Kitty Diagnosed with Diabetes This Morning

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badams

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Samson, 13 year old male kitty diagnosed this morning with diabetes. I had to leave him at the vet for the vet to get him regulated and determine what I will be giving him at home.

So, in addition to being scared, I miss my kitty buddy.

I have three 13 year old cats....litter mates, that I fostered from two days old and fed with an eye dropper, because they would not take a bottle. Samson was the strongest of the 3, as his name implies. Midi (Middle Kitty) was diagnosed early June of this year with Congestive Heart Failure, and so I am used to medicating a cat on schedule, and not overwhelmed at the thought of the daily shots and whatever might be involved. In fact, if it not been that I had one cat on lasix with a very large urine output, I may have noticed sooner that something was not right with Samson.

I've started reading your site, and have read other sites that refer to your site as valuable.

So, I'm just venting to people who understand that I'm sad and worried, but Samson and the vet and I will get through this, and keep Samson as healthy as possible for him to continue being his little charming self as long as he can.
 
It's scary! Mostly the unknown factors. But you are definitely in the right place to get support, understanding and advice. Welcome aboard! Sampson will have cause to appreciate that you did the research that led you here.
 
Welcome to the site. I know it's a shocker, but no biggie. There are lots of people here who can help you get set up to take care of your kitty.

I wanted to post to let you know that if your cat is not sick, he does not need to stay at the vet office. You will not get your cat regulated in a day or overnite, so the expense is not needed unless there is an illness. Was he sick when you took him to the vet? Seriously, if diabetes is the only issue, you can bring him home.

One thing to mention is that many cats can be diet controlled and not need insulin or need insulin for a very short time.
 
I was reading the article stating that he did not need to be kept at the vet's office to be regulated. And the information about testing him at home, which I am sure I will need to do. His glucose was over 500 this morning, and I don't really know everything about all those readings yet. My vet smelled his breath this morning before doing the blood test, and said his scent indicated diabetes. I imagine that my vet, who has been my vet for 22 years, is doing this to keep my stress down. 4 months of working with his brother, a CHF kitty who could go pretty much any minute, has taken a toll on me, and the vet is all too aware of all that. The vet thinks I can likely have Samson on Monday. So even if it may not be necessary, in our circumstance, it could be advisable to do this to get Samson started out on the right foot. But I sure feel much more confident now that I can keep good watch on him at home with that glucose monitor. And I am going to discuss all this with my vet.

I sure hope he will be able to be controlled without having to be on insulin from now on.

I'm developing a lot more questions, but I will read all the good information on this site and see if I can get those questions answered there first.

Thanks a lot for being here. I wish there were a site like this for Congestive Heart Failure.....the sites I have found do not seem to have all the educational resources that this nice site has.
 
What you vet most likely smelled was evidence of ketones. That would explain them keeping him for a couple days. Did he say anything like DKA? (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)
Carl
 
Not suggesting he's dka, but if the vet smelled ketones, without quick action it could become that
They will probably combine sub-q fluids, frequent testing and doses of a shortduration insulin to try to get his numbers down to a more manageable level so that you can bring him home after the weekend. I went thru the same thing with Bob several months ago.
Carl
 
Yes, ketones are what you smell on a cats breath and that can be dangerous, because ketones plus other factors can lead to DKA but that doesn't mean it has, I would ask your vet. He he eating?

Also, testing is very important, how else are you going to know what his blood glucose is? if it is too low and you give him a shot, he could hypo. Many vets advise against doing the tests at home but every diabetic person does, it is dangerous not to AND it puts you in charge.

In the beginning all the information is over-whelming but it will get easier. We use human glucose meters and they work really well on cats.

Also feeding a wet low carb diet is the best diet for a diabetic cat and if not, changing to can also help lower his BG#'s. (blood glucose)

And we know Sampson's name, what is yours? We are a large group from everywhere and each of us has been where you are, welcome!

Nancy and Payne
(hoping it's not DKA)
 
Another good thing you can do is let us know where you are located (city, state). There may be another member in the area.
If you speak with your vet, see if you can find out which insulin they will likely prescribe.
Carl
 
First of all, don't panic.

