Cat losing weight and vomiting

[Phillipa]

Hi,
I am new here and its all a bit much to take in at the moment. I am from Australia. My cats name is Suzi.
She is approx 8 yrs old. She started to eat and drink a lot and I took her to the vet with a diagnosis of diabeties.
We started with the a dose of insulin and over a short period of time Suzi lost weight and started vomiting. We brought special diabetic dry food and changed her to fresh pet mince. After several visits back to the vet and changing doses i decided to take her off insulin as the vomiting etc did not stop even on the lowest dose. She has put on weight where she almost looks like she is eating too much now. But she is happier and thought I would just take day by day until I came upon this forum and am starting to worry if I am doing the right thing. She is still eating and drinking all the time. She also had the back legs give way and she just wanted to lay down and did not look good.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

OMG you came to the right place -- more experienced members will be along shortly, we need a bit more information

what type of insulin did the vet select, and what dose?

(that's not the usual behavior of a cat initially put on insulin -- but the eating and drinking all the time do suggest diabetes, and the back legs behavior sounds like diabetic neuropathy)

several members from Australia will be around soon

@Bron and Sheba

@Daddy Jack's Mommy

 

[Phillipa]

It was Lantus and from memory, the dose was 1ml. Yes she had the neuropathy, but that went away when we stopped the insulin. .

 

[Crista & Ming]

I think it would be beneficial to get some blood glucose readings. Are you able to do that?

 

[Phillipa]

Sure. I will have to buy a glucometer and test sticks is that correct. From a pharmacy.

 

[Crista & Ming]

I'd also head on over to the Lantus forum and read the stickies over there. And possibly start a post if you're comfortable.

I'm just not sure what's going on with Suzi without more info such as glucose readings.

Correct me if I'm wrong, is Suzi still vomiting? And right now, she's eating and drinking a lot. How is her urine output? Her back legs work fine now?

 

[Phillipa]

No, Suzi seems fine at the moment apart from eating and drinking frequently. She is not vomiting as we stopped insulin months ago. Its just always on my mind as to whats going on internally with her. She has urine accidents during the night occasionally when she can't get outside. Not bad enough as to needing a litter tray everynight, but considering it again. Her back legs came good once we ceased the insulin.

 

[Idjit's mom]

Can you tell us when Suzi was diagnosed? What test did the vet do at the office, a spot blood sugar test or a fructosamine test? If it was a spot blood sugar test, what was the blood sugar level?
What is the brand of the special diabetic dry food and what is the brand of fresh pet mince? Is Suzi still eating those brands or something else?
How long has it been since Suzi has had insulin?
Does Suzi still have back leg weakness?

If you would buy a human glucometer and strips and test her blood sugar we can then verify if her blood sugar is high, normal or low.

Here is some information on how to test a cat's blood sugar:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Member Janet NJ - How to test your cat's bg at home: Video I made showing how to test your cat's blood sugar

 

[Phillipa]

She was diagnosed approx late 2018. Glucose 25.68mmol/L, 3.95-8.84. Blood test and urine I believe. Fussy cat brand pet mince and Royal Canine diabetic dry food. She is still eating those brands. She has not had insulin for approx 6 months and no longer has weakness of the legs.

 

[Myrtlesmum]

Hi Phillipa. I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I'm so sorry about what is going on with Suzi. If you need a blood glucose meter, the first thing to do is shop around your local pharmacies - sometimes they have deals where they will give you a meter for free as long as you buy a box of test strips - you will have to register with them but that doesn't mean anything as far as I'm aware - that's how I got my meter a couple of years ago. I saw my local Amcal chemist had a deal like that a couple of weeks ago - don't know if it's still on but worth checking out. Otherwise a meter will set you back about $50.00. The cheapest place that I have found to buy the test strips is Chemist Warehouse. It's probably best you stop feeding dry food - that can really spike the sugar, but if you stop, don't give insulin until you see what the new diet is doing. I'm currently feeding my cat Fancy Feast Chicken and Liver Pate and Gourmet Delight (the fishy versions) - you can only get Gourmet Delight from Woolworths. My cat seems to be doing OK on these, I don't love the Fancy Feast as it's a bit high in fat and I'm trying the Tikki Cat from Petbarn (I just bought some today). Fresh pet mince is probably really good too.

