I rescued my cat 9 years ago as a stray and he has lived a very good life. He has always been the alpha cat and got quite large. I think at his most he weighed in at around 20 lbs. Very recently, within the past 3 months or so he has begun drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot in his litter box and has dropped a lot of weight. When petting him I can feel his bones. After doing research online I came to the conclusion that he probably has diabetes. I don't have the initial $300 to put down to take him to the vet as I recently became a single mother and have been needing help from family just to be able to afford child care while I am at work. It pains me to see my cat so thin and I worry about him getting even sicker but I just don't have the extra money available to care for him. Plus, I have two other cats who all eat out of the same food dish and use the same litter box. Since he is older than the other two I worry that he will not take to the additional treatment, separating him from the other litter box and food. I need help as I don't know where to begin. Under normal circumstances I would just take him to the vet and do whatever they recommended, but as I don't have the possibility to do so I am lost. Any help or advice would be great. I just want to do what's best for my cat and give him the best chance possible.
Help?
- Thread starter irkentak
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Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)
Hi, and welcome to the board!
You can check to see if he has elevated blood glucose, which would indicate (but not guarantee) that he's diabetic. Other conditions could cause the excessive peeing and drinking, and the weight loss, but those are the classic FD symptoms.
You can get a human BG meter and test strips for the cost of shipping them to you from "us". On every page, towards the top right, there's a button for "Home Testing Kits". If you click on that, you can see how to go about getting one. While you are waiting for that to arrive, you can search youtube for videos on "feline diabetes testing" and see how to test him at home using that meter and strips.
That will at least tell you if he's got high BG values.
There is also an organization called "Diabetic Cats In Need" that could help you out. Follow this link to see what they are all about:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=29083 You may qualify for assistance on vet bills or insulin, but you won't know unless you check it out.
The important thing to understand is that while this can be a costly thing, it doesn't have to be. When Bob was diagnosed, the initial cost was pretty high, but I had no idea this place, or things like DCIN existed at the time. But once I started treating Bob, the daily cost of him being diabetic was maybe a dollar or two, which paid for insulin, test strips, and the switch from dry food to canned. So really, not all that expensive.
This isn't hopeless, and we're all here to help and answer any questions you might have.
Carl
You can check to see if he has elevated blood glucose, which would indicate (but not guarantee) that he's diabetic. Other conditions could cause the excessive peeing and drinking, and the weight loss, but those are the classic FD symptoms.
You can get a human BG meter and test strips for the cost of shipping them to you from "us". On every page, towards the top right, there's a button for "Home Testing Kits". If you click on that, you can see how to go about getting one. While you are waiting for that to arrive, you can search youtube for videos on "feline diabetes testing" and see how to test him at home using that meter and strips.
That will at least tell you if he's got high BG values.
There is also an organization called "Diabetic Cats In Need" that could help you out. Follow this link to see what they are all about:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=29083 You may qualify for assistance on vet bills or insulin, but you won't know unless you check it out.
The important thing to understand is that while this can be a costly thing, it doesn't have to be. When Bob was diagnosed, the initial cost was pretty high, but I had no idea this place, or things like DCIN existed at the time. But once I started treating Bob, the daily cost of him being diabetic was maybe a dollar or two, which paid for insulin, test strips, and the switch from dry food to canned. So really, not all that expensive.
This isn't hopeless, and we're all here to help and answer any questions you might have.
Carl
What type of food are you feeding your cats? If you are feeding any sort of dry food, switching to a low carb wet food can make a big difference as many cats are diet controlled.
Many people feed fancy feast pates or friskies pates, but you can also feed other pates such as Special Kitty which is much more economical and low carb.
Many people feed fancy feast pates or friskies pates, but you can also feed other pates such as Special Kitty which is much more economical and low carb.
Thank you both very much for your replies. I will definitely be checking out that website and have already requested a free home testing kit. After some initial research I decided it would be a good idea to change the food from the Purina Indoor Dry Cat food to Friskies wet food. I used to feed them friskies and it's the only wet food my cat, Micah, will eat. He's very picky with his wet food. I remember trying several different types when he was young and he only liked the friskies. Would it be alright to feed all of my cats the wet food only? How many times a day would I feed them wet food would you suggest?
Thank you again so much. It has been wonderful to find this message board and its accompanying website. I cannot thank everyone enough for being there as I would not have known where else to turn or what might have been wrong.
Thank you again so much. It has been wonderful to find this message board and its accompanying website. I cannot thank everyone enough for being there as I would not have known where else to turn or what might have been wrong.
