looking for encouragement :-)

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geremysmom

Member Since 2014
I have recently adopted two brothers from our local humane society who are totally reliant on each other. I have only had them for 2 weeks and find one of them has diabetes. They are both 7 years old. Of course the humane society will take the one back but we know what that means and I'm not up for it - if ever that decision has to be made, I will honour my commitment to him - and as every other pet lover, I've already fallen in love with the guy. I guess what I'm looking for is some encouragement that I can help him manage this. Any stories or helpful hints on getting him on track - food advice and how to deal with it when you have 2 cats.. I really want to give this my all but am feeling a bit overwhelmed. What do people do when they travel - and is there inexpensive options for treatment while you are away. Glad to see there is a support group out there - everyone's solution is for me to cut my losses now. Neither my husband nor I want to take the easy way out.
 
Welcome! And bless you for adopting two little guys, one extra sweet. Everyone here was overwhelmed and scared at first, but it turns out that the more you learn about this disease, the more confident you become. It's a disease that can be managed mostly at home and inexpensively. Here are some of the basics:

We have a very successful protocol for feline diabetes:

1. A slow, long lasting insulin. Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc are popular as they have a slow onset; they are not harsh and they are easiest to use for regulation. Humulin and Canninsulin are less popular because, in most cats, they have a rapid onset and don’t last as long. We like new diabetics to start low and go slow. That is, start at a low dose of .5 or one unit twice daily every 12 hours. And increase slowly, by .25 or .5 units as the numbers indicate.

2. A low carb, wet diet. We like to feed under 8-10% carbs. There are several food charts you can use: Dr. Lisa’s food chart
Hobo’s Food Chart Rhiannon’s 8% and under list

Whatever food you can afford that your cat will eat in that lower range. BUT do not change over to wet until you are hometesting. With our Oliver, the switch meant an overnight change of 100 points downward. If we hadn’t been testing and had given our usual amount., he could have hypoed.

3. And most importantly, hometesting. We think cats tend to be stressed at the vet
and we know stress raises blood glucose levels. So we test our cats at home. You want to know what the number is before you give the shot to be sure the amount you are planning to give is safe. And testing midcycle will show you how the insulin is working. We use human glucometers and test on their ears or paws. Here is a video that shows you how it is done: Video for hometesting

For vacations, some of us take the kitty along. We found cat friendly motels and vacation rentals and he become a good traveler. Sometimes the vet techs at your vets' office are looking for a little extra money and they have the expertise to test and give shots. Sometimes you can find a petsitter who specializes in pets that need extra care and medication.

I would start reading on this site, especially the threads on the Main forum on Nutrition and Health. And reading threads on this page will help you see that lots of people are scared at first but quickly become less so. Ask questions. You can do this; we would love to help!
 
Thank you for wanting to help your new baby. It can be a scary diagnosis, but is definitely manageable. Low carb canned food is the best choice for both cats, and there are links to the food charts. As far as treatment when you travel, do you have neighbors or family/friends who live nearby you can train? If not, ask at the vets office if there are any techs willing to visit your home for testing. They might do it for a minimal charge. If none of those work, I boarded mine at the vet office. I had to teach them how to home test and require they do it. Not the cheapest option, but works if necessary.

There are many helpful items on this site. Are you using insulin, and if so, what type and dosage? Are you home testing? Welcome and thank you for not giving the baby back!

Jeanene and Chase(GA)
 
Are you already giving insulin? If yes, which one and what dose?

If you are not on insulin yet, changing the food may drop the glucose levels 100 mg/dL. Cat Info has a terrific food list here.

Also, glucose tests at home may read 100-180 mg/dL lower than at the vet. What reading did your vet get?
 
Bless you for giving a loving home to these bonded middle aged boys! So many times kitties get split up when they go to shelters.

This is completely manageable! Our Smokey (12yrs at diagnosis) despite enjoyed almost 1.5-2yrs in remission before going back on insulin. When we travelled she went with us and learned to love it. There were a few times I wondered if we'd get a cop pulling over along with us when they saw me drawing insulin by the overhead light in the car :razz:

With kitties from a shelter, sometimes just getting them out of that environment is the ticket to regulation or remission. I have two diabetic foster boys right now. Cecil (2 at diagnosis) really struggled at the shelter, they got him switched to Lantus, we got him out into foster and removed the last of the dry food from his diet and he was in remission less than a month later and remains in lovely numbers 7 months later. ChrisFarley (6-7 at diagnosis) came from our other shelter and I got him right as we started insulin therapy. I didn't like the action of Vetsulin so we switched him to Lantus too and I believe it was about 2 months to remission and he is still doing great month later. Not all kitties make it to remission, but many can make it to remission or at least a good regulation on a low dose with a good insulin, good diet, and reduced stress in their lives.

