I am so lost...newly diabetic diagnosis :(

Hello,
My name is Kathy and I have two fur babies Bert & Al.
Bert is a wonderful 8 yr. old gray tabby.
We rescued him when he was about 2yrs. old.
He is the best cat we could of asked for.
We love him(both of our kitties) VERY much.

Bert was just diagnosed with diabetes last week.
I feel so overwhelmed and guilty.
His is a big cat. His ideal weight would be 16 pounds. He got a little heavy(24 pounds) and was this way for about 2 yrs.
We noticed weight loss and he was very thirsty. This led us to his vet and the diagnosis.

They say he needs to go to the clinic for 3 days for a glucose curve test. This they say will cost about $500.00.
I am heartbroken at the thought of him being gone for 3 days(he will be so stressed out).
I feel like we have failed Bert. If we had not let him get overweight this may not have happened.
I also can not bring him in right away for this test as I need to be able to work it into our budget.
This makes me feel terrible I wish we could just bring him in now, but we have already spent $300.00 just to get to this point.

I have been reading quite a bit about the whole wet/dry food and am on board with switching both cats to wet only.
The vet prescribed him Purina DM wet and dry.
It is hard because we have to separate the cats when they eat now and they do not like that.

So my question is can I switch them to all wet food and not risk Bert's health.
I do not have a glucose monitor yet, but will get one very soon.
I am very wiling to test his blood sugars.

I just need advice as to what I can do for Bert until we get him to the vet for the glucose test.

I told you I was very lost.....I just do not know where to start :cry:

Thank you for any help or advice. I am just so overwhelmed right now.

 

HI Kathy, and welcome!

There are a few misconceptions in your post, let me take them one at a time:

They say he needs to go to the clinic for 3 days for a glucose curve test. This they say will cost about $500.00.

No cat can be regulated at the clinic, it can only be done at home.

I am heartbroken at the thought of him being gone for 3 days(he will be so stressed out).

Stress raises blood glucose, which is why he needs to be at home where he is calm. We can help you with getting him started.

I feel like we have failed Bert. If we had not let him get overweight this may not have happened.
I also can not bring him in right away for this test as I need to be able to work it into our budget.
This makes me feel terrible I wish we could just bring him in now, but we have already spent $300.00 just to get to this point.

You need a glucometer kit, Cindy's offer is toward the top of this forum.

I have been reading quite a bit about the whole wet/dry food and am on board with switching both cats to wet only.
The vet prescribed him Purina DM wet and dry.

You don't need expensive so-called 'prescription' foods. Does your vet know that the vet who holds the patent on DM is recommending Wellness and Fancy Feast?

It is hard because we have to separate the cats when they eat now and they do not like that.

Both of your cats should be on the same species appropriate diet. For a full description of what this is, why it is important and how to do it go to www.catinfo.org

So my question is can I switch them to all wet food and not risk Bert's health.
I do not have a glucose monitor yet, but will get one very soon.
I am very wiling to test his blood sugars.

I just need advice as to what I can do for Bert until we get him to the vet for the glucose test.

You can educate yourself about feline diabetes and it's treatment. You can learn to test Bert's blood at home. You have already taken the first step.

Gia & Quirk (GA)

Guilt trips are a detour from life

 

you are going to get a LOT of information here, and most of it will tell you that you do not need to leave your cat at the vet for testing. and it is preferable if you do it on your own for so many different reasons.

But you do need to have a vet you can work with. if your vet is unwilling to support your decision to test your cat's blood sugars on your own and is opposed to it, then you have limited options. If you have another vet in your area then looking to change might not be a bad idea - that is if your vet is not willing to work with you.

the fact that you are here shows you are willing to do what is necessary to take care of your cat. So many people faced with FD are unwilling or unable to take that next step to home test and get a better handle on this disease.

you can do it. and once you learn how you'll wonder why you were ever so overwhelmed

Connie

 

IYou have already gotten good advice about not leaving Bert at the vet for the curve.

If I were you, I would learn to hometest now. Here is a video that shows you how: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8 And this site gives you lots of info: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.htm You can pick up a human glucometer at any drug store. If money is an issue the ReliOn Micro is well liked here. You can buy it at Walmart. Come back on for questions; we all have tips we were successful with.

No time for a guilt trip. Lots of us were in the same boat - feeding dry food with overweight cats. What matters is what you do from now on.

