Failry newly diagnosed puss eating far less

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Beamie123

Member Since 2014
Hello all

My name is Scott and I live in the UK. Our cat Sebastian (5 years old) was diagnosed with diabetes at the end of August 2014 and we started insulin treatment immediately, as advised by our vet.

He does have his ups and downs, mainly ups thankfully, but he has recently (the past week) started to eat far less than usual, resulting in (I think) significant weight loss - down from 5.2kg to 4.7kg in a month. He is currently eating James Wellbeloved dry kibble - a mixture of turkey and fish varieties - as our vet advised not to change him to a wet food until we had stabilised his BG levels. It's not like he has lost his appetite as he appears to be ready for food but not overly interested in what we are putting down. There is always the chance he is being fed elsewhere but the weight loss would suggest this is not the case.

Oddly, his behaviour in the past week has been almost normal, this is since he started to eat less, being quite perky and spending a lot of time out prowling and flirting with the neighbours, leaping to the top of fences etc.

I have a couple of questions really:

1. Does this mean our boy was overweight previously and he is just now settling to his ideal weight?

2. As he is eating little of his dry kibble (approx 40 g per day as opposed to recommended 60g), is it advisable for us to try him on a high protein wet food (Nature's menu here in the UK looks good) straight away, bypassing the slow transition that is advised? I only suggest this as a way to get more food inside him.

We do have the AlphaTrak BG monitor and have tested his Lordship when he has been low but our vet advised that we shouldn't get hung up on BG numbers as it's more important to monitor his behaviour, which at the moment is good. The 5 BG tests we have carried out have been very similar, around the 16 mark, which is slightly high.

I will be talking to our vet later this evening but I am aware not all vets are as confident with diabetes care as they could be so wanted to get the opinion of the real carers on this website.

Thanks for any assistance you may be able to provide.


All the best
 
Low-carb canned is best. For what is low-carb in Europe see:
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=64843
I would weight Sebastian frequently to see what is happening to his weight, Going from 5.2kg to 4.7kg in a month is about the max rate of drop acceptable.
Both BGs and behavior are important. Most of use here test before each shot and then periody we do tests between shots.
What BG are you getting and when in relation to the shot?
 
Thanks Larry

I am in work at the moment (with a terrible internet connection!) and don't have the exact readings with me but will post ASAP.

I have bought a few high protein pouches for Seb to try tonight, just in case he isn't eating much again; I will keep an eye on BG if he does try them.

I forgot to mention earlier that he is on 1 unit of Caninsulin twice a day. Having read some of the other posts here, I see this isn't deemed to be brilliant for cats so I will definitely mention this to my vet when we see her.

Thanks for responding to my post so quickly, it's much appreciated.


All the best

Scott
 
Hi Scott,

16 mmol/L is a high value - probably over the renal threshold, which means it's likely that glucose is spilling over into Sebastian's urine which will make him more vulnerable to UTIs. Also, higher BG concentrations are damaging to the internal organs.

Since Sebastian is already receiving insulin, the transition to low carb food MUST be done gradually and with intensive home testing to avoid a potential hypoglycaemic episode. The switch can drastically lower BG numbers very quickly and the dose of insulin Sebastian needs for the dry Wellbeloved diet would most likely be too high, thus creating a serious risk of dropping his BG too low. The combination of carbohydrate drop and Caninsulin's action of lowering BG hard and fast is not a good combo (been there). I'm not experienced enough to give dosing advice but I would suggest that you speak with your vet before starting the transition and possibly agree a dose reduction at the start of the transition. The dose can always be raised again after the transition if necessary. One thing I would recommend, though, is to start the transition when you have a weekend completely clear so that you can closely monitor Sebastian's BG levels and keep him safe. It's recommended that you print out the How To Treat Hypos guide (see sticky at top of the Feline Health board) and keep it somewhere prominent (e.g. on fridge door).

I'm in the UK too. The vet who originally diagnosed Saoirse tried to discourage me from home testing. (Saoirse was prescribed Caninsulin and Hills w/d Dry, essentially creating an environment that was more likely to keep her diabetic). We subsequently moved to a practice nearer our home (better in case of emergency) and our new vets fully support home testing and feeding of wet, low carb foods. One of the vets has a diabetic cat himself and his extensive experience makes a world of difference in how Saoirse's care is being managed.

