My 8 year cat, Fonz, was diagnosed today with diabetes . I'm new to this. the vet said normal levels are 70 to 100, his was 400. Is it normal protocol for the vet to want to keep him for 3 days to figure out how much insulin he will need? Also, does anyone know if I should stop feeding him dry food?
Diabetes advise for cat
- Thread starter Ruth3
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Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
Welcome to the FDMB Ruth and extra sweet Fonz!! This is the best place you never wanted to be if you have a sugarcat!
A lot of vets will want to keep them for several days to get them started, but it's not necessary. You can get a glucose monitor and learn to home test!! It's more reliable than testing at the vet anyway because stress from being at the vets office can raise the blood glucose 100 points or more!!
Most of us use human meters (don't let the vet convince you that you MUST use an animal meter)....The strips for the animal meter cost about $1 each and most people can't afford them at that kind of price.....or they tend to restrict the amount of testing they do to save money.
The Relion Confirm or Micro meters from WalMart are very popular here and the strips are affordable ($35.88 per 100)
Most dry foods are too high in carbs for a diabetic cat and they're all hard on kidneys. Dry has to be re-hydrated and that pulls water from the body. A cats weakest point is their kidneys so the more water you can get into them, the better....and it's even more important with sugarcats.
Most of us feed Fancy Feast classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground foods. The "prescription" foods have lousy ingredients and are actually higher in carbs too!
If you can transition him onto low carb canned food, his blood glucose levels may drop quite a bit without insulin...we have seen cats that went into remission just from a diet change. (they're the exception, not the rule, but it happens!)
Lots of great information about feeding your cat on Dr. Lisa's website, Feeding Your Cat. Know the basics of Feline Nutrition
Keep asking questions!! The people here are great about sharing their experience with new sugarcat mom's and dads!
A lot of vets will want to keep them for several days to get them started, but it's not necessary. You can get a glucose monitor and learn to home test!! It's more reliable than testing at the vet anyway because stress from being at the vets office can raise the blood glucose 100 points or more!!
Most of us use human meters (don't let the vet convince you that you MUST use an animal meter)....The strips for the animal meter cost about $1 each and most people can't afford them at that kind of price.....or they tend to restrict the amount of testing they do to save money.
The Relion Confirm or Micro meters from WalMart are very popular here and the strips are affordable ($35.88 per 100)
Most dry foods are too high in carbs for a diabetic cat and they're all hard on kidneys. Dry has to be re-hydrated and that pulls water from the body. A cats weakest point is their kidneys so the more water you can get into them, the better....and it's even more important with sugarcats.
Most of us feed Fancy Feast classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground foods. The "prescription" foods have lousy ingredients and are actually higher in carbs too!
If you can transition him onto low carb canned food, his blood glucose levels may drop quite a bit without insulin...we have seen cats that went into remission just from a diet change. (they're the exception, not the rule, but it happens!)
Lots of great information about feeding your cat on Dr. Lisa's website, Feeding Your Cat. Know the basics of Feline Nutrition
Keep asking questions!! The people here are great about sharing their experience with new sugarcat mom's and dads!
jayla-n-Drevon
Member Since 2015
Hi and welcome!
Dry food is not a species appropriate diet especially for a diabetic cat.
Most of us feed under 10% carb wet food only unless you have a true dry food addict in which case many feed Young again 0 carb (is really 5%)
If you are home testing I don't know why you would have to leave your cat at the vet for 3 days especially because the stress will raise the blood glucose.
Home testing is critical with a diabetic cat as it is VERY important to test before shooting EVER to make sure it is safe to shoot.
I will tag a few experts for you....
Dry food is not a species appropriate diet especially for a diabetic cat.
Most of us feed under 10% carb wet food only unless you have a true dry food addict in which case many feed Young again 0 carb (is really 5%)
If you are home testing I don't know why you would have to leave your cat at the vet for 3 days especially because the stress will raise the blood glucose.
Home testing is critical with a diabetic cat as it is VERY important to test before shooting EVER to make sure it is safe to shoot.
I will tag a few experts for you....
jayla-n-Drevon
Member Since 2015
jayla-n-Drevon
Member Since 2015
this may be helpful when you are ready 
Thank you everyone so much, very helpful information. I do feed him cat chow, dry, but I think I'm going to stop. I give him fancy feast in the evevening , all kinds, but I think I will try just the classic a coupleasure times a day and no dry. He is drinking tons of water . I was giving him handfuls, several times a day, of temptation treats cuz he was begging fir them, I can't help but wonder if that also made a difference in his levels? Kind of like an adult eating a candy bar & getting tested? I'm scared about checking this myself , never done this, but I know I need to. 
