Currently hospitalized, new diabetic kitty

[Ezra the tabby]

Hello! I found this message board from the facebook group and am posting about my sweet boy, Ezra who is currently overnighted. I found out yesterday (6/21/24) he is diabetic, BG was at 378 yesterday morning. WBC and monocytes very elevated from infection... he hadn't been eating or drinking and very lethargic. I have not received an update as of yet from the ER vet. I can only afford to keep him there 24 hours as the cost has added up. I'm looking to get prepared for when he comes home of any supplies, food, etc to have on hand and also questions to ask vet.

I plan to get subQ fluids, he has a freestyle monitor that I had to get at the ER vet (I'm assuming this will be coming home with me?). I know I will need to test ketones with a blood ketone monitor also and plan to get syringes for oral feeding as well getting syringes for his insulin. What should I anticipate with home care if he is still not stable?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Did the vet mention DKA or diabetic ketoacidosis? Here is more about it: Ketones, Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), and Blood Ketone Meters In that post is a link to more information about testing for ketones, either with urine dip sticks or blood meters. Have they identified where the infection is and how they'd be treating it? I presume antibiotics, if so, try to find out which one.

Has the vet said what type of insulin he'll be on? That impacts what type of syringes we'd suggest. Lantus and Prozinc are two good long lasting insulins for cats.

The other thing you'll want from the vet is nausea control drugs and possibly appetite stimulant. I find ondansetron the best at nausea control, though some vet prefer Cerenia - which is great if there is vomiting. Ondansetron is a people drug, you get the vet to write a prescription and you get it at your local pharmacy. The more common appetite stimulant these days is Mirataz, a cream you put in their ear. Make sure you give anti nausea medications at least 1/2 hour before any appetite stimulant.

What food is Ezra eating now? We believe in low carb food for diabetics, preferably wet or raw food so they get more moisture. He will need to eat about 1.5 time his regular calories if this DKA you are dealing with.

The Freestyle monitor will be attached to the cat and should be coming home with you. You will also want to learn how to test with a blood glucose meter, in case the monitor stops working or kitty takes it off. The Libre only last 2 weeks. You could replace it, but learning how to blood test is a good backup. You'll have to do that for a blood ketone meter anyway.

 

[Ezra the tabby]

Yes, the routine vet mentioned ketones in urine, with DKA and potential for pancreatitis. Based on his bloodwork, some members of group suggest otherwise so I am trying to decipher. I still have not heard from ER vet... they say no news is good news.

Good to know about the Libre. I've got some resources for blood ketone and glucose testing. I plan to read up and watch videos etc. on everything. I appreciate your med recommendations also.

He currently eats Purina Pro sensitive stomach and has wet food every few days for a "treat". He hasn't had an appetite for the past few days which lead me to call the vet. I plan to boil chicken breast and hand syringe until his appetite is back up and then transition to a food better for his diabetes at that time. I have another kitty at home so will just need to keep food separated. Ezra currently has an autofeeder, but not sure how to transition I am seeing most use wet food for their diabetic cats. Have you found feeding smaller meals throughout the day is helpful for the BG? I think the dry food during the day would be my only option while away at work.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Your cats do not need to be on different diets. First, the "prescription" diabetic food isn't really "prescription" food. In fact, the pet food manufacturers lost a class action suit for calling it prescription food. There's nothing medically relevant in it and, several of the prescription foods especially the dry food were astronomically high in carbohydrates. Most dry food is high in carbs.

Cats are obligate carnivores. The low carb diet that is good for Ezra will also be fine for your other kitty. This is a link to a site on feline nutrition. You may fine the information useful. (It's the site where the list of food linked below comes from.)

We encourage members to feed their cat low carbohydrate (under 10% carb), canned food. This is a list of most of the canned foods available in the US along with nutritional information. You have lots of choices. Most members feed their cats food that's in the 5% range. Fancy Feast and Friskies pate style foods are the most widely used. We also encourage feeding your cat several smaller meals. If you're out of the house for work, a timed feeder can be very helpful. There are models that have space for an ice pack.