New member possibly in denial.

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pepperthecat

Member Since 2026
Just yesterday my 11 year old male cat was diagnosed with diabetes. He was having difficulty passing his stool for a few days and showed very little interest in food so I took him to the vet to get an enema (which he has had to do in the past because of his chronic constipation). The vet was very worried about a few things from the get-go. Firstly he weighed 14.5 pounds in 2024 and now in 2026 he weighed 8.5 pounds. His bladder was enlarged and the vet said he wanted to do x-rays, bloodwork, urine test, fluids (he was dehydrated), and finally the enema. He conducted all of the tests and found that the bloodwork showed his glucose levels to be at 424 which he then said he needed to do the urine test to see if there was ketones in his pee. He said that this mattered because it would dictate what treatment he would need in terms of insulin vs. oral medication for his diabetes. The results of the urine test apparently showed "high" levels of ketones but when I asked to have a copy of the urine report the document clearly stated KET = negative. I tried to get ahold of him today but it was his day off so now I have to wait an uncertain amount of time to speak with him about this discrepancy. I also read online that a false positive diagnosis is possible if a fructosamine was not performed to rule out high levels of glucose due to stress and not diabetes. Maybe its just me trying to cope and maybe I'm just in denial but a part of me wonders if this was a false positive due to the fact the vet never did the fructosamine test and it seems like he misinformed me about ketones in his urine. The other side of the coin is that although the urine test said negative for ketones, it did find glucose in it and the levels were very high like 1000 mg/dL.

I wonder if I should either get a second opinion on this as I would probably have to rehome him if he did have to get insulin because theres a lot of doubt in my mind given my living situation and job that I won't be able to give him the care he needs? I wish they would have done the fructosamine test to be 100% sure it was just stress from going to the vet which he certainly has. He is very very afraid of going to the vet and I wonder if that could have spiked his glucose as high as it was.

My second hope is that even if he truly does have diabetes he won't need to get insulin shots and can just take oral medication which would be much more viable for me. I'm deathly afraid of needles and I couldn't imagine a life of constantly jabbing him twice a day for the rest of his life. If there were no ketones present in his urine then why can't he go on something like Senvelgo?

The other option would be to rehome him with my mother who lives in Arizona which is about 2000 miles away from where I live. I'm not sure if hes currently healthy enough to make the trip but I know if he could survive it my mother is retired and also diabetic so she could give him the life he really needs to get over this disease.

At the end of the visit the vet concluded he was blocked because he was dehydrated and he was dehydrated because of his diabetes. He said the only option is insulin shots twice a day because ketones were found in his urine even though the urology report stated negative.

Currently Pepper seems fine and is eating normally and drinking normally. He hasn't had a bowel movement yet but that is normal due to the vet giving him an enema and stating that he cleared him out completely. He still hasn't gotten any insulin and I'm worried that he wont make the rehoming trip without it. The vet just kind of said heres some needles and some insulin good luck, I told him I need some time to think about this as I wanted to be 100% sure he truly had diabetes. I wish I knew how much time I actually had to make this decision.
 

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Talked with the vet today and he said there were no ketones in his urine but there were ketones in his blood - thats not how I remember it but I will admit once he told me he had diabetes and had to get 2 shots a day I got a little light headed. He said that if Pepper was eating normally again it was fine for him to go on Senvelgo as opposed to insulin which would be much easier on him and I. He said the reason he originally recommended insulin was because Pepper hadn't ate for a day or two but he admitted that could have been a side effect of his colon being blocked to the point where he literally couldn't poop. All I know is this is information overload and its making it stressful and difficult to decide who and what to believe at this point. Again I almost want to get a second opinion as the vet said he did NOT conduct the fructosamine test but was 1000% sure he was diabetic due to his weight loss + frequent thirst/urination + high glucose in his blood and urine. I'm reading horror stories of people using Senvelgo so I'm a little hesitant but my mother said she would come watch him for a few days while I was at work.
 