If her blood tests show she is diabetic, insulin is probably going to be needed. Sometimes cats can come good (remission) for a while, when my cat was diagnosed she only had to have a diet change, insulin for 2 - 3 months and then she was great for a couple of years. She has recently be diagnosed with diabetes again though. How are Suzi's teeth? Do they need a clean? Sometime an infection or inflammation can raise blood sugar too. Ask as many questions here as you like, everyone is super helpful and I promise we will try to help and not make you feel like a bad cat mother Wishing you and Suzi all the best.

 

[Myrtlesmum]

She was diagnosed approx late 2018. Glucose 25.68mmol/L, 3.95-8.84. Blood test and urine I believe. Fussy cat brand pet mince and Royal Canine diabetic dry food. She is still eating those brands. She has not had insulin for approx 6 months and no longer has weakness of the legs.

I don't understand, if her glucose was 25.68? What is the 3.95-8.84?

 

[Idjit's mom]

Hi Phillipa. I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I'm so sorry about what is going on with Suzi. If you need a blood glucose meter, the first thing to do is shop around your local pharmacies - sometimes they have deals where they will give you a meter for free as long as you buy a box of test strips - you will have to register with them but that doesn't mean anything as far as I'm aware - that's how I got my meter a couple of years ago. I saw my local Amcal chemist had a deal like that a couple of weeks ago - don't know if it's still on but worth checking out. Otherwise a meter will set you back about $50.00. The cheapest place that I have found to buy the test strips is Chemist Warehouse. It's probably best you stop feeding dry food - that can really spike the sugar, but if you stop, don't give insulin until you see what the new diet is doing. I'm currently feeding my cat Fancy Feast Chicken and Liver Pate and Gourmet Delight (the fishy versions) - you can only get Gourmet Delight from Woolworths. My cat seems to be doing OK on these, I don't love the Fancy Feast as it's a bit high in fat and I'm trying the Tikki Cat from Petbarn (I just bought some today). Fresh pet mince is probably really good too.

If her blood tests show she is diabetic, insulin is probably going to be needed. Sometimes cats can come good (remission) for a while, when my cat was diagnosed she only had to have a diet change, insulin for 2 - 3 months and then she was great for a couple of years. She has recently be diagnosed with diabetes again though. How are Suzi's teeth? Do they need a clean? Sometime an infection or inflammation can raise blood sugar too. Ask as many questions here as you like, everyone is super helpful and I promise we will try to help and not make you feel like a bad cat mother Wishing you and Suzi all the best.

So glad to see your post Myrtlesmum, being in Australia and knowing the ins and outs of testing supplies and food sources is so helpful. I know Bron and Sheba would chime in when she can, but it's nice to have this input right now. It's midnight my time, and I need to get to bed. Thanks so much for responding so Phillipa doesn't feel left out in the cold.

 

[Phillipa]

Attached is some info showing the above

 

[Myrtlesmum]

Attached is some info showing the above

Sorry Phillipa - I get it now. So Suzi's blood glucose is 25.68 and the results are showing the the normal range is 3.95-8.84. So Suzi's result is well outside the normal range for a cat. It would be great if you could get a test done so you can see what her glucose level is now. It may have changed quite a bit (hopefully for the better) since she was last tested. That way you will know if she needs insulin and if you have the meter you can test before you give her the insulin each morning and night so you know if she needs it and it will keep her safe so you don't give her too much.

 

[Phillipa]

Ok. Will get one and test it. Why would she have vomited and lost so much weight when we gave insulin before? Thankyou so much for your time and information.

 

[Myrtlesmum]

She could have had ketones? or an infection? or was she on too much/wrong dose of insulin and dropping too low? You will never know, but I think that if you come at this better informed this time, that you have a better chance at getting her regulated. Who knows maybe she doesn't take well to Lantus - it's worth trying it again (if she needs it) but if it's no good for her there are other insulins you can try too.

 

[Phillipa]

Hello again,

I have purchased a accuchek intsnt S glucose meter and have taken a test on Suzi and reading is 20.5. What should I be doing now.

