Cosmo, just diagnosed

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

chuck.ivins

New Member
Hello,

Cosmo, my sweet 13 year old male tuxedo domestic short hair cat was diagnosed yesterday with diabetes. I adopted Cosmo when he was about 5 months old and has been my constant companion.

I'd taken him in for his annual exam, and vaccinations two days ago: 16 Sep 2010. I'd noticed a loss of weight/frequent and copious urination/lethargy over the last month in particular, and expressed my concern to the vet. Began to wonder if these things had been gradually going on for some time and I just hadn't put 2 and 2 together. It won't help, now, to beat myself over the head for not getting Cosmo to the vet sooner; but sure wish I'd been more observant. The vet did say he thinks Cosmo has had diabetes for some time, partly based on the loss of muscle mass in his hips.

The doctor did an initial exam, said Cosmo didn't look well. He recommended blood and urine tests, which were done. He would call me the next day, with results. I brought Cosmo home and kept fighting back tears; didn't sleep much that night, fearing all kinds of things. Yesterday, the vet called to give me the test results and diagnosis. I was actually relieved to hear that it was diabetes.... At least it was something that was treatable. I had been terrified thinking that Cosmo had a terminal illness like cancer or something; and that he may only have days to live.

After giving me the news, I of course had lots of questions, that the vet very patiently and kindly answered. We decided to begin treatment on Monday. He will be in the doctor's care for 3 days as they start giving him fluids, etc, and get him started on insulin; and start his new diet. He'll train me on giving injections, testing, etc. My brain is still kind of in a fog, trying to remember what will be happening those 3 days at the vet's office, and after. I have begun searching the web for more information, and thankfully came across this forum. Thank you for being here! I'm worried but not terrified. Hopeful and optimistic but cautious. :?
 
You are absolutely right. Diabetes is very treatable and often cats go into remission. While you are waiting for Monday, you could start Cosmo on a wet lo carb diet. Some cats really improve on the wet, lo carb food and insulin needs drop. See this website for reasons why it is best: http://www.catinfo.org. Most of us feed over the counter food as we feel it is as good or better than prescription and is certainly a lot less expensive. On this food chart, it is best to pick foods that are between 8-10% carbs. Many of us feed Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness or Merrick (depends on your budget and what Cosmo likes.) http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm

Then homework. Before Monday, do lots of reading. Start with the FAQ's: http://www.felinediabetes.com/fdmb-faq.htm You will find we have had great success with diet, insulin (we like Lantus, Levemir and PZI starting with a low dose of .5 to 1 unit twice a day and increasing slowly.) The most important part of our protocol is hometesting. We figure if it was our child, we would test before every shot to be sure it is safe. We do the same for our kitties.

You and Cosmo will do great. You have the right attitude and are in the right place. We'll help!
 
Chuck, you and Cosmo have come to the right place - we're here to help you help Cosmo.

First, you are right not to feel guilty about Cosmo's symptoms - cats are very good at concealing when they don't feel good. Like Sue said, you can change Cosmo's diet to low-carb and use this list http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm to learn about the different brands available.

When it comes to insulin, most of us prefer to use a longer-acting insulin like Lantus or Levemir.

We have what are called "Newbie Kits," for those who are recently diagnosed. See here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=19541

After you have read some of the information on this board, you are going to have a TON of questions, and we'll do our best to give you all the information you need.
 
Hi Chuck and Cosmo
Welcom to FDMB. I felt the sae way when my Max was diagnosed last year and was so afraid
that he would have soething worse.
I was very relieved that it was diabetes.
This place is/was a godsend to Max and I and after 5 months, his diabetes went
into remission.
His last insulin shot was on April 6 and we used Lantus.

very important is a high protein, low carb diet. Vet foods are not required.
We switched and only fed fancy feast, classic.

Do a lot of reading here before you go to the vet. As well, please ask about Ketones.

You are in a great place so take a deep breath!!!
 
Hi Chuck and welcome to FDMB. I realize things are a little overwhelming right now and you have come to the right place. You have already received some great advice.

