New & need advice, feel rehoming maybbe only option

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the message board but have been in the world of feline diabetes for a few years now...I have been mama to a sweet -but extremely food obsessive - orange tabby, Jack, for 12 years and my heart is breaking as I type this because my husband is insistent that he will have to be rehomed...and I don't necessarily disagree. I feel so terrible but I have newborn twins and his behavioral issues are not compatible with their safety. He has become aggressive and OBSESSED with any kind of food or anything that touched food, anything that looks like it might be food related. It's not JUST his diabetes, he has always had obsessive behavior issues (used to groom himself bald, and some other weird behaviors) and the vet refuses to let me try something like Prozac to get his emotional (?) situation in check. I feel very confident that his issues stem from being born into an animal-hoarding situation, that's what he was rescued from as a kitten. He's always been very needy and OC, the vet insists we test for allergies or mess with his units...never makes a difference (I guess maybe we should just see a new vet, but I otherwise generally really like the place we take him and our other cats:/). We currently manage his diabetes with vetsulin -we have tried several others including Lantus and prozinc and adjusted the levels multiple times, done curves, home testing, and more testing, etc - and the vet agrees that we feed him adeqautely. The thing is, he is constantly trying to eat any/everything. He nearly took my finger off lunging and swiping a piece of lettuce off of my plate. He took an entire bag of frozen french fries down the steps and across the basement. And we had a friend over that didn't know any better and put a 1/2 piece of pizza on the counter and was blown away when he darted up over the kitchen island and made off with it, to under the bed and ate a significant portion of it before we could get to him. I swear he could eat 5 cans of food and 5 minutes later have a meltdown and nearly attack you over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I'm NOT the kind of person that bails on their animals just because a baby comes in the picture, this is killing me. These babies are less than a week old and he is absolutely psychotic around their bottles/formula and this afternoon was husband's breaking point: he scratched one right under the eye and across his cheek, because my mom was sitting on the sofa giving him a bottle and didn't know that Jack had to be put in another room if any kind of milk was out. He went for the bottle and nearly took the baby's eye out! It looks absolutely horrific, I can't even look at it without tearing up, it was SO close. She feels so guilty I don't think she'll ever forgive herself. They rushed him to urgent care to make sure he didn't need stitches or dermabond. Thank god he didn't, but he has to go back tomorrow and the day after to make sure there's no chance it's becoming infected.

We don't have anywhere to just keep Jack separate except the powder room...so it's either he's sequestered to the powder room or we're stuck in one room with the babies. We can't live like that, and it's not fair to him either. He also rips those claw caps off with a quickness! My parents are keeping him at their house until we figure something out, but that's a temporary solution because their schedules cannot revolve around his insulin. Does anyone have any advice about possibly rehoming a special needs cat in this situation? I feel like we're beyond any sort of behavior modification at this point. He's 12, and nothing we've tried thus far to control him, prior to bringing the babies home, has made a difference. I'm going to get a vet appointment next week and see what they recommend aside from their usual testing that reveals nothing but: hey your cat has diabetes! and let's mess with his units!! But I'm not optimistic; my husband is really, really upset. Rightfully so. I'm just looking for some advice I guess. We don't have any family or friends that can take him. I could never abandon him or take him to a shelter.

Sorry for the massive wall of text, I'm just so distraught, my emotions are totally raw bringing these babies home and recovering from a c-section. My other cats either don't really care about the babies and sniff and walk away, or are scared of them and hide, I hate that my oldest baby did this

 

Are there any no kill sanctuaries near you? Maybe you could convince your vet to let you try the prozac or similar drug to see if it will help before having to rehome him? Maybe they will be on board once they know his behavior has injured your infant and will result in him being rehomed or worse.
My cat was like this when we first got him until he realized he didn't have to fight for food. We were lucky it didn't turn out to be a situation like yours.
I can't imagine the heartache this is causing you but I think you're right that your babies need to be safe. There's no way to tell how bad it could get once they start crawling and walking. Babies almost always smell like food somewhere on their body. Rehoming him might be your safest option. It keeps your babies safe AND him. If he seriously injures a child it could result in him being PTS so finding a child-free home sounds like the best idea for everyone.
Sorry I don't have any better advice or solutions. It might be easier on your emotions to think of it as keeping them all safe including him.

 

I am sorry I do not have answers for you, but definitely check for no kill shelters or rescues. This has to be a nightmare for you, so sorry. Congrats on your babies. I feel for your furbaby. Good luck on your endeavors. You have to do what's right for your babies safety.

