New 2 this

Hello and thanks in advance. My kitty is Woody, 10 and he was diagnosed a few weeks ago. I noticed he was losing weight but ravenous, drinking and peeing a lot. Vet put us on Lantus, 1 unit every 12 hours after a meal. 630am 630pm. Wet food only. After two weeks his number is 347. I was really hoping he would be in remission by now. (Naive Im sure) but the doctor was so confident that 85% go into remission. Our life now revolves around this 12 hour feeding and shot schedule. I honestly don’t know how you all do it. We have canceled dinners, trips and have alarms set so we don’t screw it up. We are completely stressed out. He on the other hand seems okay. How important is prescription diet food? $2 a can can twice a day is steep. Also vet was very adamant we only feed him twice a day but he is still so hungry. Vet only wants us to check is BG once a week. Then next week bring him in for a blood test. Does this all sound right?

 

Welcome! It's definitly overwhelming at first, but testing and shooting soon becomes routine. If you know a dinner or event is coming you can adjust the shot time a bit... Don't stop doing fun things. .

The perscription diet food is not necessary at all!!! There's nothing in it better than grocery store foods. Just pick foods under 10 percent carb (under 7 is even better). I have a link to the food chart in my signature. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods... I feed fancy feast classic and Tiki cat after dark line.

We are all wishing for remission... And for a few it happens quickly, but for most of us is a marathon.

When my cat was diagnosed in 2016 she went into remission after 4 months. She fell out of remission a year later and is still getting shots a year and a half later. Just gotta take it as it comes.

 

Hello Christina, and welcome!

Good insulin, sensible starting dose. Good advice to feed wet food.

Quite a few cats have the potential to go into remission. And many of those who do so tend to do that within the first six months after diagnosis. But some take many months, or even years... It is pretty unusual for a cat to go into remission within a couple of weeks, but it has certainly happened here on rare occasions. ...And quite a few never go into remission, but can still have good lives on insulin.
Estimates differ about the actual numbers of cats that go into remission. Recent research from the Royal Veterinary College in London showed that about a third of cats in the 'general population' of diabetic cats will go into remission; but that rate increases when the cat has a committed and pro-active caregiver, and also a good diet and good insulin. Be aware though that remission isn't necessarily permanent.

How often are you testing blood glucose?
Before each shot?
During the insulin cycle as well?
...Occasional tests never tell the whole story.... High blood glucose levels can be caused by too much insulin as well as by too little...

It does get easier. It's a new routine and can take some getting used to. But putting effort in, especially in the early weeks and months can be well worth it...
While it's usually important to ensure that a cat has food on board when getting an insulin shot, many of us actually also 'free-feed' our cats. But if it's possible to remove the food a couple of hours before the pre-shot blood glucose test, that is a good thing to do also (so the preshot test isn't influenced by food).

Sorry...but there is no logical reason whatsoever for only testing weekly...
It's important to test before every insulin shot so that you know it's safe to give that shot. Testing is a quick, simple, and painless process.
After that, it's incredibly helpful to know how the insulin is actually working in your cat's body. So, some tests at points during the insulin cycle are always a good idea.
Lantus is dosed on the lowest number of the cycle, so it's important to know how low your cat's blood glucose is typically dropping on this dose.
Ongoingly, any extra blood glucose tests you can get will be helpful, even if you can only get one extra test before you go to bed each night. And occasional 'curves' (tests done 2 hourly after a shot) can give valuable information.

Not important at all. Much of it is low quality and it's overpriced. Ordinary everyday low carb food is just fine...

Newly diagnosed cats are often ravenous because they can't properly process the food they are eating. Hence many of us free-feeding or using timed feeders...

Christina, I know it's all a lot to take in at first. But it honestly does get easier, and even routine...
Huge reassuring hugs to you!

Do post on the main health forum if you need more info or have more questions. You will catch more attention there. This welcome forum is really just for saying 'hello'.

Eliz

 

Thank you for all your responses.

 

Christina, I know it can be a pain to have to cancel things sometimes. But I have also found myself incredibly grateful for the times I've been able to get out of going to tedious events (or have been able to leave early) by saying, "Sorry, but I need go home and shoot my cat..." ...It ain't all bad....

 

Welcome to FDMB. You will find the information, advice and support you are looking for here! FDMB has been a resource for helping hundreds learn about and manage feline diabetes treatment.
If you have time, revisit the Home page and read the Getting Started and Education sections to the right of the page. There is more information on the forums that you will get to, but this is a good starting point.
Yes, please test more often, to be sure it's safe to shoot and help keep Woody safe from a hypo event. Post in the Main Health forum so that more members can meet you and provide additional information.
Please set up your signature so we can see Woody's pertinent info with your posts, and the spreadsheet to track insulin shot time/dosage, and the all important testing data to view how the insulin is actually working for Woody. Links:
SIGNATURE
SPREADSHEET
Best wishes going forward.

 

Welcome! You are in the right place to get help for your kitty.

 

Hi and welcome to the group. You've already received some great advice so I'm not going to repeat it. Just want to offer you some encouragement. When you find a routine that will work best for you, you also notice that it's not as overwhelming as it seems now. At one time I had two diabetics at the same time and I found with my schedule, testing and giving them insulin only added about fifteen minutes a day to my normal routine. It is also possible to continue having a normal life. The thing is to find the routine that works best for you. We are here to help you and willing to share the things that have helped us make caring for our sugar kitties go as smoothly as possible.