Sorry about the vet, your instinct are totally correct, get another opinion, make sure that the vet you seek for has plenty of knowledge in Feline Diabetes, also for constipation you can buy over the counter MIRALAX, in any pharmacy 1/4 tsp twice a day in the food is tasteless, for at least 1 week in the two main meals should keep him regular, if you see he does not poop after 3-4 days repeat the process, too much fish in the diet can cause constipation, both of my cats every other week I use MIRALAX, is a routine, sedation, vet visits, enemas, and money, causes a lot of stress in the cat and your pocket that can be avoided, a note of reminder when cats transition or are in wet can food, they do not poop as often as with high carbs or dry foods, since wet can has no waste you might see that he will poop every other day, I remember Corky grew up since 8 weeks old on MEAUMIX kibbles , he would poop at least twice a day, now is every other day, did the vet tell you to home test?? Like you and many know Seveglo is risky, hard to regulate, do find another opinion, I will tag a couple of members that can give you a wider inside in your concerns, your baby knows you love him, you’re doing good, keep following your instincts, it gets better, I promise please keep asking questions I will tell you what a very dear member told me when I first found this forum, I was at the point of a nervous breakdown, Corky has been with me since he was 8 weeks old he was diagnosed at 10, she said “ take a step back, breath in, breath out, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress they stress”. Magic words to me
Also, tell you vet to email the lab results, you paid for them they belong to you, and post them so we can have a very knowledgeable member with high FD medical input take a look at them
We are here for you:bighug:
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Wendy&Neko
 
It sounded like he wanted me to only test his urine for ketones at home if he was on Senvelgo but not his blood. I would imagine he was going to have me come into the vet office for that but we never got that far into the conversation because he was essentially talking with me for free and other paying customers were waiting for us to be done. I have an appointment with him on Tuesday which gives my mother time to fly here and all 3 of us were going to go see him and potentially start the Senvelgo treatment. I would have to go back to work on Thursday for a few days straight so I wanted to make sure I had someone here who can monitor him and let me go to work with peace of mind.

I currently do have miralax that I was giving him because I thought he was constipated but I wonder if I dehydrated him even more than the diabetes did? He will eat it on his food which might be the only way I'll be able to give him the Senvelgo as he doesn't like being force fed liquid through a syringe even if its just water. I used to try to give him Lactulose but he would just let it seep out of his mouth like he did earlier when I tried to do it with water as a test run. Right now hes got a slight bit of diarrhea but I think its just from his recent enema. I was petting him on the couch earlier and he left me some wet poop on the couch and it was like seeping out of his butt from me petting his stomach.
 
Are you just sprinkling the Miralax onto food? If you are, then yes you are dehydrating your cat. Miralax works by drawing water into the GI tract from elsewhere in the body. The instructions (for people) says to dissolve a dose in a full glass of water before ingesting to prevent dehydration. The same goes for cats. Dissolve a dose in some water before mixing it into canned food or moist treat like a Churu tube or some canned tuna.

Ketones can be detected either in the urine or by a blood sample. Either way, the presence of ketones isn't good as it can lead to a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis. Senvelgo can't be used for cats who have ketones.

Lots of members here were initially afraid of needles and all that but now don't even blink an eye when injecting their cat or testing blood glucose levels.
 
squeem3 said:
Are you just sprinkling the Miralax onto food? If you are, then yes you are dehydrating your cat. Miralax works by drawing water into the GI tract from elsewhere in the body. The instructions (for people) says to dissolve a dose in a full glass of water before ingesting to prevent dehydration. The same goes for cats. Dissolve a dose in some water before mixing it into canned food or moist treat like a Churu tube or some canned tuna.

Ketones can be detected either in the urine or by a blood sample. Either way, the presence of ketones isn't good as it can lead to a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis. Senvelgo can't be used for cats who have ketones.

Lots of members here were initially afraid of needles and all that but now don't even blink an eye when injecting their cat or testing blood glucose levels.
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No I put it in water first and mix it up till its clear then put that on his food but I was only doing that for a few days prior to the vet visit because I thought he was just constipated as he often gets from time to time.

I'd hate to go against a medical professional but maybe he thinks it was due to him not eating from the blockage?

He did say we could do another test on Pepper on Tuesday to confirm that he was safe to take it.
 
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By the way Pepper is gorgeous!
Corky and Coco when constipated, I put the MiraLAX in the food, I also add a tsp of water in every one of their meals, it works., you said you had doubts about this vet, , and is not going against a medical professional, I believe you have been reading enough information about Senvelgo, and your treatment doubts,
that perhaps you should seek another opinion, he may be the professional, but you are paying, do you have the lab reports?
 
