New, (but also back again)

[Glassgoblin]

Hello, several years ago I was around a lot because my cat, Jaxa, had been diabetic and thankfully went into remission the same year. Sadly, she passed a few years later due to unrelated health issues. Well, now my 8 yr old Electra has been diagnosed. She has been getting different treatments for a skin allergy reaction since May, and one of those things was a steroid shot in July. I noticed shortly after that her drinking/peeing habits had changed and the Vet had me wean her off the atopica but not much changed. Then I noticed she had started feeling lighter, so I weighed her at home and she had lost almost two pounds since her Vet appt (within 4 months time). We had an appointment last week and had the full senior blood panel and labs, and Vet called last night and left a message about diagnosis (high glucose in blood and urine). She mentioned alternatives to insulin, so I think she is referring to the oral meds now available. I have to call them back today to discuss and see what we can get started immediately.

I just keep seeing horror stories when I look up the meds; she may be newly diagnosed but she might also have been diabetic for over a month or two and the DKA stories worry me. Jaxa was on Prozinc, and that was easy for me because she was my only cat. However, now I have two sister torties also (2.5 yrs old) and no one to help remove food for fasting tests/pre-shot if we go the insulin route and shots every 12 hrs. I have a lot of questions to ask the Vet, but right now am just trying to figure out which ones I need to ask first.

 

[CORKY]

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

 

[Glassgoblin]

Uploading lab results; Conversation with Vet today- she wants to try Senvelgo as Electra had no ketones and has not been on insulin. I did order a one month supply (based on her weight), and I will be testing for ketones again before anything is administered. I should have the testing strips before the med arrives. There is already a plan for bringing her in to have an evaluation at the Vet office after three days as long as nothing goes wrong between first dose and third. I want to start on a Monday or Sunday night so those first days are during a tome the vet office is open. They do a lot of hands on testing for the first few weeks, but it sounds like Electra will only be the second cat to be prescribed this at their office due to their screening procedures (this is a busy Vet office, with three Vets on staff). I worry about the bad stories I have read, but there are a lot of good stories also, so I will have to keep close watch and hopefully past experience with a diabetic cat will help. My area lacks emergency vet care on weekends/nights, so i will have to be vigilant.