Newly diagnosed... flipping out! :-(

Hello,

New member here. I am petrified as my 14 year old baby is taking a turn for the worst and I have to start her on insulin Monday. Here's my story... so sorry it's so long... I am overwhelmed and hoping for some help... or reassurance... or maybe just somebody to plainly explain to me what is going on...

My 14 yo baby, Ophie, was diagnosed with diabetes in June after I noticed excessive thirst and excessive urine in her box. We immediately switched her to a low carb, wet diet (I feed her Wellness and Fancy Feast). After the diagnosis, a week or so later, she stopped eating completely. I rushed her in and we determined she had a fever and was quite sick. Her BG was over 500. The vet decided we would treat her infection and get her on insulin once she started to eat again. After a few days of antibiotics and back to normal food, I brought her to to the vet to get my lesson on home testing and my insulin. The results of the BG during that lesson (on MY meter) showed her BG to be at 270, so the vet decided we should continue with her wet-only food and test her BG every few days and see if we could skip insulin. So, every few days since June I have tested her blood and it has been very close to 260, usually at 7:30PM at night after 1-2 (3oz) of food given at around 5:30pm. So, the vet said... good. Flash forward to two weeks ago when I noticed an abscess in one of her anal glands. Brought her in, got antibiotics (Clavamox) for that, and it has been healing up perfectly. During that visit for the abscess they did a Fructosamine blood test and reported back to me that her diabetes has not actually been managed well.

The vet asked me to get BGs every 12 hours before kitty ate for 4/5 days. Given we were treating her abscess, which meant some rough handling to rinse out the wound, we opted to wait until that process was over to start the BG testing. Not to mention, I'd only ever gotten her BG when she was happy on my lap after eating, so getting her BG before her breakfast really, really (really!) ticked her off!

Fast forward again to this past Thursday PM and she is not eating well. She takes one or two bites... or maybe licks the juice out... and has not eaten. She won't eat treats, constantly asks for food like she is starving to death, but just won't eat. I found Cat-sip milk, and she drank that once, but not again. I bought every flavor of food and have tried that. I made her chicken. She ate a bit of tuna, but no more.

I brought her to the vet this morning. Her BG level on their AlphaTrak was 440; her BG on our FreeStyle Freedom was 280 (from the same blood sample). I am furious to think that all these months since June, my home BG testing has been wrong and she has been in need of insulin all this time and because of the meter's reading, she got the abscess and has had who knows how much continued damage. The vet told me to stop the Clavix in case that is making her nauseous. They got her to eat some Meow Mix in the back while getting her blood and told me to just feed her absolutely anything she will willingly eat, whether it is low-carb, dry, or whatnot. Just get her to eat.

The vet has run a CBC, Chemistry profile, Thyroid hormone test, prescribed Cerenia and Lantus. Once she gets the results of the blood work on Monday, I am to bring in Ophie and learn how to give her shots. I'm not sure what dose we're starting with, but the vet said, we start low and build up. This will entail my testing her every 12 hours.

I'm freaking out here. Does this all seem normal...? When I was reading through some materials here, I'm a bit surprised that the vet didn't have me start her on insulin sooner... and to not have know that their readings (AlphaTrak) and my readings (FreeStyle Freedom) were actually different readings?

Before I found this forum and read that the AlphaTrak and human BG devices show different readings, we thought our meter was broken. My husband brought it to CVS and returned it for the FreeStyle Lite. So, I tested Ophie with that and she was at 320. So, within an hour she had an AlphaTrak reading of 440, a FreeStyle Freedom reading of 280, and a FreeStyle Lite reading of 320. How the heck does one trust these devices and make decision on insulin? A

In the last two weeks we have spent $700 at the vet and $180 on Lantus. That doesn't include the three visits back in June. Or my visit this coming Monday. Sigh...

Thoughts?

Thank you in advance.

Joely & Ophie

You and your sweet kitty have had a tough time. But you are doing lots of things right. Glad you are hometesting. Are the Freestyle butterfly strips? People have had troube with those. Many members like the ReliOn from Walmart. Cheapest meter with cheapest strips and fairly accurate. Alll meters have a variance of 20%. Since we are looking for trends and patterns, the human meters work well for our needs.

Re eating. She needs to eat. Syringe feeding is an option but some low tech methods might work first. Heat the wet food till nice and stinky. Put some tuna juice or parmesan cheese on top. If she is a dry food fan, crush up some dry and sprinkle a little on top. You can also try baby food. Some cats like the meat types. Beechnut is a good brand as it has no spices or onions. Sometimes feeding from your fingers get them interested in food again.

Another issue might be pancreatitis. Does her tummy seem sore when you touch it?

Welcome to FDMB Joely and sweet Ophie. I have also just started this emotional and confusing rollercoaster, but I promise you that you are now in GREAT hands. The people here are amazing, knowledgeable and caring. I know this is all scary but you will not be alone on this journey.

