New and looking to improve my plan for my kitty

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sourcelodestone

Member Since 2021
My cat Athena is 12 years old, spayed, female. She weighs 12 pounds and eats 3 cans of glycobalance per day and 2.5 tbsp of young again kibble. She drinks from a faucet so no way to tell the amount. She was diagnosed in July 2021 during her yearly senior exam. She is currently on Lantus and takes 2 units in the morning and 1.5 units at night.

I am not currently doing close monitoring of her blood sugar and this makes me uncomfortable. The vet at first was placing libre sensors on her and I assumed we would continue these sensors, but the plan seems to have changed to "back off on the monitoring". Because of this I feel a little in the dark about what's going on which led me here to this forum. Her last sensor was on 2 months ago, and her average low point was around 180 and her average high point around 250. The vet's opinion is generally that this okay for a diabetic cat, but originally there was talk of her going into remission which I am still hoping is possible. Her pee clumps are still much larger than my other cat's but are smaller than before.

Backstory:
She had senior bloodwork done at age 10 and 11 that showed no health issues, so I strongly suspect she became diabetic from a course of prednisone prescribed for a hotspot in Jan 2021. (I really regret accepting the prednisone).

At her exam at age 11, she was overweight at 15lbs but very active and playful. The vet said she needed to go on a diet urgently, so I bought a microchip controlled feeder and carefully controlled her calories as instructed. My first clue something was wrong was when I stopped cutting her calories and she continued to lose weight, getting down to 9.8 lbs at the lowest and feeling very bony along her spine. She was laying around a lot and seemed depressed and stopped following me around. After she started insulin she stopped losing weight and slowly improved. In the past month, her weight at the same calories has climbed to 12 pounds. She's looking like her old self and is engaged and perky again, which is great, but I don't know how this weight gain affects her dose or how I should feed her. The vet's advice is to continue the current dose and feeding and wait for a scheduled appointment to measure fructosamine in December, but I'd like to be sure this is safe and that I'm doing all I can to reverse the illness of possible. Or if that's not possible, I'd like to know straightforwardly.

Her other issue is back leg weirdness which after watching videos I'm 95% sure must be neuropathy because she is walking lower on her back legs, but the vet suggests it is spinal arthritis causing her weird gait. I've ordered some Zobalin because the vet said it wouldn't harm her either way. She also suggested some Cosequin but I'm concerned about blood sugar effects and couldn't get any straight answer there.

Thanks for reading my post and for all the great info here. Any perspective anyone could provide would be appreciated! I'm still a little overwhelmed by her sudden issues after being in really good health previously.
 
sourcelodestone said:
My cat Athena is 12 years old, spayed, female. She weighs 12 pounds and eats 3 cans of glycobalance per day and 2.5 tbsp of young again kibble
Click to expand...
Hi and welcome
You couldn't have found a better forum to join
We have many experienced members here and if it wasn't for their advice I wouldn't have gotten Tyler into remission.
In my opinion the members here know more about diabetic cats than most vets do

The Royal Canin Glycobalance (wet and dry)
are too high in carbs for a diabetic cat.
Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classic Pates or Friskies
I will give you the link to our food chart , we like to stay under 5 % carbs
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
However you need to be aware that giving a low carb diet can drop the blood glucose up to 100 points. So don’t do any swap over until you are home testing to keep Athena safe
 
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sourcelodestone said:
I am not currently doing close monitoring of her blood sugar and this makes me uncomfortable. The vet at first was placing libre sensors on her and I assumed we would continue these sensors, but the plan seems to have changed to "back off on the monitoring". Because of this I feel a little in the dark about what's going on which led me here to this forum. Her last sensor was on 2 months ago, and her average low point was around 180 and her average high point around 250. The vet's opinion is generally that this okay for a diabetic cat, but originally there was talk of her going into remission which I am still hoping is possible. Her pee clumps are still much larger than my other cat's but are smaller than before.
Click to expand...

