Does Red need insulin?

[kathpj]

Hi everyone,
I have posted a couple of times since Red, my 10 year old burmese Red boy, was diagnosed as a sugar cat 3 weeks ago.
I am really happy to report now he seems resigned to the fact that he does have to eat wet canned food and has started eating better.
I am doing his blood sugars twice a day. From a starting point of 342(at vet) his last 3 days 9.30am (approx 2 hours post food) readings have been 266, 280 & 279.
Before food pm they are a bit higher. I am still not 100% sure that he has settled completely with the new diet and as I have prevoiusly mentioned as a student would really ike to get this controlled with diet if possible(vets dosng,insulin &supplies are pretty expensive in New Zealand!!). He seems very happy in himself, more playful in the last few days with brighter eyes. To me things seem to be going in the right direction. Wouldn't it take a while for the food to help the sugars, pancreas etc? What numbers should I be happy with?
Thanks so much for listening, I hope someone can advise me. Thanks, Kath & Red

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

You want to start insulin right away if his numbers are above the renal threshold (180-240). The renal threshold and above is the point where organ damage is most likely to occur from high glucose levels. How long has he been on a canned diet only? If you don't see numbers below 200 from the diet change within 5 days after the dry is removed, I would start insulin. The sooner you start a long acting insulin like Lantus or Levemir, the better and sooner are are your chances of getting him diet controlled. 86% of newly diagnosed cats become diet controlled when Lantus/Levemir is given with a low carb, canned diet, and dose adjustments are made via daily home testing. The longer you wait to start this treatment plan, the less your chances of reaching remission.

Is Red overweight at all? Carrying around extra weight can make a small to large difference in blood glucose numbers, which is why I ask.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Hi Kath,

Well done for 'grasping the nettle' in respect of the blood testing. That's brilliant! And I'm so glad to hear that Red is feeling better.

I would dearly love to be able to tell you that Red's diabetes can be controlled with diet alone but....at this stage I don't think that's the case. In the future, that may happen though, so don't give up hope! His numbers aren't that bad. It might be that Red only needs a short course of insulin. Maybe he will be one of the lucky ones, but sadly there are no guarantees.

I know this is a tough situation for you financially. (As it is for so many of us..) But now you have a skill that you didn't have at the beginning: you can home-test! I wonder if you could try to have a chat with a vet and see if you can get that initial phase of regulation done at home (He wanted Red hospitalized for 4 days, I think?) Or maybe you can negotiate to have him stay at the vets for one day instead of the four? (Just to keep him sweet and get an insulin prescription...?)

I'm sure you'll get lots of tips here about saving costs....

 

[hmjohnston]

I would just some home curves and take that to the vet and ask his advice. It should be 1u (or, b/c of the low numbers a .5u) of a great insulin would be needed- anything like 2u and he really doesn't know much about FD but maybe CD as they are diagnosed by weight and doggies can get heavy.

But, yes. you do need insulin as the food change is not taking him down enough.

 

[kathpj]

Hi,
I don't know if Red was overweight. Certainly was a big solid burmese of 6.5kg. He has lost some weight and is leaner now. Probably why he has reverted to a few kitten like activities. He has not liked changing to wet food, started immediately after reading your site after diagnosis(3 weeks ago). He has resisted eating and is searching for his dry food everywhere. This is why I have held off starting the insulin, really as he haas not eaten a decent amount of wet food, spent a lot of his time complaining and thinking that we will give in. We certainly will not!!
What do you suggest about administering the injection? pen or syringe, can you point me in the right direction?? I hope to speak to a different vet to get a script and do start slow protocol with blood glucose testing.
Thanks again,
Kath