Oliver's newly diagnosed diabetes

Hi Everyone,

I just got the diabetes diagnosis yesterday and am feeling pretty overwhelmed with my kitty, Oliver. Ollie is a big orange tabby so huggable (but not at the vet!) who is also asthmatic. His other vet had been trying to figure out what was wrong with him. His hind legs have become increasingly weak. He had a physical in mid-June and his sugar was a little high then but the vet thought it was from stress. Starting at the end of June, I kept saying that he was voraciously hungry but was losing weight. That's when the leg weakness really kicked in. He was drinking more, etc. So the vet had tested the urine and it had too much sugar. The next step was fructosamine test, which was 156 (low!) so she said that ruled out diabetes. Before planning an MRI she wanted me to pick up dexamethasone pills, thinking that if they worked we'd know it must have something to do with his spine. Here is where I put on the brakes and wanted another opinion.
The next vet tested his blood, the regular blood screen and his glucose was 445 - bingo he's a diabetic. I gave (or at least I hope it went in) his first insulin shot this evening at 9:30. They said if I am an hour off occasionally it would be ok. Tomorrow it would have to be at 8:30 am. This happens once a week because I work til 9 at night on Weds. They said that's ok. Using Lantus right now, will not be able to afford that long term.
I must go to sleep -- this whole thing is very overwhelming and exhausting. Thank you for being here. I will be checking in whenever I can.
Best wishes from Peggy & Ollie ^~^

 

Welcome Peggy and Ollie. My cat, Colin, is also a big,orange, huggable tabby! He also has diabetic neuropathy, and for that I'm giving him Zobaline, a form of B12. What are you feeding Ollie? Sometimes a switch to a low carb canned food can lower BG substantially. Most of us use Fancy Feast classics, or Friskies Pate as they are much cheaper, and often better than the vet prescription diets. If you switch foods though, be sure you are testing his glucose levels because if he has that drop, a change in insulin may be warranted. As I'm new here too, and still a bit overwhelmed myself, I can't give too much advice, but stick around and ask questions. Education is your best weapon. Welcome again and look forward to hearing about your progress.

 

Thank you, Sharon. The vet gave Ollie a shot of B-12 yesterday morning. I am going to look into the Zobaline, I'd like to ask the vet about it. Hoping she calls me today with urinalysis results and to answer my millions of questions! Ollie eats canned Wellness and the vet says that is good for him. He used to eat the FF classics but they became a little too rich for him and he lost interest too. It sure would be a lot cheaper! Thanks again.
I am still not sure if I really got the insulin into him last night and this morning. I did not feel the "pop" when I put the needle in, yet when I looked closely the syringe was flush against him. The Alpha Tester comes tonight and I will have to learn that. After some coercion the on duty vet yesterday agreed to do the test in front of me so that I could see what it was like. It leaves a little red mark on his ear. Once I get the hang of that I think I'll have a better handle on things.
What should I be looking for in terms of numbers when I test him to determine the next course of action?
Thanks again!
Peggy & Oliver ^~^

 

It sounds like you have everything in hand Peggy. That's great. I wish I had when Colin was first diagnosed. We always test before giving a shot. Test, then feed then shoot. Since I'm new, I can't really give much advice on numbers, dosing, etc. I'm sure someone will come on line and give you that info. As for fur shots, we've all done that. You can often feel a dampness at the injection site. If you go to you tube there are some great videos on testing and giving insulin. I just had a refresher course myself. There's a lot to learn, but the people here love to answer questions, so ask away!

