First Post - New Member (Bruno)

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Hello! My name is Jasmine, my partner's name is Brandon, and our cat is Bruno. Bruno is 10 years old and was recently diagnosed. This website and forum have been exceptionally helpful so far, and I hope that one day we can contribute and give back in the same way!

Symptoms - His symptoms include excessive thirst and urination. The increased water intake was also leading accidents in the litter (wet paws). A urine test showed that he had a UTI (which has been treated), and the vet also saw glucose in his urine so he recommended a blood test to be done (suspected stress, kidney problems or diabetes). He has been sleepy, not too energetic unless it's meal time.

Diagnosis (March 1) - We received an email with the diagnoses including a brief description of treatment. To complete a Glucose Curve to determine the proper amount of insulin needed and recheck in 1-2 weeks and 3 months. Since receiving the diagnosis, we have done as much research as we can regarding low carb wet food and glucose monitors.

Diet - We are in Canada and considering Whiskas Perfect Portions, and Fancy Feast Pates. My calculations through this Cat Food Nutrition Calculator show that the Whiskas food is around 1.5% wet carb content and Fancy Feast is around 3.5% wet carb content (please correct me if I am wrong). He has been on a partial wet and dry food diet for almost his whole life (including the Whiskas Perfect Portions).

Glucose Monitor - We are deciding between the Contour or Freestyle Lite devices. Currently, The Contour is available at WalMart in Ontario for $75 and includes 100 strips, a free monitor lancets.

Next steps - We are waiting on a response from our vet regarding glucose monitoring and starting insulin. We would much rather complete a glucose curve at home, so we have prioritized transitioning him to an all wet food diet, and obtaining a glucose monitor as soon as we can.

Little information from our vet at time has given us space to do a lot of our own research and any advice is much appreciated. We will update our spreadsheet as we start treatment and get more information.

With gratitude,
Jasmine, Brandon and Bruno

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome to the forum Jasmine, Brandon and Bruno
The contour meter is a good meter and the other is fine too.
The food you have chosen sounds good.
What insulin has the vet prescribed? I am hoping Lantus.

o complete a Glucose Curve to determine the proper amount of insulin needed and recheck in 1-2 weeks and 3 months.

We are waiting on a response from our vet regarding glucose monitoring and starting insulin. We would much rather complete a glucose curve at home, so we have prioritized transitioning him to an all wet food diet, and obtaining a glucose monitor as soon as we can.

Not all vets are on board with hometesting the BGs. However this is by far the best and safest way to manage Bruno. Don't be surprised if the vet says you need to bring Bruno to him. Just say you are going to do all the testing at home.
As soon as you start to give the insulin, you need to be testing the BGs.
You need to be testing before every dose and then at least once in between the cycles to see how low the dose is taking Bruno.
Most insulin dosing is based on how low the dose is taking the cat, not the preshot BG.

If you leave the BG for 1 to 2 weeks and then 3 months before checking, anything could happen. To think otherwise is putting your head in the sand.
And I can see you are wanting to find out the best way to keep your precious Bruno safe.
Link to HOMETESTING

I would also buy a bottle of ketostix from a pharmacy and test Bruno's urine for ketones especially seeing he has had a UTI. We don't want to see any ketones in the urine at all.

With feeding give a good meal before the insulin and we recommend giving 2 or 3 snacks of food during all the cycles, mainly during the first 6 or 7 hours after the insulin. A snack is a teaspoon of 2 of low carb food.

That is great you have the signature and SS set up. that is such a help to us.
Make sure you have a hypo kit set up with some higher carb food, honey or karo.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Hi @Bron and Sheba (GA) , thank you for your reply and all of this wonderful information! We are hoping to hear back from the vet today with more information on insulin and testing. And we will buy a bottle ketostix, how often should we test his urine?

If you leave the BG for 1 to 2 weeks and then 3 months before checking, anything could happen. To think otherwise is putting your head in the sand.

I thought the same thing! I think this timeline refers when the vet would like to see him.

While transitioning him to an all wet food diet, we've noticed he eats his entire portion extremely fast - he always grazed on his dry food over a couple of hours. We've seen various plates and bowls and things online that seem like they are made for dry food. Today I separated his portion into two bowls and placed them at other ends of the apartment so he could walk to the second portion. Do you have any recommendations on slow feeding wet food?

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Update: we received a phone call from a different vet at our clinic (one that specializes in diabetes). She said that she wanted to step in as she didn't want to start him on insulin until a Fructosamine test was completed. She would like more lab results before diagnosing - his GL was at 14 and that the increased thirst and urination could have been caused by the UTI. We are hoping that they can complete the Fructosamine test with the blood they have and get the results from that soon. She also mentioned that there was blood in his urine.

