Natalie & Fluffy
Member Since 2015
Hello forum~ I'm all new to this, so let me introduce myself, I am the proud owner of a loving 15 year old cat named Fluffy who was sadly diagnosed with diabetes just a few weeks ago. Thank goodness there's support, because I was a wreak the first few days during the diagnosis.
I'm sure everyone remembers how they felt when the vet first told them that their beloved feline had diabetes. I felt terrible guilt at not having noticed my cat had been suffering this entire time. This summer I was undergoing benzo withdrawals, and I was too sick to even notice the minute but gradual changes my poor kitty was going through. He was always a voracious eater, but I noticed he was drinking an inordinate amount of water too. His litter box was an incredible hassle to clean---I found myself swearing at the ridiculous output (sorry for the image!) Since his last visit at the vet's was over a year ago, he clocked in at about 22 lbs (he was hefty, but he's a very long cat as well!) He began to lose weight despite his increased food and water intake. I thought he was just getting old, but there were some signs of his health deteriorating. For a few days, he started the throw up, and it was then we took him to the vet where he told us the news. Poor Fluffy... He had to stay two nights at our vet for stabilization and glucose curves. I am grateful my vet and his team notified me throughout the day how he was doing. After a sleepless night, it was a godsend to hear that he was responding very well to the insulin, and had no ketones present in his urine.
Even though my friends tell me I shouldn't beat myself over it, I know I should. I should have indulged him less, watched his weight. I feel responsible for not noticing my cats' suffering. I suppose all diabetic owners blame themselves for their cat's condition... But the best I can do is resolve to regulate his glucose levels and scheduled feeding times, love, and take care of him to the best of my knowledge. A diabetic cat does require a degree of discipline and attention, but if anything, it makes me closer to him.
Fluffy was prescribed 2 units of insulin (Novo Novolin) twice a day, twelve hours apart. I give him his first morning shot around 7:30 am, and his evening shot around 7:15 pm. He eats around twenty minutes before his shot and after, and then I remove the food until his next shot. He eats half a wet food can of Prescription M/D mixed with half a can of wet food Purina. The good thing is that he doesn't even notice the shot! The vet did say that he should technically eat about the equivalent of 2 1/4 cans of Pres. M/D food per day, but the mixture I make takes him maybe two or three days to finish. :/
For about a week, I noticed his behavior was getting gradually getting better, almost... too much! I was incredibly grateful. He started to behave like a happy, contented cat, but around last week he started exhibiting strange hyperactivity. His behavior seemed a little erratic, shaking, loss of balance, strange gait, wide pupils, and howling. I called the vet. We took him in for a test, and for sure, he was hypoglycemic, as his levels were around 90, though they unfortunately in reality would have been lower since he was stressed out about the visit. The good thing was he gained a little bit of weight (from 14 to 16 lbs). Our vet then reduced Fluffy's dose from 2 units to 1 unit.
So far, he seems to be responding well to this dose. It's probably too soon to tell. Sometimes in the afternoon he meows more often than usual, but doesn't generally shake around and for the most part seems content. If he starts acting erratic, I usually give him a small snack of food around 1 in the afternoon, and he tends to respond well to that. Fluffy will be going in for another glucose curve next Friday, so I'm crossing my fingers!
Anyways, sorry for the long story, but I look forward to meeting and supporting other people who are going through the same thing
edit: For any readers, what are some helpful tips that you recommend for someone who is new to all of this? And should I consider getting a blood sugar tester?
I'm sure everyone remembers how they felt when the vet first told them that their beloved feline had diabetes. I felt terrible guilt at not having noticed my cat had been suffering this entire time. This summer I was undergoing benzo withdrawals, and I was too sick to even notice the minute but gradual changes my poor kitty was going through. He was always a voracious eater, but I noticed he was drinking an inordinate amount of water too. His litter box was an incredible hassle to clean---I found myself swearing at the ridiculous output (sorry for the image!) Since his last visit at the vet's was over a year ago, he clocked in at about 22 lbs (he was hefty, but he's a very long cat as well!) He began to lose weight despite his increased food and water intake. I thought he was just getting old, but there were some signs of his health deteriorating. For a few days, he started the throw up, and it was then we took him to the vet where he told us the news. Poor Fluffy... He had to stay two nights at our vet for stabilization and glucose curves. I am grateful my vet and his team notified me throughout the day how he was doing. After a sleepless night, it was a godsend to hear that he was responding very well to the insulin, and had no ketones present in his urine.
Even though my friends tell me I shouldn't beat myself over it, I know I should. I should have indulged him less, watched his weight. I feel responsible for not noticing my cats' suffering. I suppose all diabetic owners blame themselves for their cat's condition... But the best I can do is resolve to regulate his glucose levels and scheduled feeding times, love, and take care of him to the best of my knowledge. A diabetic cat does require a degree of discipline and attention, but if anything, it makes me closer to him.
Fluffy was prescribed 2 units of insulin (Novo Novolin) twice a day, twelve hours apart. I give him his first morning shot around 7:30 am, and his evening shot around 7:15 pm. He eats around twenty minutes before his shot and after, and then I remove the food until his next shot. He eats half a wet food can of Prescription M/D mixed with half a can of wet food Purina. The good thing is that he doesn't even notice the shot! The vet did say that he should technically eat about the equivalent of 2 1/4 cans of Pres. M/D food per day, but the mixture I make takes him maybe two or three days to finish. :/
For about a week, I noticed his behavior was getting gradually getting better, almost... too much! I was incredibly grateful. He started to behave like a happy, contented cat, but around last week he started exhibiting strange hyperactivity. His behavior seemed a little erratic, shaking, loss of balance, strange gait, wide pupils, and howling. I called the vet. We took him in for a test, and for sure, he was hypoglycemic, as his levels were around 90, though they unfortunately in reality would have been lower since he was stressed out about the visit. The good thing was he gained a little bit of weight (from 14 to 16 lbs). Our vet then reduced Fluffy's dose from 2 units to 1 unit.
So far, he seems to be responding well to this dose. It's probably too soon to tell. Sometimes in the afternoon he meows more often than usual, but doesn't generally shake around and for the most part seems content. If he starts acting erratic, I usually give him a small snack of food around 1 in the afternoon, and he tends to respond well to that. Fluffy will be going in for another glucose curve next Friday, so I'm crossing my fingers!
Anyways, sorry for the long story, but I look forward to meeting and supporting other people who are going through the same thing
edit: For any readers, what are some helpful tips that you recommend for someone who is new to all of this? And should I consider getting a blood sugar tester?
Last edited:
