New to Diabetes - Carly Borkowski

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Jill Borkowski

Member Since 2022
Hi! I hope I am posting correctly. I will go back and read more about posting and rules soon, but for now I am desperate to learn more about diabetes and start treating our cat appropriately ASAP and I feel like I'm racing against the clock.

Carly turned 13 in March and has never had any health issues. On April 1st, she had a routine vet visit and we realized she'd lost two pounds since her previous visit in October 2021. A GI panel showed that her B12 was rock bottom so we started treating her for inflammatory bowel disease (we've also been treating our cat Camden for this since 2018). We started on 10 mg of prednisolone (5 mg twice a day) and 100 mg of metronidazole (50 mg twice a day) and a probiotic. She responded well and regained almost a pound. On June 22nd, we reduced the pred to 7.5 mg a day. And just last weekend we reduced it to 5 mg a day.

Her Antech bloodwork this week showed a glucose number of 506 and fructosamine is 432. Her only symptom is increased thirst, which I mistakenly assumed was from the pred.

I'm meeting with the vet today and was prepared to start her on insulin, but after reading this Web site over the last couple of hours, it sounds like maybe I should try a diet change first? We have four cats total. Carly with IBD and now diabetes and Camden with IBD and kidney disease. We finally just got Camden eating well again the last three months. He's 16 and it was a battle to get him to eat from October - May. I'm struggling with how to do a diet change to help Carly (who has always preferred dry food) without rocking Camden's boat. And we're fighting to make sure Carly and Camden don't continue to lose weight from the IBD so I worry about discontinuing free feeding.

We'll obviously do what's best for Carly and we'll figure out how to feed all of them individually, but I feel like that will take time that we do not have. I know dry food is a big no-no for diabetic cats, but is there a low-carb, non-prescription food I can switch to as I work to transition all four cats to a new diet and new way of eating? Switching to a dry food that's more low-carb than what we're feeding now is better than not. (Currently free feeding Nutro Sensitive Stomach Chicken and a variety of Weruva wet flavors).

Thank you for any and all feedback. I feel super overwhelmed by this diabetes diagnosis and have a lot to learn. That takes time, and I feel like I don't have time because we need to get a handle on this. The thing I'd like to do immediately is switch to a low-carb dry food while I work to get all four cats off of dry all together. And I'll talk to the vet today about potentially switching from pred to budesodine (sp?).


Jill Borkowski
Toledo OH
Carly - 13 years old as of 3/8/22
no health issues until IBD in April 2022 and diabetes in July 2022
only symptom is increased thirst
glucose = 506 and fructosamine = 432
weight is 10.8 lbs, up about a lb since we started IBD treatment in April
 
P.S. - I forgot to mention that in April 2022, when we realized the Carly had lost two pounds since October and a GI Panel showed rock bottom B-12, she also had a CBC and chem panel and urinalysis at that time and her glucose and urinalysis were normal. So despite the weight loss, there was no concern for diabetes.

Her bloodwork as of this week showed glucose at 506 and fructosamine at 432 and glucose in her urine too. She's continuing to maintain her weight (and has regained a pound since we started IBD treatment in April). Her only diabetes symptom is excessive thirst.
 
Welcome, Jill and Carly! I'm not one of the experts, so won't advise you, but did want to let you know that you're not alone. The learning curve for feline diabetes can be a bit steep, but you will get there. I know I was overwhelmed and so are many people at the start. The process actually does get better quickly and soon you will be handling your kitty's diabetes with more confidence.

Someone who really knows their stuff will get back to you today. Again, welcome! It gets better.
 
Welcome Jill and Carly , I can tag a few members for you but it's advised to start home testing with a human meter that's what our numbers are based on.
If you live live in the US you can get The Relion Premier Classic at Walmart either in the store or on line
It's 9 dollars
17.88 for 100 test strips
26 or 28 gauge lancets any brand ,you can even get them at any pharmacy
Cotton rounds

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 aboutsugar
econds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
Take a look at the lancets ,you will see one side points up, that's the side you want to poke with
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
You can also put a thin layer of vaseline on the ear ,to help the blood bead up
A video one of our members posted
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar
She is using a pet meter the test strips are very expensive with a human meter you don't have to code anything
 
If you do start insulin I would tell your vet to write a script for glargine its the generic for Lantus which is expensive
Check this out also
https://www.goodrx.com/insulin-glargine?dosage=five-3ml-prefilled-pens-of-100-units-ml&form=carton&label_override=insulin glargine&quantity=1
The 5 pens will last about a year





I see some members will call CVS, Rite Aid, Costco, Walgreen's, to get the price for 5 pens