Thank you everyone so much, very helpful information. I do feed him cat chow, dry, but I think I'm going to stop. I give him fancy feast in the evevening , all kinds, but I think I will try just the classic a coupleasure times a day and no dry. He is drinking tons of water . I was giving him handfuls, several times a day, of temptation treats cuz he was begging fir them, I can't help but wonder if that also made a difference in his levels? Kind of like an adult eating a candy bar & getting tested? I'm scared about checking this myself , never done this, but I know I need to.
Sorry about spelling, on my phone!
jayla-n-Drevon
Member Since 2015
most of us feed the freeze dried 1 ingredient proteins for treats-like pure bites chicken or wildseid salmon --orajen wild boar-
some of the fancy feast flaked are 0 -8% carb (it is in the food chart)
it will all get better and the excessive water drinking will settle down once you get regulated better
some of the fancy feast flaked are 0 -8% carb (it is in the food chart)
it will all get better and the excessive water drinking will settle down once you get regulated better
jayla-n-Drevon
Member Since 2015
real chicken/turkey /beef or any protein is a acceptable treat and we like to reward them after we test. My boy does not like real meat so I give him a few licks of skim milk.
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
They drink so much water to try to dilute the sugar out of their blood...and of course by drinking all that water, they pee a lot too! (that's really over-simplifying what happens, but it's easy to understand)
Getting him off the dry and onto canned food will help, as will getting his numbers down with insulin....Has your vet mentioned using any particular kind? The 3 best kinds for cats are Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc
Everyone is afraid they can't learn to home test!!! They think their cat will hate them forever and never sit still for it, but even the most uncooperative cat can learn to at least accept it ....and most actually learn to love testing time because they always gets a little treat (either a low carb treat like freeze dried chicken or a little bit of real meat or even just some special cuddle time)
Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!
It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!
You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!
It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.
When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"
Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
Getting him off the dry and onto canned food will help, as will getting his numbers down with insulin....Has your vet mentioned using any particular kind? The 3 best kinds for cats are Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc
Everyone is afraid they can't learn to home test!!! They think their cat will hate them forever and never sit still for it, but even the most uncooperative cat can learn to at least accept it ....and most actually learn to love testing time because they always gets a little treat (either a low carb treat like freeze dried chicken or a little bit of real meat or even just some special cuddle time)
Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!
It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!
You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!
It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.
When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"
Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
Thank you so much. I don't know what kind of insulin yet because she wants to keep him for 3 days to monitor him and test him every 2 hours after trying insulin. I have no idea what this will cost and I feel she should have discussed this with us before wanting us to drop him off Monday morning . My daughter, 27, talked with them, they said they would give her a price on Monday , once he's already there!
Lisa and Smoky
Member Since 2016
I don't think your vet needs to keep him for three days to do a curve at the office. My vet only kept him for 12 hours and checked his blood sugar every two hours in a 12 hour period. I dropped him off at 7 am and picked him up at 7 pm the same day. I would ask him the reason for that, my vet charged me $80 for one day.
Wow, really? That sounds much more reasonable , thank you so much . I'm going to call there Monday morning. Is smoky still on insulin? Fonz is just 9 lbs, he's never been a huge cat, but usually gains this time of year.
Lisa and Smoky
Member Since 2016
Smoky has been on insulin since Sept 6 of this year so I am new to all this too. The vet wanted me to bring smoky in once a week to do a curve for four weeks. I brought him in once a month as I can't afford to pay $80 a week. I learned to home test which saves me a lot of money. I would ask your vet to give you an estimate of what it will cost for three days, they have to tell you that. Most vets will charge a boarding fee per day as well as for any tests they do.
I get that, no way we can afford that as well. Ok, stupid question , you give him the insulin ? That freaks me out if we have to do that! Lol
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
Giving insulin is simple!! The needles are very tiny and very sharp and the vast majority of cats never even notice they're getting it!!
We've had people here who literally passed out at the sight of needles that are totally successful now in giving their cat insulin....it's something you just have to do to keep Fonz healthy, so you do it!!
Your vet should have you give a shot or two in the office too....most vets have cats that live in the office that they use for "practice" (of course they use saline, not insulin)
We've had people here who literally passed out at the sight of needles that are totally successful now in giving their cat insulin....it's something you just have to do to keep Fonz healthy, so you do it!!
Your vet should have you give a shot or two in the office too....most vets have cats that live in the office that they use for "practice" (of course they use saline, not insulin)
Callie & Patches
Member Since 2016
Don't worry about giving the shot, the insulin needles are so thin that they hardly feel it. Just be sure to test first, then feed and then you can give the shot if he tested over 200. Actually, we usually hold back on feeding if the glucose tests under 200 and test again in about half an hour in hopes that it will go up past 200. If it doesn't go up enough, don't give the shot. It's better to skip a shot then to risk hypoglycemia.
