New Here - It's Official :(

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KarensPoe

Member Since 2013
What started out as an asthma attack, turned into the discovery of diabetes.

After a trip to the emergency clinic in my area in the midst of a full blown asthma attack, they got him stabilized and ran some tests. His blood sugar was through the roof (partly stress related, but still serious).

As of today, I have $200.00 worth of meds sitting at my local WalMart pharmacy and an appt with Poe's vet for a crash course on 'Treating Your Diabetic Cat"

He was a dry food cat, with servings of wet in the morning and evening...yes, he was a grazer ugh

Once I started reading on catinfo.org, I immediately stopped the dry...trashed it all...ran to pet store...and picked up cans of high protein/low carb. His blood sugar level did drop about 100, but its still high and vet found traces of ketos in his urine.

Fortunately for me, there was no issue in taking away the dry food except for the "habit" of food being around all the time. He's getting used to that too now.

The emergency clinic gave me RX for the Hills and Purina...I know how that goes and thats when I started reading.

So, Poe is approximately 6 years old. His first asthma attack came about 4 years ago...with another rush to an emergency clinic, but has been stable ever since, until a week ago.

Thats pretty much it in a nutshell

Sorry and glad at the same time to be here

Karen
 
Welcome aboard. THere are lots of good people here with a lot of good information.
Have you done much reading about home testing? Testing Blood Glucose levels at home is very important. You can use a human glucometer (no matter what the vet says). Someone here has a great "shopping list" and I'm sure they'll be along shortly.
Breathe. You can do this!
 
Are you familiar with the Aerokat for cats? It allows you to administer an inhaled steroid, rather than giving so much oral or injected steroid.

With the asthma possibly needing steroids, you will adjust the diabetes management around that.

Recommended insulins are Lantus, Levemir, ProZinc, or PZI. The first 2, Lantus & Levemir may be bought as pens, which are treated like vials, and this helps let you use all of the insulin before it expires. This is about 6 months if handled carefully, despite what the packaging says.

Take your time reading the stickie posts near the tops of the forums; they contain lots of information.
 
I have been reading the catinfo.org site, suggested by my vet, plus she has a diabetic cat as well, which will be very helpful.

The vet will loan me a meter for now...I have insulin, syringes, and I think lancets and strips waiting at Walmart to be picked up.

I go later today to the vet for the training.

I know this isn't a death sentence...its treatable/manageable, etc., but the costs really frighten me as it's just me and him, and my income is pretty stretched already.

So...one day at a time...he's been good about taking his inhalers, so I'm hopeful I won't have issue with pokes and shots.

Karen
 
Welcome! Sorry you have to be here but hope we can be helpful.

We have a very successful protocol for feline diabetes:

1. A slow, long lasting insulin. Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc are popular as they have a slow onset; they are not harsh and they are easiest to use for regulation. Humulin and Canninsulin are less popular because, in most cats, they have a rapid onset and don’t last as long. We like new diabetics to start low and go slow. That is, start at a low dose of .5 or one unit twice daily every 12 hours. And increase slowly, by .25 or .5 units as the numbers indicate. Do you know what kind of insulin your vet is planning on?

2. A low carb, wet diet. We like to feed under 8-10% carbs. There are several food charts you can use: Dr. Lisa’s food chart
Hobo’s Food Chart Rhiannon’s 8% and under list We don't think there is anything "prescription" about prescription foods except the price. The OTC foods have as good or better ingredients and much cheaper.

Whatever food you can afford that your cat will eat in that lower range. BUT do not change over to wet until you are hometesting. With our Oliver, the switch meant an overnight change of 100 points downward. If we hadn’t been testing and had given our usual amount., he could have hypoed.

He can graze on wet food. Lots of us use automatic feeders and freeze the wet food. (A silicone cupcake pan works great for this.)

2. And most importantly, hometesting. We think cats tend to be stressed at the vet and we know stress raises blood glucose levels. So we test our cats at home. You want to know what the number is before you give the shot to be sure the amount you are planning to give is safe. And testing midcycle will show you how the insulin is working. We use human glucometers and test on their ears or paws. Here is a video that shows you how it is done: Video for hometesting Some vets worry that home testing will stress the owner; we find it makes them much more comfortable, knowing exactly how their kitty is doing.


Let us know how we can help.
 
Has Poe been on any steroids since those can induce diabetes. If you stop the steroids the diabetes may resolve itself. That is one reason why home testing Poe's BG at home is important.
 