 

I'm so sorry you're in such a tough situation! I also have a cat who was born into a hoarding situation, and she is food-aggressive, as well, but not as bad as your guy, and I don't have babies or small children to worry about. She has bitten me pretty badly more than once, though, and has also scratched me pretty seriously. I don't usually recommend re-homing except as a last-ditch effort, but in your case, for the safety of your babies and your furbaby, and your peace of mind, I really think re-homing is probably the safest option. In the interim, I would definitely try to get him on prozac or something similar. If your vet won't help then take him somewhere else, at least temporarily, to a vet who can understand what a volatile and dangerous situation you have. I don't really understand your current vet's approach, as the aggression, in this case, has nothing to do with his diabetes, and changing his dose will not help!

I know you said you hate that your oldest baby did this, but remember, he doesn't understand the damage he does and he's not trying to hurt anyone, with intent; this is a terrible insecurity in him and he believes this behavior is vital to his existence. It's terrible what mental and emotional damage is done to animals who have to suffer being in an animal-hoarder environment.

I wish you the best of luck, I hope you can find a vet who will work with you until you can make other arrangements for your kitty. Please keep us posted - we will worry about you and your situation!

 

Omg what a difficult situation. Until you figure out what you ultimately want to do........
And congratulations on those sweet new babies! It's a stressful sleepless time as it is, I remember clearly.

1. Several feliway plug-ins around the house. They help some cats reduce their anxiety. I have a cat I wanted on Prozac. I swear she's bipolar. These made a world of difference.... And I can tell right away when one has run out.


2. Give him food while the babies are eating... But not just in a bowl. Put it in an aluminum pie tin and SPREAD IT OUT so it takes a while to eat and not be scooped up in three bites. No dry food, unless it's Young Again Zero carb food or evo cat and kitten in the purple bag.... just give low carb pate food. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate.


3. Get the bg as regulated as possible. When it's high cats can't get enough of the nutrients and are literally starving even though they eat fine. We can help you set up a spreadsheet like the one in our signatures. Here you gave the collective experience and knowledge of many diabetic cat owners who live it daily.

4. Bring him to a groomer or vet and have the nails trimmed regularly... Most will only charge a few dollars.

5. A squirt bottle of water for those times the cat is not secluded during feeding time as a quick way to shoo him away if he comes aggressively seeking bottles. Keep one anywhere you feed the baby (in babies room, your night stand, living room) so it's in arms reach.

6. Enrichment toys that make him "work" for his food. it will keep him busy. I know cats are not supposed to have dry, but there are a few dry that are ok... Evo and Young Again are the two I have. There are toys that are puzzles and slides that will give him something to do and a reward of food that might preoccupy him. It will make food available without letting him gorge himself quickly.... I'll see if I can find any links to what I mean.

 

Sorry to hear that your fur baby scratched your new human baby, and so close to the eye. It doesn't sound like he was going for the baby but the milk / bottle like you said. What is his feeding schedule like? That can be even more important with a food-aggressive cat. Even though he's 12, Jack can still change his behaviour with your family's help. I was hoping @Squalliesmom would chime in since her civvie girl has a little food aggression with treats . His diabetes and PTS are 2 separate issues but the stress could influence higher BG. What are his numbers like now? Do you home test?

Lastly, no joking here but have you ever watched "My Cat From Hell"?

 

Whatever help this is. At one time this house was full with nine cats, almost all young and healthy, and a puppy that was their best friend. We found out that six of the cats, four kittens and Mom and Dad all had cardiomyopathy. After six had died in less than two years and less than a month after the last we were politely asked to foster my nieces two cats. I was in no mood or condition but we did it anyway. Of course it wasn't a foster, it was permanent. One of those two cats is Lewis and he is a belligerent pig. It took me more than a year to even warm up to him and years later he will still bite, scratch and claw unprovoked. He just eats for the sake of eating and pushes the other cats off their food. What I'm trying to say is I feel your pain. You're not supposed to have favorites but even worse you're not supposed to dislike one of your cats. Lewis is that cat. He's been loved, squirted with the bottle, loved some more and been yelled at. It sounds like you feel the guilt more than your husband. We all took that Forever Home oath and now you have to make a choice, don't let it burden you for the rest of your life. Maybe Jack would do better being an only cat.

