GLU and Food Question

[Jessica Weeks]

We just got back from the vet and my cat's GLU was 287 and his urine glucose was 2, the vet says it's concerning but not definitive and we are retesting him in a couple of weeks (holidays have pushed things back a bit). My cat is 100% raw meat fed and has been for over 10 years, but last night he and the dog got into a giant batch of porcupine meatballs which are ground beef mixed with rice in a tomato sauce. The vet didn't seem interested in listening or maybe didn't know, but how likely do you think it is that his numbers are high because he ate a rare HIGH carb meal the night before a blood draw? The vet seems pretty convinced he's diabetic but I'm very suspicious, hence the second glucose check in 2 weeks. Do you guys thinks diabetes or crummy timing? Thanks.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome, Jessica.

To be honest, there's not an easy way to know the answer to your question based on one test. In addition, many cats are rather stressed by being at the vet's office and their glucose reading is elevated as a result. (Stress causes a rise in naturally occurring stress hormones which cause glucose levels to increase.) The lab results may reflect "vet stress." It's really hard to know if the one meal caused higher numbers. Given that your cat has been eating low carb for 10 years, there's no telling what effect the rice had.

There are two things you can do. The first is to buy a glucometer and test strips -- you can get them at any pharmacy. Many people here use the Walmart, Relion brand. You can test at home when your cat isn't stressed at the vets office. This is a link to information on home testing.

The second option is on your vet (and frankly, if the vet was suspicious of diabetes I'm surprised he didn't do this). You can ask for a fructosamine test. This is very similar to a test used in humans -- hemoglobin A1c - that's used to give you an average of what the blood glucose is over several weeks. If the results of the fructosamine test indicate that blood glucose is elevated, then the diagnosis is likely correct.

 

[Jessica Weeks]

Thank you for your response. We had never seen this vet before and I left the office unimpressed. She seemed very adamant that since he is almost 15 he had either diabetes, thyroid issues, or kidney issues. And that was before any tests were even performed. She just seemed so eager to diagnose him with something, and of course change his diet to their prescription garbage. Depending on how the recheck goes I will look further into home testing but I will stay optimistic for now. I will also look into the fructosamine test, she just mentioned rechecking with a glucose smear.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I've been on this board for 10+ years. I've never heard of a glucose smear. I work in a hospital. There is no lab test called a "glucose smear." You get a glucose test either by using a lancet or from a blood draw (along with other lab tests).

Is there a feline specialty clinic in your area? I'm not sure I would trust this vet either. Given that hyperthyroid, diabetes, and kidney issues are more prevalent with age, her point is reasonable. However, you need lab tests to confirm any diagnosis.

 

[Jessica Weeks]

I think she meant rechecking with a lancet as she said it can be a quick tech appt and didn't need to be with her, but she called it a glucose smear. I do understand diabetes, kidney issues, and thyroid tend to go along with age but she seemed very pushy about it. We used to use a cat specialty center but moved so it's a good drive now, wasn't short to begin with, and traffic in the whole area is just awful. Thanks for your help and opinions. I'm going to ask around for some good recommendations for a new vet. We've used the clinic a few times for my dogs and it's always been "meh" but this new vet was less than impressive.