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Rhonda and Zak

Rhonda and Zak

Member Since 2016
11 year old overweight ( 24 lbs) Zak went to vet due to eliminating outside of litter box. Ultrasound showed cloudiness around bladder so given intravenous antibiotics for uti. Senior blood work done which showed high glucose levels and fructosomine level 700 which vet said confirms diabetes. Seeing vet today to go over testing as well as treatment options. Zak has not gone outside of box since on antibiotics. All other behavior is normal. Purring, eating, drinking etc. Obviously needs to lose weight. Is there a possibility that we can use diet control to reduce weight which may bring levels to normal / acceptable levels without insulin?
 
Welcome to FDMB, Rhonda and Zak. Some cats do go into remission just by switching to a low-carb diet. Other cats need insulin for a short period of time, in combination with a low-carb diet, before going into remission. My cat, Jersey, was one of those cases. After just a few shorts months on Lantus, she is now in remission.

I'm not sure which options you and your vet are considering, but some of the best insulins for cats are Lantus, Levemir, and Prozinc. Also, many of the "prescription" diets sold at veterinary clinics are too high in carbs for our diabetic kitties.

Hope that helps!
Shelly
 
Rhonda Gail said:
11 year old overweight ( 24 lbs) Zak went to vet due to eliminating outside of litter box. Ultrasound showed cloudiness around bladder so given intravenous antibiotics for uti. Senior blood work done which showed high glucose levels and fructosomine level 700 which vet said confirms diabetes. Seeing vet today to go over testing as well as treatment options. Zak has not gone outside of box since on antibiotics. All other behavior is normal. Purring, eating, drinking etc. Obviously needs to lose weight. Is there a possibility that we can use diet control to reduce weight which may bring levels to normal / acceptable levels without insulin?
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Wow, sounds exactly what we have been through with our 12 y/o cat the past few days. Had blood in urine and peeing out of the box. Vet said it was infection and then found the diabetes. Since being on antibiotics and a low carb food she has been so much better. She had been 20 pounds last visit months ago and was 17 this time so something had been going on for sure... I really would like to have her re-tested now that she is looking and acting way different than before...
 
@Diane H

Diane H said:
I really would like to have her re-tested now that she is looking and acting way different than before..
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If you buy a meter, you can test your kitty's blood sugar at home. Most individuals here use human meters that you can buy at Wal-Mart - meters like the Relion Micro or Prime. Home testing sounds awful, but it really isn't that bad. And the glucose numbers you get at home are probably more accurate than the numbers you get at the vet's office since stress from a vet visit can drive the numbers up. And if you're giving insulin, home testing is really important because it helps ensure kitty's safety. Just something to think about!
 
Shelly & Jersey said:
Welcome to FDMB, Rhonda and Zak. Some cats do go into remission just by switching to a low-carb diet. Other cats need insulin for a short period of time, in combination with a low-carb diet, before going into remission. My cat, Jersey, was one of those cases. After just a few shorts months on Lantus, she is now in remission.

I'm not sure which options you and your vet are considering, but some of the best insulins for cats are Lantus, Levemir, and Prozinc. Also, many of the "prescription" diets sold at veterinary clinics are too high in carbs for our diabetic kitties.

Hope that helps!
Shelly
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Thank you so much for your reply. All information and shared experiences are greatly appreciated. Vet put Zak on 2 units 2x a day of ProZinc along with DM Purina. Zak is currently 23 lbs. Vet feels if we can decrease weight should be able to get him into remission. Vet has had only one cat not go into remission with this regiment. Will check fructosomine level again in a month. If lowered enough will decrease insulin to 1 unit 2 x a day. What low carb food do you feed your kitty? I also asked about home testing. He is watching fructosomine level which must be sent to lab.
 
I don't have any personal experience with Prozinc, but there are several very experienced members here who will be able to help you with dosing if needed. @Sue and Oliver (GA) is one of our most experienced Prozinc users.

One problem with fructosamine tests is that they show an average glucose level over a period of time. By testing at home, you know where the numbers are right then and there. That's important if you're dealing with a low numbers/hypo situation. Some vets discourage home testing for whatever reason. (My first vet wasn't in favor of it.) Without testing at home, though, I would have never known that Jersey's pancreas was healing and that she no longer needed insulin. In fact, I would have overdosed her right after diagnosis. :nailbiting: Anyway, I really encourage you to consider home testing, even if your vet isn't in favor of it. If you need help getting started or just want additional info about it, give a shout out. The individuals here will have tons of tips and tricks to help you get started.

My (first) vet put Jersey on Hill's w/d prescription diet to start with. I later found out it had just as many carbs (in the 30% range) as the Meow Mix I had been feeding her. After that, I started trying all kinds of low-carb canned foods. Unfortunately, with 6 mouths to feed, we couldn't afford some of the more expensive brands.....and she didn't like them anyway! :rolleyes: So, we ended up feeding a variety of low-carb Friskies pates and Fancy Feast classics. I've just recently started making the switch to homemade. Have you seen the low-carb food list that many of us rely on when choosing foods? Ideally, we're looking for foods that have less than 10% carbs.

Hope some of this info helps!
Shelly
 
Shelly & Jersey said:
@Diane H



If you buy a meter, you can test your kitty's blood sugar at home. Most individuals here use human meters that you can buy at Wal-Mart - meters like the Relion Micro or Prime. Home testing sounds awful, but it really isn't that bad. And the glucose numbers you get at home are probably more accurate than the numbers you get at the vet's office since stress from a vet visit can drive the numbers up. And if you're giving insulin, home testing is really important because it helps ensure kitty's safety. Just something to think about!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I bought her some low carb food that she has been seeming to do well on but was wondering how much I should be feeding her. About 6 months ago she was 20 pounds and then when I brought her in for her infection (the day I found out she was diabetic) she was down to 17. She hasn't lost anything since shes been back from the vet Saturday and I know she probably should. She has been eating around 3 of those little Fancy Feast cans a day. It's kind of tricky because I have another cat too that I'm trying not to let her get her food so she doesn't over eat. Does anyone know the correct feeding amount of that wet food for a 17 pound cat that needs to lose weight? Is 3 of those little cans too little? too much? I don't know if I trust the feeding guide from the company that makes it...
 
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