 

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=cat food puzzles

there are a wide variety of cat food puzzles on amazon... some look really interesting.

 

This one in particular looks fun! Maybe i'll get one just to keep my kitties busy! https://www.amazon.com/TRIXIE-Pet-P...d=1491663628&sr=8-1&keywords=cat food puzzles

while pate food is ideal for diabetic cats, I do leave out Young Again Zero Carb and Evo Cat and Kitten in between feedings.... a lower carb dry food would be perfect for this... or some freeze dried meat bites.

 

This is another thread about having cats and dogs on Prozac. It's an old idea and not as drastic as it sounds.
I had a $1.99 fish floating at the top of our tiny aquarium yesterday so I had to scoop him out before my wife saw him. We all have issues.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ety-on-prozac-or-any-med.175457/#post-1932633

 

Thank you all so much for your supportive replies. I do feel extreme guilt even considering the thought of rehoming him, that's just...I never thought I would even consider that an option. I've always said I would never "abandon" an animal, and that's how this feels. He's been with me for so many years, through so many big changes, and I hate that this -the biggest change of all- has destroyed that. I know I can't look at this as "abandonment", if I can find a rescue or a safe new home for him, then that's what's best for everyone.

At the baby's follow up visit at urgent care they wound up sending him to the ER. His eye is swollen shut. He's on his way home now and I know that the conversation we had last night about consulting with the vet about medication, that he agreed to consider once he'd calmed down, is out the window. He sobbed all night, and he will not forgive this cat. I can't blame him, especially not when he's spent all morning in the emergency room and we'll be giving our newborn liquid antibiotics for the next five days.

I contacted a rescue organization this morning and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I hear something back from them soon. We would be more than willing to pay for his care wherever he goes.

 

Thank you for the suggestions
We have feliway plug ins, we had gotten them when two of our other cats just suddenly stopped getting along. If I fed him when the babies ate, he'd be eating aaaaall day he eats a 5.5 oz can of Friskies poultry pate twice a day, in a large dish, and he eats in the powder room, away from the other cats. I trim his nails, usually, it's just been kind of hectic lately. Water isn't really a deterrent to him, he's obsessed with water. He had a phase a few months ago where I swear he would purposefully get his feet wet then go in the litter box and get caked with litter. He'd then go wait in the bath tub and cry until I gave him a bath. I really do feel like we have done the best we can with him, and have given him a good home, but we have to put our new babies first.

 

Perhaps the DCIN (Diabetic Cats in Need) can help you in placing him in a new home.

 

Is any other food made available to him throughout the day? While that seems like a lot of food for most cats, diabetic cats who's numbers are not controlled are starving all the time because they are not utilizing the nutrients properly. He could need an extra half can mid day and before bed. Most diabetic cats do better with several smaller meals rather than two big meals. Some here feed up to six times a day.

 

I'm sure he was only going for the bottle and had no idea what he was doing, there wasn't a malicious intent to hurt the baby, he just can't control himself. He eats a 5.5 oz can of pate twice a day, 6am and 6pm. At one point, when my husband was able to work from home, we were giving him an afternoon snack and that actually seemed to make things worse. I forget what his numbers were like at the last curve (a few months ago) but they were high and that's when we switched from prozinc to vetsulin and they played around with the units. We have a meter at home but don't check regularly, it's always a huge ordeal when when we do.

Haha, I have watched my cat from hell, if I thought my husband had any chance of forgiving him I might give Jackson a call.

 

It's really hard (near impossible) to get the numbers Under control of you aren't doing frequent readings at home and curves. Since he's so food motivated, giving treats for doing testing may make him more receptive to it. If you look at the signature for most of us you will see we use a common spreadsheet to track our numbers. This helps us give advise and adjust doses as needed. I really feel if you can get him under control it will be easier to calm his manic behavior.

 

I'm so sorry your baby's eye is so swollen and he has to be on antibiotics. This whole situation has to be very traumatic for you. I really feel for you, having a food-aggressive cat myself, who also came from an animal hoarding situation. It is true that cats with unregulated diabetes are constantly hungry. Has Jack lost any weight, or is he underweight? It would be a good idea to test him at home to help get his FD as regulated as possible; if his diabetes is unregulated he will feel pretty miserable. However, I do not believe that Jack's food issues are due to his diabetes, at least, not entirely. I think that, in lieu of Prozac (and there's no guarantee that will work, either), rehoming Jack is your best option. I know you feel like you are abandoning him, but you are NOT, you're doing what's best for all concerned, including him! Checking with DCIN to see if they can help with rehoming is a great idea.