I'm glad that you've found FDMB: the education and support here is amazing! Although some cats do fine on Caninsulin, there are gentler, longer-acting insulins that can be prescribed according to cascade rules (EU regs mean that Caninsulin has to be tried first). Saoirse is now on low carb wet food and Lantus (insulin glargine) and her BG is now well regulated (it's in the normal range for a non-diabetic cat on only a tiny amount of Lantus). It's much better than the rollercoaster curves typical of Caninsulin. If you follow the links from the main FDMB index to the Lantus Tight Regulation Insulin Support Group, there are several forum stickies that contain a wealth of information about the longer acting insulins.

WRT Sebastian's weight, I've put a link below to a body condition chart to help you assess him:

http://www.cathelp-online.com/health/bscore.php

It's a good idea to monitor Sebastian's weight at home. Digital baby scales are ideal. You can get good deals for them on ebay. You can also monitor Sebastian's urine at home You can test for glucose and ketones using Ketodiastix or Multistix strips - good prices on ebay. Non-absorbent litter urine collection kits are available on ebay, too. (Catrine brand was cheapest last time I ordered.)
 
hi Scott,

Not sure which part of the uk you're in, but Sebastian may be suitable for the trial at the RVC https://www.facebook.com/RVC.Diabetic.R ... linic/info My cat Angel is on it, you get a much better insulin, free food and check ups.
I now feed Angel a mixture of low carb wet foods, no dry at all. If you check the chart, the lowest carb is the Smilla (only certain varieties) he also gets the low carb Bozita and Gourmet varieties, and the Purina dm he gets free from the clinic (though I've a feeling that's too high carb to give him much of!!)

The alphatrak does test higher than the human meters, are you testing before shots then once in between?

Good luck and any other questions please ask. Angel was only diagnosed end of May and everyone here has been so supportive, there are quite a few people in the uk, all lovely.
C
 
Hello again all

Thanks again for your kind responses. Sebastian hadn't eaten much at all last night when we got home but he did eat a whole pouch of James Wellbeloved wet food, his first wet food ever!. I will admit I panicked a little due to the high protein content and didn't administer insulin last night or this morning as he only ate a small amount again.

A surprising BG of 10.9 this evening resulted in a call to our vet who advised this was too low a number to give insulin, particularly after two missed shots.

Sebastian has eaten 1.5 pouches today and his behaviour is still quite normal. I do want him to eat more but will be testing his B G in the morning to see how this looks.

I am really surprised at this evenings low BG but need to start testing more often to get a true picture.

We live in the South West so can't take advantage of the RVC trial but thanks for the link and everything else you have sent through. I will left you know how the lad gets on.

Thanks all

S
 
Can we get you started using our grid to record your glucose tests? It will help us give you better feedback. Instructions are here.

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid:

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning pre-shot test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening pre-shot)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.

Once that is done, you might like to update your signature to add a few things, including your spreadsheet link.

Editing your Profile signature block.
Go to the top left of the screen.
Click on User Control Panel.
Click on Profile
Click on Edit Signature
A test box displays.
This is where you may paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name, cat's name,
city and state,
date of Dx (diagnosis)
insulin
meter
any other pertinent issues like food issues, allergies, IBD, etc.
 
Greetings, Scott, from another West Country denizen. :smile:

Great to hear that Sebastian's BG is coming down and that he likes wet food. :smile:

I checked the nutritional profiles for the Wellbeloved pouches for carb content. I'm assuming it's one of the adult formula pouches:

Turkey: 9.5% calories from carbohydrates (DMB)
Lamb: 8.9% calories from carbs (DMB)

There are lower carbohydrate foods available in the UK which may help lower Sebastian's BG even more. For example, Nature's Menu Chicken and Turkey pouches have 5.8% calories from carbs (DMB). Other low carb foods include the Granatapet and Om Nom Nom ranges - less than 5% calories from carbs (DMB) - available online from the Happy Kitty Company (very high quality foods).

Zooplus do a wide range of low carb wet foods, too. There's a sticky at the top of the Feline Health board that tells you how to calculate the carb content for different foods.

Look at the ingredients in the foods as a quick guide and avoid foods with grains/starches.

Beamie123 said:
A surprising BG of 10.9 this evening resulted in a call to our vet who advised this was too low a number to give insulin, particularly after two missed shots ... I am really surprised at this evenings low BG but need to start testing more often to get a true picture.
Click to expand...
Sebastian's numbers may fall further in the next couple of days. I'd strongly recommend checking with your vet about lowering the Caninsulin dose. Indeed, it may be necessary to do several dose reductions in quick succession. For example, Saoirse's Caninsulin dosage went from 3 IU down to 0.5 IU in the space of a week after transitioning to low carb wet food. It might also be a good idea to talk with your vet about switching to a gentler insulin such as Lantus. If continuing with Caninsulin, it is possible to measure and administer doses smaller than 1 unit by using a conversion chart and 0.3ml U100 syringes with 0.5 unit markings (Vet UK do them, IIRC).