 

I'm only a month in so can only give the following thoughts: the shots/ear tests are harder on us than our furry babies. Bojangles was much better even just a week in and certainly now that we are almost a full month in. For the ear tests I suggest a baby sock filled with a couple of tablespoons of uncooked rice, pop in microwave for about 15 seconds. Try on your arm first to make sure it's not too hot. The warm sock held against the underear can sometime help get the blood "flowing" - I tend to hold it there during the stick to keep the ear still. A small strip of vaseline or neosporin along the outter edge of the ear will also help the blood to bead up rather than into the fur, so easier to get a test that way. This is a wonderful, supportive group with a lot of knowledge and helpful advice. I'm sure others will come on with links to set up a spreadsheet of your tests so you can see track how your kitty is doing and also to help others give advice. AMPS (morning pre-shot reading), +1, +2, +3, etc (1, 2, 3 and so on hours after insulin injection), PMPS (evening pm pre-shot), same with the hours following the insulin shot. U=units of insulin given. Check out Colin's SS and Bojangles spreadsheet on these messages so far to get an idea on the spreadsheets. @Critter Mom - can you share thoughts or connect Peggy with someone who knows how to set up a spreadsheet. I forget now who sent me all the links and info to set up mine.

 

I think this will post the link you need to set up a spreadsheet. Others can advise more on this topic. Please update your signature line when you can with info on type of insulin, type of meter you'll be using, and add a link to your spreadsheet. I'm sure others will add further advice soon. I hope this link works. -Marcy (Bojangles' mom).

How to set up a spreadsheet - If you measure in mg/dL use the US version. If you measure in mmol/L use the world (international) version.

 

Just wanted to say thanks. The Alpha Tracker just came last night and I'm working right now. Will try very hard to learn to use it and I will be off for a few days so that should help. In the meantime I think I'm managing to get his shots in and have seen tiny improvements in Ollie that make me feel encouraged. I'll keep checking back when I can and will look into the spreadsheet once I learn to test. Thanks so much. Peggy & Oliver ^~^

 

@Bojangles' Mom - Sterling job on the spreadsheet link there, Marcy!

 

I'm not where I have access to the internet or cell service most of the weekend. For the most part that is a good thing, but can be a challenge for this particular purpose. @PeggyS-bb Definitely reach out here on the board, starting new threads and/or post on the insulin support groups that match the type of insulin you're using with your kitty. As @Critter Mom and others have mentioned to me, this is an international board and it seems as though someone is online and able to help just about 24-7. I know here in NH, I've made new friends in the UK...I think they may now even have to be considered Bojangles' aunties or godparents or something along those lines. We're very thankful for all of our new friends who watch out for us!

 

Hello and welcome to you, Peggy and Oliver.

You've found a great place to learn about feline diabetes. You will also find lots of money-saving tips, plenty of practical advice about day-to-day management of feline diabetics, and discussions on many other feline health-related topics. It is a bit of a land finding out your little one is diabetic, and it can be a bit of a roller coaster in the early days. Now you're here you need never be alone with the worry and uncertainty that are part of the early days after diagnosis. As you learn - and it truly is a vertical learning curve - you'll grow in confidence and things will get easier and the feelings of being overwhelmed will subside.

It's great that you're going to home test. It will help keep your cat safe on insulin and also provide you with reliable blood glucose level data free of the possibility of being temporarily elevated due to stress from travel or the vet visit itself, and therefore better to judge his insulin dosing requirements. Home testing will also enable you to do your own spot checks and run your own glucose curves* at home instead of having to regularly take your cat to the vet to have them performed.

It can take a little time to get the hang of home testing. Key tips are to make sure the ear is warmed long enough to improve blood flow to the test area, and also to smear a thin film of Vaseline or Neosporin ointment onto the test area so that the blood droplet will bead up instead of wicking into the fur. Here are a couple of forum stickies to help you with testing technique. I see Marcy has already given you the link to show you how to set up a Google spreadsheet in which to store your test results. (Nice one, @Bojangles' Mom!) The spreadsheet is an invaluable tool to help you monitor your cat's BG patterns and it will help you with both regulation and safe dosing. Sharing the spreadsheet will enable experienced members here give you better suggestions when you need help. Some members also find it helpful to share the spreadsheet with their vets when reviewing their cats' progress.

