My cat was just diagnosed with diabetes

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pascuzzi

Member Since 2012
Hi my name is Katie. My cat Thumbs that is 11 yrs old was just diagnosed with diabetes last week. I brought him in originally (months ago) for breathing problems. The vet gave him some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. At that time the vet said he could be per-diabetic. I had noticed in the last couple months Thumbs would drink and pee a lot. I had a feeling he turned diabetic. Last week Thumbs was having a very hard time breathing and even gasping for air at time and would pee. I brought him in right away and they did blood work, chest x-rays etc. His chest x-rays came back and his lungs are very hazy but no tumor and his blood work came back and his BG was 428...so he is now diabetic. The vet gave me insulin to give him twice a day. So now I have been giving it to him for about 4 days now. This last Thursday I brought him back into the vet to get fluids cause he was so dehydrated and she checked his BG cause it was 6 hours post injection and it was at 196. The vet said that was good. So now here are my questions...I usually leave dry food out for both of my cats to eat that is high protein, low carb, should I just be feeding Thumbs wet food that is high in protein low carb instead of the dry to graze on all day? How much wet food should he be getting? I feed him wet food before I give him insulin but should I leave out wet food all day for him? I feel so stressed out and cry about this and nervous I'm going to do something wrong where he will go into hypo. Please help.


Thank you ,
Katie
 
Hi and welcome. A few questions.

1. What insulin is your cat on? How much (in units)? We recommend Lantus, Levemir, and PZI (Prozinc) starting at 0.5u or 1u.
2. Are you hometesting? If not, this is VERY important and we can show you how.
3. What is this "low carb" dry food you are feeding? Not all grain free foods are low carbs. Dry food needs starches to hold the kibbles together and usually this is potato starch (high carb)

Yes, you should only feed a diabetic low carb canned. You can feed it to both cats. Even low carb dry food is bad for cats, it is very moisture depleted and weaks havoc on their renal systems. It will help prevent further health issues in both your cats.

You can feed multiple canned meals throughout the day. Some like to do 4 meals, I like to do more because my cat is what we call a scarf and barfer, meaning he gobbles up all his food so fast he pukes, so have to feed him spoonfuls 6-8 times a day. You don't want to give any food in the 2 hours before each shot so you can get a true blood glucose reading at shot time.
 
My cat is on Humulin N..which I read isn't the best for cats. How do I go about getting a better kind? He gets 3u twice a day. I haven't gotten a home tester yet, which I will be getting soon. I watched some youtube videos on how to do the testing at home. That will be a lesson in its self. The dry food I have for them is taste of the wild. The vet had me get some purina diabetic management wet food but Thumbs doesn't like it so I mix it with friskey's wet food. I looked on the back and there is only a .5% difference in the crude protein. Can I just feed him the friskey's? The vet told me to feed Thumbs before I give him his insulin so the insulin can work off the food. When I get the home test do I test him before the shot and a couple hours after? And what should his BG be around 100 but below 200? I will switch feeding both cats wet food all day and take the dry food out. I'm so confused about all of this...uuuhhhh. Thank you for taking time and explaining what I need to do to make this an easier process. I'm hoping the diet will put him in remission once I take the dry food out.
 
Please DO NOT remove the dry food until you are hometesting. Dry food is much higher in carbs and removing it could bring him numbers down dramatically. Friskies is just fine. Please talk to your vet about switching insulins to either Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc. N is not a good insulin for cats...fast acting and short duration. The starting dose of 3 units also is too high. Most start out at 1 unit b.i.d. (twice a day), test, and if needed, then you go up to 1 1/2 units, then 2, etc. Please, when using N, feed at least a 1/2 hr. before shooting that N insulin so food is on board.
 
Should I also talk to the vet about the dose he is being given? She went by his weight of 12.7 lbs and did some math to come up with 3u. When I get a home monitor should I check his BG how long before and after I give the shot? I have been letting Thumbs eat a bit then I give him the shot. Is that not right? I'm so confused still.
 
