Hello I have a newly diagnosed cat

[KrustiKakes]

My cat Freya is a 15 year old lynx point siamese. She was adopted by my sister & her husband in 2007 from a local animal shelter. In 2009 my husband and I took her (and her brother) in when my sister & her husband moved to Korea. I have been lucky enough to call her my kitty for the past 11 years.

About 10 months ago she jumped onto my very tall bed & seemed to be in pain in her back legs. We took her to the vet, and her xray showed a compressed disc in her spine & early stages of kidney failure. At that point he gave her pain medss for her back & said her kidneys were okay enough to not make any changes to her diet (she was on prescription weight loss food & a grain free wet food). Between July - December she has multiple issues where here tail would curl up and it seemed she lost control of her back legs lasting annywhere from about 10 seconds to 1 minute. Back to the vet she would go for more tests. At this time she was switched to Gabapentin for pain & told to start a kidney prescription diet (high carb, and expensive). We followed the vets orders and then in late January 2020 she lost complete control of her back legs. We took her to the emergency vet where they ran more tests. They basically verified her compressed disc, showed her labs were fine, and said followup with our vet. She returned to normal within a few hours.

We went to our vet February 1st (the following day) where we made the decision to put her on Prednisolone. She started Predisolone about a week after her emergeny vet treatment to make sure the medicine was fully out of her system.

Since then she has not had anymore incidents with her spine, but we noticed increased hunger, and urinating more. The vet said this was normal with kidney issues/prednisolone so we were not too concerned, but kept an eye on it. Then Covid happened, and we were not able to see the vet again until after our state shutdown started lifting.

Last weekend I took her in for labs to see how she was doing on the prednisolone. I noticed she seemed to have some issues with her back legs, but assumed it was normal considering her spinal issues, and felt thankful she was even able to move around. Now I am thinking the current leg issue is due to her diabetes, and not her spine.

The test results came back today, and she is diabetic. The vet is recommending insulin & we have an appointment on Friday to go over everything/start insulin. I do know he wants to keep her on the prednisolone since it seems to be helping with her spine.

I just switched her food today to Tiki Cat food that is supposed to be okay for kidneys and diabetes, and she has an appointment on Friday to start insulin.

My question is what should I make sure to ask my vet? I do not want to forget anything.

What is the standard insulin level to start at? When she was on her weightloss diet she got down to about 10 pounds, but now shot back up around 12ish after starting the kidney medicine.

I looked around, and saw that insulin can be ordered from Canada, and I hope to do that after we get her initial medicine. Is there anyting I need from my vet other than a written prescription?

I also saw it is recommened we check her glucose at home, and my mom offered up one of her old kits. Is a human kit okay for cats?

I just want to give my kitty the best chance we can, and I am willing to go the extra mile for her. I am currently super overwhelmed, but I am hoping to be a bit more put together by our appointment on Friday.

Thank you!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Welcome to the FDMB! Sounds like you've been a very good cat mom! You can do this too!

Now I am thinking the current leg issue is due to her diabetes, and not her spine.

It's possible that there's some diabetic neuropathy going on too. A lot of people use Zobaline for cats (Amazon) which is a special form of B-12 that helps nerves regenerate. The most important thing will be getting the blood glucose under control though.

As for the prednisolone, it sounds like it may be necessary for her to continue on it, and while it will make her diabetes harder to control, if it's a quality of life issue, we just have to dose around it.

I looked around, and saw that insulin can be ordered from Canada, and I hope to do that after we get her initial medicine. Is there anyting I need from my vet other than a written prescription?

No, all you need is a script. You can take a picture of it, scan it to email, fax it or have your vet fax or call it in. Marks is fantastic to work with! It will take about a week to get your first shipment. As long as there aren't any ketones in the picture, it's actually OK to wait on the insulin and go ahead and get her onto the low carb diet only and give yourself a week to learn to home test so when the insulin arrives, you'll be ready to keep her safe.

We don't know which insulin your vet is going to prescribe though. Lantus, Basaglar and Levemir are human insulins that work well in cats and are available from Marks, but ProZinc is a veterinary insulin so you'd either get it from your vet or order it from a pet supply place with pharmacy (Chewy.com is the cheapest right now). You really don't want your vet to prescribe Vetsulin but a lot of them still do. It's a good insulin for dogs so a lot of vets use what they're familiar with even though it's not a great insulin for cats.

What is the standard insulin level to start at?

Most cats should start at .5 to 1U twice a day. It's a lot safer to start lower and slowly increase as needed than to start too high and risk hypoglycemia.

Is a human kit okay for cats?

