How long before my cat is regulated?

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Margie and Jackson

Margie and Jackson

Member Since 2019
He’s been on insulin for a month and a half, but he was abandoned by his previous human so he might have been treated in the past. He seems energetic and recovering one day and lethargic and drinking excessively the next.

I’m really eager for him to get stronger and gain weight. He’s very weak and underweight. He has fattened up a tiny bit .

I know it’s different for every cat, but I would appreciate some ballpark numbers. I’m reading a lot of success stories with dramatic improvement and I wonder when I should worry more or be more patient.
 
Margie and Jackson said:
He’s been on insulin for a month and a half, but he was abandoned by his previous human so he might have been treated in the past. He seems energetic and recovering one day and lethargic and drinking excessively the next.

I’m really eager for him to get stronger and gain weight. He’s very weak and underweight. He has fattened up a tiny bit .

I know it’s different for every cat, but I would appreciate some ballpark numbers. I’m reading a lot of success stories with dramatic improvement and I wonder when I should worry more or be more patient.
Click to expand...

I had a Jackson when I was young!

Your Jackson looks like a sweetie!

I don't know the answer to your question , I've wondered about that too but I think it really can vary a lot depending on the cat, their age, how advanced the diabetes was and if they have other health issues going on, etc.

I think you're still in the early stages that require a lot of patience, patience has never been my strong suit though lol

If he has gained at all, that's important progress he's made!

I think the success stories with *dramatic* improvement might be partly cats who didn't even need insulin, just needed a chance for the diet change to work... and/or cats who had their diabetes caught early. I think different cats respond better to different insulins too.

Every cat is different , they each have their own journey, don't get discouraged if it's not the same journey , just focus on the progress! My guy is underweight too and thats the most stressful part for me, he really doesn't have any other symptoms and I probably would have given the diet change longer to work before going on insulin if he hadn't been so underweight.

I asked the vet how long it should take to get him to his ideal weight and she said a few months! That was discouraging but at the same time, made me feel a LOT better about the little bit of weight he did gain. I had thought before that that he wasn't gaining fast enough.

Hang in there! You and Jackson are doing great! Have you had a chance to look at how to set up a spreadsheet? They've invaluable.
 
Unfortunately there is no set formula that applies to each cat. In essence, each cat is different. You have seen that many of us are using spreadsheets on the forum to track progress. I highly recommend that. It will help us here on the forum, to help you as well.

I you are truly diligent, and your kitteh responds, then regulation could be achieved within a couple of months. But some cats are bouncy like my Leo. he has always been hard to regulate. So instead of perfect nadirs each day, I try to get him under the renal threshhold (BG=200 for Leo).
 
Hi Margie and Jackson and welcome to FDMB. Jackson is a beautiful boy.
If Jackson has been a diabetic for a while he has got used to being in higher numbers. Insulin is a hormone and it takes time for the body to get used to it. Some cats react well to it quickly, but many cats take time to get used to it and to respond well to it..
There are things you can do to help things though.
Home testing the blood sugars is one of the best things you can do for him, as you will be able to see exactly how each dose is affecting him. It might sound scary but almost everyone here tests and after the first few days, it becomes routine. You will need to buy a human glucose meter. Walmart has a ReliOn one which is good.
Test strips to go with the meter.
Lancets to prick the ear. Get for 26 or 28 gauge lancets.
Some cotton balls to put behind the eat when you test, and to hold on the prick when you have finished.
Here is the link to how to do it. We will help you. You don't need your vets permission to post.
ETA I saw in your intro post you are already testing. See my post below this one
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Another thing you can do is set up the spreadsheet which is a fantastic tool and will show you, and us, how Jackson is going. Here's is the link. If you have any trouble with setting it up, we will help you. Just let us know.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

While he is in higher numbers it is hard for them to gain weight because they can't get all the nutrients out of the food. That should improve when the numbers improve. How much are you feeding?
It is the same with the peripheral neuropathy that you mention with his stance. You can buy some methyl B12 tablets from amazon or lifelink under the name of Zobaline for cats. You just sprinkle the tablet on the food daily. It has no taste. Again once when the blood sugar levels improve, the neuropathy should start to improve too. My Sheba had it badly. But she returned to her former self when her BSLs improved.
Ask lots of questions. We are happy to help.
Bron
 
