Beside myself... New diagnosis.

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Chelsea's Mom

Chelsea's Mom

Member Since 2015
Hello, my name is Kristina and I have an amazing fur baby named Chelsea. I have had her since she was a baby. She will be 15 years old in August. Two days ago I noticed that she was just not herself. Being a Lilac Point Siamese, she wasn't very talkative as she usually is. I took her to the emergency vet this afternoon and it turns out that she has diabetes. They had to keep her overnight as her glucose levels were so high that the machine couldn't read it past 600. I am beside myself... I can barely see through the tears to type this. I feel like such a horrible mom to my best friend and companion as I MUST have done something to cause this. I have always given her the best foods (grain free mostly) but I have spoiled her. My fiancé is a firefighter, so he is gone for the next two days unable to be with me through this. He is the one who sent me the link to the group. I am trying to read as much about this as I can. It was the hardest thing to leave her there. She as never been away from me. I feel like such a horrible, horrible person. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am willing to do anything and everything I can for her so long as it gives her quality of life. I would never want to keep her around out of selfish reasons if it caused her to live a life of pain and agony...
 
Hello Kristina, and welcome to FDMB,

First off, take a really deep breath..... And now another deep breath.... And resolve to be kind to yourself.....
You are not a "horrible person"; you are a wonderful, loving friend and caregiver to your beautiful Chelsea. :bighug:

May I ask: Is Chelsea being kept at the vets just because of her high glucose levels? Or has the vet diagnosed DKA also?

Please know that diabetes is usually a very treatable condition. And, with a dedicated caregiver and a little bit of luck a diabetic cat can live as long and as happily as a non-diabetic. (My cat has been diabetic for 8 years now).
Some cats will be on insulin for life; but quite a few lucky cats will go into remission and be able to have their diabetes diet-controlled, either temporarily or permanently.

What have been feeding Chelsea prior to her diagnosis?
We recommend that diabetic kitties eat low carb wet food. Many ordinary brands are just fine. (US folks here can recommend some for you.)
But lowering the carb content of the diet can reduce the blood glucose quite a bit. So, for kitties already on insulin we recommend that the diet is only changed if/when the caregiver has learned to test their kitty's blood glucose at home and can monitor the effect of the diet change (and lower the insulin dose accordingly).
Has the vet talked to you about what insulin s/he may prescribe? (We recommend the longer lasting insulins such as Lantus, Levemir, PZI or Prozinc).

Are you willing to learn to test Chelsea's blood glucose at home? That may sound a bit scary at first but it is actually a very simple and quick process, and shouldn't hurt Chelsea at all.
In a nutshell, it involves pricking the outer edge of her ear to get a teensy drop of blood; transferring that drop to a test strip in a glucose meter; waiting for the meter to count down and give a result; and rewarding the kitty with a treat or a cuddle. Many cats come to look forward to test times because they associate them with treats! :cat:
'Hometesting' has many advantages: It will give you a sense of control over the situation. It will help you to manage Chelsea's diabetes and keep her safe from hypoglycemia. And it will save you money in vet's bills because you can do any glucose testing yourself rather than having it done at the vet's clinic. Most of us use ordinary glucose meters made for humans.

I know there's a lot to take in at first. You're just coming to terms with Chelsea's diagnosis and now I've thrown a lot of information at you. But just take your time. Go at your own pace. And ask any questions you want to. We're here to help.

Eliz
 
Kristina,
I felt the same as you when my Brandy was diagnosed in March. I kept thinking did I miss the signs, is this my fault, is she is going through this because of me not paying attention. My Kitties ARE my babies. I have 4. I spoil them and love them wholeheartedly. But I decided not to look in the past, but to the future. What I needed to do to take control of this situation and presently give her the best care as possible. I have and am still doing research. This is the first day I've posted on this site, which is very helpful. I have good days and bad days, but as you can see this site is filled with people in the same situation as we are. Many seem very experienced. So hang in there. Say some prayers. And ask your loving angels to watch over you and your baby. Picture her heathly and strong and picutre your self the best Mommy ever.:cat:
 
Welcome to FDMB. And breathe! You can do this.

There are 4 things you'll need to manage your kitty's diabetes:
- You - without your commitment, the following won't work
- Low carb over the counter canned or raw diet, such as Friskies pates. See Cat Info for more info,
- A long-lasting insulin such as ProZinc, Lantus, BCP PZI, or Levemir, which you already have.
- And home blood glucose monitoring with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart Relion Confirm or Target Up and Up (the pet ones will break your budget!)
 
Thank you so much to all of you for your wonderful words of encouragement and understanding. I truly was a mess last night!!!

To answer some questions, the vet said that Chelsea was not in DKA, so that's a good thing. She did say that because her level was so high, determining if she would take kindly to insulin would be best done in the pet hospital... Of course me being so frantic at the time, I agreed, I'm in about $560 so far. I did make a call first thing this morning and the vet said that Chelsea is responding exceptionally well to insulin. Chelsea's number dropped from over 600 down to 125 and at one point dropped even lower to 60 to which they gave her a bit of glucose for. Chelsea has calmed down quite a bit. She ate this morning and is talking to everyone that will listen (being a Siamese, she really doesn't care if anyone listens, she just goes on and talks anyway). The vet also said that Chelsea may only need one shot per day, so that's good, right? They are going to recheck her BUN and Creatinine tomorrow and make sure those levels have evened out.