You will need U-100 syringes with half unit markings for lantus , just insert the syringe into the pen and draw out the insulin.
13.47 for a box of 100 Here is the link to buy them from
If they say you need a script from you vet they will call the vet to fax it over 'ask for refills and give your vets office a heads up . I know that some member didn't need a script at all ,I did I live in N.J. So I guess it depends on where you live

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/1316/surecomfort-u100-syringes-half-unit-31g-3-10cc-5-16in-100ct



We use the pens just like a vial , just stick the syringe in the gray rubber stopper and draw out your insulin
Just take the cap off the pen and use a U100 syringes and pull the insulin out of the pen!
syringe-in-pen-pic-jpg.45006


Posted by another member
One members posted this
. I paid $175 for a box of 5 pens at Walmart pharmacy, but GoodRX coupon says you can get it for around $90 if you have a Rite Aid pharmacy near you.

The reason we don't use the needles that would go in the pens is because you can only dial the pens by whole units
With the U-100 syringes with half unit markings we can adjust by 0.25 units at a time
 
Jill Borkowski said:
The thing I'd like to do immediately is switch to a low-carb dry food while I work to get all four cats off of dry all together. And I'll talk to the vet today about potentially switching from pred to budesodine (sp?).
Click to expand...
As far as lc dry You can try
Dr Elsey's chicken flavor and young again zero will send you samples just call them
Here are some low carb dry foods ,they are about 5 or 6% carbs
None of them are cheap
You need to order them online
Dr Elseys you can buy on chewey site
https://www.chewy.com/dr-elseys-cleanprotein-chicken/dp/146269?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12791446238&utm_content=Dr. Elsey's&utm_term=&show-search=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0PvU2Zj79wIVRIdbCh3JawEkEAQYASABEgIInfD_BwE




Young again on their web site
https://www.youngagainpetfood.com
Take a look at the young again zero or the zero mature

Dr Elsey's also at Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dr-Elsey...ViI3ICh0suwO_EAQYAiABEgJrOPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Dr Elsey's Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FCJHDPR/ref=twister_B09GHFJY65?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

the Dr Elsey's comes in different size bags
None of these can be bought in stores

Also
Wysong Epigen 90

Dr Elsey's web site
https://www.drelseys.com

Here is their web site
https://www.wysong.net/epigen
Call then see if they will send a sample

If you can fill out what we call our signature with what information you have that would be great

If you can fill out what we call our signature that would be great
To set up your signature which you will see is at the end of everyone's post in gray, click on your name up top and then tap on the word signature and add this information
  • Add info we need to help you:
    • Caregiver & kitty's name
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin (do not include dose or frequency)
    • Name of your meter
    • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
    • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
    • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
    • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
    • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
    • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.
Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.

Take a look at mine
 
Last edited:
Jill Borkowski said:
Hi! I hope I am posting correctly. I will go back and read more about posting and rules soon, but for now I am desperate to learn more about diabetes and start treating our cat appropriately ASAP and I feel like I'm racing against the clock.

Carly turned 13 in March and has never had any health issues. On April 1st, she had a routine vet visit and we realized she'd lost two pounds since her previous visit in October 2021. A GI panel showed that her B12 was rock bottom so we started treating her for inflammatory bowel disease (we've also been treating our cat Camden for this since 2018). We started on 10 mg of prednisolone (5 mg twice a day) and 100 mg of metronidazole (50 mg twice a day) and a probiotic. She responded well and regained almost a pound. On June 22nd, we reduced the pred to 7.5 mg a day. And just last weekend we reduced it to 5 mg a day.

Her Antech bloodwork this week showed a glucose number of 506 and fructosamine is 432. Her only symptom is increased thirst, which I mistakenly assumed was from the pred.

I'm meeting with the vet today and was prepared to start her on insulin, but after reading this Web site over the last couple of hours, it sounds like maybe I should try a diet change first? We have four cats total. Carly with IBD and now diabetes and Camden with IBD and kidney disease. We finally just got Camden eating well again the last three months. He's 16 and it was a battle to get him to eat from October - May. I'm struggling with how to do a diet change to help Carly (who has always preferred dry food) without rocking Camden's boat. And we're fighting to make sure Carly and Camden don't continue to lose weight from the IBD so I worry about discontinuing free feeding.

We'll obviously do what's best for Carly and we'll figure out how to feed all of them individually, but I feel like that will take time that we do not have. I know dry food is a big no-no for diabetic cats, but is there a low-carb, non-prescription food I can switch to as I work to transition all four cats to a new diet and new way of eating? Switching to a dry food that's more low-carb than what we're feeding now is better than not. (Currently free feeding Nutro Sensitive Stomach Chicken and a variety of Weruva wet flavors).