CORKY said:
By the way Pepper is gorgeous!
Corky and Coco when constipated, I put the MiraLAX in the food, I also add a tsp of water in every one of their meals, it works., you said you had doubts about this vet, , and is not going against a medical professional, I believe you have been reading enough information about Senvelgo, and your treatment doubts,
that perhaps you should seek another opinion, he may be the professional, but you are paying, do you have the lab reports?
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Yes but for some reason they dont include the ketone reading for the bloodwork - he had another reader for that but it wasn't part of the document he gave me. He did an in house bloodwork which meant I got the results back in 10-20 minutes so maybe thats why it wasn't as complete? The urology report did say KET = Negative.

I agree he is a great looking cat and thats why its so hard to just let him go or rehome him because one look at that face and your heart melts. Hes so easy to love.

I do wonder about his quality of live even during treatment and given his diet and constipation issues I don't think he has much time left even with insulin - but I'm not willing to give up just yet on him. I really wish I knew how many more years he'd live with treatment before I made the decision and it would make me second guess myself forever.
 
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Following the guidelines that we suggest on how to treat Feline diabetes, there shouldn’t be a reason to let him go, some vets mean well but some are not really updated on FD, is only diabetes easy to manage, we are here to help you in your concerns
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
 
CORKY said:
Following the guidelines that we suggest on how to treat Feline diabetes, there shouldn’t be a reason to let him go, some vets mean well but some are not really updated on FD, is only diabetes easy to manage, we are here to help you in your concerns
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
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I guess I'm worried that he will be one of those cats that does not react well to the insulin treatment and once I start him on insulin the vet said I wouldn't be able to go on Senvelgo so he thought it was ok to try that first. I guess we need to wait until Tuesday and see if he has "HI" ketones in his blood again after eating normally and if not then he would be safe to take it.

My mother said she would try to take him with her to Arizona worst case scenario- she is retired and would have no problem giving him shots and all the care he needs. I just graduated from college in December and trying to start my life, the last thing I needed was this problem. The issue would be she would have to get on a plane with him and put him in a carrier which essentially looks like a duffle bag for cats because the plane doesn't allow hard shelled carriers. He would also have to survive the trip and could go into DKA on the plane and have no way to get help. Hes also going to need to be sedated which worries me as well. Hes going to have to come out of his carrier when they need to check her bags and then go back into it and thats just gonna scare him to death with a loud airport and hundreds of weird smells and strangers. I just don't know if he would survive the trip with his fear of other people/places and his current condition with nothing controlling his glucose as of now.

Theres no guarantee she will be able to take him even if she is willing to and thats why I almost have to consider the fact that we would have to let him go which would be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do. I don't know if I could do it watching those eyes from his carrier and his brother being so upset with me. I guess I just gotta man up.
 
A few words about the oral diabetes meds... They are not indicated if ketones are present in any way, shape, or form. Ketones are a clear contraindication for Bexacat and Senvelgo. They are also not indicated if your cat has already been started on insulin. This is our post on the new medications.

I use a softer sided carrier when I travel with my cat. It fits under the seat. It's study. I was also a basket case when I was bringing a new, squirmy, frightened kitten home and traveling by air. I spoke with the TSA agents during the process. I basically told them that I was incredibly protective and this was a pedigreed cat and I would become a total crazy woman with attorneys if anything happened to my cat. They assured me they had a small room that my kitten and I could be sequestered in to prevent my cat from disappearing in the airport. They were as good as their word. Remember, your mom would not be the first person to bring a cat to the airport and this happens frequently for breeders who are going to cat shows.

The reality of having a diabetic cat is that it is a manageable condition. However, it does have an impact on your lifestyle. A lot depends on the support of your friends. I have wonderful friends who are devoted to their cats. There is none of the, "It's just a cat." nonsense. My diabetic cat was one who could drop into low numbers early in the cycle. My friends understood if we had plans and I wanted to swing back home to check on Gabby because I was worried. There are also timed feeders that can provide food if you are going to be out of the house. I worked full time throughout Gabby's lifetime. I worked close enough that I could bolt home at lunch if necessary. I arranged shot time based on Gabby's insulin needs and my schedule. (Shot time was 5:00 so I had time to be sure her numbers weren't tanking before I left for work.)
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
A few words about the oral diabetes meds... They are not indicated if ketones are present in any way, shape, or form. Ketones are a clear contraindication for Bexacat and Senvelgo. They are also not indicated if your cat has already been started on insulin. This is our post on the new medications.

