My Gracie Girl was Just Diagnosed-Long Intro

[Gracie's_Mommy]

Hi everyone! I have been poking around here all day and I decided this is the place I need to be for information and support. All this is very overwhelming! I am so glad you guys are here to help because this is ALOT ! My Gracie, who is about 8 or 9 (we adopted her about 5 years ago) was about 17lbs at one time and we decided to change food about 8 months ago so our 3 fur babies could be a bit thinner.
We fed all of them Kirkland Signature Cat Food for years then I finally gave in and decided if I am feeding them dry food (I know everyone says wet is best but hindsight is 20/20). We changed them over to Natures Variety Instinct after a lot of research. Over the last 4 months we noticed our Gracie was losing weight which was the goal. Then I noticed I was going through cat litter quick! I mean 28-40lbe a week when before it used to last me 3-4 weeks. Also the water bowl was constantly needing to be refilled.
I free feed my 3 babies so I started paying more attention to who was drinking all the water and eating all the food faster than I could replace it and it ended up being Gracie. She was losing too much weight, drinking, urinating and eating enough for all 3 cats! She was getting so skinny she seemed to not have any muscle mass at all so combined with everything else I decided a vet visit was in order.
We took her to the vet they did a blood draw and a urine test. She was dumping glucose the vet said and he suspected it was diabetes. Yesterday I got the dreaded call that confirmed she was diabetic. Her blood glucose test was 425 but on the bright side her thyroid was fine along with her kidneys and liver. She was also dehydrated which isn't surprising.
So today I picked up her Lantus ( I passed out when they told me 296.00 which included 10 needles) and was told her dosage was .5 units twice daily. Gracie is very easy going and she let me inject her without a fuss. I was wondering if you guys can tell me if I will be able to tell if she feels better. Will she drink less and eat normally? I am going out in a bit to get some wet food, Gracie has always been a chow hound and loves the sound of a can opener. I would like her to regain some muscle mass and a bit of weight. She now weighs 9 lbs, which is a normal weight when it is healthy but she has lost so much weight in such a short time she looks like an animal pelt.

 

[Gracie's_Mommy]

Oh I needed to add a question! I know her BG could change when I feed her but do you think I should feed her if she wants to eat the wet food so I can at least get her hydrated?

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

Hi and welcome to FDMB. Gracie is a little cutie! Almost looks like she is talking to you in that pic! It's so hard to when you have multiple kitties in the house to know who is doing what. Many of us have been down the same path and suddenly got 20/20 vision! Glad to hear Gracie's health is good otherwise!

Getting a diagnosis of diabetes for our fur kids is never easy and we have all been where you are feeling, overwhelmed and bewildered. You have however made a great decision to join us here where you will find a treasure trove of information to help you get Gracie on the road to improved health. There are lots of tips and tricks to keeping costs down and the hands on experience here is priceless!

I am assuming you are in the US given what you quoted price wise for the Lantus. I am also assuming you may have bought the 10ml vial. If my assumpiton is correct, for future purchases, I suggest you check out this link for information about how to order Lantus from Canada at considerably less cost. Ordering the packages of 5 pen refill vials containing 3ml (300 units) of insulin each, is far more economical than the 10ml vials. Given the small doses most kitties need, the smaller vials can be used up if kept in the fridge despite the manufacturers instructions that once opened it must be discarded after 28days which is meant for human use. Folks using the 3 ml. vials usually use every drop or have very minimal waste.

As for feeding Gracie....I'm wondering if you vet perhaps told you to only feed Gracie before each shot. Many folks here if not most, feed multiple small meals each day to keep kitty sated only withholding food for two hours prior to each shot so when we test (more on that below), we get a fasting reading rather than one that is food influenced. If Gracie needs to gain some weight back, try to find some higher calorie low carb food and you can always add a bit of water to the mix to keep her well hydrated.

Did your vet discuss home testing with you? We are strong advocates of home testing before each insulin shot and at least once in each day and night cycle. Many US folks here use the Relion meters available at Walmart and if your vet didn't discuss this with you, we can help you with this too. Your vet may also have mentioned a pet meter which is fine too but the strips for those meters are considerably more expensive and it's important to note that all the documentation on this site is based on human glucometer readings unless specifically stated otherwise.

Regulating a diabetic cat is a marathon rather than a sprint. Gracie didn't become diabetic overnight and she won't get regulated overnight but as time goes on, and she gets more regulated, you will notice her appetite and urination returning to normal levels.

Keep asking questions and we'll do our best to provide all the help/support you need on this journey!

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Gracie's Mommy and welcome to you both.

I would like her to regain some muscle mass and a bit of weight. She now weighs 9 lbs, which is a normal weight when it is healthy but she has lost so much weight in such a short time she looks like an animal pelt.

Here's a link to a body condition chart. How does Gracie compare? If she's still underweight she'll need more food and you may need to ask the vet about an insulin dose adjustment. As Lantus is a long-acting insulin, many of us here feed regular small meals throughout the day (with the exception of the two hours before each insulin dose is due so that the preshot blood glucose tests are not food influenced and therefore help to better determine whether it is safe to give insulin.)

I know her BG could change when I feed her but do you think I should feed her if she wants to eat the wet food so I can at least get her hydrated?

What are you feeding Gracie at the moment? If you're going to switch from a high carb food to a wet, low carb food then for Gracie's safety you need to be home testing during the transition because the changeover can result in significantly lowering blood glucose levels in a very short space of time and Gracie's insulin dose may need to be adjusted to stop her going too low.

I was wondering if you guys can tell me if I will be able to tell if she feels better. Will she drink less and eat normally?

Yep. As her blood sugar levels become better regulated her appetite and water consumption should return to normal. Indeed, these should be the first changes you notice that tell you the insulin is helping Gracie.


Mogs
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[BJM]

Welcome to FDMB.
Check my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some additional assessments you may find helpful in evaluating your cat.