Wait. What? My cat has diabetes?? (Long)

Hello everyone,

My name is Jenn & our cat, Bert, was diagnosed last Tuesday with diabetes. To say we were shocked would be a gross understatement. We are usually really good with knowing when our cats aren't well, but with Bert, we "saw" the symptoms, but explained them away as other things like anxiety (which we had been treating him for already), aging (he's 12), new kitten, etc. Then, it just became too much, so we brought him in for a full work up. Our vet came back with the bloodwork and I cannot remember what the number represented, but high was considered to be 8.84. Bert was almost 25!

Poor Bert. I still feel so awful that I let him get that bad. He's always been the healthiest so he was in the background of the other cat stuff we've had happen in the last year or so.

Lexie - last July stopped eating and wasn't herself. Working with our vet...by the time we did x-rays not even 3 weeks later, we were told it was likely pancreatitis/cancer. She had a tear so enzymes were leaking into her body cavity. Long story short, we left the clinic without our baby girl that night (she's buried in our vet's apple orchard). We went home and sat in the dark for hours not even talking. It happened SO fast we had no time to wrap our heads around it. It's better now, but we still miss her. She was really cool.

Joey - Oh Joey! He was a rescue and has never been 100% healthy. Upper respiratory issues, obsessive licker, the list goes on. So, when he got particularly "huffy" and snotty, we didn't immediately become concerned. Tried all the usual things to help him. I realized that none of them were working. Brought him to the vet to learn he had a highly infectious strain of pneumonia. Took him home and quarantined him for 2 weeks. Meds, humidifier, more meds, then a diagnosis of the super bug Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a snot sample so meds for that too (only one antibiotic showed as being a possibility). Vet really didn't think he'd make it, but I'm happy to report that he's a fighter and is currently snuggled up in his cat bed watching it rain. I was not going to lose him so soon after Lexie. It would have crushed my boyfriend. And, Joey is pretty cool too.

We got a kitten in December to help lessen the loss of Lexie. She's a super cute fluff ball, but then she goes and gets uveitis on us! Having seen it in horses, I knew how serious it could be. Treat right, and treat fast. So, eye drops every 4 hours for a week or so, another kind to dilate her eye. It was more chaos. Happy to report she's fine and has both of her pretty blue eyes and will be 10 months old tomorrow.

So....it's been A LOT. Bert's diagnosis almost put me over. Especially, since my boyfriend is afraid of needles. I knew I couldn't do it all by myself. I had taken care of my friend's dog who has diabetes so I had a faint idea of what lay in store for us. Bert went back to the vet Wednesday so they could regulate him, and we've had him at home since Thursday getting used to our new routine. SO PROUD of my boyfriend for overcoming his fear and stepping up. We go tomorrow for a recheck. It's still a lot to process and with 2 other cats with their own needs, I have a lot of anxiety so I'm glad I found this site! And...Bert is damn cool too! He deserves a chance just like the others.

If you made it through all this, thank you & it's nice to meet all of you!
Jenn

 

Welcome! It sounds like you have had your hands full. The good news is that diabetes is treatable/manageable. The shots and glucose testing become very routine more quickly than you would think. (Are you doing home glucose testing yet? It is really important. It can also save you on trips to the vet.)

 

Thanks FurBabiesMama! Definitely hands full! We aren't doing glucose testing yet. I think we'll learn more about that tomorrow when we do our recheck to see what his levels are and if we found the right dose, etc. Since Wednesday, we've been giving him a half can of diabetic wet food at 8 am/pm, Caninsulin shots at the same time, and just keeping an eye on him while also getting our two other cats used to the new routine. Our vet did it this way b/c he knew that boyfriend and I needed time to think and decide if this was something we could handle and commit to. If my boyfriend couldn't help me, then that was going to be a different conversation for sure b/c my schedule can be erratic at the best of times. And, gave us time to determine if Bert was going to cooperate. So far, so good on both fronts!

 

Good morning and welcome to FDMB. You are going to be able to find the information you need to educate yourselves about Feline Diabetes, treatment, the protocols for the specific insulin you use, what the best kind of food is, feeding times and home testing (the best way to keep Bert safe and to track how the insulin is actually affecting his body.) You can look at information on Caninsulin on the insulin support forum and, if you haven't already, read the "Getting Started" and "Education" sections on the Home Page. It's a steep learning curve to be sure, but it does become part of your routine. Ask questions on the Health (Main) Forum. This Welcome forum is just a starting point and we want more members to be able to meet you and respond to you in the Main Forum.

 

Hello Jenn. I feel you... I too explained away the symptoms having lost a cat recently as well. I tried to chalk it up to “ changes in hierarchy”. I’m trying not to beat myself up but it’s hard. I’m praying for you and Bert

 

Definitely don't beat yourself up about it. I tell myself that at least we caught it, got him to the vet and are doing what we can now. Hugs to you too!
Jenn

 

Jenn, good to see you. Would you please create a signature so that Bert's pertinent information is available to members when they read your posts? Here is a link on how to do that: SIGNATURE
You mentioned in your first post that you were taking Bert back to the vet, that you weren't home testing yet at that point however. Have you begun home testing now? Again, posting in the Main Forum is going to get more eyes on your concerns and questions. This forum is like the Welcome mat on the front porch and we need you to get as many responses as possible. We can help with diet, home testing, insulin injections, offer suggestions to alleviate costs, and tips with dealing with feline diabetes.

 

Hi Idjit's mom,

Yep, I posted in the main forum and added a signature. Thanks!