Just diagnosed- Tips welcome!

[Simbas Momma]

My sweet boy, Simba was just diagnosed with diabetes today. I have so many thoughts running through my brain. He’s been losing weight for the past 4 months and drank and peed a lot, but he’s older and always has loved water. I didn’t think much of it because he’s 10 until he got oddly skinny and now I feel like a bad mom. They said they will have to do a 24 hour glucose curve at the vet to determine the amount of insulin he gets. I can only imagine what that will cost. Any tips for managing feline diabetes? I don’t know much about diabetes besides what the vet explained to me, but I’d love some insight that anybody who’s experienced this is willing to share!

 

[squeem3]

Welcome!

A 24 hour curve to determine insulin dose is not needed at all. Most cats are super stressed out at the vet's office and stress elevates blood glucose levels. A dose based on a vet office curve can be way too much for the cat relaxing at home stress-free. Save your money and decline the 24 hour curve.

Learn how to test your cat's blood glucose levels. Most people test from the ear or paw pad using a Human blood glucose meter which is way cheaper and more widely available than pet specific meters. Some use the Libre CGM meter which monitors blood glucose levels 24 hours for up to 2 weeks. Blood glucose levels can be tracked on a spreadsheet and shared with the vet.

What insulin will the vet prescribe? ProZinc and Lantus (glargine) are the two best insulins for cats. ProZinc is a pet insulin so you have to buy it from the vet or a veterinary pharmacy. Lantus and the generics are Human insulins and you can buy this at any Human pharmacy with a prescription.

This board recommends starting insulin at no more than 1 unit twice a day. There may be some exceptions.

Lots of info here: Health Links / FAQs about Feline Diabetes

Diet - since your cat is not on insulin yet, do a diet change now. The right diet is important to manage the diabetes just like it is for Human diabetics. This board recommends feeding low carb canned food only. Brands such as Fancy Feast Classic, Friskies, Weruva, and Tiki Cat are suitable. The food charts are here Links to FOOD CHARTS Any food that has under 10% carbs is good. Raw and home cooked diets are also options. Ignore the vet on expensive prescription junk food. Those have no special ingredient that helps a diabetic cat at all.

The intial costs are insulin, syringes, and testing supplies to get started. After that, you just need to buy stuff as needed. No need for vet visits to check blood glucose levels. There's a Supply Closet forum here where members give away supplies they no longer need. Check that out every now and then.

 

[CORKY]

Welcome to FDMB
I know exactly how you feel! We all have had thoughts of being a bad mom, but Feline diabetes has caught all of us unexpectedly, Corky also began with the excessive water drinking, I thought it was another habit, our cats entering diabetes, always act normal, until it catches us by surprise, It is important you know that feline diabetes IS manageable, here we can assist you in dosing, curving, any other issues your cat was diagnosed with diet or any other concerns you may have, the best insulin for a diabetic cat are ProZinc and Lantus, you can do a curve in your own home without stressing your cat or spending, by home testing at home, doing a curve is only testing the BG every 2 hours for a cycle, (12hours).
It is very important to home test, especially before each insulin shot to avoid hypoglycemia, most important protocols for a diabetic cat are: home testing, a diet of Wet can food between 0-10% and lots of cuddles, you are in the right place, make sure your Vet is knowledgeable in Feline Diabetes, it is very important. Ask your vet, you are in control, you know your cat better than the vet does, do not be afraid to ask questions, and do not get sold on "prescribed food" these food have between 20-35% carbs, cats cannot digest carbs, if you are in US most of the members enjoy the Fancy Feast Pates, and with home testing we mostly use the ReliOn Premier Monitor and strips, you can purchase it at Walmart, very inexpensive and accurate, there are many sticky notes in the Main menu with valuable information, please continue to post your concerns, we are here to help you get your cat regulated there are amazing members that dedicate their knowledge to save our cats lives, they saved mine, you are not alone, let us know where you live. and if you have been prescribed insulin already what is the name and the dosage, the more we know about your cat the better we can help you

 

[Simbas Momma]

