work and extractions in 10/16 she has had issues with eating, tummy and pooping. I quit asking the vet about it because he wants me to put her on a "higher quality" cat food like GlycoBalance, haha. I have told him many times, low carb high protein wet food is best, but he doesn't agree. We spent months on Nature's Variety limited ingredient, with turkey and lamb being the best on her tummy but most definitely not what she wanted to eat. I picked out the peas and blended it up for months because the texture of the wet food would irritate her mouth. This worked on and off, but ultimately she would only eat it if I doctored it with kitty crack. After many ages, we tried to transition back to FF which had been her main diet since diagnosis two years prior. No go, caused horrible tummy issues. I kept her off friskies since diagnosis because it always made her numbers rise, but that's what I fed my other four cats.
After her tummy settled down again from the FF I started trying her on select friskies flavors. They would be okay for a day or two then she would have horrible greasy diarrhea and vomiting. It is still what she wanted to eat, I think they do put kitty crack in the cheap foods. Finally figured out she can eat the supreme supper one (I really hesitated because of the fish, but she would't eat anything else that was safe for her tummy), without having too many issues.
Now we have ongoing poop issues. For the most part the diarrhea is gone. She has a solid poop everyday, but a few times a week she will have a solid poop followed by diarrhea or just drops of diarrhea (sometimes just real soft drops of poop) all over the house. I haven't figured out why. Vet suggested switching to GlycoBalance. Ugh. When she has the diarrhea it's kind of greasy/smeary and smells awful. She never ever covers up her potty visits. The vet did do xrays after her last abdominal surgery and said it looked like her stomache was full of fat globs and her bowels were pushed to the left side of her tummy. He thought the fat was probably the same stuff he removed during surgery, but he barely got her abdomen to close and didn't want to fool around in there anymore. Also said he thought the fat was typical for a diabetic cat. Now I'm kind of worry whatever is going on in there caused the diabetes but there is only so much I can do.

Basically Shelby's diabetes was under control and well regulated. Since that last surgery I can't get it to be steady. I haven't posted on here mainly because I didn't have a computer or internet and the first two spreadsheets I made I did wrong. I have always tracked her numbers but not on the spreadsheet. I already made a nice new one today, hopefully I did it right. I talked the vet into switching to Levemir. I wanted to switch last year but got a decent deal on Lantus pens so I just used them up. Oh that was a lot, I'm sorry. I look forward to spending more time on here and meeting people I haven't seen too much of in the FB group. Thanks all!

 

I don't have anything helpful to add, other than to say you have absolutely come to the right place. There are people here with mad skills and knowledge on many feline health issues and comorbidities. Welcome...even though you aren't brand new!

 

Thank you!! I am excited to be here.

 

Welcome back!

 

Thank you!