At the lower numbers, its hugely important to get mid-cycle tests - especially around +2, +3, +4 and +6, +7 to check how low the Caninsulin is taking Sebastian's BG. The steep drops typical of Caninsulin have greater potential to drop the BG numbers into hypo territory when the pre-dose numbers are lower.
 
Thanks again all

A quick update from this morning. Sebastian's BG is 8.9, down from 10.9 last night. He has not had insulin for 48 hours and the vet once again advised not to administer insulin this morning, due to the improving (?) BG numbers. Sebastian ate 22g of roast chicken (meat only) this morning and at least we have the weekend ahead to try and get him eating canned/pouches and try and increase his food intake.

We have ordered a Nature's Menu selection pack so will hopefully have some joy with this.

I will endeavour to upload spreadsheets and further details this weekend and we will continue to test Seb's BG every 12 hours to determine whether we can give him insulin.

At horrid work again now so will see how things are when we get home.

And hello Critter Mom, what's with this weird good weather we have been having? Another lovely day today and apparently nice again tomorrow.


All the best

S
 
Hi there and welcome :cool:

You have found the best place to learn how to safely treat your kittys diabetes. Much to learn however plenty of folks to guide you.
Regarding the weight loss - have you had his thyroid chekced?
Also, while he is unregulated it's important to test his urine for the presence of ketones.
Beamie123 said:
We do have the AlphaTrak BG monitor and have tested his Lordship when he has been low but our vet advised that we shouldn't get hung up on BG numbers as it's more important to monitor his behaviour,
Click to expand...
The only way to know if your kitty is low is to test. Judging BG by behaviour is dangerous.
Keep Seb safe - better a day too high than an hour too low.
 
See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some of the other assessments which may provide clues on health status.

And see my signture link Glucometer Notes for some info on what glucose test results may mean, plus guidance on understanding and interpreting them.
 
Hi Scott,

Great to see Sebastian's numbers getting lower. Keeping fingers and paws crossed that he will start eating better. Has your vet checked his B12 and folate levels? Saoirse had a course of B12 injections and they helped her very much. She also had appetite problems and cyproheptadine helps with that. It might help to rule out nausea as a cause of Sebastian's inappetence. If you click on the link below, there's a comprehensive list of nausea symptoms which could help you to rule that out.

http://www.felinecrf.org/symptoms_regulation_waste_products.htm#vomiting_nausea

Beamie123 said:
And hello Critter Mom, what's with this weird good weather we have been having? Another lovely day today and apparently nice again tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Don't know the reason for it, but anything that shortens the winter is always welcome. After all the flooding earlier this year, it's good to have some extra warmth and sunshine. :smile:
 
Hello all

Just to keep you updated, Sebastian lost his appetite entirely on Friday evening and didn't eat anything Saturday either so we took him to the vet where he spent the night.

Just had a call from the vet with the bad news that he has ketones in his urine, along with white blood cells and blood. They think he has cystitis too so he is a very unlucky 5 year old.

He is staying in again overnight so they can administer more fluids and get him eating properly. I have mentioned the change to Lantus and they will let me know. They have started his 1 unit of caninsulin again this morning as his BG was 12.6.

All other test results seem OK so we are hoping a stabilisation in his diabetes might bring him back to normal.

Thanks again all, will update tomorrow

S
 
Poor Sebastian! :sad:

He's in the right place at the vets. Fingers and paws crossed that he will stabilise quickly. Did Sebastian show any symptoms of nausea?
 
Hello all

Went to see Sebastian at the vets this evening and he was looking very sorry for himself but has been eating quite well today and he managed to chomp down a few high protein treats that I offered him.

His ketone levels and BG are reducing and we are hoping to have him home as soon as possible but we have to take into account we are both at work all day so have to get him sorted as much as possible with the vet.

Hope to have more updates soon but I know Sebastian appreciates all your good wishes.

