Are relapses back onto insulin rare? What causes them?

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Phil & Garfunkel

Phil & Garfunkel

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Hi everyone,

So Garfunkel has hit the one week mark of being OTJ today. That made me curious... since his diet is going to stay the same from now on (Evo chicken and turkey), is an insulin relapse a rare event? What causes them?

I've noticed some people mention dental work, which worries me, since he's 14 and only has two teeth left, which the vet remarked probably need to come out sometime this year. But then I've also noticed people having to give their cats bupe after dentals, and he's had three of them so far and I've never had to give him any pain medication so he seems to handle them well.
 
My boy had a dental on Friday, he's been OTJ, off insulin since May 29th. He had two teeth extracted and is taking Buprenex for pain and antibiotics to prevent infection. More vets are offering pain management after dental extractions because it's important to keep our kitties comfortable after surgery. If I had a tooth pulled, I'd imagine I would be taking a lot of aspirin or something to manage my own pain, same with our kitties.

Spuds does not need insulin due to his dental, I just checked him and his blood sugar is at 58 right now. Spuds went off insulin even when his teeth were bad and he needed this dental, I just adopted him so I know this is the case for him. Some cats who are off insulin for a while, when they get sick, stressed or go back to a bad diet they might end up needed insulin again. Sore gums, bad teeth, an infection anything like that could cause pain or stress and that can increase blood sugar.

When my Tucker(GA) went back on insulin after being off for a year, it was due to a pancreatitis flare. Ultrasounds, a biopsy and bloodwork when I first adopted him showed he had pancreatitis and IBD. His remission was great, but I'm not suprised that it didn't last because he had so many other illnesses. He passed away from a brain tumor, nothing that had to due with his FD.

My other OTJ kitties, Bean and Ebony, I don't expect them to need insulin again [knock wood-antijinx]. Ebony's FD was stress and diet induced. She was at the Humane Society from late November to early April before they noticed her FD symptoms, late April when I adopted her she was on insulin for about a month before good diet and reduced anxiety brought her OTJ. Bean when adopted needed insulin for only a few weeks, poor diet and steroid shots made her FD, but being up here, given time for the steroid to wear off and the diet to kick in she went OTJ. I'm not sure why she had steroids, she has not needed any in all the time she's been here, over a year already.

Did this help? Sorry for being so wordy :oops:
 
Nope, it's not rare ... which doesn't mean it's going to happen, just that it can. Sometimes it's due to weight again, change in food, etc. It can be caused by infection (dental or UTI), which can be transitory when the infection is cured. It can be from pancreatitis, and can even be the result of stress. My Conan was OTJ except when I had to go away -- he always ended up back on insulin for a couple of weeks after I got back, just from separation stress.

And, sometimes, it "just happens". Your cat is, and always will be, a diabetic. And occasionally, the pancreas just slows down or stops producing with age, and exogenous insulin is needed again.

So, control what you can (good teeth, weight, diet, etc.), treat infections promptly, and hope for the best. Stay vigilant, do spot BG checks, be prepared, and enjoy the OTJ time.

Long may the h*n*ym**n last!!
 
Bandit just had a dental with extractions on Tuesday, and he had complications due to the extractions (an inflamed nerve.) So his blood sugar has been through the roof all week, and I'm starting him on insulin tonight. i'm hoping once the pain and secondary problems start to get better, he'll go otj again.

I got the dental to prevent relapse, but it seems some bad luck set us back anyway.
 
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