New Diagnosis

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ErinCarpenter

ErinCarpenter

Member Since 2012
Hi Everyone,
I'm Erin and my furry four legged baby is Eddie. I originally took Eddie to the vet because he was not acting like himself. Very wobbly, walking funny, no longer able to jump on our bed/couch. I did some research and thought it could be diabetes. My husband and I took him to the vet last Saturday (9/08/12) and confimed what I had thought. Our vet did not tell us what his blood sugar was at that time but said that it was pretty high. They also took blood for a full panel and luckily there are no other issues with his health. Our vet advised us that this will make managing the diabetes much easier. He was put on 2.5mg of Glipizide 3 times a day with a small amount of food (still keeping dry food out during the day). We go back tomorrow for a follow visit. He does seem a bit more energetic then he was before but is still not himself. I'm hoping the new diet and Glipizide will get this blood sugar under control and I do not have to move to insulin and blood glucose testing.
I'm glad I have a place to ask my questions and get answers from other pet parents in my situation.
Thank you,
Erin
 
Welcome Erin and Eddie and hubby!
Welcome to the Board!

The wobbly legs sound like nueropathy and that can be helped my a vitamin B12 product- methyl B12 we call it- it can be given several different ways and will help, along with getting Eddie regulated, to get the strength back into his back legs.

A few things are needed to combat FD:
The correct and better insulins are Levemir (get the pens), Lantus (get the pens), and ProZinc- they cost more but they are worth it and have excellent track records. Not so good (and vet favs) are Humulin and Canisilun (made for DOGS) so if the vet prescribes ask for the first three instead and refuse to pay for the other two.

The correct FOOD-
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... hYXc#gid=0 (called Hobo's List)
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html (called binky's list)

You want to look for canned food that is low carb. The two lists above are ones that we use- look for the %kcal/carbs- under 10 (5 is better) in both lists. Feed the best you can afford. Most do Fancy Feast, Friskies, 9-lives. This will also help with the UTI- dry food is, well, dry. Canned food has more moisture and when you add water to it the water content is increased- all the better to pee a lot. You do NOT need vet prescription food- it is overpriced, high carbs, and contains high quantities of liver- which most cats won't eat day in and day out. If you bought some just take it back and say your kitty stopped eating it. They should refund even if it is opened. You also should consider feeding several small meals throughout the day. Not only is a diabetic cat losing weight- the reason is because they are literally starving, unable to get the nutrients out of the food they are eating. Give more food in small meals and your cat will slow down once they start getting the nutrients out.

Home testing-
You need to get a glucometer to test your cat- a human one is fine and reliable to use. It reads different than the pet ones but all you really need is the consistency of the levels day in and day out. You might be able to get a free one- there is a spot just at the top of every page that says home testing kits. Here is a link to what's inside:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopi ... 28&t=60261

If you purchase one here is a list from Consumer Reports:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopi ... 28&t=70140

You need to look at the ones that have the cheapest strips- not the cheapest meter. The meter you will buy once, the strips you will continue to purchase over and over again. A lot of people on the board use the Relion micro/confirm meters from Wal-mart because the strips are the cheapest around- $.36 each and usually easy to get (and you can get the strips even cheaper online through the ADW site). Bayer is another popular one. Stay away from the generic kinds that have the word TRUE in the name- those are inaccurate at higher #'s or don't go above 299- and another bad one is the Freestyle Light with the butterfly on the strips- both of these have led many pet owners to believe their cats were okay when they were really in trouble. And you can do your own curves at home when you hometest- that is cheaper than doing it at the vet.

To keep up with the BG #'s there is a spread sheet (SS) that we link to our signature line. Here is the link to set up:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopi ... =6&t=18207

Incidentals-
- I would suggest getting ketosticks (found in the diabetic supply aisle) to test your kitty for ketones that lead to DKA- this is a very serious and deadly (and EXPENSIVE) illness. For $7 you get 50 strips- the best insurance against ketones possible. If you catch it early the easier it is to treat.
- Lancets- for your first box go for the lowest gauge you can find- 26 or 28. His ears won't bleed that much at the start. There are so many u-tube videos out there that can show you how to test the ear. You can either use the lancet pen or free-hand. I free-hand as I feel like I have more control over the pointy end. After the first box is used up you can switch to 31 gauge.
- TREATS! In the videos you see the cats eager to be tested. That is because they are shamelessly bribed into sitting still because of a yummy treat that is given after testing. Freeze-dried chicken, beef, shrimp are no carb treats and there are others out there that get used as well. Give this treat ONLY a poke time- tests or shots. Your cat might not care for treats, mine never did. She just knows it comes before her food

Good luck on the sugar dance!

