I just found out my cat has diabetes . . .

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rafficat

New Member
Hi all,
I just found out my cat has diabetes . . . He is 5 and the best.
I have been suspicious of this for quite some time, but took him last week for testing. I would like to begin raw food, or a dietary change asap. Prior to beginning insulin. I read about it online, but am wondering if anyone has attempted this action, before beginning insulin?
What would you all suggest my best option to be?
Thanks for the advice!
 
Some cats respond very well to a diet change, but most need insulin. Some only for a while and others for longer. This site by a vet has great information on diets for FD cats: www.catinfo.org.

The best way to determine how your cat is doing, and how the diet is working, is to test his blood glucose levels. Then you'll know quickly whether the diet change is making the difference or whether he needs insulin. We test our cats with human glucometers. We have taught hundreds of people how over the Internet. We'd be glad to teach you.
 
Welcome to the best site to help you learn to help your kitty. I havent had a diabetic kitty in a long time so I will leave advice to the experts. Just wanted to welcome you.
jeanne
 
Thank you!
Where can I buy a glucometer? And how do I know what the levels mean?
I'm completely new to this . . .
I am also moving in three weeks to a new city and would like to wait on insulin, until I can get my cat to a vet in my new neighbourhood, as the testing and treatment (figuring levels at the vet, etc) can take some time, or so says my vet.
 
The cheapest way to get started is the ReliOn meter from Walmart. The meters are not expensive - some are free -it's the strips that are expensive. ReliOn has the cheapest strips. But if you get a good deal on a brand name meter, you can buy strips on ebay. Here's a shopping list:


What you need to start hometesting

A human glucometer. Any one that sips and takes a tiny sample is fine. The meters are often free at drug stores; it’s the strips that are expensive. You can, however, buy them on ebay at less than half the price of stores. Lots of people here also like the ReliOn from Walmart. It is an inexpensive meter and its strips are the cheapest around. Try the meter out on yourself or someone else before you try it on your cat. You want to be familiar with it before you poke the cat.

Lancets and a lancet device. Usually, until the ears “learn” to bleed, a 25-26 gauge is good. Any brand will work.

Ketone strips. (Ketostix) Just like human diabetics use. You will sometimes need to test urine if the numbers are high.

Rice sack. Make this out of thinnish sock, filled with raw rice or oatmeal and then knotted. You heat this in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Then heat the ears before poking.

Also nice to have. Flashlight: so you can look at the ears and find the little capillaries that come off the vein running down the ear. Vaseline: Put a tiny smear where you want to poke. It will help the blood bead up.

And some lo carb treats to give your kitty, successful test or not Lo carb treats

Here's a video that shows you how it is done: Video for hometesting
 
It actually might be dangerous to wait 3 weeks to start insulin. What were the glucose numbers your kitty tested at while at the vet?
 
starting the low carb diet first is actually best. my own cat came down at least 100 points (hometesting) the week before my insulin arrived.
he also felt better immediatly with the diet change to raw and lower than 7 carb canned wet food.
the first time around tom was off the insulin in only a month...for 2.5 years
he is back on insulin now.
once a diabetic always a diabetic and i am grateful for the 2.5 years we had of diet control. he is very well regulated right now on only .5 units of insulin twice a day.
 
I just found out my little guy has diabetes, too. Its scary, but I'm so glad for all the support there is here. I'll leave the advice to others for now, but I just wanted to say everyone is here for you, and you cat!
 
My 5yo Cedric was diagnosed in April, a week after we moved (although my move was local). We went in on the 21st for his regular annual visit, I told them he had been drinking a lot of water for about 3 weeks, and they ran additional tests. next day, they called me to confirm he had diabetes. I went to get the scrip and filled it that night. I started his injections on the 23rd. I started testing him the following tuesday - I was albe to buy the meter (Relion Micro at Wal-Mart) but had to go back on the 26th to get the strips (bought the meter on Easter Sunday and the pharmacy - where they sell the strips $20 for 50- was closed). I changed his food from fancy feat canned & blue buffalo weight control dry to blue buffalo wilderness canned & dry. I also started buying him wellness canned. Wellness and Wilderness are all 100% grain free, high protein & low carbs. The change in food type did make a difference, but the real difference occurred when I finally gave in to the proding from my friends here and got rid of the dry food. I work 7 days a week, and Cedric is home by himself for about 9-10 hours a day. I put out the dry for "snacking" - he was down to 1/8 cup twice a day, which isn't much. But I took it away (kind of by accident) on May 19th, his numbers dropped immediately and two days later they were normal. he hasn't had insulin since May 21st.

I have learned to freeze food (he gets a popscile when I go to work), and am looking for an auto feeder. I bought him a new tooth brush and keep forgetting to brush his teeth at night tho!

Personally, I would start the insulin right away. You mentioned moving, and I wasn't sure exactly how far you are moving. You'll need to keep the insulin "cold" unless you get a pen - I don't think they need to be refridgerated, but someone with experience with them will need to chime in on that. the way I look at it, the sooner you start, the sooner you are helping your baby.

Maybe someone on here lives in your new town and can recomend a vet. I am sure the two vets can communicate with each other to help you settle in.

good luck & welcome!
 
You can start hometesting and posting your numbers and we can offer some guidance then as to what the numbers mean that you're getting.

Some cats don't need insulin and diet change does the trick. Others might have an underlying cause for the FD such as infection, bad teeth, stress, there are a number of things that could cause transient diabetes and then there are cats who will always be FD.

Was other bloodwork done? Was your cat ever on steroids for anything, maybe an allergy or something? I'm asking because 5 is younger than I usually see, although I do have two adopted FDs both under the age of 5, one was steroid induced, the other stress, both are off insulin at this time.
 
Diet change can make a huge difference and I would definitely recommend changing it before you start insulin. It will make your life much easier and it's safer for the cat, since it can lower blood glucose numbers significantly and in a few cases even lead to immediate remission. While you're researching and getting supplies for a raw diet (Here's a great link on how to do that, btw: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood), you can switch to low carb canned food in the meantime. Here's a link to the Janet and Binky food charts that will tell you the carb content: http://felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm I started out feeding Bandit the low carb Fancy Feast flavors (http://felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm), and I now feed him a mix of Merrick's and EVO grain free foods because I decided I wanted a higher quality protein source for him (Cowboy Cookout, 95% Venison, 95% Chicken & Turkey). It's all up to you what you decide to feed based on what you can afford. Many people here feed the low carb Friskies as well and their cats do perfectly fine on those foods. The key is that it's low carb (under 10%, although I had more success keeping Bandit under 6% because he's very carb sensitive.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top