Introduction/Am I a bad mother?

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MaryM6902

Member Since 2014
Hi everyone - I just found this board yesterday. Thank you for being here. My cat (Snowflake, 8 yrs old) has the symptoms of diabetes. My daughter (age 18) and I noticed that she had lost a lot of weight and was drinking and peeing so much. A travel vet gave her shots and a physical 2-3 months ago and said she was healthy. (The cats hate going to the vet so I thought this was a good solution for shots.) But it wasn't until yesterday that I noticed she seemed a little wobbly when she walked. I talked to a nurse friend/cat lover at work who said it sounds like diabetes. After reading about it on various websites yesterday, yes it certainly seems like Snowflake has the symptoms.

So, to be honest, I am not sure I want to go down the road of medical diagnosis, testing, injections, etc. My first inclination is to keep her comfortable and see what I can do to treat her at home. I immediately went to Wal-Mart and stocked up on the Fancy Feast varieties that I found on a specific list of good low-carb commercial cat foods for diabetic cats. Snowflake loved it! So no problem switching from dry to wet food. She ate 1 can last evening at dinner time and then I gave her another can before bed and she ate it all as well. This morning I gave her another can.

My daughter thinks that we are being bad parents by not immediately rushing off to the vet for a diagnosis and treatment. From what I've read so far, the only treatment is lots of ongoing testing and medication. But I did read that cats can sometimes go into remission from this diet change alone.

Am I crazy to try this first, before going to the vet? Am I a terrible parent?

Any and all replies would be very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

Regards,
Mary
 
You aren't a terrible parent, Mary! It sounds like you are an overwhelmed parent right now, though. Getting the diagnosis of diabetes (or suspecting diabetes) is really, really difficult. There is so much to consider, and it's scary to think about it. The good news is that you can do this - the testing, the insulin, etc. And cats can absolutely go into remission. My Jersey is one of those success stories. She went into remission after being on Lantus for 2 months. Had we started (the right) insulin right away, we may have even be able to get her into remission much more quickly than that. (We'll just never know at this point.) I joined FDMB at the beginning of January, and I've seen several kitties go into remission since then. It's definitely possible!

I really would encourage you to take your precious little one to the vet. It's overwhelming, I know, but the sooner you get the right treatment started, the more likely it is that Snowflake can go into remission.

Shelly
 
i dont think ur a bad parent. u took a good step in the right direction. :) now, just take her to the vet as soon as u can, for diagnosis, and u can move forward. or have the vet come to u. my cat is so terrified of the vet, i hate doing it to him. he is the most stressed animal i have ever seen. hes afraid of every1 in general, except me. i understand the concern there. here, we have a visiting vet who can diagnose. maybe u can find one who will. :) good luck :) and u will find all the help u need on this board.
 
I think you could try an intermediate step. Get a meter and testing supplies. (we can give you a shopping list). Continue with your diet change and get some blood glucose readings. There are some cats who improve dramatically with a diet change. At the very least, you will have an idea of how high she is and whether she needs insulin immediately or whether you could give it a week and see if her numbers come down.

And then, if you have to start insulin, you will have the hardest parts of this sugar dance in place. It might just take a few months of shots, or less or more. But at least you will know where her numbers are. And you can do all this monitoring at home, sending your results in to the vet.

PS. I wouldn't do this for longer than a week or so, depending on her numbers. If she is in diabetic numbers, the sooner you start insulin, the better her chances for remission. If she needs insulin and doesn't get it, she will slowly starve to death, which I know you don't want.
 
There's certainly nothing wrong with trying this out at home first. I agree with Sue...get a meter and test at home with the food change. That could be all your kitty needs. If it's not, at least you can give your vet the numbers you got at home to help with diagnosis and treatment. Keep us posted!
 
Hello Mary and Snowflake, and a very warm welcome to FDMB! :smile:

I agree with Sue.

And 'hometesting' (testing a cat's blood glucose at home) isn't hard to learn, (though it may take you a few goes to get the hang of things, as is normal when learning anything new.).
Basically it involves pricking the outer edge of the kitty's ear to get a teensy drop of blood, transferring that blood droplet onto a test strip in a glucose meter, waiting for the meter to count down and give a result, and rewarding the kitty with a low carb treat or a cuddle.
There are very few nerve endings in the outer edge of kitties' ears, so this should not actually hurt. In fact many kitties come to look forward to the process! cat_pet_icon

I would also suggest that you test Snowflake's urine for ketones. 'Ketodiastix' (available from pharmacies) are little test strips for dipping into urine to check for glucose and ketones. Anything above a trace level of ketones requires a vet visit ASAP.

Here are links to some pages of info about home blood-testing and urine-testing:
http://www.sugarpet.net/urine.html
http://www.sugarpet.net/bloodtst.html
http://www.sugarpet.net/reasons.html

Eliz
 
I myself would go to a vet soon if you do confirm diabetes by either the blood test or glucose in the urine. It could be something besides diabetes.
 
Hello!

It probably couldn't hurt to have your suspicions confirmed with a trip to the vet. After that, you could attempt a diet change to better control the blood glucose, if needed. That might save you some stress, time and money before going down the road of insulin injections.

After 3 years of needles, pricey prescription foods and multiple vet trips for other complications, I went against my vet once I found this message board and the wealth of information and support.

Good luck and let us know what happens!

Michelle and Fenway
 
Please see your vet within a week or less. There are numerous explanations for what you are observing. I've put some examples below.

Excessive urination and raveous appetite could be hyperthyroidism, treatable with methimazole (oral or compounded to rub in the ear) or potentially curable with radioactive iodine (I-131).
In selected cases, surgery to remove part of the thyroid can be beneficial.

Excessive urination with normal to so so appetite could indicate renal disease where the kidneys are less efficient at removing waste from the body. Treatment can slow progression and give you many quality years if started soon. (And the Friskies Special Diet canned foods are both low carb and low phosphorus).

Excessive urination with normal or reduced appetite could also indicate bladder stones or bladder infection. If stones are present, they can block urination sometimes. That would be very painful to the cat and very painful for your wallet. Untreated infection can go systemic, cause sepsis, and kill your cat.

An additional possible problem is cancer of the kidneys. It too may cause increased appetite, weight loss, and excessive urination because the kidneys don't work well.
 
Thank you all so much for your kind welcome and for the important information you shared. I am reading every reply very carefully.
 
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