Welcome to FDMB
I know exactly how you feel! We all have had thoughts of being a bad mom, but Feline diabetes has caught all of us unexpectedly, Corky also began with the excessive water drinking, I thought it was another habit, our cats entering diabetes, always act normal, until it catches us by surprise, It is important you know that feline diabetes IS manageable, here we can assist you in dosing, curving, any other issues your cat was diagnosed with diet or any other concerns you may have, the best insulin for a diabetic cat are ProZinc and Lantus, you can do a curve in your own home without stressing your cat or spending, by home testing at home, doing a curve is only testing the BG every 2 hours for a cycle, (12hours).
It is very important to home test, especially before each insulin shot to avoid hypoglycemia, most important protocols for a diabetic cat are: home testing, a diet of Wet can food between 0-10% and lots of cuddles, you are in the right place, make sure your Vet is knowledgeable in Feline Diabetes, it is very important. Ask your vet, you are in control, you know your cat better than the vet does, do not be afraid to ask questions, and do not get sold on "prescribed food" these food have between 20-35% carbs, cats cannot digest carbs, if you are in US most of the members enjoy the Fancy Feast Pates, and with home testing we mostly use the ReliOn Premier Monitor and strips, you can purchase it at Walmart, very inexpensive and accurate, there are many sticky notes in the Main menu with valuable information, please continue to post your concerns, we are here to help you get your cat regulated there are amazing members that dedicate their knowledge to save our cats lives, they saved mine, you are not alone, let us know where you live. and if you have been prescribed insulin already what is the name and the dosage, the more we know about your cat the better we can help you

This vet tried to tell me that I shouldn’t home test because of the risk of infection! That’s crazy, I need to know how my cat is doing! And also they want me to wait until the morning to start insulin and that’s so scary because his glucose is at 553 right now in the evening. I just can’t wait until this is stabilized. I live in New England in the United States. They just prescribed us 2 units twice a day to start. Prozinc is the insulin we were prescribed.

 

[Simbas Momma]

Welcome!

A 24 hour curve to determine insulin dose is not needed at all. Most cats are super stressed out at the vet's office and stress elevates blood glucose levels. A dose based on a vet office curve can be way too much for the cat relaxing at home stress-free. Save your money and decline the 24 hour curve.

Learn how to test your cat's blood glucose levels. Most people test from the ear or paw pad using a Human blood glucose meter which is way cheaper and more widely available than pet specific meters. Some use the Libre CGM meter which monitors blood glucose levels 24 hours for up to 2 weeks. Blood glucose levels can be tracked on a spreadsheet and shared with the vet.

What insulin will the vet prescribe? ProZinc and Lantus (glargine) are the two best insulins for cats. ProZinc is a pet insulin so you have to buy it from the vet or a veterinary pharmacy. Lantus and the generics are Human insulins and you can buy this at any Human pharmacy with a prescription.

This board recommends starting insulin at no more than 1 unit twice a day. There may be some exceptions.

Lots of info here: Health Links / FAQs about Feline Diabetes

Diet - since your cat is not on insulin yet, do a diet change now. The right diet is important to manage the diabetes just like it is for Human diabetics. This board recommends feeding low carb canned food only. Brands such as Fancy Feast Classic, Friskies, Weruva, and Tiki Cat are suitable. The food charts are here Links to FOOD CHARTS Any food that has under 10% carbs is good. Raw and home cooked diets are also options. Ignore the vet on expensive prescription junk food. Those have no special ingredient that helps a diabetic cat at all.

The intial costs are insulin, syringes, and testing supplies to get started. After that, you just need to buy stuff as needed. No need for vet visits to check blood glucose levels. There's a Supply Closet forum here where members give away supplies they no longer need. Check that out every now and then.

They prescribed him ProZinc 2 units twice a day, his blood glucose right now is at 553 and that is 3 hours after 1/6 cup of purina DM kibble. I have been giving him smaller portions of food because he wasn’t on insulin yet. He is starting tomorrow morning which worries me so much. I did get an alphatrek3 glucose monitor because I found it was harder to get enough blood with my human monitor and the pet one requires much less blood. The vet tried to tell me I shouldn’t bother torturing him at home with monitoring because it poses huge risk of infection which I disagree with.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Home testing doesn’t pose a risk of infection any more than a human testing his/her blood sugar poses a risk of infection. It’s the thing we do to ensure our kitties are on track daily (just like humans). It’s a good idea to get Simba on a low carb wet food. Many here feed Fancy Feast Classic pates, as they are low carb. @Suzanne & Darcy has a lot of experience with ProZinc. The folks on this forum have years of experience, and they’ll get you and Simba situated in no time.

