? Coda, new diabetic, few questions, thank you!

[Coda (GA)]

I have a little sugar baby named Coda. He's 13.5 years old and is currently 12.4 lbs (averaged between 11- 13.5 lbs during adult life).

I started noticing the increased drinking and urination at the end of December 2016. Coda would pee outside of litter box if it was too full and he started hiding more often. Coda seemed more lethargic than what is normal for a senior cat.

On Jan 23rd I home tested his bg at 320 mg/dl and immediately started switching him to fancy feast wet food. For the next few days his bg went down between 140 mg/dl - 180 mg/dl depending on time of day, before/after eating. I took him to the vet on Jan 27th and was told to wait and see how he does on wet food diet alone since his numbers haven’t reached above 400 mg/dl. Since then I’ve been giving him wet food with little bits of the vets DM dry food to make sure he is eating enough (and because he’s been a kibble cat for so long he needs to get used to eating only wet). He weighs about 1lbs less than a year ago and vet is concerned about weightloss and him getting enough food from canned food alone. I’m trying to give Coda all wet food but still have to entice him with a few kibbles to make sure he reaches at least 270 calories a day (as recommended to avoid further weight loss).

Changes in Coda’s behavior have been drastic! Water intake and urination have lessened to what he was drinking/urinating before the sudden increase. He stays near me and is curious about what I’m doing, instead of hiding and sleeping. He doesn’t play by himself but the moment I start playing with his toys he is jumping and pouncing! He also started grooming again and his coat is softer and skin no longer has dandruff!

My questions are:

How much do diabetic senior cats eat? Should I be concerned about weightloss?

Is it safe to wait on starting insulin with the readings he’s having? *no ketones*

What are the bg numbers diabetic cats are supposed to maintain? Is there risk of hypoglycemia with Coda’s readings?

When cats go into remission/ OTJ, what are their bg levels normally at?

Are there any questions I need to prepare for my vet when I go back in a couple weeks?

ALSO! I have a few questions about the cost of treating Coda. I am a student with very little money and was wondering if there was any programs or organizations that could help with funding cost and paying the vet?


Thank you!

-Rebecca and Coda

 

[Lisa and Smoky]

If you change the prefix in front of your thread title to a question mark it may help to get more eyes on your post.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

How much do diabetic senior cats eat? Should I be concerned about weightloss?

An unregulated diabetic can't get enough energy from the food eaten so you can increase the total daily amount and feed in multiple small meals to avoid the "scarf and barf" issue. You don't really have to worry about too many calories. I also feed my guy Friskies pates. A digital baby scale is a great tool to track weight over time.

Is it safe to wait on starting insulin with the readings he’s having? *no ketones*

Hurray for no ketones! It would be a good idea to do BG tests at a regular intervals over several days to see what the averages are before deciding on insulin. A good routine would be AM before food, mid day (if you can) PM before food and evening before bed. This is the suggested schedule for testing when a kitty is on insulin but even without, it gives you an idea of his BG fluctuations over a 16 - 18 hour period.

What are the bg numbers diabetic cats are supposed to maintain? Is there risk of hypoglycemia with Coda’s readings?

A diet controlled diabetic will run in the high double digits to low 100 on average. That would be your approximate goal on insulin therapy when the insulin is at its peak action. If your cat isn't getting any insulin there's no risk of hypoglycemia.

When cats go into remission/ OTJ, what are their bg levels normally at?

See above. A non-diabetic cat might run a bit lower.

Are there any questions I need to prepare for my vet when I go back in a couple weeks?

1. What insulin does he/she prescribe?
2. What starting dose does he/she recommend and how is this dose determined?
3. Is he/she on board with you testing BG at home?
4. In what increments does he/she increase a dose if an increase is needed?
5. Is he/she open to prescribing a different insulin if the first one doesn't agree with Coda?

That's a start. You can add others you might be wondering about. The questions I've included here relate to those things that can sometimes be a problem - ie., too high an initial dose, raising dose by too much at one time, etc.

There are ways to save money: some insulins are cheaper than others, home testing saves on vet bills (no curves done in clinic), Walmart meters have inexpensive test strips, grocery store foods can be fine to feed your diabetic. If you look in the stickies on here you'll find info on financial help. Diabetic Cats In Need is mentioned often.

 

[Coda (GA)]

Thank you thank you! Those answers are so helpful! It's such a confusing time at the moment with the whole "to go on insulin or wait and see" bit and not really knowing what to do with the amount of information on the internet lol. I don't know whats a high unregulated bg reading since Coda is my only reference and first time dealing with a diabetic cat, what's manageable, and how much feeding is too much feeding, etc lol. Got lots to learn and routines to change!

 

[Squalliesmom]

Welcome to FDMB! You have come to the right place for answers.

First off, please try to keep weaning your kitty off the kibble! Not only is the "prescription" DM expensive, it is very high in carbs, and carbs are the enemy of diabetic kitties! Also, dry food, in general, is just not good for cats.

Diabetic cats need a diet of wet or canned food that has less than 10% carbs. Most of the Fancy Feast Classic pates are okay, but stay away from anything with "gravy" in the title. There are lots of other, readily available "OTC' cat foods that are suitable. Click HERE for one of the lists we use.

THIS is and excellent article, written by a veterinarian, that explains the importance of good feline nutrition, and includes helpful information about several feline health conditions, including diabetes. It is well worth the read!

And, as Kris and Teasel have said, right now you really can't overfeed him, because he can't properly extract the nutrition from his food so he will constantly be hungry. This will stop after his diabetes is regulated. It doesn't sound to me like the amount of weight loss is cause for for alarm, yet, if he is 12.4lbs and his weight averages between 11-13.5lbs, but you don't really want him to lose any more at this point (unless he is truly fat, lol, and it certainly doesn't sound like he is).

