New member, very overwhelmed

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NoahAndStar

NoahAndStar

Member Since 2021
Hi, I'm very overwhelmed with Star's health. I use they/them pronouns for Star, who is a singular kitty!

I tested their glucose level at home for the first time today on ReliOn human meter and got 464
We had skipped insulin yesterday because they were barely eating. I gave them 1 unit of Lantis immediately

They've also been having diarrhea for weeks now. We are awaiting results from a parasite check in their poop. Hopefully we'll have that info tomorrow.

I'd like to also change out their food -- they've been on a hydrolyzed protein diet but I understand those are high in carbs. I was informed that Identity brand might be good but I can't find any in local stores.

I literally don't know what to do anymore. I'm exhausted and don't know what to prioritize. Please help
 
Sending lots of compassion and encouragement your way. Hopefully an experienced member will be a bigger help than i. I do want to encourage you to hang in there gather all the info you can here. It gets better!
 
Lando demando said:
Sending lots of compassion and encouragement your way. Hopefully an experienced member will be a bigger help than i. I do want to encourage you to hang in there gather all the info you can here. It gets better!
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Thank you so much for your kind words!!! It's hard feeling so alone and lost. I really appreciate your response
 
This forum is the only think that kept me from feeling hopeless with Lando. You will find compassionate and knowledgeable people here. Specific questions like how to test, what is the best low carb food etc… will get you in the mix faster. Take care and ill look for stars updates!
 
NoahAndStar said:
Update: BG is at 370 +3
So, uhh, not great. I don't know what to do
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I will try not to give advice since i am not qualified. But 370 is definitely not an emergency. This will be a process that will take many months. Take a deep breath. It will be ok. If Star becomes regulated it will be after you understand their patterns and what works for them. Hopefully within the next 12 hrs someone will guide you to next steps. Deep breath!
 
First, welcome! You've landed in a great place.

A few housekeeping items (this may feel a bit like rapid fire hot seat question lol):
  • Lantus is dosed 12 hrs apart, plus or minus 15 minutes
  • Star should fast for 2 hrs before preshot. We want to make sure BG is not influenced by food
  • Do you have a hypo kit?
  • Do you have urine ketone strips?
Some health questions:
  • Why is Star on a hydrolyzed diet? Going to tag @Katherine&Ruby as she's usually pretty well versed in foods (no pressure :joyful:). Are you wanting/needing to keep that sort of diet, or can you switch to a regular Friskies canned sort of thing?
  • How was Star diagnosed? Any history of ketones or DKA? The vet is the one who said start at 1U? Any curves done at the vet?
Ultimately you're going to want a variety of foods. We consider low carb to be under 10%, most of us feed around 4-5%. Medium carb is around 13%, high carb is 16% and higher. You'll need a mix of foods as that is how we help manage BG when they get lower numbers. This list can help you find % carbs of most foods.

Based on the above answers we'll figure out next steps.
 
Hi Noah,

Totally understandable that you'd be overwhelmed! I have a kitty with GI issues as well as diabetes and the most important thing is to get Star to eat--food helps the action of the insulin, and if they're not eating, it's a problem. Curious to know why they are on a hydrolyzed diet, and if the diarrhea is connected to the food. You need to prioritize the diarrhea. It can lead to dehydration, loss of electrolytes, and is bad overall because cats have a low thirst quotient to begin with.

Here is a page just on the subject of resolving diarrhea in cats, and the part I'd like to suggest to you is feeding the kitty a bland diet of poached or lightly cooked food, and adding S. boulardii with MOS from Jarrows: https://www.foodfurlife.com/my-cat-has-diarrhea---what-do-i-do.html#/ The site is for cats with IBD but ignore that--the solutions given can work for most cats regardless.

If high carb food is all they are willing to/can eat, then that's what needs to be given to them and insulin needs adjusted accordingly. There are tests that can be done to see if your cat has a GI disorder such as IBD or SCL, but perhaps they have been done already. If your kitty has diarrhea and is on hydrolyzed food, it sounds like Star has IBD, or at least your vet thinks so.

Hang in there, we're here to help! :bighug:
 
Thank you everyone! I'll answer the questions:

"Lantus is dosed 12 hrs apart, plus or minus 15 minutes"
I am trying my best to make this happen, including hiring a housemate to do the things I can't. Until my own health issues are resolved, I myself don't have the capacity to make this happen.

"Star should fast for 2 hrs before preshot. We want to make sure BG is not influenced by food"
Since Star isn't eating much to begin with, and has been having diarrhea recently, I've been giving them every opportunity to eat. Should I stop this? Maybe just one day?

I don't have a hypo kit but I will try to get one tomorrow!!

I have urine ketone strips but I don't know how to use them yet. Star's urine was free of ketones at the vet recently

Star has been on a hydrolyzed diet for about 4 years due to skin reactions from Sheba food. The diet worked for their skin and the vet never mentioned other options

I brought Star into the ER for rapid breathing. They were in congestive heart failure due in part to fluid buildup around their heart and lungs. They had also been drinking and urinating A Lot for 10 weeks after a steroid shot, so they were tested for diabetes. The vet prescribed 1U. The heart failure is gone but the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is here to stay.
I think the vet did a curve, let me see if I can find the document
 
I am sorry about the HCM. Earlier this year I dealt with some nasty pleural effusion issues and it is stressful!

Do you know their ideal weight? And current weight?

Any possibility they are nauseous? Acting like they want to eat, but hanging head, or licking lips. Or any signs of pain? Sitting in the meatloaf position, squinty eyes, that sort of thing.

We really do need those preshots to be fasting for consistency, but believe me I understand the stress of not eating.

What is your schedule, meaning what times can/do you give shots? And are you able to monitor cycles? For example, if they started to drop lower at night or during the day, does your schedule/condition prevent you from being able to test?

I do apologize for the 100 questions, I promise there's a reason I'm asking all this lol from feeding schedules, to dosing methods, to even possibly the insulin itself. Just trying to get the whole picture to come up with safest/best solution.
 
Also that steroid shot you mentioned is critical...hoping the diabetes is just a fleeting issue caused by that, and we can get Star into remission (no guarantees of course)
 
It's clear that the hydrolyzed food might be helping with the skin allergies, but have you ever thought about going for novel proteins? There are so many additives in food like Sheba, Friskies, and Fancy Feast that can cause inflammation. There are proteins like venison and duck that are low inflammation foods. Ziwipeak makes some really high quality versions of these and they are low carb in comparison to hydrolyzed canned food. The steroid shot will definitely have some effect on glucose levels. Do you know what kind of steroid shot Star received?
 
I would echo Katherine's suggestions about staring Star on S. boulardii for the diarrhea. It can work wonders. Ditto her recommendation about novel proteins. I'm a fan of ZiwiPeak, too. In addition to the novel protein, it does not contain gums or carrageenan which can cause GI upset. The downside is that it's pricey. If Star is sensitive to fish, it does contain green mussels as a source of Omega-3.
 
NoahAndStar said:
They've also been having diarrhea for weeks now
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Am I missing something? Star is the diabetic but there's another cat and they've both been having diarrhea? This has to be brought under control before anything else, the fluid loss alone is a big issue. Are there any outdoor cats or is there a dog in the house? I ask because maybe something is getting tracked in, could even be something you walk through every day.
We had an entire family of six with cardiomyopathy, I've been there and know that pain. You're not alone.
 
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