Urgent Advice Needed: Claw's Diabetes Complications and Treatment Struggles

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C

Claw’s Mom

Member Since 2023
Hello fellow cat parents,

I'm here in desperation and hope. My Siamese cat, Claw, who is 6.5 years old, was diagnosed with diabetes at the end of June this year. He has lost significant weight, dropping from 8.8kg to 6.5kg. I began insulin injections a few days after his diagnosis using Lantus insulin. Admittedly, I was naive and didn't follow the vet's recommended dosage. Instead, I listened to an experienced friend, and kept increasing the insulin dosage. I barely slept during that period, constantly worried.

Later, fearing hypoglycemia, I reduced the dosage and began to gradually increase it. Initially, his blood sugar stabilized around 15-18 mol/L. However, one day it suddenly spiked to 25 mol/L, possibly because he ate something he shouldn't have. Since then, his levels have consistently been above 20 mol/L.
On August 1st, due to his persistently high blood sugar, I took him to a new vet (we moved at the end of June). I was disappointed with the experience. The vet conducted numerous expensive and seemingly redundant tests but provided no substantial advice or even the test results. Claw was extremely stressed that day, panting like a dog, which made me wary of that vet.

Since then, I've been observing Claw and adjusting the insulin dosage based on advice from this forum. I feed him carb-free, pure meat canned food imported from Germany. I'm wondering if Claw has developed insulin resistance or is naturally insensitive to insulin. His dosage has increased to an unbelievable 10 Units per day, and his blood sugar barely drops below 18 mol/L.

Recently, I've noticed severe diarrhea. I've been giving him Purina's probiotic, which seemed to help initially, but today his stool was almost liquid. I also found him vomit again today, which wasn't a hairball. I'm at a loss. I suspect pancreatitis. I just tested his urine, and there doesn't seem to be any ketones.

What should I do in this situation? We've visited the vet four or five times since his diagnosis. Each trip is a huge challenge for both of us, mentally and emotionally. I fear I can't afford specialist vets in the Vancouver area. The two clinics I've been to seem to have a theoretical approach to diabetes treatment. I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Has anyone experienced something similar? If Claw needs IV fluids or further tests and treatment for pancreatitis, I'll definitely take him to the hospital. But before that, I'm seeking advice from this community. I constantly blame and hate myself, feeling like a failed cat mom. I regret not being able to afford a more specialized vet. I've tried online consultations, but they all give similar advice about adjusting the insulin dosage.

I've attached Claw's sugar sheet in the link below, hoping for your insights and suggestions. I truly appreciate any help.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RXJhxUKNTFOx0TrlJQtHB1_6NqdCrZWKYS_wVpgWqLo/edit?usp=sharing



Stacey
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Welcome. Waving from Ontaio (formerly of Vancouver Island). Tagging @Wendy&Neko who lives in the Van area and had a high dose cat.
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Hey there! Thanks for the warm welcome from Ontario. I've got a soft spot for Vancouver Island, so it's cool to meet someone who's been there: ) Big thanks for tagging Wendy&Neko. I'll definitely check out her posts to see if there's any advice that could help Claw. Really appreciate the heads up!
 
Hello, waving at you from the North Shore. :)

Is Claw a good weight at 8.5 kg, or a little "fluffy"? Just wondering if he's generally a big cat. What symptoms was he showing that caused you to take him into the vet where he was diagnosed diabetic?

Can you tell me what "expensive and redundant tests" the vet has run so far? There are a number of secondary conditions that can cause insulin resistance. Just wondering if the vet has eliminated any of them yet. I never went to a specialist vet, until Neko's final year. At that point her general practice vet "fired me" and told me to go to an internal medicine vet but that was when she had acromegaly (which caused the diabetes), kidney disease, heart disease, and small cell lymphoma. A little too many things at once. Anyhow, before that I had a vet who was willing to work with me. Between her for the non diabetic things, and this place, we had her covered.