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Thank you thank you! Those answers are so helpful! It's such a confusing time at the moment with the whole "to go on insulin or wait and see" bit and not really knowing what to do with the amount of information on the internet lol. I don't know whats a high unregulated bg reading since Coda is my only reference and first time dealing with a diabetic cat, what's manageable, and how much feeding is too much feeding, etc lol. Got lots to learn and routines to change!

We've all been where you are - completely overwhelmed, deer-in-the-headlights stunned (speaking for myself!). Ask anything you want. We can help sort things out for you. Most kitties do end up on insulin to start but some of the lucky ones go into remission quite quickly and some after a longer time. Some never do. Regardless of where you end up on that score this is a great place for advice and support.

 

[Squalliesmom]

Thank you thank you! Those answers are so helpful! It's such a confusing time at the moment with the whole "to go on insulin or wait and see" bit and not really knowing what to do with the amount of information on the internet lol. I don't know whats a high unregulated bg reading since Coda is my only reference and first time dealing with a diabetic cat, what's manageable, and how much feeding is too much feeding, etc lol. Got lots to learn and routines to change!

Look through this site and you will find a wealth of information. Check out some of the many "Stickys", you will learn a lot!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

ALSO! I have a few questions about the cost of treating Coda. I am a student with very little money and was wondering if there was any programs or organizations that could help with funding cost and paying the vet?

We are really good here about figuring out how to stretch a nickel into a dollar, but you can also check into Diabetic Cats In Need's Compassionate Assistance Program....if you qualify, they can help you with insulin, syringes and testing supplies

 

[Coda (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB! You have come to the right place for answers.

First off, please try to keep weaning your kitty off the kibble! Not only is the "prescription" DM expensive, it is very high in carbs, and carbs are the enemy of diabetic kitties! Also, dry food, in general, is just not good for cats.

Diabetic cats need a diet of wet or canned food that has less than 10% carbs. Most of the Fancy Feast Classic pates are okay, but stay away from anything with "gravy" in the title. There are lots of other, readily available "OTC' cat foods that are suitable. Click HERE for one of the lists we use.

THIS is and excellent article, written by a veterinarian, that explains the importance of good feline nutrition, and includes helpful information about several feline health conditions, including diabetes. It is well worth the read!

And, as Kris and Teasel have said, right now you really can't overfeed him, because he can't properly extract the nutrition from his food so he will constantly be hungry. This will stop after his diabetes is regulated. It doesn't sound to me like the amount of weight loss is cause for for alarm, yet, if he is 12.4lbs and his weight averages between 11-13.5lbs, but you don't really want him to lose any more at this point (unless he is truly fat, lol, and it certainly doesn't sound like he is).

Thank you! I never knew before that kibble was so bad for kitties until Coda started have the blood sugar problems.. oops.. Weaning him off the best I can, he eats the wet food just fine most days but sometimes not enough and due to the need of extra calories and nutrients, I'll add up to about 1/8 c. a day on top of wet food if he refused the wet alone (finicky cat lol). I feed him both the Fancy Feast and Friskies classic pates, mostly the chicken and some seafood. I do have plans in the future to incorporate some raw with the wet food, right now he only eats a little chicken liver.

 

[Squalliesmom]

I know how difficult it can be to transition "kibble junkies" onto wet food! All four of mine were dedicated dry-food addicts! It took me a little while but they all eat nothing but canned now - we did do raw for a while but it's very pricey when you're feeding four little piggies, lol.

Coda has such a sweet face, love the pic!!!

 

[JanetNJ]

My cat is a kibble lover too. If your kibble junkie really wants kibble there are two choices.

Evo cat and kitten in the purple bag is somewhere around 8% carbs.

My personal favorite is Young Again Zero carb food which you buy online at Youngagainpetfood.com. They will send you a free sample of the Young Again Zero carb food if you call or email them and ask.

My cat loves both foods. In addition we give her ff classic morning and evening and leave these low carb foods out to free feed on.

 

[Coda (GA)]

My cat is a kibble lover too. If your kibble junkie really wants kibble there are two choices.

Evo cat and kitten in the purple bag is somewhere around 8% carbs.

My personal favorite is Young Again Zero carb food which you buy online at Youngagainpetfood.com. They will send you a free sample of the Young Again Zero carb food if you call or email them and ask.

My cat loves both foods. In addition we give her ff classic morning and evening and leave these low carb foods out to free feed on.

Thank you for the dry food options! Coda at the moment is not eating enough of the canned food to sustain his healthy weight, since he's new to eating wet food and he's unregulated for now. I'll check out the both these options to help him keep his weight and while transitioning! (And if in the end he decides he needs some kibble in his life, I'm glad to know these options!)

 

[ELLIOTT & Fran Munschauer]

I guess it's okay to mention, but I have rarely seen it suggested....The "Supply Closet" often has "free" supplies offered by FDMB members...BTW..You need go nowhere else for advice..FDMB members are "experts"..They carried Elliott and me through hell and now he is in remission!!!!!

 

[Coda (GA)]

I guess it's okay to mention, but I have rarely seen it suggested....The "Supply Closet" often has "free" supplies offered by FDMB members...BTW..You need go nowhere else for advice..FDMB members are "experts"..They carried Elliott and me through hell and now he is in remission!!!!!

Thank you! I just checked out the supply closet and that's such a great resource! I started coda on vetsulin yesterday (with the plan b as Lantus if he doesn't respond well to it). Congrats on remission! This community really is amazing and helpful