Looking for Help for my diabetic cat(N.J)

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Benny

Benny

Member Since 2012
I know this may sound very cold and crazy, but I have run out of options for treating and caring for my cat .I think the only option left would be if someone would be interested in adopting him.
I have spent thousands of dollars on vet visits and insulin and supplies and have gotten myself into financial trouble I am sorry to say.I posted here last Jan. thru Feb. with hopes of learning how to care for my cat.Everyone was very helpful and I learned alot , but I just dont have the resources or the time to provide the proper care for him anymore.
I think in the long run my cat would be better off with someone that can give him the daily attention and the care that he needs.To be honest at this point I am considering euthanizing my cat because it has been almost 2 years and his condition has hardly improved after all my efforts.I just feel like I am running out of options.
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

It can be overwhelming for sure but please don't euthanize him, I'm sure you can rehome him. You've done all you can and that was more than some people are willing to do. :sad:
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

When my cat was first diagnosed I had taken him to every vet in my area.To my surprise and over 3 to 4 thousand dollars or more later(stopped keeping track)he has shown hardly any improvement.My cat has lost most of his vision and actually appears to be worse now.I have been hometesting him twice a day since last January and have never missed a day.I'm aware of where his BG numbers should be and I have done numerous curves and adjusted his insulin accordingly.I use the right meter and give my cat the proper food etc.Last time I took him to the vet they again didn't have any answers.By the way I have taken my cat to at least six or more different vets and eye specialists(I stopped keeping track of that too).
This whole situation would be much easier to deal with if I just new what is wrong with my cat (good or Bad). After all those visits to the vet you would think at least one of the vets would have some type of diagnosis, but unfortunately that has not been they case.It's just heart wrenching to watch my cat go through this.I really dont know what to do to help him.
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

If his quality of life is suffering then maybe it is time to say goodby, it's always a hard decision. Only you can decide but we all know you've worked tirelessly trying to get Benny well and I'm sure he knows it too. Be at peace with your decision.
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

Please don't euthanize him! What insulin is he on? Have you tried switching insulins? Penny has done much better on Levimir than on Lantus...

Contact Jersey State Animal Rescue down here in South Jersey, 856-753-9115. Ask for Linda. They have a couple of diabetic cats. Since they are non-profit they will most likely charge an owner surrender fee, and let them know you have his supplies.

If you're in South Jersey, which vet are you using? I've had vets rape and rob me blind and sent one of my cats to that Diagnostic hospital in Ocean County that cost me $5000 and maxed out my GE Care Credit. And he came home no better than before. This was back in 2006. Now I'm with Evesham Vetrinary in Marlton (Dr Bell) and they keep costs as low as possible and have been on board with me with changing her course of treatment based on what I've found out on this board and the Feline Diabetes FB page.
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

Bennys post said:
When my cat was first diagnosed I had taken him to every vet in my area.To my surprise and over 3 to 4 thousand dollars or more later(stopped keeping track)he has shown hardly any improvement.My cat has lost most of his vision and actually appears to be worse now.I have been hometesting him twice a day since last January and have never missed a day.I'm aware of where his BG numbers should be and I have done numerous curves and adjusted his insulin accordingly.I use the right meter and give my cat the proper food etc.Last time I took him to the vet they again didn't have any answers.By the way I have taken my cat to at least six or more different vets and eye specialists(I stopped keeping track of that too).
This whole situation would be much easier to deal with if I just new what is wrong with my cat (good or Bad). After all those visits to the vet you would think at least one of the vets would have some type of diagnosis, but unfortunately that has not been they case.It's just heart wrenching to watch my cat go through this.I really dont know what to do to help him.
Click to expand...

Your spreadsheet stops in March; do you have your current numbers so that others can better help you?
Are you still using Prozinc and what is his current dose?

Also, what other health issues does your cat have?
If you don't have copies of all the tests that have been done by your vets, can you get copies and others here can help you understand more of what the problems may be.
If you work together with others, it may well be possible for you to keep your cat. Unless your cat is sick, there is no need for a bunch of expensive vet visits and testing.

Gayle
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

RobynWilson said:
Please don't euthanize him! What insulin is he on? Have you tried switching insulins? Penny has done much better on Levimir than on Lantus...

Contact Jersey State Animal Rescue down here in South Jersey, 856-753-9115. Ask for Linda. They have a couple of diabetic cats. Since they are non-profit they will most likely charge an owner surrender fee, and let them know you have his supplies.

