Diagnosed today and devastated

[Wegie's Mom]

Hi, my name is Mary Anne and seven days ago I adopted (from the humane society) a beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat who I named Wegie. He is the best animal I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Over the past week, I noticed that he was drinking more than he should from his fancy new water fountain and was eating an amount I thought was excessive. Today at his scheduled vet check, My worst fears were confirmed. My beautiful boy has diabetes and has positive ketones.

I was given three choices, return him to the shelter (no), euthanize him (hell no), or start him on insulin. You see, it's more complicated than just this, several weeks ago I was diagnosed with a very rare cancer. At this point I am not really worried about my situation as I go back in 3 months for more imaging and this is something I will just live with and be just fine.

My fears are that I am in sales and travel daily for work so no one will be home with him during the day. My loving husband is no help as he could not give me insulin, let alone give it to the cat. I fear that something will happen to him during the day while I am at work and no one will be here to help him.

I have made the decision that I want to care for him so tomorrow morning we will go to the vet for a blood test and to get started on insulin. I do not want this sweet soul to hate me for the continuous shots and blood testing he will have to endure. Next weekend we will be leaving the country for a week on vacation. Wegie will be in the competent care of my 22 year old son who will leave his own cat and move into our house to care for my boy. I hope I am doing right by this beautiful animal.....

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Welcome. I'm glad that you decided to treat

Good insulins are the human Lantus and Levemir and the pet insulins ProZinc and BCP PZI. For those two human insulin it is best to get the 5 pack of 3 ml disposable pens via a 10 ml vial. Although per ml the vial is less expensive most cats will not use up a 10 ml vial before the insulin goes bad/becomes ineffective. The human insulin N/NPH is sometimes prescribed but only lasts 8-10 hours. Same for the pet insulin Vetsulin/Caninisulin.

Most of us here test our cat's blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Here is a link to home testing blood sugar
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

What are you feeding? A low-carb canned is best. No reason for a prescription food. Here is a list of commercial low-carb canned


http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/shortcut-shopping-list-all-8-or-less-updated.117688/

 

[Sharon14]

Welcome! Bless you for adopting and for choosing to treat the diabetes. Your travel shchedule may make it a bit more difficult, but not impossible. We have lots of tips for managing diabetes on a busy schedule. One thing I can promise you is Wegie won't hate you for the tests and shots, in fact the two of you will become even closer. We have lots of tips for making that easier too! After your vet visit, come over to the Health forum and let us know what insulin Wegie is on and we can help you with any questions you have.
Sending prayers for your health

 

[Critter Mom]

Also, please pick up ketone urine test strips and monitor Wegie's ketone levels very closely at the moment (at least twice a day when throwing ketones and once a day after he is well clear as part of his daily routine - ketone-prone kitties need this little bit of extra monitoring). If urine testing is awkward because of your work schedules you can get a blood ketone meter (works same way as a glucometer). The strips for ketone meters are pricey but much, much cheaper than a vet and a better protection for your dear Wegie. I'd call a vet for advice if trace ketones appeared and if it was more than that I would take the cat immediately to a vet for specialist treatment (and do my best to ensure the vet is fully familiar with how to treat ketones/DKA).

I know there's an awful lot coming at you very fast, Mary Anne, but while BG regulation will take a bit of time one needs to treat a cat throwing ketones as an emergency and seek veterinary treatment immediately in order to prevent DKA so the faster you can learn about these the better. Here are some links with general information:

The Hows and Whys of Ketones

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...oacidosis-dka-and-blood-ketone-meters.135952/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...oacidosis-dka-and-blood-ketone-meters.135952/
Also here is a link to a relevant current thread on the Feline Health subforum for another kitty who developed ketones a few days ago. There are some very concise helpful posts from members Jill and Meya on that thread which will give you a bit of a leg-up on the learning curve about how vets need to respond to a cat throwing ketones:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/vets-cant-stabilize-glucose-levels.165787/

If the vets haven't done so already you need to ask them to check Wegie for infection or other illness because, as noted in the links above, that could be a contributing factor to the ketones and will need to be promptly addressed as part of Wegie's treatment plan.

