Sad but hopeful

Hi, my name is Jennifer and my Missy Mae was diagnosed with diabetes on Monday :-(.

The hardest thing for me, besides feeling like I let her down, is knowing whose advice to follow.

The first step for our vet was to prescribe the DM dry and canned food. After doing my own research I won't be giving her any more of the DM dry and will stick with the DM wet.

We haven't been instructed to start insulin at this point, which is confusing to me.

I just wanted to introduce myself and thank you for having a place for a very sad, confused momma to come for information.

Wishing all our babies nothing but the best...

 

Hi Jennifer, and welcome to you and Missy Mae.

You've found a great place to learn more about feline diabetes, and to get help and support.

Wet, low carb food is definitely the way to fly. Even DM dry is fairly carby. The wet is the better option. Also, there are many commercial wet cat foods that are suitable for diabetic kitties and you'll be able to get information about them here.

I see that Missy Mae is not yet on insulin. If you're transitioning to a low carb diet it can be advantageous to do it before starting insulin (depending on the cat's status and the vet's advice, of course). Cats' blood glucose numbers can drop quite significantly as a result of the switch, so for cats already on insulin their doses may need to be adjusted downwards in tandem with the food changeover. If the transition is done before starting insulin, it can make things a little easier because it will give a new baseline for setting the dose.

It's important to monitor diabetics for ketones. Since Missy Mae is not yet receiving insulin, I'd suggest testing her urine every day. You can get the urine test strips (e.g. Ketodiastix) at a pharmacy or anywhere that sells diabetic supplies. We also recommend home monitoring of blood glucose levels because it helps keep our kitties safe on their insulin. Has your vet mentioned this to you yet? We can help you learn how to do it.

It is a lot to take on board when we get the diagnosis, but with the right treatment your girl should hopefully be feeling much better soon. We'll do all we can to help you both.

I really like Missy Mae's picture. She has absolutely beautiful markings!



Mogs
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Mogs,

Thank you for the follow up. You've helped ease my concern that the vet didn't put Missy Mae on insulin right away. Starting with the DM food may be so they can see how big an impact it has on her numbers before introducing insulin. Her follow up appointment is in two weeks.

To be fair to the vet, he probably explained all this, but I was too overwhelmed to absorb it.

We will absolutely be getting the urine test strips to use until Missy Mae's follow up appointment.

Thank you again, so much, for your insight!

Jennifer & Missy Mae

 

Hi all. I'm Paul. Like all of you, i really really like cats

 

Hi Jennifer,

I'm glad I was able to help reassure you a little. We've all been as overwhelmed as you feel right now, and there's an awful lot of new information to take in during the early days. The good news is that things get much easier as you go along.

A fortnight's a fair bit away for the next visit. I'd suggest that perhaps you might like to learn to home test Missy Mae's blood glucose levels in the meantime? If you let us know which country you're in we'll be able to make suggestions about good choices for meters. Most people here use human meters to monitor their cats' blood glucose because the test strips tend to be much cheaper than the ones for veterinary meters. Human meter test results are a little lower than the pet meter readings, but by using a cat-specific blood glucose reference range appropriate for human meters they can be used very successfully to monitor a kitty and keep it safe. I've posted a couple of links to some forum resources so that you can find out more about how to home test.

Home Testing Links and Tips (includes 'how to' videos)

Testing and Shooting Tips (includes useful diagram showing the location of the testing 'sweet spot' on kitty's ear)

Be sure to ask for any help you need.



Mogs
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Hi Paul, and welcome to FDMB.

I see you bring your kitty to work with you! Our little ones make the bestest friends.



Mogs
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Hello again Mog,

We live in California, USA. If there's information specific to our area I'd greatly appreciate it.

I realize a diagnosis of diabetes means lifetime monitoring and care for my Missy Mae. My family and I are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep her with us forever.

My prayer right now is that changing Missy Mae's diet will adjust her numbers enough to avoid insulin. Is this possible?

Reviewing the information you shared has been very helpful. It also scares me to death. The thought of doing anything to cause Missy Mae pain brings me to tears.

It's not about us though, we will do what needs to be done. Are we foolish to hope that diet can resolve the need for insulin ?

Thank you again for taking the time to talk a nervous momma off the ledge.

I wish you and yours a very happy holiday.

Jennifer

 

Jennifer, diet alone can be enough for some cats. Finding out and treating as early as possible is best chance for remission. A bad tooth or some infection will raise BG.

Do you know what the vet got for a reading?

Paula

 

Hi Paula,

I was told that Missy Mae's glucose is double what is considered normal, but everything else looked good. The vet gave me the exact number but in my shock I didn't think to write it down.

Missy Mae is still a love. If not for the muscle loss around her hips we wouldn't have thought there was a problem. She went from 21 lbs to 16 lbs... I thought it was because I switched the babies to a holistic diet. However, the vet still wants Missy Mae to lose a couple more pounds.

My biggest regret is not raising Missy Mae and her brothers on wet food from the start.

This forum has been a blessing. Thank you for reaching out.