I have the aerokat, which I purchased back when the first asthma attack happened.

Back then, I was giving him liquid steroids, but now he gets the inhaler version.

The vet ran a blood panel on saturday...high sugar, traces of ketones, and the fruit_____ something test.

The only real change in food was eliminating the dry...I had already been feeding him canned 2x's a day, just not one geared toward high protein/low carb. Some of the high sugar level from the emergency clinic was due to stress they said.

The vet checked him over on Saturday, was pleased, he shows no signs of anything really...he does not hide, no excessive drinking/peeing, his hunger was off the charts for a few days, but that it leveling out now.

The only thing I noticed which I told the vet about was he seemed to be restless...catnapping mostly...and clingy to me, but he's pretty much always been clingy.

Karen
 
He doesn't have the usual diabetic symptoms - excessive eating and peeing. What were the results of the fructosamine test?

You might start testing at home, see how his numbers are without vet stress and without any dry before you start insulin?
 
I think she said the fruit test was higher than normal also. His BG was in the upper 300's, and they did find ketones in his urine, but this was a test from Saturday.

When I look back before the asthma attack, I do see that there was excessive peeing, but now there are only maybe 1-2 clumps a day, and they are not massive. His bowel habits have changed with the new food also, its maybe 1 every other day instead of daily.
 
No. I'm not doing anything yet. I just got the official diagnosis less than 24 hours ago. Other than the change in food, that is all. He will probably get his first dose of insulin tonight after I get the RX and see the vet to be taught how to do it.

Karen
 
That 'fruit test' is know as the fructosamine test. It measures an average level of blood glucose over the past 2-3 weeks.
 
Gently pull up a tent of skin.
Gently push through the skin with the needle.
Gently push down the plunger to inject the insulin.
Gently pull out the syringe.
 
KarensPoe said:
Sorry and glad at the same time to be here
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I'm also sorry you're here, but glad you found us! Welcome to the board! :YMHUG:

KarensPoe said:
Fortunately for me, there was no issue in taking away the dry food except for the "habit" of food being around all the time. He's getting used to that too now.
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You can still leave wet food out for them. Just add more water to it so it doesn't dry out as fast and get all gunky. You can also make "meatcicles" and freeze it into ice cube trays, allowing it to sit out much longer on hot days. Finally, you can also invest in a timed-compartment feeder and some of them come with places where you can put ice packs.

KarensPoe said:
So, Poe is approximately 6 years old. His first asthma attack came about 4 years ago...with another rush to an emergency clinic, but has been stable ever since, until a week ago.
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6 years old is quite young for a diabetes diagnosis and I have a feeling the steroids for the asthma is partially (or fully) to blame. As BJM said, in cases where steroids are a necessity, you adjust the diabetes management around it. This also means that you'll have to be extra vigilant with testing and dosing as Poe's doses could change depending on his steroid usage.

Let us know how the vet visit goes and if you have any specific questions or need any further help.
 
In terms of cost, the biggest ones I found were vet visits, blood Glucose strips and food. When I started testing blood at home I didnt need the expensive vet curves so that got rid of that cost. I didnt buy the vets meter, and instead got a human one which was just as reliable but much cheaper (ie relion confirm or micro from Walmart). And I didnt get the prescription foods, like most people here I feed the cheaper fancy feast classic pâtés or friskies pâtés which are just as good for diabetic cats in terms of carbs.

Insulin sounds expensive as an upfront cost but lantus and levemir last up to six months when kept in the fridge.

Plus check our "supply closet" board for freebies!

Wendy
 
Had the visit with vet...got all the necessary supplies I need now...OMG the Lantus cost me $171.00 at WalMart...

I wanted to start him tonight, but I had fed him around 3:15 and to start him at 7 pm, I could not get him to eat enough for a dose of insulin.

I called the vet, she said to start him tomorrow night instead of the morning because she wanted me to monitor his first dose.

He doesnt have the ravenous appetite anymore...and just as I was typing this, he vomited a tiny bit...maybe 2 teaspoons if that.

I was told to stop the albuterol and just keep him on the inhaled steroids for now, once every 12 hours.

His insulin dose is the very first line on the syringe, every 12 hours, so its like a couple of drops really. His keytones were trace...which is why she started the insulin. She said that if the keytones had not been there, she might have let me go a bit on just the diet change.

