I'm so glad to have found this forum !

[SuzyW]

I manage three e-commerce websites selling Diabetic supplies (humans) so the diagnosis of my 12-year-old fur pal this week was both ironic and a shock. I knew something was wrong by the amount of urine literally floating above the litter in his box, although I first attributed it to the new clay litter I'd switched to. He tested at 475 and is now on 1 unit of Prozinc every 12 hours and DM wet food (vet also prescribed dry, but I'll be discontinuing that after doing some reading here) twice a day which was started last night at 7pm - our first go around. I have a lot of guilt right now having fed him mostly dry food all his life with the occasional wet as a treat. He had an "eat on demand" feeder which was convenient --- for me. *sad face* I'm familiar with products and testing (humans), but not with injections or testing on a cat, but I know it will become easier with time. I've already learned that my vet tech's recommendation of injecting in the neck scruff is not the best advice. I'll rotate injection sites as suggested by others on this forum. Any other advice would be appreciated and thank you for being here. ~Suzy and "Tyrone" the tuxedo cat/Minnesota

 

[BJM]

Welcome to FDMB University.
We have quite the course load for you.
1) Feline Nutrition by Dr Pierson on her web site Cat Info
2) Home blood glucose testing - tips and techniques
3) Tracking your cat's numbers with our color coded grid (it is a spreadsheet, but we promise there is no math involved!)
4) Giving insulin safety, according to standard protocols we have found helpful.

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Suzy, and welcome to yourself and Tyrone.

I have a lot of guilt right now having fed him mostly dry food all his life with the occasional wet as a treat.

Many of us here have felt exactly the same way, myself included. I fed dry on veterinary recommendation: "Better for their teeth," I was told. No mention of what it would do to their urinary tracts, or their pancreases. Over a year since I started this sugar dance, when my Saoirse's pancreas is niggling at her after a meal, I still apologise to her. (((Saoirse)))

We can't change the past. The main thing is to do what we can to make them better (and maybe share our learning with other cat caregivers so that their little ones might avoid the problems that carp food causes).

 

[Jan Radar (GA)]

Welcome to our world - FDMB - where all guilt about what we did when we didn't know is unleashed. It's a place where humans thrive on expanding their knowledge together and our cats thrive on the meat they were meant to eat. We are glad you are here and will help you in whatever ways we can. In our world, questions are encouraged.

 

[Cat Ma]

Hi and welcome. Already you are on the right track by discontinuing the dry food and limiting when you feed. And you on the right track for promptly noticing the large volume of urine.

You'll want to aim for low carb wet/canned food under 10%. You are already aware that you don't need an expensive prescription diet to manage your cat's diabetes.

Here's a handy cat food nutritional chart: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

You'll notice as the diabetes is better regulated, the amount of urine in the litter will be less. CJ used to gulp down water like crazy and leave boulders in the litter box.

When I was injecting CJ with insulin, I injected in her neck scruff daily without a problem. I often would just do one side in the am and the other side in the pm. The needle is so thin she never felt anything. Sometimes I'd worry I didn't get any insulin in because that's how thin the needle is. There were times when I'd inject in CJ's side if there was enough skin and "flab" to pull up but I personally preferred aiming around the neck area.

Home testing is a must to ensure correct insulin dosing and prevent hypo episodes (glucose levels going too low). The cat's ears have few nerve receptors so therefore poking isn't painful for a cat. The more you test, the more capillaries that grow in the ears, making drawing blood much easier. Start out by massaging/touching your cat's ears a lot and rewarding with treats and praise so Tryone gets used to it. Then graduate to the next steps with the tips and videos in the link below:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

You'll also get great tips from members here in the forum.

We suggest starting out with a lower # lancet/gauge such as 26 or 28 rather than the higher, thinner 30 or 31 gauges that come with the meters. To warm up your cat's ear to get blood flowing faster, a lot of us have several tricks; you'll find one that works for you. I use a terrycloth headband or small washrag, dampen it with water, microwave it very briefly and then place it in a ziplock bag. I test it on my arm first to make sure it is warm, not hot. Then I place it gently and briefly on CJ's ear to warm it up. To bead up blood, a trick is to apply a very tiny dab of ointment with a q-tip, such as vaseline, neosporin or polysporin. Be sure to use a very tiny amount; otherwise it will create an error message on the glucometer.

Others find warming up rice in a sock helps. You'll find a technique that works best for you.

A key is to aim for the "sweet spot", the area between the vein and the outer ear. A handy picture of the sweet spot is in the first post in the link here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/testing-and-shooting-tips.85113/

If we all knew beforehand what to do to prevent feline diabetes, we wouldn't be here! No use feeling guilty. You're doing all the right things and are in in good hands at FDMB.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

The protocol we put together for ProZinc is in my signature in blue.

 

[SuzyW]

Thank you all for your posts. Tyrone's dosage was increased to 2 units every 12 hours as his numbers were still very high, although injections are now easier on both of us and only occasionally does he try to move away from me. He seems to be responding well and has even gained a bit of weight back. I've gone through the DM wet food our vet sold me and am looking to switch now to something more easily obtained with lower carbs. ~ Suzy

 

[PureKaos]

The fact that you're familiar with diabetes and insulin for humans is a huge step in the right direction! So many pet owners don't even have that when they get that diagnosis!!