Yes! Most of us use human meters because the strips are more affordable and easier to get when you need them! Check your mom's meter and see how much the strips are going to be for it. The biggest ongoing cost of treatment is test strips. Most of us use the Relion Prime from WalMart because it's $9 for the meter and only $17.88 for 100 strips. Most vets will tell you that you MUST use a special pet meter. Don't believe it. Pet meters are actually fairly new to the picture...you know what everybody (including vets) used before they came out? That's right!...human meters! All our dosing methods were developed using human meters so we're very familiar with them.

Keep asking questions! The people here are very generous with their time and love to help!

 

[KrustiKakes]

Welcome to the FDMB! Sounds like you've been a very good cat mom! You can do this too!



It's possible that there's some diabetic neuropathy going on too. A lot of people use Zobaline for cats (Amazon) which is a special form of B-12 that helps nerves regenerate. The most important thing will be getting the blood glucose under control though.

As for the prednisolone, it sounds like it may be necessary for her to continue on it, and while it will make her diabetes harder to control, if it's a quality of life issue, we just have to dose around it.

Thank you so much for the suggestion. I definitely believe there is some diabetic neuropathy happening. Is Zobaline okay to take with Gabapentin, Prednisolone, and Dasuquin? I can double check with my vet, but I know sometimes they are not aware of all the different supplements that are available online. I feel terrible thinking it was part of her spine issue. I am hoping it was caught early enough considering she can still jump up on couches (and she will jump from one couch to the other as well). But, I have noticed she has been sitting while drinking water recently which is something she never did before, and the bottom of her back paws are starting to lose fur, and she tends to take more breaks when following me aroudn the house. It is just all these small things seem to have started slowly within the past couple of months, and so nothing really stuck out until now. I was just so thankful to have her back up and moving at all.

No, all you need is a script. You can take a picture of it, scan it to email, fax it or have your vet fax or call it in. Marks is fantastic to work with! It will take about a week to get your first shipment. As long as there aren't any ketones in the picture, it's actually OK to wait on the insulin and go ahead and get her onto the low carb diet only and give yourself a week to learn to home test so when the insulin arrives, you'll be ready to keep her safe.

We don't know which insulin your vet is going to prescribe though. Lantus, Basaglar and Levemir are human insulins that work well in cats and are available from Marks, but ProZinc is a veterinary insulin so you'd either get it from your vet or order it from a pet supply place with pharmacy (Chewy.com is the cheapest right now). You really don't want your vet to prescribe Vetsulin but a lot of them still do. It's a good insulin for dogs so a lot of vets use what they're familiar with even though it's not a great insulin for cats.

I will let me vet know to skip the Vetsulin if they suggest it. Is there a reason some vets tend to go for the Vetsulin vs medicine known to work well in cats?


Most cats should start at .5 to 1U twice a day. It's a lot safer to start lower and slowly increase as needed than to start too high and risk hypoglycemia.



Yes! Most of us use human meters because the strips are more affordable and easier to get when you need them! Check your mom's meter and see how much the strips are going to be for it. The biggest ongoing cost of treatment is test strips. Most of us use the Relion Prime from WalMart because it's $9 for the meter and only $17.88 for 100 strips. Most vets will tell you that you MUST use a special pet meter. Don't believe it. Pet meters are actually fairly new to the picture...you know what everybody (including vets) used before they came out? That's right!...human meters! All our dosing methods were developed using human meters so we're very familiar with them.

I will talk with my mom to find out what I need. I know she does have a few strips for me to start with. I did see some pet meters availalble on my vet's online pharmacy. They were poorly rated, and about double the cost of chewy.com. If a human one I can get for free works just as good it makes no sense to pay for a pet one.


Keep asking questions! The people here are very generous with their time and love to help!

Welcome to the FDMB! Sounds like you've been a very good cat mom! You can do this too!

Thank you again for your kind, and thoughtful response. I am definitely determined to help her out in any way I can because she deserves nothing short of that.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

WELCOME! You HAVE found the right place to help Freya! Chris has given you sound advice and answers.

WELCOME TO FDMB The best site on the planet to help you help your kitty. You now belong to a community like none other..
jeanne

 

[KrustiKakes]

Thanks again for all the advice.

I just found out I won't have a monitor from my mom. I obviously do not want to start on her on insulin without one, but I do not know what to expect going into this on Friday with my vet. Do most people start treatment without glucose monitoring?

I worry they will start her too high since she was so high when she had labs done. But, I know she was super stressed out and that can affect it. I also worry because I have started her on a low carb diet that it will be too much with her new food.

I am feeling so overwhelmed with all the information I have looked up, and I have no idea how you guys do it. I worry so much about screwing up so I am hoping to eb prepared as possible for her appt on Friday.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Sadly too many people give insulin without monitoring at home. Vets often tell their clients its not necessary.

