Hi

nailbite_smile Hello, I am new here, my 14 year old cat Loki is at the vets as I type this, the Dr said from the results of the blood work it looks like my baby is diabetic. His sugar level was 440, he has lost 1 lb and his coat is not nice as usual. He is staying overnight to test his urine. His diet is C/D because my other cat has FUS. I am feeling so overwhelmed. This breaks my heart and I am not sure if I can help Loki with this, would I be doing him more harm by trying to treat him? How will his quality of life be? So, many questions. I am glad to have found this site and I would appreciate any advise. Thanks for letting join,

 

Welcome! This is a great place full of great information. Your job will be to learn all you can about feline diabetes.

Start on the main page of the board and read the FAQs, the Health and Nutrition links and the Nutrition links. We started a 3 ring binder and copied off all the pages we wanted to reread.

You'll find we have a successful protocol that has worked for thousands of cats. We like mild, long lasting insulin like Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc. We dose based on the tests we get at home with a human meter. And we feed wet, low carb food.

Read, ask questions. We would love to help you help your kitty.

 

Hundreds, maybe thousands) of folks with diabetic cats have come to this board and successfully learned to manage their cat's diabetes.

It can be done safely and well, with the result of a reasonably healthy, happy cat that happens to have diabetes.

Step 1 - breathe! It'll be OK.
Step 2 - lets get you reading about feline nutrition - you may have some options Cat Info
Step 3 - you'll learn to hometest your cat's glucose - it is essential, to make sure it is safe to give the insulin shot
Step 4 - Get set with a spreadsheet to record the shots and glucose levels you find - we've got instructions in the technical forum
Step 5 - Maintain and adjust insulin to keep the cat in safe, healthy glucose levels

Note: We strongly recommend the use of long lasting insulins such as Lantus, Levemir, ProZinc, or PZI. These last approximately 12 hours in most cats (some a bit shorter; some a bit longer)
We do not recommend Humulin N as it only lasts 6-8 hours in the cat, which makes glucose control very difficult.

 

Thanks so much for getting back to me, I just printed out "feeding your cat" : know the basics of Feline Nutrition and will be reading it over and talking with the vet about this. My emotions are all over the place with this, just want to do the best and right way for my Loki boy. I am so glad I found this site. Will update tomorrow when I pick him up from the hospital, he is there overnight to get a urine sample.
Thanks so very much again.

 

Hello & welcome.
Everything you are feeling is very normal after learning your furry friend has diabetes.
You are questioning whether or not you can treat your cat. Yes you can! You can do this!! It's not hard.
It is overwhelming at first, with time it gets easier.
Everyone here is so helpful & supportive. There are many on the board who are so knowledgeable. All you have to do is ask your questions.

If your vet starts Loki on ProZinc make sure you come on over to the ProZinc board. You will get lots of help with dosing.

Jenn & Baxter
cat_pet_icon

 

How's it going? What did you find out? Please post again with questions and people that use your insulin can guide you further.

 

Hello, again, it's Wed today and he is home on Purina DM, both canned and some dry, he also has a really bad bladder infection which he is on antibiotics 2x per day for. I have to feed him 1/4 can at a time but he won't really eat it all, and has a few dry bites. His sugar reading at the vets was consitant with the infection the vet exlained. He does not look good to me but his eyes are bright and he is grooming himself again. He is happy to be home, yet he is just not himself.
The vet wants to do another test in 2 weeks to tell us his readings for the last month, it's scheduled for the 13th of March. She explained that we will know whether to put him on insulin or to continue with the diet. His drinking has slowed down to normal today, and he is using the litter box ok.
Thanks so much for all your help, you guys keep me sane. Will update daily.
cat_pet_icon

 

It is hard to get advice that conflicts with your vet, but I think 2 weeks is way too long to let him go and not know what is really happening. If he were mine, I would get a ReliON meter and strips from Walmart or order the free hometesting kit from us (top of the page) and start testing his blood sugars at home.

It is important that he eat. Have you tried

warming the food until it is nice and stinky
dressing it with a favorite treat or tuna juice or parmesan cheese
putting ForiFlora on top (probiotic that has the same animal digest that makes dry food so irrestible but without the carbs) Sometimes you can get it from the vet or online

Often cats don't like the Purina wet. It is liver based. Have you seen our food chart? Janet and Binky’s chart We feed wet low carb in the 8-10% carb range or lower.

