Is it always this hard in the beginning?

Hello!
Our 14 year old, Cedar, was diagnosed with diabetes 3 weeks ago. She started on 1 unit of Lantus for her first week. On week 2 the vet increased her dosage to 2 units. A few days later we could barely get her to eat anything. She was withdrawn and very weak. We took her back to the vet and she kept her there for 2 nights to make sure she was eating. The vet also gave her an antibiotic in case of a possible infection and a medication for nausea. We were told the water intake and urination was still high (which is why we took her in initially), and her blood sugar was at 500, but should level out within a week and ahe was fine to come home. I just brought her home this afternoon, and I don't feel like her appetite or energy has increased much. I feel like I am torturing my poor kitty instead of helping her. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

First I'd like to welcome you to the very best place you never thought you'd want to be. We are glad you found us. There is a lot to learn as the care giver for a newly diabetic cat, but we've all been right where you are and understand something about how you are feeling right now... We were so scared and worried all the time...because we didn't know if we were doing anything right. But it does get easier. So breathe deeply and know that we will help you as much as we can.
When my cat's sugar was high in the beginning of his treatment, he really didn't feel well so I would guess that this could be part of what's going on with your kitty. The insulin will help Cedar feel better but it does take a little time for the cats body to adjust to the insulin. Not eating is pretty serious for a cat so if Cedar were my kitty I'd be calling the vet first thing when they open in the morning.

 

Hi and welcome. It is difficult and scary at first, but it does get better. One thing you can do to help your kitty is learn to home test his glucose. That way you'll be able to tell if Cedars glucose is too high or too low and treat accordingly. Another thing I recommend is to pick up some ketone test strips and test his urine for ketones. If you're interested in learning to home test, please post in the health forum and we'll be glad to help you. As Jan said eating is important, so a call to your vet may be in order.

 

Cedar ate enough breakfast for her am shot. I picked up supplies to start at home glucose testing. She is currently curled up on my lap. Thanks for your guidance

 

It does seem overwhelming at first. Especially since you are trying to process what your vet says, read the info here and scared because of the diagnosis. But it does get a lot easier.

As you are reading here, you will see a consistent message for treating feline diabetes: Long acting insulin, hometesting and low carb canned or raw food.

Long acting insulins are Lantus, Levemir, PZI and ProZinc. The first two are human insulins and the others are pet insulins. Most cats respond better to long acting insulins then shorter ones such as Caninsulin, Humulin and Glipizide. The shorter insulins have steeper drops in the glucose levels and it is harder to get a cat regulated on these.

Hometesting means testing the blood glucose levels at home. You will want to test before every shot to make sure it is safe to give insulin. Also, this lets you know how well the insulin and dose is working.

Low carb foods are a must. Canned pate flavors are usually lower in carb than anything with gravy in it. Almost all dry food is high in carbs. You do not need to feed your cat prescription food, no matter what your vet tells you. Many of us feed our cats either Fancy Feast or Friskies canned food.

As you become familiar with hometesting and giving insulin, you will find a routine that works best for you. It does get easier and soon you will be offering advice to other new members that join us. Ask any questions, no matter what they are. We are here to help you.

 

Hello and welcome Cedar. It sounds like what happened is the increase in dose was to much for her. A lot of vets don't understand how to dose insulin. It takes time for the urination etc to slow down. Glad to see you got home testing supplies. Have you look at how to home test or setup the spreadsheet yet? Also dont feed a couple hours before you test before the injections. you can buy everything including syringes cheaper from local pharmacys.
http://jfm.sagepub.com/content/17/3/235.full.pdf html
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

Very stressful at first, I've only been doing this a week or so. But when I saw improvements in Butter the cat, I relaxed a little & realized it's making a difference. He's on 1 unit Lantus twice daily. He has started picking on our other cat so I know he's feeling better. I do not yet have a glucose monitor but plan on getting one. Hang in there.