Introducing Dewie (17y), my problem child :)

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Tzibele

Tzibele

Member Since 2020
Hello FDMB! I adopted my buddy Dewie in February. He had been found on the streets about a year prior, and then ended up with a wonderful foster dad who got him the vet care he needed. They guessed he was around 15 years old when they found him. He had poorly controlled diabetes (obviously, being a street cat) and the vets he had seen since he was found suspected acromegaly.

His foster dad gave us two blood sugar testing devices, which our vet wanted us to bring to our next appointment to calibrate and so he could show us how to do the best tests--before that "next appointment" COVID became A Thing and I haven't been in a room with my vet since the first appointment. I've tried getting blood from his ears and paw pads with a lancet so that I could at least try testing at home, but I haven't had any success (and my boyfriend can't handle blood, so I don't have anyone else to give it a try).

Dewie is ALWAYS hungry, obsessed with food. He eats a can of Friskies Pate twice a day, mixed with water to make it more filling.
He still drinks a TON of water and pees A LOT -- not always in his boxes (plural, so that he doesn't have to walk far to find one). He will saunter past two clean boxes and pee on the other side of the room. This is the biggest issue we are dealing with right now. It's not that he can't get to a box before he has to pee, it's that he's choosing to pee in specific places that aren't a box. I keep his boxes very clean--we use the Breeze litter system and two unscented clay litter boxes because he won't poop on anything but clay litter--and also tried Feliway spray near them.

Our vet has him on 17u of Novolin b.i.d., which has been his dosage since approx. May, and is reluctant to up his dosage because of the danger of hypoglycemia "if anything goes wrong" i.e. he doesn't finish his meal/he throws up afterwards.

I guess I'm just looking for some input...I've read a lot of threads here already and I am feeling a little more determined to test him at home but I don't know how to trust the results. His BS at his vet appointment today was 323.

Thank you in advance and I'm sorry if I'm rambling too much/not giving the right information. I just love my little guy and want the best for him.

-Maxine
 

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Welcome to you and Dewie and thank you for adopting an older diabetic cutie! :bighug::bighug:

Novolin is not the best insulin for cats, I’d suggest you consider perhaps switching to Lantus or prozync. Just to clarify, is it 1.7 or 17 units? I’ve never heard of a dose as high as 17 so I’m a bit concerned. Diabetic cats can’t process nutrients in food efficiently so that’s why they’re always hungry even thought they eat abs they’ll still lose weight. What’s his ideal weight? A good rule of thumb is 20 times ideal weight to figure out the daily calorie count. If he’s underweight you should feed him 20/30% more. Diabetic cats also burn calories just by peeing since there’s sugar in their urine.
As for testing, are you warming his ear and giving a treat right after to build positive association? And are you using a larger lancet like 28 or even 26? Those will make larger holes so it’s easier to get a decent size bliss droplet.

welcome again and he is a beautiful and lucky kitty!’
 
Thank you! I guess part of my issue is trusting my vet vs the internet, and getting my vet on board with changing insulin. When we got him he'd been on Levemir at 11 (eleven) units. Our vet has been in practice for quite a while and has treated lots of diabetic cats with novolin (not just by his own claims, but by those of our friends and family in the area who've been his patients forever).
Dewie is at seventeen units of Novolin. He weighs about 11-12lb--I haven't thought to weigh him but I'll do that tomorrow. (When he was found on the street he was only 9lb).

He has no problem behaviorally with me trying to test him (he lets me clip his nails as well with no fighting) but I wasn't able to get enough blood for the meter to test. I'll look again at our meters--I think one might be a Relion. I'll try again tomorrow with a warmer washcloth.
 
Check to see what size gauge your lancets are as well. I use an old sock filled with rice that I nuke for a few seconds to warm up the ear. Make sure it’s warm to the touch. Are you aiming for the sweet spot?
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Hello and welcome from a fellow caregiver of an acromegalic cat. I almost agree with others - Novolin is not the way to go, it's way too short acting an insulin. Dewie is probably spending too much time in high numbers because of it and may be the reason for the peeing problems. I would go back to Levemir as it's a much better choice for higher dose cats. The insulin needs of a cat with acromegaly can change over time, due to the fluctuating nature of the benign pituitary tumour that causes the condition. Hence it's a really good idea to do home blood testing.

