CharliesDad
New Member
Hello,
My 9 year-old male tabby/white cat, Charlie, was diagnosed with diabetes approx. 2 years ago. My vet actually recommended this forum to me then. We stabilisd him on 3U of PZI insulin twice a day, without home blood glucose testing, and changed his diet. We saw an immediate improvement in his health and quality of life, and aside from upsets when we go away on holiday, he has been stable and active (and very cuddly) for the last 2 years.
Unfortunately I recently moved house (apartment) and there have been a few other changes to my routine (divorce...)... Charlie became quite depressed and stopped eating regularly. I eventually took him to the vet and after a week on IV fluids and with high Creatinine and BUN blood levels, he has been diagnosed with kidney disease. As he was rehydrated, his numbers fell over the week, but they are still high.
After a 8200 RMB vet bill ($1200 us), they have done as much as they can -- they have stabilised his blood sugar and kidney parameters. BUN and CREA levels were falling but still high and beginning to plateau.
I have him home now and am to administer 90ml of sub-Q fluids twice a day, as well as pills once a day and an oral suspension twice a day. The sub-q injections seem awful (to me) -- I've successfully given them to him this morning, with no big issues (he didn't seem to mind at all), but 90ml twice a day seems like a huge amount of water for Charlie to soak up. He looks like a lopsided camel afterwards!
To be honest the most traumatic part is the oral suspension -- he hates the taste and forcing it down him isn't our favourite part of the day.
He is relatively active, albeit very weak and thin, and still seems to feel quite sick -- he's not too dehydrated, but doesn't really have much of an apetite. He miaows for food, but then doesn't really display much interest. His food is 50% royal canin obesity management (for his diabetes), and 50% renal s/o. Until recently he had no problem with the obesity food -- in fact I credit this as being the biggest factor in his improvement in diabetes symptoms. However, he's since gone off it. He seems to like the renal failure food even less. As an emergency measure (as, obviously, he has to eat when receiving insulin), I've been mixing in 1/3 can of human tuna fish... which of course he eats (tries to pick the fish out of the rest of the mixture, but it's a relief to see him eating). He'd rather hang over his water bowl than eat food. He'd clearly much prefer wet food.. I'm going to try adding pieces of chicken, low-phos baby food, making a mush, etc... I live in China, so there are basically no brand-name wet foods other than whiskas I can feed. Prior to the CRF I always ensured he finished his food in one siting, and removed any uneaten food, to manage his blood sugar curve. However, now as he is so thin and has a limited appetite, I have no choice but to leave it down and hope he picks at it (he seems to).
I know I need to start home blood glucose testing, and will do so -- particularly now as his diet will obviously be in flux until we find something new. It's just an additional point of discomfort for both of us.... getting a pill down, then 1ml of oral suspension, then insulin with breakfast, then 30 mins later, a big hump of water added to his back. He's very good natured about all of this considering... but getting an ear prick in addition to this is just another negative notch on the quality of life scale. He already looks like a pincusion after returning from the vet.
This is still day one of him being back at home, so it is all a bit overwhelming now... I have a busy job and so the pill, oral suspension, insulin and sub-q fluids are all a bit much before I rush out to work. In addition, most of the interaction I now have with Charlie will be giving him discomfort, which troubles me... He will go back to the vet for more blood work after 10 days, and I am hoping that a more relaxed sub-q schedule will be possible longer-term. The thought of his neck being full of holes -- some replete with water seeping out -- isn't a nice one.
I guess after 10 days it will be clearer how long he has and how our quality of life will be. Fortunately he is a lovely, affectionate family cat. He's always been very cuddly -- although very sensitive and needy.
I do wonder how the big mass of fluid injected in basically the same area as the insulin will have an effect on insulin uptake. I guess only BG testing will show me this.
John & Charlie
P.S. Now I'm beginning home BG testing, I've been creating an iPhone app to track and chart Charlie's blood glucose levels. I've been learning iOS development and saw this as a good opportunity to make something useful. I hope once it is good enough to share, I'll be able to post more information about it here.
