7 weeks kitten diagnosed

[Ain]

Hi, I'm new here. My 7 weeks old kitten, Adik, was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday and had to be admitted. I first met Adik at the back of my house where he was abandoned by his mom and was starving. He was only 2 weeks old.

This is my first time raising a cat, what's more a diabetic kitten. My vet said that it is a very rare disease and she has only met 3 kittens (including mine) with this disease in her 10 years of experience being a Veterinarian. Only 1 survived out of the 2 kittens. Yesterday, Adik started vomiting a lot so they had to give him IV drips. He has always been sick on and off, and to think that that small little body had been through a lot, really saddens me. Fortunately, his condition has improved and maybe, he can be discharged tomorrow.

 

[Mogmom and Goofus]

Welcome! I'm so glad you found that poor little darling! It is rare that such a young kitten
has diabetes, but unfortunately, diabetes is becoming quite common in cats.

I'm guessing that due to your vets statement that she isn't really experienced in treating
the disease. I'd like to suggest that you do A LOT of reading on this forum, these people
have been treating it for years and years. Several of them have raised multiple "sugar
babies".

I won't lie and say it's going to be a walk in the park, but it WILL get easier and it's very possible, that due to Adik's young age, with the proper diet the condition
could be reversed. Or at the very least, obtain remission.

 

[Mogmom and Goofus]

Also, if you'd give us your location, it'll make it much easier to give advice. Someone
here might know of a vet in your location that's well versed in the care and treatment
of Feline Diabetes. Having a vet that encourages home testing, feeding of low carb
foods and one that's open to suggestion is really important.

 

[Critter Mom]

There's a member here whose kitty, Michelangelo, has been diabetic since he was very young and he grew up to be a beautiful, happy kitty. I'm tagging @KPassa on the chance she might visit the forum some time in the near future, in which case she might be able to give you some pointers for Adik.


Mogs
.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

What blood work was done and other diagnostic tests were done?
Maybe Adik has other problems too.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

What blood work was done and other diagnostic tests were done?
Maybe Adik has other problems too.

I agree. It is very rare for a kitten to have diabetes. If Adik has an infection or is very stressed at the vet's office, that could raise the glucose level to the diabetic range. Do you know if a fructosomine test was done?

Feline diabetes is very manageable. With the proper diet, hometesting and a long acting insulin, Adik could live a long happy life. Diet is a low carb/high protein canned or raw food diet. Dry food is high in carbs and should be avoided. Many of us feed our cats Fancy Feast or Friskies canned food - pate flavors.

Hometesting means testing Adik's glucose levels before every insulin shot. Most of us use human meters. If you live in the US, the Walmart Relion meters are good, inexpensive meters to use. If you're vet's office will not show you how to test, don't worry, we can teach. Unfortunately some vets try to discourage hometesting. However, to us our cats are our children and we would not give our child insulin without knowing it is safe to do so.

Long acting insulins that work well in cats are Lantus, Levemir, PZI and ProZinc. Avoid giving Cansulin, Vetsulin and Humulin. These are shorter acting insulins that do not work well in cats. With any insulin, you want to start low and slow. This means starting at a low dose, such as 1 unit or less, especially since Adik is very small. And if an increase is needed, only increasing it by very small increments, 1/4 to 1/2 unit over a period of weeks.

It is scary when you find out your cat has diabetes. However, it can be managed and some cats are able to go into remission and are diet controlled. If you have any questions, please ask at any time. You have a lot of experience on this board and we are here to help you. If you can tell us where you live, location only, we may have a member in your area that can help you learn how to care for Adik.