Thank you for the reply Sue and Oliver. Yes, the test strips are butterfly... it's interesting to hear that others have had troubles. I don't have a Walmart close by, so I will see about the ReliOn online. I will try your tips on the food and see if she responds. I did buy her some Meow Mix this afternoon (she shockingly ate some Meow Mix while at the vet this morning)... I just got home from bringing my son to a halloween party and there was a dent in her pile... yay! Just makes me nervous because it's dry... but I'm glad she's eaten something. I'll try crushing it up on her wet food tomorrow for breakfast.

She does not seem bothered at all when I touch her belly. Any other signs? Will the tests my vet is running show if it is or is not pancreatitis? I will do some searching on the topic...

Thanks for the warm welcome Kim & Twice. So sorry to hear that you are starting your journey as well. I agree, I think there are some great resources here to help . I hope for happy things for you and your kitty.

I will just keep reading. It's all so completely overwhelming.

Pancreatitis is just a possibility when appetite is affected.. Here is info on it.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=83108

Have you noticed any signs of nausea?
The food sniffing and then walking away, or lip smacking ( it can be very subtle) . They want to eat and you show them the food and they back away.

So, I think I goofed up. I rec'd Cerenia on Saturday morning, but thought I wasn't supposed to give it to her until we started insulin tomorrow (Monday). Well, I Googled it this afternoon and when I saw what it was, I realized I probably misunderstood the vet and should have given it to Ophie on Saturday. I gave it to her a couple of hours ago. How long before it will help? Does anyone know? She isn't throwing up (well, she did once on Friday), so will this make her want to eat too?

Rhiannon and Shadow, I was not sure how to tell if she was nauseau or not, so your description of lip smacking is so-so-so helpful. She desperately want to eat, takes a lick, and walks away. I was feeding her some baby food from a spoon earlier and she would take 10 or so licks, back away, lick her lips for a very long time, think for a bit, come back for a another lick or two, and walk away. This went on for 15 minutes and just 2 teaspoons of baby food. I just dished her out another can of tuna while typing this, and she is strategically eating all the juice and none of the tuna. If she were nauseous, would she drink tuna juice?

Also, does anyone know if Cat-Sip (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3200147 is a good idea? This is the only thing she will "eat" on her own and has had 3 boxes since Friday. She takes nibbles of other food, but only because I am shoving it in her face.

Thank you in advance...

If she has pancreatitis, she really needs some pain meds so she will feel like eating again and maybe some help with fluids and syringe feeding. Having high blood glucose levels and not eating can be dangerous. Could you get her to an emergency vet, have him see if it is pancreatitis, prescribe something and start treatment?

That link I gave you would be good to print off and take with you so you have information for reference when talking to the vet.

Thanks Sue and Oliver. I am going to the vet tomorrow at 9AM to get the results of Saturday's blood work and learn how to administer insulin. I will bring the print out for pancreatitis, thank you. Gosh, I really hope Ophie isn't in pain. She lets me flop (a.k.a. love) her all over the place quite happily without a peep. I'm so worried.

It's good she doesn't seem to be in pain. Did you try the baby food on your fingers - any luck with that?

She is on my lap, so I just did an experiment. I do think she might be in some pain. While she lets me touch in every which way--she is a very loving, floppy kitty--her tail is showing signs of frustration... If I just concentrate my touch to her head, the tail stays put. Wow. Just wow. :shock:

So, let's say it is pancreatitis, would you have an opinion on how treatable this might be? I read the link, but there was not indication of how a kitty might do with all the interventions? My husband is now officially freaking out with the mention of subq's... we lost our other baby Olive to renal failure 8 years ago and it was horrific process for kitty, but we just wouldn't recognize it while we were "in it"... we carry that with us all the time and talk about it often, despite the fact that it happened 8 years ago.

Thank you so much for the responses, support, and opinions. Very much appreciated!

When J.D. has a flare of up pancreatitis, I give him ondansetron for nausea, and buprenex if needed for pain.
If your kitty has pencreatitis, she may need fluids too. Your vet will tell you if fluids are needed.

I have no direct experience. You might start a new thread and ask specifically about pancreatitis. But I do know it is a common ailment associated with diabetes and is definitely treatable. Lots of people here have had experience with it.

I will do that, thank you. For tonight, I am going to calm down. The "what if's" are too many. I will see what the vet says in the morning.

Sue gave you the link yesterday Primer on Pancreatitis


Mine has the eating issues but tested negative for pancreatitis.
Mine has arthritis and doesn't want a lot of petting either.
So pain can also influence a good day or bad day with not wanting to eat.


The cat-sip you asked about is 11 % carbs. That puts it in the medium carb category.