Will keep you updated on the results - grateful for all of the knowledge and information we have acquired so far to be prepared either way!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Waving "Hi" from the BC coast. Both Contour and Freestyle Lite are good meters. I had one of each to start, but that was many years ago and both meters have since been updated. The Freestyle needs a smaller blood drop, which would be easier on you as you learn to home test. The other thing to consider is the cost of test strips, as that is what you'll go through, and how easy it is to get more should you suddenly run out. Note, some people shop on eBay for better pricing. If you check online, sometimes you can get a free meter with the Freestyle too, not just the Contour.

Lots of slow feeders around, even for wet food, here is one example. I think I've seen them at PetValu too.

For food, this food list is a little bit out of date, but still lists a lot of the foods available in Canada. There are more on this list, but I don't think the Presidents Choice are available any more:

• CANADIAN Food Chart

Acana has a new food line that looks low carb, as does Canada Fresh. Go might also be an option. You can contact vendors and ask for nutrient breakdowns.

The fructosamine test results should come fairly quickly.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

If the Ketostix result is negative , I would test a couple of times a week moving forward. If it shows ketones that is a different story entirely. You would need to tell your vet immediately and get insulin started immediately.
In the meantime make sure Bruno is eating lots of food.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Bruno's Fructosamine test showed high levels of glucose. We will be connecting with the Vet again on Monday and then we will know what our next steps are. We've picked up some Ketostix and will test his urine asap. His appetite seems good and he's transitioned to a low carb wet food diet. Although he does seem to be feeling better from his UTI, he has dry heaved a couple of times in the last few days. We purchased this silicone mat for feeding which has worked well so far.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Please keep us posted.
Hopefully the vet will prescribe Lantus or Prozinc. If any other insulins are suggested, I would refuse them and request one of the one I mentioned.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Bruno's Fructosamine test showed high levels of glucose.

Did the vet tell you the specific fructosamine value?

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Update on Bruno - We are curious to know if anyone else has been through a similar situation, and what you advise or recommend.

At home urine test has shown:
- No traces of ketones
- Blood detected
- Glucose detected at the highest level
(Waiting to hear the vet's thoughts on the results of this urine test)

Bruno's vet currently doesn't think he requires treatment for diabetes. I did come across this thread and I think maybe the vet mentioned Faconi syndrome?

Did the vet tell you the specific fructosamine value?

- We do not have specifics of the fructosamine test, the vet said they were elevated and could have been caused by the stress of him not feeling well because of his UTI. His first BG was 14 (lab test) and 13.4 today at the vet (Alphatrack). The reason the vet doesn't agree with a diabetes diagnosis yet is because she considers it normal to see a cat's BG between 10-14 when they visit the office. I looked at a lab test taken in 2021 and his BG was 11. She has also recommended to do a Glucose Curve at home within the next week.

Bruno has not been sick the last couple of days, thinking it may have been caused by the diet change. Otherwise his drinking and litter box habits have gone back to what we consider normal.

Although we try to moderate the time we spend online researching while trusting the vet, it's hard to let time pass without the answers to ensure Bruno gets the care that he needs. Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated

 

[Larry and Kitties]

At home urine test has shown:
- No traces of ketones
- Blood detected
- Glucose detected at the highest level

That high of glucose in urine typically points to diabetes.
What type of blood was detected? the nornal urine test strips have two pads for blood. One being for white blood cell and the other for red blood cells. The pad for white blood cells (leukocytes) is 99% false positive in cats.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

That high of glucose in urine typically points to diabetes.
What type of blood was detected? the nornal urine test strips have two pads for blood. One being for white blood cell and the other for red blood cells. The pad for white blood cells (leukocytes) is 99% false positive in cats.

I believe its the red blood cell it has detected (BLD/HGB). I have uploaded a photo of the urine strip index as well as his results to Bruno's spreadsheet.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

A UTI could cause blood in the urine.

Is Bruno prescribed antibiotics for the UTI and how was the UTI diagnosed? The preferable method of diagnosis is the vet gets a urine sample by inserting a needle into your cat's bladder. The urine is then cultured to determine what the bacteria is so that an appropriate antibiotic can be prescribed. (This is called a culture and sensitivity.) By using a urine test, all you know is that there's an infection. You don't know which kind of bacteria to target with an antibiotic.

Please keep testing Bruno's blood glucose levels and please get a ketone reading daily. The UTI, or any infection/inflammation, can increase the likelihood of ketones developing especially if your cat is diabetic and the insulin dose is too low. Since Bruno isn't prescribed insulin, you need to be especially careful about ketones. Is Bruno eating well?

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I have uploaded a photo of the urine strip index as well as his results to Bruno's spreadsheet.

The photo of urine dipstick can is too small to read what is on the side of the container.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Is Bruno prescribed antibiotics for the UTI and how was the UTI diagnosed?

Yes Bruno was diagnosed UTI 02/24/25 and started antibiotics on 02/26/25.
They had a couple technicians try to take a urine sample at the vet with the needle without success. Immediately after we got home from the vet that day with a urine collecting kit, Bruno provided a sample which we promptly took to the vet. We understand the importance of an appropriate antibiotic to be prescribed for a UTI, but Bruno is a very anxious kitty and they weren't able to get it at the time.

