Missy Kitty Girl newly diagnosed with DM

Hello Everyone,
This is my first posting to this sight and just want to share and get feedback for my decision I've made with Missy. She was first diagnosed with DM about 2 months ago. She had been put on prednisone for IBD about 10 yrs ago and switched off that at her DM to apoquel as the vet thought the pred was increasing her blood glucose. She tested out at 360 that morning but wasn't on a fast. I had brought her in because her urine/water intake had significantly increased over the past few months.
Yesterday took her back to vet after a 12-hr fast to ck sugars and was at 400. Vet said next step is insulin. At a cost of $200 just for insulin that would last 2-3 months at 1-2 dosages daily which I can't afford it. He suggested another kind at $40 from Walmart (can'd remember the name too new to this). That is more affordable, but there are other medical issues with Missy I'm taking into my decision not to treat her for the diabetes.
She's 16 yrs old now. For over 10 yrs has had an issue with nutrient absorption and was losing weight. That's when the prednisone started and she responded wonderfully and has maintained a good weight all these years. She's been at just under 10 lbs all these years and as of yesterday is 9.6. We also discovered when she was 2 yrs old I think that she has one enlarged kidney and the other is very deformed with a mass on it or something like that...it's been so long to remember. But her kidney function has been fine all this time. However, yesterday, blood work showed an increased SMG. I know that has something to do with kidney function but that's all I know and I don't know the SMG value..didn't think to ask the vet.
Another problem with her is that she doesn't like to be handled much. She's been that way all her life. It took me approx. 2 yrs working with her before she'd let me just pet her. She loves being around me and always is but at a distance...on her own terms. That's her way to show affection I guess and she wants her distance. Therefore, getting a blood draw from her sometimes takes the vet himself as she can be hard to handle. I don't think she'd tolerate insulin injections well at all and I don't want to stress her out at this stage of her life at 16 yrs old and cause her to "run and hide".
With the above in mind, I talked to the vet about Missy perhaps turning a corner in her overall health now and we may be looking at the beginning of the end for her...perhaps no more than a yr he said. I trust my vet over the past 14 yrs with my cats and agreed with him to just let her live out her life now. As a medical assistant by career, I have no problem giving her injections. I'm a widow on social security and work as I can to supplement income, so the cost of treatment for her is a big consideration for me. I also don't want to put her under any stress at her age and cause her to stay away from me due to injection therapy. So with all that said, I've decided to let her live out her life now at 16yrs without invoking anything so drastic and invasive to her as insulin injections.
Her litter mate, Buddy, is in good health and only on a thyroid therapy. His sugars are fine and he has no other medical issues. Seems like he may outlive his sister. These two prescious kitties have been a support and comfort to me since the death of my husband back in 2008.
Emotionally, I'll be a wreck when the time comes to decide to let her go as tears are even stremming now. I've never had to make a decision like this in my life before, but I feel it is for the best for Missy for a number of reasons. I'm usually one who will do whatever it takes for pets I've had in the past, but this time it seems I need to take a different approach. I've never had a pet for so long as I've had Missy and Buddy.
I would be most appreciative for any thoughts or comments anyone might have to share. Between my vet and this forum this is the only outlet I have for coping with this new phase of my beloved Missy Kitty Girl. I don't know what to expect now with her, but I'll deal with it as it comes and focus on what I can have with her for as long as she's with me. THANKS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING...God bless you all!!

 

I myself would treat the diabetes. The Walmart insulin (N/NPH) is OK in you situation. Giving shots is very easy and is not invasive. For one of mine I give it when she is finishing her meal.
To help eliminate vet visits for glucose onitor in you can the Walmar COnfirm or Confirm Micro human BG meter if you think Missy will tolerate getting blood from the ear.
Here is a link to home testing blood sugar http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

In any event it is your decision whether to treat or not.

 

It is your decision, of course, but I agree with Larry that you should try to treat her. Sometimes kidney values will increase with uncontrolled diabetes only to go back to normal after treatment. It's really not difficult to do and we can help you figure out the easiest way to give shots. A good start would be a simple change to a low carb canned food such as Friskies Pate, Fancy Feast Classic or 9 Lives Pates. Is she still on the steroid? If she is and can't be weaned off of it, the food change may not do much and she'll still need insulin, but if you can get her off the steroid, the food change may be all she needs.

 

Hi there!

My girl also got diabetes from Pred! Don't panic! It's easier to get them back to normal.
She was on humilin N which is likely what your vet said you could get at walmart. And she went into remission 3 months later.
HOWEVER, if you do get Humilin N, PLEASE, home test, and do that regularly
Ambee was on 2 units, then down to one, then .5 and she hasn't needed insulin in 16 months!

 

I wouldn't say its the beginning of the end........
At all...
I would treat the diabetes, it's easy and your cat can be "cured"

 

Also ambee was misdiagnosed with kidney failure a year ago....
Get a second opinion!

 

I totally understand where you are coming from. I'm new to this board but have kept animals my whole life and sometimes the decisions we have to make (for various reasons) are the most difficult ones.

About 4 or 5 years ago my old ginger cat was disgnosed with a rare cancer on his lip. He was in his early 20s I had to make the decision to put him under anaesthetic which because he had a short flattish nose made for a hair raising operation never mind his age. He had reacted badly before.

I chose to operate, and have the bio done to find out exactly what it was. Luckily the vet got all the cancer away but because I'd opted not to put him through chemo due to his age but we didn't know if it had or could spread.

I can't decide for you, you know your kitty better than me, but if you think you could maybe trial it and see how things go it might make things a bit easier later on.

Whatever you decide, there are lots and lots of really wonderful people on this site that can guide you through the process, tell you where to find lower priced syringes etc and give you the moral and emotional support that could make all the difference.

Regardless, whichever decision you make is the right one for you and for your kitty.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. I've tested her at home 3 days in a row at different times and her numbers were 242 after 4 hrs of eating; then 270 at 8am before eating the next day; then 303 at 6pm before eating the following day. Testing was not easy and she fussed each time which made it harder of course, but I was able to get a test done. I tried various scenarios of testing to see what might work best, but each one was difficult. I shared the blood results with my vet and told him I had decided not to go to the insulin as I don't want to stress her out. Knowing Missy the way I do, this would stess her out trememdously. At the vet they were 360 and 400 at 2 different times. She stresses easily, especially at the vet..always has. Anyway..the vet who has had his own diabetic cats in the past, and has treated mine for over 10 yrs, said those numbers weren't really that bad and she was actually more borderline. She has been off the pred now about 2 months and just finished her first script of apoquel. I'm just going to lay low on this and see how she does. If the diabetes was pred induced I would expect those numbers to improve over time, right? I can test again in a month or so perhaps and see what I get I'm thinking, if Missy will cooperate enough to do it again!! Right now I'm at peace with my decision and will see what the future brings. I've always done the best I could for the animals I've had all my life and Missy is no exception. As much as I want to still do all I can medically speaking, I believe her stress level and comfort level outway what I'd have to put her through to test. In my heart of hearts I don't want to do that to her and see her behave again the way she was behaving each time I tested her the last few days. I'm afraid her behavior would only get worse and that seems to carry more weight in my decision than anything else.

This is a GREAT forum and I'll keep in touch and let you know how we're doing. I much appreciate the thoughts and support you've shared. Paw prints on our hearts....leave such an impact on our lives!!

 

With the BG values you measured at home I would still start insulin, N from Walmart would be fine. Testing BG is a a lot more stressful the giving insulin shots.
However, it is your decision on how to treat your cat.