New member with remission concerns

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Betsy & Muphasa

Member Since 2022
Hello, my name is Betsy and my cat is Muphasa. He is a domestic short-haired black cat and my world. I adopted him from a local shelter in 2005 and we have been inseparable since. He was diagnosed Dec 2020 with diabetes and a heart issue at the age of 14 and is now 16 . He was on 1.7 units of Lantus (started at .5 and worked our way up over the years). He was eating 2 cans of FF classic beef pate and 3/4 cup Purina kitten chow every 24 hours.

He had been having health issues for the last 3.5 weeks (loss of appetite and constipation) so I have been taking him to the vet who decreased his dose to .5 units and put him on Miralax and the ear cream/gel to stimulate appetite (I can't remember the name). Then this last Wednesday, our vet (who is amazing) said that his diabetes had gone into remission and he was now showing signs of non-regenative anemia. I was so overjoyed about the remission as he had been through a lot over the last 2 years, trying to level out his blood sugars and putting up with a overprotective cat mom. I celebrated by buying all of his favorite pre-diabetic foods and let him eat whichever he wanted, and he ate and ate! He ( and I) were so happy!
However, I am now struggling as I am seeing the same signs as before when he was originally diagnosed (thirst, weight loss, loss of appetite, constipation) as of Thursday morning and am trying to figure out how long to give him to adjust to no insulin before I totally freak out again and bring him back to the vet. We have a follow up scheduled for a week and a half from now but I don't want to wait if I need to bring him back. I am so accustomed to being in tune with him and watching for the slightest change as I know it can affect blood sugars. I just don't know anymore what to do or feel. I just keep crying and worrying.
 
Hi and welcome Betsy and Muphasa.
Once a cat is a diabetic, they will always be a diabetic, even if they go into remission….they become a diet controlled diabetic cat. That means they have to stay on a low carb diet forever.
If you gave him the food he was eating before he was a diabetic and it was not a low carb food, it is most likely he has fallen out of remission.
Are you hometesting the blood glucose levels yourself?
If not I would recommend you go out and buy a human glucose meter and start testing the BGs. You can buy a ReliOn human meter from Walmart for $9 and a box of 100 test strips for $17.88. You will need a box of lancets to prick the ear. Buy the 26 or 28 gauge lancets. If you don’t live in the US, you can buy glucose meters from most pharmacies.
I would also buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy while you are there to test the urine for ketones. These can form if a diabetic cat is not getting the insulin they need.
If he has indeed come out of remission, you will need to restart the insulin as soon as possible. He won’t adjust to no insulin if he needs it.
I would also get him back onto the low carb diet again straight away.
What is the vet doing about the non regenerative anaemia?
 
Bron gave a very good explanation of what is likely going on. I would likewise encourage you to find a low carbohydrate food (the Fancy Feast is great) and do not feed any dry -- the kitten chow is high in carbs.

I would be curious what the vet based his conclusion on that your kitty was in remission. While most cats are stressed at the vet's office and that usually means their blood glucose numbers are elevated, some cat's numbers drop with stress. Again, like Bron suggested, I would get some tests at home so you know if. your cat's numbers are up and if a change in food brings those numbers down. I would not start giving insulin if you are going to get your cat on a low carb diet and aren't home testing.
 
Thank you for your advice. I am heartbroken as Muphasa passed away yesterday. His quality of life diminished quickly and I had to make the decision. He was my best friend.
 
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