 

My Simon is quite picky! When we try a food off of Janet and Binky's list that he doesn't care for, our non diabetic cat gets to finish it She'll eat anything, of course.

A lot of picky cats like Fancy Feast. The classic varieties, particularly the chicken, are low in carbs. They are a good and easy thing to try (the quality isn't actually any worse than the DM you are getting from the vet. You don't have to use the prescription food.) If you want a higher quality food, a lot of us use Wellness Chicken or Turkey. (Can says Chicken Formula or Turkey Formula).

Key with the Fancy Feast--make sure it says CLASSIC on the can. There are a gazillion kinds! Look for Classic Chicken Feast (Can is pink and white with Chicken Feast and CLASSIC below it). I bet he'll eat it!

If you try Wellness and your cat likes it, you can buy 12.5 oz cans online and the price will be equivalent to Fancy Feast.

The FortiFlora suggestion that Sue suggested works like a charm for Simon. He thinks anything is good with "sprinkles" on top!

 

Hi again,
Loki did really well last night, we even played his favorite game of chasing my toes under the covers but today he vomited the antibiotic, so called the vet and she said take him off for a day then she will give him a shot of antibiotics that last 14 days. I think since he is not keeping the antibiotic down I will give him what ever he wants to eat. Right now at this moment he is hiding somewhere and to get him to come out from wherever I usually call him and run the can opener but nothing. He is not drinking any usual amount . I am going to pick up some classic chicken Fancy Feast and give it a try. Thanks so much for being here for me and Loki. nailbite_smile

 

Is she suggesting a shot of Convenia?
If so, read this before making that decision: http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

 

Hi,
I am back to update. Loki ate some this morning and this afternoon, he also played with a catnip toy I got him last night. His eyes are bright and he seems somewhat his old self. I did mention the concern to the vet about the long lasting antibiotic and she did remind me that last year he had it for a dental issue and did fine with it. At this point I do not really know what to do for him but I have to try something anything for him to feel better than we can deal with the diabetic issue. If you guys have any idea of what other things I can do please do not hesitate to let me know. I really appreciate all the advise you have given me and Loki.
nailbite_smile

 

I'm glad you're back. I know you're scared. I think we all were at first. But you can do this. You can help Loki. Can you post your city/state? There may be someone nearby who can teach you how to take care of your sugarcat. There is a lot to learn, and it all can seem overwhelming and confusing at first, but take it one step at a time, as outlined in an earlier post

It takes patience and practice, and there are a lot of people here who can guide you.

MJ

 

Sunday afternoon update. Loki only ate a little today and this is after the vet gave him some appetite stimulant. I have offered him food on and off all day and nothing. I am so discouraged about this. Does my cat want me to give up? Am I being unreasonable to at least try all I can to have him around as long as he is not suffering? Is he suffering? Does not seem to be but how can I really know. I Canterbury, CT not sure if there is anyone on here that I could at least speak with to let me know if I am doing this right. Thanks will update tomorrow. nailbite_smile

 

I suspect that your cat is not yet ready to give up. If he's anything like my kitty who will ordinarily eat anything, your cat doesn't like DM. It's a really, poor quality food. It's OK carbohydrate wise (at least the canned is OK) but it's the equivalent of junk food. It's primarily animal by-products. For what you are paying for a prescription food, you could be buying a lower in carbohydrate, human grade, premium cat food like Wellness. I'm also sure that the Wellness or even Fancy Feast tastes LOTS better than DM.

If you can start home testing, you'll know if Loki's numbers are improving. I do think another week without insulin could be risky. Cats can start to develop ketones if they have an infection, aren't eating well, and aren't getting enough insulin. I would strongly recommend that you pick up some Ketostix at any pharmacy. You dip the end with the paper into your cat's urine, wait 15 sec., and then compare the color on the stick with the chart on the container. As long as there are less than trace ketones, it's fine. More than trace and call your vet.

 

Mimi4neeyah,
I went through something similar last year. My cat has way more medical issues than your Loki. He has been diabetic for 4 years and has pancreatitis, possible inflammatory bowel and at the time he had a UTI.
I ended up doing Convinia because Gus had it a couple years prior for dental too and tolerated it well. The ER vet prescibed Clavamox and it was only adding to the vomiting so my regular vet took him off that and did Convenia.

I will tell you that my cat developed hepatic lipsidoses because he wasn't eating and he was vomiting and had diarrhea. I personally believe this could have been prevented considering we were at the emergency room once and my regular vet 3 times before he turned yellow.