I have not done a reading yet....not much I can do if I cant give him the insulin. I'm hopeful that tomorrow we can get this started and he might have a chance at being insulin free in a couple of months or so.

Karen
 
I'm guessing she has you starting on 1 unit of Lantus, which is generally a good starting dose for most cats. :thumbup It sounds like you have a good vet on your side.

From the cost of the insulin, I'm assuming you got the vial. If so, that vial should last you a good 4 to 6 months before you might see it losing its potency. Be sure to keep it refrigerated in the main part of the fridge (storing it in the door leads to possibly faster expiration).

As for eating with his shot, this is only required with Lantus if your cat is having appetite problems (mostly to make sure they're eating and won't drop too fast because they've fasted too long). If your cat doesn't have problems eating, then you can give the shot without food. It's also best to have food available for them at the nadir/lowest point in the cycle. With Lantus, this usually comes about 5 to 7 hours after a shot.

Over the next few days and weeks, if you ever start to feel overwhelmed, remind yourself that this is more of a marathon than a sprint and things do get easier, much easier. And you can always vent your frustrations here. :-D We've all been through or are going though what you are so you'll always have a sympathetic ear. ;-)
 
The dose is the very first line on the tiny syringe...so I guess thats 1 unit. I wasn't able to start the lantus because I couldn't get him to eat enough.

This morning, he stuck his nose up at breakfast, but was frisky and friendly. I had to go to work, so the food is there...I'm guessing he just don't like this particular food, so I'm going to stop at the pet store and get the Friskies pate because I know he will like that as he's had it before.

At the vet last night, I was told that bringing my cat was optional as the stress might make things harder, so they showed me how to administer the insulin on one of their cats using saline. I couldn't do it...I had a meltdown..I got as close as understanding the "tent" procedure and feeling that little pocket, but I just couldn't go any further.

They showed me how to draw blood from his ear, but vet said she wanted me to wait and do a "curve' this weekend after he's had a few days of insulin.

I have the monitor, she loaned me one, with lancets and strips, but I know I have to purchase one.

So, I'm hopeful that when I get home after the food stop, I will be able to give him dinner and his first shot.

Karen
 
Karen, if you want to share where you live (city and state) maybe we have someone nearby who could come help you do the testing and do the shot the first time?
 
If you look at the top of the page there is a box that says home-testing kits. They send a meter, strips, lancet and device, plus a rice sock- usually for just the cost of shipping.

That can get you started and it should be a pet friendly/wallet friendly meter :-D
 
KarensPoe said:
At the vet last night, I was told that bringing my cat was optional as the stress might make things harder, so they showed me how to administer the insulin on one of their cats using saline. I couldn't do it...I had a meltdown..I got as close as understanding the "tent" procedure and feeling that little pocket, but I just couldn't go any further.

They showed me how to draw blood from his ear, but vet said she wanted me to wait and do a "curve' this weekend after he's had a few days of insulin.
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Try practicing giving air/water shots on a sliced apple or cut potato first. It helps you visualize the angle of the needle going in and helps you practice how to hold the syringe and how hard to press and release.

The "curve" you can do any time, but I strongly suggest you don't wait on getting started with testing. It lets you know if it's safe to give a shot and it lets you know how that shot is affecting him. Plus, it might take a few days for you two to get used to testing enough to tackle a curve. It's recommended at minimum to test before each shot and before you go to bed for the night. If possible, it's also recommended to test at around the halfway point (~6 hours) from one shot to the next as this is usually the peak/nadir of the insulin. There are a few other times that are good to spot-check throughout the day or week as you can, but those I mentioned above are the most imperative (most of us have busy schedules and some days, I only get in the bare minimum Pre-Shots and Before Bed tests).
 
I know that in time this will all level out...and the firsts are the hardest...but emotionally I am a wreck. I'm scared that I won't be able to get him to eat so I can give him the shot...I'm worried financially cause I'm already strained...and then there is the guilt.

About 4 years ago, I had to put down another cat I had...and I know now what happened...he was in diabetic keto_____....and was so sick...I didn't have the money to find out what it was...and when he was visibly suffering, I put him down.

I watch Poe like a hawk now..when I'm home...and I'm worried sick when I'm not home. Last week, I was afraid he'd have another asthma attack, now I'm afraid of the diabetes.

He's all I have. My kids are grown and on their own...I'm divorced...poor thing has been through 3 moves since 2011.

I don't really fear giving him the shot or drawing the blood...I WANT to do it...like NOW...but concerned cause his appetite has changed now, which presents another risk.

