Diagnosed as diabetic, just today. So, what now?

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kristlthor

Member Since 2013
My 11 year old cat just received the diabetic diagnosis. I have an appointment later this afternoon to pick him up and learn how to manage it. They mentioned special food, possibly shots. My dad had a diabetic siamese in the '80's, but I was really young then and don't remember anything other than himn giving the cat a shot every day.

Is this something that is fairly easily managed? I have 2 other "problem" cats, one has cancer, the other urinary tract issues. Luckily I'm a stay at home mom, and have the time to properly provide the care they need. Poor cats!
 
Hi Krystal (?) and extra sweet baby! Welcome to the BEST place you never wanted to be!

No diabetes isn't hard to handle - there's LOTS of us that do the sugar dance! Do you know if he was diagnosed from one test or several?

I imagine the vet will try to tell you that his food is the only thing you should feed him....not...))) If you feed dry, that's the first thing to change BUT NOT at the same time you start insulin. We feed Friskies pate's and Fancy Feast 'Classics', others feed Wellness grain free, Merrick's and several other brands.

What kind of insulin will you be using? I would suspect Humulin N but will hopefully be more 'cat friendly' ones like Lantus/Levemir or PZI.

HUGS and HEADBUTTS to all of you! Dry your eyes, put a smile on your face and remind yourself - I KNEW he was sweet but now there's proof!"....
 
I honetly have no idea of the details...I took him in this morning and she wanted to keep him for the day after running his blood work. So I'm going back in about 3 hours to learn my fate :) The thing is, while I always do my best to provide my pets with the best care, we are not rich. We just bought a new house, still have one on the market...things are stretched right now, and I'm hoping this isn't going to send us to the poor farm! Or the funny farm! I can handle giving shots every day, I have a degree in the medical field, so shots don't scare me. Special food doesn't scare me...but I'm thinking theyre going to want to put him on a prescription diet, which we already have one cat on. You mentioned regular store bought wet food. Is that in addition to special food, or on it's own?
 
No need for the prescription food - these are all our cats regular food. The diet is based on low carbs, not any special ingredients....just like humans. The 'gravy' foods are high carb which is why we feed the pates unless we need to raise a low number.

If vet tries to tell you that no 'home testing' needs to be done, we LOUDLY disagree - a human wouldn't forego testing, our cats shouldn't either. Most vets don't 'get it' when it comes to that. We use human meters - vet may say you can't as they're not calibrated for animals which is true. There's about a 30 point difference...and a BIG $$ difference! When using a human meter, 'normal' is 50-120 while a 'pet' meter normal is '80-150'. Not too hard huh...

HUGS!
 
We have a protocol that works well for diabetic cats. Many are regulated and many go into remission.

We like mild, long lasting insulin, like Lantus, Levemir and Lantus. They are more expensive than Canninsulin or Humulin which are sometimes used, but they are better for the cat and easier to use. We like to start low, go slow - one unit or under 2 times daily.

We do feed non prescription wet low carb food. "Prescription" foods don't have special prescription ingredients. A lot of times,their ingredients are not as good as the OTC foods. Many people here feed pate style Friskies or Fancy Feast.

We do test at home. Not all vets want patients to do this - either they are afraid they will be overwhelmed or they want the cat to come in for tests. We know that stress raises bg levels and most cats are stressed at the vet.

Keep reading here and asking questions. Our system does work.
 
Thanks for your responses! I guess I'm not as freaked out as some people because my dad has dealt with his diabetic Siamese (that he rescued from Guam duing the Vietnam war, btw :)) so I do have his expertise there. I'm even more calm now that I've heard from others who are going through the same thing. I already called my local pharmacy regarding syringes. They're about $30 for 100 of them, which is most likely cheaper than at the vet. I'm going to refuse the Rx food if they try to sell it to me. They won't push it, as they know I ALWAYS do my research!