If you're in South Jersey, which vet are you using? I've had vets rape and rob me blind and sent one of my cats to that Diagnostic hospital in Ocean County that cost me $5000 and maxed out my GE Care Credit. And he came home no better than before. This was back in 2006. Now I'm with Evesham Vetrinary in Marlton (Dr Bell) and they keep costs as low as possible and have been on board with me with changing her course of treatment based on what I've found out on this board and the Feline Diabetes FB page.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response,My last desperate option would be euthanizing my cat because if his health continues on this path that is probably the most humane thing to do. I have thought about and have tried all other options with no luck what so ever.I can't get over how all of the vets I have taken my cat to could be so incompetent.My gosh six or more vets and not one had a positive diagnosis of what exactly might be going on with him.That is an absolute disgrace.I am looking into one more vet that someone in my area recommended .If I have to i will contact the vet in marlton you mentioned before I make a final decision.Thanks again
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

Blue said:
Bennys post said:
When my cat was first diagnosed I had taken him to every vet in my area.To my surprise and over 3 to 4 thousand dollars or more later(stopped keeping track)he has shown hardly any improvement.My cat has lost most of his vision and actually appears to be worse now.I have been hometesting him twice a day since last January and have never missed a day.I'm aware of where his BG numbers should be and I have done numerous curves and adjusted his insulin accordingly.I use the right meter and give my cat the proper food etc.Last time I took him to the vet they again didn't have any answers.By the way I have taken my cat to at least six or more different vets and eye specialists(I stopped keeping track of that too).
This whole situation would be much easier to deal with if I just new what is wrong with my cat (good or Bad). After all those visits to the vet you would think at least one of the vets would have some type of diagnosis, but unfortunately that has not been they case.It's just heart wrenching to watch my cat go through this.I really dont know what to do to help him.
Click to expand...

Your spreadsheet stops in March; do you have your current numbers so that others can better help you?
Are you still using Prozinc and what is his current dose?

Also, what other health issues does your cat have?
If you don't have copies of all the tests that have been done by your vets, can you get copies and others here can help you understand more of what the problems may be.
If you work together with others, it may well be possible for you to keep your cat. Unless your cat is sick, there is no need for a bunch of expensive vet visits and testing.

Gayle
Click to expand...
Hi thanks for responding to my post.I stopped posting my spreadsheet online.I didn't think it was necessary.I did however continue with hometesting since then and really got pretty good at where my cats BG numbers should be and have adjusted his insulin(prozinc) accordingly with decent results.As I said before I feel like I'm doing everything I should be doing.I use the correct meter and give my cat the proper food etc.I realize blaming the vets doesn't resolve my cats current health problems but it just blows my mind that the best advice I have learned so far was not from the vets but from this website.
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

Ok so you are testing and giving insulin and understand how to change his dose and are getting good numbers according to what you have posted here. So what is the problem with Benny? Is he lethargic, matted, unable to walk properly... what physically are you seeing that is leading you to think that you are failing him? You mention eye specialists but I am not sure what is wrong with his eyes. It sounds like you have a good handle on his diabetes but there are other issues. It would help us to know what these are because they can affect his bg as well.

Sorry you are so distressed. It is difficult to see our babies sick. We can try to help you if you let us. We will need more information.
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

The numbers on the SS are from March - I don't know if we can tell how he is doing now..
 
Re: Looking for someone to adopt my diabetic cat(N.J)

RobinCot said:
Ok so you are testing and giving insulin and understand how to change his dose and are getting good numbers according to what you have posted here. So what is the problem with Benny? Is he lethargic, matted, unable to walk properly... what physically are you seeing that is leading you to think that you are failing him? You mention eye specialists but I am not sure what is wrong with his eyes. It sounds like you have a good handle on his diabetes but there are other issues. It would help us to know what these are because they can affect his bg as well.

Sorry you are so distressed. It is difficult to see our babies sick. We can try to help you if you let us. We will need more information.
Click to expand...
I am able to keep Benny's BG numbers between 80-130 most of the time. he will bounce to 300 or so on occasion.
(Prozinc 2-3 units 2x a day).
Benny can walk but he is weak and slow and sometimes becomes of balance.He does not groom himself completely just his face.He appears to have nerve or muscle damage.Benny cannot lift his paws to his face, so he drops his head down to his paws and cleans his face.He sleeps alot but he sleeps peacefully and doesn't appear to be in any pain.
Benny's appetite is usaully very good and normal.I do add water to his food so he stays hydrated.His litter box habits vary at times and he sometimes has problems finding and hitting the box but most of time he is pretty good.
He sometimes urinates more often (3-4 times a day) but for the most part his BM and urinating seem to be fairly normal.
Benny's senses seem to be dulled and his relexes are slow almost like he had a stroke.I mentioned this to several vets but they both disagreed with me.I even mentioned that maybe Benny was possibly poisoned some how, but the vet told me the bloodwork would indicate that.
Benny has developed very poor vision but he does manage to navigate around ok.I took him to 2 different highly recommended eye specialists about a year and half ago.The doctors had completely different opinions with no real diagnosis.The one doctor actually told me Benny didn't need insulin and he would be fine.The other doctor told me Benny was developing eye lesions from having had High BG numbers.Benny has had thousands of dollars worth of tests,bloodwork,blood pressure etc. with out any real diagnosis.