Take your time to read as much as possible. There is so much to learn.
Take your time to read as much as possible. There is so much to learn.
Lisa and Smoky
Member Since 2016
My vet had set up an appt with me to bring smoky in to learn how to give insulin shots. He had a bag of saline solution to show me how to draw insulin out and avoid bubbles while doing that.
He also had me practice injecting the solution into paper towels. I was really nervous about having to "stick" smoky a bunch of times. I only had to give him one "practice" shot and it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I am a person who can't look at needles when I am getting a shot or bloodwork done. You can do this and you will be keeping him safe.
He also had me practice injecting the solution into paper towels. I was really nervous about having to "stick" smoky a bunch of times. I only had to give him one "practice" shot and it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I am a person who can't look at needles when I am getting a shot or bloodwork done. You can do this and you will be keeping him safe.
Sootyca
Member Since 2016
Ruth you are going to be fine - the fact that you are here and asking questions means you care. Do learn to home test - when Sky was diagnosed my vet gave me a ridiculously high initial insulin level and gave instructions to test only when they wanted me to do a curve. This is really the opposite of what should have happened and put her at risk- emergency vet visit at midnight was not fun. Keeping Fonz at the vet should hopefully minimise this from happening for you but to be safe long term home testing is the way to go.
It has taken a long time for me to be able to measure Sky - again partly due to incorrect vet testing info meaning she hated it and it did cause her discomfort. The way everyone tests on here (and the way most people recommend) doesn't really bother her - lots of fussing and she tolerates it.
For Sky, diet seems critical in her care - I would definitely switch to a low carb wet food instead of dry and certainly cut the temptation treats.
As for the insulin injections - ironically this has been the easiest for me and I hate needles (can't look at them when I get my flu vaccination or blood taken). Most of the time, when I do it right that is, she doesn't know. I practiced on an orange to get some idea of the resistance from the skin.
Good luck
It has taken a long time for me to be able to measure Sky - again partly due to incorrect vet testing info meaning she hated it and it did cause her discomfort. The way everyone tests on here (and the way most people recommend) doesn't really bother her - lots of fussing and she tolerates it.
For Sky, diet seems critical in her care - I would definitely switch to a low carb wet food instead of dry and certainly cut the temptation treats.
As for the insulin injections - ironically this has been the easiest for me and I hate needles (can't look at them when I get my flu vaccination or blood taken). Most of the time, when I do it right that is, she doesn't know. I practiced on an orange to get some idea of the resistance from the skin.
Good luck
SweetAngel
Member Since 2014
Ruth, honestly like Sootyca says the injections are the easy part. I would never have thought that, or that I could do it, but seriously if I can, anyone can. And if you're monitoring him yourself the vet won't need to keep him 3 days. Everyone is so lovely and supportive here, I don't know what I'd have done without this board, so please feel free to ask anything. x
Critter Mom
Member Since 2014
Hi Ruth, Bring an orange with you to the vets tomorrow; it's ideal for practicing how to inject insulin (helps you to build confidence without the anxiety one might feel about injecting one's cat). Also, you could ask the vet to give you an initial blood glucose testing tutorial.
Mogs
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Mogs
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Thank you for the encouragement ! Means so much!
I have taken away his dry food today and only giving him fancy feast, chicken or turkey classic, he acts like he's starving to death & it's breaking my heart!Thank you for the encouragement ! Means so much!
SweetAngel
Member Since 2014
I know the feeling, Angel seems to be hungry exactly 2 hours before I test him and looks really hurt because I won't feed him until after his test. x
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
It takes time for them to get used to being fed more on a schedule than free feeding, but they do get used to it....but boy do they have their ways of making us feel guilty!!!
Most of us feed multiple times a day (most vets will tell you that you can only feed twice a day).....the smaller meals are actually easier on the pancreas than two large ones though! Just like human diabetics are told to eat small, frequent meals.....it's the same with our sugarcats!!
Now some feeding protocols depend on the type of insulin you're going to use. Certain older, harsher insulins like Vetsulin/Caninsulin really require that they eat a significant meal about 30 minutes before they get the shot, where the longer acting, more gentle insulins like Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc don't hit as "hard and fast" so it's not as important that the cat eats a big meal before shooting....just that they're willing to eat!
Until Fonz gets his blood glucose under better control, he actually needs more food! Think of insulin as a "key"....and every cell in the body has a "lock" on it....without the key, the glucose from the food he eats can't get into the cells to nourish them so the cat ends up eating more and more trying to "feed" himself....while he's actually starving to death. That's how important insulin is to the body.