Thank you for any and all feedback. I feel super overwhelmed by this diabetes diagnosis and have a lot to learn. That takes time, and I feel like I don't have time because we need to get a handle on this. The thing I'd like to do immediately is switch to a low-carb dry food while I work to get all four cats off of dry all together. And I'll talk to the vet today about potentially switching from pred to budesodine (sp?).


Jill Borkowski
Toledo OH
Carly - 13 years old as of 3/8/22
no health issues until IBD in April 2022 and diabetes in July 2022
only symptom is increased thirst
glucose = 506 and fructosamine = 432
weight is 10.8 lbs, up about a lb since we started IBD treatment in April
Click to expand...
@Wendy&Neko

@Suzanne & Darcy

@tiffmaxee

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@Bron and Sheba (GA)
 
Jill Borkowski said:
P.S. - I forgot to mention that in April 2022, when we realized the Carly had lost two pounds since October and a GI Panel showed rock bottom B-12, she also had a CBC and chem panel and urinalysis at that time and her glucose and urinalysis were normal. So despite the weight loss, there was no concern for diabetes.

Her bloodwork as of this week showed glucose at 506 and fructosamine at 432 and glucose in her urine too. She's continuing to maintain her weight (and has regained a pound since we started IBD treatment in April). Her only diabetes symptom is excessive thirst.
Click to expand...
 
Hi again and thanks to everyone for the quick replies and good information. I will read over it all this evening.

We just came from a vet appointment and the vet gave me a script for a Freestyle Libre 14-day sensor that humans use in lieu of doing ear prints......which sounds good to me because I'm a big weenie and this sounds easier (I scan with my phone to get readings), but before I run off to the store and buy this $80 monitoring device, I want to see if others have used this and if it's okay to use instead of ear prick readings? I have a vet tech appointment tomorrow morning for them to put this device on her, but I'd love your opinions first. Thank you! And I'll do my email signature this weekend, promise!
 
It's time to start insulin. Her numbers are too high to try just a diet change. If Carly has IBD (I don't see where it was diagnosed other than low B12), a novel protein diet may help. That's a diet with a meat type she hasn't had before. You can also try budesonide instead of prednisolone. Budesonide is also a steroid, but locally acting on the GI system. It has a lot less impact on the blood sugars.

The Libre is a good place to start and will give you time to practice manual testing - I hope! Some cats have been known to pull them off very quickly. There is a longish post about experiences using it here: FreeStyle Libre: video, demonstration, explanations, tips – discussion! Note, we would still recommending learning the ear pricks, as some Libres aren't so accurate in low numbers. And if the Libre comes off, you'll need the backup.
 
Hi and welcome to the FDMB club. It's not a club you want to join, but you'll be glad did. I remember that overwhelming feeling, I was so depressed -- how did I let this happen to my boy, how do I ever learn all this stuff....terms and acronyms like a foreign language. But this group here is like a life-preserver thrown to a drowning person, literal angels walking the earth giving their time and energy to help strangers and their furbabies. Brings a tear to my eye just typing it out!

Wendy is right, even with the Libre you really should learn how to do the BG tests by poking an ear. I remember thinking this sounded flat out impossible!! But with the help of people here like Diane and Wendy, we learned how and it became routine.

Here's a video of me back when I had JUST learned how. I'm still a bit fumbly in this video, I got way way better at it but it gives you an idea how people do it:

 
Hi! I'm happy to report that we changed Carly's diet, and the very next day, her glucose numbers dropped from over 500 to in the 200s. And they got better every day! Only one week later, her readings are all around 100 or below. We did not start insulin, but instead opted to try the diet change and continue weaning the pred. We are working with our regular vet and an internal medicine specialist and hope this trend continues. We will monitor her glucose very closely. I just wanted to share the good news and thank everyone who sent feedback and info and positive thoughts. I'm still taking it all in like a sponge because I know we will deal with this for the rest of her life and may get to a point where insulin is necessary.

Thank you all and best wishes for you and your kitties!

Jill Borkowski
Toledo, Ohio
 
Jill Borkowski said:
Hi! I'm happy to report that we changed Carly's diet, and the very next day, her glucose numbers dropped from over 500 to in the 200s. And they got better every day! Only one week later, her readings are all around 100 or below. We did not start insulin, but instead opted to try the diet change and continue weaning the pred. We are working with our regular vet and an internal medicine specialist and hope this trend continues. We will monitor her glucose very closely. I just wanted to share the good news and thank everyone who sent feedback and info and positive thoughts. I'm still taking it all in like a sponge because I know we will deal with this for the rest of her life and may get to a point where insulin is necessary.

Thank you all and best wishes for you and your kitties!

Jill Borkowski
Toledo, Ohio
Click to expand...

sounds promising i hope it works out
 
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