Hi everyone! I have a newly-diagnosed sugarbaby, my 6.5 year old, male black cat, Teddy. I took him off to the vet after suspicious behaviour (incredible appetite despite losing noticable amounts of weight, "lurking" by his water bowl most of the day (when he wasn't sleeping away in some dark corner) and eventually poor hygiene as he had no energy to move, let alone take care of his grooming. So July 1st I got the phone call from the Vet, after checking his bloods and urine, to tell me that Teddy had Diabetes. Horrible, yet relieving that it was something that could be managed if done correctly. So Teddy is now on day 3 of his insulin, and he has noticeable, marked improvement! He's been moving with quality, instead of unsteady on his feet. He has now been caught washing himself on two seperate occasions, and today he finally jumped up onto my bed! All going well this week, I will have him back to the Vet on Monday 15th, to have another blood sugar curve done on him, and continue over the next few weeks to bring his BS down steadily. I will also be doing home-monitoring, and purchased a glucose meter today which I will learn how to correctly use when next at the vets! Wish me luck! So thats pretty much our story so far, but I do have one question. Teddy has had diarrhoea ongoing now for a while, something the Vet said is not common with Diabetes and may need to be investigated further if it doesn't settle after we get his diabetes managed. Has anyone else had this problem? And has it resolved? If not, what did it turn out to be? He showed no sign of infection in his blood or urine tests. Thanks!
My new sugarbaby!!
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Elizabeth and Bertie
Member Since 2010
Hello Jess and Teddy, and welcome to FDMB (and welcome to another member of the 'Black Cat Club' too! ;-) )
You've found the best website on the planet to help you take care of Teddy! And it sounds like you have a wonderful, postive 'can do' attitude about the diabetes. Your cat is very lucky to have you. :smile:
As you've found out, diabetes is a manageable condition. And quite a few cats can go into remission (become diet-controlled diabetics) after just a short course of insulin and (if necessary) a change to an appropriate diet.
Well done for wanting to hometest (testing Teddy's blood glucose at home).
We can help you learn to hometest, so, you don't have to wait until going back to the vet to learn this. 'In a nutshell' hometesting will involve you taking a teensy weensy droplet of blood from the outer edge of your cat's ear, transferring that droplet onto a test strip in a glucose meter, and waiting for the meter to countdown and give you the result. Giving your cat a treat after the test (or during the test) will mean he will quickly learn to associate tests with treats. Once you're comfortable with hometesting you will no longer need to take Teddy to the vet for 'curves'. You can do any and all testing you need to do at home, and send the results to your vet.
6.5yrs is quite young for a cat to be diabetic. May I ask you a couple of questions?
Has Teddy had any steroid treatment recently? (steroids can induce diabetes in some cats).
What insulin is he on and what dose is he getting?
Also, what are you feeding him at the moment, and have you made any changes to his diet recently?
Welcome aboard!
Edited to add: Here is a link to some info on hometesting:
http://www.sugarpet.net/bloodtst.html
Eliz
You've found the best website on the planet to help you take care of Teddy! And it sounds like you have a wonderful, postive 'can do' attitude about the diabetes. Your cat is very lucky to have you. :smile:
As you've found out, diabetes is a manageable condition. And quite a few cats can go into remission (become diet-controlled diabetics) after just a short course of insulin and (if necessary) a change to an appropriate diet.
Well done for wanting to hometest (testing Teddy's blood glucose at home).
We can help you learn to hometest, so, you don't have to wait until going back to the vet to learn this. 'In a nutshell' hometesting will involve you taking a teensy weensy droplet of blood from the outer edge of your cat's ear, transferring that droplet onto a test strip in a glucose meter, and waiting for the meter to countdown and give you the result. Giving your cat a treat after the test (or during the test) will mean he will quickly learn to associate tests with treats. Once you're comfortable with hometesting you will no longer need to take Teddy to the vet for 'curves'. You can do any and all testing you need to do at home, and send the results to your vet.
6.5yrs is quite young for a cat to be diabetic. May I ask you a couple of questions?
Has Teddy had any steroid treatment recently? (steroids can induce diabetes in some cats).
What insulin is he on and what dose is he getting?
Also, what are you feeding him at the moment, and have you made any changes to his diet recently?
Welcome aboard!
Edited to add: Here is a link to some info on hometesting:
http://www.sugarpet.net/bloodtst.html
Eliz
Yes, His diet has been changed. I had him totally on wet food in the days between his diagnosis and his first lot of insulin (3 days), but the Vet has given Teddy a diabetic diet currently, which includes wet and dry food. I'll use it for the immediate future, while its been recommended, but will be happy to do more research myself and alter his diet accordingly as needed, along with his home-testing. Teddy had not been on any medications prior to his diagnosis, although we have become new "foster parents" to another male cat who came into our possession unexpectedly (found hit by a car and we rescued him, with no owner to come forward after Vet treatments), so poor Teddy probably has been stressed out of his mind having to share his house with another male. I've read stress can trigger a cat that is prone to diabetes, and the Vet believes also he may have some Burmese breed in him which is also another high-risk factor apparently (?). This is all I can think of as to why he has gotten it so young. I understand it normally doesnt appear until after or around age 10. My poor sugarbaby! He is currently taking Lantus, 3 units (australia) every 12 hours, I'm not sure if the measurements are universal.