NB: I'm not trying to unduly alarm you here; I've just found that in my time here a lot of vets don't tend to give enough information (if any at all) about how to keep ketones under control and the importance of acting promptly to prevent DKA. With the information in the links above I am hoping to help you arm yourself with good information to ensure that your dear Wegie gets the best care from his vets.

Try not to worry about having to give regular injections and perform BG tests. It can be a very scary prospect at first. Cats are smart and as Wegie starts feeling better for his treatment he will be able to fathom out that all the new routine has something to do with making him feel well again. If anything the majority of people here report that caring for their cats' diabetic needs actually intensifies their bond with their kitties and it brings them much closer to each other. We recommend giving kitties diabetic-friendly treats at test times so it becomes a really positive experience for them. Lots of cats here have been known to go to their test stations looking for their human to test them - and then purr all the way through the test! If anything, I think the injecting and testing is very possibly harder on the human than the cat the vast majority of the time.

There is a steep learning curve at first but you will find a schedule that works for you and Wegie (and maybe we can help with suggestions so please ask for advice or help with anything you need). Diabetes is definitely do-able and well-controlled diabetics can lead full and happy lives for years and years with the right food and treatment. It sounds like you may have caught Wegie's symptoms very early. That's a real positive. With the right diet and prompt treatment with a good insulin for cats (e.g. Lantus, Levemir or Prozinc) it greatly increases Wegie's chances of going into remission (i.e. becoming a diet-controlled diabetic maintained on a low-carb, species-appropriate diet but who does not need insulin injections).

I am sorry to hear that you also have your own difficulties health-wise, Mary Anne. Sending prayers and healing thoughts to both you and Wegie. He is a beautiful boy; thank you for loving and fighting for him.




Mogs
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[Kris & Teasel]

Bless you for adopting this beautiful kitty! You've been given excellent advice here and I'll echo Mogs' caution about ketones. My cat spent time in the critical care unit at my vet hospital at the end of March of this year. I was lucky: they knew exactly how to treat DKA (large practice with emergency facilities) and Teasel recovered. My wallet has taken a bit longer ...

I've since discovered that testing for ketones at home is easy with him. He tends to face away in his litter box when peeing and I'm able to put a long handled kitchen spoon (no longer in kitchen use!) under his backside to catch a small amount of urine - it doesn't take much. I just dip a ketostick, wait 15 seconds then check the colour against the guide on the bottle. NOTE: negative and trace colours are very similar.

 

[whiskeysmom]

What a gorgeous kitty!!! My cat was just diagnosed a week ago. Don't panic! I promise your cat won't hate you. I've had to put my cat through blood testing, insulin, AND taking antibiotics, because he has a problem with his sinuses that I am praying ISN'T nasal cancer, but I'm very scared.

Even with as stressed out as his mom is, Whiskey is handling the diabetes treatment just fine.

If you give insulin every 12 hrs you shouldn't have to get your husband involved..just give the cat the treatment in the morning and before you go to bed. When you go out of town, you could see if your vet can recommend someone to come in and give the cat insulin. My vet said she has a list of pet sitters who are trained to handle diabetic cats.

Good luck!

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi,

Just checking in to see how you and Wegie are doing.




Mogs
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[Olive & Paula]

Hello Mary Anne and Wegie.

It is overwhelming at times. All of us have been through it. And you will get through with the support system here.

In time kitties IMHO learn to like testing. They associate it with a treat, extra hugs, scratches and kisses and usually a meal afterward.

For me to test, prepare 3 bowls of food (each one different) give Smokey his insulin, wait for him to finish eating so he can have his heart meds is no more than 15 minutes twice a day.

It helps to have a backup person to can step in when it's needed. My husband won't test, but he gives the insulin, heart meds, and will measure out the food when I'm away which isn't often. Testing is the most important thing but at least he does the rest. Some won't do anything.

It is manageable when you figure out a routine the works for you. As soon as you know what insulin you will be using, come back here. We have suggestions for any situation. Since you son will be helping you will need to get him up to speed. Will he test? Is there a reason he can't bring his cat when he stays?

Wegie is absolutely gorgeous, but I'm biased to Norwegian Forrest.