Welcome Pascuzzi! I am pretty new here so I don't feel comfortable giving advice, but I just wanted to let you know you've come to the right place. Keep researching and keep posting. Home testing is a must! I learned that the hard way - nearly lost my kitty. These folks are wonderful and you CAN do this! :RAHCAT
 
Cats are usually not dosed by weight. Some small cats will need more insulin that much larger ones. By hometesting you will be able to gauge the numbers yourself, not the vet. Vet stress alone can increase BG numbers by over 100+ in many cats.....then you bring them home and the bg has gone back down. With N, you would test before feeding,,,,,,,,then feed,,,,,,then wait a 1/2 hr before shooting that N insulin. Majority of cats on here will get anywhere from 0.25 of a unit to maybe 3 units. Starting at 3 units you may already have gone past the dose required. Hometesting is the best thing you can learn to do besides getting a different insulin. You don't start on a high dose......you work you way up to a correct dose determined by your bg numbers you get at home. Dry food may be what is keeping his numbers up and removing in will be to your cat's benefit but not till you can test at home.
 
So should I do a different dose? How do I know what dose to give him? So if I test him before feeding, then feed and wait a 1/2 hour before I give the shot when do I test him again? I'm so scared he going to go hypo on me at any point and I'm gonna freeze. I'm feeling really hopeless about this cause I don't know if I'm doing thing right. :cry:
 
I would start at 1u or even 0.5u. Definitely don't start at 3.

You want to get what we call "mid cycle" tests, which is basically a test or two (or more) between each shot. Because N is short acting and rather harsh you may want to test at +2 (2 hrs after the shot) to make sure he is not taking a major dive. Otherwise you want to test at least once 4-6 hrs after the shot. The more tests you can do, the better, but that time is the most critical.
 
So it would be ok tonight if I feed him then 1/2 after that give the shot of 1u instead of 3? Get a glucose monitor and after I give him the shot check his BG 2,4,6 hours after his shot? I want his BG to be around 100 but below 200.....right? And feed him wet food numerous times a day? so what if he eats an 1 1/2 to 2 hours before I give the shot, do I need to make sure he eats something right before? What if hes not hungry at the time I need to give the shot by feeding him numerous times a day? I just wanted to tell you all thank you so much for making this whole process more clear
 
So it would be ok tonight if I feed him then 1/2 after that give the shot of 1u instead of 3?
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Someone else who has experience with N should confirm the dose, I can't say for sure.

Get a glucose monitor and after I give him the shot check his BG 2,4,6 hours after his shot?
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Testing before each shot is the most important (we call these "preshots") but spot checks are extremely important too. If you're in the USA Walmart's ReliOns are cheap, avoid the Freestyle lite and anything with Tru or True in the name (ie. TrueRead)

I want his BG to be around 100 but below 200.....right?
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"Normal" ranges are usually between 50-120... anything lower than 50 we consider hypo. That's a good goal though.

And feed him wet food numerous times a day? so what if he eats an 1 1/2 to 2 hours before I give the shot, do I need to make sure he eats something right before?
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I *think* with N you don't give him any food within the 2 hours before the shot. Since N is dosed based on preshots (the # you get before you give insulun) you want to make sure that number isn't influenced by food. The order should go test, feed, wait 30 minutes, then shoot (give insulin).

What if hes not hungry at the time I need to give the shot by feeding him numerous times a day?
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Unregulated diabetics are usually VERY hungry because they cannot properly process what they are eating, so this combined with withholding food 2 hrs before each shot should prevent that from happening, but he has to eat before you give insulin because N is harsh and fast acting and food helps balance that. If this ever happens, post on the boards somewhere and ask for assistance.
 
Here's the N Primer: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=303

While it can be used for cats, it's not the most ideal one to use because it's too short acting. Many cats who initially start on N end up having to switch to another insulin because the N simply does not work even on a pretty big dose. Talk to the vet about better insulins to use like Lantus, Levemir, and Prozinc.
 
I'm in the process of getting a home testing kit from here. Does anyone know where the note part is to put I'm sending $7.00 for the kit?
 
I can't help with your last question on where to put the note but I CAN tell you that you can get over being scared and sad - diabetes is NOT a death sentence and you can handle a hypo just fine. People are here 24/7 to hold your hand and answer questions if you DO get a low number while testing. Yes when you see that first low number, you'll get all shaky and nervous - you won't be able to help it but TAKE A DEEP BREATH, POST 'HYPO HELP' in your subject and someone will be there within a few minutes. I remember our first low numbers - an 88 had me shaking so badly I dropped the meter. 88 is NOT a low number but to me, it sure felt like one.

You'll do FINE! After you get past the first couple of times, you'll quit shaking, your brain will work correctly and you'll wonder why you were so nervous....

BIG HUG! Welcome to our family of 'Extra Sweet' kitties and 'beans' (people).
 
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