Need advice 911

[Elena]

Hello everyone, i haven't been on this site for a while our Beloved Perkins passed away from complications of diabetes back in 2017. To make a very long and horrible story short our Binky over the past 2 years keeps getting episodes of throwing up, fever and not eating. Every time we go to the vet they tell me they don't know why. They say it's "garbage gut" aka they don't know. We spent all our stimulus checks at the vet and got no answers. They did tell me his blood sugar was a little high at 175 but that could be due to stress. Binky has been doing better but at the end of Novembe i noticed he look like he lost weight so i weighted him and he was 10 pounds last time at the vet he was 16. I did change his food to senative stomach so i switched it back. i was planning on taking him to the vet if he didn't gain any weight. Know i'm not trying to tell a sob story here but just trying to explain where i'm coming from. I was in a car accident december 2. My car was totaled. I spent 6 days in the hospital needed two pints of blood. When i got out i weighted Binky he did gain a pound. Early this morning he threw up but he is eating now. For the past week i noticed he seems dizzy. I am worried he has diabetes and yes i know he should see a vet but we are in a pandemic and if we get sick who will take care of Binky. I'm not neglecting Binky ,my dr thinks i might have a blood clot in my leg since it is still swollen from the accident. She wants me to go for a ultrasound but i'm scared to do it because i will be in a Uber with a stranger who could have covid. Of course i will have to risk it if Binky gets any worse but not mention the outrageous prices vet charge. We tried to rescue a sweet neighborhood cat who was elderly and you wouldn't believe me if i told you how much they charged us. They removed his teeth and a month later he passed away. They wanted another 500 just to put him to sleep we were going to do it but he passed on his own while we were waiting for them to give us a appointment. This is what we have to deal with when it comes to vets. for now i ordered some keto strips from Amazon to check his urine. It's been a long time since i had to deal with diabetes stuff. My question is this i know i should get a blood sugar monitor but i hate to have to stick his ear, our Perkins never really let me do it, i did get blood a few times but it was super hard. I seen a commercial on tv for a continues blood sugar monitor you can wear on your skin has anyone here used that on thier cat?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I have a few thoughts...

What are you feeding Binky? If there's a concern about diabetes, you want to make sure you're feeding him a low carbohydrate diet. This is a link to a food chart that has a column listing the percent of carbs. We consider low carb to be less than 10% although most people here feed their cat around 5% carb or less.

Binky may have a food sensitivity that's causing him to vomit. My diabetic cat was sensitive both to gluten and to beef. Once I eliminated those from her diet, she was fine. Another reason that cats may throw up is if they have inflammatory bowel disease. There are some proteins that can cause vomiting and/or diarrhea. Trying your cat on novel proteins (e.g., rabbit, venison) and see if the vomiting stops is another strategy.

The method of testing you're asking about is likely the Freestyle Libre although there are other constant glucose monitors (CGMs). It is glued to your cat's skin and is a constant method of monitoring blood glucose. It has been used by a number of people here. However, is costs are a concern, the sensor costs $60 and works for only 2 weeks, providing your cat doesn't find a way of removing it sooner. You also have to have a smart phone (iPhone or Android) in order to get the results. Most cats do adjust to your poking their ear as long as you reward them with treats. The best way to know if your cat is diabetic and if you don't want to go to the vet is to test Binky at home. If his numbers are higher than normal range, then it is time for a vet appointment. Please don't delay. If he is diabetic and his numbers are high, you're risking diabetic ketoacidosis developing and the costs for treating DKA are prohibitive since it is an ICU hospital stay.

As for your health, please take care of yourself. If you have to get into an Uber, I hope you've been vaccinated and boosted. It is your best protection. Buy an N95 mask if you're going to be around people you don't know. They are available on Amazon. A blood clot is not trivial.