Please keep testing Bruno's blood glucose levels and please get a ketone reading daily.

We will certainly pick up a glucose monitor asap. We were able to watch a technician using the Alphatrack to get a BG level, and we feel confident that we can start home testing Bruno.

Since Bruno isn't prescribed insulin, you need to be especially careful about ketones. Is Bruno eating well?

We have the Ketostix and have become quite efficient at getting a urine sample. Bruno's appetite has always been good, but has definitely increased - we have noticed that this has been since we transitioned him to wet food.

For reference his diet prior to UTI and Diabetes diagnois was:
half wet and half dry diet
weighed in grams consistently daily
timed consistently daily
wet was always moistened with water
dry was moistened with water when possible (75% of the time)

We have now slowly transitioned him to wet food based off of the information provided through the forum, but his hunger has only increased. Our vet mentioned that Whiskas and Fancy Feast pates are recommended for cats trying to gain weight - so we are wondering if the food we have chosen for him is increasing his appetite?

The photo of urine dipstick can is too small to read what is on the side of the container.

We have edited the photos. Please keep in mind that the photos/lighting are for reference only as we are doing our best to understand this too

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Please inform if starting a new thread with a different title would be appropriate.

We are happy to create a summary of Bruno's diagnosis with all necessary information and a link to this thread.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

You're fine with keeping this thread going. We ask that if the thread is getting to be around 50 posts, or if there's a big change in topic, to start a new one.

The issue with diet is not the brand of food or solely canned vs kibble. Whatever you feed Bruno should be low in carbohydrates. Not all canned food is suitable for a diabetic. The list that Wendy provided (post #5) includes the percent of carbs. (Look at the "Typical Analysis/As Fed" section for the carb values.

Many of the lower carb foods are also lower in calories. (It makes sense that if things like peas or potatoes or rice aren't included, the food will be lower in calories.) If you can approximate how many calories you were feeding Bruno previously, you can give him at least the same amount of the lower carb food. The other issue is the way diabetes works. Everything that we (or cats) eat is metabolized into glucose. Insulin transports glucose into the cells. If your cat is diabetic, there isn't a sufficient amount of insulin to get the glucose into the cells and it continues to float around in the blood. As a result, your cat is starving (literally) all the time despite eating because he's not getting the nutrition from what he's been eating. The quick fix is to feed your cat more. We encourage feeding several small meals. I typically fed my cat 3 - 4 small meals at each shot time. Once numbers are better regulated, Bruno's appetite will be closer to his baseline.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

A lot has happened over the last week. Bruno has become very aggressive and has attacked my partner and I a few times.

Some history - we have dealt with this in the past. He started to have these episodes in the beginning of 2021, where a sound/smell will scare him and he gets very aggressive towards us. He was on fluoxetine for about a year and we saw improvement, so we stopped the medication. He is now back on gaba and fluoxetine.

Diabetes Diagnosis - the vet has determined that we should start him on medication and mentioned that he has a very good chance of going into remission. She has prescribed Senvelgo. The vet will test his urine to make sure there are no ketones, and that the urinary infection has cleared.

These past few weeks have been very challenging and haven't gotten any easier, we are just taking it one day at a time

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Please see our post on the newer diabetes treatments. We discuss Senvelgo. While cats can get into normal numbers using this medication, there's not yet a great deal of data on what happens when Senvelgo is discontinued.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

Thank you again for all of your help. He has not started Senvelgo yet as managing the aggression has become top priority. We will keep you updated once he starts treatment for Diabetes.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Are you testing for ketones if you have not started any treatment?
Untreated diabetes can lead to ketones forming which can be dangerous.
To test you will need a bottle of Ketostix from a pharmacy and follow directions on the bottle.

 

[Jasmine & Brandon (Bruno)]

@Bron and Sheba (GA) as per your recommendation earlier, we purchased Ketostix and we tested him a couple of weeks ago with negative results. The vet would like a urine sample to make sure that his UTI has cleared and to test for ketones before starting him on Senvelgo. We have tried our best this week to get a urine sample at home without any luck (we usually are quite successful, but Bruno has caught on to our tricks). We have taken a break from trying to get the sample this weekend and will try again next week. We understand the importance of treating his diabetes ASAP, but unfortunately his aggression has made caring for him a little bit more challenging. We have had a good week without any aggressive episodes and are hoping that we can get treatment started next week.

 

[Tim & Pookey]

Sorry to hear about the aggression, that must be a lot to contend with.

I’m jumping in late but I did see you mention you are able to get blood from his ear… have the blood ketone meters been mentioned to you yet (KetoMojo, KetoBM)? My understanding is that ketones can develop quickly and even fluctuate over the course of a day. Personally, I wouldn’t be going a week or two between tests.