New Member - Bella is Lethargic and not eating Continued

[Krisy and Bella]

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...lethargic-and-not-eating.294606/#post-3211842

Hope I did this right! @Diane Tyler's Mom GA

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
I see, that makes sense she would need a higher dose of insulin. What an unfortunate cycle.
Yes, after numerous trials on many different meds including Solensia (mild allergic reaction) and tramadol, only the prednisolone would help her. As soon as I attempted to taper her off, she would not be able to defecate nor function.
I would be willing to try the Solensia again if taking her off the steroid would make her diabetes go away. Do you know if that would be the case?

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@Krisy and Bella
Yes you did it perfect

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Krisy -

There's no way to know whether discontinuing the steroid would make Bella's diabetes go into remission. My cat was diabetic for 6.5 years until she crossed the Bridge. Not all cats are well regulated or go into remission. It would be wonderful if we knew what a cat's prognosis is. I'd urge you to keep in mind that humans don't go into remission and can live a long and good life even if diagnosed with diabetes in childhood. We have the responsibility of taking care of our diabetic kitty and that does have an effect on our schedules whereas an adult human can manage their diabetes independently. Also, insulin needs can and do vary. It's one of the reasons that home testing is so important.

Right now, I know this all sounds incredibly overwhelming. It really does get easier. You and Bella will develop a pattern. Cats are creatures of habit and once she knows what that pattern is, it will become easier. I don't think anyone has mentioned the role of treats. There are low carb treats (e.g., freeze dried proteins like chicken) that most of our cats love. Rewarding Bella with every attempt at testing by giving her a treat regardless of whether the test was successful will help her to associate testing with something good.

 

[Krisy and Bella]

Bella’s blood sugar level is 116!! She seems very much like herself again. I changed her to only fancy feast classic wet food and changed her dose of steroids to night time instead of in the morning.
She does still seem to have some sort of upper respiratory infection. I wonder if that was the cause? Will antibiotics affect her diabetes if she does have it? Do I still need to get the insulin? Is the fructosamine blood test the way to be sure whether she has diabetes or not?
Thanks for everyone’s time

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Bella’s blood sugar level is 116!! She seems very much like herself again. I changed her to only fancy feast classic wet food and changed her dose of steroids to night time instead of in the morning.
She does still seem to have some sort of upper respiratory infection. I wonder if that was the cause? Will antibiotics affect her diabetes if she does have it? Do I still need to get the insulin? Is the fructosamine blood test the way to be sure whether she has diabetes or not?
Thanks for everyone’s time

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Bron and Sheba (GA)

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

The fructosamine test will give you an average of Bella's blood glucose over a period of a few weeks. It's a good way to know if she's diabetic.

Her blood glucose at 116 is great but I wouldn't rely on one test to determine whether Bella is diabetic. Blood glucose numbers vary based on any number of factors. These include diet, stress, infection/inflammation, etc. Antibiotics can have an effect on blood glucose. If a cat has an infection, it will raise blood glucose levels. As the antibiotics start to work, those numbers will go back to their pre-infection level.