Squeaky and KT (GA)
Member Since 2011
Welcome!
I really like the fact that, even tho' you can't afford the vet, at least you're researching and trying to find the answer yourself!!! That's WONDERFUL! You've landed in the right place to find all the help you need for your extra sweet baby.
Yep, you can ditch the dry and just feed wet food...it's actually very much the best for your fuzzyfeets! Some people feed at specific times, others (like me) leave soft out all the time for anyone to 'graze'. I DO pick it up a couple of hours before his pm test so that number won't be influenced by food.
BIG HUGE HUG!!!
I really like the fact that, even tho' you can't afford the vet, at least you're researching and trying to find the answer yourself!!! That's WONDERFUL! You've landed in the right place to find all the help you need for your extra sweet baby.
Yep, you can ditch the dry and just feed wet food...it's actually very much the best for your fuzzyfeets! Some people feed at specific times, others (like me) leave soft out all the time for anyone to 'graze'. I DO pick it up a couple of hours before his pm test so that number won't be influenced by food.
BIG HUGE HUG!!!
squeem3
Member Since 2009
Yes, all the cats can eat canned food :smile: It's much better for them. You can read http://www.catinfo.org for reasons why canned or raw food is best and why dry foods can cause all sorts of health issues.
For the possible diabetic cat, you should feed low carb canned food. Here are the food charts and list this board uses:
Binky's canned food charts
Pet Food Nutritional Values list
Hobo's Guide To Nutritional Values
Dr. Lynne's Wet Food list
List of low carb gluten free Fancy Feast
On Binky's charts, stick with foods that have a number 10 or less in the carbs colum. On the Pet Food Nutritional Values Chart and Hobo's Guide, look at the %kcal from carbs column and choose foods that have a number 10 or less.
Friskies has several low carb varieties.
Feed low carb treats: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172
If the diabetic-like symptoms don't improve after a week or so, then you really should take your cat to the vet. There are other health conditions that have similar symptoms to diabetes. Many vets offer some sort of financial help like payment plans. You can also apply for help from one one these places: http://www.felinediabetes.com/vetbills.htm
For the possible diabetic cat, you should feed low carb canned food. Here are the food charts and list this board uses:
Binky's canned food charts
Pet Food Nutritional Values list
Hobo's Guide To Nutritional Values
Dr. Lynne's Wet Food list
List of low carb gluten free Fancy Feast
On Binky's charts, stick with foods that have a number 10 or less in the carbs colum. On the Pet Food Nutritional Values Chart and Hobo's Guide, look at the %kcal from carbs column and choose foods that have a number 10 or less.
Friskies has several low carb varieties.
Feed low carb treats: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9172
If the diabetic-like symptoms don't improve after a week or so, then you really should take your cat to the vet. There are other health conditions that have similar symptoms to diabetes. Many vets offer some sort of financial help like payment plans. You can also apply for help from one one these places: http://www.felinediabetes.com/vetbills.htm
Hello and welcome!!
Do not fret my dear.... your head may be spinning right now but it is doable! He may be a little high maintenance for a while until everything gets sorted out, but once you start home testing and feeding just wet food I'm sure you will see positive changes in your furry friend
You're doing your own research and asking all the right questions which is fantastic! No question is a silly one and everyone on here is SO helpful it's been such a Godsend for us (we've been here two months).
Keep the message board updated and don't hesitate to post any time of day or night
Do not fret my dear.... your head may be spinning right now but it is doable! He may be a little high maintenance for a while until everything gets sorted out, but once you start home testing and feeding just wet food I'm sure you will see positive changes in your furry friend
You're doing your own research and asking all the right questions which is fantastic! No question is a silly one and everyone on here is SO helpful it's been such a Godsend for us (we've been here two months).
Keep the message board updated and don't hesitate to post any time of day or night
Again, thank you all for being so kind and supportive.
I stopped by the store to pick up some wet food and of course in my haste of leaving work I forgot the list. 10 minutes later of trying to pull it up on my phone with a very bored toddler bugging me I was able to find a few of the choices that were on the list. It was more difficult than I initially thought it would be as I kept looking for the names of the food that was on the list, but the names were slightly different on the cans and being that I was in Target, the options were limited and how frustrating it is that they don't have the freakin carb count on the darn cans! Who do I complain to about that? How stupid! I finally found a few choices that I could live with and crossed my fingers that my cat would eat them.
Success! I brought them home and set down the food bowls and they were all practically crawling on top of each other to eat it. Micah, the diabetic one was all over eating every last remnant left, so much so that he even ate my little girl kitty's food too! She was none to happy about that.