My house was very quiet last night and I did all the reading and learning I could about this disease. I am willing to do anything and everything I can to help her through the rest of her life. I am a medical field professional (for humans though...) and am pretty comfortable with administering medications, shots etc. I guess with her being 15 years old (that's 72 in people years!) I am really apprehensive about causing her distress, but I know I am going to have to do everything I can to help her feel better. Owning a pet takes responsibility, no matter the situation... She didn't ask to get sick, and there is no way I would ever give her up or give up on her because it may or may not inconvenience me. I will adjust my schedule to hers. I have made an appointment with a new vet for Monday (Chelsea will be released tomorrow afternoon) and I am going to Wal-Mart today to start picking up supplies. I have always given her grain free wet food, but always left out dry food for whenever she felt she needed to eat. That will have to change. I am on my way to the CAT INFO link to compare the foods right now. Again, I can not express the gratitude I feel for the lovely, informative and much needed responses. You have helped me so much in just my short period of time being in this group.

Love and Light,
Kristina
 
Here are 2 low carb dry foods, to help with the transition: Evo Cat and Kitten (about 8% calories from carbohydrate) and Young Again 0 Carb (about 5% calories from carbohydrate as we calculate it)
When you switch to new foods, do about 20-25% different food each day or two. This reduces the chances of vomiting, diarrhea, and food refusal.
 
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Thanks! Evo Cat and Kitten is on my list to check out. I have a full page of front and back filled with foods I will be comparing, some of them I had already been giving her, so the transition shouldn't be too dramatic. I read a lot about getting the dry food out of the house because she will still smell it in the cabinet, so out it went! I was giving her the Royal Canin dry food formula for Siamese in a dish that would be left out for "whenever" feeding and she got wet food in the morning before I left for work and in the evening when I got home. I am going to have to be really diligent on a timely schedule and I must remember that I am not starving her (I have a soft spot for her big blue eyes when she wants something). I have also been known to work about 74 hours in a week... I will be quitting one of my jobs this week. No more long days, she is going to need my care and company more now. Again, THANK YOU so much for everything. I am truly grateful for all of the information you have provided me.
 
Many of us either free feed our diabetic cats, or feed mini-meals so that the carbohydrates go in more gradually to match up with the long acting insulin's effects.
If your cat tends to scarf, you can slow that down by freezing part of a meal to be eaten as it thaws. Adding some water increases the volume to help the cat feel full, plus helps maintain hydration when the glucose control isn't optimal yet. (Excess glucose may be excreted in the urine.]
Another option is a timed feeder such as the Pet Safe 5 which several folks have used here succesfully.
 
I just looked up the PetSafe 5 and all I have to say is GENIUS! I have never heard of anything like this. Owning cats and dogs for most of my life, I can unequivocally say that I feel pretty dumb for not knowing about such a product.
 
There is too much that could be learned to know everything. Knowing how to look for something is possible - think of key words and use Google or Bing, etc to see what you can find in your search content.
Sometimes, folks will have a question and when I don't know, I look for it, focusing on reputable web sites such as the Merck Manuals, veterinary colleges, and so on.
 
Hi Kristina
I know how you feel. My Tiggy was dx 4/14/15. When he was diagnosed I was a basket case, and cried for a week straight. My Tiggy is also a chatterbox like your Chelsea, and he also made sure the vet et al., knew he was very upset about being there and being poked and prodded.
Once he was diagnosed, I finally stumbled on this great forum. Everyone here has been fantastically supportive!
The cat food info that BJM sent you is great. There are a number of wonderful choices. I switched out my Tiggy and his non-diabetic bro, Boo to Tiki Cat canned (0 carbs), and Weruva canned (the 2-5 carb ones). I also use FF pate classics or Gerber baby food meat (2+ carbs) if he gets finicky. I understand Beechnut has no carbs but I haven't been able to find this brand for some reason.
The folks here have great suggestions and lots of coaching support regarding insulin protocols, and blood glucose testing.
I also found using low-carb "treats" to be a great help with Tiggy's blood glucose tests and when he has to have his injections.
I use a special wicker stool that Tiggy sits on for all of his glucose tests and when he needs his insulin injections. Tiggy also just loves, loves, loves his low-carb treats and in fact, makes sure to "tell" me, (he chatters at me as he sits on his wicker stool), to wait for his blood glucose test as he expects his low-carb "treat" afterwards!!
We're all here to support you and Chelsea. Welcome aboard!
 
Kristina...you're not alone in all of the feelings that you've had and are having. We have all been there or are going through them. I'm sure that by now, having heard back from the vet that kitty is doing much better, you're feeling more reassured that things are now looking hopeful rather than glum. It's not doom and gloom, as everyone here has been so wisely telling you.

It's also sounding like Chelsea may be one of the fortunate ones who may not need insulin forever or, will be easily controlled. You spent a lot of money but, it has been worth it to get her regulated safely and on track for you to carry on with at home.

Keep faith in yourself and your own abilities and know that NONE of us knew our cats had diabetes until we had it confirmed by a vet. We just all knew that something wasn't right. No one does anything to cause the diabetes in our kitties. It just is. Like a human's body...it goes out of whack or, perhaps...it's just genetic? Whatever the case may be, we didn't cause it (though some other sites make it sound like we fed our pets into diabetes purposefully ;) )

Just know that you're not alone and you have friends who are here, trying to all deal with this and having success. You're in good hands here and you'll do fine with Chelsea. :)
 
I, too, thought I had done, or neglected to do, something to contribute to Lulu's dx. Finding this site was such a relief, so many caring, knowledgeable people who will go to great lengths to help. Questions answered, suggestions made, I've learned so much and you will too, Chelsea :)
 
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