Scott
 
Hi Scott,

Very glad to hear that Sebastian's doing better and eating better, too. I'm sure you must be very relieved. Looking forward to the next update. Please send him some get-better-soon-anti-vet-blues fusses from me. cat_pet_icon
 
High ketones without high BG

Hello all, apologies if this isn't a '911' but not sure how else to flag it

I have just spoken to the vet and Sebastian's ketone levels aren't reducing the way they expect as apaprently, his BG levels are within the normal range, now he is back on 1 unit of caninsulin twice per day. I don't have the BG results yet but will be seeing the vet this evening.

The vets are a bit stumped to be honest and I'm really conscious that Sebastian isn't having a good time of it in the vet hospital. They have advised he isn't progressing as he should be, considering the BG results.

My real worry is that, if we don't know what is causing the ketones to remain high (if it's not only the diabetes), how can we manage this at home? I really want to bring him home but don't feel I can do this unless his ketones start to come down (apologies for the poor terminology).

If anyone has experience of high ketones with 'normal' BG, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't know how much longer I want to keep Sebastian hanging on if he isn't getting any better; the last thing I want is for his last days to be spent in hospital.


Thanks all

Scott
 
Hi Scott,

So sorry to hear that Sebastian isn't out of the woods yet. I don't have any experience of high ketones but I didn't want to leave your post unanswered. I just had a look online and found the following link:

http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgguide.html

From the web page:

Pets with high BG levels often lose their appetite and refuse to eat. Pets that are sick with diarrhea and/or vomiting become dehydrated and are also at risk. The body will breakdown fat for energy, producing ketones as a by-product, any time there isn't enough insulin to utilize available glucose or there isn't enough glucose (from food) for the available insulin to process.

While most often associated with high BG levels, (some meters prompt you to test for Ketones at readings 240 mg/dL or above), ketones can occur at normal or low BG levels. Use Ketodiastix or Ketostix to test urine for ketones.
Click to expand...

(Emphasis mine.)

Is Sebastian eating? Is he eating enough? If he just needs appetite stimulation, cyproheptadine works much more gently than the likes of mirtazapine (and it doesn't carry the risk of inducing potentially life-threatening serotonin syndrome). Based on my observations of Saoirse and study of its pharmacological action, I think it also helps to reduce stomach acid and digestive discomfort. If Sebastian is nauseated, ondansetron can help with that. Zofran (branded version) is insanely expensive, but Bristol Laboratories' generic ondansetron is recommended for cats - should be able to get it on veterinary Rx from Morrison's supermarket pharmacies for about £11 for 30 tablets. The cyproheptadine/ondansetron combo can also be boosted with famotidine (Pepcid) to do more to help with stomach acid problems.

Has Sebastian had his B12/folate levels checked? Also has he been tested for pancreatitis (Spec fPL)? Both could affect his ability to absorb nutrients from his food.

I would suggest that you discuss with your vet the possibility of switching Sebastian to a longer acting insulin such as Lantus (insulin glargine) because Caninsulin is likely to only lower Sebastian's BG into healthier numbers for 3-4 hours out of each cycle, which means that his BG could be unregulated for most of the day.

I hope that members with more experience will reply to your post soon with better information.

Hopefully, when Sebastian stabilises enough to take him home, BJM's recommendations on secondary monitoring are beyond valuable because they will help you to do the basics such as keeping Sebastian properly hydrated and also to spot problems/trends that might not be obvious from vet assessments alone. (They helped me to successfully nurse Saoirse through a really nasty pancreatitis flare-up without the need to hospitalise her. (Thankfully, I am at home all day and Saoirse doesn't seem to be prone to ketones. She was switched from Caninsulin to Lantus and I think that helped enormously.)

Please don't lose heart. The right insulin and medication could make the world of difference. A few weeks ago I was petrified that I might lose Saoirse. Now she looks younger and healthier than she has done in years.

Keep posting and asking for advice. There are so many incredibly knowledgeable people here who want to help.

Praying for your little fella... cat_pet_icon
 
Ketones are a by-product of fat breakdown for calories.
If he is not getting enough calories, he may still be breaking down fat and thus generating more ketones.

If they think he is eating enough, perhaps they should check for hyperthyroidism or other conditions which speed up calorie use.
 
Hello all

We have had a torrid 48 hours and had made the decision to let our little lad go when he started to make a little bit of a recovery yesterday morning, after a last ditch attempt by the vet to introduce an extra insulin dose (3 times in 24 hours) to try and kick start his recovery.

This resulted in a reduction in his ketones yesterday from 6 to 4 (the first significant reduction in 4 days, as well as no major spike or reduction in his BG levels. He had also started to eat a little more, including some Nature's Menu wet food

We went to see him yesterday evening and he was much more alert and recognised us when we went in, even giving a load purr when I held him, it broke my heart really.