My 9 year-old male tabby/white cat, Charlie, was diagnosed with diabetes approx. 2 years ago. My vet actually recommended this forum to me then. We stabilisd him on 3U of PZI insulin twice a day, without home blood glucose testing, and changed his diet. We saw an immediate improvement in his health and quality of life, and aside from upsets when we go away on holiday, he has been stable and active (and very cuddly) for the last 2 years.
Unfortunately I recently moved house (apartment) and there have been a few other changes to my routine (divorce...)... Charlie became quite depressed and stopped eating regularly. I eventually took him to the vet and after a week on IV fluids and with high Creatinine and BUN blood levels, he has been diagnosed with kidney disease. As he was rehydrated, his numbers fell over the week, but they are still high.
After a 8200 RMB vet bill ($1200 us), they have done as much as they can -- they have stabilised his blood sugar and kidney parameters. BUN and CREA levels were falling but still high and beginning to plateau.
I have him home now and am to administer 90ml of sub-Q fluids twice a day, as well as pills once a day and an oral suspension twice a day. The sub-q injections seem awful (to me) -- I've successfully given them to him this morning, with no big issues (he didn't seem to mind at all), but 90ml twice a day seems like a huge amount of water for Charlie to soak up. He looks like a lopsided camel afterwards!
To be honest the most traumatic part is the oral suspension -- he hates the taste and forcing it down him isn't our favourite part of the day.
He is relatively active, albeit very weak and thin, and still seems to feel quite sick -- he's not too dehydrated, but doesn't really have much of an apetite. He miaows for food, but then doesn't really display much interest. His food is 50% royal canin obesity management (for his diabetes), and 50% renal s/o. Until recently he had no problem with the obesity food -- in fact I credit this as being the biggest factor in his improvement in diabetes symptoms. However, he's since gone off it. He seems to like the renal failure food even less. As an emergency measure (as, obviously, he has to eat when receiving insulin), I've been mixing in 1/3 can of human tuna fish... which of course he eats (tries to pick the fish out of the rest of the mixture, but it's a relief to see him eating). He'd rather hang over his water bowl than eat food. He'd clearly much prefer wet food.. I'm going to try adding pieces of chicken, low-phos baby food, making a mush, etc... I live in China, so there are basically no brand-name wet foods other than whiskas I can feed. Prior to the CRF I always ensured he finished his food in one siting, and removed any uneaten food, to manage his blood sugar curve. However, now as he is so thin and has a limited appetite, I have no choice but to leave it down and hope he picks at it (he seems to).
I know I need to start home blood glucose testing, and will do so -- particularly now as his diet will obviously be in flux until we find something new. It's just an additional point of discomfort for both of us.... getting a pill down, then 1ml of oral suspension, then insulin with breakfast, then 30 mins later, a big hump of water added to his back. He's very good natured about all of this considering... but getting an ear prick in addition to this is just another negative notch on the quality of life scale. He already looks like a pincusion after returning from the vet.
This is still day one of him being back at home, so it is all a bit overwhelming now... I have a busy job and so the pill, oral suspension, insulin and sub-q fluids are all a bit much before I rush out to work. In addition, most of the interaction I now have with Charlie will be giving him discomfort, which troubles me... He will go back to the vet for more blood work after 10 days, and I am hoping that a more relaxed sub-q schedule will be possible longer-term. The thought of his neck being full of holes -- some replete with water seeping out -- isn't a nice one.
I guess after 10 days it will be clearer how long he has and how our quality of life will be. Fortunately he is a lovely, affectionate family cat. He's always been very cuddly -- although very sensitive and needy.
I do wonder how the big mass of fluid injected in basically the same area as the insulin will have an effect on insulin uptake. I guess only BG testing will show me this.
John & Charlie
P.S. Now I'm beginning home BG testing, I've been creating an iPhone app to track and chart Charlie's blood glucose levels. I've been learning iOS development and saw this as a good opportunity to make something useful. I hope once it is good enough to share, I'll be able to post more information about it here.
