Bowie S. B. Otch
Member Since 2016
Hi All,
I'm new here too. I started noticing Bowie drinking more water about a month or two ago, last month, we started having episodes where he peed indoors. Bowie is only about 4, we've had him for 2 years and I knew this was not normal behavior for him. I pretty much knew what was wrong with him and am kicking myself for not taking quicker action.
We took him in from our previous neighbors about 2 1/2 years ago. They were moving and didn't really want him. He was an outdoor only cat, who they named "Cat" >:-/ how very original. They only let him in when the temps went into the 30s (we live in the deep south of the USA/Gulf Coast), so that doesn't happen very often, and he was kind of skin an bones when we adopted him. They told us he would never be an indoor kitty, because when they did let him in, they locked him into the bathroom and he would cry for hours. He used to come over to our yard and hang out with us, every time we went out with the kids, and he was so gentle and cute with them, we jumped at the chance to adopt him. He is such a chill kitty, and so patient. He very much became and indoor/outdoor kitty, loving the fact he can sleep inside snuggled up to someone, but still really wanting to go outside.
Bowie also liked having a food bowl with constant access and became a grazer. He gained weight and was about 18 lbs last summer. However, last summer, he had a fight the night before we went on vacation, and though I checked him, I didn't see the scratch on his chest. Our pet sitter didn't notice the abscess develop on his chest, only one evening she noticed he was following her and Meowing very loud. When we got back a week later, he had a hole in his chest from it bursting. He had also lost 4 pounds. The vets cleaned him up/stitched him up, and he spent weeks indoors with a cone on his head. He eventually gained back several pounds over the next two months. I am wondering now, if that stress/lack of mobility contributed to him developing diabetes. That and the up and down he had, from underfed with food insecurity issues when we adopted him, to somewhat big before the abscess, to dropping 5 lbs in a week, to gaining it back.
Around November, we noticed that he had developed an obsession with his water bowl and being near water, and was zonking on the bathroom rug. He also had a few incidents of wanting to go out at night (which we did not want to do after the abscess ordeal), and if we didn't let him out, he would pee somewhere he never did before, like our laundry. So, right before Christmas, we brought him in to the vet and I told the vet that I thought he had diabetes. His sugar level was 500 (!!!!!!), and he did not have a UTI, and no kidney or liver problems. I'm feeling like an asshole, because I had suspected diabetes a month ago, and he's been feeling bad for so long. We may have ruined his shot for remission.
We started Bowie on Prozinc 3U/ 2x a day 8 days ago. We switched to wet food only, Hills WD, one can every 12 hours, 15 minutes before his insulin shot. I did his first glucose curve yesterday. I had a hard time with the lancets, and the vet told me a less than optimal spot for lancing. She said to fold back the ear and do it on the fold, which was not working at all!!! Poor Bowie! She usually doesn't recommend the home testing, but since she knows I am a biologist and know about injections, etc, she suggested it. After the second struggle to get enough blood for a test strip, I watched videos online and learned about the sweet spot. That worked much better, but I just bought 28 gauge lancets instead of 30 gauge for the next curve. Bowie was incredibly patient with his Mommy, and I am thankful my 5 year old daughter likes to play pet vet (Thanks Doc McStuffins TV show) and was able to fetch me a second glucose strip or reheat the washcloth for me, or pet his chin.
The values were still high, so the vet wants to give him a higher dose, 4U. Let's hope we can learn how to care for him. He may be a stinker sometimes, but he is a real lovey boy. Yesterday's curve (it started late for us because I overslept after Christmas and spent 15 minutes organizing everything and having probs with the lancets)
7:55 AM-337; Meal at 8am, insulin at 8:30 10:45 AM- 339; 1:05pm- 238; 3:35pm-246; 6:30pm-366, Meal at 7:30pm, insulin at 7:50 pm.
His sugar levels are still high, but he is doing so much better!!! He isn't glued to his bowl any more, is grooming better, cuddling more/seaking us out, and isn't sleeping in the bathroom as much. Oh, and so far, no more urgency to get out and pee.
