My second cat with Diabetes

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ladybluebelle46

Member Since 2015
My cat Cheech is 11 years old and he has recently developed Diabetes. I am not going the Insulin treatment. My Vet recommended Purina DM as an alternative to level out his glucose. As he has a brother Chong, also 11, I am feeding both of them the same. I alternate dry and canned, and they seem to really like it. I have a couple of questions though. Cheech has a weakness in his rear end, and walks on his hock instead of his paw. Why and what causes this? Is it true that cats can go into remission or out of Diabetes completely? For my last question. What are the physical signs that it is time to let him go? He seems very content right now, but I want to be prepared for what's coming. Thank you for listening. Now I just need to find my Kleenex.:arghh:
 
Hi and welcome! :)

The walking on his hocks is most likely to be diabetic neuropathy. It is nerve damage caused by prolonged hyperglycemia. The treatment for it is to regulate his BG levels (you can try doing this with diet alone, but most cats do need some insulin support at least for a time) and, if required, to give Methyl-B12 to help reverse the effects of the nerve damage. Feeding dry food, even the DM type, is generally not the best option for a diabetic cat - dry food (with the exceptions of Young Again Zero Carb and Evo) is too high in carbs, especially if you don't plan to start Cheech on insulin. You don't have to feed the expensive prescription foods at all - Friskies or Fancy Feast Classic Pates are a good option - low in carbs and reasonably priced, especially as you're also currently paying prescription food prices for Chong who doesn't actually need the expensive food!!

Can I ask, is there a reason why you don't want to give Cheech insulin? For a lot of cats, it is the key to getting them back into good health - while it is possible for some cats to get back into normal BG numbers with diet change alone, most do require treatment with insulin at least for a time to get them regulated (or even into remission, which is possible but by no means guaranteed for any individual cat).

As regards the signs that it is time to let him go, I think it depends very much on the individual cat. Once they no longer seem to be enjoying life, or appear to be in pain that you cannot relieve for them, I think that's when it is time to start questioning whether or not they have enough quality of life left to postpone the decision any longer.
 
We encourage folks to feed a low carb, over the counter canned or raw food, per Cat Info written by vet Dr Pierson.
I feed all of mine Friskies pates, except Mixed Grill (11% calories from carbohydrate
 
BJM said:
We encourage folks to feed a low carb, over the counter canned or raw food, per Cat Info written by vet Dr Pierson.
I feed all of mine Friskies pates, except Mixed Grill (11% calories from carbohydrate
Click to expand...

manxcat419 said:
Hi and welcome! :)

The walking on his hocks is most likely to be diabetic neuropathy. It is nerve damage caused by prolonged hyperglycemia. The treatment for it is to regulate his BG levels (you can try doing this with diet alone, but most cats do need some insulin support at least for a time) and, if required, to give Methyl-B12 to help reverse the effects of the nerve damage. Feeding dry food, even the DM type, is generally not the best option for a diabetic cat - dry food (with the exceptions of Young Again Zero Carb and Evo) is too high in carbs, especially if you don't plan to start Cheech on insulin. You don't have to feed the expensive prescription foods at all - Friskies or Fancy Feast Classic Pates are a good option - low in carbs and reasonably priced, especially as you're also currently paying prescription food prices for Chong who doesn't actually need the expensive food!!

Can I ask, is there a reason why you don't want to give Cheech insulin? For a lot of cats, it is the key to getting them back into good health - while it is possible for some cats to get back into normal BG numbers with diet change alone, most do require treatment with insulin at least for a time to get them regulated (or even into remission, which is possible but by no means guaranteed for any individual cat).

As regards the signs that it is time to let him go, I think it depends very much on the individual cat. Once they no longer seem to be enjoying life, or appear to be in pain that you cannot relieve for them, I think that's when it is time to start questioning whether or not they have enough quality of life left to postpone the decision any longer.
Click to expand...
afford the expense of insulin treatment. We tried that with our last cat and financially it was prohibitive
BJM said:
We encourage folks to feed a low carb, over the counter canned or raw food, per Cat Info written by vet Dr Pierson.
I feed all of mine Friskies pates, except Mixed Grill (11% calories from carbohydrate
Click to expand...

manxcat419 said:
Hi and welcome! :)