I read in one of the posts that overfeeding him right now as long as the food is low carb wouldn't be an issue. Is that true or should I stick to a feeding schedule do you think?
I feel I am moving in the right direction finally and I hope hope hope this does the trick. I guess I'll know when the testing kit gets here.
Thank you so much again, I'll be checking in periodically to ask more questions I'm sure. I can't tell all of you enough how much I appreciate the support you've given me just by responding to my post.
Good night all!
-Micah's mommy
I stopped by the store to pick up some wet food and of course in my haste of leaving work I forgot the list. 10 minutes later of trying to pull it up on my phone with a very bored toddler bugging me I was able to find a few of the choices that were on the list. It was more difficult than I initially thought it would be as I kept looking for the names of the food that was on the list, but the names were slightly different on the cans and being that I was in Target, the options were limited and how frustrating it is that they don't have the freakin carb count on the darn cans! Who do I complain to about that? How stupid! I finally found a few choices that I could live with and crossed my fingers that my cat would eat them.
Success! I brought them home and set down the food bowls and they were all practically crawling on top of each other to eat it. Micah, the diabetic one was all over eating every last remnant left, so much so that he even ate my little girl kitty's food too! She was none to happy about that.
I read in one of the posts that overfeeding him right now as long as the food is low carb wouldn't be an issue. Is that true or should I stick to a feeding schedule do you think?
I feel I am moving in the right direction finally and I hope hope hope this does the trick. I guess I'll know when the testing kit gets here.
Thank you so much again, I'll be checking in periodically to ask more questions I'm sure. I can't tell all of you enough how much I appreciate the support you've given me just by responding to my post.
Good night all!
-Micah's mommy
C
Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)
Correct, as long as the food is low carb, it won't hurt to overfeed a little bit. I'm happy to read that they all took so well to it! When I switched Bob to Fancy Feast classics, he looked at me like I was Santa Claus and I could imagine him thinking "OMG, where has THIS STUFF been all my life???" It's been over a year, and he still can't get enough of it.
Carl
Carl
Ry & Scooter
Member Since 2011
Yay, it's nice to hear about an easy transition to canned. Lots of dry addicts have trouble and it is hard on the owner and the cat. I have a trashbin cat that will eat anything and eat it so fast he pukes, so transitioning him to wet was as easy as putting down some Fancy Feast and taking the Blue Wilderness he was eating back to Petsmart for a refund. No gradual transition, no nibbling on dry throughout the day, just a cold turkey switch. We never looked back at dry once and his tummy adapted quite nicely to the change. :lol:
Well it seems that my kitty has put on some weight and is acting a lot more happy, however, he is having a severe hairball problem. He hacked one up in bed with me this morning. Anyone have any all natural, diabetic-friendly suggestions to help with this new problem?
Thanks!!
-Micah's mommy
Thanks!!
-Micah's mommy
Once again, thank you so much. I tried the unsalted butter as you recommended and Micah ended up with diarrhea. My best friend suggested up to 1 tsp of olive oil so I started putting 1/4 tsp on the wet food in the morning and in the evening. They did not much like this and stopped eating all together. I looked on amazon and surprisingly enough, the hairball remedy you suggested was there for $10 with free shipping with a $25 purchase. I picked some up and I will be trying this next. Here's hoping this works.
Thanks so much for your continued support. This message board has been a life saver.
Thank you all!
-Micah's mommy
Thanks so much for your continued support. This message board has been a life saver.
Thank you all!
-Micah's mommy
Welcome! Hello!
Want to welcome you & comment on my experience with white petroleum jelly as hairball remedy. Just like for you, olive oil & butter did not work. When given white petroleum jelly 2 of my triplets loved it. Was I ever surprised!! I bought a tube of Kendall Vaseline White Petroleum Jelly on Amazon because of the ease of administration - being specific here because don't know if different brands might have somewhat different flavors to them. Will try Vetbasis for my finicky third kitty, hopefully that will do the trick. Thanks for the info.
I think you're doing a great job!
Best wishes,
Sophie
Want to welcome you & comment on my experience with white petroleum jelly as hairball remedy. Just like for you, olive oil & butter did not work. When given white petroleum jelly 2 of my triplets loved it. Was I ever surprised!! I bought a tube of Kendall Vaseline White Petroleum Jelly on Amazon because of the ease of administration - being specific here because don't know if different brands might have somewhat different flavors to them. Will try Vetbasis for my finicky third kitty, hopefully that will do the trick. Thanks for the info.
I think you're doing a great job!
Best wishes,
Sophie
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