Heather
 
Unfortunately, your vet does not have you on the right treatment plan. This is pretty common. Many, many vets are not up to date on the current feline diabetes treatment recommendations.

If you're giving your cat glipizide pills (oral hypogycemic medication), these are not recommended for use in cats. From the American Animal Hospital Association Diabetes guidelines, p. 218: "Oral hypoglycemic drugs, combined with diet change, are only indicated if owner refuses insulin therapy or is considering euthanasia.These agents are not considered appropriate for long-term use."

The pills do not work in most cats, and in many cases they make the condition worse by further and sometimes permanently damaging the pancreas. Insulin therapy, on the other hand, gives the pancreas a rest and allows it to heal. Cats have the amazing ability to heal their pancreas if the right insulin, diet, and dosing methods are used. 86% of newly diagnosed cats go into remission if the correct treatment is followed. (I've attached an article below for you to print and give to your vet. I would also print out the AAHA guidelines I linked above for him/her.) This means a slow acting insulin like Lantus (glargine) or Levemir (detemir), the correct diet, and dose adjustments via home testing.

Diabetic cats need a low carb, canned diet. There is NO dry food that is appropriate for a diabetic cat. Here's a link to the cat food nutrition charts, in addition to the ones Heather provided: http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm. You want to pick something under 10% carbs (but preferably under 7%). Many people here feed the "classic" varieties of Fancy Feast because the are reasonably priced, easy to find, and most cats love them.

Many people are scared to home test their cats at first, but it becomes really easy within a week or so! Here's some links to get you started on the how to, but if you have any problems at all post here and get some advice--the members here have tricks for everything you can think of: http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-test.htm. The Relion meters at Walmart are very popular here because they are reliable and the strips are some of the least expensive you can find. I would repeat what Heather mentioned about getting 26-28g lancets to start--too small lancets (30g-33g) are one of the most common problems when you're learning! Also, a low carb treat after every test (successful or not) is a must.

The sooner you get on the right treatment path, the better and sooner are your chances of remission (diet controlled, no insulin). The longer you wait, the more likely it is that your cat will need insulin permanently. That's why it's very important to educate your vet and get them on board with the right treatment. If your vet refuses to read the educational materials and work with you, get another a vet.
 

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Welcome welcome! I'm pretty new so I don't give advice, but I do want to give a kudos to the regulars on this board. They are responsive, caring and wonderful people! They have helped me and my little Buster kitty a boatload!! It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but you'll get the hang of things and Eddie will be back to his old self in no time! Keep researching, and keep asking questions. Feel better soon, Eddie!
 
Great advice, thank you so much. Being new to all of this, I need all the education I can get.

Food
Eddie is also 14lbs and was advised to have a low fat and low carb diet. Any suggestions? I looked on the Janet & Binky's page for info but I did not find a similar canned food to the one that our vet gave to us (Hill's Prescription Diet W/D). I either find ones that are low in carbs but really high in fat or vice versa.

Luckily Eddie has a follow up visit with the Doc tomorrow, so I can get some more info on other treatments before it's too late.

Erin
 
Hill's WD is a poor choice......much higher in carbs, even the canned, than regular canned cat food. Years ago vets used WD because no one knew any better. Glipizide info......not many cats do well on it and even though it is a pill a cat can still hypo. Please, buy a meter and learn to hometest. Once you do, then change Eddie to canned cat food and start insulin, hopefully Lantus or Levemir.

WD also was originally used for weight reduction as was RD. vets seem to think that if you put a cat on canned only they will gain weight.....not so. Dry food is bad even for a non-diabetic.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_glipizide.html
 
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