first time here newly diagnosed

I adopted a sweet old cat from the humane society several months ago because I wanted to give a senior animal a home. He quickly became a much loved member of the household but it quickly became apparent with his lethargy and thinness that he wasn't well. I suspected thyroid issues but the vet has diagnosed him with diabetes. I'm intimidated by having to give him shots and kind of shocked by this new responsibility. The cost of the insulin, syringes and very expensive food (DM Purina) is a concern but after viewing this message board, I'm feeling more positive. I'm determined to be proactive for this little guy...We've both survived the first two insulin shots and he doesn't seem to hate me . I'm a little scared of what lies ahead for us but excited to hopefully experience seeing "Charlie" active and happy for the first time. Did anyone else feel this apprehension about facing all of this?
Karen and Charlie

 

sure did! Especially the cost. I,m getting used to it and ebay helps with some of the supplies. :smile:

 

Hi Karen. We all know the shock of finding out that our precious felines are sugar kitties. I cried and cried and was so upset, but after I came here and realized the support system and all the knowledge and experience of the other pet parents with FD on this board, I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Read what everyone writes and read what is suggested. It seems like a lot, at first, but in the big picture, it's not. It's just that we are all upset and stressed out when we are learning. It will come together for you just like it did for the rest of us. You'll see!

Take a look at some of the other newbie threads going on right now as there is good info in all of them.

You're going to be fine! cat_pet_icon

 

Hi, Karen and welcome to FDMB!

I'm sure that you'll get lots of replies in time, but one thing that jumped out at me in your message is your comment about the expensive food (DM Purina). You do know from your reading, don't you, that it's not at all necessary to feed this? There are plenty of better foods - better and less expensive - that you can get at the grocery store or pet store. Have you seen Janet & Binky's food charts? I don't have the link at hand right now, but somebody will provide it soon, I expect. Find a low-carb canned food (under 10 in the carbs column) on that list that you can afford and that your kitty likes.

What kind of insulin are you shooting, and how much per shot? Two shots a day, I hope/expect, unless there is something quite unusual about your situation? Did the vet say anything about other health problems, or is it just diabetes?

First answer these questions, so we'll have an idea of your situation. We'll help you figure out the best thing to do next. (Don't change anything until you give us this information.)

Yes, it is very normal to feel apprehensive. Everyone does at first diagnosis. But soon it all becomes very routine.

 

Welcome Karen! It is really scary and totally overwhelming. We just got diagnosed a couple weeks ago. Just started the insulin today and tomorrow is my first time to give the shot.

But as others have said---you don't want to feed the Purina DM dry food. It is 18% carbohydrate and from what I have learned from here, that is higher than what you want. It is amazing what changing their diet can do for the glucose levels. Every cat is different, but simply dropping the dry food and switching competely to wet food made a difference with my Webber's glucose.

Read and read.....there is a ton of experience on this message board. Everyone is very supportive and has made me feel better every time I am upset.

 

Welcome Kam & Charlie

Oh goodness, I had the same emotions when I heard about diabetes. I knew that I wasn't ever going to give my sweet boy shots. For him to live, I had to learn. I'm happy that you've already given Charlie 2 shots & he didn't complain. In a short while, it will get easier for both of you.

You've gotten some good advice from others. I agree that you need to read all the information available on this site. Everyone here currently has or has had a sugar kitty. You have gotten advice about the DM food. It's not a good food for diabetics... too many carbs.

I wanted to welcome you to FDMB. Feel free to ask all the questions you'd like. There are members located all over the world & someone is usually online all the time.


Hugs to you & Charlie!
Linda Lee

 

Karen... so glad you found us... really... just the emotional support alone is a life saver here... your life. But the medical help and combine knowledge of this board is a true life saver for thousands of cats...

There is a thread on the old forum in which a few of us have shared our first feelings and experiences. It's not as important a read as the health articles you need to absorb for Charlie's sake... but if you ever feel alone or you just need to know we understand... take a look. Remember the Fear? The Day of Dx?

When you get a chance... can you tell us a bit more about your cat and the course of treatment.. and what Charlie is eating? I know you said that you bought the DM... but you don't need to feed that expensive sub-standard food. Consider feeding species appropriate diet by reading www.catinfo.org. Then you can check out the nutritional links for more information on low carb canned diets for Charlie.