The walking on his hocks is most likely to be diabetic neuropathy. It is nerve damage caused by prolonged hyperglycemia. The treatment for it is to regulate his BG levels (you can try doing this with diet alone, but most cats do need some insulin support at least for a time) and, if required, to give Methyl-B12 to help reverse the effects of the nerve damage. Feeding dry food, even the DM type, is generally not the best option for a diabetic cat - dry food (with the exceptions of Young Again Zero Carb and Evo) is too high in carbs, especially if you don't plan to start Cheech on insulin. You don't have to feed the expensive prescription foods at all - Friskies or Fancy Feast Classic Pates are a good option - low in carbs and reasonably priced, especially as you're also currently paying prescription food prices for Chong who doesn't actually need the expensive food!!

Can I ask, is there a reason why you don't want to give Cheech insulin? For a lot of cats, it is the key to getting them back into good health - while it is possible for some cats to get back into normal BG numbers with diet change alone, most do require treatment with insulin at least for a time to get them regulated (or even into remission, which is possible but by no means guaranteed for any individual cat).

As regards the signs that it is time to let him go, I think it depends very much on the individual cat. Once they no longer seem to be enjoying life, or appear to be in pain that you cannot relieve for them, I think that's when it is time to start questioning whether or not they have enough quality of life left to postpone the decision any longer.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I am trying to figure out how to reply, and hope I have it now. We just cannot financially support the Insulin cost. Why would my vet give me the Purina DM dry food if dry food is not recommended? I was feeding him Friskies Pate and donated 41 cans to the shelter when we switched to this new food. I'll just use up what I have for now, and go back to Friskies gradually. Right now Cheech is looking for a tummy rub, so I thank you for your kind response.
 
How much do you consider expensive? You can same money by feeding a commercial, low-carb caned instead of the expensive prescription DM.
Walking on the hocks indicates that the diabetes has been going on for a while.
One problem with not really treating the diabetes is the cat going into diabetic keto-acidosis.
 
Yes, your reply worked properly. :)

A lot of vets simply don't know that much about feline nutrition and are given the hard-sell by the prescription food companies. So while they think they're selling you the best option for food for your cat, it often isn't the best you can get simply because they don't know any better. I'm sorry to hear you donated the Friskies pates you had on your vet's advice not to feed it, but I would suggest going back to it once you've used up the DM you have at the moment - it's way more cost effective than prescription food and at least as good, if not better, for your cats.

I do understand that the cost of insulin is high, but as Larry has just pointed out, there is a risk of DKA in trying to manage a diabetic cat without insulin - and the cost of treating that is far greater than the cost of insulin. If you can find out what insulin your vet would prescribe if you were able to go that route, it's possible that you might find someone on the "supply closet" sub-forum here who is either giving away insulin they don't need any more or is selling it at a greatly reduced cost. The other option that can work out cheaper is (depending on the insulin) to order it from Canada, or to try your local Craigslist for anyone who has more insulin than they need and is selling it at a discounted price.
 
Check is still young. Diabetes is very treatable with the excellent recommendations from expert members in this forum. You'll save money by checking glucose levels at home with an affordable human glucometer and checking Cheech's urine for ketones. If Cheech's diabetes is left untreated, you'll spend far more money and grief at the ER and at the vet.


A low-carb canned diet is essential. Insulin is a lifesaver. You've come to the right place here.
 
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Another option is to ask your vet to prescribe either Lantus or Levemir pens. Some pharmacies will sell the pens individually which can help spread out the cost. Depending on your dose, one pen can last a couple months. Another option is to buy the package of pens from a Canadian pharmacy. Their insulin prices are significantly lower than in the US.
 
I've been using the BCP PZI insulin for Snickers for 9 years. I just bought a 5 ml bottle for about $76 (as noted above, a 10 ml vial isn't a lot more, but I don't use it quickly enough), and for her it lasts about 9 months. I order syringes online for about $15/100, and use the Relion Prime meter from Walmart (strips are $9 for 50). I totally understand the cost concern, but wanted to put my expenses out there in case it appears these costs might be manageable. I feed Fancy Feast and Friskies.

Also, after a six-month course of insulin, Snickers went into remission for three years, so there's always a chance that with treatment you might have the same success! Snickers was also 11 when she was diagnosed.
 
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