Last edited:
Bron and Sheba said:
Hi Margie and Jackson and welcome to FDMB. Jackson is a beautiful boy.
If Jackson has been a diabetic for a while he has got used to being in higher numbers. Insulin is a hormone and it takes time for the body to get used to it. Some cats react well to it quickly, but many cats take time to get used to it and to respond well to it..
There are things you can do to help things though.
Home testing the blood sugars is one of the best things you can do for him, as you will be able to see exactly how each dose is affecting him. It might sound scary but almost everyone here tests and after the first few days, it becomes routine. You will need to buy a human glucose meter. Walmart has a ReliOn one which is good.
Test strips to go with the meter.
Lancets to prick the ear. Get for 26 or 28 gauge lancets.
Some cotton balls to put behind the eat when you test, and to hold on the prick when you have finished.
Here is the link to how to do it. We will help you. You don't need your vets permission to post.
ETA I saw in your intro post you are already testing. See my post below this one
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Another thing you can do is set up the spreadsheet which is a fantastic tool and will show you, and us, how Jackson is going. Here's is the link. If you have any trouble with setting it up, we will help you. Just let us know.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

While he is in higher numbers it is hard for them to gain weight because they can't get all the nutrients out of the food. That should improve when the numbers improve. How much are you feeding?
It is the same with the peripheral neuropathy that you mention with his stance. You can buy some methyl B12 tablets from amazon or lifelink under the name of Zobaline for cats. You just sprinkle the tablet on the food daily. It has no taste. Again once when the blood sugar levels improve, the neuropathy should start to improve too. My Sheba had it badly. But she returned to her former self when her BSLs improved.
Ask lots of questions. We are happy to help.
Bron[/QUOTE
Bron and Sheba said:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/newly-adopted-diabetic-cat.213797/
Here is your thread from the intro page.
I see you are already testing the BSLs. That is great. And how kind of you to adopt a diabetic kitty. Lucky Jackson. We love having people aboard who have adopted a FD!
Click to expand...

It’s reassuring to know it takes time and ongoing high numbers aren’t a result of me doing something wrong.
I had permission from my vet to feed him as much as he wanted, but after some diarrhea in the last 24 hours I’m going to try to be more consistent. Half a can of reg. Purina DM and 2.75 ounces Tiki cat chicken and egg 2x a day. I might add snacks of Tiki cat in there if he’s still hungry, but as he gets better he’s eating more slowly and this might be enough.
Click to expand...
 
JeffJ said:
Unfortunately there is no set formula that applies to each cat. In essence, each cat is different. You have seen that many of us are using spreadsheets on the forum to track progress. I highly recommend that. It will help us here on the forum, to help you as well.

I you are truly diligent, and your kitteh responds, then regulation could be achieved within a couple of months. But some cats are bouncy like my Leo. he has always been hard to regulate. So instead of perfect nadirs each day, I try to get him under the renal threshhold (BG=200 for Leo).
Click to expand...
I’m trying to figure out the spreadsheet. I’m filling it out but i am using a tablet and some choices differ from the tutorial. I’m working on the sharing part.
 
Jasper Blue and Jay said:
I had a Jackson when I was young!

Your Jackson looks like a sweetie!

I don't know the answer to your question , I've wondered about that too but I think it really can vary a lot depending on the cat, their age, how advanced the diabetes was and if they have other health issues going on, etc.

I think you're still in the early stages that require a lot of patience, patience has never been my strong suit though lol

If he has gained at all, that's important progress he's made!

I think the success stories with *dramatic* improvement might be partly cats who didn't even need insulin, just needed a chance for the diet change to work... and/or cats who had their diabetes caught early. I think different cats respond better to different insulins too.

Every cat is different , they each have their own journey, don't get discouraged if it's not the same journey , just focus on the progress! My guy is underweight too and thats the most stressful part for me, he really doesn't have any other symptoms and I probably would have given the diet change longer to work before going on insulin if he hadn't been so underweight.

I asked the vet how long it should take to get him to his ideal weight and she said a few months! That was discouraging but at the same time, made me feel a LOT better about the little bit of weight he did gain. I had thought before that that he wasn't gaining fast enough.

Hang in there! You and Jackson are doing great! Have you had a chance to look at how to set up a spreadsheet? They've invaluable.
Click to expand...
I’m doing a lot of documentation. I’m working on sharing the spreadsheet.
 
Could be months, years or never. My Bailey was never really regulated even after about 8 years. On the other hand my Dulce whom I adopted an an untreated diabetic went into remission only after two weeks on insulin. My Stuffles and foster Wiggles took a month of insulin to get regulated (BG always less than 150 and usually less than 120)
 
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