Worried and need advice

Hello all,

So it's been a little over a month since I found out my seven year old cat, Tokie, is diabetic. He was never overweight just muscular and then started to rapidly lose weight... the vet determined he had diabetes and to start him on 1unit twice a day.

Tokie was golden for about a week BG reading 120mg/dl and then slowly his appetite started to wane and the bg numbers creeped up... He now refuses to eat anything except canned food and has started losing a lot of weight since stopping the raw just when he was gaining.

We are now at 3units and the numbers won't budge from 470-430mg/dl range. He's lost so much weight and I can't help but cry looking at him because I don't know what to do. The vet just says raise the dose but it hasn't helped. What should/can I do?

 

Hi Tokie and mom! First, take a deep breath. We all know how helpless this can feel and so many factors go into this diagnosis. Try to stay positive and trust that each day is different so it will get better! Make no mistake though, it completely sucks and you also have every right to get upset as well.
Second, we need some questions answered. Why did he stop eating the raw? What insulin is he on? What kind of canned food are you feeding him? What meter are you using to test? It'll help to set up your signature that we all have underneath our posts, so we can all help try to figure this out. @Yong can help with that if you need!
As of right now, all the advice I feel comfortable giving is that more experienced members will be awake soon to help. Please remember that this is a process, so it may take time to get him and you in a more comfortable place. Stay strong!

 

Hi Tokie and Tokie's bean! What's your name?

First things first...BREATHE. We all know how completely scary this is, but we are here to help! We've been where you are and we've seen a lot of kitties on here get regulated and sometimes even go into remission! We can help you get there too.

Caitlin already let you know some of the basic questions we need answered. Are you home testing? You want to test preshot and mid cycle whenever you can...that will help you determine a good insulin dose and help you see how the insulin is affecting Tokie.

I know you said he won't eat any raw anymore,..but is he still eating well? I wouldn't let it upset you as long as he IS eating...we have kitties here who get super picky sometimes and we just figure out how to dose around what they will eat!

I don't want to overwhelm you. What questions do you have for us? Please remember this is going to be okay! We're here for you.

 

Welcome to you and Tokie! We can help you to get him on track and you into a manageable routine that accomplishes that. Every one of us understands what you're feeling right now.

 

How much and how often are you feeding? What foods? Unregulated diabetic cats often need much more food than usual because they can not utilize the nutrients properly. They are literally starving even though they are eating. While we work on getting the bg regulated, feed as much as she wants as long as it's not within two hours before preshot testing.

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words, also my name is Neva. To answer your questions:

Why did he stop eating the raw?
I have no idea, he was super jazzed about it when I started him on it and my other cat loves it. I'm using the boneless recipe from catnutrition.org until I can get a grinder.

What insulin is he on? Prozinc

What kind of canned food? How much?
Friskies mixed box from Sam's Club. Twice a day and as much as he'll eat.

What meter are you using to test?
The Everpaw pet meter. I'm planning on picking up a human meter from Walmart today just to make sure the Everpaw isn't giving me messed up numbers.

 

Is the Friskies pate only?

 

It's mostly shredded and chunks.

 

These are higher in carbs and are good to have in your cupboard in case you need to raise BG quickly. The pates are what you want because they're under 10%. This food chart was put together by a vet who's an expert on feline nutrition:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/#post-1987889

 

I was suspicious about this food, I wanted the pate' but my husband is the one who grabbed this box. Thanks for the link, I'll go check it out right now.

 

Ok glad I asked. Definitely switch to pate. All the pate are under 10% carb

 

I will try and get him to eat the raw this morning. So he was given 3units last night and his bg at 9am read 275mg/dl which is the lowest it's been since 6/18. I have been giving injections in the neck scruff as per the vet's directions but I've seen several posts/videos that suggest this isn't a good place to inject for x reasons.

Could this be part of the problem and should I give him a lower dose today in a better location?

 

Hi Neva!
You've been given some great advice / questions asked and answered . I'm just going to add my 2 cents .
1. Since you are home testing, would you be interested in setting up a Spreadsheet to track and share Tokie's BG numbers?
2. How much have each of his dose increases been? Whole units or half?
3. Did the Vet teach you how to tent the skin on the scruff? Or are you just injecting right into it? Don't feel bad if you find it's been incorrect, we all make mistakes in our FD journey

Keep asking questions, we're a support group for Tokie and YOU

 

I do tent the scruff and he doesn't seem to ever feel the needle. The vet suggested doing whole but that seemed like a lot so I tried half unit increases. He started at one unit and we're at three starting yesterday. I will definitely upload a spreadsheet.