 

The food charts spoken of are here:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm

 

Hi again. I'm so relieved to see all of the messages you folks have posted for me. I can't believe how much hope the site has given me. I was distressed to her the dm might be too high in carbs but I also know it's unwise to cut back too quickly and give insulin at the same time. Great to hear there are alternative foods that won't break the bank. I believe Charlie's insulin is called caninsulin and he recieves 1 ml every 12 hrs. This old guy is so new to my life that I have no idea how long he has had this disease. The vet says that there seems to be no other health issues involved but he does have a sebaceous cyst that gives draining and then returning. Right now it's just a hole that probably isn't healing because of the diabetes. Poor Baby. My beagle Rosie has totally bonded with this little guy, the other day they were both sleeping in the dog bed together. It was so sweet. My goal is to give Charlie an opportunity to feel healthy and happy for the rest of his life and perhaps even wean him off insulin, I just feel like such a novice. thanks for the kind words of support while Charlie and I make this journey. Karen.

 

Hi and welcome.

It is soooo scary, but it does get better, in two weeks you won't believe what you can do and how it can help your baby.

A couple of quick things....
Have a good look at this user guide to this insulin.
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=302

Each insulin acts differently and knowing how yours works makes a big difference.
You may also want to speak to you vet anbout a different insulin like lantus, right away though, caninsulin also known as vetsulin is currently under an FDA warning and similar in Canada...http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=311

meanwhile....whew, it takes time and an infection or physical ailment as you describe can certainly cause stress on the body, in return raising blood glucose levels.

I hope that with the antibiotics and a chance to heal, that perhaps insulin needs will be minimal

Hang in there and ask lots of questions. You are not alone.

 

Oh how precious is that! Do you know how old he is at all? I'm certain if you learn to hometest and then can get him on a low carb diet, you'll be surprised at how well he does.

 

Bless your heart and welcome!

What a kind soul to adopt an older cat from a shelter. Good for you!
The diabetes part is daunting at first and then it's like brushing your teeth.

Welcome to the best place for you and your kitty.
If you have any kind of challenge, come here.
The knowledge and compassion of everyone here is limitless.

Take care of that lucky guy and check in here often.

Kellie

 

Adopting an older cat is SO SWEET of you!

The infection that Charlie has may be tough to heal - when my diabetic cat Norton had an infection, it took 3 rounds of antibiotics (two different kinds) to heal - nearly a month. Also, I was applying warm (wet) compresses at least once per day to the infection / abscessed area after it had been lanced / drained, to help keep it open to heal from the inside out.

What you may find -- once the infection is healed, and you have changed to a lower carbohydrate (grain free) canned food --- the diabetes may go into "remission" and Charlie may become "Diet controlled" like people.

Learning to home-test Charlie's blood sugar would be well worth the effort.

 

Hi All,
Well, the past few weeks have been an adventure for Charlie and I. Thanks for all your advice when I first logged in about my old guy.....I've switched vets and have found one that is enthusiastic as I am about the possibility of getting Charlie off insulin. That's my goal but if it doesn't happen then I've mastered the insulin giving and feel quite comfortable about it. The first thing the vet did was switch him from caninsulin to human insulin called Lantus because she said there was more chance of getting him insulin free with this. She understands about my concerns over the higher carb Dm food and agrees to low carb foods off Janet and Binkys' list as long as it's wet. Even on the other insulin the change in Charlie has been dramatic and gratifying since starting treatment. He's gone from being a very thin, sad looking guy to a happy, playful cat with a beautiful full coat (even his shedding has decreased). As I mentioned on my first time in the forum, I adopted 12 yr old Charlie from a local shelter 6 months ago and he had been there for at least 7 months as alll the younger cats around him got adopted. I went looking for a second dog and came home with a cat......I believe that the many months in a cage on a high carb dry food may well have triggered this disease and I'm hoping to change things with proper diet. Meanwhile, this journey that he and I have started together has really bonded me to Charlie. What began with grudging obligation has become a loving mission and I'm determined
Thanks again for all the support, it really helps!
Karen and Charlie

 

Welcome back, Karen.

Sounds like you have a great vet, a great insulin and a great diet change. Now the only thing left is the hometesting. It is the only way to keep Charlie safe - eliminating the change of overdose or underdose.

Can we help you with that? Here is a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8 and a site with lots of tips:
http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.htm If you would like personal help, you can post your city and state and maybe we have someone who lives near you.

 

WELCOME, this forum is a great place to gain knowledge and really learn how to manage feline diabetes. By doing just a few things each day (that really won't take up much of your time at all), you won't need to worry about losing your precious cat, not where feline diabetes is concerned.