One thing I was glad to see is that it looks like your vet supports hometesting. You will find that is essential in managing your Cosmo's diabetes. You can use any human glucose meter to test and store brands are just as reliable as name brand meters. Many of us use Walmart's Relion brand meters. Neither the meter or strips are expensive and last year were rated Consumer Report's best buy.

If your vet prescribes either Lantus or Levemir, ask for the prescription for either the pens or cartridges. Unfortunately these insulins do not have as long as a shelf life as PZI, but definitely longer than the "recommended" expiration of 28 days. If you get the pens or cartridges they are packaged in a smaller amount than the vial and usually you are able to use almost every drop. If you get the vial there is a lot of waste because you end up throwing part of the vial away after the insulin has become ineffective. I use Lantus and I get almost 3 months of insulin per pen and use every drop.

Also with insulin doses, we recommend starting low and slow. That means starting at 1 unit twice a day and not raising that dose until your cat has been on it for at least 1 or 2 weeks. It takes time for the body to adjust to each dose change. And if you have to increase it, only increase by 1/2 units.

I know you will have lots more questions and feel free to ask them here, no matter what. We have all been where you are now and we are here to help you.
 
Hi and welcome.

I don't want to go against your vet's advice, but... starting out three days at the vet isn't really necessary. A couple things could happen. Cosmo will be stressed there and maybe not want to eat which will mess up BG readings or Cosmo will be stressed and his BGs will be higher just by the stress.

Then when you get home you may be told to give a dose that's higher than when Cosmo will need because that dose will be based on stress numbers, not his at home comfortable happy feeling numbers.

Did your vet say he was going to teach you test on your own, because some vets simply mean come in every couple of weeks to start with and they will test the BG for you. If the vet's new diet for Cosmo consists of dry and canned prescription food, I wouldn't go with that either. Cats do better on a good quality canned food that's low in carbs, high protein. Store bought or specialty store canned food, anything from Friskies up the line to Wellness type foods. I'm going to make an assumption that you're not located in the States because of how you wrote the date. I know shouldn't assume, but if you tell us approximately where you are we can help you pick out some good foods in your budget.

Lastly, and sorry to add to your confusion, a cat with hind end weight loss can also have hyperthyroidism, treatable as well. It presents with increased drinking, urine and weight loss among other things. A 13 yr old cat could be considered HyperT even if the values came back within the normal range, towards the high end of normal. I'd ask the vet what the values were.

Sorry if I overwhelmed you with information. Looking forward to hearing more about you and Cosmo.
 
Cosmo update

Thank you all for the helpful replies! This board is such a godsend.
I just want to give a quick update. Cosmo was diagnosed last week with diabetes; has been in the clinic since Monday (it is now Wednesday afternoon). Just got off the phone with the vet. So far, Cosmo is doing okay. He finally has a great appetite but he won't eat the diabetic food yet. But he will eat his regular dry food. They will continue trying. I'll be working on that once he gets home, with help from you all. His attitude is great; friendly but not really thrilled when he's on the table. Main issue has been high and low swings in blood glucose levels; not too a dangerous level, I was assured. That is why they want to keep him for another day, to get more data, and to get him off on the right track before he comes home. (I forgot to ask how much insulin they started with...I'll have to get used to asking the right questions...) So he will be in again till at least tomorrow. I was quoted a 2 day stay so they won't charge for the additional 2 days. Nice, I think! I was worried beyond reason till after that phone call. I think Cosmo will be okay. :smile:
 
Please do find out what insulin and what dose.

The high low swings make me question the dx. I'm not an expert, but I've had a few FDs. I've found with mine, getting the numbers to go down in the beginning was not easy. Eating dry food made it even harder.

If you could get some exact numbers from your vet, that would be great, but they may be hesistant to give them to you over the phone. Ask for a copy of the notes, tell them you need them in case your kitty ends up in the ER at any point in time. It's always good to have a copy of all your vet records, including bloodwork in case you ever have to make an ER trip. This goes for non diabetic furries as well.

I really have to mention again, please check for hyperthyroidism.

If your kitty is FD, you do not need prescription food. Canned food that you buy from the grocery or pet food stores are better and cost you less money.
 