 

Have you seen this: Most stick with Scruff, Side of Chest, or Flank as absorption rate for belly is quicker, which we don't want

 

I hadn't seen this, so by this picture it looks more like behind/top of the shoulders and not the neck for scruff?

 

More so the base of the scruff, so yes not as high on the neck as the scruff can go

 

Good to know, thank you.

 

I have always injected in the scruff with no problems.

 

So I can't get him to eat anything, not even the treats he goes nuts over. He's supposed to get the first dose at 11 but I have tempted him with everything and he is completely uninterested. Picked up the box of pate and he wants none. We're going to see the vet around 2pm because I don't know what else to do. u_u

 

Just wanted to let everyone know that poor Tokie has ketones and the vet has had him on an IV since 230pm to get some fluids in him and will give him an appetite stimulant when we pick him up at 530pm today. We can't financially afford to send him overnight to the 24hr emergency care clinic. We'll be bringing him to the vet tomorrow morning to reassess his condition. Also I have a box of ketostrips to home test... Wish I had known to test for this sooner.

 

Poor you! I'm glad this was discovered sooner than later. The recipe for fighting ketones is fluids + higher carb food + insulin. The fluids help flush out the ketones and you can boost hydration at home by adding warm water to every wet food meal. You might have to feed higher carb foods right now to enable you to give a big enough insulin dose to get BG down low enough to forestall ketone formation. He might need antinausea meds (eg. Cerenia) in addition to the appetite stimulant. Sometimes one without the other doesn't work.

There are others on FDMB who have battled this at home. I recommend you stay connected here to ask for advice. Testing for ketones at home is rarely suggested by vets but it's easy to do and gives you an early heads up when they're developing. Here are some ways to try it:

• put a strip right in his urine stream
• slip a shallow, long-handled spoon under his backside (my preferred method)
• put a double layer of plastic food wrap over his favourite area of the litter box and push a few indentations into it to catch urine.

Let us know how it's going and what your vet's home nursing plan is.

 

Also glad it was found earlier. You might want to make a post on the Main Health forum so more eyes see it to offer their help. Still keep us updated

 

Ohhh Neva I am so sorry! So grateful it was found early. Plenty of kitties have survived DKA good as new and even gone into remission...Tokie can too! We can help you figure out what to do post-DKA later. For now, I would post on Health for help from those who have been there...and if you need financial assistance, consider DCIN or Care Credit maybe? Please keep us posted when you can.

 

Oh Neva! What a start to your journey here! This is the link to the Main Health forum you're being referred to: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/feline-health-the-main-forum.28/

Right now you are in the Prozinc forum, so we can help with insulin dosing, testing, etc., but out on the Main Health forum are folks from all the different types of insulin, so it's a bigger group, and a great place to ask about any other health topics. There are several kitties who have gone through DKA there and they can give you some advice and help walk you through this. Please keep us posted too! Sending good thoughts to you and Tokie!

 

Everyone, I am very sorry to say that Tokie did not make it. It was just too much on him. I am beyond heartbroken and it's painful to even type this out but I just wanted to let y'all know. I spent all night eyedroppering water in his mouth and it just wasn't enough. He was suffering and I couldn't bear to watch him go through this. The vet seems to think there was something else going on, on top of everything, with his liver.

You've all been so helpful and knowing what I do now I won't fail my other kitty, Kibbeh. He's not diabetic but now I know the signs and can check his blood sugar and everything. I wish I could have done more.

 

Oh gosh Neva, I am SO sorry. This is heartbreaking news. Please take comfort in knowing that you did everything in your power to keep him safe, loved and happy. I'm so sorry for your loss and have you and Tokie in my thoughts

 

Thank you, I'm having a hard time with this. I've lost cats before (escaped/cars/ect) but I've never had to make the choice... Rationally I know I did all I could but there is part of me that won't stop saying you gave up on him, you could have done more.

 

Oh Neva! I'm so so sorry! DKA is an awful thing and sometimes it's just too much for their little bodies to overcome. Prayers for you as you grieve this loss.

 

Oh Neva I am so sorry to hear this. Please know that you did NOT fail him. You gave him a wonderful life of sunshine, love, and snuggles. And in the end, you made the hardest, kindest decision that we have to make. He knows that you love him and it was the decision he wanted you to make. You gave him the gift of setting him free from pain.

 

I'm so sorry you had to make this very difficult decision for your kitty. You did everything you could for him.

 

Very sorry to hear Neva . You did NOT fail, Tokie . May fond memories of your beloved, Tokie, warm your heart always

 

So sorry about Tokie. I had to make that difficult decision twice last year. I could tell they were suffering and both of them were purring as they fell asleep, like they were relieved. At least it's better than watching them being carried off by a coyote or attacked by dogs that some asshole didn't have on leashes. I cry for all of them still.