Diabetic cat losing A LOT of weight

[ejmarchi]

Hi, I'm new to FDMB. My name is Emily.

My cat Rusty, 14 year old male, was diagnosed with diabetes about a year and a half ago. The vet said that switching over to wet food would help control his glucose levels along with the insulin. I never noticed a change in his peeing habits (there was always a LOT of urine in his litter box), so his diabetes has never really been under control. I had to send him back to NY (I live in SC) to be with my mom while I figured out my living situation, and he just returned today. He's much skinnier, he was only about 7 pounds before, and now I fear he's high 4's, low 5's, and he went with my mom in mid-may. She was feeding him a proper diet, grain free dry food and wet food, giving him insulin, 2U originally but lowered to 1.5U after nothing seemed to change and she would give him chicken in order to try to fatten him up, but nothing has worked. His fur is oily, he's never been one to groom himself, but he's looking incredibly dirty, greasy, and matted even after he is brushed. I'm worried that since his treatment has not worked for so long, that he may be on his way out. I've been looking at some of the other posts suggesting home testing, which I am willing to do. I've also been hearing that wet food is bad for adult cat's, especially their teeth. Has this dramatic weight loss happened to any one else's cat? I'm concerned about my Rusty!! Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Barb & Mr. Frog]

Hi, welcome to FDMB

I'm not one of the experts here, but I can tell you that it is a MYTH about dry food being good for your cats teeth, or that wet food is bad specifically. Technically both are bad, because their teeth are designed for ripping/tearing...nothing at all like what they actually get used for. If you want to help your cat's teeth, you'd be better off giving him a soup bone to gnaw on. Also, even 'grain free' dry food is BAD for a diabetic cat, they're all very high in carbs, and very likely contributed to your inability to regulate.

You mentioned home testing, that is a great idea, a lot of folks here use the inexpensive relion (from walmart) glucose testers, because of the relatively low per-test cost compared to some other available models, and if you look around the forums you'll find the information about how to set up a spreadsheet to keep track of your testing. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get it... you've got it, you won't even believe how easy it gets.

What type of insulin are you using, and are you dosing 2x per day @ 1.5 units? (that sounds like a LOT of insulin to me for a cat as tiny as you describe) Also what type of food would be good information to share as well, There are some pretty smart people here that will be along in the morning with a great deal more/better information for you, so hang in there, you've found the right place to help Rusty!


ETA: Also, more than likely you'll see a big turnaround in his grooming habits when you do get him regulated. One word of caution: do NOT remove the dry food from your cats diet until you are testing and can see (and adjust as needed) his insulin needs. (the sooner the better for those things to both happen tho)

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I strongly recommend home testing. Also maybe a vt visit is in order since there are other problems like hyperthyroidism that can lead to weight loss.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I agree with Larry that a trip to the vet may be needed. Dry food is high in carbs and even with insulin it is very difficult to get your cat's diabetes under control. With the bad coat and weight loss, I suspect that it has not been.

My suggestions are first, learn to hometest. That will allow you to accurately determine where Rusty's glucose levels at this time. You want to test before every shot before feeding. You can use a human glucose meter to test. The Walmart Relion Confirm and Micro meters are very good meters and inexpensive to use. We can help you learn how to test.

The next suggestion is diet. Get rid of the dry food. Rusty needs to be on a high protein/low carb canned or raw food diet. Many of us feed our cats either Fancy Feast or Friskies pate flavors. If it has gravy in the name, it is higher carb. However, as Barb said, you also want to make sure you are hometesting when you remove the dry food. A switch off of dry food can easily drop your cat's glucose levels. That could be dangerous. Generally you will lower your insulin dose at the same time to prevent hypoglycemia.

Wet food is not bad for your cat's teeth. That is an old myth, probably created by the dry cat food manufacturers.

With the proper diet and insulin dose, you should begin to see an improvement in Rusty's health. Right now, because his glucose levels are not under control, he cannot process food correctly. That is why you see the poor coat and weight loss. With the proper diet, insulin and hometesting, you will be able to determine the best dose to control his diabetes. Don't worry, we can help you determine it. It will take a few weeks before you see a noticeable change, but it can happen. Can you tell us what insulin Rusty is using? How long has it been since you first used the current vial or pen you are using? Depending on your answers, we also may recommend a change to a better insulin.

 

[BJM]

Caution: you must be home blood glucose testing before you change the diet as you risk a hypoglycemic attack which can be fatal to your cat.

A diet change may reduce the blood glucose level by 100 mg/dL and may reduce the insulin dose needed by 2 units ... or not. Only home testing will show you what is happening.

 

[Georgette and Clare]

Hi Emily,
We're pretty new to the Message Board, too. Our kitty Clare lost about 1/3 of her weight (9 lbs to 6 lbs) before we started visiting the Board and learning from the wise people here about how to help her.

We learned that it was important to give up dry food and go to a low-carb, high protein diet in order to regulate Clare's diabetes. Clare was severely underweight, unlike many diabetic cats who are often heavier when diagnosed, so we may have approached her dietary changes even more cautiously than some.

What type of food does Rusty like to eat? Is he usually eating well? How often do you feed him? You can first learn about the best low-carb foods and treats here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=117688 on the Board, and then begin to try them on Rusty, mixing them in with his favorite foods at first if he doesn't seem to like them straight off.

With Clare, we first changed to the specialty diets for diabetic cats that are sold through the veterinary clinics, but then we found she wouldn't eat them. (This may sound crazy but we assumed that since they were more expensive, she'd certainly find them tasty!) Then on the Board we learned that selected types of Fancy Feast, Friskies and 9 Lives (mostly the pate types) have just as good a blend of carbs and proteins as the specialty diets. Clare really likes them -- as long as we switch them up and give her a variety -- so now we feed her those.

She's gained back a pound so far and her coat is much prettier, shiny and not matted, and the dandruff is almost gone. She's a lot stronger and perkier, too. She has a ways to go but she's definitely going in the right direction.

Please come back often and let us know how little Rusty is doing.