Dyana
Member Since 2009
3 units is a high dose to start with. We usually see cats start with 1 unit. I would go get a glucometer and test strips this evening (I guess you are in the PM there in Australia) or first thing tomorrow and start to home test right away.
We can help you learn how.
You don't want to take away the dry or change to a lower carb food, until you are home testing.
We can help you learn how.
You don't want to take away the dry or change to a lower carb food, until you are home testing.
Elizabeth and Bertie
Member Since 2010
Dyana, - Jess says in first post that she purchased a glucose meter today I think.
Jess, - Dyana is absolutely right. 3 units of any insulin is a very high starting dose. Do you know how the vet arrived at that dose?
The typical starting dose recommended here is 1 unit (or even less sometimes); and then if that's not enough the dose can be increased gradually until an appropriate dose is found. Starting low and then working up gradually is much easier - and safer - than jumping in at a higher dose and then maybe trying to backtrack from that later.
I do understand that it can be challenging when the vet says one thing and the (potentially crazy) people on the internet say something else. But there have been quite a lot of cats on this forum whose vets prescribed insulin dosages that were too high...
The best way to know how the dose is affecting your cat is to test his blood glucose, and I would agree with Dyana in strongly recommending that you start that ASAP...
Eliz
Jess, - Dyana is absolutely right. 3 units of any insulin is a very high starting dose. Do you know how the vet arrived at that dose?
The typical starting dose recommended here is 1 unit (or even less sometimes); and then if that's not enough the dose can be increased gradually until an appropriate dose is found. Starting low and then working up gradually is much easier - and safer - than jumping in at a higher dose and then maybe trying to backtrack from that later.
I do understand that it can be challenging when the vet says one thing and the (potentially crazy) people on the internet say something else. But there have been quite a lot of cats on this forum whose vets prescribed insulin dosages that were too high...
The best way to know how the dose is affecting your cat is to test his blood glucose, and I would agree with Dyana in strongly recommending that you start that ASAP...
Eliz
BJM
Member Since 2010
Some notes on glucose levels:
Vet stress may elevate glucose 100-180 mg/dL and it can stay up for a bit.
Changing to a low carb, high protein canned or raw diet may drop the glucose levels 100 mg/dl or more.
Thus, the test values at the vet may have been elevated and if you've now switched the diet too, you are potentially headed into a hypo if the insulin dose is not reduced.
You should be prepared to manage a possible hypoglycemic attack. Instructions are here.
Vet stress may elevate glucose 100-180 mg/dL and it can stay up for a bit.
Changing to a low carb, high protein canned or raw diet may drop the glucose levels 100 mg/dl or more.
Thus, the test values at the vet may have been elevated and if you've now switched the diet too, you are potentially headed into a hypo if the insulin dose is not reduced.
You should be prepared to manage a possible hypoglycemic attack. Instructions are here.
Thankyou everyone for your input, all very valid points worth considering. Sorry, i should have been clear when I said that I bought a glucose meter, I have purchased one, but it will arrive sometime next week. Until then, Teddy is meant to be eating also to gain weight, so I'm not sure whether this would also be affecting the amount of insulin he has been prescribed (?). I've made myself more than aware of a hypo and what needs to be done in this instance, scary, but I'm as prepared as I probably can be. I'm lucky enough to also have someone home with Teddy 24/7, so while I am away at work i know he is being carefully "monitored". I'm documenting almost everything Teddy is doing, eating, acting, drinking, litter tray activity!! Currently he is on the improve, with each day I'm seeing a happier cat, which all I can say is lucky. I had been thinking (and stressing) about all his changes, and thanks to everyone at least now my concentration can be focused on the more specific areas you all mentioned.
Wendy&Tiggy(GA)
Member Since 2011
Hi there! Welcome to the board!
What food are you feeding? Here are some food lists - you want something under 10% calories from carbs - check this document there is a link on Australian foods https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NSWUx2ak7wcs2_G5TXr7BhPMrU7CVmW_3ouKPTUQhhA/pub
Testing - here are some testing tips https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub > note you will also want to test his pee for ketones and will need to pick up some urine ketone test strips such as Ketostix.
Wendy
What food are you feeding? Here are some food lists - you want something under 10% calories from carbs - check this document there is a link on Australian foods https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NSWUx2ak7wcs2_G5TXr7BhPMrU7CVmW_3ouKPTUQhhA/pub
Testing - here are some testing tips https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub > note you will also want to test his pee for ketones and will need to pick up some urine ketone test strips such as Ketostix.
Wendy
Dyana
Member Since 2009
Jess, go ahead and shop for the new lower carb foods that Wendy has provided the link to (Thanks Wendy ;-) ), but please stick with Ted's "normal" food for now until you get the glucometer and can start home testing.
That's a pretty big starting dose you're on, and I don't want a food change to lower carb, to cause a hypo situation.
That's a pretty big starting dose you're on, and I don't want a food change to lower carb, to cause a hypo situation.
Deb & Wink
Member Since 2013
Welcome to Jess and his Sugardude Teddy. This is a phenomenal resource. Hope you find the answers you are looking for.
Keep asking questions and we will continue to supply the answers. Best of luck in your new sugardance journey with Teddy.
Keep asking questions and we will continue to supply the answers. Best of luck in your new sugardance journey with Teddy.
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