Newly diagnosed

Hi There,

My little Ricky was just diagnosed last week with diabetes. He is about 7 years old and a small cat; he weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz at his last checkup two months ago. But since then we have observed a rapid weight loss, along with increased appetite and frequent urination. So when our vet weighed him in again at 7 lbs. 8 oz, and diagnosed diabetes, I wasn't too surprised.

It's been a frantic few days, getting him started on the insulin and figuring out how everything works together.

I found the FDMB rather early in my research -- thank goodness. I've already gotten a lot of good information from this website. Thank you!!! I'm sure I will be on this forum a lot.

 

Welcome.
Good insulin are the human Lantus and Levemir and the pet insulins ProZinc and BCP PZI. For those two human insulin it is best to get the 5 pack of 3 ml disposable pens via a 10 ml vial. Although per ml the vial is less expensive most cats will not use up a 10 ml vial before the insulin goes bad/becomes ineffective. The human insulin N/NPH is sometimes prescribed but only lasts 8-10 hours. Same for the pet insulin Vetsulin/Caninisulin.
Most of us here test or cats blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...te-a-ss-and-link-it-in-your-signature.130337/
What are you feeding? A low-carb canned is best. No reason for a prescription food. Here is a list of commercial low-carb canned

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/shortcut-shopping-list-all-8-or-less-updated.117688/

Here is a link to home testing blood sugarshttp://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

Welcome to FDMB. See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some useful assessments of your cat's health in addition to blood glucose monitoring.

 

Hi Lori. Welcome to you and Ricky.

I look forward to getting to know you both, and maybe doing some little bit to help with things as you're learning; it is definitely a vertical curve!


Mogs
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Welcome Lori and Ricky 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. Below is general information and it will also help you start your shopping lists. Congratulations for finding this place and for seeking more information on feline diabetes.

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 and congratulations to you for wanting to home test too. 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 when you can. The main reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe and to find an effective dose. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs and treats 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 different 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 folks buy AT strips from ADW. 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 for 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 which needs a little bigger drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each. The AT strips are usually around $1 each at the vet’s office.

Lancets: Lancets are used to poke the ear to get blood for the meters. There are many different sizes lancets (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge because it is a larger size and will make a bigger hole, hence easier to draw blood. 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. It is a bit scary at first to start poking the ear, but eventually it will become easier for both you and your kitty. Some people even draw blood from the paw pad.

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. To further my knowledge on diabetes, I would make it a habit to read other kitty’s postings and spreadsheets. Even though they are all different and will be different than your kitty, it was still invaluable information.

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 and I found with Merlin that right around 4-5% worked for him. 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, Wellness, Werurva 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 (low blood sugar) 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. Hopefully you will never need it but probably at some point in time, you will need to deter from going too low.

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 for 100.

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 where you can find at your local Asian market. There is a link here somewhere in this site that has a list of low carb treats.

Injections: Some of the insulins that folks use are Lantus, Levemir, Prozinc, Humulin, Novolin Vetsulin, etc. The first three are a little longer lasting than the last three. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. The reason is because food will elevate the BG number and you do not want to shoot based on a higher number. Then you test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. Here is a link on how to give injections.http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm If you are using Humulin, Novolin, Vetsulin, etc. it is best to ensure that your kitty has eaten all of their meal; say about 20-30 minutes before you shoot.

If you have any questions, just holler.

 

Thank you all for your responses, advice and information. It's only been two weeks since Ricky's diagnosis, but this morning we had to bring him to the hospital due to dehydration and DKA. As we began implementing his insulin regimen this past week, we could not get his blood sugar down below 400 and eventually it went up to over 700. By the time we got him to the veterinary hospital, he was barely responsive. The vet and support staff now have gotten him hydrated and he is hanging on. I pray that he continues to improve overnight.

 

Lori..I am so sorry to hear that Ricky and you are having to deal with DKA. The best place for him right now is at the vet hospital. Prayer that he can deal with the DKA. This must be such a stressful time for you.

 

Oh, Lori! Fingers and paws all crossed over here for Ricky to keep improving through the night and that he feels better tomorrow. Sending some for you. Will keep an eye out for updates from you.


Mogs
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Thank you! We visited him today and thankfully he did improve overnight.

 

So happy to hear that he is feeling a little better.

 

Thanks for the update, Lori. I'm so pleased and relieved to read your news. C'mon, Ricky! We're all rooting for you.


Mogs
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