Sorry about my prior rants, but I'm just a little upset with my cats health and the imcompetence of 6 or so different vets.

Thanks to everyone for resonding to my post, and your willingness to help.
 
It sounds like it could be diabetic neuropathy. Are you treating him with any methyl-B12? You can buy it OTC in capsule form (make sure it doesn't contain xylitol or sugar) and open the capsule and mix it in with his wet food.
 
hmm... if he stays is at 50-130 for a week (or drops below 50 at all) that means he needs a dose decrease.. have you tried reducing the dose for a few days and seeing how he does? If he is dropping low because his dose is too high, it would also explain the occasional bounces. I would love to see your SS updated for a couple of weeks worth just to see how its doing..

My Bailey has bad vision too - I suspect its from either a previous hypo, or too high BG for too long.

Wendy
 
I have been down that road before with dosing.I have started from scratch with a minmum dose and would adjust the insulin accordingly along with the hometesting and BG curves to come up with decent numbers.If i start experimenting again it will throw everything off. Believe me I have home-tested and done numerous curves... there has to be something else going on.

I did try using the methyl-b12 (sugar free) for months and it may have helped with some of the nerve damage possibly but Benny's other symptoms persisted.

I appreciate the suggestions but I posted on here many times last year and have already tried many of these things .There is something else going on with my cats health.

Who knows whats wrong.Maybe Benny is alergic to the insulin or something.This is very frustrating.
I even called the University Of Penn. In Phila. for help and the initial visit would be over $200 dollars just for a basic examination.
 
I understand the frustration but remember things do change with blood sugar and a failed reduction before doesn't necessarily mean it will fail this time.. And weakness can also be low BG.. If you want me to take a look at the numbers( I don't know if we have worked together before?) then I am more than happy. Fresh eyes are always good..
 
Wendy&Tiggy said:
I understand the frustration but remember things do change with blood sugar and a failed reduction before doesn't necessarily mean it will fail this time.. And weakness can also be low BG.. If you want me to take a look at the numbers( I don't know if we have worked together before?) then I am more than happy. Fresh eyes are always good..[/quot

I understand what you are telling me.I already know from previous testing that if I reduce or increase the units of insulin from where Benny is at now I start to get crazy BG numbers and his health does not improve.
For instance about three weeks ago Benny was starting to act a little funny and things just weren't right.So because he was showing signs of being Hypo( which he wasn't) like being weak and sometimes a little out of it I thought well I will ignore the good Numbers I was getting and Just reduce the units of insulin.Well when I did that his Bg was consistantly high thru the day and stayed to high ever day for almost 2 weeks.I know from past experience with Benny that with less insulin his behavior does improve a bit, but in the long run he physically pays for it.This is what happened when he was first diagnosed over 2 years ago and I didn't home test.The vet started Benny at 11/2 units of prozinc and then 2 units maybe 2 months later.Well because I let the vet tell me what Benny's dosage should be and didn't home test he started with vision problems and developed neuropathy in his hind quarters.
Click to expand...
 
J.D. has had cataracts since he was diagnosed in 2005, so doesn't see well. His hearing is off and on (for some reason), and he smells things (usually) if it's right under his nose. He walks slowly and gets up and down slowly, and he only washes his front paws anymore. He makes it in the box about 60% of the time and 30% of the time on the pee pad in front of it. He hasn't played since diagnosis, and he sleeps a lot, and soundly, but he is going to be 19. I think of him like a 95 year old human. You would expect those things.
Maybe, Bennie is a little older than you thought and just living his golden years.
 
Dyana said:
J.D. has had cataracts since he was diagnosed in 2005, so doesn't see well. His hearing is off and on (for some reason), and he smells things (usually) if it's right under his nose. He walks slowly and gets up and down slowly, and he only washes his front paws anymore. He makes it in the box about 60% of the time and 30% of the time on the pee pad in front of it. He hasn't played since diagnosis, and he sleeps a lot, and soundly, but he is going to be 19. I think of him like a 95 year old human. You would expect those things.
Maybe, Bennie is a little older than you thought and just living his golden years.
Click to expand...
Hi, Your cats behavior is amazingly similar to My cat Benny.Age would be a possible reason for some of Benny's problems I guess. Benny is supposed be around 7-10 years old. I found him as a stray in 2007 the vet at that time said he was around 2 years old.He was very active and normal until he was diagnosed with his diabetes in 2010.The vision and neuropathy problems started in a very short period of time.Best wishes to you and J.D.
 
You live near the beach in NJ and calling UPenn in Philly? Who's your vet now? I'm in Camden County. Which insulin had you tried so far?
 
RobynWilson said:
You live near the beach in NJ and calling UPenn in Philly? Who's your vet now? I'm in Camden County. Which insulin had you tried so far?
Click to expand...
Yes I live near the beach in Cape May County.Iast visit to a vet was in my county, but I am familiar with the Phila./nj area on both sides of the river up there.Lantus briefly and prozinc now.
 
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