 

(((Kathy & Bert))) it will be Ok.. I promise. I am new too & feel every bit of frightened as you, but after a month on the message board, I feel like it will be all Ok.
The folks on here are so experienced & give the best advice & are just wonderful. My Baby was diagnosed & she is underweight - so don't beat yourself up about his weight. Definitely switch to high protein/low carb only - do not feel like you have to separate them at meal time..put them both on the same diet - it is a good diet for your non diabetic kitty too & in fact - may just help your other kitty not become diabetic. Please do not leave Bert at the Vet for 3 days, home test like the folks suggested on this board. If your Vet persists - I would personally suggest shopping for a new Vet..a Vet who is supportive & whoms views for treatment are in alignment with yours. One thing that saddens me the most..is how much bad advice there is out there.. from the so called experts...

It is hard in the beginning, I still cry & struggle everyday..but it is a fight that I not once have regretted fighting. It is all so overwhelming..our furbabies are our heart..but the good news is.. it is managable..just throw the old saying out the window of "cats are low maintenance" because there is nothing low maintenace about feline diabetes... but the enriching reward is an improved..closeness..relationship with your furry friend.. in my opinion.
You literally hold his health in your hands...and all the information you need is right here on this website. Peace & prayers to you...
Bert always has a chance.. as long as you don't give up... :YMHUG: o

 

Hi Kathy
Welcome to the best place to be to help Bert.
There will be many others stopping by to give you advice.
I am new to the group since Nov and I have learned a lot since then.

Please read everything that you can in the site and check out janet & binkeys food charts for low carb, high protein food. We use FF, only the "legal" kinds - pate, nothing with gravy. (except to be used in emergency)

Home testing is extremely important. Yes overwhelming at first but now I am an old pro at it.

Just by being here shows that you are taking steps to manage Bert's diabetes and you will do fine.

 

Thank you for the encouragement.
I am going to the pet store tomorrow.
I am leaning toward the Wellness brand of wet foods.

Can I switch them cold turkey(take away the dry all together) with out this hurting bert?
Should I wait till I get a glucose monitor

 

If you are not yet giving insulin, it is a great time to change the diet. Then you can hometest and get an idea of his numbers on lo carb food before insulin. If I have misunderstood and you are giving insulin, be sure you are hometesting before the diet change.

 

Wellness is good, I feed that & Raw.
Dont hold off getting a meter, began testing as soon as possible.
If they let you switch their diet cold turkey, you are blessed.. go for it. It will not do any harm.. if it is the right diet (canned, high protein/low carb)

 

Oh wow... you are doing so well for Bert already... You have educated yourself on food and found a great site for help - us! :smile:

In my signature is a link to the index of our old forum... At the top of the page is a link to Janet and Binky's food charts. You want the canned charts. I'm telling you about the location of it because that old site has a lot of good information - however, for speed, I've also linked you directly to the charts here. Click on there and go to the new canned food chart and find wet foods that are under 10% carbs that are in your budget. Wellness is great but it doesn't have to be Wellness today if Fancy Feast or Friskies (under 10%) carbs are better for the wallet after the vet exam.

Switching them cold turkey may give them a bit of gas for a day or two but in the long run they will both be better off for it. And some kitties have no reaction but for loving food and better fur.

And now's the time to learn to home test with a human glucometer.... If you test tomorrow before the food change, you may see a difference in the BG in only a few days. It may not bring him right down into normal range but I'm sure he'll feel much better.

When you buy your glucometer (or get one from Cindy but buying it means you get it right away) get some ketostix too... the pharmacist will know what that is. You want to test the urine for ketones... there is more on that in the FAQ in the links in my signature where it says Newly Diagnosed?.


You are an awesome mom to Bert for going the extra mile and researching this condition. Like others have said, you do not have to drop him off at the vets. The vet can show you how to inject the insulin - if he still needs it after the food switch - and you can teach your vet a thing or two as well.

Please do read the links though as it's important that you know that a starting dose of insulin is generally 1 unit... of any insulin for any size cat. Some vets give a much bigger dose to larger cats and that's just not safe.

Read and ask...

 

It gets better and qickly too. The support from this group lets you stop and breath again. Tess was just diagnosed last week so i really know how you are feeling. I'm testing already and it helps to know that you are doing something. There's a topic in the tech forum on what meter to get. I got one just before the topic was posted and mine wasn't on the list, and I started to obsess. But I got it right away, it works and I am doing the testing already. You can always order something else when you have had time to settle down.

Quite frankly I've found a lot better advice here than the vet gave me.

It's OK, you're ahead of the game with all the advice available here.

 

OK...so I am going to start wet only today.
I guess I feel lucky in some aspects because the REALLY love their wet food

I will poke around the site some today, but I am not even sure how much I should be feeding him and when to take the blood sugars and to be honest what blood sugar is normal.
I am sure I can answer some of these questions on my own(with reserch), but I really want to start the all wet food today.

