new diagnosis

Nightrider was just diagnosed with diabetes. I had to take him to emergency (Sunday) after I noticed he had acetone breath. Poor guy, he has a follow up tomorrow, but he's still not feeling well. He's hiding under my dresser. I've given him 1 unit of insulin twice today (glocose was 220) but he still won't eat much. I feel terrible, I didn't notice he was sick until he was critical.

 

Hi Jen and Nightrider! Welcome to the forums.
We've all been there with the guilt. The thing you have to remember is that cats are very good at hiding when something is wrong. Don't beat yourself up. You are a good kitty parent for getting it taken care of, and learning how to best treat Nightrider going forward.
I hope he starts feeling better soon! Often we see changes in behavior and appearance after just a few days on insulin, so give it a little time. Let us know what the vet has to say.
I'm pretty new myself, but there are a lot of people here very knowledgeable in feline diabetes, so read and ask lots of questions! It can be overwhelming at first, but it gets better.

 

His liver enzymes were up, so hopefully we'll do more blood tests tomorrow. Thanks for the encouragement, it's been a tough couple of days.

 

Hi Jen, and a hearty welcome to you and to Nightrider.

I see @Shenandoah has just posted exactly what I wanted to say: cats are extraordinarily good at concealing it when they are poorly. That said, it's nigh on impossible not to feel guilty when they get poorly enough for us to notice. I've been where you are right now guilt-wise, and I feel for you.

With ketones in the mix you need to make doubly sure that Nightrider eats. If he's still off his food let your vet know ASAP. He may be nauseated and the vet should be able to prescribe something to help with that. Try to make sure that he drinks, too: the fluids will help flush any ketones out of his system.

Also, if you haven't got some already, pop into a pharmacy or anywhere that sells diabetic supplies and get some ketone test strips. You just dip them into urine to test. Anything more than a trace and you need to get Nightrider straight back to the vets. If you're getting more blood tests, ask your vet to check B12/folate if not already done. Frequently diabetics have low B12 levels and a course of supplementation can give a cat a real boost and also help with appetite.

You've found a great place to learn about feline diabetes and to get lots of practical help. I'd have been lost without the support I have received here since my Saoirse was diagnosed last year. There are many highly knowledgeable members here who will be able to support you both through this stressful and worrying time.


Mogs
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Welcome Jen and Nightrider to FDMB! You have come to the right place for support. There are a lot of caring and experience folks here. You will be given a whole lot of information and at first, it will seem very overwhelming however in a couple of weeks, things will start falling into place. Critter Mom is right about making sure you get your kitty to eat. Here is a list of things that have worked with Merlin. Also after that list is a bunch of information that will help you with diabetes. Just holler if you have any questions.

How to get Kitty to Eat

1) Chicken Broth or Beef Broth (no sugar added); could be made from bouillon cubes
2) Tuna or tuna broth/juice
3) Parmesan cheese sprinkled on food
4) Bonita Flakes sprinkled on food (get from Asian Market or possibly some local food stores)
5) Pepcid AC 1/4 tablet - may have to crush and syringe feed; wait 20 minutes and try feeding again
6) Boiled chicken shredded or pureed
7) Baked/broiled/boiled Salmon, White fish, etc.
8) Warm up regular food in microwave
9) Florti-Flora sprinkled on food (get from vet)
10) Plenty of exercise prior to meal time (chasing a string, etc.)
11) Last resort to eat give Medium or the high carb, wet food

Good Reading: This is a must read. It is an excellent 18 page informative document that covers feline health and nutrition. Don't take short cuts and read it all. www.catinfo.org Also read other postings and their spreadsheets. You will learn a lot more from others.

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 is 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. Hometesting Links and TipsHere 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 those lower numbers. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro, Relion Prime or Relion Confirm. The Micro and Confirm only needs a tiny drop of blood but the strips are a little more expensive than the Prime. The Relion Prime meter needs a little more blood than Micro and Confirm. 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 kitty’s 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 chartyou 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 its 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 kitty’s number by 100 points or more. One last thing, many of us add water to the wet food so your kitty is getting plenty of water to flush out the toxins and to keep them hydrated.

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 stickie’s labeled Hypo Links. Here is one: How to Handle a Hypo. 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 especially when testing or when they decide not to eat. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredient is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cat 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. Another option is to use Bonita Flakes. 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 Humulin, Novolin, Vetsulin, etc.) that would be best to allow some time i.e. 20 minutes, after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.

 

Thanks for all this information! We're motivated to take the best care of Nightrider!! He is a lucky dude and we'll be taking all knowledge and information serious!!