 

I appreciate the spreadsheet advice, but he's at my parents' for now and I don't expect them to take that on, they're feeding him and giving him his shots on schedule and giving him lots of love even though they're both so upset about this situation, too. I have been crying all day, but I'm trying to accept the fact that he is not coming back to our house any discussion of him coming back went out the window when my husband had to take baby to the ER. He had tried to bust into a container of formula shortly after the bottle/eye incident. I don't want to imagine what could happen if he were to come in contact with one of them when they have milk on their mouth or clothes.

 

I agree the best option was to rehome in this case. Maybe not having cat "competition" will help. Are your parents going to keep him permanently?

 

I am fostering a cat currently that sounds much like yours. He was a former stray, and therefore is food -obsessed-. He is also very very very high energy and loud and kinda anxious. Recently, for a holiday, we put a doggy sweater on him, and it was like a whole different cat was in our house! I was amazed. Appearently, having pressure on their scruff can really calm an anxious cat down. There is a company that makes lightly weighted vests for animals like yours, that might do wonders for you. It was almost instant, so before you let go of 100% hope, I would give it a try. I know having the new babies is stressful with a wild-kitty. But if you can even find a temporary solution for the next year, you babies will be much better equipped to handle pets around them, and there won't be as much danger.

 

That's a great idea! Definitely worth a try, I would think. I have never used one (like a thundershirt, right?) but I've always heard really good things about them. I'm actually borrowing one soon to try on my uber-stressed Bengal boy to see if it helps him any.

 

Yeah like a thundershirt. I haven't used that, just a tight heavy dog sweater. It takes a little time for them to get used to walking and doing stuff in them, but the anxiety is like from 100% to 0 instantly. First day they look a little like fainting goats, lol.

 

He has two thunder shirts and a little tank top (that actually says hungry with an orange shark!) and I credit those with him ceasing some weird behavior with water, but unfortunately no effect on his food obsession. here he is snuggling his little sister in his thundershirt

 

Years ago we had a cat escape. Simon was not an outdoor cat and contrary to what some people may think cats don't eat mice to live, they're terrified and hide under a deck or, in Simon's case, a garage. He was so filthy when I found him I wasn't sure it was him. He also became food-obsessed to the point where he could not groom himself anymore. I think there's some psychology there but since cats can't talk we'll never know. Deep down many animals never know for sure where their next meal is coming from.
He is a handsome boy and sure looks peaceful there, just like our Lewis just before he bites my nose. Best of luck.

 

He was at one point -before diabetes diagnosis, when he was eating dry food- 16 or 17lbs but his weight the last couple times we took him to the vet was around 14-15lbs, he's lost some weight and some muscle mass in his back and hind legs our vet said.

I checked out the DCIN website, it looks like a really great network. I did reach out via email as I don't have a Facebook and I'm very hesitant to make one. Got an email back and sent some photos of Jack being well behaved, because he really is for the most part. Until the refrigerator opens.

I'm trying very hard to look at rehoming as being best for everyone, maybe especially him, he is very needy and wants constant affection. And while we will always make time for cuddles and play time with the kitties, things have obviously changed since I've come home with two brand new, tiny humans. In a new home, I think he could thrive either way, with cat/dog companions, or as an "only child" now that he's older (he's having fun being the only kitty while he's at my parents'). We have 4 other cats (our dog unfortunately passed from pancreatic cancer in December and Jack walked around the house yeowling for days) and he is definitely the boss.

 

They said they will keep him until we find other arrangements. I feel like it's a lot to ask of them, to keep him permanently, when they have so much going on. And once I return to work the babies will be there several days a week. He can be segregated there, while they're there, though so that's good. My dad has been playing with him a lot and letting him out on the deck and in the yard (supervised), which he loves. So he's happy and has lots of enrichment, but still, my mom said he nearly climbs her legs every morning to get her coffee creamer...

 

Adorable. Hug yourself, give yourself a break. You did whars best for everyone. How is your baby?

 

DCIN is a wonderful organization. I hope they will be able to help you. You are definitely doing what is best for everyone concerned, even Jack. It's not a happy life for him if he has to compete for your attention and be locked away in a different part of the house, and the stress on YOU must be terrible!
And first and foremost, you have to look to the safety of your babies.

