Sawyer

Hello! My name is Allie and I have a 6 year old cat named Sawyer.

I'm new to the forum and I'm here to get some insight into caring for my diabetic cat. I just found out today that Sawyer is diabetic and am not really sure where to start. I rescued him last october and since then, he has gained a whopping four pounds (but recently lost one--yay!). I suspect he was an outdoor cat before he was surrendered to the shelter which is why he eats so much. I've been trying to put him on a diet for about 6 months, and until recently it wasn't very successful. Sawyer is the laziest cat I've ever seen. He sits next to his food bowl all day and only gets up to use the litter box/occasionally go under my bed. I try to play with him and get him to chase the laser pointer, but he just wont do it. I'm scared that he's depressed and I want to help him get healthy again so he can enjoy his life.

My vet told me I should get Lantus insulin with syringes and that I should try to buy them one at a time instead of in packs of 5 like most pharmacies offer. I've called my local Walgreens and they do offer the pens by themselves, but I don't really know what to do with this information. I've been reading online about attaching syringe needles to the pens and such but I'm waiting on his vet to call back with further instructions/a prescription.

I joined this forum so I could talk to other cat owners who are going through the same thing as we are and to get helpful information about his condition. I look forward to hearing about all of your sweet kitties and wish you all the best in your cat's battle against diabetes!

 

Welcome! Unregulated diabetic cats usually do not feel very well. They eat like they are starving yet they loose weight. They also drink and pee a lot. He should start to improve once his glucose levels are under control.

Diet is an important factor. A high-protein, low-carb wet food diet is best. There is a cat food database (link in my signature) that can help you pick appropriate foods. The Dr who created it suggests "protein minimum of 40, fat maximum of 50, carb max of 10, and for cats with kidney issues....phos less than 300" Sometimes, cat's glucose levels come down a lot when they are switched to a low-carb diet. It is a good idea get a glucose meter and start testing. That will help you keep him safe and keep track of how the insulin is working for him. Speaking of insulin... you can get U100 syringes and use them to draw insulin from the Lantus pen. There is a Lantus forum here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-glargine-levemir-detemir.9/ There are 'sticky' posts at the top of it that give you a lot of information about the insulin, so it would be a good place for you to start. You can also ask any insulin-specific questions you have there.

Ask any other questions you have on the main health forum: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/feline-health-the-main-forum.28/ You will find that there is a lot of knowledge and support here!

 

Welcome Allie and Sawyer. Sawyer is a fine looking boy! You will find the information you need here. There is lots to read and learn, and experienced knowledgeable members to answer questions. The rest of us lesser knowledgeable absolutely support your efforts to take good care of Sawyer, we are still learning too. Most of us started out the same, seeking knowledge so that we could help our fur kids, and found it here.