I'm glad this is managable. When I took him in, one of the other possible DX was kidney failure, which I have gone through with my beautiful Turkish Van cat about 10 years ago. She had to go meet Jesus, and it was really tough on me. So I'm thankful it wasn't that. Could have been worse!
 
hi - if you have a Walmart near by get your supplies there - usually the cheapest for syringes, meter & strips, lancets etc..

My cat was on lantus for 4 months and then went into remission (diet-controlled).
  • I switched her to wet food - just Friskies pates or Fancy Feast pates.
    I gave her lantus twice per day - initially expensive but 1 vial can last 6 mths if stored properly in fridge
    I home tested her with a human meter - Walmart's relion

Just be careful if you start insulin and then switch to wet food as her bg could drop by 100 points and then you could be giving her too much insulin.
Also, any numbers from the vet will probably be higher as she'll be stressed.

Post an update of your vet visit with the numbers and you'll get plenty of advice as to what to do next.
 
We have a walmart about 15 miles away, so I'll check there. We live in a small rural farm town with not much for businesses. I will update after Thor is back home :)
 
If you aren't gone yet, I suggest the Walmart 'ReliOn Confirm' or 'ReliOn Micro' meters. There is a cheaper one but it's new and still having some issues. The Confirm/Micro take a very small dot of blood compared to a lot of the others too. Strips are the 'true' cost, the Confirm/Micro is $36/100, $20/50, $10/25 in most stores...

Welcome again!
 
We are back from the vet now...he also had a UTI so he's on antibiotics for that too. They have put him on Glargine 2 unites every 12 hours until we go back in 3 weeks for a recheck. Then they will show me how to do the glucose curves at home so it'll save me $75 every time. I refused the RX diet m/d and he will be eating fancy feast or friskies. Something wet, with under 3.99% carb i think it is. Whew. That was a pricy trip to the vet! I gave him a shot already and it didn't bother him at all. I hope he gets back to himself soon!!
 
2u of Glargine (lantus) can be too much to start with - particularly if you are also going to switch to low carb.
In fact, please don't switch him over until you start home testing - it could reduce his bg to such a level that 2u is dangerous.

You really don't have to wait 2 weeks - most of us learned to test by suggestions made on this board and by the numerous youtube videos.
If his bg does drop low that would be another very costly vet visit, possibly to the ER.

A lantus cycle is typically 12 hours duration in a cat (hence the shots twice a day) with the lowest point in the middle of the cycle (+6) although this can vary depending on the cat.
Also, some cats drop quickly maybe 2 or 3 hours after the shot - my cat always did.
So, keep a check on him and see the instructions for hypos (although its difficult to tell without bg tests...)
how to deal with a hypo
 
I am a newbie so I don't give too much advice...but I add where I can. How much does the fur baby weigh? Charlie was 11.6 lbs and the vet wanted 2U twice daily. He went hypo on me the first night...I REALLY urge you to do less unless you have a 17 lb cat...I was testing Charlie all night that night. I'm going to look for the dosage formula for you...hopefully someone else can post it. I don't know it off hand...be back in a bit


ETA (edited to add)
I'm guessing you're going to need to reduce your cat's dose. The initial dose of Lantus can be based on a weight-related formula:
initial dose = 0.25 x ideal weight in kilograms

That I found in another thread (condo)
 
Hi, sorry I was mia there for a couple days. The day after Thor's diagnosis, we had a bad time with another of our kitties, and she had to be put to sleep, so I've been sort of an emotional disaster. She had cancer and hyperthyroid, and was just progressivly getting worse. It was time.

Anyway, Thor used to weigh 15 lbs. He is currently 9.9, which is one of the reasons I even noticed there was something wrong. I have not switched his food as of yet. He seems ok with the 2u per day, how would I know if he isn't? He is a large cat, even with his weight loss, he is still big...big boned. In fact, after starting him on this insulin, I have noticed a change in him. He interacts with the family again, sleeps with us again. He isn't holed up under a bed or in a dark quiet closet anymore. What signs should I watch for that would indicate 2u is too much?
 
