Newly Diagnosed 18 Year Old with BG of 568

My 18-year-old, 7 lb Siamese, Misty, was diagnosed on Thursday due to urine and blood glucose readings of over 500. She was hospitalized in order to get her insulin dose worked out and came home this afternoon. Her treatment consists of 1.5u of ProZinc 2x daily. The vet said we are to free feed her and we came home with Purina ProPlan Dietetic Management.

When we picked her up she was very spacey, and the tech mentioned her blood glucose levels were still very high, and that sometimes they were not even able to get a reading. When she got home she went straight to her food and water. At first she wanted to rest in bed with me, but after her next trip to the water dishes she decided to lie down near her dishes in the kitchen for a couple hours before returning to bed.

I’m so worried about her condition. She still gets up (or more like drunkenly staggers over) to eat, drink, and use her litter box, but when she isn’t doing those things she seems to mostly want to sleep. Any walking seems to take a lot out of her, and she seems very spacey most of the time. I took a blood glucose reading 3 hrs ago which was 568, and she just now had her first at home insulin injection.

Other complicating factors are high blood pressure and a heart murmur and galloping arrhythmia which was caught a couple of weeks ago. The vet says it indicates that she has heart disease, and we are waiting for them to call us with an available cardiologist appointment. Her kidney levels are also slightly elevated, and exactly one week ago, before she was diagnosed with diabetes, she had two seizures within 24 hours of each other. She also has arthritis and has trouble using her hind legs.

I’m so sick with worry and confusion about how I can help her. I’m worried about how long she will continue having levels so high. I’m worried something critical is going on with her heart right now that she isn’t getting treatment for while we wait for the cardiologist.

I’m reading all I can about feline diabetes online and am going to set up a spreadsheet to monitor her numbers.

I was wondering if anyone can chime in with how they might or have handled a situation like mine? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Hello and welcome to FDMB. I'm sorry I don't have any words of wisdom or advice, and very sorry poor little Misty and you are going through this difficult time. I just want you to know you have been noticed, and others will be able to offer thoughts and encouragement. Please do get that spreadsheet going, and plug in as much data as you can. Visit the Prozinc forum, post there also. Experienced Prozinc members may check that forum first and perhaps have some input for you sooner. Very best wishes going forward, hugs for both of you!

 

Welcome to the FDMB!! The best place you never wanted to be!!

First of all, your vet is totally wrong about the food....the "prescription" foods are too high in carbs for a diabetic cat....especially the dry kinds!! Most of us feed plain old Fancy Feast Classics or Friskies pates.

If you look at the ingredients in the "prescription" foods, you'll see they're full of carbs and lousy ingredients anyway.

It's just too soon to know how your kitty is going to respond since you're just now testing at home and giving insulin, but getting the spreadsheet going and posting here daily will help us to help you!!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and tips! I just got the spreadsheet set up and I’m going to start tomorrow. I’ll definitely look into the ProZinc forum, I never would have even thought an insulin brand would have a message board!

It’s really disappointing to hear about the prescription food because Misty is currently seeing a cat specialist so you’d think they would know better. I always felt skeptical when vets prescribed foods that had so much junk in it compared to what I’d rather be feeding my cats, it’s unfortunate to have my suspicions reinforced in this case... I'll definitely go get her something better, thank you so much for the insight!

 

Love & support to both of you. I don't know much yet (M'row is 15 years old, started insulin two weeks ago), but from lots of reading I do know everybody here recommends the above two kinds of canned food; M'row loves the fancy feast classic just to death. I am puzzled by your vet's choice of insulin; Lantus is newer, and often preferred. There's also a Lantus forum here; you could look at that too, and see what you think. Hang in there; there's so much info and support on these FD forums. Purrs to you both!

 

Thank you for your reply, it's good to see what everybody's kitties prefer as far as food. I'm sure Misty would enjoy the Fancy Feast while we try to get her something a little... Well, fancier, I guess

 

If you want a high quality food try Tiki cat after dark line.

 

I actually picked up a Tiki Cat Luau combo box because I loved the ingredients list and she loves the taste (hooray!). I took a look at the After Dark foods and the ingredients are really fantastic. I'd love to feed her nothing but this but it might be a bit cost-restrictive... Still though, with such a high quality food like the Tiki Cat cans I wouldn't mind her getting a low carb Fancy Feast a few times in the middle.

Thank you so much for the suggestion, I'm so glad she likes them! Ever since I switched from the DM her blood sugar seems a little more stable and she's getting a lot of her pep back even just a week after starting insulin. She's starting to object to all the poking and injecting...

I'd rather get bit by an angry, nearly-toothless cat than have a nonresponsive kitty who clearly feels terrible though!

 

Welcome! I’m new too, not even a week in to this with my burmese too. You’ll find lots of Burmese in here, our poor breed is apparently very prone to it!!!
But fear not, the overwhelming info begins to settle in to you brain more. I’m still TOTALLY confused by my girl but I don’t feel that incredible overwhelming feeling I did!

My girl went in to DKA and when she came home she was still really spacey and super high levels and and quiet and slow. Better than when she first got sick, but not her usual self at all! But over the past few days she is coming around more and more. Not 100% yet but sooooo much better than she was.

You’ll get there! Keep reading!

 

Yes, keep at it! M'row has been on insulin since Jan 1, 2019, and is just sooooooo much better. Except he sometimes swears when he gets poked: too bad for him, as he's really starting to sparkle again in every other way!

 

Glad she likes the food! I have six cats so I give CCA can of Tiki and the rest all get low carb ff.... If course at some point they switch bowls which is fine.... I could never afford to feed them all Tiki... But two cans a day of the Tiki and the rest ff I can do.


Try injecting while she's eating. And give a treat for tests

 

That’s so good to hear! I was so worried when I first brought her home after diagnosis and she seemed almost comatose. Over the past few days there’s already been a big improvement. Now she’s more alert and purring again! I even got her to play for a few minutes yesterday! Reading others’ experiences on here helps too. Thanks so much for your reply!!

 

I’m so glad your girl is turning around! I don’t know how I would handle DKA - I feel like I’m barely hanging in right now! I admire how strong everyone here seems!

I think the super spacey, nearly non responsive thing was the hardest for me, but it’s turned around a lot in just the last few days! She’s been purring and interacting again, and she even played for a few minutes yesterday! Now I’m just crossing my fingers to start seeing an improvement in the neuropathy. My poor girl has been slipping and sliding and stumbling everywhere. It breaks my heart those times when she can barely take a couple of steps or falls over in the litter box. Thank you so much for your reply!

 

It’s totally scary and worrying. I spent a lot of the first days in tears; I don’t feel that strong! You just HAVE to keep going because there isn’t much option, so you do.

And yes, day by day there is improvement!