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mrsflythe

Member Since 2013
Today I took Felix to the vet for his two week check up. Two weeks ago we found out he has diabetes. I dropped him off this morning with his insulin and Bafield let me know they would monitor him throughout the day and do four total blood glucose tests.

I went in to pick him up and the vet told me to increase the insulin dose to 2 units. She also told me that he had been "sluggish" and that they thought it was just stress from being there all day and hearing dogs, etc. I get him home and my husband takes him out of the carrier and Felix starts walking side ways and goes and lays down with his head over the side of his bowl to drink his water. He's having trouble walking and appeared to stop breathing at one point.

Is this normal? We are pretty upset thinking they didn't monitor him all day like they should have. Now I'm worried he might not make it and of course they are closed for the day. Has this happened to anyone else?

Any help/advice/comfort is welcome.

I've never had a diabetic cat before so this is all new to me.
 
not normal.

do you have a ER vet available? can you take him there to be checked out? i would be concerned that he was 1. overdosed or 2. developing ketones. given your description that is what immediately comes to mind and if he's been overdosed you don't want to give him more insulin blindly.

i assume you are not hometesting glucose levels or testing for ketones at home?
 
No, it's not normal. His blood glucose levels could be too high or too low. Do you have an emergency clinic nearby where you could take him?

We can help you learn how to monitor him at home and keep him safe, but I would get him checked out tonight.
 
No we don't monitor him at home. We were told to give him 1 unit two weeks ago and today she upped it to 2 units. I'm checking to see if there's another 24 hour vet close to me.

Shouldn't they have picked up on his keotens (sp)? I know what those are as I have a diabetic friend that's had to be hospitalized for them before.
 
They should have caught both too high or too low levels, but - to be blunt- it sounds like they made a number of errors.

If you can't get him to the vet, go to Walmart and get ketone strips (just like humans use), a ReliOn human meter with 26 gauge lancets to test him sugars. But if he is as sick as he sounds, you don't have a lot of time.
 
She stated that the first time I took him it was in the 500 range (blood glucose) and today that it was in the 464-480 range and that's why the increase in dosage. I don't think she knows what she's doing truth be told.

I'm looking into another vet and will making sure to ask that they have experience with feline diabetes. This is sickening and really upsetting that my poor fur baby is not doing well and I feel pretty helpless and like a crap person because the vet I trusted can't seem to fully help him.
 
Every one of us assumed our vet knew about feline diabetes. It would be wonderful if they did, but they do treat lots of different diseases in different species. You trusted the vet - nothing to feel guilty about.

If his numbers were in those ranges, ketones are a real possibility. You can't treat them at home.
 
Vet ER _now_.
In addition to hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis, there are some other conditions which cause those symptoms which are serious.

Let us know what happens.
 
I'm looking into another vet and will making sure to ask that they have experience with feline diabetes. This is sickening and really upsetting that my poor fur baby is not doing well and I feel pretty helpless and like a crap person because the vet I trusted can't seem to fully help him.
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Do not blame yourself!! We have heard this story so many times before! Vets can't keep up with the latest treatments for every disease for every animal they see, so there aren't a lot of them with "experience" with feline diabetes.

Most of us here manage our diabetic cats at home, with vets being used for prescriptions and routine vet care only..unless there's another problem that needs diagnosis.

It sounds like the "between 464-480" may have been the tests they got during those 4 tests..and those are high numbers.

I agree you should get your kitty to a vet to make sure he's ok. When he's better, we'll teach you how to keep him safe at home
 
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