I will be seeng him after work again but the nurse has advised that he is brighter still today and has eaten even more.

I have absolutelyy left him in the hands of our vet, who has a cat that went through a similar scare previously and survived. I have dropped off all of the suggestions and recommendations you have so kindly given me and, assuming our lad is ok this evening, I will start to try and get some advice and answers on everything.

I will be honest, I didn't think Sebastian would still be with us today so I am just thankful we may have an opportunity to have our old friend back.


Thanks all

S
 
Hi Scott,

I'm so relieved that Sebastian is recovering, getting his appetite back and that his ketones are coming down. Fingers and paws crossed that he will be back home with you soon. Looking forward to further updates.

cat_pet_icon
 
Hello all

Apologies for the lack of updates but we currently have good news after a few days of ups and downs.

After my last post, Sebastian's ketones went back up again but the following 24 hours saw a significant reduction to 2.7, followed by another reduction to 0.2 yesterday. Each day he has improved and yesterday, he came off the drip and was able to spend some time with us out of his kennel, falling asleep on the floor between us as we nattered away. Seeing him again in a couple of hours, he is still getting better and has eaten even more today. Our vet practice has saved his life and we are hoping to have him home in the next few days; never thought I would be saying that, we are over the moon.

The vet has recommended we keep him on Caninsulin until he is fully recovered, then we can monitor is effectiveness and look at other options if required. He has been eating a mixture of Nature's Menu wet, James Wellbeloved dry and pilchards for the last couple of days and we will continue to introduce low carb wet food into his diet.

I know it's not going to be a walk in the park when he gets home but it will be wonderful to give him a second chance. Will update when we have any more news.

Thanks all

X
 
Hi Scott,

That's great news about Sebastian! I'm thrilled for all of you. :RAHCAT

It might not be a bad idea to ask your vet for some cyproheptadine for when you bring Sebastian home. That way, if his appetite were to slacken, you'd have something on hand to address the inappetence straight away. A sliver of a tablet is usually enough to pep up the appetite. If you need to leave Sebastian unmonitored, knowing that he will eat while he has insulin in his system is so important, and it would give you greater peace of mind.
 
Thanks Critter Mom

His Lordship was even better last night, jumping up for treats and generally charming the pants off everyone. We hate the fact that he is having to stay at the vets but he is very calm when we are there and they have commented on how calm he is in general (one of the notes on his medical record said that for one of his BG tests, he was 'wriggly but sweet', which summed him up a treat!) They have been very good and we are allowed to stay for ages and we just sit and play with him and let him hear our voices. We are now waiting for his insulin dose to be settled as much as is reasonably possible before we bring him home.

One thing I wanted to check is where you buy your alphatrek test strips and lancets from. We (in hindsight, impulsively) bought the alphatrak meter without realising the cost of the supplemetaries but we are loathe to spend more money on a human tester. If you have any tips on cheap prices, that would be greatly appreciated.

I will also get some cyproheptadine for the homecoming - not eating is not an option when Sebastian returns home.

Another fly in the ointment is the glucose and ketone urine testing. Sebastian was (and may still be, knowing him) a VERY outdoor cat and we can go hours without seeing him. His peeing activities are a mystery to us and we are trying to think of ways we can change this. If anyone has any ideas how we can handle this, or has used an electronic ketone tester (is it still called a glucometer?), that would be a great help.

Thanks again and will keep you up to date; I hope you and yours are well

S
 
Hi Scott,

It's wonderful to hear how well Sebastian is progressing. :-D Fingers crossed he will be home with you soon. I'm glad that you've got vets who are good with visiting hours. Over the past few months since seeing how Saoirse and some other cats here have rallied after getting the right medical/food support, I am awed and inspired by their powers of recovery.

I get my Alphatrak supplies from Animed Direct. They're the cheapest I found (and I looked very hard for cheaper). They're very reliable and fairly quick for deliveries. Strips are currently £39.99 for 50, and lancets £16.99 for a box of 100.

With respect to catching urine samples, Saoirse's an indoor moggie so I don't have to worry about catching her in the act. The only suggestion I can make is that you might be able to keep Sebastian in overnight, make sure he has plenty of water (mix some up with his food to make a slurry) and set up his litter box with the non-absorbent litter ready to catch a sample. The best price I found for the litter collection kits were the Catrine brand on Ebay (less than £2 per kit). You can get better deals on urinalysis test strips on Ebay as well.