I used to help train people on giving insulin shots to themselves and on checking their blood sugar. While I've never had to check Stormy's sugars, I do know the insulin isn't very different than with a human.

You'll do just fine - and everyone is right - it's harder on is than it is on the cats!!

 

[Cat Ma]

I used to help train people on giving insulin shots to themselves and on checking their blood sugar. While I've never had to check Stormy's sugars, I do know the insulin isn't very different than with a human.

Just as humans must check their blood sugar levels before giving themselves insulin shots, cat owners must test their cats' blood glucose levels before shooting insulin. Glucose values at the vet tend to be higher, often at least 1oo points or more, especially with a stressed cat. That is why home testing a cat is a must to ensure correct dosing. Otherwise, giving a cat insulin without checking glucose levels first is like driving without seeing and can put a cat into a life-threatening hypo episode. Cats are no different than humans when it comes to glucose testing before shooting insulin.

 

[Shiloh & Rhonda (GA)]

While I've never had to check Stormy's sugars

Jenn, this kind of scares me. You said in your introductory post that he has been on insulin for 8 months, and you have never checked his sugar? How do you know 1) that he is safe to give insulin to (since many cats show no symptoms when their sugar is low) and 2) how he is using the insulin and if he needs a different dose?

@SuzyW sorry for the mini-hijack.

 

[pevsfreedom]

I think the hardest 'reality' of having a cat with diabetes is that you basically DO have to home test, every day. At first it sucks, but now I can get 5-6 tests a day and it takes me literally 15 seconds each time. 475 is a scary, scary # and things like ketones may start developing at #s that high, so trying to find a dose that puts your kitty around 80-120 the majority of the time is pretty crucial - and only possible really with home testing.

Something like this is all you need, and after that you buy the test strips (300 for $60 on amazon, lasts a few weeks/months). http://www.amazon.com/Diabetes-Testing-Contour-Active1st-Solution/dp/B00NG0MSPQ/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1440868749&sr=8-1&keywords=contour next kit

 

[Cat Ma]

My vet said there was no need to home test and to bring in CJ every few weeks for a glucose spot check and a curve in two months. That made no sense to me. The day I learned to home test was the day I learned CJ was hypo. She exhibited no signs of being hypo. Had I not been home testing, CJ would have ended up in the ER and I would have received a huge bill.

We have many diabetic cat owners here who were not aware at first they were supposed to home test their cats because their vets incorrectly told them home testing was unnecessary. Then their cats go hypo and they learn why home testing is a must.

I know of no cats here that have been successfully regulated without home testing. It doesn't matter which insulin is used. Home testing is a must!

 

[pevsfreedom]

My vet said the same thing Cat Ma and once I started doing more reading I realized how asinine bringing a cat in "every few weeks" really is, and wonder why vet's even say that. At the same time, my vet in 30+ years has NEVER ONCE seen someone home test, so you are really your own best ally in this feline diabetes business. I also realized Luna read 150-200 points higher at the vet every time she went.. so the $30 I was plunking down for spot checks was completely wasteful.

I never dealt with hypo with Luna because the shelter I got her from just told me to give 1 unit of insulin, forever, and she'll be fine. Vet basically said the same thing, even telling me she was in remission once off of a spot check. Of course being 300+ all the time has its own sets of worries, so I'm very glad I found this forum and started home testing despite what the vet said.

 

[Tucker&Me]

Jenn, this kind of scares me. You said in your introductory post that he has been on insulin for 8 months, and you have never checked his sugar? How do you know 1) that he is safe to give insulin to (since many cats show no symptoms when their sugar is low) and 2) how he is using the insulin and if he needs a different dose?

@SuzyW sorry for the mini-hijack.

Yes. This is a red flag to me too @PureKaos You have alot of support and information here at FDMB to assist you in home testing. In fact, the very best!
I believe there are some Newbie kits available, somewhere on this site, if $$ is a prob.
Anyone know where to find those? I KNOW I saw them!

 

[BJM]

Welcome to FDMB, the best place you never wanted to be.

There are 4 things you'll need to manage your kitty's diabetes:
- You - without your commitment, the following won't work.
- Home blood glucose monitoring with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart Relion Confirm or Target Up and Up (the pet ones will break your budget!). This saves you the cost of going to the vet for curves and done regularly, removes the need for a fructosamine test.
- Low carb over the counter canned or raw diet, such as many Friskies pates. See Cat Info for more info. If already on insulin, you must be home testing before changing the diet. Food changes should be gradual to avoid GI upsets - 20-25% different food each day until switched. There are 2 low carb, dry, over the counter foods in the US - Evo Cat and Kitten dry found at pet specialty stores and Young Again 0 Carb found online.
- A long-lasting insulin such as ProZinc, Lantus, BCP PZI, or Levemir. No insulin lasts 24 hours in the cat, so giving it every 12 hours is optimal for control.