Food/Treatment

[johnvolpe]

I have a 14 year-old, 14 lb cat( approx 6.5 kilos) who was diagnosed with diabetes within the last two weeks. Over the last 3 months he has lost 4 lbs and increased his water consumption and rate of urination. Based on the vet's recommendation, i have been feeding him Purina DM wet cat food daily and injecting him with 4 cc of insulin twice a day. The glucose levels have remained consistently high during the last two weeks and my cat continues to drink a lot of water and produce excessive urine. He also is constantly hungry, even after feeding him 2 cans of cat food per day. He has not gained any weight during the last two weeks.

My questions are:

Has anyone observed a similar pattern with his/her diabetic cat?
Has anyone experienced a drop in glucose levels after insulin treatment and if so after how long a period?
Do 2 cans of cat food a day seem excessive?
Is 4 cc of insulin twice a day a high dose?

Any response(s) to any or all of the above questions is appreciated.

Thank you.

John

 

[squeem3]

My questions are:

Do 2 cans of cat food a day seem excessive?

No. In fact, for many diabetic cats, 2 can is not enough. Unregulated diabetic cats are always hungry because their bodise can't process the food nutrients the right away.

Most people here free feed their cats. You can use a timed feeder and program several small meals for your cat to eat throughout the day. Or freeze canned food into small cubes and leave a couple frozen cubes in a bowl to slowly thaw out for your cat to eat.

BTW, there are MUCH better and less costly foods you can feed besides the prsecription DM junk. Many commerical brands of canned foods are good: Fancy Feast, Wellness, Friskies, etc.

Is 4 cc of insulin twice a day a high dose?

4 cc of insulin is A LOT of insulin for any diabetic cat, an overdose really. That is the equivalent of 4 full 1 cc (100 unit) insulin syringes.

I think you mean to say that you are giving your cat 4 units of insulin twice a day :smile: For a newly diagnosed cat, 4 units of insulin twice a day IS a huge dose to be on. 4 units of insulin twice a day is a huge dose for most diabetic cats in general, the exception being those who also have acromegaly or other health conditions.

What insulin is your cat on? Was 4 units the starting dose or did you start lower and work your way up to 4? Are you testing your cat's blood glucose levels at home?

 

[kate and lucky]

Hi and welcome to FDMB :mrgreen:

I echo everything Squeem has said.
You might be using Vetsulin? Then that would be u40 insulin (4 units of either is as Squeem says a high dose)

I would also suggest you go to pharmacy and get ketodiastix-these test for keytones (something you should be checking until kitty pretty much regulated as can be life threatening)

Here's a link to help you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_in_cats

 

[Connie & Em (GA)]

Has anyone observed a similar pattern with his/her diabetic cat?
every cat is different, but similar, I am sure.

Has anyone experienced a drop in glucose levels after insulin treatment and if so after how long a period?
Generally after giving insulin, the blood glucose levels should drop over the next few hours. Depending on how long the insulin is supposed to last. There are some that are short acting that only last a few hours, some are longer lasting that last twelve, and then there are some super long acting insulins type insulins that keep a cat at a steady glucose level all day long.
Do 2 cans of cat food a day seem excessive?
Depends on the cat. 3 oz can, not at all. 5 oz cans, a smidge, but not excessive. 12 oz cans, absolutely
Is 4 cc of insulin twice a day a high dose?
I'm going to skip the whole CC part of this and assume you mean units.. My Em was on dry food and got seven units of insulin BID for years. Is it a high dose, yes. Is it too high for your cat, possibly. Depends on the history of your kitty. If you want to share what specific foods you are feeding, which specific insulin you are using, and a short history of when you increased the dose, we could be more specific with helping you understand what is going on.

To help yourself understand what is going on, home testing is invaluable. A human glucometer and a little practice will be invaluable in retaining your sanity.

Connie

 

[cjleo]

Hi there,

I strongly second Connie's suggestion that you get a glucometer (Walmart one works fine) and begin to test your cat.

If your cat was started on 4 u of insulin twice a day, it was a very high starting dose. You may have to lower it to get the correct dose. Home testing will help you determine that.

Any questions for me???

Claudia

 

[Alexa & Pootch]

Postby johnvolpe » Sat May 22, 2010 3:05 pm I have a 14 year-old...

Hi John & Cat - Welcome. You are in the right place.
A few things to think about:
1) Are you willing to feed him a bit more & or more often? - Make it 4 feedings & maybe 2.5 to 3 cans & see if the cat seems/feels more satiated. Stress is a big influence on blood glucose levels - if the cat feels like it's starving, that's stressful.
2) I would be more worried about the blood glucose levels before getting the cat to gain weight. That said, be patient & give the insulin time to do it's job - It took Pootch & I 8 months to get things regulated last time, so take a breath & be prepared to hang in there for a bit.
3) Post some info about yourself & the cat & the food & the insulin - show us the love
4) Insulin drops blood glucose levels, that's it's job. Your job is to monitor it to make sure you are giving the right amount & to see how the cat is responding. There are fast acting, 'medium' acting & slow acting insulins you need to get a handle on which one you are using & what is supposed to happen. There is a lot of research to do and LOTS of it is reading this site.
5) Don't be afraid to ask! These folks are like GOLD - there is lots of support here.
Send another post or private message anytime - I know just what you are going through.