Fluffy is Diagnosed :(

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Natalie & Fluffy, Sep 12, 2015.

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  1. Natalie & Fluffy

    Natalie & Fluffy Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2015
    Hello forum~ I'm all new to this, so let me introduce myself, I am the proud owner of a loving 15 year old cat named Fluffy who was sadly diagnosed with diabetes just a few weeks ago. Thank goodness there's support, because I was a wreak the first few days during the diagnosis.

    I'm sure everyone remembers how they felt when the vet first told them that their beloved feline had diabetes. I felt terrible guilt at not having noticed my cat had been suffering this entire time. This summer I was undergoing benzo withdrawals, and I was too sick to even notice the minute but gradual changes my poor kitty was going through. He was always a voracious eater, but I noticed he was drinking an inordinate amount of water too. His litter box was an incredible hassle to clean---I found myself swearing at the ridiculous output (sorry for the image!) Since his last visit at the vet's was over a year ago, he clocked in at about 22 lbs (he was hefty, but he's a very long cat as well!) He began to lose weight despite his increased food and water intake. I thought he was just getting old, but there were some signs of his health deteriorating. For a few days, he started the throw up, and it was then we took him to the vet where he told us the news. Poor Fluffy... He had to stay two nights at our vet for stabilization and glucose curves. I am grateful my vet and his team notified me throughout the day how he was doing. After a sleepless night, it was a godsend to hear that he was responding very well to the insulin, and had no ketones present in his urine.

    Even though my friends tell me I shouldn't beat myself over it, I know I should. I should have indulged him less, watched his weight. I feel responsible for not noticing my cats' suffering. I suppose all diabetic owners blame themselves for their cat's condition... But the best I can do is resolve to regulate his glucose levels and scheduled feeding times, love, and take care of him to the best of my knowledge. A diabetic cat does require a degree of discipline and attention, but if anything, it makes me closer to him. :)

    Fluffy was prescribed 2 units of insulin (Novo Novolin) twice a day, twelve hours apart. I give him his first morning shot around 7:30 am, and his evening shot around 7:15 pm. He eats around twenty minutes before his shot and after, and then I remove the food until his next shot. He eats half a wet food can of Prescription M/D mixed with half a can of wet food Purina. The good thing is that he doesn't even notice the shot! The vet did say that he should technically eat about the equivalent of 2 1/4 cans of Pres. M/D food per day, but the mixture I make takes him maybe two or three days to finish. :/

    For about a week, I noticed his behavior was getting gradually getting better, almost... too much! I was incredibly grateful. He started to behave like a happy, contented cat, but around last week he started exhibiting strange hyperactivity. His behavior seemed a little erratic, shaking, loss of balance, strange gait, wide pupils, and howling. I called the vet. We took him in for a test, and for sure, he was hypoglycemic, as his levels were around 90, though they unfortunately in reality would have been lower since he was stressed out about the visit. The good thing was he gained a little bit of weight (from 14 to 16 lbs). Our vet then reduced Fluffy's dose from 2 units to 1 unit.

    So far, he seems to be responding well to this dose. It's probably too soon to tell. Sometimes in the afternoon he meows more often than usual, but doesn't generally shake around and for the most part seems content. If he starts acting erratic, I usually give him a small snack of food around 1 in the afternoon, and he tends to respond well to that. Fluffy will be going in for another glucose curve next Friday, so I'm crossing my fingers!

    Anyways, sorry for the long story, but I look forward to meeting and supporting other people who are going through the same thing :)

    edit: For any readers, what are some helpful tips that you recommend for someone who is new to all of this? And should I consider getting a blood sugar tester?
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2015
  2. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Ah, Natalie, welcome to the Forum. I can so relate to your feelings of guilt that I share too. Bubba is also a large cat and at his heftiness weighed in at 25 lbs. He is now a svelte 17 lbs. It happened gradually for me too as I was busy taking care of my 88 year old mother with Alzheimer's. So, it is what it is and don't beat yourself up and you have found a great site to help you. I am rather new also and wanted to say hello and I am glad you found us. The more experienced ones will be giving and sharing information with you soon. They will be guiding you on home testing and helping you set up a Spread Sheet with Fluffy's Blood Gluose numbers. It seems a bit overwhelming at first but, you took the best step forward to want to educate yourself more so that you can help Fluffy. This is a great place for the support that you need. Wishing you all the best with Fluffy and this journey.
     
  3. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    Welcome to the message board, the best place you never wanted to be.

    There are 4 things you'll need to manage your kitty's diabetes:
    - You - without your commitment, the following won't work.
    - Home blood glucose monitoring with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart Relion Confirm or Target Up and Up (the pet ones will break your budget!). This saves you the cost of going to the vet for curves and done regularly, removes the need for a fructosamine test.
    - Low carb over the counter canned or raw diet, such as many Friskies pates. See Cat Info for more info. If already on insulin, you must be home testing before changing the diet. Food changes should be gradual to avoid GI upsets - 20-25% different food each day until switched. There are 2 low carb, dry, over the counter foods in the US - Evo Cat and Kitten dry found at pet specialty stores and Young Again 0 Carb found online.
    - A long-lasting insulin such as ProZinc, Lantus, BCP PZI, or Levemir. Novolin NPH often lasts only 6-8 hours in the cat. No insulin lasts 24 hours in the cat, so giving it every 12 hours is optimal for control.
     
  4. Natalie & Fluffy

    Natalie & Fluffy Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2015
    Hello and thank you for sharing your story with me! I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother and your cat; I'm sure they are beyond grateful for having such wonderful care and compassion. :) It's good to have someone understand a similar situation to what each other's going through. Thank you again :)
     
    Bobbie And Bubba likes this.
  5. Natalie & Fluffy

    Natalie & Fluffy Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2015
    Wow thank you so much for the information! I will try to purchase a glucometer as soon as I can. The Prescription M/D low car food is really expensive, at around $4 a can... I will look into those foods. As for the insulin, I do have Novo Novolin, so should I talk to my vet about switching to Prozinc, Lantus, etc.?
     
  6. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    I wouldn't change anything until you're home testing, for safety!
    You've already paid for the Novolin; if you can show by home-testing that it isn't working well, the vet will be more likely to agree to use a better insulin. If finances are particularly a concern, check out BCP PZI as the next one to try.
    Changing the food to a lower carb, canned or raw food may reduce the glucose levels 100-200 mg/dL and going too low risks hypoglycemia, which can be fatal.
    Here's the FDMB guide on How to Treat a Hypo.
     
  7. Natalie & Fluffy

    Natalie & Fluffy Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2015
    I discussed getting a glucometer with my parents but they wouldn't budge and just said, "follow what the vet says." :/ I'll be sure to bring it up in front of my vet though when he comes in for a glucose curve this Friday, maybe he can convince my parents to buy one. Thanks for the info!
     
  8. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Human glucometers like a lot of use are very inexpensive, maybe 20-25 bucks. It's the only way you are going to be able to keep Fluffy safe. Look at it this way, a human diabetic would NEVER shoot insulin if they did not test first to know how much to give themselves. Maybe that angle will get your parents on board. Good luck.
     
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