Do your parents have any other animals? If not, they may find they enjoy taking care of Jack and having him around!

 

Never let the guilt get to you. You never would have come here and bared your soul if you didn't care. Have you gotten "It's just a cat" yet? I can imagine the looks you got at the hospital. You don't deserve either shame or guilt and anyone who intentionally tries to make you feel that way doesn't deserve your attention.

 

Thank you, and thanks for asking He's doing very well. He looooves to touch his face so he'd swipe at it and tear the scabs away, which was a little scary, but healing quickly now and the swelling around his eye is nearly gone. He looked like a mini-boxer with his swollen eye and mittens to keep him from scratching, he's a tough little guy.

 

I am new to this forum/diabetes, but I am not new to cat ownership, I've had them my entire life.

I, like you, would have a hard time making a decision to find a new home. Like you, I can imagine it being a nightmare.

The only thing I can even think of in a hurry is to make him strictly an outdoor cat. I've had many outdoor cats, but always made sure they had a pet door to the garage to come in and eat an use a litter box, bed to sleep in etc.

I wish you luck. I've given birth had a baby and cats and I remember a woman telling me when I was pregnant "You're gonna wanna get rid of those cats". It worked out, but my cat's were mostly outdoor back then. It's the only other option I can think of other than a no kill shelter and they are always full, but it's worth calling every single shelter within a 60 mile radius.

 

They have a super neurotic golden retriever that's scared of him...but he doesn't bother with her unless there's food involved so they're ok together as long as they're separated at meal time. They love him, but they are definitely not "cat people" so I was very surprised when my mom was texting me pictures of them hanging out in the yard and saying he was on the floor playing with him and his toys. We'll see where that goes I guess

 

You never know. I don't think anyone is "cat people" until the first cat finds their way into their home. Cats are funny like that.

 

So very true, lol!

 

I've noticed Fortiflora sprinkled on my cats food makes them content, calm and less hungry, try that, most cats love the taste and it's worth a try. Most vets carry it and if you can wait a few more days you can order it online for a cheaper price. In the end only you can decide. You've given your pet a better and loving life but if they don't or can't appreciate it you have to make a choice between him and your family.

 

No, I can't imagine what I'd even say to that in my sleep deprived, extra cranky state! But we did get, "I thought something like this would happen"...the first words from my mother in law when my husband called to tell her she couldn't come over as we are postponing ALL visitors until it's healed and there's no chance of infection (not an is he okay, not an I'm sorry to hear that...but she's a narcissist and that's a post for another message board. She also hates animals -especially cats- and that alone says more than enough about her imo). We both went ballistic on her over the phone and she's not welcome in our home until she sincerely apologizes So I'm hoping it takes awhile for her to figure out how a normal human being might go about doing that, less stress for me!

I didn't go to UC or the ER, I stayed home with the other baby. I was concerned what people may think, like, this baby JUST came home and is already in the emergency room?!? But my husband and my mom (who's a pediatric nurse practitioner) both assured me that the doctors/nurses at urgent care and the emergency room were incredibly understanding; accidents happen.

 

Oh boy- wait til they start crawling then walking- It's almost impossible to keep both in view unless restricted to a small area. That's when they really start racking up the bruises and scrapes! By then you'll be somewhat use to it, kiss the boo boo and send them back to play. I watch 3 y/o twins and they are a handful!

 

I'm so sorry for your situation. Congratulations on your newest addition to your family first. Although I can't offer specific advice, I have seen your situation on "My Cat From Hell" Jackson Galaxy... and he was able to advise and do wonders for the family. They were also going to remove and had a baby. I would point you in that direction. I believe the cat had a chemical imbalance if I am not mistaken that required daily meds, but not 100% for sure.

Best of luck!!

gina

 

Had to giggle....I remember my first....everything had to be sterilized....if it touched anything, it had to be re-sterilized.....as soon as the diaper was even considering getting wet, it was changed....fall against the softest part of the chair?....Off to the ER for xrays, cat scans and a neurological check

Child #2....dropped the Binky on the floor? Wipe it off on your jeans (extra points if they're clean jeans but not necessary) and give it back....diaper a little "odorous"?....I'll get to it "in a minute"...fell against the corner of the table? Here's a Garfield Band-Aid, a kiss to make it heal and off you go!!

It's amazing what a little experience does for a mom!

 

Lol, that so mirrors my experiences with my two boys, I had to laugh!!!