There are three key factors to managing diabetes: food/nutrition, home testing and insulin

1) Feline Nutrition: Now, as far as diet - definitely dump the dry food (if you are feeding any) and if the vet recommends purchasing prescription food like DM just say "no thank you". ALL cats, and especially those with diabetes, do best on a species appropriate diet that is high in protein and low in carbs. Dry food DOES NOT fit that bill and DM food, even canned, just really isn't that great as far as quality. Most here on FDMB feed low carb/high protein canned, raw bought from a pet store or they make there own.

Here great links, one is to a food chart put together by one of our board members that breaks down the carb % and protein % of most of the commercial brand foods. You want to keep the carb % below 10% and around 7% is great. The other link is to a site by a vet "Dr. Lisa DVM" ... who also posts on this board from time to time ... there is in-depth info. there about many things, including nutrition and how to make raw food.
Nutrition/food info

The good thing with feeding your diabetic cat this way, is that it is ALSO good for any non-diabetic cat too. All your cats can safely eat the same food without worry and it may save you some costs and headaches of having to do separate feedings and keeping track of what they are eating.


2. Home testing: It is impossible to convey the value of testing your cat's BG (blood glucose) level at home. Some vets will "suggest" this, but most won't even mention it. They will send you home with insulin and an amount to shoot and maybe some instructions about hypoglycemia (blood sugar dropping to a dangerously low level).

Well, the thing is, human diabetics don't EVER give themselves insulin without checking there BG to make sure it is safe to do so, so why shouldn't it be the same for our kitties. Here on FDMB it is. You will notice that the vast majority of people here test their cat's BG at least 2x/day (before giving each shot to make sure the level is safe enough) and periodically at other times to see how the cat is responding to the current dose. We use a human glucometer, test strips and lancets - which are all very readily available and easy to use.

Our kitties get lots of love and treats for "putting up" with this and most of them actually come out to be tested on their own 'cause they want those treats . Here is a collection of great links that "Carolyn and Spot" pulled together about hometesting. See what you think ... it truly is the best way to not only keep Your cat safe but also really get a handle on this disease and help him to live a healthy life with FD (feline diabetes).

Home testing Links

3. Insulin: There are several types of insulin available. Many people, myself included use Lantus or Levimer both of which are great insulins. They are gentle insulin and given twice (BID) per day in 12 hour increments.

Please read up on the insulins available, here is a link to the Insulin Support Groups:

Insulin Support Groups

However, one caveat and again this shows how these three things are inter-related:

If you are feeding dry food or even a high carb food, BEFORE removing these foods, please make sure of your insulin dose as it will most likely need to be reduced, so as to avoid a possible hypoglycemic situation due to the removal of the dry/high carb foods that will lower the BG’s and reduce the amount of insulin required. Again, another reason why home testing is important.

I know this all seems like a lot, and that's because it is ... there is a learning curve here. But as long as you are determined and keep at it, you will have it down before you know it and you'll be seeing the results in Your cat' overall health and happiness. Ask all the questions you can think of - that's why we are here!

Also, if you haven't done it yet, take the time and fill out your profile. It will help when others come on and read this. Also, let us know where you live - city/state as there are probably people in your area who can provide on the ground support and help you to learn home testing, etc.

 

So what dose are you giving now and what are you feeding?

If you are not hometesting already, you really need to start!! Hometesting is VERY important. Most of us here use any human meter. Think of it as a human diabetic does. *If it were you or a child of yours, you'd be testing blood glucose levels at home prior to each shot; you'd be working with your doctor to determine a proper dose based on those shot results, correct?* Some vets do not agree with hometesting and I cannot for the life of me understand why. Most vets, sadly are not knowledgeable enough in feline diabetes. Insulin is a VERY powerful drug and you NEED to hometest before giving a shot. This is very important. The vet would rather have you bring the cat to them, stress it out more, which may spike the levels anyway and then they can charge you $$. Hometesting saved me a lot of money and it is VERY important for you personally to know the cat’s levels and how it is reacting to the insulin before you shoot so you do not pass up your ideal dosage.

Thanks to everyone's help here I learned to home test 2 cats and they both got off insulin within 3 weeks with diet change…but of course, they reacting both DIFFERENTLY with the process. If I can do it with 2 cats twice a day (and more on curve days), ANYONE can do it. It does NOT hurt them as much as you think it does. It just stings for a moment and then it is gone, you can try it on yourself. Also, put pressure on the ear after poking and it should minimize the nub. They won't mind it once they start feeling better. I use the True Track meter (CVS or Walgreens brand) which I love. And, the strips are also reasonable. Also, remember to give them a treat after the test. Here is a link to a member videos on hometesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6iXetR398