With the foster boys, one of the techs from our vets office came in to do shots. Many of the techs in the office do this on the side so you might want to ask if any of the techs at your vets do or if they know of anyone. Ours charged $10 a trip to do pet sitting.

Best of luck with your new boys!
 
Thank you for taking these boys into your home. And yes, you can manage his diabetes. Four of my cats were diabetic, two were diabetic when I adopted them. Unfortunately, all have crossed the bridge, but all for non-diabetic reasons. If I did not already have a house full of pets, I would not hesitate about adopting another diabetic cat.

The best way to manage feline diabetes is with a low carb/high protein canned or raw food diet, insulin and hometesting. Both cats will benefit from the same diet. There are several brands of canned cat food that work well, many of us feed our cats Fancy Feast or Friskies canned food. Pate flavors are usually lower in carbs and avoid anything with gravy in the name. Dry food is high in carbs and not healthy for your cats any way.

There are several insulins that work well with cats. Lantus and Levemir are human insulins you will buy from your pharmacy. If your vet prescribes either one of these, ask for a prescription for the pens instead of vials. Because they are packaged in smaller containers, the insulin remains effective longer and you will be able to use almost every drop of insulin in the package of pens. With a vial, the insulin will become ineffective long before you can use all of it and you will end up throwing a lot of it away. Also, both manufacturers often have discounts on their websites for the pens. Prozinc and PZI are pet insulins and your vet can order them for you. All of these work well with cats.

Hometesting means testing his glucose levels before every shot. This is done by using a human glucose meter and testing a small drop of blood taken from the ear. You test to make sure it is safe to give the insulin. Also, by testing before each shot, you will learn if you need to adjust the dose to find the optimal dose. Don't worry, we can help you learn how to do that. :mrgreen: Hometesting also eliminates unnecessary trips to the vet just to be tested. These tests are not accurate any way since stress can raise glucose levels and the readings will be higher at the vet than in your home. You can use almost any brand meter, many of us use the Walmart Relion brand meters. The cost about $9 and the strips are less than $40 for a pack of 100.

When I traveled, a couple of my friends would take care of my cats. Both had experience with diabetic cats so they were already familiar with hometesting and giving shots. A couple of times I did have to board my diabetic cats. When I did that, I left very explicit written instructions for my vet along with my meters to use for testing. I never had an issue.

It sounds like it is a lot of work caring for a diabetic cat, but it really is not. You will find a routine that works best for you. Even when I had two diabetics at the same time, I would estimate that it probably added less than 15 minutes to my daily routine for caring for all of my cats. I had 6 cats at that time. However, the bond you will develop with your sugar kitty is worth much more.
 
You can do this! The folks here have great knowledge and give excellent advice. You and your kitty will soon get used to the injections and testing. Once you find the right insulin dose, it will be just part of the daily routine along with cleaning the litter box. :)

Cheers,
Lori
 
My 7 year old male cat was diagnosed with diabetes almost 2 years ago. I had been away for a month and noticed changes in his fur (dull and shedding). lower weight and energy level. I am sure I saw it happening before my trip but it was slow so I did not notice it as much as after not seeing him for a month.

The vet said his glucose level was 500+ when I took him in for tests. WOW!!!! Since I travel a lot I was afraid that insulin was not an option since I was not sure my house sitter would handle it. SO I told the vet, I will do everything I can through diet.

I immediately switched to a low/NO carb diet. A mix of Tikicat and Wellness Core. Within days, and I mean days, I noticed a change in Bernie!!!! Within a month his glucose level was almost normal (a bit high but within range) and Bernie's fur never looked so good. That was 2 years ago. I know that diet alone might not work for some cats but I felt like that was the safest chance I had with my work schedule.

Bernie is doing fine. He is back to a healthy weight, is his spunky curious self, and has a shiny coat.
 
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