I'm new here too. I started noticing Bowie drinking more water about a month or two ago, last month, we started having episodes where he peed indoors. Bowie is only about 4, we've had him for 2 years and I knew this was not normal behavior for him. I pretty much knew what was wrong with him and am kicking myself for not taking quicker action.
We took him in from our previous neighbors about 2 1/2 years ago. They were moving and didn't really want him. He was an outdoor only cat, who they named "Cat" >:-/ how very original. They only let him in when the temps went into the 30s (we live in the deep south of the USA/Gulf Coast), so that doesn't happen very often, and he was kind of skin an bones when we adopted him. They told us he would never be an indoor kitty, because when they did let him in, they locked him into the bathroom and he would cry for hours. He used to come over to our yard and hang out with us, every time we went out with the kids, and he was so gentle and cute with them, we jumped at the chance to adopt him. He is such a chill kitty, and so patient. He very much became and indoor/outdoor kitty, loving the fact he can sleep inside snuggled up to someone, but still really wanting to go outside.
Bowie also liked having a food bowl with constant access and became a grazer. He gained weight and was about 18 lbs last summer. However, last summer, he had a fight the night before we went on vacation, and though I checked him, I didn't see the scratch on his chest. Our pet sitter didn't notice the abscess develop on his chest, only one evening she noticed he was following her and Meowing very loud. When we got back a week later, he had a hole in his chest from it bursting. He had also lost 4 pounds. The vets cleaned him up/stitched him up, and he spent weeks indoors with a cone on his head. He eventually gained back several pounds over the next two months. I am wondering now, if that stress/lack of mobility contributed to him developing diabetes. That and the up and down he had, from underfed with food insecurity issues when we adopted him, to somewhat big before the abscess, to dropping 5 lbs in a week, to gaining it back.
Around November, we noticed that he had developed an obsession with his water bowl and being near water, and was zonking on the bathroom rug. He also had a few incidents of wanting to go out at night (which we did not want to do after the abscess ordeal), and if we didn't let him out, he would pee somewhere he never did before, like our laundry. So, right before Christmas, we brought him in to the vet and I told the vet that I thought he had diabetes. His sugar level was 500 (!!!!!!), and he did not have a UTI, and no kidney or liver problems. I'm feeling like an asshole, because I had suspected diabetes a month ago, and he's been feeling bad for so long. We may have ruined his shot for remission.
We started Bowie on Prozinc 3U/ 2x a day 8 days ago. We switched to wet food only, Hills WD, one can every 12 hours, 15 minutes before his insulin shot. I did his first glucose curve yesterday. I had a hard time with the lancets, and the vet told me a less than optimal spot for lancing. She said to fold back the ear and do it on the fold, which was not working at all!!! Poor Bowie! She usually doesn't recommend the home testing, but since she knows I am a biologist and know about injections, etc, she suggested it. After the second struggle to get enough blood for a test strip, I watched videos online and learned about the sweet spot. That worked much better, but I just bought 28 gauge lancets instead of 30 gauge for the next curve. Bowie was incredibly patient with his Mommy, and I am thankful my 5 year old daughter likes to play pet vet (Thanks Doc McStuffins TV show) and was able to fetch me a second glucose strip or reheat the washcloth for me, or pet his chin.
The values were still high, so the vet wants to give him a higher dose, 4U. Let's hope we can learn how to care for him. He may be a stinker sometimes, but he is a real lovey boy. Yesterday's curve (it started late for us because I overslept after Christmas and spent 15 minutes organizing everything and having probs with the lancets)
7:55 AM-337; Meal at 8am, insulin at 8:30 10:45 AM- 339; 1:05pm- 238; 3:35pm-246; 6:30pm-366, Meal at 7:30pm, insulin at 7:50 pm.
His sugar levels are still high, but he is doing so much better!!! He isn't glued to his bowl any more, is grooming better, cuddling more/seaking us out, and isn't sleeping in the bathroom as much. Oh, and so far, no more urgency to get out and pee.
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Welcome to you both.