 

[Simbas Momma]

Home testing doesn’t pose a risk of infection any more than a human testing his/her blood sugar poses a risk of infection. It’s the thing we do to ensure our kitties are on track daily (just like humans). It’s a good idea to get Simba on a low carb wet food. Many here feed Fancy Feast Classic pates, as they are low carb. @Suzanne & Darcy has a lot of experience with ProZinc. The folks on this forum have years of experience, and they’ll get you and Simba situated in no time.

Do you think he’ll be okay through the night waiting to start insulin in the morning even though his glucose is 553? I just worry so much. I want him to be okay. He’s eating and drinking water and just sleepy

 

[Rin & Salem]

The vet tried to tell me I shouldn’t bother torturing him at home with monitoring because it poses huge risk of infection which I disagree with.

I was so worried about testing my cat at home for this reason but I've had no problems at all. For peace of mind, though, I use a bit of saline (specifically the kind for wounds - not nasal sprays) on a cotton pad to wipe down my cats ears sometimes. Also recommend using a tiny bit of vaseline or coconut oil on the test spot before poking to help get the blood to bead up! I think the vaseline also helps a bit with healing (I'm not a doctor) from what I've been told, but regardless I've yet to run into any potential infection issues.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Do you think he’ll be okay through the night waiting to start insulin in the morning even though his glucose is 553? I just worry so much. I want him to be okay. He’s eating and drinking water and just sleepy

Did you start insulin this morning? What dose? Have you received the instructions on how to set up a spreadsheet yet?

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

They said they will have to do a 24 hour glucose curve at the vet to determine the amount of insulin he gets

Really? They’re going to stay with him 24 hours?

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

The vet tried to tell me I shouldn’t bother torturing him at home with monitoring because it poses huge risk of infection which I disagree with.

This is a new one on me! I can’t believe the vet was able to say that with a straight face. Anyway, you are doing the right thing by learning how to test him yourself. It’s honestly the only way to ensure he will stay safe.

 

[Lauren & Esse]

Have you received the instructions on how to set up a spreadsheet yet?

Just in case no one else has sent it yet: New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
Check out the bits on setting up your spreadsheet and your signature. This will help Suzanne and the other folks here answer your questions more quickly, and it'll also give you a nice place to keep the numbers you get when you home test.

 

[CORKY]

You do not need to have the vet stay with Simba a whole day in a cage for a curve you can do this at home, and save him from stress and save your money, a curve is simply testing every two hours for a cycle (12 hours) If you look at Corky’s spreadsheet, click the blue link below, I am an obsessive tester, and he’s regulated his numbers fall on a cat on remission, but he will be a life time diabetic, I test every 2-3 hours on the same ear for 3 years, his right ear the veins are so tiny I can’t get them to swell, and no infection. Or irritation, I wipe the residue of the blood with a simple piece of toilet paper

 

[Wendy&Neko]

They prescribed him ProZinc 2 units twice a day, his blood glucose right now is at 553 and that is 3 hours after 1/6 cup of purina DM kibble. I have been giving him smaller portions of food because he wasn’t on insulin yet. He is starting tomorrow morning which worries me so much. I did get an alphatrek3 glucose monitor because I found it was harder to get enough blood with my human monitor and the pet one requires much less blood. The vet tried to tell me I shouldn’t bother torturing him at home with monitoring because it poses huge risk of infection which I disagree with.

First of all, it's OK for a cat to be that high for short periods of time. My girl occasionally went even higher when she was ON insulin. Waiting until today to give insulin was fine.

Get rid of the DM kibble and buy some diabetic appropriate wet food instead. You will note that the DM says "dietetic management", not "diabetes management". It's too high in carbs for a diabetic cat. The other have above listed some good options. He will be starving because his cells are not receiving food, hence the reason he has been losing weight. Feel him normal amounts.

What type of human glucose monitor do you have? They come with different blood drop size requirements and you can get some with quite small drop needs. The AT test strips replacement is very expensive. The Relions from Walmart are a much cheaper option.

We have people here who have tested their cats for many years, never an issue with infection. Use a clean lancet every time. I used a gauze pad under the ear with a very tiny smear of Vaseline to help the blood bead up and not dive into the ear hair. I presume you are ear testing and not paw pad testing?

 

[CORKY]

Walmart has the ReliOn Premier human monitor for $19.00 and the strips are $9.00 for 50 and $17.88 for 100, most members use this one, it is always to have extra strips on hand especially at the beginning to learn how to test

 

[Simbas Momma]

Did you start insulin this morning? What dose? Have you received the instructions on how to set up a spreadsheet yet?

