Need suggestions about my newly diagnosed 12 year kitty

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Valorie

Valorie

Member Since 2024
My kitty Harley was diagnosed as diabetic about three weeks ago. She has gone through 2 bg curves. First week she got 1 unit of insulin once daily, second week 1 unit twice daily. Her blood sugar levels look better (started out b/w 400 and 600 and now b/w 200-375) but she is completely lethargic and just sleeps by her water dish all day and night. She eats RC PR and has a decent appetite (she is getting cerenia and miritaz because she was also diagnosed with pancreatitis). She has neuropathy and has trouble using her back legs for standing/walking. She will walk to litter box but when she urinates she over shoots and hits the pee pads I've got down. She's not drinking and peeing excessively. Yesterday she was much more alert but today she lethargic again. I've read that treating a diabetic cat is a marathon but I just know if I'm doing the right things for my baby. She's going in for another bg curve tomorrow and I bought a freestyle libre that place while she's there. Jus not sure if it's too early to make a tough decision or should I give her more time. Anxious for your thoughts and feedback.
 
Welcome Valorie and Harley
You couldn't have found a better group to join
I will tag a few experienced members for you, I don't know anything about Pancreatitis.
If you can do your signature ,it's information we need about Harley so members can give you advice.
With the help from the experienced members here and me taking their advice Tyler has been in remission for 3 years and 3 months now ( knock in wood )
Tap on this blue link
Here is a link helping us to help you link. If you noticed, our members have some basic information about their cat's in their signature. This helps us to not pester you by asking the same questions (your cat's name, insulin type, date of diagnosis, etc.) repeatedly. We also have a link to our spreadsheet in our signature. We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help
Do you see Tyler's signature after my post in gray letters.
The link will also tell you how to set up our spreadsheet and how it works.
If you need help setting it up just ask and I can tag one of our members to contact you :cat:
@Valorie

Edit I know you are going to have the Freestyle Libre put in but I would also suggest buying a human meter to have on hand in case the Libre doesn't last the full 14 days. It's actually a human meter.
We can show you how to home test Harley and what other supplies you will need
Doing curves at the vets office can stress them out and cause higher BG
numbers . It's really not that hard to home test

Here is the link for the meter and test strips so you don't have to search for them
Relion Premier Classic Meter at Walmart for 9 dollars
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-CLASSIC-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/552134103

The tests strips are 17.88 for 100
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-Blood-Glucose-Test-Strips-100-Count/575088197
 
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Valorie said:
She has neuropathy and has trouble using her back legs for standing/walking.
Click to expand...
Until you get Harley in better numbers you can start giving
Methyl B-12 which will help
You can give Methyl B-12
Doses he walk like a rabbit, on his hocks , back legs?
I used to give Tyler
https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-60-capsules-5
the Vitacost brand another member told me about
Vitamin B-12 Methylcobalamin -- 5000 mcg - 100 Capsules

Same as Zobaline , but the Zobaline is so expensive as you know
This is the same thing
The only difference is the Zobaline has 200 mcgs of folic acid
So I bought the folic acid at the supermarket and crush it up and added it to the Vitacost brand
If you can't find the 200 mcg get the 400 mcg and cut it in half and crush it up and add it, some members didn't even add the folic acid and the neuropathy improved
The Vitacost brand is a capsule so just open it and pour the powder on the wet food
Has no taste, no need to crush it up, I still give it to Tyler every now and then and he has never tasted it in his food , I always add water to his food and just stir up the methyl B-12 good
I switched to the vitacost brand because the zobaline was too expensive,
Even though the vitacost brand is 5000 mcgs and the zobaline is 3000 mcgs
What they don't need they will pee out because it's water soluble.

The Zobaline is expensive for 60 pills, 30.00 some other places want 33.00
I used to use the Zobaline when I joined, then a member told me about the Vitacost brand .

It took about 2 months for Tyler to get back to walking normal, jumping on to the couch, running around
But every few weeks I did see a slight improvement
Some members didn't even add the folic acid to the vitacost brand and it still helped and the neuropathy was gone
@Valorie
 
Valorie said:
My kitty Harley was diagnosed as diabetic about three weeks ago. She has gone through 2 bg curves. First week she got 1 unit of insulin once daily, second week 1 unit twice daily. Her blood sugar levels look better (started out b/w 400 and 600 and now b/w 200-375) but she is completely lethargic and just sleeps by her water dish all day and night. She eats RC PR and has a decent appetite (she is getting cerenia and miritaz because she was also diagnosed with pancreatitis). She has neuropathy and has trouble using her back legs for standing/walking. She will walk to litter box but when she urinates she over shoots and hits the pee pads I've got down. She's not drinking and peeing excessively. Yesterday she was much more alert but today she lethargic again. I've read that treating a diabetic cat is a marathon but I just know if I'm doing the right things for my baby. She's going in for another bg curve tomorrow and I bought a freestyle libre that place while she's there. Jus not sure if it's too early to make a tough decision or should I give her more time. Anxious for your thoughts and feedback.
Click to expand...
@Wendy&Neko
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Bandit's Mom
 
Can you tell us which insulin you are giving? What is the reason for the RC PR - is it wet or dry? We believe in feeding low carb food for diabetics - something under 10% carbs. The Royal Canin PR is not low carb.
 
You definitely need to give your cat more time. 3 weeks is not even a sprint! Your cat is still in the starting blocks.

I am always concerned when someone says their cat is lethargic. I would encourage you to get Ketostix and test your cat's urine for ketones. If your cat is going to the vet's office for a curve, they can test for blood ketones. (There are blood ketone meters and you can test either blood or urine at home.)

I also agree with Wendy. You need to transition your cat to a low carbohydrate diet -- preferably canned food since there are very few dry foods that are low in carbs.
 
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