I don't have any advice, but I just want to send healing vines to Ophie and strength and healing vines to you. I hope things turn around soon. :YMHUG:

Good Morning Joely and Ophie Just wanted to wish you luck at your vet appt. I hope they figure this out quick for you and can give you the information you need for peace of mind. Sending healing vines to you both and hugs :YMHUG:

Just curious..Is she pooping/peeing?

Hello and welcome to the board

I saw you said :

Her BG level on their AlphaTrak was 440; her BG on our FreeStyle Freedom was 280 (from the same blood sample)

Click to expand...

- this is the issue with the Freestyle Freedom ( I used to have one). It reads too low. So when the cats blood glucose is over 200,it underestimates the number. I would get a Relion.

What dose of Lantus was recommended? Many vets start too high. By the way if you keep the Lantus in the fridge, don't shake or roll it, it should last up to six months.. see here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

Once you do start the insulin, I usually recommend 3-4 tests a day

- always before the shot - this is mandatory as you don't want to shoot when too low. As a newbie this too low number is 200 but is reduced over time once you have the data to know if its safe.
- mid cycle - 5-7 hours after morning shot depending on your schedule. This is to see how low she is going. The low point "nadir" is what you base dose changes on since you don't want her dropping too low (under 50).
- before bed (2-3hours after Pm shot) to get an idea of what her overnight plans are. If this number is less than the pre shot test number you may want to set the alarm for a test a few hours later as this implies an active cycle.

Wendy

That you so much everyone. What a wild day as I tried to work and get Ophie to the vet. I first talked with the vet at 9am. ALL the blood work from Saturday came back negative. The Cerina seems to be working as she ate 32g of Meow Mix over night and 5 real bites of tuna and parm cheese for breakfast. So, the vet said 'mission accomplished' and that Ophie had eaten enough to have herself some insulin today. Our time is 5AM and 5PM, so, I just finished the first shot. She was an absolute champ and didn't even notice the shot! It's really the ear pricking that is going to be tricky.

The vet prescribed 1 unit to start off. I think that is right based on some other threads I read? I brought in a bunch of print outs from this site and the vet was nice about answering all my questions.

Kim & Twice, thank you for the well well wishes! And, yes she is using the litter box for pee. She did not poop for a day or so and when she did it was runny. She used the box later today and it was solid (pooping out her first dry food since June?).

Tara and Buster, thank you for the hugs . It does help.

Thank you Wendy and Tiggy for the tips. I am going to look into the Relio or the AlphaTrak. For now, I am planning to use up the rest of the strips I have on my FreeStyle lite. So expensive.

Anyway, I will test BG at 2+ and see where we are tonight.

The vet thinks it is very possible that Ophie has pancreatitis. Vet didn't run the test on Saturday (needs a 14 hour fast?), so we will see what transpires once I get her diabetes under control.

The vet asked me to do BGs every 2/3 hours all day either Thursday or Friday; cannot tomorrow or Wednesday as I have to work.

Again, thank you all for the kind support. What an amazing resource!

Alphatrak is expensive.. the Relion will be cheaper.

If you need to, you can move the shot by 15minutes each time or half an hour a day - useful if you know you won't be home at shot time.

1 unit is a nice starting dose. The way lantus works, it takes a week to build up in the cats system at first before you see results and then decide if a dose change is needed this is called the depot. Unless she drops below 50 in which case you immediately drop the dose by 0.25.

Read this http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=150 and this http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1581

Wendy

Thanks Wendy. What do you mean about the 15 minutes? My vet told me I had an hour on each side to get the shot done. So, for example, I will be giving Ophie her shot at 5:00am and then 5:30pm. It is absolutely impossible for me to do it otherwise, as I do not get home from work until 5:15, depending on how the trains run. I will have a 15 minute window to feed, get BG, and give shot (which for us as newbies is a very, very tight timeline) before I have to run to pick-up my child. What do other people do? What happens if kitty freaks out and you have to wait 10 minutes to try ear pricking again? Ophie is not eating as she normally did a few days ago, so I don't have treats as an option to bribe her. I hope she continues to feel better and eat more, but right now we're at a fragile point.

send me a pm with your mailing address and I'll send you a sample of a new treat I found that gets my cat to eat foods she previously snubbed.
amazon is out of them for now.

It sure helps to have a treat they like.... buys so much cooperation. ;-)

Sorry to have confused you. Ideally you give the shot every 12 hours. But you work with your schedule. What time do you leave the house in the morning? Perhaps you can push the shots out to 6am and 6pm?

What I was referring to was if you had to move the shot time to a better time that works for you. So say currently you shoot at 5am and want to move it to 6am, then you can move the shot time by 30mins a day ie

Day one shoot at 5am and 5pm
Day two shoot at 5.30am and 5.30pm
Day three shoot at 6am and 6pm

Make sense?