Fell in love with a diabetic stray..oy

Hi everyone! Last week I took my daughter to the humane society to just "pet the animals" .. made her promise not to beg and she didn't but I'M the one who ended up falling for a gorgeous green-eyed orange kitty - with diabetes. Now the kitty is in my house, technically fostering but who am I kidding? This cat is mine. He is 5 (they think), was found as a stray (but is extremely friendly so my guess is he had a home at one time), neutered him and noticed healing issues and he was diagnosed. They say they have stabilized him; they sent me home with about 20 cans of Purina ProPlan DM Savory Selects (to give 2 a day) and Lantus to give 2 units twice a day. I do not have a meter. So I'm reading that there are better foods but it is all very confusing. And if I get a meter, when do I check? I really want to give this kitty a second chance. He seems to have normal energy and is not drinking or peeing too much, but he does seem hungry. I'm in the USA btw.

 

Hi and Welcome to the FDMB!....and Bless You for foster failing this kitty!! (we've got a lot of foster fails here) It sounds like somebody dumped this poor soul when they found out he had diabetes

You're totally right...there's no reason you need to keep buying/feeding the DM....As long as the food is less than 10% carbs, it's fine for our sugarcats and most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pate's or 9-Lives ground foods

It really is important for you to get a meter and start testing ASAP.....we've seen cats go into hypoglycemic crisis on their first shot....not often, but it can happen!

If you're in the US, the Relion Confirm and Micro meters are great and available at WalMart. The replacement strips are affordable at $35.88 per 100 and they take the tiniest sample size. The Relion Prime's strips are cheaper, but the Prime takes a larger sample size and when you're first starting, the smaller the better!

2 units is a higher starting dose than we usually recommend too, but I guess he's been on 2 units at the shelter? The stress of a shelter environment can raise the numbers so being in a home he may not need that much....Usually we start around 1 unit and test to see how they're doing and increase/decrease according to the numbers.

I don't want to overwhelm you with information too quickly! If you have some more questions, please come over to the Health Forum and start a new post....This forum is for "introductions only"

 

Thank you so much. Yes, he was on 2 units twice a day at the shelter. I hadn't thought of shelter stress - he is such a laid-back kitty. I actually wondered if coming to a 3 story house where he can roam his heart out would be a big activity change from the cage he was in and change the numbers in the other direction. I think I'll head to Walmart and get a meter tomorrow. I'm a nurse and am used to checking people's blood sugar, but am a bit nervous about doing it on a cat!

 

Everybody thinks it's going to be really hard and that their cat will hate them forever and it really couldn't be further from the truth...My own cat, China, comes running when I get the supplies out because she knows she's going to get a treat!

Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

Here's a pretty good video on testing...there are quite a few of them on YouTube!

 

Hi. You have already received great advice so I am not going to repeat it. I just want to welcome you to FDMB and the foster failure club. I have failed 4 times, 2 of them were sugar kitties. It is a great place to be.

 

What does "foster failure" mean?? It does not sound good!

 

It typically means the fosterer ends up adopting the animal.

 

We love "foster failures"....means a foster kitty has found it's furever home instead

I'm a foster failure x 3 at the moment

 

Yep - member of the 'foster failure' club here too...ours is a little elderly ShihTzu/Chihuahua mix doggie named Penny. We were her medical fosters as she was just bones inside skin covered in sand burrs, fleas and ticks and ulcerated/punctured eyes, bad teeth, broken hip and leg. She actually died at the vet but they were able to bring her back. We were just keeping her long enough to get her on the road to health then find her 'forever' home. We found it... That was 2 years ago...she's over at the window talking to the squirrel right now.

Sounds like you've got a beautiful little boy - I can tell you're already head over heels in love.

HUGS!!

 

A failure before the foster even started. Woohoo!!!!!!! Lucky for both of you. Keep us posted.

 

Foster failure is a great thing. It means you fell in love with your foster and decided your home is the best place to be.

 

So am I! ...And I've never felt more pleased to be a 'failure' at fostering...

Eliz

 

@Calliene ....

Welcome to FDMB!
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