Jennifer

 

Jennifer, None of us knew about not feeding dry. So many years ago I had all my cats (now all GA) on dry because it was so convenient. What did I know 30 years ago. Funny that none of them ever had diabetes.

Smokey eats anything so I'm sorta lucky in that area. His top weight has always been 22-25 lbs. When I got him he was barely 12 lbs. He's holding now at 16-17 lbs.. I think 16 is still to little. He looks good at 17 lbs. Right now he is sporting his lion cut, something I'm not to good at doing yet.

We live and learn.

 

Hi Jennifer.

It's good to hear that you're feeling a smidge calmer. I know exactly what you mean about the tears at the thought of anything hurting our little ones. Most cats respond well to having their blood glucose checked. I was very nervous about pricking Saoirse's ears in the early days (especially as I could be a bit cack-handed at the time). Within a short space of time she would purr through the testing process (still does). And often she would hop up to her testing station to let me know it was time for her 'sugar check and Snackie!' It can be a comfort for both kitty and bean if there's a nice treat after testing. I give Saoirse Cosma Snackie freeze-dried chicken treats. There are similar products available stateside (Purebites, IIRC?). Making testing time a fuss fest helps.

FWIW, I used to beat myself up a lot about feeding Saoirse dry food (as recommended by vets when she was a kitten ). I try to focus on the fact that she's now eating food that's right for her. It helps a little.

Relion Confim and Relion Micro glucometers are a popular choices with many members here. They're available from Walmart and the strips are reasonably priced.

@Robin&BB - Robin, do you have a link to the up-to-date food list for the US? If yes, could you post it for Jennifer, please?

It is possible that a diet change is all that Missy Mae might need to get back into healthy blood glucose numbers. Even if it doesn't do the trick on its own, there is still the possibility of Missy Mae achieving remission after a course of insulin treatment. Studies have shown that the chance of remission can be greater with certain longer-acting insulins (e.g. Lantus, Levemir, Prozinc) but some cats do achieve remission on other insulins (e.g. Vetsulin).

Yuletide blessings to you, to Missie Mae, and all your loved ones.


Mogs
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Hi there, Jennifer - & welcome to the "Clan of the Sugar Cats!" Here's the food list in pdf format. attached below. (Let me know that you're able to open it, ok?)

 

Mogs is so right about this! Low-carb diet and the correct amount of it daily - based on your kitty's target weight (the "feeding guidelines" on pet foods are usually, um ... wrong!) is the way to go. And having fed my Bt-Bat ALL the wrong stuff for years (she ballooned up to 18+ lbs & went diabetic on me in 2013), I am now convinced that this is the only way to feed a cat - diabetic or not! (The only exception being if a kitty has another health problem that requires a different dietary approach.)

Another thing to consider re: the blood glucose #s your vet got in-clinic: Sometimes our kitties spike much higher-than-normal BG numbers during a visit to the vet. It's called "stress hyperglycemia" - and cats can even spike a number that is 100 points or more higher than they would while at home where they are more comfortable & relaxed!

So ... it's actually great that Missy Mae is not yet on insulin, because you'll be able to see if diet change alone will bring her numbers back into normal range. Which, of course, means you'll need to learn to home-test her blood glucose. It's really not hard to get the hang of it, and you'll have LOTS of support here at FDMB, 'cause we've all learned to do it! (I can't begin to tell you how much it has meant to me to have the support & guidance of the other members here - it's such a blessing & a comfort!)

The DM canned regular formula (NOT the Savory Selects DM canned, which is too high in carbs) is fine @ 3% carbs - I used that for quite a long time. But I actually use Fancy Feast turkey with giblets now (also 3% carbs), as it is way more economical --- & Bat-Bat loves it!

 

Hi Robin,

Thank you so much! I was able to open the link and have been riveted ever since... it's disturbing that the nutritional information is kept so top secret .

Happy Holidays,

Jennifer

 

Hey Missy Mae's Momma~ you have all ready been given some good information about feeding Missy Mae. One you know what insulin and how much, please post again so we can help guide you. Here a few links for how to home test. If you need help, just yell.

http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

We are here to help so, please ask any questions you might have..

 

Hello and Happy Holidays,

The support and guidance I've received from this forum salvaged my family's Christmas . Since getting the news about Missy Mae on Monday, everything else took a backseat. Mogs, Paula and Robin have helped me more than I could ever repay.

Thank you again for your kindness and direction.

Jennifer & Missy Mae

 

Hi Jennifer!

It gladdens my heart to hear you're feeling a bit better about things now, and that you and your family had a good Christmas.

We were all scared kitty mommas at one stage. All going well, as you learn more some day you'll be here holding the hand of a nervous newcomer.

Blessings to you and your family, and special low-carb scritches for Missy Mae.



Mogs
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Welcome to FDMB.
Tests taken at the vet can be 100-180 mg/dL higher than at home. Changing the food to lower carb may reduce the glucose level 100-200 mg/dL and may reduce the insulin dose by 1-2 units. This is why home testing is so important - it will help keep your cat safe when you make changes. In food or insulin dose.
Take a look at my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some additional assessments which you may find helpful to evaluate how your cat is donig.