What I did with my Joey, 13 yo neut'd male:

Switched him to nothing but canned wet food. Friskies Pates. Three meals a day at 8, 2 and 8. Half can per serving.

After a month or so on the insulin, I learned to hometest and after another month, he was off it. I am convinced the change of diet was effective and just in time. He is now a year older, has slimmed down and seems to be doing well. I test the blood about every week or ten days ( he's not thrilled yet with the procedure).

So far so good.

You can handle this, with patience and perseverance.
 
Welcome Samson & bean,
Hope you get your baby home Monday and will be able to test at home. It really is the BEST advise here. My Sugar Bean was dx on 4/21 and her last shot was around 5/24ish! With this site, we were able to accomplish this. She was switched to low carb - pet store food, less stress (mommy got moved into new house and settled finally), and of course home testing was the key. The vet did have me take her back in 1 wk later and do a curve test, and he raised her from 1 unit to 2 units twice a day. I did not do that because of this site and I was not home testing (trying but not succeeding). One evening 2 hours after giving Bean her shot, we tested and it worked!!....... the only problem with this great story is that my girls bg was only 27!!!
I know that the vet meant well and told me to double the dose, did not tell me about the low carb food from the pet/groc store, and told me to not worry about testing. This site was the place I received my information from that I feel not only saved my girls life, spending 4+ hours with me to get her numbers up - well into the a.m hours (vet was closed), but has given me such great advise, courage and letting me know that I am not alone! And that I do not have to do everything my vet says to do! She is my cat, and I will decide what is best for her.
I did promise my Bean girl to never ever shoot insulin again without testing her and she is still here to thank me for that decision!

Welcome to this wonderful place!
 
My kitty "LD" is 11 years old (18 lbs) and was diagnosed in August. I noticed he was peeing a lot and drinking a lot of water so I took him for a routine exam. The Vet told me that evening that his sugar was 600 and that he was diabetic. He wanted me to leave him there overnight and he wanted to keep him for a few days to regulate him. That was too much for me to handle in one night so I took him home. In the middle of the night I got up to go to the bathroom and he jumped up on the sink and was thirsty. That was a sign for me. I knew I had to help him. I called the vet in the morning and took him in. He stayed there for 4 days. They were the worst 4 days of my life. I cried all the time. During those 4 days I researched and researched and researched on line. I ordered a home testing kit (Alphatrak) and made a list of questions for the Vet. I took advantage of my time and got prepared. I think I even impressed my vet with my preparedness! We brought him home and had to give him 2 shots (one am and one in pm) and test him before each shot. Honestly, the testing was the hardest thing at first. The shot was easy (he is on Lantus). Up until a week ago I was testing before each shot. LD is now pretty regulated and had his first fructosamine test (259). His sugar levels range from 120-160 daily and I give him 5 units of insulin twice daily. I now only have to test him two times a week but still give him his shots 2 times a day. He has been on dry cat food (Iams weight control) all his life. I tried wet but he doesnt like it. He is now on Hills diabetic and likes it as well as his Iams. I have learned to love this website as well as the Feline Diabetes on FB. Great support! Lots of information! My only advice is always check with your Vet. I have my Vet's cell phone in case I need it. I know every kitty is different but we are all in this together and all want the same thing....to keep our kittys alive, happy and purring for as long as we possibly can!! Good luck!!
 
Hi Rosesnow,

I am glad your kitty is doing better. The dry food is probably a big part of the high dose (5 units twice daily is a lot of insulin). Have you tried EVO? It is one of the lowest dry foods at 6-7% carbs.

I would sure encourage you to still test before each shot. Many, many times on this site a kitty who has been on the same dose for months will suddenly throw a lower preshot number.
 