Sounds like you have a pretty nice vet! Just be aware that dosages determined at the vet can be too high once your kitty gets home. Even mellow cats are not keen on the smells, noises and lots of people who are "not the mommy". Stress raises blood glucose levels, so he may require less insulin once he gets home. That is one of the reasons we urge people to hometest. And if Cosmo has been throwing high and low numbers during a cycle, you will really have to be on top of his numbers.

We have lots of ideas about transitioning cats over to wet lo carb food. But we want you to be testing first, as the change can mean big drops in insulin needs.
 
Just to restate what Jennifer and Sue said...

Cosmo's insulin needs will likely be different when he gets home. Cats stress when they are at the vet's office and the stress raises their BG level. B.K.'s BG level can jump +300 at the vet's office, and even mellow Chester jumps +100. So, it will be important you hometest once Cosmo gets home so as not to give him too much insulin and bring about the potential of a hypo incident.

Also, Cosmo will probably eat better once he gets home. Let's face it, there is nothing about the vet's office that looks right or smells right as far as a cat is concerned - but once he is back in the comfort of his own home where he knows and trusts everyone, he'll probably eat like a champ!
 
Cosmo at home

Cosmo is finally home! Seems especially quiet but okay. Now for particulars:

I was pleased that, per vet's instructions, I'll be starting with 1 unit of insulin once daily. We brought home some Purina DM canned food, and a bag of DM dry food, too. Cosmo has never liked anything but dry food or "real" tuna as an occasional treat. I hope he'll adjust to the canned food. I know everyone says "don't buy the prescription food." But I can always switch, right? Once he gets used to canned food.

I asked for and received a copy of Cosmo's lab report. Still trying to figure out how to interpret it. At least I'll have it in case we have to go to emergency clinic over the weekend.

Since I will be away, visiting family for a week starting October 1, I've decided to board Cosmo at the same vet clinic while I'm away. They all know him and he'll be in good hands. This will also enable them to monitor him closely, here at the beginning of our journey. Doctor suggested only urine test strips at home, for now; not blood glucose testing. I know that is preferred; and will no doubt begin that after return from our trip.

How often do you suggest the urine testing? Need more info on this please. I will of course closely observe Cosmo's behavior over the next week and call the vet with any questions. It is a cat only practice and do feel comfortable with them.
 
What great news, Chuck...Cosmo is home!

You can, of course, transition Cosmo to other low-carb canned wet food. Often our kitties have a hard time giving up the "kitty crack" and have to be slowly transitioned. What insulin did your vet sent you home with? I'm going to guess Vetsulin, but let us know. Since Vetsulin tends to be a more harsh insulin, I would suggest you use the urine strips often - very often, in fact. Vetsulin tends not to last a full twelve hours, so I suspect you will see Cosmo's BG levels rise well short of that time period. Also, because of the nature of Vetsulin, kittys tend to "roller coaster" on it, so you should be prepared for that fact. Hopefully, once your vet determines that Vetsulin isn't the best insulin for Cosmo, you can obtain Lantus, Levemir, or PZI.

I'm glad you've found a vet you are comfortable with and are comfortable with Cosmo boarding there. That is always such a relief for people when the find a good place for their kitties to stay.
 
Cosmo on Lantus

Cosmo is will be on Lantus, 1 unit per day. I won't be doing blood glucose testing right away but will be using urine strips; I need guidance on using those, help! Thanks.
 
chuck.ivins said:
Cosmo is will be on Lantus, 1 unit per day. I won't be doing blood glucose testing right away but will be using urine strips; I need guidance on using those, help! Thanks.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that the Diastix I have are for testing for Glucose in urine.
 
When using glucose urine strips to help determine insulin dose with any blood glucose values you always want to have glucose showing/detected in the urine. That way it is very likely that the BG has not gone too low. If the urine strip shows no glucose his BG may be too low and there is a risk of a hypo. You strve for the minimum glucose reading on the dipstick.
 
But Larry, glucose in the urine doesn't in any way guarantee that blood glucose levels didn't go too low! The cat could be yo-yo'ing and still be dumping glucose.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top