I use a softer sided carrier when I travel with my cat. It fits under the seat. It's study. I was also a basket case when I was bringing a new, squirmy, frightened kitten home and traveling by air. I spoke with the TSA agents during the process. I basically told them that I was incredibly protective and this was a pedigreed cat and I would become a total crazy woman with attorneys if anything happened to my cat. They assured me they had a small room that my kitten and I could be sequestered in to prevent my cat from disappearing in the airport. They were as good as their word. Remember, your mom would not be the first person to bring a cat to the airport and this happens frequently for breeders who are going to cat shows.

The reality of having a diabetic cat is that it is a manageable condition. However, it does have an impact on your lifestyle. A lot depends on the support of your friends. I have wonderful friends who are devoted to their cats. There is none of the, "It's just a cat." nonsense. My diabetic cat was one who could drop into low numbers early in the cycle. My friends understood if we had plans and I wanted to swing back home to check on Gabby because I was worried. There are also timed feeders that can provide food if you are going to be out of the house. I worked full time throughout Gabby's lifetime. I worked close enough that I could bolt home at lunch if necessary. I arranged shot time based on Gabby's insulin needs and my schedule. (Shot time was 5:00 so I had time to be sure her numbers weren't tanking before I left for work.)
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She brings her cat with her when she travels but the bag she has is very similar to the one that I tried to use for Pepper the first time I took him to the vet and he did not like being put into a bag to the point where I just gave up and returned it to the store. I ended up having to buy a dog kennel so he had enough room and I could essentially drop him into it because he would not go in the normal way. So from that experience I think she is going to have a hard time getting him to calm down without the use of sedatives.
 
pepperthecat said:
She brings her cat with her when she travels but the bag she has is very similar to the one that I tried to use for Pepper the first time I took him to the vet and he did not like being put into a bag to the point where I just gave up and returned it to the store. I ended up having to buy a dog kennel so he had enough room and I could essentially drop him into it because he would not go in the normal way. So from that experience I think she is going to have a hard time getting him to calm down without the use of sedatives.
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is the crate small enough to place underneath the plane's seat? otherwise they will take the crate down with luggage there he will be very stressed with the noise.
 
CORKY said:
is the crate small enough to place underneath the plane's seat? otherwise they will take the crate down with luggage there he will be very stressed with the noise.
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Not sure but she said since it is hard sided they wont let her on the plane with it. Maybe we could find an airline that would allow it but she didn't seem to want to take the time to figure that out - she seems set on Southwest Airlines.
 
you can go on the Southwest airline web site and look in to it, how are pets allowed inside the plane and specifications, some airlines are more relaxed about these rules, if he will be going into Luggage, sedation, may be best, cats are very sensitive to stress, and that plays a negative role in their glucose levels the soft carrier can work, even if he will be tight in it, when cats are stressed they feel better when they feel tight, it makes them feel comfortable, like if they mare hiding .
 
A note about soft sided carriers: some really determined cats will be able to claw their way out. Don't ask how I know
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Sedating the cat with gabapentin or something may help and also keep the cat from constantly meowing / screaming which may drive other passengers bonkers. Cargo is unheated and unpressurized which isn't good for pets and you always hear stories about how rough anything that goes into cargo is handled and pets escaping from their carriers, etc.
 
Pepper went into the litter box today and tried to poop but nothing came out again. He tried to jump from my bed onto the dresser and didn't make it - he was always able to make that jump in the past.

I hope when he gets treatment his constipation will improve but hes had that most of the time I've known him but his diabetes is making it 10 times worse now. He ate a squeeze up this morning so thats good.

I did switch to Dr Elseys low carb dry food yesterday and I hope that wasn't contributing to it. I'm afraid to give him any miralax because if hes dehydrated couldn't that make it worse?

Hes going to the vet tomorrow and I fear he might have megacolon or something on top of his diabetes. I'm just so upset, exhausted mentally and physically, I just want this nightmare to end.
 
I have been giving Miralax to both cats for years , they both suffer from constipation, I put a 1/4 tsp in their food, even though wet food has about 80-87% moisture I always put a tsp of water in their food food, Corky got traumatized about his water bowl, so monkey see monkey does Coco doesn’t either, and there’s no dehydration, you can mix the MiraLAX with a bit of water and mix in in the Elsys dry food, it takes twice a day for about 5 days, also eating low carbs cats will not poop every day, there’s no high carbs, there’s no waste so you’ll see a different popping pattern of probably every other day
 
CORKY said:
I have been giving Miralax to both cats for years , they both suffer from constipation, I put a 1/4 tsp in their food, even though wet food has about 80-87% moisture I always put a tsp of water in their food food, Corky got traumatized about his water bowl, so monkey see monkey does Coco doesn’t either, and there’s no dehydration, you can mix the MiraLAX with a bit of water and mix in in the Elsys dry food, it takes twice a day for about 5 days, also eating low carbs cats will not poop every day, there’s no high carbs, there’s no waste so you’ll see a different popping pattern of probably every other day
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It worries me because he went into the box and nothing came out - you will see the piece of fecal matter peeking out but he cant pass it so it just stays there. Makes me think he is blocked again but I will see if he tries again today. Last week he tried for days and eventually he threw up his undigested food because his body was completely full. Even when he wasn't blocked or on low carb food, he is a very slow pooper - every 3 days or so.

