Just found out...

[Kit Kat's Mama]

I just found out today that my 7 year old Kit Kat has diabetes. My husband and I love him very much. We are extremely worried but still hopeful he will be ok. The Vet says he has to stay for a few days and is in bad condition but has seen other cats make it through. He sees one like him about once a month or so. I had no idea, until he started acting very sad last week, that anything was wrong with him. He has always been full of energy when playful, and happily relaxed when not. He always LOVED wet food and would not even touch it Monday. I knew something was very wrong at that point.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

WELCOME You have found the best place to learn all about this disease. There is much reading to do. May I suggest starting with the FAQ section. Others will be along to welcome you and answer some questions you may have.

jeanne

 

[Jen & Squeak]

Hi there and welcome

Cats can hide illness from us quite well and for a long time, so don't beat yourself up.

Can you tell us more about what exactly is wrong besides the diagnosis of diabetes? Does he have ketones? Are his liver values wacky? I ask because these are common complications in a newly diagnosed cat. Some issues require hospitalization, some do not.

As for the inappetance, that is classic. When blood glucose levels are high enough, cats feel like crap and don't want to eat. They may have been ravenous prior to this as their body is desperate to get nutrition, but eventually they can stop eating.

Please make sure you read the feline diabetes faq which is found in a thread just a bit above this, and come on back with more information. Be prepared to read, learn and become more actively involved in your cat's care...it will be worth it

 

[Jana+BK+Chester(GA)+Wilbur]

Welcome!

It's a good thing Kit Kat likes canned wet food, because food plays a very important role in regulating our diabetic cats. Janet & Binky's food chart is here http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm and you will see a number of brands (Friskies, Fancy Feast, etc.), and alot of varieties that are low carb - diabetic kitty's need a low carb wet food diet. You do NOT have to purchase the food at the vet's office - not only is it not the best food for our cats, it is very expensive!

We encourage home testing, not only as a way to determine Kit Kat's BG levels and make informed decisions about dosing, but also because it will allow you to do BG curves and share the results with your vet. Information on home testing is here http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287. You do not have to purchase a glucometer made specifically for animals. In fact, many people here purchase their glucometer from Wal Mart.

In the event Kit Kat has a hypo incident, you need to be prepared with information on how to treat Kit Kat and the supplies you will need to have on hand. That information is here http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2354 and here http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1122.

Your vet will discuss what type of insulin to give Kit Kat. If you browse this forum, you'll see Insulin Support Groups (ISG's). In each of those forums, you will find information about the different insulins available.

You are going to have many questions...please post back, and we'll do our best to help and support you.

 

[chriscleo]

very sorry to read that your kitty is sick.
guessing he has diabetic ketoacidosis? if he does, is he at a 24-hr clinic (is someone around all the time to make sure he's okay?)
my cleo was very sick at diagnosis and had stopped eating and practically stopped moving. it was painful and scary to see her but now her diabetes is under control and i've been treating her for over 3 years.
really, if kit kat had to get diabetes, you've found a wonderful place for help and support.
i'll leave it to the others to give you links to check out. just wanted you to know that many people here have treated their cats successfully, and we've seen many cats go into remission with a change to low carbohydrate canned food and no more dry, with just a short period on insulin. the longest i know of is a cat who lived 14 years with diabetes. so you can do this. i think i spend about 5 minutes a day total testing blood sugar and shooting insulin, and it makes a world of difference for my cat. your bond becomes even stronger after this.
welcome aboard.