My Ricky

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by PamJV, Feb 2, 2017.

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  1. PamJV

    PamJV Member

    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2017
    Hello, My name is Pam.

    My 12 year old brown tabby, (Maine Coone Mix) Ricky was just diagnosed with diabetes. He's gone from 19 pounds to 15 pounds in 5 months. Five months ago he was diagnosed with HCM when he still weighed 19 pounds. He was started on Atenelol. (He did not have high blood pressure, the BP med was to make his heart beat less just to try to lesson the progression of HCM). He began losing weight and seemed less energetic as soon as the BP med was started. The vet agreed to let me cut the med down to 1/4 pill, and I thought he was doing OK, more or less. Then in October he really began to look thin and it was discovered that he had a lession tooth that needed to be removed. I thought that was the reason he was losing weight. It was very hard for him to get over the effect of the procedure and he lost more weight. After the antibiotics and pain meds were over he seemed cheerful again and I assumed he'd start gaining weight back.....but he didn't. Now today diabetes was discovered. I can't help but wonder if putting him on Atenelol some how affected his circulation to his pancreas which would have resulted in the diabetes? They told me 5 months ago it's a balancing act and that the Atenelol could hurt his kidneys over time so we had to be careful not to give too much. So I do wonder if likewise the pancreas can be affected.

    I just picked up (Lantus) insulin today and the ProPlan DM dry food the vet wants me to give him. Ricky has refused canned food his entire life. He went from milk to kibble at the age of 6 weeks. He will not eat canned food at all ever. I am not going to stress myself even trying that. Ricky thinks canned food stinks. Ricky weighs 15 pounds now, and I am told to give him 1 unit of insulin twice a day.

    His favorite kibble is Evo Turkey and Chicken grain free. I am questioning how the vet prescribed Purina ProPlan DM is at all better than EVO. It has more carbs than the Evo and the protein is about the same. Looking for answers. Would there be other reasons by the ProPlan DM is better?

    As a side note, 20 years ago I had a diabetic cat that recovered and did very well once diagnosed. Then I was giving her Humulin L twice a day. I used to cook chicken for her and she never ate dry food. She lived 8 more years after diagnosis and died from cancer at age 16. That Humulin L worked very well. I wonder what others think of Lantus ?
     
  2. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2016
    Hello and welcome. Come on over and post your questions and concerns in the Health and the Lantus forums. (There are some people familiar with balancing heart conditions and diabetes.) If you could post some blood glucose numbers, that would be helpful. Also, are you home testing?
     
  3. PamJV

    PamJV Member

    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2017
    OK I will go post questions in that area. Today is day one. I am not home testing. 20 years ago with that diabetic cat she was perfect on the same dose for 8 years. There was never any question about testing her at home. So that hadn't occured to me.
    My vet didn't show me how to give the dose now. I was told over the phone about Ricky's diagnosis so I rushed to pick up the Lantus tonight. I gave him a dose., and after that found this site and read about how one isn't supposed to see saw the syringe back and forth into the vial. Well I already see-sawed it ! What now? And the Lantus info says a vial might last 42 days? Wow the vet people were telling me it might last 6 months.

    I Ricky was to get another heart ultrasound in April. They don't even hear a murmur any more. I think I could back off the Atenelol. No one can know how necessary it is until comparing the ultrasound. The diabetes scares me a lot more than the HCM.
    Pam
     
  4. Red & Rover (GA)

    Red & Rover (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2016
    The yellow stickies at the top of the Lantus forum. A good place to start. It can be overwhelming at first but soon becomes second nature, as will the diabetes.

    Lantus, cared for properly, can last months.
     
  5. Sue484

    Sue484 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2015
    Hi and welcome @PamJV. My Frankie was diagnosed with HCM when he was 2. He is now 10. He was originally on the Atenolol syrup but once he became diabetic it was changed to the tablet form. Once on the Atenolol, I noticed an immediate improvement in him. No more flopping down with open mouthed panting while playing and was generally much better. He developed Pancreatitis 4 years ago, and after the second bout he developed diabetes. I put the pancreatitis down to his diabetes damaging his pancreas too much. Frankie's heart has been well controlled on the medication for about the last 9 years. There is now no murmur and on ultrasounds there has been no progression since diagnosis, in fact there has been a marked improved . I wouldn't back off the Atenolol just yet, but if you feel he is not doing well on it, maybe discuss an alternative medication for his HCM when you go for the ultrasound. For me, the HCM is a lot more scary now he is well controlled on Lantus. I am constantly watching for panting, counting his breaths and watching for leg paralysis (which with diabetic neuropathy is a bit hard), but he is jumping again now, so touch wood, no signs yet.
     
  6. PamJV

    PamJV Member

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    Feb 2, 2017
    Sue, Your Frankie started out young with HCM so I could see that issue with playing and panting. My Ricky was diagnosed at 11 yrs old and he really seemed to gradually stop rough housing with his younger brother around the time the HCM was detected. Looking back I would say Ricky has always been a cat to hibernate for long periods under the covers during the day. I have never seen him pant. The last few times a vet listened to Ricky's heart they say they hear no murmur. I hope that means he'll get a good heart ultrasound when he gets a recheck. I am worried what his high cholesterol means though.

    About Atenolol, he was originally put on 12.5 mg once a day which was half a 25mg pill......and I thought it made him eat less and seem depressed so the vet had me cut back to 1/4 pill. I thought he's been OK on that. He was gradually losing weight and looking more bedraggled and now I realize that was due to diabetes.

    Pam
     
  7. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2016
    Welcome!
     
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