I started him 2 units twice a day this morning. And no I do not know how to set up a spreadsheet

 

[Simbas Momma]

First of all, it's OK for a cat to be that high for short periods of time. My girl occasionally went even higher when she was ON insulin. Waiting until today to give insulin was fine.

Get rid of the DM kibble and buy some diabetic appropriate wet food instead. You will note that the DM says "dietetic management", not "diabetes management". It's too high in carbs for a diabetic cat. The other have above listed some good options. He will be starving because his cells are not receiving food, hence the reason he has been losing weight. Feel him normal amounts.

What type of human glucose monitor do you have? They come with different blood drop size requirements and you can get some with quite small drop needs. The AT test strips replacement is very expensive. The Relions from Walmart are a much cheaper option.

We have people here who have tested their cats for many years, never an issue with infection. Use a clean lancet every time. I used a gauze pad under the ear with a very tiny smear of Vaseline to help the blood bead up and not dive into the ear hair. I presume you are ear testing and not paw pad testing?

Yes I am ear testing. I was using a metene human monitor but I freaked out and bought an Alpahtrek3 just because of the smaller amount of blood needed to get a reading. I’ve been using Vaseline as well and I just ordered some saline wound wash to use to clean the ears.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Simba’s mom, here are the instructions for setting up your spreadsheet and your signature. If you need help with any of this just let us know: Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

 

[Rin & Salem]

Yes I am ear testing. I was using a metene human monitor but I freaked out and bought an Alpahtrek3 just because of the smaller amount of blood needed to get a reading. I’ve been using Vaseline as well and I just ordered some saline wound wash to use to clean the ears.

I'm not sure if you use Youtube or not, but there's a creator on there I follow called "Adonis Sugar Kitty" or just adonis.sugarkitty. The owner of the channel has a diabetic kitty (Adonis) and she does a lot of short videos of her doing his testing and insulin! I've started calling Salem's tests his little "spa momento" because that's what she says when she rubs his ears before poking them. It kinda helped me get over the initial fears I had of poking him and giving his shots.

 

[Simbas Momma]

I'm not sure if you use Youtube or not, but there's a creator on there I follow called "Adonis Sugar Kitty" or just adonis.sugarkitty. The owner of the channel has a diabetic kitty (Adonis) and she does a lot of short videos of her doing his testing and insulin! I've started calling Salem's tests his little "spa momento" because that's what she says when she rubs his ears before poking them. It kinda helped me get over the initial fears I had of poking him and giving his shots.

I saw one of her videos yesterday! I'll definitely watch more. I’m sure it will make me feel a bit better

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB!

We also have videos/information on home testing. (We have posts on pretty much everything.)

 

[Catmania62]

My sweet boy, Simba was just diagnosed with diabetes today. I have so many thoughts running through my brain. He’s been losing weight for the past 4 months and drank and peed a lot, but he’s older and always has loved water. I didn’t think much of it because he’s 10 until he got oddly skinny and now I feel like a bad mom. They said they will have to do a 24 hour glucose curve at the vet to determine the amount of insulin he gets. I can only imagine what that will cost. Any tips for managing feline diabetes? I don’t know much about diabetes besides what the vet explained to me, but I’d love some insight that anybody who’s experienced this is willing to share!

This sounds almost exactly like what happened with my Bernie. He was also losing weight despite eating well and had started peeing outside his box. My daughter finally noticed that he was walking a bit funny (plantigrade stance) and we took him to the vet. The vet diagnosed him with diabetes and severe anemia as well as ketoacidosis. We rushed him to a nearby University Vet Hospital where he spent 4 days in their care. He is home now with a Libre sensor and we are working to find the proper dose if insulin to keep him regulated.

 

[Simbas Momma]

I hope your baby feels better soon! It’s such a scary process but this forum has a lot of useful information that has helped me over the past week. It’s nice to relate to someone for sure. My cat still walks funny but he seems to be slowly gaining a little bit of his personality back.

 

[Rin & Salem]

I hope your baby feels better soon! It’s such a scary process but this forum has a lot of useful information that has helped me over the past week. It’s nice to relate to someone for sure. My cat still walks funny but he seems to be slowly gaining a little bit of his personality back.

Salem did the plantigrade walk for a while too which was what tipped me off that something was wrong as well. For what it's worth, it's been about a little over a month since his diagnosis and he doesn't walk on his heels anymore.