I Found My Perfect Cat. Today I Found He's Diabetic.

I work in a busy animal shelter. Despite the thousands of cats I've met, it took me six years to find Levon, my perfect match. Not only is he lovey and laid back, but he is determined to make a friend of any dog he's stuck with, even a fierce corgi (yes, corgis do herd cats.) He also held his own against a truly insane springer spaniel. He had been a stray, but we judged him to be an adult cat, maybe 7 - 8 years. That is, of course, always a guess. He was very ill when I brought him home, and we had pulled 4 teeth at the shelter. Because of a mild heart murmur a urinalysis was done prior to dental and neuter surgery. His urine concentrated well, all else was normal. That was year ago. Today I learned he's diabetic. Not fair. Not fair at all.

My husband's first wife suffered and died from complications of juvenile diabetes. I knew he wouldn't take this news well. He has come around, though, understanding that we are actually very fortunate people in the grand scheme of things, and kitty diabetes is something we can handle. I hope he can keep that attitude if things start getting rough. I'd rather not do this alone.

 

Hi and Welcome! Oh another orinch boy! Mr. Handsome too! Looks like one of ours (non-diabetic) that thinks he IS a dog as he was raised with 5 of them before his xyz owner left him and we adopted him.

Feline diabetes isn't a death sentence...we have cats here on the forum that have been diabetic for many years - my Dakota has been for over 4 years.

Have you started insulin yet?

Poke around our wonderful Feline Health sub-forum and ask questions!

 

Welcome! Levon is adorable and it sounds like he's quite a character! You're right diabetes is not fair, it sucks! But it is treatable and you've come to the right place. What are you feeding Levon? A low carb wet food is best. Also has your vet started him on insulin? If so what kind and how much. It is important that you learn to test Levon's glucose at home. You can use any human meter. That is the only way to tell if the treatment is working and to help prevent hypo episodes. It's a bit overwhelming at first, but it does get better, so take a deep breath and again welcome!

 

Welcome.
It's a lot to learn all at once in the beginning but we all love helping around here..... paying it forward.

The sooner you can start learning, testing, start insulin ( lantus and levemir have really good success rates)
You might even be able to make it to remission status since he just had a dental.
Diet is really important, most cats in remission are diet controlled.

 

My Spitzer was born at the shelter and developed diabetes within a year, likely from a combination of poor genetics and diet. His mom was part of a humane case.
Changing his food to low carb canned dropped his glucose 200 mg/dL and his insulin dose dropped 2 units.

 

Welcome to FDMB! You have come to the right place for support. There are a lot of caring and experience folks here. You will be given a whole lot of information and at first, it will seem very overwhelming however in a couple of weeks, things will start falling into place. Here is some additional information.

Good Reading: This is a must read. It is an excellent 18 page informative document that covers feline health and nutrition. Don't take short cuts and read it all. www.catinfo.org

Home Testing: Here, we all home test. It is mandatory to understand how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and the dose. You will want to test before each shot and some additional test in between the 12 hour cycle. Another reason to home test it to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Here is a picture of where you test on your kitty. http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

Here is another good link on Home Testing: http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

Meters: There are many meters. There is a pet meter called the Alpha Trak2 and human meters. Some use the pet meter because it is what the vets use so the numbers will match up. The meter and strips are expensive though. Most use human meters that can be purchased at any pharmacy. It typically reads a little lower than the pet meter but we have ways of compensating it. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro or Relion Confirm, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each.

Lancets: These are used to poke the ear to get blood. There are many different sizes (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge. Also, it would be a good idea to pick up Neosporin WITH pain reliever to apply on the edge of the ears and don't forget to alternate ears.

Spreadsheets: Our spreadsheet instructions are here. If you look at the signatures of the members here, you will see a link to their kitties spreadsheets. We keep track of all our tests. This is basically a place to collect data.and help you to determine patterns, doses, etc. It also aids those that may be helping you to better understand your kitty.

Food: There are many reasons why we are here but one is due to feeding dry cat food which is high in carbs. You will want to consider changing your food to wet, low carb food. It is recommended to feed food that is under 10% carbs. Here is a list of cat food to choose from. food chart you will note that the food with fish are lower in carbs however it is recommended that you only give fish once a week due to it's mercury content. Many use Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies, etc. This list can also be found in www.catinfo.org ; If you are already giving insulin and you have not transitioned to wet, low carb cat food, be sure to test while you are transitioning. This is because by changing to low carb food, it could decrease your kitties number by 100 points or more.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin Forums are stickies labeled Hypo Links. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc.

Ketones: Diabetic cats are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is best to buy testing strips that will measure (if any) ketones in the urine. One brand is Ketostix which can be found at Walmart or any pharmacy. You will want to test periodically unless you continue to get high numbers, then it is suggested to test more frequently. Ketostix typically costs around $10.

Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty. Some use it after they have tested to reward. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredients is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cats likes it, then I would go to the dog section where it is cheaper than the cat package. It is bigger chunks but no problem in breaking it up. There is a link here somewhere that has a list of low carb treats but i don't have it right now.

Injections: Most folks here use one of these main insulins; Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. Then you will test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. The reason why you do not want your kitty to eat two hours prior to your test is because food elevates BG numbers. So you do not want to dose based on a food influenced number. Here is a link on how to give injections. http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm

Note: Please check your insulins as there are some (the harsher ones like Novlin, Vetsulin, etc.) that would be best to allow some time after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.

If you have any questions, please be sure to post in the Health Forum.

 

All of the insulin guidelines here use human glucometer test values for comparison, with only a nominal adjustment to the low end for meter differences.
I strongly suggest getting an inexpensive human glucometer such as the Target Up and Up or the Walmart ReliOn Confirm.

 

Welcome Levon and family! He is so handsome, lucky you to have found your perfect match. The fellow sugarcat carers on this board are so helpful and will support you through Levon's diagnosis and treatment, just ask questions and you'll have the answers before you can say "diabetes sucks" ;-)

 

Thanks for the warm welcome. We started treatment almost a week ago, and go back to the vet to tomorrow to retest, see how he's doing. I've started him on b.f.f. canned food, made by Wevura. I'm injecting 1 unit of insulin twice a day, at least I think I am. The syringe is sooo tiny, the amount so small, that I'm not sure I'm actually injecting it under his skin. When I press the plunger I can't feel it move. However, he's drinking less and isn't quite so ravenously hungry. So we'll see how he's doing tomorrow.

 

Magnifiers help tremendously.
There are clip-ons for those who already have glasses and visors for those who don't. Check out Amazon. I use the Carson Clip and Flip which have been very helpful.

 

We all probably know how you feel in some way. My "perfect" cats turned out to be "perfectly imperfect"--lots of issues including heart murmurs, dental disease, food allergies, chronic eye/nose infections, asthma, etc. They sure don't deserve these problems, but with luck and good vet care, they've enjoyed 12 years of life. I hope for the same if not more for your "perfectly imperfect" fellow!! I understand your husband's reactions, too, as I struggle with my own diabetes and it's a pain. You'll get lots of info and support here. Levon couldn't be luckier!--Nora and Kali