I feel so fortunate to have found this board :!:

 

hi there

welcome to the FDMB

Dr Lisa's website has really good info on feline nutrition, transitioning to wet food, and how much to feed.

http://catinfo.org/

By the way, if ur thinking of Wellness canned food, just so u know some flavours contain grains. Look for the little yellow triangle on the label - these do not contain grains, so they are considered "grain free".

Good luck to u and hope to see u posting and asking more questions!

 

Since you aren't on insulin yet, you may want to take readings before feedings and once during the day. You are just trying to get a feel for whether the bg readings go up or down and by how much. Think of it as practice for you both, and data gathering. You may want to start a spreadsheet so you can keep track. Go to the tech forum for details and tips.

You are doing great. Learning about this disease is the most important thing you can do for Bert.

 

Thank you for the link.

I was reading the info and it says this:

The average cat should eat 4-6 ounces of canned food per day split between 2-3 meals but this is just a general guideline.

So am I reading four 6oz. cans a day?
I am not sure Bert will eat that much

 

4 to 6 ounces a day would be about 2 cans of the little Fancy Feast. 4( 6 ounce) cans would be 24 ounces a day. We need another cup of coffee....... :mrgreen:

Knowing every cat is different, I feed my 11 pound Russia Blue 2 cans of FF daily to maintain his weight. Unregulated diabetics may need more since they are literally starving, as they are not processing food well. That doesn't mean you feed them all they want - just a little more than the regular amount. (For Oliver, it meant another 1/2 to 1 can a day extra when his numbers were really high.) As soon as he was regulated, we went down to the 2.5 cans a day. (He was a Maine Coon and 13 pounds.)

Hope that helps

 

hmm, I dont think so...that is a lot! lol


The average cat should eat 4-6 ounces of canned food per day split between 2-3 meals but this is just a general guideline.

for example, both my cats eat 1 can (medium size Wellness 5.5 oz size) a day each. And it is split into small meals and snacks throughout the day.

 

During these early stages of diabetes treatment, your kitty is literally starving - he can eat-eat-eat but lose weight because he doesn't have enough insulin to carry the sugar(food energy) from the blood into the muscles that need the fuel. SO --- his body is hungry and the unused sugar ends up getting flushed out in the urine. (long term high blood sugar can damage the kidneys)

So - feel free to feed more than the "recommended" amount - when you start insulin and his blood sugars calm down, his appetite will return to normal.

 

Bert would be quite suspicious if you tried to get him to eat four 6-ounce cans of food... My Barclay would love it!! :razz:

Four to six ounces in total... Though a lot of diabetic cats eat a bit more and that's ok - it's low carb and they need it.

 

Hi Kathy and welcome to FDMB :mrgreen:

I think you've got the message that this is a great place to be, especially when starting your sugar journey.

Can I just check as you haven't (unless my eyes deceive me) actually started insulin yet?

Do you know what insulin your vet is suggesting you use?

Phoebe is right, don't worry about food amounts right now, Bert will be ravenously hungry cos he can't process the nutrients.
If you haven't already looked at catinfo.org here's a link:
http://www.catinfo.org/
Somewhere in there it talks about cats who are overweight and how to safely put them on a diet. Weight loss could help Bert a lot (why a lot of humans get type 2 diabetes),but don't reduce he's food until you start getting somewhere with his blood sugars. You'll know when you have by his numbers and him not camping out at the water bowl and not wanting to eat so much.

Hometesting really is the way forward. If you think you may benefit from personal help you could post the state you are in and see if any other member is nearby, I know Hilary has done this for beans (that's what us cat owners are referred to here).

I certainly agree about the maximum 1u starting dose. We've had someone come here with 4u and facing their second hypo since the new year!
Remember if your vet is reluctant or dismissive, you are the customer and you know what that means :mrgreen:

 

I am getting the impression from my vet they will not start any insulin until he had the 3 day glucose curve test.

I feel like I am being forced into the test :YMSIGH:

 

Don't be!

Why don't you have a look around and see if there are any other vets?

Contact them and tell them you will be testing at home and will come in with the results in a couple of days and to pick up your insulin.

My preference would be to ask for Lantus (Glargine) or Levemir (Detemir)-these 2 insulins are having the most success in not only managing FD but also in giving kitties a shot at coming off insulin.