On. the other issues side, let's talk probiotic. The Purina one, if you are talking Fortiflora, is a good flavour enhancer, but not much else. The probiotic you want for diarrhea is called S boullardi. You can get it in the form of Floristor in most pharmacies here. There might be other options too. More on probiotics for cats on this page. That page also talks probiotic doses.
 
Hi Stacy
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.
Here is the link so you can read all about Lantus,especially the 2 different dosing methods
They will tell you when an increase or decrease is needed
Lantus is a good insulin
Lantus like consistency, we adjust the number of units to give by 0.25 units
I thought you meant Claw was on 10 units twice ,but now I see you give 5 units twice a day
For now if you can fill out your signature and link it to your SS that would be helpful
 
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Hi Stacey and Claw, welcome to the board!

What did Claw eat before switching to the pure-meat imported German canned food? And I assume the food is a cat food and that it’s considered well-balanced and appropriate as a primary diet? (is, has taurine and other supplements added)

Does Claw have a history of either constipation or diarrhea? Did the diarrhea start before or after switching to the new food?

What meter are you using? It’s great that you’re hometesting his blood glucose — data is important in sorting out how to best help Claw.
 
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Hi and welcome. Let's see some pics of your kitty! I have a soft spot for Siamese, been around them my whole life. We have 4 -- 15-year-old Blue point female Roxy, sugar boy 11-year-old Blue point male Hendrick (pictured left), his brother and litter-mate Shylo is a Lilac, and Oreo is a 6-year old male dark brown/almost black solid color "Havanna Brown"

Now, as far as your situation is concerned first of all 5 units twice a day isn't really THAT much. It is getting up there in terms of a dose amount but not extreme. I do see some things in your spreadsheet which concern me like making .5U changes, little adjustments up and down and I'm not sure how you are determining what to give and when. Following a proven dosing method like Tight Regulation might help you.

You're doing plenty enough testing for Tight Regulation. TR is the dosing method that, combined with Lantus, has helped many many cats here over the years. Including my boy Hendrick.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Hello, waving at you from the North Shore. :)

Is Claw a good weight at 8.5 kg, or a little "fluffy"? Just wondering if he's generally a big cat. What symptoms was he showing that caused you to take him into the vet where he was diagnosed diabetic?

Can you tell me what "expensive and redundant tests" the vet has run so far? There are a number of secondary conditions that can cause insulin resistance. Just wondering if the vet has eliminated any of them yet. I never went to a specialist vet, until Neko's final year. At that point her general practice vet "fired me" and told me to go to an internal medicine vet but that was when she had acromegaly (which caused the diabetes), kidney disease, heart disease, and small cell lymphoma. A little too many things at once. Anyhow, before that I had a vet who was willing to work with me. Between her for the non diabetic things, and this place, we had her covered.

On. the other issues side, let's talk probiotic. The Purina one, if you are talking Fortiflora, is a good flavour enhancer, but not much else. The probiotic you want for diarrhea is called S boullardi. You can get it in the form of Floristor in most pharmacies here. There might be other options too. More on probiotics for cats on this page. That page also talks probiotic doses.
Click to expand...

Claw is a Siamese mixed with British Shorthair, so he's naturally a big cat! However, the vet has been emphasizing that he's overweight and needs to shed some pounds. For the two to three months leading up to his diagnosis, I've been feeding him Hill's metabolic weight management food as per the vet's recommendation. Claw has undergone a series of tests including blood tests, urine tests, blood sugar, blood pressure, Culture and sensitivity, and Cardiopet proBNP. The vet suggested an echocardiogram for Claw, but at that time, he wasn't in a good state. Additionally, due to a spike in my rent from moving and my own financial constraints, that particular test was postponed. Regarding the probiotics, thank you for pointing that out and sharing the article! I wasn't aware that FortiFlora wasn't suitable. I've already purchased Floristor and will be giving it to Claw in the next few days to see if there's any change in his stool. Thank you so much for your help and advice!
 
Good luck with the Floristor. I found it works quite quickly.

Do you know what the results of the Cardiopet proBNP were?
 
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