I noticed he sits on the floor near his water bowl today but barely drinks it as often as he used to. I picked him up and put him on the counter near the sink and turned the faucet on for him and he started drinking it. I wonder if somehow he just doesn't like his water bowl anymore and that is making him dehydrated. He even went into the shower last night which hes literally never done and that made me think he is acting very strange. Its like he was looking for other sources of water or something.

I've always done miralax with his wet food so I'm not sure the trigger that makes him prefer the sink now over his bowl. Now that he isn't strong enough to jump on the counter I have to help him and I can't always be here to do that.
 
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I would continue the MiraLax even if he poops, for a couple of weeks, When Corky and Coco poop. After being constipated, then I just still continue giving the MiraLax but instead of twice a day I give it once a day, because if they have clogged, not all comes out at first there’s still hard poop left, after I see they poop normal every other day, a good size poop I discontinue the MiraLax, sometimes some ingredients or flavor in the food dries their intestines, just like humans
 
very possible he will not use the bowl after all tge water he was drinking when his BG was high, Corky has completely been traumatized with the water bowl, but it’s been 4 years now and his glucose levels is prove enough that there’s no dehydration or illnesses I have made sure there’s water in their food in every meal aside from the 80% moisture in their food, that’s why eating wet food when diabetes is present is crucial, the dry food even Elsys if you look at the bag where the ingredients are look at the % of moisture, is very small
Also here is the moisture for Elsys dry is 12% vs wet can is 80-85% misture
 

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CORKY said:
very possible he will not use the bowl after all tge water he was drinking when his BG was high, Corky has completely been traumatized with the water bowl, but it’s been 4 years now and his glucose levels is prove enough that there’s no dehydration or illnesses I have made sure there’s water in their food in every meal aside from the 80% moisture in their food, that’s why eating wet food when diabetes is present is crucial, the dry food even Elsys if you look at the bag where the ingredients are look at the % of moisture, is very small
Also here is the moisture for Elsys dry is 12% vs wet can is 80-85% misture
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The problem is he is a very picky eater and wont eat wet food otherwise I would have just put him on a pure wet food diet years ago when he was constipated. I've tried so many types and brand and the only thing he really eats is the Delectables Squeeze ups but those are treats and not a balanced meal hence why he has to get dry food and lot of water.
 
The vet told us today that he still had high ketones in his blood even though his blood glucose went down from 424 to 371. Therefore he was not a candidate to be on Senvelgo and insulin was the only treatment option. My mother has decided she take him with her to Phoenix, AZ on the plane and see the vet immediately so he can start insulin. A part of me is happy because it relieves me of the responsibility but I'm sad that I won't get to see him everyday. I do worry about him on the plane being so scared and upset but my mother has experience taking her own cat on the plane in the past. The vet said he didn't recommend giving him any sedatives so hes going to be a very scared cat and that breaks my heart. I feel that this is the best decision given the circumstances and I hope one day I can be at peace with it.
 
Pepper didn't make it. He's gone and I never got to be there when he passed. My mother for some reason decided not to bring her cat carrier so she bought one from Southwest when she checked her bag in and we transferred him from my carrier to the one that fit the airline regulations. I told him I loved him and that he made me very happy and that I was so sorry.

I assume the stress from going to the vet so many times that week plus getting on a plane and being at the airport plus his health condition was just too much for his body to handle.

I still had his collar that had became too big for him since he lost half his body weight and it was just getting in the way of him eating and drinking. His brother Nico was howling all night and slept with me. He was searching for his brother so I left Peppers collar on the stool he used to sleep on and when I woke up Nico had it on the floor and was laying next to it.

I just can't take this, its too much.
 
I’m truly sorry for your loss, in our Main Menu we have a Thread on Grief Support, is a great way to vent with other members that understand yours😞 🌈🌈🌹🙏
 

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