They very well may start on to high a dose. I believe anything from 1 units or under is a good starting dose **(I'm SURE others will correct me if I'm wrong on that.)** The Vet may give that first dose but theres nothing written in stone, that you have to give that same amount on the second dose. Home monitoring is the KEY to this WHOLE process.When you are able to check just where your Freya's blood glucose numbers are at any moment, it gives you power and security. Not to mention Freya's security.

Welcome to the fdmb worrywart club...News flash WE ALL HAVE FELT THE VERY SAME WAY! Lol When you get rolling with this, the more you learn, the easier it gets. Not only that but you will be empowered to take charge of any given situation.
Next thing you know, you will be helping someone else out, who's walking in your shoes.

Thats why Deb is here, I am here, and MANY many others, are still here, paying it forward.
jeanne

 

[Lalkabee]

The test results came back today, and she is diabetic. The vet is recommending insulin & we have an appointment on Friday to go over everything/start insulin. I do know he wants to keep her on the prednisolone since it seems to be helping with her spine.

I just switched her food today to Tiki Cat food that is supposed to be okay for kidneys and diabetes, and she has an appointment on Friday to start insulin.

Hi, How was your visit at the vet?

 

[KrustiKakes]

Hi, How was your visit at the vet?

The vet visit went well. We started 1 unit of ProZinc twice a day.

We bought a glucometer (Contour Next EZ) so we would have one right away. My vet told me to get the AlphaTrak, but from what I read on here that is not necessary. It has been scary to learn how to test, but we are all getting more comfortable. We now are testing pre shoot, and then anywhere from +2 to +5. I am sure it might be better to test more often to start, but I am just glad she is being nice enough to let us do it four times a day!

She also has a UTI so we have her on antibiotics. She had been constipated (he thinks due to her diabetes) for a few days by the time of her appointment. He said he didn't feel any blockage, and to give her Miralax. Yesterday she had a very successful (and gross) poo. I am guessing it was the combo of miralax, antibiotics, and her new wet food diet. I hope she continues to have success!

The vet told us to go back in a week to have them run more tests. I plan on sharing our home test results with him as well.

How often do vets change the dosage? Do they do it fast? I worry about uppinig her dosage too fast. Home testing results have ranged in the 250-491 range for preshoot and around 250-320 range in the +3 through +5 range. I want to give her some time to adjust as between her new diet, us slowly cutting back her steroid to every other day, and her antibiotics. I worry about bumping up her dosage too soon when all those changes may end up making quite a difference.

Tomorrow I am hoping that Freya's Zobaline will arrive in the mail, and she can start on that as well.

Thank you so much for checking in. I hope we have a lot of success over the coming week.

 

[Lalkabee]

I am pretty new at this too, only a month, so i can't advise you on dosage. My vet went from 1 unit to 2 unit last week...it was a big change but went well for her. It's not easy to test but if i can give you 1 tips (i learned 3 days ago), take care of these precious ears after so they don't bruise and put some Neosporin/ polysporin after each poke Did you start a Spreadsheet to share with us? also edit your Signature with Freya's info. I ll check on you again

 

[Lalkabee]

Here is the info to set up the SS http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

And for the signature, go into your profile under signature. Look at others ppl sig to have an idea of what to add.

Exemple, this is mine:
Bee / Dx 16-04-2020 /10 years old / 10.8 pd / AlphaTrak / Prozinc 2U x2 / PurinaDM wet food / Bee Spreadsheet

 

[KrustiKakes]

Here is the info to set up the SS http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

And for the signature, go into your profile under signature. Look at others ppl sig to have an idea of what to add.

Exemple, this is mine:
Bee / Dx 16-04-2020 /10 years old / 10.8 pd / AlphaTrak / Prozinc 2U x2 / PurinaDM wet food / Bee Spreadsheet

Thanks! I updated her signature. So far we have kept track on paper, but I will definitely learn how to get it on a spread sheet/share the spread sheet as well.

 

[Lalkabee]

Thanks! I updated her signature. So far we have kept track on paper, but I will definitely learn how to get it on a spread sheet/share the spread sheet as well.

It's really fun to have a Sheet to share, i still keep everything on paper too. If you have more questions or worries, don't be shy and ask...i will answer if i can or other members will.

 

[PharmaKitty]

“My question is what should I make sure to ask my vet? I do not want to forget anything“

I could be way off the mark here....I just joined this forum today, SPECIFICALLY to avoid making this mistake but it’s hard to ignore the knee-jerk reflex!!

Please ask your vet about the prednisolone possibly being a factor in causing your lovely cat’s diabetes. A textbook side effectof glucocorticoid therapy is insulin resistance/increased blood sugar.

It’s tough because I realize the prednisolone is helping with his legs, but I’m concerned the vet may not be considering the view 360 degrees and just adding more meds to treat problems caused by meds. I hope this wasn’t rude & sort of made sense.