Brand New - Looking for Guidance - Cat with diabetes & Anxiety

[Dorian's Mom]

Good Morning,

My cat Dorian (male 10 years old) was diagnosed with diabetes a couple of months ago. His blood sugar was in the 500s when I had him tested. His very sudden weight loss and neuropathy in his legs had both the vet and I pretty confident that we knew what we were dealing with...but that number REALLY surprised me.

The problem has been my little patient. My boy has (and has always had severe anxiety issues). He does NOT take well to change AT ALL.

It has been very hard to implement some of the recommendations.

After weeks of him constantly hiding under my bed (all day long) in between insulin injections. I got permission from my vet to only give him an injection at night. I understand that he should be getting injections twice a day. But he was so scared/mad/upset whatever that he was hiding all day after his morning injection and not coming out until I pulled him out and forced him to eat just enough treats (I'll get into the diet issue in a second) to give him his evening injection. Since going to one injection he has gone back to living a more normal life -- although he is still very hesitant to interact with most people for fear of being handled.

The funny thing is...I know it isn't the actual injection he minds...he just doesn't like being made to do something, picked up, messed with, or handled because of his anxiety. He is VERY suspicious of anything new/changes in his routine.

Now regarding diet: I cannot get this cat to eat wet food. I have tried SOOOOOO many types, so many brands. For awhile (when he was really mad about the changes) I couldn't get him to eat anything...even treats...I had to practically force that. He has always been my very picky kitty. But now he is completely against wet food for some reason. I have switched his food to the very high quality dry foods...but I know (and have read on these forums) that dry food could be what is holding him back from progress.

Right now he is up to 9 units of insulin (but only once a day)...he is a big cat, but I know this is high.

However, when I test his urine using the Keto-diastix it still indicates he needs more insulin.
I guess because he is only getting it once a day?
I know a lot of people on here advocate for blood testing at home, but I barely have him accepting the changes we've already tried to implement.

Does anyone else out there have advice for dealing with a cat who is both diabetic and anxious?

Angie (aka Mister Dorian's Mommy)

 

[Ruby&Baco]

Hi Angie and Dorian, and welcome!
I have 2 cats, one, Baco (who's is since yesterday of insuline!) and one, Minnie, who's healthy but has anxiety also. That is a lot to take I think for you.
I have trouble with Minnie (and he's not even diabetic) I can't imagine how it has to be for you and Dorian.
Have you tried (I think you did) to give him his injection when he's eating? Sometimes that works for some cats because the don't really notice it.
You are right about the 2 shots a day, it's better for every cat to get 2 shots so the numbers can stay low during both cycles. And the dry food can cause the high numbers indeed.
It is better to give him wet food, but if he doesn't like /want it.... that's hard.
Hope someone comes by today to help you with some tips on that.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

What insulin are you using?
I would try going to twice a day dosing splitting the 9 units.

What dry are you feeding? The lowest-card ones are Young Again Zero carb (not really zero carb), Evo Turkey and Chicken cat and kitten food, and Wysong Epigen 90

 

[Jan Radar (GA)]

Welcome Dorian and his Mommy too, we are glad that you found us and I'm sure someone will come along who has more experience than me with an anxious kitty. It sounds like you may need to move very very slowly forward with any changes and keep them very small to help Dorian feel comfortable. It will help us to help you more if we know what type of insulin you are currently giving Dorian.

 

[Olive & Paula]

I see YA and EVO dry was mentioned above. Have you tried giving a treat after injection and maybe before injection?

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

What insulin are you using?
I would try going to twice a day dosing splitting the 9 units.

What dry are you feeding? The lowest-card ones are Young Again Zero carb (not really zero carb), Evo Turkey and Chicken cat and kitten food, and Wysong Epigen 90

9 units is a very high dosage. Was this your starting dose? If not, what was your starting dose and how often was it increase. Most cats only need 1-2 units twice a day.

I am concerned that if you switch to a low carb food including dry, that you risk Dorian becoming hypoglycemic. Especially since you have not started hometesting. I think that your insulin dose may need to be lowered considerably. There is a condition called Somogyi effect, also known as rebound, that causes the glucose readings to continue reading higher as the dose is increased. What happens is that in order to protect itself when too much insulin is given, the body produces extra glucose to avoid hypoglycemia. So the higher the dose, the higher the glucose readings. This means that you have missed your optimal dose to help reduce the glucose levels. For this we recommend starting over at 1 unit twice a day and increasing it by 1/2 unit until the optimal dose is found. The increases occur over several weeks with waiting a week between increases to give the cat's body time to adjust to the new dose.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Feliway may help with the anxiety. Will he eat freeze dried chicken or tuna flakes? These are good low carb treats. If he likes these you can use these as a reward for him letting you pet and handle him. I understand how Dorian is behaving, my cat Indie is like that. I have had him since birth and it took several years before he would let me pick him up. And that is only when he wants it.

 

[greenbean]

have you tried mixing the wet food in with the dry?
maybe you can give him mostly dry food but incorporate a little wet food mixed with dry hidden in the middle so he can slowly accumulate to it.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

I think your best bet is to just keep working with him, and doing the shots and the tests on a regular schedule so that he accepts it as part of his routine. That's the only way you're going to work through his anxiety. Your attitude also makes a huge difference--if you approach him with "Oh, poor baby, I hate to hurt you with these shots and tests!" you're going to make him more anxious then if you approach him with the attitude, "You're getting these shots and tests, cat, whether you like it or not because you need them to live!" It doesn't seem like it would, but it makes a HUGE difference and the cat can sense it.

Try reinforcing every shot/test with food or a diabetic safe treat, or anything else that he really loves--some cats aren't food motivated and prefer other rewards. Eventually, he will come around and will accept it once it is routine. (Cats LOVE routines!)