Karen
 
Came home to find he had finished almost all his breakfast...so I ran to pet store and got some of the friskies suggested since I know he likes those.

Had a coupon for Natural Instincts and got a trial bag of that. I want to start his insulin tonight around 6:30 CST, so gave him a few bites of the natural instinct which he don't seem to care for...but trying to hold off so I know he will eat a full mean closer to shot time. I plan to test first.

He's happy...playful...friendly...purring. A bit upset maybe that I'm not feeding him something he wants, but I only have to wait about 2 more hours and apparently if he really is hungry, he will eat it. It's possible my own paranoia is freaking him...considering how I've been practicing the "tent" procedure on him and rubbing his ears like mad, I guess he is justified in his "what in the blazes is her problem?" thinking.

It seems that now he's just getting picky on what he likes to eat...where up until a few days ago, there was never enough of whatever it was.

My question is this....do I feed him then test then dose or test him before i feed him?

Karen
 
Yay that he's eating!!

I'd probably donate the Natural Instincts to a rescue or shelter place if your kitty doesn't like it. No point in feeding him dry he doesn't like. :lol:

You want to test, feed if he's over 200, and shoot within 15 minutes of the pre-shot test. If you test and he's below 200, don't feed, don't shoot, but post here first for advice.

KarensPoe said:
He's happy...playful...friendly...purring. A bit upset maybe that I'm not feeding him something he wants, but I only have to wait about 2 more hours and apparently if he really is hungry, he will eat it. It's possible my own paranoia is freaking him...considering how I've been practicing the "tent" procedure on him and rubbing his ears like mad, I guess he is justified in his "what in the blazes is her problem?" thinking.
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Hehe! You'll both soon become accustomed to it so it won't seem so weird and you won't be so paranoid.
 
I replied privately, but I already fed him..I just missed your post :(

Do I go ahead and give him his first dose of insulin? vet wanted me to make sure he had eaten before I shot him...and I'm starting him at the very first line on the syringe, the really tiny syringe..

Now I dont know what to do...I gave him half a can but he didnt finish it..

Karen
 
How long ago did you feed him? I'd still test before his shot, either way. How big was that can? If it was the Friskies, that's about 5.5oz and roughly 170 calories a can. How much does he normally eat at a meal?
 
Since he's been running high and this is his very first dose of insulin, he's probably going to have a fairly high number at his "pre-shot" test, so don't stress too much that you fed him first before testing. Today, it won't make too much difference. Tomorrow morning, however, it will be important to test to make sure he's come into a safe enough range for his second shot.
 
it was the friskies...and now I'm trying to test him and I cant get the blood from his ear..ugh..poor thing hes gonna hate me and I dont blame him

maybe I should just give him the shot? the last number we got was a test on sat at like 356 I thinik
 
It's up to you if you want to keep practicing at the testing or give the shot and try testing again later. You're doing fine and it's expected to not get blood every time for the first couple of weeks. Just make sure you give plenty of treats!
 
ok I've poked him so many times with no luck UGH

Gonna give him the shot and pray that I dont kill him...and lots of treats
 
KarensPoe said:
his eating has been so unregular ...he only ate maybe 2/3 of the half of a can...
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That should be fine for a while. Since it's Lantus, it's much more forgiving if he doesn't eat (or eat much) at shot time. Give both of yourselves a break and try testing again in a couple of hours. You're really doing a good job already! :thumbup
 
KarensPoe said:
ok I've poked him so many times with no luck UGH

Gonna give him the shot and pray that I dont kill him...and lots of treats
Click to expand...

I might have missed if this was already posted earlier, but just in case, here's a great link for ear testing tips that might be helpful.
 
The shot was much easier than the test...I just couldn't get the blood to come...and he was such a good boy allowing me to poke him so many times UGH but now hes eating the rest of his dinner and I gave him a few treats...

So..my first insulin dose for my diabetic cat is now complete...so damn emotional...I can feel a meltdown

Thank you for helping...tomorrow will be better...if I can get the testing down

Karen
 
KarensPoe said:
tomorrow will be better...if I can get the testing down
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haha_smiley Don't you start stressing yourself out about getting the testing down! It might be tonight, it might be tomorrow, it might be next week, but it will come. You've just accomplished giving a shot! You deserve an award, so go pour yourself your drink of choice, open a bar of chocolate, and kick off your shoes and relax for a bit. You did great, Poe's Mama!
 
