Diagnosed last week / stressed and confused :(

Good Day everyone

Glad to see something like this message board exists for

My 9yr old Russian Blue, Billy, was diagnosed at the vet 7 days ago with diabetes

Over the last 6 months or so Billy had been losing weight - he was a big boy obsessed with his Turkey Cheese and Gravy shredded canned food - around 20lbs and now down to 13lbs. He also began drinking lots of water and water ( in an attempt to lower his food portions we began mixing it with water making a stew like meal )
2 months ago he started peeing everywhere in the basement, however continued to use his litter upstairs. I thought it may be behavioural since he was always very picky about his clean litter box and began peeing and pooping outside in the closed backyard.
The vet initially blamed it on behaviour.
Last week i noticed he could barely walk on his back legs and was very lethargic, walking a few steps and then resting. I was very worried and went to the vet immediately.
They tested his blood and everything was great aside from elevated glucose (around 26)

They prescribed 2units every 12 hours of Glargine and feed 2 times a day quarter of a can of purina dm. and 1/8 cup of the dry version.

I gave him his first dose last thursday night, 2 units. The next day i came across many pages warning of an initial dose over 1 unit. I have gradually lowered his dose and have been giving him around 1.5 units.

The first day after his initial dose I noticed a change.

He feels heavier, i havent gotten a chance to weigh him. He is running around and playing and not sleeping all day like he was. He is still walking funny, but not as bad as it was in the days leading up to diagnosis.

The vet told me to come back in 2 weeks to discuss a glucose curve.

I am constantly worried and checking up on Billy all day, I have barely slept worried about his insulin dosage. I havent yet been able to get a glucometer, the vet keeps pushing the Alphatrak one but I am constantly re-thinking their advice. They told me the purina food was the best, they also told me 2 units is not a high dose, and they werent too worried with me not checking his glucose levels rather just to inject him.

I dont know what to do or who to trust.

Please any guidance will help me and my beloved Bill.

 

Welcome! Stressed and confused.. and add overwhelmed... is how most of us start out. It will get better. The two best pieces of advice I can give you are:
1) Get a glucose meter and start home testing. This is virtually impossible to manage if you are not testing. Testing actually reduces the stress because you have a better idea of what is going on and are better able to keep Bill safe. If cost is a factor at all go with a human meter. The AlphaTrak strips are very expensive, and you need to be able to test as often as needed without worrying about the cost. Most people here do use a human meter. It is fine, really. (If your vet is willing to let you do curves at home rather than having to take your cat in to the clinic but is only willing if you use an AlphaTrak then you could get one and use it just for those curves and use a human meter for your normal daily testing.)

2) Ditch the dry food. It is too high in carbs and will work against what you are trying to accomplish Dry food is bad for other reasons, too - check out catinfo.org. Low carb wet food with high-quality protein is the way to go. You don't have to stick with the so-called 'prescription' food either. There are a lot of other options available that are just as good or better and sometimes they are less expensive as an added bonus. (Note of caution, it is a good idea to start testing before you remove the dry food because sometimes lowering the carbs in the diet causes a significant drop in glucose, and you want to be able to make sure Bill is safe.)

There is a glargine forum where you can ask questions about dosing. They have sticky posts at the top of it that explain the dosing protocols normally used. There are two. You may want to read over it and see which one you think would work best for you and start following it. This gives you a path to follow so that you don't feel so lost. Also, there are a lot of people on that forum, some with years of experience, who can help guide you. (Unfortunately, most vets are not experts on feline diabetes. This site will help you educate yourself and get support.)

 

Hi Billy's Dad, I'm sorry about the diabetes diagnosis but very glad you have found FDMB so you can learn about effective diabetic treatment and next steps.

First, please create a signature so that the information you provided in your Intro message is available whenever you post. Saves having to ask/answer repeatedly or members backtracking through previous post for that information.

Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the country/time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

Second, since you have provided Billy's blood sugar level in "world measurements" this tells me you are not in the U.S. and in order to provide you with some better diet suggestions we need to know what country. The diet Billy is on may not be helpful in lowering the BG to more normal levels. Dry food is too high in carbohydrates, which cats just don't need, and a low carb wet diet is best.

Working to get the BG regulated (into lower numbers) is going to help with the excessive and less than acceptable urinary habits, and what sounds like neuropathy (weak back legs). There is a B-12 supplement that helps with neuropathy while you are working on lowering the elevated blood sugars.

You should be home testing Billy's blood sugar so you know how the insulin is affecting him. If you aren't yet we can explain how important it is to do this, it's one of the three basic components of effective diabetic treatment. We can provide information about supplies and the procedure. Plus, we can help you understand how the insulin works and help you determine what a good dose is for Billy, while you learn more about treatment. The most important thing is to keep Billy safe and you are spot on to realize that the 2 Unit dose might be too much.

I know that you are feeling very overwhelmed, confused and don't know which way to turn right now. There is a lot of information that you will be asked to read and absorb. But, let's take this one step at a time, make sure Billy is safe and work on your understanding of treatment.

Going forward, please start posting on the Main Health forum HERE This Intro forum is just the welcome mat and more members monitor the Health forum to be able to help out.

Best wishes going forward

 

Thank you so much for your prompt replies! Seriously brings a tear to my eye knowing that people actually care!

I will post in the main health forum going forward

 

We do care, many of us could quite rightly be described as excellent cat servants! We love our pusscats and share what we know and have learned.

I will say that the members and information here have saved kitty lives, provided support for new and ongoing members, and in my personal case assisted Idjit to remission and helped me avert a hypoglycemic event.

Now that we know you are in Canada, and when you post in the Main Health forum, we can tag in other Canadian members to advise on testing supplies and food.

 

Thank you so much Idjit's Mom! I am so happy to hear Idjit made it to remission - it feels like all my worldly goals have taken a backseat to my main goal of getting Billy back to good health.

I re-posted the thread in the main health forum

 

I sure can relate to your statement Billy. Even made me tear up thinking about how true it is. However, keep faith that taking care of precious Billy WILL become much easier after a few weeks and you will mesh the new life with your old one. You do have people here that care deeply.