Boots

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becky&boots

Member Since 2014
hello

my name is becky & my cat is boots. he was 15 in november, and I've had him since my 7th birthday in march 1999. the last few weeks he's been not eating as much, drinking a lot more & been sick a few times. took him to the vet tuesday and she did some blood tests. he spent the day there on friday for more tests. got the results yesterday that he is diabetic and his readings were very high apparently. we are back at the vets with him tomorrow night to learn how to do his jabs. he's my best friend and i can barley remember my life before i got him and I'm finding it so upsetting at the moment. he's sleeping a lot, seems restless and a little unsteady on his legs at times. can anyone enlighten me on what to expect over the next few weeks and how to make him as happy as possible? thanks
 
Hi Becky and Boots. Welcome! Scary, overwhelming place to be, but you will find lots of friends and lots of help here. Everyone of us was completely overwhelmed when we got the diagnosis, but we started learning and soon we were more confident. Every person who replies to your thread had someone help them at first, and they are paying it forward.

We have a very successful protocol for feline diabetes and most cats become regulated and lots of them go into remission:

1. A slow, long lasting insulin. Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc are popular as they have a slow onset; they are not harsh and they are easiest to use for regulation. Humulin and Canninsulin are less popular because, in most cats, they have a rapid onset and don’t last as long. We like new diabetics to start low and go slow. That is, start at a low dose of .5 or one unit twice daily every 12 hours. And increase slowly, by .25 or .5 units as the numbers indicate. We hope your vet will give you one of the longer lasting insulins and start at a low dose.

2. A low carb, wet diet. We like to feed under 8-10% carbs. There are several food charts you can use: Dr. Lisa’s food chart
Hobo’s Food Chart Rhiannon’s 8% and under list

Whatever food you can afford that your cat will eat in that lower range. BUT do not change over to wet until you are hometesting. With our Oliver, the switch meant an overnight change of 100 points downward. If we hadn’t been testing and had given our usual amount., he could have hypoed.

2. And most importantly, hometesting. We think cats tend to be stressed at the vet
and we know stress raises blood glucose levels. So we test our cats at home. You want to know what the number is before you give the shot to be sure the amount you are planning to give is safe. And testing midcycle will show you how the insulin is working. We use human glucometers and test on their ears or paws. Here is a video that shows you how it is done: Video for hometesting

Start reading - the topics under Nutrition and Health on the Main forum page are especially good. Ask questions. Let us know how we can help.

And here is something that I hope will give you a smile: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=33671
 
Welcome to FDMB.

There are some Secondary Monitoring Tools in my signature link which provide supplemental information you may want to gather.

Ketone tests, for example, are important because they form as a by-product of fat breakdown for calories. Too many ketones may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), can be fatal, and require expensive hospitalization because you cannot treat more than trace ketones at home. It is possible some of the things you were seeing were due to ketones, so its good you got him to your vet.

Weighing weekly will let you monitor if the weight is going up or down. More than 3 or so ounces is unlikely due to defecation. Many diabetic cats have lost weight before being diagnosed, so weight re-gain will indicate progress.
 
thank you both for the replies. will have a read and watch of your suggestions now and let you know how we get on tomorrow night. thanks again.
 
Welcome to FDMB Becky & Boots! :-D

This is the best place to be for help during Boots' sugar-dance. It is overwhelming at first, but it doesn't take very long to get into a routine. Be sure you ask us any questions you have...We are all here to help you in any way we can.

Once you start home-testing, here is the link to a spreadsheet we use so you can see how the insulin is working and it makes it easier for us to help you. You can take a look at other members spreadsheets by clicking on the link in their signature.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

Will be watching for your update after vet visit tomorrow. :smile:
 
Evening... Been to the vets and hes had his first insulin, at the moment hes on 1 unit twice a day. Got to speak to the vet on wednesday to give her an update & take him in on friday. He seemed instantly brighter after the insulin, only lasted about half an hour though, he had a couple of bites of food and is asleep now.. does that sound normal? Thanks
 
It isn't the best insulin but it kicks in after a few hours. So any brightness isn't likely due to the insulin.

Are you home testing? Its a great way to see whats going on and save money at the vets. Plus if you plan a food change, then home testing is critical as the cat can go into remission.

Wendy
 
Think his brightness may have just been relief to be home! is there a specific insulin you would recommend? home testing - can it be done straight away or once weve got the dosage right? The vet mentioned today she wants boots back in in about a month for the day to monitor him
 
becky&boots said:
Think his brightness may have just been relief to be home! is there a specific insulin you would recommend? home testing - can it be done straight away or once weve got the dosage right? The vet mentioned today she wants boots back in in about a month for the day to monitor him
Click to expand...

Hey Becky (and Boots!) :-D You want to start hometesting as soon as possible - in fact, it's the easiest way to get the dose right. Cats tend to get stressed at the vets, which pushes numbers up, and the time you spend at the vets is just one snapshot of what's going on with their sugars anyway.

Whereabouts do you live? Insulins recommended are generally Lantus, Levemir, and ProZinc, but your ability to get hold of them is quite drastically affected by your location.
 
You used the phrase "straight away" and were given Caninsulin, so I'm guessing the UK or maybe Canada.
 
Hello Becky & Boots,we are from Southport so quite close to you,I don't think there are many from UK on this forum.
Bailey started his journey on Caninsulin,I understand in the UK this is the only insulin licensed for cats.we tried to regulate him for over 9 months,without much success,and changed him over to Lantus ,but as you will realise on this journey every cat reacts differently,hopefully Boots will do well on it.
Learn and be guided by the knowledgable members who will contact you,they really understand this illness,and how to achieve the best for Boots.
I don't have the experience to offer you advise on insulin dosing,but if you need any info on food etc I will be pleased to tell you what I have found.good luck. Diane & Bailey
P.S have a new contour XT glucose monitor never been used,would be happy to send it to you.
 
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