Hi Sue and Oliver - My vet didn't like the high ash content in EVO....I actually tried the wet food but he didn't like it all. I had a sample of the EVO dry but my VET poo-pooed it and said look at what the ingredients are. Hmmm... any thoughts?
 
rosesnow said:
Hi Sue and Oliver - My vet didn't like the high ash content in EVO....I actually tried the wet food but he didn't like it all. I had a sample of the EVO dry but my VET poo-pooed it and said look at what the ingredients are. Hmmm... any thoughts?
Click to expand...


Pop over to Binky's Page for food breakdowns by protein, fat, and carbohydrate calories for canned and dry foods.
 
Thanks BJM...looks like the Hills M/D has one of the lowest carb counts....that is what my kitty is on. He weights 18 lbs and is on 1/4 cup twice daily. He likes the food. He was on Iams weight control most of his life. He's a big boy!
 
Gosh, just catching up on all the posts. Thank you so much!!

Yes, the vet did smell ketones on Samson's breath, but I got to bring Samson home on Monday, giving a shot of 1 mg 2 X a dayof Prozinc, and with Hill's W/D wet food. I am still very unsure about my shot giving skills, but feeling a little better all the time. Samson does not like the cat food all that well, so I have been mixing in a little of the other kitty's Fancy Feast so he will be more tempted....although...all of my kittys have been having to suffer through the only eat every 12 hours situation. I caved at about noon today....they had eaten at 5 this morning, and they were all starving at noon, so I fed them all a little bit.

About 1/2 hour ago I was able to successfully get a blood glucose test. There was a lot of wrestling around with Samson to get the sample, but I think it will be better from now on since I finally found what worked for getting a good sample from his ear. It had been 9 1/2 hours since his last insulin shot, and he had eaten a little bit about 2 1/2 hours before the test, and the reading was 301, which I don't think is very good, but not as bad as 500.

I am to take Samson to the vet tomorrow morning after he has eaten and shot has been given, and maybe the vet's result will be a little better.

It certainly is good to have this board to talk about things.

Oh, I am in Little Rock, Arkansas. Is anyone else on the board close to me?

Bennie
 
Great that you got your first test! Welcome to the Vampire Club! :RAHCAT :RAHCAT

This all sounds promising - good, mild insulin, nice starting dose, testing at home. Re the food - lots of us feed Fancy Feast. The prescription is expensive (as you know) and liver based so often cats get tired of it. You could look at the food chart and find a food that is under 8-10% carbs that your crew will eat. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html

Be aware that the number at the vet can be much higher than one at home. Cats are usually stressed at the vet with all the strange noises and smells and other animals, and stress raises bg levels. So a dose based on that inflated number can be too high once you get home.

We tend to be conservative with a start low and go slow approach. We like to see doses raised by .25 or .5 units rather than a whole unit at at time.
 
Ditto what Sue said, but I want to point out that the Hills W/D is not only expensive, it's not good for a diabetic cat. It's one of my huge pet peeves when vets prescribe this, because it's about one of the worst foods you can feed a diabetic. The only prescription food that is good for diabetics is canned Purina DM, but like Sue said the ingredients are about the same as the cheaper cat foods like Special Kitty or Friskies, both of which make several low carb flavors that are safe for diabetics, so there's no reason to buy the prescription if you can get the same thing for 40 cents a can. I would return the canned W/D to your vet and get a refund--just say your cat won't eat it. Then pick a commercial food that your cat likes. There are options for diabetics in just about every price range. Fancy Feast is a good mid-quality/price food that many people feed. Any that say "classic" on the label are grain-free and low carb.
 
It's a relief I can let him have the Fancy Feast....I use the "Flaked" kind usually, and those look fine, looking at the chart.

Once again, this is such a helpful site. I believe I will go and make a donation, as it has certainly been of great help to me.
 
I am new to all of this also and the help and compassion that I have gotten here has been so helpful. I was able to bring my little man home tonight after 10 days of hell. My vet did not know what he was doing as far as Feline Diabetes is concerned and I found a great friend in Jennifer, Carolyn and the many loving and caring people on here. Jennifer had me take Nico to another vet and in 1 day the change in him is amazing. I understand being scared, lonely, and totally missing your little guy.

You are in my thoughts and prayers, Samson will be home soon and with his siblings and you.
 
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