Thanks for your good wishes for my little ones. Saoirse's pancreatitis symptoms have lessened immensely with the right meds. She eats well most of the time now, and her BG is fairly well regulated on only a dropeen of Lantus. Trouble is when she skips feeds her liver panics and her BG starts shaking hands with Ceiling Cat. If I can crack the problem of these hunger spikes then I will be able to start her on an OTJ trial again. My civvie, Lúnasa (aka The Noodle) is as blasé as a cat can be and I've finally found a wet food that she really likes, too.

Talking of food, Cassandra (SweetAngel) very kindly treated Saoirse to a sample of Smilla Kitten Poultry and Chicken canned food. It's the food that has agreed best with Saoirse to date and she really likes it. It's very good quality, very low in carbs, completely species appropriate (no veggies, grains or other 'human appeal' nonsense in it) and it's very reasonably priced (zooplus). The Smilla adult cat canned foods are low carb as well.

Looking forward to the next Sebastian update! Hope you all have a grand day. :smile:
 
HI Scott,

Re ketones, I just saw on another thread that you can get ketone meters. I don't know anything about them. Perhaps if you start a new thread asking for info, some FDMB members might be able to advise you what to look for. It could be a solution for monitoring Sebastian's ketones without the need to collect urine samples.
 
The NovaMax can test for blood ketones, as well as glucose. It is worth getting if your cat has ever been diagnosed with ketones.
 
Good news all

Sebastian is now home, we can't quite believe it. Our vet managed to pull out all of the stops and bring our lad back. They had to vary his insulin intake dramatically to get rid of his ketones but have managed to get him back to 3 units twice a day for his return home.

They managed to get him eating again with pilchards and he then started eating some wet food, along with his dreaded James Well beloved kibble. Frankly, we are glad he started eating again and this evening, he has polished off pilchards, Butchers Choice wet chicken and more kibble. As he was settled on this whilst very ill, we are going to continue for a while to ensure he continues eating.

Absolutely terrified of getting his care wrong now he is home but at least we have given him a second chance and it's just wonderful to see his little furry face again.

Thanks for the ketone Meter advice, I think we will go down that route as I think he will always be a roamer.


All the best

Scott
 
:RAHCAT Welcome home, Sebastian! :RAHCAT

Thrilled for you all, Scott! Well done to your vetty beans! I bet Sebastian is just as happy to be home as you are to have him there. :smile:

For info, if it's the Butcher's Classic poultry in jelly recipe, the calories from carbs are only 8.8%. I know exactly where you're coming from with keeping Sebastian's diet the same for a while to let him recover. I've found that making changes slowly and steadily is very important. Going forward, it might not be a bad idea to ask your vet for a few cyproheptadine tablets to keep at home in case Sebastian's appetite dips while the insulin's active in his system. It can afford great peace of mind - especially at night - to be able to address any inappetence problems straight away. Also, if Sebastian ever shows signs of nausea, ondansetron helps with that. Zofran (branded ondansetron) is hideously expensive, but the generic is much cheaper. The Bristol Laboratories generic version is recommended for cats. I got 30 4g tablets from our local Morrison's Supermarket pharmacy with a veterinary Rx for about £11. (Saoirse gets 2mg per day at the moment.)

Please give your little fella some scritches for me. cat_pet_icon
 
Hello again all

This is a difficult question to ask but does anyone have any guidance on how we can have our lad adopted?

With all of the will in the world, we are really struggling to deal with all of his requirements, along with working full time and caring for an elderly relative who lives with us; we just don't have the energy to cope with all of these things, it's really making life impossible at the moment.

We love Sebastian to bits but feel there may be someone out there who has the time to give him the specialist care and attention he deserves.

We live in Devon, England so if anyone has experience of local re-homers, your input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks all
 
I know how very much you care for litte Sebastian and I'm sorry to hear how difficult your situation is, Scott. :sad: cat_pet_icon

Is there any chance you could give us an update on what's happening with Sebastian's numbers, Scott. Is he eating OK? If you could post a bit more about the difficulties you are encountering in treating Sebastian', maybe there are things that people here who faced similar problems could suggest to help you? Even if the time were to come where you had to make the final decision to find a new home for Sebastian, you might very well get some helpful suggestions to make things more manageable in the meantime.
 
Hi Scott

I agree with Aine, could you tell us a little bit more about Sebastian and how he is doing? Did you set up a spreadsheet or anything? I fully understand how stressful this all is but maybe we can help suggest ways to make it easier for now, etc.
 
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