Some signs of hypoglycemia :
SYMPTOMS
Some cats may have NO symptoms whatsoever, but here are the most common ones:

MILD HYPOGLYCEMIA
Sudden ravenous hunger
Shivering
Weak or lethargic

MODERATE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Disorientation
Trouble with vision... bumps into furniture
Poor coordination, such as staggering, walking in circles or acting drunk
Changes in head or neck movements
Restlessness
Urgent meowing
Behavioral changes, such as aggressiveness

SEVERE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Convulsions or seizures
Unconsciousness
Click to expand...

This quote is from the topic about the dangers of hypoglycemia and how to treat. http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15887

Also, dialated pupils are another sign that the BG level is too low. Often, cats show no symptoms.

Bouncing, unregulated, even high numbers can also mean you are giving too much insulin.

The very best way to know what is going on with your cat, is to learn to home test the blood glucose (BG) levels.

Are you interested in learning to home test? We can give you information on how to do this if you are interested.
 
I am absolutely interested in home testing! I don't plan on using a vet glucometer, I will get a human one, and just adjust for the difference. Any information regarding that is greatly appreciated! Thanks for everyone's help here. It's such a blessing that there are places to turn where people understand the great love for animals, and the lengths we will go for them!
 
Great! Here is a shopping list for hometesting:

A human glucometer. Any one that sips and takes a tiny sample is fine. Some members stay away from any meter with True in the name and the Freestyle meters. Some people think they are unreliable and read lower than other meters. The meters are often free at drug stores; it’s the strips that are expensive. You can, however, buy them on ebay at less than half the price of stores. Lots of people here also like the ReliOn from Walmart. It is an inexpensive meter and its strips are the cheapest around. Try the meter out on yourself or someone else before you try it on your cat. You want to be familiar with it before you poke the cat.

Lancets and a lancet device. Usually, until the ears “learn” to bleed, a 26-28 gauge is good. Any brand will work as long as the lancets match your device.

Ketone strips. (Ketostix) Just like human diabetics use. You will sometimes need to test urine if the numbers are high.

Rice sack. Make this out of thinnish sock, filled with raw rice or oatmeal and then knotted. You heat this in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Then heat the ears before poking. You can also use a prescription bottle filled with very warm water. It provides a good surface to poke against.

Also nice to have. Flashlight: so you can look at the ears and find the little capillaries that come off the vein running down the ear. Vaseline: Put a tiny smear where you want to poke. It will help the blood bead up.

And some lo carb treats to give your kitty, successful test or not Lo carb treats

How to get the cat ready for home testing

While you wait, you can get your kitty ready for testing.
First pick a place where you want to test. Some people use the kitchen counter, a blanket on the floor, between your legs while sitting – whatever works for you. Take the kitty there and give him/her lots of praise while you play with his/her ears. Give a treat and release. Next time, add the rice sack (thin sock filled with raw rice, heated in the microwave until very warm but not hot) or a prescription pill bottle filled with very warm water. Lots of praise, treat and release. Finally add the lancet so he/she will get used to the noise. The hope is that when you finally poke, they will be used to the process and know a treat is coming!

There are lots of videos and links on this thread:

http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

Just let us know how we can help!
 
Many people here will tell you the Walmart brand ReliOn meters are just fine. I got a ReliOn Micro meter.
You need lancets and test strips...make sure you get a lot :) they go kinda fast at first. I use a lancet pen. It came with the meter. I have it at level 3...it was originally at level 4 because his ears didn't bleed much. One thing that was SO helpful to me:
Warm the ear before you poke him. Put some beans or rice in a sock and tie it up. Warm it for 20 seconds and hold to his ear for a bit. It well get the blood flowing and you (hopefully) don't have to poke him a bunch of times. I couldn't tell so much that Charlie went hypo. He was super sleepy and just looked out if it. His eyes were dialated, that's about it.
Ask all the questions you need, but definitely read through the material available ...there's so much good information!
 
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