3 yr old with FIV just diagnosed with Diabetes

[marlablair]

I have a 3 yr old cat named Moses (he can part the white kitty litter) I got him from the pound. He tests positive for FIV
Ive had him since the first week in January.
I love this cat. He is a sweet mellow lover.
He lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks, so I took him in yesterday.
He has diabetes. My vet ordered PZI and tells me he will start at a low dose and then retest in a few weeks.
Im going forward even though I hate needles. The cost of the drug is $125.00 and 100 needles are 30.00
does that seem high?
Also, When a cat has FIV, does it affect diabetes in anyway or does the diabetes affect the FIV in anyway.
ANy info would be really appreciated.
Marla

 

[Jen&Eddie]

Welcome Maria and Moses!

There are a number of FIV positive kitties and their caretakers on this board who are successfully managing feline diabetes, and if I'm not mistaken, there are some FIV kitties that have gone into remission. Moses is on the young side for diabetes. Has he been checked for infection like a UTI, URI, or dental infection? An infection can raise blood glucose levels. Has he had any kind of steroid treatments? Unfortunately, that can also cause diabetes, although it frequently can be brought into remission.

What are you feeding Moses? We recommend a diet of high protein, very low carb wet food. Dry food has an inappropriate level of carbohydrates for cats, which they can't process properly. There is some thought that a diet of dry food can contribute to the development of diabetes, and it is known to raise the BG (blood glucose) level of diabetic cats. There are tons of resources on this board in terms of picking an appropriate diet. Many members feed the pate varieties of Fancy Feast and Friskies, which are substantially less expensive than the "prescription" wet and dry foods for diabetics. Switching to an appropriate wet, low carb diet can lower BG by 100 points or more, and there are many cats here that are diet-controlled diabetics.

Do you know what Moses' BG reading was at the vet that led to diagnosis?

ProZinc is a great insulin. We use that insulin, too. :smile: Several cats treated with ProZinc have gone into remission. There is a sub-forum in this board that is also devoted specifically to ProZinc since different types of insulins work in different ways.

The majority of us here also hometest BG first and foremost to ensure that it is safe to give a shot, to avoid a potentially deadly hypo, and also to see how a particular dose is affecting the cat's BG. By hometesting, we can get to a dose more quickly and more safely to get the cat regulated, and even possibly into remission.

Please ask questions! The only "bad" question is the one you don't ask! :smile:

You've found the best place to help Moses get better. Welcome again! :smile:

Jen and Eddie

 

[KPassa]

Hi Marla and extra-sweet Moses!

I don't have any experience with FIV but someone else might come along and help with that. As Jen and Eddie said, 3 years is a fairly young age to get a diabetes diagnosis so there is a very good chance that Moses can achieve remission with a good diet, a good insulin, and home-testing.

The cost of the drug is $125.00 and 100 needles are 30.00
does that seem high?

What needles are you using? u40 or u100?

 

[Sandy and Black Kitty]

Hi there Marla & Moses and Welcome

You have come to the right place.

It was January 2008 that we took in a handsome, approx. 5 year old, good natured neighborhood stray that was looking thin and unwell.
That sickly stray was Black Kitty.

I got him to a local vet within a few hours. The in office FIV test was positive. He also had a bad upper respiratory infection and conjunctivitis.
Blood was drawn and sent out to a lab for the usual analysis. The next morning the vet called to tell us Black Kitty was diabetic.
We were blown away. We loved Black Kitty. The vet told us taking care of a kitty with diabetes is a big commitment - he recommended the final solution.

We decided to try and treat him and we found the FDMB .

As if Black Kitty didn't have enough going on he encountered further challenges. He had 2 life threatening battles with DKA. Also, he was diagnosed with IAA - a condition whereby his body decided to produce antibodies against injected insulin; simply put - extreme insulin resistance. It seemed the deck was stacked against him.

We persevered and with the support & guidance found on this website, 21 months later the last cat anyone thought would go into remission did just that.
That was 4 years ago.

Stick around, ask questions. Get ready for a ton of info to come your way.
This is the best place for you and Moses to be.