Thankyou

 

[Myrtlesmum]

Hi Phillipa - Suzi would probably do best on insulin at that reading - do you still have the insulin from last time? You will need to check her blood glucose before each shot too. Seeing as you think she had a reaction to the insulin last time, I would probably start on a low dose like half a unit. Also when was the last time Suzi went to the vet and what did they have to say?

 

[Phillipa]

She went to the vet late last year in which they diagnosed the diabeties. We trialed different levels of insulin, visiting the vet on several occasions. I think the lowest we could go on our lancet seems to be 1 unit. Can we get them to go lower?. Even 1 unit seemed to be too high as she vomited and lost weight. Are you a vet yourself? The vet told us to get the diabetic buscuits and to give her pet mince.

 

[JanetNJ]

She went to the vet late last year in which they diagnosed the diabeties. We trialed different levels of insulin, visiting the vet on several occasions. I think the lowest we could go on our lancet seems to be 1 unit. Can we get them to go lower?. Even 1 unit seemed to be too high as she vomited and lost weight. Are you a vet yourself? The vet told us to get the diabetic buscuits and to give her pet mince.

You can get syringes with half unit markings to make smaller dosing easier. So maybe start at half of a unit and test and see what happens. Great job getting that first home test in! Dry food, even diabetic dry, is higher in carbs. Your better off sticking with low carb wet food.

 

[CandyH & Catcat]

sounds like you were using a pen needle, it's also feasible to use a standard syringe which will let you dose in smaller amounts

 

[Myrtlesmum]

She went to the vet late last year in which they diagnosed the diabeties. We trialed different levels of insulin, visiting the vet on several occasions. I think the lowest we could go on our lancet seems to be 1 unit. Can we get them to go lower?. Even 1 unit seemed to be too high as she vomited and lost weight. Are you a vet yourself? The vet told us to get the diabetic buscuits and to give her pet mince.

I’m not a vet and I don’t know if anyone on this forum has any veterinary experience. Basically we are just a bunch of people sharing our experiences and trying to help each other out. Some people are very experienced with feline diabetes and others less so and we just know what has worked for us and for other people here. If you have been reading some of the threads, you may have picked up that some vets don’t know or don’t have that much experience treating cats with diabetes so we rely on each other a fair bit for knowledge and recommendations. At the end of the day, you can only take what you read here, apply your own judgement and discuss with your vet to decide what is best for your cat.

If you haven’t been to the vet since last year, I would suggest it may be time for another visit (maybe even change vets if you’re not entirely happy with the outcome of his recommended treatment last time?). Get them to show you how to draw up the insulin with a syringe and where to draw it up to to get a half unit. If you don’t want to go to a vet, even your local pharmacist should be able to show you how to draw with insulin with a syringe and how to figure out a half unit. I would strongly recommend a vet visit though if it has been more than 7 months just to make sure there is nothing else going on with your cat and that insulin therapy would be appropriate.

 

[Tanya and Ducia]

Hello again,

I have purchased a accuchek intsnt S glucose meter and have taken a test on Suzi and reading is 20.5. What should I be doing now.

Thankyou

it's hard to form an opinion over just one reading. it is high, especially given that the test was taken at home in the stress-free environment. (Most tests at vet's are stress influenced/ artificially elevated).
Was that 20.5 taken after some food or prior to?
Some cats have strong reaction to the foods they eat and it shows as "food spikes" in their BG.
The food effect on BG may last for a couple of hours if wet low carbs was eaten.
Dry and high carbs wet cause elevated BG for much longer than that.

If you could take several tests thru the day and note when it was taken relative to feeding you'll get better picture at what is going on. Some tests at night - like before the bed test - is informative because many but not all cats go lower at night naturally and it's good data to consider too before restarting insulin.

 

[Phillipa]

Sorry, i missed this message from you. I have just tested suzi now 8.30pm and reading was 15.3. She ate 4 hours ago. Can not remember if the 20.5 reading was after food etc. Strangely, since the 0.5 dose 2 days ago, I have noticed she is quieter and haven't noticed her drinking much at all. I probably wont get your reply tonight, so probably wont treat her till tomorrow as i am not sure if I should. I must admit trying to remember to treat her and test her etc whilst working different hours is difficult for me.