Home Testing Hints and Tips (includes how-to videos)

Testing and Shooting Tips (includes a very useful diagram of the ear to show the 'sweet spot' for getting samples more easily)

In addition to the spreadsheet link, it is helpful to add your names, your insulin and glucometer type, plus brief details of any other health issues/medications in your signature. Have a look at other members' signatures to get some ideas of what to include.

Alongside home blood glucose monitoring, it's also recommended to regularly monitor urine for ketones. You can pick up urine test strips (e.g. Keto-Diastix) anywhere that sells supplies for human diabetics, including reputable online retailers.

High protein, low carb, wet cat food is the preferred diet for diabetic cats. You can find out more about appropriate feline nutrition in general at vet-authored site catinfo.org. Here's a link to Dr Pierson's page about nutrition and feline diabetes. Most of our members feed commercial brands (e.g. Fancy Feast Classic or Friskies patés are popular in the US; they're both suitable and reasonably priced). Note that cat foods with gravy are high in carbs so are not for everyday feeding, but it's useful to have a few cans stashed in your cat's hypo kit alongside the honey or karo. The gravy is very useful for raising low blood glucose levels. If your cat is on a high carb diet and already receiving insulin, you must be home testing before you start a transition to lower carb food because blood glucose levels may drop very quickly and very dramatically from the start and the insulin dose will very likely need to be reduced (more about this at the catinfo.org page linked above).

Take your time working through the resources. The links will be here waiting for you as and when you're ready for them. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Welcome to the Sugar Dance.



Mogs


* A glucose curve is a series of blood glucose tests run at regular intervals over a 12- or 18-hour cycle to determine how low the insulin dose takes the cat's blood glucose (the nadir) and also how long it is effective in the cat's body (the duration). Curves are used to monitor the efficacy and safety of a given insulin dose.
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And there's more ...

Word of warning: some vets may poo-poo the idea of oral supplementation with methyl B12 (Zobaline, etc.) on the grounds that it can be difficult to absorb from the gut. FWIW, there's a wealth of anecdotal evidence online that attests to its efficacy in treating cats with diabetic neuropathy. Here's one inspiring example:


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Just wondering, when do you test? He has to eat and then get his shot. Do you test before he eats or in between eating and shot? I think I don't want to do my first test when I have to give his shot because it will delay things too much as I'm learning. Thanks.

 

When Shiloh was getting insulin, I tested before every shot and randomly during the day. Testing before the shot is crucial to make sure that he is safe to shoot.

 

- Lift all food 2 hours before pre-shot test so it's not food-influenced.

- Test.
- Feed.
- Give insulin. (NB: with some harsher insulins it may be recommended to wait for a certain amount of time after the meal before giving insulin.)

As Rhonda says above, you also need to get spot checks to determine how low the dose is taking your cat (the nadir) and ideally to determine how long the dose is effective (usually with a curve or mini-curve if getting a lot of spot checks is an issue).


Mogs
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This is so helpful. I got my first blood sample today. I didn't do it at the proper time, too much pressure (!) but I did it when I was feeling calm just to learn. So his bg was 126 at 11:30 am - he had had a few bites leftover from breakfast and his insulin was given at about 8:15 am. The vet said he is still regulating but generally if the test before food and insulin shows less than 150 he would not need a shot. Again though I think this applies after a week to 10 days at which time (at 7 days) I will try to do the curve testing at home. If it doesn't work out I will bring him to vet for them to do it a couple days later. I think warming the ear and using a flashlight was very helpful. Thanks for all the tips!!

 

So at 133 does Ollie need a shot tonight? Just took it and ready to feed. Thanks.

Peggy & Oliver ^~^

 

Sorry I just found my vet notes and she says we want to keep him between 100-150 so he does not need a shot tonight. I just looked at the Tootsie video on YouTube. Tootsie looks just like Ollie and it brought tears to my eyes to see the walking with the neuropathy just like his and I'm so excited to see how well he did after the Zobaline therapy. I ordered some earlier today. Still feel a little squeamish about the blood letting but not anywhere near the panic I was feeling yesterday. Was Tootsie getting insulin during that time as well, does anyone know? Thanks!!