They tried everything except pain medications which I have since learned are a life saver for my cat as he won't eat when he is in pain. The appetite stimulant did nothing for him.

Here is what I have learned works best for Gus:
buprenex
cerenia (injectable or pill form)
Injectable pepcid because it lasts longer - just until you get over the hump and the cat is eating again

Gus also had to have a plasma transfusion and fluids because he has pancreatitis and because he was dehydrated.

He is alive and well today. He will be on pain meds for the rest of his life because he has arthritis and pancreatitis as well as an anti-inflammatory. But his quality of life is good.

If your Loki isn't isn't eating then he very well might be in pain. I've personally had a couple UTIs and I was crying. They are painful!!! It's just better to give him some pain meds - in my unprofessional opinion - than to mess around with a cat not eating. Sub Q fluids might help feel better too. They can do it at the vets office and it takes just a few minutes.

I personally think getting a second opinion from another vet is worth it. I've had to do it with Gus when I didn't feel his issues were addressed and I was glad I did.

Please feel free to send me a private message if you need any additional info.

Best wishes to you and Loki.

 

Monday Morning, Called the vet she wants to see him today so off we go for 11AM, will speak with her about my fears and 2nd vet perhaps. Will update ASAP.
Thanks for being there for both Loki and myself.

 

Sending good vet visit vines for you and your cat. Please have the vet check for ketones, if you haven't done that yourself, yet.
Hugs.

 

Monday, just got back from the vet, tested and sugar is NORMAL, he was given a little fluid and another appetite stimulant, he is back home with me playing with my toes, will let you all know how it goes thanks so much again

 

Hooray!

You may have a diet controlled diabetic!

Home testing will enable you to monitor how he's doing, to make sure that if his glucose rises, you find out why and treat it. Sometimes, aging will cause a diet controlled kitty to move into needing insulin.

 

Well, it's official my Loki is a diabetic and I am going with him today to the vets to have an insulin class, He will start tomorrow morning. My mind is not yet ready for this but I have to help him. Do I go out and get a monitor and what kind is best?
Thanks if you can help.

 

Just wondering what happened in the last 10 days? Did your vet get a fructosamine test? What numbers was he getting at the vet?

We think vet stress can really raise bg numbers - all the strange people, noises, animals. That's one of the reasons we test at home.

Lots of people here like the ReliOn (Walmart). It is the cheapest and has the cheapest strips. It is not the meter that is expensive; it is the strips. You can buy a brand name meter often reasonably and buy the strips on ebay if that is the way you want to go. Just stay away from any meter that starts with "True". They have proven to be very unreliable.

 

Hello, just got back and to answer about his numbers they were at 390 with the special test, so we are going with 1 unit in the am with testing at night at 8PM.
The insulin the vet sold me is Prozinc, and the needles are u-40. Also got some Karo syrup in case of a low reading. Any other tips you guys can give me I would appreciate. Thanks

 

ProZinc is a good, mild long lasting insulin. We would suggest you start with a tiny dose (.5 units) especially because you had some normal numbers fairly recently. Be sure to get a number before you give the insulin. Numbers at home can be much lower than numbers at the vet because stress raises blood glucose levels. You can always raise the dose, but you can't get the insulin out of the cat once it is given.

If the 390 is from a fructosamine test, my understanding is that 350 and below is normal, so I would be extra cautious. We generally tell new diabetics not to shoot under 200, but to wait 30-40 minutes without feeding to make sure the number is rising and then to shoot a reduced dose.

Here is a document on ProZinc. Too big but full of great info: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32799

It is the rare person who can get a number the first time. We all have tips that helped us. One thing that was vital for us was to warm the ear (with a rice sack or a prescription bottle filled with hot water) and to have a large enough lancet (25-28 gauge is better than 30-31) If you have trouble, come on and ask for help.

And please, don't give insulin until you have a number, at home, that is higher than 200.

 

Thanks so much Sue and Oliver will do the test before I give him the insulin. I need to figure out how to get a photo of him for my avatar.

 

Here's everything you ever wanted to know about hometesting.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

And here's the directions for getting his picture up.


http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=486

 

Hello, Loki update, he is doing well, seems to be more alert and playful, still not eating a lot and drinking a little less with less urine in his box. Got the meter and will be going to vets on Monday to have her show me how to test. I am not brave enough to try at home yet. I tried everything to get his photo re sized, it did but it still won't load here grumpy_cat