You can call in the Lantus isg and read the stickies. Jill has linked the latest research studies. Your vet should have a hard time arguing against it.
If they want to prescribe Vetsulin/Caninsulin you need to tell them the makers of this are advising vetinarians to transition kitties to alternative insulins due to a problem with their insulin maintaining it's specification (Cheryl/Winnie posted this in the V/C isg last night and I watched the presentation)

We're all here, right behind you.
Maybe post in community asking if anyone knows of a good vet in your area that will work with you on FD.

Don't lose heart

 

The three days that he wanted him in there was to start insulin "and get regulated". Many vets think that they can get a handle on regulation or the correct dose in the vet office... This is simply not possible for a variety of reasons and conditions. I can't imagine that your vet thinks that Bert needs a three-day test before starting insulin. If so, run... that sounds really off. I really think it was more to do with getting him "regulated", which, like we've all said, can't happen in a vet office.

There is no need for your cat to stay at the vets after the vet has shown you how to give insulin - this is particularly true for people who are home testing.

So, if you can, get a glucometer and learn to home test. You will need this skill if/when you are giving insulin anyway. So if you learn before the added shots (and a bit more responsibility and stress) then you won't be as overwhelmed. From there, once you get a few readings, post them and keep a log... In a few days you'll know what's going on with Bert in a non-stressed environment (and the BG doesn't go up too much from stress from testing in the home)...

Then you have that information to show your vet when you go in to ask for a prescription for insulin. You should be charged for a follow-up visit and you can get the insulin and syringes from the pharmacy... No need for a $500 visit.


When you buy your glucometer, also get some ketostix to test the urine for ketones. These can develop without the right amount of insulin and it can become dangerous quickly. Some cats never get them but you always have to be checking...

 

Bottom line is YOUR CAT = YOUR DECISION!

You can explain to your vet about vet stress increasing BG readings, that you are willing/able to do a curve at home and bring back the results. If that's not acceptable, then it's time to find a new vet who is willing to work WITH you.

 

Again, like you I have been dealing with this thing for less than a week, so I can't give advice on treatment, just with emotionally and logically dealing with the diagnosis. This forum has helped me so much. When you get the diagnosis it feels like you've had the world dumped on you. You don't yet know what questions to ask and you put your faith in your vets expertise.

But that faith must be earned and stand up in the face of facts which you can learn here. Talk to him about what you have learned, but let him know that the decisions to be made are yours not his.

If your vet is dismissive about your concerns, he should be your former vet. Mine is already and Tess will see her new vet tomorrow, less than a week after diagnosis. There were several factors, but mainly an I know best, you don't need to know anything more attitude. If you are here you know that you do need to know. (OK, Ann, breath! you are still pissed and venting cat(2)_steam ) That's how we feel in the beginning, but there is lots of emotion support as well as practical support here. You just got a whole lot of new friends.

 

Hi Kathy,

Quickly....I strongly support home testing and determining dosages AT HOME, not in a vet clinic.

Many of us just watched a webinar from a leading authority on feline diabetes (Dr. Richard Nelson) and he agrees with the above.

If your vet will not work with you on this issue after speaking to him about home testing and vet-clinic-induced hyperglycemia that often leads to insulin overdosages, then I suggest finding another vet who will work with you - and who supports home testing.

 

KAthy,

I must concur with what Dr. Lisa is saying.

My former vet insisted on the same thing. Aside from the cost, which was a lot, the office was not staff 24 hours, so there would be NO overnight monitoring. The vet also wanted to shoot Lantus insulin in an 8 hour time frame rather than the recommended 12 hour increment for Lantus.

I had a huge concern that my cat would be given insulin and NOT be monitored, when I asked what if something happens, like she hypos or something. The answer I got was, well it hasn't happened yet and this is how we do things!

I told them DO NOT give any more insulin and got my cat out of there. The vet refused to work with me, if I would not keep her there for 3 days. So, I found a new vet.

While it's scary to go against vet advice and to find a vet who is willing to work with you. I can tell you, it's so worth it in the long run. For your piece of mind as well as the health of the cat.

Where do you live? WE may have members who live nearby and can recommend a vet to you, as well as help you get set up and teach you how to home test.

 

I live in Perkasie, PA
About 32 mile noth west of Philly.

I am going to call the vet tomorrow and ask them if they will work with me, if not then I am making phone calls to see who will.

 

The best way to get a vet name near you (if anyone knows one) is to post with a new topic: Any vets near Perkasie, PA? You can post here and on the Community forum.

Have you looked at Nicole and Baby's post: New Vet further down the page. She has gotten lots of good suggestions for questions to ask a new potential vet and how to "interview" one. And ideas on what she might say to her old vet to get more help.

Always a difficult change to contemplate. Best of luck