Here's a post that may help you with home testing: Hometesting Links and Tips As for the BF not being able to handle blood, neither could I. But because it's what would save my girl's life, I got over it. Most of us here use a human meter for testing, the test strips are just so much more cheaper. And we have dosing methods that were designed around using human meters.

Was Dewie ever formally tested for acromegaly? If not, I would recommend it, and also get testing done for IAA (insulin auto antibodies) at the same time. It's a low cost add on test and the blood for both tests goes to the same place - Michigan State University. My girl had both conditions. We have some different dosing strategies if a kitty is known to have IAA too. If Dewie is actually diagnosed for acromegaly, there are treatments you can pursue that will help him.

For the crazy hunger, multiple smaller meals was better as my girl didn't have to go so long in between meals. I also got her an autofeeder and she nagged it instead of me for food. :)

A suggestion for peeing issues is also Dr. Elsey's litter attractant. You can either get something to sprinkle on the litter, or the litter itself.
 
Hi Tzibele and Dewie WELCOME TO FDMB! Dewie sure is a cutie pie. Youve landed in a safe place for him! We will do our very best to help you help him.
WELL DONE on getting your Signature posted It will appear at the bottom of all your posts. You are sure to add some things as Dewie progresses. Youve already been given wonderful advice.

I just wanted to add that,Yes its difficult to take the advice of strangers, especially when it may conflict with your vet. This site has helped well over 20,000 members and has been here since the 90's. It was built around using human meters (because lets face it, thats all vets use to have. That is until some clever people figured out, there would be a market for pet meters)

Pet meters are good. but they have one important drawback. They are EXPENSIVE to maintain. The strips are very expensive. I think its a buck a strip! You will be using a LOT of strips in the beginning.

Anyway...the only thing left for me to say is,
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY:bighug:
This IS the best darn site on this planet, to learn everything you need to know about feline diabetes. ;):coffee:
jeanne
 
Wendy is our resident expert on kitties with acromegaly. She will be able to provide excellent guidance.

Just out of curiosity, was Dewey actually tested for the condition? If not, it's a simple blood draw and the sample is sent to the veterinary lab at Michigan State University. We generally recommend that a cat be tested for both acromegaly (IGF-1) and insulin resistance (insulin auto antibodies). There is information in this link to the acro forum.

Just to help you understand why we are not terribly supportive of the use of Novolin other than what Wendy noted, it is not an insulin that is recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association. Novolin has too short of a duration and isn't suited to a cat's high metabolism. In other words, the effect of the insulin wears off well before the end of a 12-hour cycle. The AAHA recommends the use of either Lantus or Prozinc in their guideline. You might want to share the linked paper with your vet. (If I had to play a hunch, your vet may not be overly familiar with the use of a long acting, depot type of insulin. Novolin is widely used in dogs.)
 
Hi... so wonderful of you to take in this little soul!! My cat has acromegaly so I can empathize with what you are struggling with. Diagnosed about 18 months ago, but I suspect she has had it almost three years. At her most she was on 12.5U... now she's down to 7ish at the moment. Get off the Novolin PRONTO. awful for cats, but esp. for an acro cat. Go back to the Levemir. If your vet won't do it, I might say call around and find a vet more up to date on diabetes. Another choice is Prozinc which is what I use. Novolin only works about 6 hours. Prozinc and Levemir usually last 10-14 hours. If you aren't already testing at home that would be the next step. I have a video link in my signature showing how I test my cat at home. Feed her as much as she wants. You don't need to feed just twice a day. when the diabetes is out of control like you have then they are not able to properly utilize the nutrients in the food. Just no food at least two hours prior to the preshot test.
 
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