I'm tempted to suggest that you cancel your appointment for 3 day testing tomorrow and get some more information from your vet about how they intend to treat Fonz so you can take a little time to learn more about it. When China was first diagnosed, we waited until she'd been transitioned onto the low carb canned food to see how far it would drop her numbers before we started insulin....it's much safer to do that before you start
After 3 days or so on low carb food only (while you're learning to home test) you'll be much better prepared to keep Fonz safe as well as you'll have time to learn more about effective treatment
But that's a decision I'll leave to you.
In answer to your question in another person's post, normal numbers for a cat are 50-120 on a human meter.
Omg, I can't thank you enough for the info! After reading your post I'm feeling better about my decision , I thought that same way about the food!
Critter Mom
Member Since 2014
Be sure to start testing for urine ketones immediately. A fairly straightforward way to collect a urine sample for testing is to put some plastic food wrap over the top of the litter. If a trace result is given speak to the vet straight away for advice; if any higher than trace take kitty to the vets immediately for emergency treatment to get the ketones down (and prevent DKA).
Mogs
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Mogs
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How do I test for that?
Update on Fonz.....I decided not to take him in today, I wanred to talk to my vet about options, food, staying there 3 days, etc, 8am this morning I called and shared I have questions and I know need to get him there. I left my cell # and work # in case I couldn't get cell while at work. About 5pm, vet calls my daughters phone, which I asked them to call me, she just left a message saying she's returning our call. I called back right away , talked to the same girl from this morning and told her what happened , she told me vet was with patient and would call me back on my cell. It's nown 7:44, they closed at 7, and NO CALL BACK ! I'm very upset now! sorry, I tend to be very detailed .
sorry, I tend to be very detailed .
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
It's nown 7:44, they closed at 7, and NO CALL BACK ! I'm very upset now!
Most vets wait until after office hours to make call-backs.....it's possible your vet could still call tonight
I wish that was the case but they have been closed for an hour and a half now! ohhhh, I left a message! you bet I did!
CassAndGordy(GA)
Member Since 2016
The night my vet FINALLY called me back after Gordys diagnosis, it was 9:45... they also close at 7.
Hopefully your vet will call soon. the wating game is the worst.
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
To test for ketones, you'll need to get some urine ketone test strips (available at any human pharmacy that carries diabetes supplies). You just have to get a fresh urine sample and dip the strip into it and compare the color to the guide on the bottle
Anything more than "trace" is a medical emergency
Here are some other Urine Testing Tips
I wouldn't stress out too much.....you're using these few days to get Fonz onto a low carb canned diet so when you do start insulin, it'll be much safer for him!! If you haven't already done it, I'd get a meter as soon as possible too so you can start learning to home test him
Thank you so very much!
you made me feel better!
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
Don't be surprised if your vet tries to convince you that you need to be feeding some fancy "prescription" food.....the pet food industry is pretty much the only education vets get on nutrition and (of course) there's money to be made selling that expensive junk food
If he pushes it, say you found a lot of information that makes total sense on this website by Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM on feeding a diabetic cat and that's what you want to try first. Just like humans are told to reduce the amount of carbs, it's the same for our cats (although some vets will try to tell you that the prescription foods have "special kinds" of carbs.....carbs are carbs!)
And if you look at the ingredient list in the prescription foods, you'll see they aren't any better than plain old Fancy Feast or Friskies
If he pushes it, say you found a lot of information that makes total sense on this website by Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM on feeding a diabetic cat and that's what you want to try first. Just like humans are told to reduce the amount of carbs, it's the same for our cats (although some vets will try to tell you that the prescription foods have "special kinds" of carbs.....carbs are carbs!)
And if you look at the ingredient list in the prescription foods, you'll see they aren't any better than plain old Fancy Feast or Friskies
Now you have totally made me feel better, thank you! They told my daughter he has to stay 3 days which also covers food, I started thinkg, food? what kind of food and how do they know we can afford the food, especially if there are other options. I have a 12 yr old Bassett, I spend about $200 a month just in hus meds, we have to do what we can afford while caring for Fonz !
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
Well as we've said before, there's no reason he needs to stay there for 3 days....even 1 day is unnecessary and the results they get are pretty much useless too since the cat is stressed and that causes the blood glucose to go even higher
Then the vet decides that you need to start on "X units" and you go home....Fonz relaxes and you give the ordered "X" and he drops too low...we've seen it happen too many times
Then the vet decides that you need to start on "X units" and you go home....Fonz relaxes and you give the ordered "X" and he drops too low...we've seen it happen too many times
Diana&Tom
Member Since 2009
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