Your vet is wrong, you should be testing Athena before giving insulin for both cycles to make sure her BG is at a safe number to shoot. It's the only way to keep her safe
Those numbers are not OK for a diabetic cat

I suggest you go buy a human monitor if you live in the US , that's what our numbers are based on
Most of us use the Relion Premier Classic from Walmart it's 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 test strips
Pick up 26 or 28 gauge lancets to poke her ear any brand
Some use a lancing device but I prefer to just poke with the lancet itself , you can see where you are poking better
Cotton rounds to out behind her ear, just in case you poke you finger, then fold the cotton over her ear to stop the bleeding, press gently for about 15-20 seconds

Once you get used to testing it's really not that hard at all


Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming

Here is a video one of our members did
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar
 
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sourcelodestone said:
I don't know how this weight gain affects her dose or how I should feed her. The vet's advice is to continue the current dose and feeding and wait for a scheduled appointment to measure fructosamine in December, but I'd like to be sure this is safe and that I'm doing all I can to reverse the illness of possible. Or if that's not possible, I'd like to know straightforwardly.
Click to expand...

What ever her perfect weight should be you would multiply by 20
Example if her perfect weight is/12 lbs
12x20=240 calories per day
We feed our cats the larger meals in the morning after you test her BG the same goes for the night cycle and then smaller meals during both cycles
Maybe a tablespoon or so of wet low carb food a couple times during each cycle
It is absolutely to be able to get her into remission


The fructosamine test is anaverage of the last few weeks BGs…the highs, the lows and the inbetween. It does not tell you if the cat has has a very low BG or a very high number. The only time a fructosamine test is good is at diagnosis, when it can confirm that the BGs have been high for the last few weeks.
 
sourcelodestone said:
Her other issue is back leg weirdness which after watching videos I'm 95% sure must be neuropathy because she is walking lower on her back legs, but the vet suggests it is spinal arthritis causing her weird gait. I've ordered some Zobalin because the vet said it wouldn't harm her either way. She also suggested some Cosequin but I'm concerned about blood sugar effects and couldn't get any straight answer there.
Click to expand...

Yes it can definitely be neuropathy, Tyler was walking like a rabbit, flat footed
Then would have to stop and take breaks during walking
Once I got his BG regulated and using the Zobaline he was back to walking, jumping 100% It took about 2 months , but every week I would see an improvement
You can start the Zobaline now
In case you want to save some money a lot of our members use the Vitacost brand and so did I . I will give you the link

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-100-capsules-6

About the Cosequin I did a search here on our forum and found this posted by one of our members
I used cosequin with Sheba and it did not affect the BGs at all

I would try the Zobaline or Vitacost brand first
 
First thing I suggest you do is fill out your signature it's information about Athena that we need , it's at the end of everyone's post in gray writing
The link will also tell you how to set up your spreadsheet and will explain how it works
We record our cats BG numbers on the spreadsheet to see how the insulin is working for our kitties and how low they are dropping . We need this in order to give you any advice on dosing

Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help.
We are very data driven here and will need that to help you.

If you need any help setting up your signature and spreadsheet just let me know and I can have a member here set it up for you

I am going to give you the link for Lantus to read about and there are 2 dosing methods for Lantus to choose from, so please read them and see which one would be good for you to follow . The method you choose will tell you when to increase or decrease the dose

Do you have the U-100 syringes with the half unit markings? We increase or decrease by 0.25 units at a time so you don't miss the perfect dose. If you don't have them I can suggest where to get them. Using them it's easier to eyeball smaller doses


https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-low-go-slow-slgs-tight-regulation-tr.210110/

I hope all the information I gave you is helpful
Just keep asking questions :cat:
 
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I fixed up my signature. Thanks for the links--reading now! I do have the correct syringes--my vet had me using a huge syringe at first. Really relieved to have bought the ones with finer markings.
 
sourcelodestone said:
I fixed up my signature. Thanks for the links--reading now! I do have the correct syringes--my vet had me using a huge syringe at first. Really relieved to have bought the ones with finer markings.
Click to expand...
Thank you :cat: If you need help setting up the spreadsheet just ask
You have these? Which brand syringes are you using, can you tell me
49823063143_3437e9e997_o.jpg


Using syringes with a pen, cartridge, or vial:
  • U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings are the best to use for drawing Lantus, Basaglar, or Levemir from vials, cartridges, and pens.
  • BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.
  • Syringes come in ½ inch or 5/16 inch needle lengths. Needle gauges are 29, 30 or 31 (31 being the thinnest)
 
I've got the UltiCare Vet RX half-unit scale syringes. Looking into setting up the spreadsheet.

Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Thank you :cat: If you need help setting up the spreadsheet just ask
You have these? Which brand syringes are you using, can you tell me
49823063143_3437e9e997_o.jpg


Using syringes with a pen, cartridge, or vial:
  • U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings are the best to use for drawing Lantus, Basaglar, or Levemir from vials, cartridges, and pens.
  • BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.
  • Syringes come in ½ inch or 5/16 inch needle lengths. Needle gauges are 29, 30 or 31 (31 being the thinnest)
Click to expand...
 
Ok wow, I suspected that I should be testing her more, like a human diabetic would. Ok I gotta learn how to poke her ears! Missing my libre sensor already.


Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Your vet is wrong, you should be testing Athena before giving insulin for both cycles to make sure her BG is at a safe number to shoot. It's the only way to keep her safe
Those numbers are not OK for a diabetic cat

I suggest you go buy a human monitor if you live in the US , that's what our numbers are based on
Most of us use the Relion Premier Classic from Walmart it's 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 test strips
Pick up 26 or 28 gauge lancets to poke her ear any brand
Some use a lancing device but I prefer to just poke with the lancet itself , you can see where you are poking better
Cotton rounds to out behind her ear, just in case you poke you finger, then fold the cotton over her ear to stop the bleeding, press gently for about 15-20 seconds

Once you get used to testing it's really not that hard at all


Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming

Here is a video one of our members did
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar
Click to expand...
 
If you decide to switch food , I gave you the link , make sure you monitor closely as I said above it could drop the BG by 100 points
The Young Again is OK, but we really like to try and not give any dry at all
You can give her any freeze dried treats for a snack
most members give freeze dried treats , they are low carb, you can probably find them in some local pet stores also
I did a search for you on here and copied what some members said they use,

When testing you can give them a treat so they will associate after testing they will get a reward, any freeze dried treats are ok such as
PureBites Freeze-Dried Cat Treats with Chicken Breast 2.3 oz ()https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071P

Also chewys has freeze dried treats also


The freeze dried treats you can get at petsmart, petco and order from chewy. Purebites is popular (cheaper if you buy the dog food ones). My crew like vital essentials it's dehydrated freeze dried raw comes in flavors

freeze dried minnows, made by Vital Essentials. I also buy the ones made for dogs. They're the same as the freeze dried minnows for cats. just cheaper. They also carry other freeze dried treats. I ordered mine through Amazon.

I think the vital essentials are more of a crunchy texture than the purebites

If you cat likes any of these you can buy the bigger bags for dogs they are the same ,you will get more for your money just break then up into smaller pieces
@@Donna G.

You can Google freeze dried treats and see what other ones there are and different flavors
Just make sure that is the only ingredient in them meaning turkey, chicken, minnows etc

Here is another one , I see you can get these in different flavors also just look
You may have to break any freeze dried treats in half if they are too big
https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Essent...ocphy=9003521&hvtargid=pla-630511512365&psc=1

Flavor Name: Duck Liver
  • Ahi Tuna
  • Chicken
  • Chicken Giblets
  • Chicken Hearts
  • Duck Liver
  • Minnows
  • Rabbit
 
When starting off testing start getting Athena used to you rubbing her ears
Put her in the same spot when you do this
I would put Tyler on the couch and sit next to him , he got used to it and would know that I would be going to test him.
You can put him on a counter top or where ever you feel most comfortable with
Give him a treat after rubbing his ears so she starts to associate that with testing

Even if its a failed test still give her a treat
 
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