Minky update

Hi All,
We are into week five of this journey. At the beginning of February, Minky was peeing and drinking like crazy--her urine and blood showed elevated glucose levels (no surprise). I got her completely off dry food and onto grain-free canned food and the water/pee signs went away. I took her to a second vet in the same clinic where we go--this new vet first got involved with diabetic cats (her own) 11 years ago. She got lots of help from this website and the message board and seems to know what is needed. Her current cat is in remission after 7 years of insulin.
She did a blood test on Minky in the clinic three weeks after the diet change and got what she said was a slightly elevated reading (20.6 mmol/L, 2 hours after a meal and following a car ride to the office). She said that between 6 and 17 mmol/L is within normal range and was much better than the 27.6 mmol/L that was initially present at the beginning of Feb.
I am puzzled. I have borrowed a glucometer from my Dad and have done two days of testing--fasting and then around two hours after eating. The fasting levels are high--22.8 and 32.6 mmol/L, two consecutive days. After she has eaten, the first day went down to 17.9 and the second day to 23.7 mmol/L. I thought the fasting level would be lower than the after eating level. Comments?
I have made an appointment for this week because I think we need to start on insulin.
Diana

 

The BG levels going down after eating is usually a sign that the pancreas is working. You're right, though, that it doesn't seem to be working enough.

Some insulin might let the pancreas heal enough to be able to handle things on its own after a while. Or maybe a low dose of insulin will be needed for a long time. The fasting numbers you are getting do seem to be a little too high to ignore.

Are there any other health problems? Teeth problems, including just needing a cleaning? Your problem could be caused by some sort of underlying issue, and when that issue is resolved, the diabetic state might resolve itself.

Your vet sounds good. Ask her what she thinks of the situation. If she has a diabetic in remission, she is far better qualified than most to figure out what is going on with Minky.

Keep up the testing and the diet change. Both are excellent.

 

Just a correction here...

A nondiabetic cat runs 6-2.7... so I'm not sure what your vet is referring to. For a diabetic cat on insulin, you are looking for a slightly different range, depending on whether you've just started treatment or are fairly well into it and are hometesting.

If your cat is running in the 20s at home then you desperately need to start insulin as your cat is at risk for several complications, and the longer you wait the less chance of achieving remission...

 

I'm wondering if the glucometer is working properly. Minky's fasting test was 9.3 mmol/L this morning. Yesterday was 32.6 mmol/L. Are such wide readings to be expected?
Unfortunately the vet I see won't be in until Friday so I will take Cat and glucometer and discuss insulin. Is glargine the preferred choice? Minky is not getting insulin at this point.
I will clarify what the vet thinks is normal range for BG. She wrote down 6-17 mmol/L.
She also wrote down that fasting test should be lowest and 1-2 hours after eating should be highest. We are getting the opposite. Which should it be?
Diana