I'm so afraid of giving him a dose that he doesn't need..the vet started us on the lowest dose, but he seems so normal now..not like last week when everything went south.

But he's laying here on my lap as I type this...prancing on my hands...purring like wild now. Looking up at me like a child does...I feel so bad that he got so sick because I wasn't more conscious of what I fed him

Karen
 
It usually takes the Lantus a couple of hours before it starts kicking in. On top of that, Lantus is a depot-style insulin so you won't be getting the full impact of the dose until usually ~6 cycles later (3 days), even longer for first-time users. That gives you plenty of time to get a couple of (successful) tests in to see where he's at. You can also use Secondary Monitoring Tools in the meantime. And finally, you know your cat best. If you're ever significantly worried about him, you can take him back into the vet to make sure he's okay.
 
Shot #2 successful this morning, although I still haven't tested. Going to work on that when I get home from work.

He seems pretty mellow, and his appetite is nothing like it once was, but he does eat, and I found that he likes the Friskies. He had that before, so I knew that would be successful.

Now, I'm concerned about timing because I still have to give him his steroid inhaler every 12 hours also. That should be done by early next week.

Karen
 
Sounds like the usual- and harrowing first test that many of us go through.

It WILL get better. Your both new, the ear doesn't know it should bleed, and Poe is unfamiliar with the new routine. That is okay as you are both learning (and that pesky little ear is learning to bleed, too). It can take a weekend or a month to get it down. I vote for the former as Poe doesn't seem to be fighting you.

Just make sure you warm up the ear really good and the continual poking will get those capillaries going to the edges like you need them. Over the course of history cats ears got torn by fighting and stuff they don't have a lot of ready blood vessels. So first blood testing is difficult and hard-won.
 
It's 3:03 pm...he ate about 5:30 am then got his dose...

I got home, gave him about a 1/4th of a can of the friskies...he wanted more but trying to hold off so he has enough for dose at 5:30 pm

I decided to give him a test...after unsuccessful ones last night, I got a good drop...the meter read 44...I have a call into vet now.

Help?

Karen
 
44 is lower than we like to see in diabetics, but it's not dangerously low yet. The fact that he just ate means that you've already done a bit of good in getting that number to come higher. He should also be starting to head back up already since Lantus peaks around 5-7 hours after a shot. Test him again in 30 minutes and see where his number is at (it should be higher). Post here and let us know. If he starts acting weird at all, rub some karo syrup or honey on his gums. If you're really worried, take him to the vet!!

For tonight's shot, he's earned himself a mandatory reduction! Any time a cat drops below 50, you want to reduce the Lantus dose, usually by .25u. Since you've just started giving insulin and he hasn't even been on it for more than 3 cycles, I suggest you drop it to .5u instead. If he's below 200 at shot time (which he most likely will be), DO NOT GIVE A SHOT.

party_cat And CONGRATULATIONS on getting your first test in! party_cat​
 
I dont know how to measure it any less...there is no marking..and the markings as it is are sooo small...I dont know if I can accurately measure it.

So I test again now in about 15 min, then see what it says...maybe give more food then?
 
No weird symptoms...hes playful friendly..wanting to eat...

I fed him the 1/4 can and when he finished that I tested him...and gave him a couple of treats.

I will test again in about 10 min and post...still waiting for call from vet

Karen
 
You don't want to feed him too much food because if he stays low, you might have to be doing this for a while and you don't want him too full to eat. In 15 minutes if he's still below 50, give him some gravy from high carb food, if you have any. If not, you can make your own "high carb gravy" with a little bit of his wet food, a little bit of water, and some honey or syrup.

Here's a link for hypo information to give you an idea of what we're trying to do. Because he's doing fine right now and it's towards the end of the cycle, we don't want to significantly raise his numbers; we just want to keep him from going lower than he already is. We basically want him to "surf" along where he's at (preferably slightly higher so you don't have to hover over him and test every half hour).
 
I have to step away for a bit (gotta go home and test my own kitty), but I'll be checking up on you on my phone. The board seems relatively quiet today for some reason, so if it becomes an emergency, start a new post using the 911 icon to get people's eyes on it.
 
Much better! :thumbup I think you can breathe for the moment. Test again in a half hour if you can. If not, keep an eye on him to make sure he's doing all right and try to grab another test in an hour or so. The food alone should keep him up for probably the next couple of hours.
 
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