 

Hi everyone!! I wanted to give you guys an update since everyone was so supportive with my situation a few months ago.

We didn't have any luck rehoming, so Jack is still living with my parents. We have let him see the babies from a distance...he tenses up, lowers his ears, and gets a weird look on his face ☹️ Not good, but keeping them separated hasn't been an issue. He'a happy to see me when I visit, so I don't think he feels abandoned like I was worried about. And although he can be pretty lethargic sometimes, he's really enjoying getting to go outside and play in their pond -as evidenced by several frog carcasses :/- and laying around in the flower beds. They've rearranged their schedules to be able to manage his injections, which I never expected them to do, but am certainly very grateful. They've had all his records transferred to their vet and apparently they're a little more versed in feline diabetes than mine...Our vet never told us to increase his dose above 4 units, in fact several times they had us bounce between 2 and 3 units. Their vet has him on SEVEN! And told them it could wind up being increased to as much as 12 - 1 unit per pound- so I was totally blown away by that. They changed his food and told them he can have dry food during the day and the vet is checking his levels regularly now. Behaviorally, he's doing a lot better, but unfortunately, his levels are still often in the 400's to upper 500's.

The only thing I'm really irritated with with this vet is that according to my dad they're not really receptive to the idea that he may have cancer. They've run a bunch of tests, to the tune of a few thousand dollars, and as far as I understand haven't found anything except a heart murmur. I'm convinced he has an adrenal gland tumor. He's lost several pounds, has basically zero muscle mass on his back and his legs, has a bloated abdomen, the excessive thirst/urination, he's started losing patches of fur, the lethargy...I can't find anything about a blood sugar connection in felines specifically but in humans it can affect blood sugar levels and make them very high. I don't see why it would be any different in cats if it affects the endocrine system. I haven't looked through the forums on here to see what experience others may have with this yet, but I'm interested to find out. My mom said she's going to bring it up again when they take him in in a few days.

Overall a mostly good update I think he really likes being the only cat and he's getting a lot of attention that we wouldn't be able to give him. Our cats also seem to be a lot more calm without him here. Meal times are certainly smoother! Our baby's eye healed perfectly, and they're both big, happy, healthy 3 month-olds!

 

Thanks for the update. I'm really glad your parents have taken Jack in. Almost every one of those symptoms you've listed above is consistent with uncontrolled diabetes in a cat. The only one I'm not sure about is the bloated abdomen. Some cats exhibit a whole range of signs, others only a few.

The only other comment I can offer is that I think his insulin dosing needs rethinking. We've seen many examples of kitties here who had the dose raised and raised and raised to no effect. The BGs stayed high. There are some cats who have another health issue that can result in a very high insulin requirement (acromegaly is one, anti-insulin antibodies another) but it's often a case of the cat's body overcompensating for too high a dose. The dose might be dropping them very low but without frequent BG measurements, it isn't picked up. The body overcompensates by dumping stored glucose into the bloodstream (short version) and the BG soars to very high numbers.

There's a new-ish member here whose kitty was on 7 units of insulin because her vet kept increasing the dose. That member began carefully lowering the dose, her kitty became more responsive and she's now below 1 unit per dose. If I can remember the member's name and find her link, I'll put it in here for you to see.

 

Here's one kitty that started at 7 u and is now down to 3:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/heres-our-curve.179337/
I'll keep looking.

 

Sammy is another one, started 8U and is down to 2.75U right now: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/high-glucose-9-units-on-vetsulin.178050/
Cloud is another, started 5-7U and now down to 0.25U: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/bouncing-numbers-kinda-worried.179116/

 

Thanks to @Yong our resident research librarian!

 

You may be on to something with those observations. Cushings will cause difficulties with BG regulation and quite often the cats will have a pot belly and hair loss. That said it's equally possible that kitty has acromegaly, IAA or is getting too much insulin as in the examples above. The only way to rule out acromegaly, IAA and Cushings which is extremely rare but does occur in cats, is to have testing done and many vets think you are wasting your time and money so they don't do them. If you are really wanting answers, have your parents tell the vet to "humour them" and get the testing done. The vet should comply as it can only help the cat in the long run if there is something else going on.

I have a high dose cat and a vet who poo poohed my requests for testing and boy was she floored when my instincts were bang on!

So glad to see hear Jack is doing well with your parents and that all is well with your little ones!

