Cutie received and IV injection of Dexamethasone while in the hospital in May 2015. I have read that this is a steroid and can cause diabetes. In order for her to get steroid induced diabetes, would the vet have overdosed her with dexamethasone? she also was in remission for nine months and now back on lantus for the last 6 months. any chance of getting into remission again? I didn't like her remission the first time the numbers esp. in the morning was over 150mg. then she kept creeping up.
? Dexamethasone
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Chris & China (GA)
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No, it's not necessary to "overdose" with a steroid to have it knock a diabetic out of remission
If a steroid is the only choice for treatment, it's a risk that sometimes has to be taken, but if at all possible, it's best to avoid steroids completely.
A 2nd remission is possible, but it's much harder to get than a first one and you sometimes have to be more aggressive with treatment
If a steroid is the only choice for treatment, it's a risk that sometimes has to be taken, but if at all possible, it's best to avoid steroids completely.
A 2nd remission is possible, but it's much harder to get than a first one and you sometimes have to be more aggressive with treatment
Tuxedo Mom
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The Dex shot in May 2015 certainly could have been part/all of the reason for the diabetes. A shot of dex will last in the system for several weeks and if Cutie was at all predisposed to high glucose that could have been a tipping point. There are often cases of steroid induced diabetes, but if the steroid was necessary then the risks have to be weighed. Some of the kitties on here also require steroids for other conditions and the insulin just needs to be adjusted to take that into account.
It is not unusual for kitties in remission to fall out of remission. Getting a kitty back into remission the second time around may take longer than the first time and be a little more difficult, but it has been done by many here. It is best to continue giving small doses of insulin as a kitty gets into good numbers in order to give a stronger remission, whether the first time around or the second. And of course if the numbers start creeping up then to resume some shots as needed to give a strong remission.
Here is an article on remission and the likelihood of a kitty falling out of remission:
http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/cvc-highlight-what-influences-diabetic-remission-cats
It is not unusual for kitties in remission to fall out of remission. Getting a kitty back into remission the second time around may take longer than the first time and be a little more difficult, but it has been done by many here. It is best to continue giving small doses of insulin as a kitty gets into good numbers in order to give a stronger remission, whether the first time around or the second. And of course if the numbers start creeping up then to resume some shots as needed to give a strong remission.
Here is an article on remission and the likelihood of a kitty falling out of remission:
http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/cvc-highlight-what-influences-diabetic-remission-cats
I don't think you understand, she was not a diabetic when they gave her the dex. she had surgery for a poisionous spider bite to remove dead tissue and she had a fever. they gave her the Dexamethasone while in surgery. why would the vet give her a steriod to begin with?
Tuxedo Mom
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The dexamethasone would have been used as an anti-inflammatory medication. There are very few NSAID that can be used for kitties for any sort of surgery and some of them have higher risks than the steroids. Some kitties will react more to a steroid and it can affect their BG and "tip" the scale towards diabetes. Personally even with having 2 FD kitties I would choose a steroid anti-inflammatory over a NSAID if it was needed. If the diabetes was ONLY due to the steroid in most cases it resolves much quicker than if it was caused from other reasons.
ETA One of my FD kitties was tested regularly for BG, was not overweight, ate a wet low carb diet and had no other health issues. All of a sudden her numbers were going up and staying up. There is some genetic predisposition involved with FD and the steroid could have been the "tipping point".
ETA One of my FD kitties was tested regularly for BG, was not overweight, ate a wet low carb diet and had no other health issues. All of a sudden her numbers were going up and staying up. There is some genetic predisposition involved with FD and the steroid could have been the "tipping point".
Tuxedo Mom
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Chris & China (GA)
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