New diagnosis

Our Houdini (age 8-10, rescue so not quite sure of age, we have had him four years) was recently diagnosed as diabetic. He has always been quiet, kind of does his own thing, doesn't interact with the other pets except occasionally would run and chase with the dog. I noticed last week he was walking flat-footed. I was off work and able to take him to the vet and the diabetes diagnosis was given. He has started on insulin and is tolerating the shots fairly well, eating good, but seems kind of "sad." He was always kind of my acrobat (favorite thing was jumping up and laying on the stairway banister over the entryway) so we initially thought he had fallen and hurt himself. He had weighed over 20 pounds at his February checkup; new diet has him down to a svelte 13-14 pounds now, had a good check up in August (no blood work, general overview, blood work all done in February and everything was good) and now this. He goes back on 9/30 for follow up to see if dosage recommended is good for him. I wonder if the weight loss pushed him into this or if it is just the way it is.

 

Welcome to FDMB.
You might want to do some reading over at vet written Cat Info. Dr Pierson specializes in feline nutrition and has lots of info on weight loss and management, plus a downloadable PDF of common USA cat foods and their nutrition values.
Also, we strongly encourage home glucose testing with an inexpensive human glucometer. The FDMB guidelines primarily use human glucometer reference numbers.

 

Welcome! I have a rescue kitty of undetermined age as well! Mine is probably around 10-11 years old and was just diagnosed this summer. Thanks to the amazing people on this board, he's doing so well now!

If you go up and click on your name in the top right corner of this page, you can click on "signature" and add some basic information so we know a bit about your sugar cat, food, insulin type, etc. That way when you post with questions, you don't have to explain the same things over and over.

Getting started with home testing was a huge part in keeping my kitty safe while on insulin and helping him improve. There is tons of information around this site to help you get started, and you can post with any questions along the way. It can feel a little overwhelming at first, but we're all here to help!

 

I haven't had time to get on computer at home and work has been crazy busy; hoping to take some vacation days next week and will get his information updated.

 

Hi Houdini and Pat, welcome! You'll find so many helpful people here, best of luck with your journey

 

Welcome Pat and Houdini. Here is some additional information.

Diabetic Neuropathy: Merlin had this condition and it was really severe. It sounds like Houdini may have it too. The symptoms are walking on their back hocks. Severe conditions may also include their front feet. Merlin could never go more than a couple of steps before sitting down. We had to put down rugs all over the place so he wouldn't slip on the tile. To help this condition is to regulate the diabetes and to give them methyl B12 - Zobaline. If you go with another product, you must make sure that there are no sugars. It is a small pink pill and can be crushed and put in his food. Today, you can't even tell Merlin had it. He runs, jumps and walks on his tippy toes now.

Home Testing: Here, we all home test. It is mandatory to understand how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and the dose. You will want to test before each shot and some additional test in between the 12 hour cycle. Another reason to home test it to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Here is a picture of where you test on your kitty. http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

Here is another good link on Home Testing: http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

Meters: There are many meters. There is a pet meter called the Alpha Trak2 and human meters. Some use the pet meter because it is what the vets use so the numbers will match up. The meter and strips are expensive though. Most use human meters that can be purchased at any pharmacy. It typically reads a little lower than the pet meter but we have ways of compensating it. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro or Relion Confirm, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each.

Lancets: These are used to poke the ear to get blood. There are many different sizes (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge. Also, it would be a good idea to pick up Neosporin WITH pain reliever to apply on the edge of the ears and don't forget to alternate ears.

Spreadsheets: Our spreadsheet instructions are here. If you look at the signatures of the members here, you will see a link to their kitties spreadsheets. We keep track of all our tests. This is basically a place to collect data.and help you to determine patterns, doses, etc. It also aids those that may be helping you to better understand your kitty.

Food: There are many reasons why we are here but one is due to feeding dry cat food which is high in carbs. You will want to consider changing your food to wet, low carb food. It is recommended to feed food that is under 10% carbs. Here is a list of cat food to choose from. food chart you will note that the food with fish are lower in carbs however it is recommended that you only give fish once a week due to it's mercury content. Many use Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies, etc. This list can also be found in www.catinfo.org ; If you are already giving insulin and you have not transitioned to wet, low carb cat food, be sure to test while you are transitioning. This is because by changing to low carb food, it could decrease your kitties number by 100 points or more.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin Forums are stickies labeled Hypo Links. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc.

Ketones: Diabetic cats are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is best to buy testing strips that will measure (if any) ketones in the urine. One brand is Ketostix which can be found at Walmart or any pharmacy. You will want to test periodically unless you continue to get high numbers, then it is suggested to test more frequently. Ketostix typically costs around $10.

Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty. Some use it after they have tested to reward. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredients is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cats likes it, then I would go to the dog section where it is cheaper than the cat package. It is bigger chunks but no problem in breaking it up. There is a link here somewhere that has a list of low carb treats but i don't have it right now.

Injections: Most folks here use one of these main insulins; Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. Then you will test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. The reason why you do not want your kitty to eat two hours prior to your test is because food elevates BG numbers. So you do not want to dose based on a food influenced number. Here is a link on how to give injections. http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm

Note: Please check your insulins as there are some (the harsher ones like Novlin, Vetsulin, etc.) that would be best to allow some time after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.