 

I am so glad to hear things are looking up for Jack! I do have to say I agree with what the others have said, that his dose may actually be too high, which can cause his numbers to go up rather than down. I also have to mention that the dry food he is currently eating is contributing to higher bg numbers. I know it's more cost-effective, and certainly more convenient, but it really isn't appropriate for diabetic cats (or any cats, really!); your parents are kind of "shooting themselves in the foot" by continuing to feed it.

 

That's what I told them -dry food is a big NO! -and they said the vet told them to. He still gets wet food 2x/day but she said let him have dry to graze so he's not frantic and attacking for food. It's "special" food, not sure if prescription, but something they're getting from the vet (I think it has m/d on the bag).

 

Thank you! I will have them bring that up, I think my dad takes him in either every Monday or Friday. He was boarded at the vet for 4 days while they were on vacation and I know they checked his numbers and did some bloodwork while there. I'm not sure the rate at which they're increasing, they didn't jump from 3 to 7, it's been gradual, and he's definitely acting like he feels better but maybe they need to gradually come back down?

 

If the dry food is Hill M/D, I believe it's about 18% carbs....far too high for a diabetic. It's commonly peddled by ill informed vets because they get their nutritional training from the big gun pet food companies and they've been brain washed. There are a couple of dry food options available in the US that are low enough in carbs to be suitable if not optimal (wet is optimal). Either Young Again or Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein would be viable replacements for the M/D.

 

The dry maybe a way to control the behaviour but maybe Young Again would be a better option.

 

Wow, that is a huge difference. Thank you for the info!!

 

Curious, when you say pot-belly do you mean like...poochy, hanging kind of belly or wide belly? His is pretty distended, out to the sides. He used to have the sway-belly, years ago, but lost it and is now really thin everywhere but his belly. Initially, I thought it was worms!

My husband mentioned that they did say his spleen and/or liver was slightly enlarged. I'm thinking it was probably the liver. So a lot of his symptoms DO align with Cushings!!

 

Wooaaah the young again is pricey. I'm not sure how much the vet is charging for the food they're getting there but I remember when we were getting different Rx food for another cat it was like $50/8 lbs? I will see if they're open to trying Dr. Elsey's, that seems like it would likely be comparable in price to their vet's.

 

If you scroll down to page 334 & 335 in this medical article there are pictures of the pot belly of a cat with Cushings. I suppose the sides would bulge too but it wouldn't just be a pouch of swingy tissue which is a primordial pouch and quite common and normal in cats whether overweight or not. This documentation describes both acromegaly and Cushings in cats quite well. Hope it helps.

 

Don't panic over the price. This food is so calorie dense that the amount a cat eats is less and the bag will last longer than you think. They will send samples out to you for both foods I think, so you can try them before putting out major funds for a big bag.

 

Most of the science diet foods have always seemed like a racket (like "diet" foods that keep you overweight!). We had another cat on one that seemed to be the exact opposite of what he really needed. And he hated it!

 

One thing to consider is having an ultra sound done. That will determine whether there is an adrenal gland tumour which is one type of Cushing's (adrenal dependent hyperadrenocorticism). It will also tell whether the pancreas, liver and BOTH adrenals are enlarged which is a good visual indication of PDH Cushing's (pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism)which is what my kitty had. More tests would be needed if the ultrasound shows signs of either. The pot belly, hair loss, muscle loss and hard to control diabetes are good indicators. Cushing's is really not as rare as it is believed. In the 2 1/2 years I have been on this forum there have been about 6 other kitties, besides mine that were diagnosed with Cushing's. My personal feeling is that it is under diagnosed because the vet profession believes it is rare.

 

Yup! He doesn't have the plantigrade stance but otherwise the side view looks like him, with the kind of rough looking coat as well.

 

Cushings is harder to diagnose than acromegaly or IAA and depending on the type, there may not be much you can do other than supportive care so while knowing may explain a lot and ease your mind and your parents' about the high doses of insulin required, it may not change the treatment plan. The symptoms displayed can differ from one cat to another so any one or two symptoms alone don't necessarily mean Cushings but may suggest it as a possibility.

 

Was he tested for hyperthyroid? I know that can make a cat ravenous for food.

 

Most of the food is cellulose filler - in other words, cardboard. The Young Again Zero Carb is very dense and highly palatable, they only eat about 1/4 cup a day if they are on YA alone. If your kitty is getting wet, too, he won't need much YA per day, so it really isn't as expensive as it seems like.