TanyaG
Member Since 2016
So my cat Tinka was diagnosed with diabetes this week and is on day 4 of Lantus and she has increasingly beeing getting more itchy again. She has a history of skin issues and is currently on Prednisolone steroid which has been managing the symptoms, however she has become more reliant on the steroids over the years. The vet believes she may have leaky gut and thus allergies to foods, even possible environemental but she didn't offer any test. Vets method past year has been elemination diet but with the diabetes symptoms and how sick she was, with loss of appetite we had to abandon this approach. With the changes in food this week to canned Instinct 95% protein and limited ingredient I'm pleased that they low the carb and not many additives etc but with her eating a number of different proteins and no longer novel I believe something in the food is flaring her up. I noticed today the scratching her face and ears, licking and biting herself is getting worse today. We hadn't lowered her steroid so I can only assume its something in the food that is aggrevating her. In the past year we worked out that sardines and chicken may be problematic so we stil avoiding those. But with the diet change there are a number of other different proteins I'm now feeding her and I have no idea which she may be reacting too. In the past she ate kibble Science diet which is probably what caused the gut issues in the first place. Past year we were then doing home cooked novel protein (pork then duck) which she was doing ok on but she also had steroids during this time so I'm not sure if that helped some of the itch. We then did canned novel rabbit and kangaroo but not low carb novel to try to do an elimination diet to find out what allergies she had. Unforunately because of the diabetes diagnosis and her symptoms of being so unwell past few weeks we had to abandon the novel and elimination diet and just get her eating. I tried canned salmon during this time as well as some pork and she scratched a bit but not more than she was on 1/8 steroid. When on the rabbit she scratched a little, about the same, not bad, but again she was on steroids. But she would no longer eat that food as she completetly lost her appetite and weight. But now since starting on insulin this week and going lower carb on the Instinct canned she is eating better and her appetite is improving which is good as she's currently underweight. So I'd like to keep her on this, however the increased itching is problematic and if she continues she'll begin to rip her fur out and damage her ears and eyes. So I'm wondering if its the venison, pork, salmon or duck in the Instinct or even peas or another ingredient in there.
Because of this we had to increase her steroid today to 1/4 and I honestly think its what has increased her BG as she has the highest BG today at PMPS and I've noticed a pattern that her PMPS is typically her lowest/lower score of the day. I had given her the increased steroid at lunch and now this evening her PMPS is 18 mmol/L which is the highest reading she's had overall. Even more so then when her BG was taken at the vets and she was stressed. She was on a 1/8 steroid then. So perhaps increasing steroid increases her BG.
The vet did say that we need to get her off steroids asap once she stabilises as they worsen or can even be one of the causes of diabetes. I do think its a prime culprit for the diabetes on set. She usually does a short course of a week or two but currently she's been on them for almost 3 months slowly weaning down. They just suppressing her immune system and worsening the condition. Steroids clear her skin but when she goes off them her skin flare more often, like its reliant on the steroids not. A 1/4 steroid was working well a few weeks back she was on it about a month and barely any itch, when we dropped to an 1/8 a few weeks ago there was some scratching but she wasn't doing any damage to herself. But past few days since the insulin and food changes even on the 1/8 steroid the scratching is definitly worsening and if I leave it she's start to rip open wounds on her body and face and hurt her eyes etc. Hence why I increased dose but now I don't want to worsen the diabetes. Not sure what to do really. I likely won't be ablet to just feed one food as she tends to lose her appetite then and can't afford her not to eat, so I'll prob have to stick to at least 2 proteins so I can rotate, so will be a trial and error to see whats working. I'm concerned about her being on the steroids longer or on higher amounts and how we are going to be able to get her off them. Its a complex situation. Would appreciate to hear others thoughts or suggestions and what has worked for skin issues, food allergies and testing, use of steroids or alternatives and effects on diabetes. Thank you in advance!
Here is the link to my orignal and previous threads -
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...test-first-insulin-shots-food-changes.169657/
Because of this we had to increase her steroid today to 1/4 and I honestly think its what has increased her BG as she has the highest BG today at PMPS and I've noticed a pattern that her PMPS is typically her lowest/lower score of the day. I had given her the increased steroid at lunch and now this evening her PMPS is 18 mmol/L which is the highest reading she's had overall. Even more so then when her BG was taken at the vets and she was stressed. She was on a 1/8 steroid then. So perhaps increasing steroid increases her BG.
The vet did say that we need to get her off steroids asap once she stabilises as they worsen or can even be one of the causes of diabetes. I do think its a prime culprit for the diabetes on set. She usually does a short course of a week or two but currently she's been on them for almost 3 months slowly weaning down. They just suppressing her immune system and worsening the condition. Steroids clear her skin but when she goes off them her skin flare more often, like its reliant on the steroids not. A 1/4 steroid was working well a few weeks back she was on it about a month and barely any itch, when we dropped to an 1/8 a few weeks ago there was some scratching but she wasn't doing any damage to herself. But past few days since the insulin and food changes even on the 1/8 steroid the scratching is definitly worsening and if I leave it she's start to rip open wounds on her body and face and hurt her eyes etc. Hence why I increased dose but now I don't want to worsen the diabetes. Not sure what to do really. I likely won't be ablet to just feed one food as she tends to lose her appetite then and can't afford her not to eat, so I'll prob have to stick to at least 2 proteins so I can rotate, so will be a trial and error to see whats working. I'm concerned about her being on the steroids longer or on higher amounts and how we are going to be able to get her off them. Its a complex situation. Would appreciate to hear others thoughts or suggestions and what has worked for skin issues, food allergies and testing, use of steroids or alternatives and effects on diabetes. Thank you in advance!
Here is the link to my orignal and previous threads -
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...test-first-insulin-shots-food-changes.169657/
If she doesn't get into the blues tmrw I'll up to 0.75 then on Tues. Thanks so much for your help 
I'm considering trying Tinka on the Nature's variety rabbit. Not sure if she'll eat it though as she is a bit fussy. If not I'll have to wait till later till her weight and numbers are more stable as don't want her skipping any meals. Rabbit is novel which is great, but she was on it recenlty when she was poorly with the diabetes so she may associate the food with feeling badly. Its a very lean meat too and she needs to pick up weight but it is novel which is helpful. 
The main thing to concentrate on is that Tinka is starting to feel better. The BG numbers are solely a guide to help us keep our little ones safe and to optimise their insulin treatment. Quality of life is the most important metric.