New & Don't Know What to Do

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Claire_A

Member Since 2012
Hi everyone,
I just found this site and message board. My kitty, Olie, was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago. He's never been regulated and I'm running out of hope.

A year ago, we noticed him losing weight (from 18 lbs. down to 14 lbs.) and begging for water nonstop. His coat didn't look good. That led us to find out he was diabetic. Our vet started him out on 1 unit of insulin, once a day (can't remember brand). He said we'd need to bring him in every 8 wks for glucose testing. Initially, he responded very well. He eased up on the water and his coat returned to looking nice. But, a glucose test showed, his levels were still not in control. So, up went the insulin. Up went his weight (now 17 lbs.) And, still no regulation. At this point, he's on 3 units, twice a day. He's on special food (Royal Canin) which is measured out and given to him 3x a day.

Four days ago, he started having diarrhea....outside of the litter box. It's really bad. Today, he peed all over my house in addition to having diarrhea all over my bed.

Every time we take him into the vet with concerns, he simply repeats the glucose tests, tells us his levels are high and increases the insulin...and happily charges us $120+ each time. I feel so frustrated. I get the impression my vet could care less about Olie's well-being. However, I don't live in an area where there are many options with vets. There certainly aren't any specialists here. I want to have Olie regulated and happy again. I just don't know how to get there.

(My apologies if this has been posted a million times over and if it's missing the typical lingo. I'm new to feline diabetes message boards.) ;-)
 
Claire, I'm sorry for how hard this is on you. It's pretty scary at times but the best thing you can do is buy a human glucometer, if you have a WalMart nearby get their Relion brand, and test Olie's blood sugar yourself at home.

The problem you have now could be a urinary tract infection and a bout of pancreatitis. Sugar in the urine and saliva is a breeding ground for bacteria, they love warm wet places. The unregulated diabetes leads to sugar spilling into the urine which can cause the UTI. I'm also thinking pancreatitis because of the belly ache.

I'd suggest a vet visit and get some antibiotics. For the belly Flagyl is often prescribed, but since you may have a UTI too, I'm not sure what the vet will prescribe.

From there, start hometesting and let the folks here on FDMB help you learn how to interpret the numbers and find the right dose of insulin and maybe even the right insulin for your kitty. They can also help with finding a better quality food that you can buy locally, that could save you money and help with the blood sugar.

What type of insulin is your kitty on?
 
Welcome to the Board!

What insulin is Olie on? And what food? Are you checking for ketones? And where are you located (state/city/country)? We might have someone close who can help you learn the basics.

Here is a long note that gives links and the proper way to take care of your sugar cat.

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:
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=60261

If you purchase one here is a list from Consumer Reports:
viewtopic.php?f=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:
viewtopic.php?f=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!
 
Hmjohnston, some of the links aren't showing up correctly in your post. Not sure if you were aware of that or not.

hmjohnston said:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... hYXc#gid=0 (called Hobo's List)
Click to expand...

Correct link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmkyagqUb3nudG9sRVhTVnFEWlhaU19ZUXkxTnlhYXc#gid=0

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=60261
Click to expand...

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=60261

If you purchase one here is a list from Consumer Reports:
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=70140
Click to expand...

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=70140

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:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207
Click to expand...

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207
 
Hello. Welcome.

How about some basic info that helps you understand what every one is referring to.
www.catinfo.org

It will explain very nicely why the food you are using is bad for your sugarbaby.

It's wonderful that you want to help Olie get better and this is the place to do so.

As soon as you let every one know what city you are in, I hope we can find you someone who can tell you a good vet in your area. You don't have to have a specialist
if you have a vet who is keeping current.
The vet you have is just patting you on the head . He obviously doesn't have the experience you need.

You have a lot of reading and learning to do.

Find out what the name of your insulin is and tell us that too.

And ask questions freely.
 
Sorry for the delay, everyone! I'll try to remember all of the questions.

Here's the update:
We got Olie into the vet the same day I posted. My husband took him in, and I had shared a few links with him about feline diabetes care and hypoglycemia before the appt. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased with the lack of care Olie's received. So, he read the vet the riot act a bit - why are we constantly increasing insulin and getting no where, why don't we have goals for Olie's health, why hadn't we ever been told about hypoglycemia, why hadn't we been told about home monitoring, AND why was Olie having to suffer like this!

The vet was apparently very nervous, but said they were all good questions. Olie was indeed hypoglycemic (blood sugar was 52). He said to lower the dose (Levemir) to 2 units, twice a day. He thought home monitoring was a great idea (why hadn't he ever said anything before!). He said to wait a week to let Olie's levels get straightened out before starting the monitoring. So, we're going to start this week.

Within 2 days, Olie was back to his normal, kitty-self and so full of love. He was purring and rubbing up against everyone - even our little kids that he usually avoids. It was as if he was saying, "I feel so much better!"

So, we're not out of the woods yet, but I do feel better about the path we're on.

We live in Morehead City, NC (central coast), by the way. If we do stick with our vet, hopefully he starts to take his profession and his clients a bit more seriously after last week!
 
Note on the link to the Consumers Report on good glucose meters to use....

Do NOT use the TRUEresult meter as it has given incorrect numbers FOR CATS.
As well, the report says that the FreeStyle meter is excellent; it is NOT good for cats, and several members on this site can prove to you that their use of the FreeStyle meter gave them false numbers, none over 299, yet when cats were tested with any other meter and even compared to vet pet meters, the cats were all testing much much higher, in the 300s and 400s.
 
So have you started home testing yet? As others have said, this is the only way for you to be in control of your cat's care and the only way to know if giving insulin and the amount you are giving is safe.

Please let us know what steps you have taken, so we can help you further.
 
I get the Consumer Reports magazine and it is for humans. So the information on good meters is for a human diabetic and won't necessarily translate well to our cats. Although I know we all have our favorite meters, mine is Walmart brand Relion. It is inexpensive (about $12) and the strips are economical ($36 for 100). I think that the numbers I get on it are reliable.

Pat
 
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