New Member

[Stewarts Mom]

Hi everyone, just found out my 13 year old orange boy has diabetes and a secondary kidney issue. His brother died of complications of diabetes two years ago, at that time Stewart was healthy. I feel helpless, its like a train ride I cant get off of. I am trying to keep him comfortable while we treat his kidneys but he has NO appetite which makes me afraid to give him his insulin. Im glad i found this forum. Has anyone dealt with this? Vet prescribed hills kd, he ate it at the vet while hospitalized but now at home he wont eat anything!! Not even cottage cheese, which he used to throw fits over. Any tips or advice is appreciated. Thanks everyone.

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

Hi and welcome to the group. A lot of people have had success with an additive called Fortiflora, you sprinkle it on the food and most cats find it irresistible.

How much insulin, what kind of insulin? What else are you feeding and how often?

Are you doing home testing of the blood glucose?

 

[Stewarts Mom]

Hi, Hendrick
He is on 1 unit of glargine every twelve hours. I have tried to feed him both wet and dry hills prescription kd, fancy feast puree, and friskies with gravy. He just sniffs it and turns up his nose. Before now, he was never a picky eater. He is also on amoxicillin for his kidney infection so i dont know if that affects appetite. I have not started home testing, we have a follow up with the vet next week to check levels. Thank you for the recommendation i will definitely get some fortiflora!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome Stewart and Mom.
What is the secondary kidney issues?
Hills kd is very high carb and not suitable for diabetic cats. Unless Stewart has very advanced kidney failure, you would be better off feeding him a low phosphorus, low carb, high protein diet…canned not dry.
Weruva (look up their website) has many low phosphorus canned foods…look for foods that have 200mg phosphorus or less/ 100 kcals.
Also look at THIS FOOD CHART for the low phosphorus foods.

I am concerned he has no appetite, and has a kidney infection.
I would recommend you test the urine daily for ketones at the moment. you can buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and just follow the directions on the bottle.
It is important to establish he has no ketones.
With diabetes cats it is very important that they eat and eat well otherwise they can develop ketones in the urine/blood which can lead to a much more serious problem. And having an infection with no eating has 2 of the three things that can lead to ketones and DKA.the other is no insulin. So make sure you are giving the dose.
Do you have any highcarb food, honey or Karo incase of a hypo ?
I would go to the vet tomorrow and ask him for some ondansetron or cerenia…I like ondansetron better, for nausea. .Stewart probably has nausea and that needs to be addressed so that he will eat. Offer him whatever he will eat at this point. He needs to eat and eating anything trumps what he eats.
And I would really recommend you think about hometesting the blood glucose?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

The amoxicillin could be the culprit. It may be upsetting Stewart's stomach. It could be that your kitty is nauseated from the antibiotic. Is he having any issues with diarrhea?

If the diabetes is recently diagnosed, I'd be very curious as to what Stewart's blood glucose numbers look like once the kidney infection clears. Any source of infection or inflammation can cause blood glucose numbers to be higher.

 

[Stewarts Mom]

Hi and welcome Stewart and Mom.
What is the secondary kidney issues?
Hills kd is very high carb and not suitable for diabetic cats. Unless Stewart has very advanced kidney failure, you would be better off feeding him a low phosphorus, low carb, high protein diet…canned not dry.
Weruva (look up their website) has many low phosphorus canned foods…look for foods that have 200mg phosphorus or less/ 100 kcals.
Also look at THIS FOOD CHART for the low phosphorus foods.

I am concerned he has no appetite, and has a kidney infection.
I would recommend you test the urine daily for ketones at the moment. you can buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and just follow the directions on the bottle.
It is important to establish he has no ketones.
With diabetes cats it is very important that they eat and eat well otherwise they can develop ketones in the urine/blood which can lead to a much more serious problem. And having an infection with no eating has 2 of the three things that can lead to ketones and DKA.the other is no insulin. So make sure you are giving the dose.
Do you have any highcarb food, honey or Karo incase of a hypo ?
I would go to the vet tomorrow and ask him for some ondansetron or cerenia…I like ondansetron better, for nausea. .Stewart probably has nausea and that needs to be addressed so that he will eat. Offer him whatever he will eat at this point. He needs to eat and eating anything trumps what he eats.
And I would really recommend you think about hometesting the blood glucose?

I appreciate your advice on this. I was concerned about carbs too with my history with Stewarts brother, but the vet said the kidney food wet or dry whatever he would eat, but he isnt eating it anymore so im thinking until Monday when the vet reopens im going to attempt to give him kitten milk replacer to at least give him some calories. I did give him his insulin this morning, he is drinking some and urinating so thats good. He has a kidney infection that is all i know about that, his creatine numbers were high and his white blood cell numbers were high when he was first hospitalized last Monday. They were giving him an IV drip, but since Saturday afternoon he has deteriorated from the time he got out of the hospital, not as bad as when he went in but still so tough to see him like this! His back legs are weak and i know it frustrates him to not be able to get around. I will definitely ask about nausea medication too.

 

[Stewarts Mom]

The amoxicillin could be the culprit. It may be upsetting Stewart's stomach. It could be that your kitty is nauseated from the antibiotic. Is he having any issues with diarrhea?

If the diabetes is recently diagnosed, I'd be very curious as to what Stewart's blood glucose numbers look like once the kidney infection clears. Any source of infection or inflammation can cause blood glucose numbers to be higher.

He has had diarrhea one time, he vomited once as well. I definitely think the amoxicillin is affecting his digestion. Just trying to keep little guy comfortable at the moment til we can see the doc again Monday. I have honey to rub into his gums if something happens. Is there anything i should specifically look for for hypo? He is already weak and tired, so if theres something else i could look for to be sure id appreciate advice on that. Thank you!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

This is a post that outlines information on hypoglycemia.

I'd recommend picking up a package of Ketostix at a pharmacy. (Any brand is fine.) These are strips you dip into your cat's urine to test for the presence of ketones. It sounds like you're not giving insulin. An infection, not eating, and not enough insulin can be a recipe for ketones. Testing for ketones is a good way to stay ahead of any potential problem. What you've described is lethargy and that always raises my antenna for ketones.

I would also suggest getting a probiotic. If there's not a problem with diarrhea, any probiotic would be fine. I'm a fan of ReNew Ultimate. Others here use Proviable. I think Whole Foods carries Renew if there's a store close by. GNC or other vitamin/supplement stores will carry probiotics. Probably any pharmacy has them these days.

Another thing to try is baby food. Gerber or Beechnut Stage 2 is typically a protein and has no onion, garlic, or other problem components. It's not nutritionally complete but it's a great treat and fine for a couple of days. It's also easy on the gut.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

I would follow all the advice already given here. An anti nausea med is definitely needed. I would ask if they gave him a shot of Cerenia there. It only lasts about 2 days so it could be why he’s now not wanting to eat. You can give him both Cerenia and ondansetron since they work differently. The vet might suggest an apetite stimulant but know that a nauseated cat won’t eat so you first need the 2 meds mentioned above. Baby food and tuna usually work for cats that are not eating. I’d also try those lickable sticks like the ones by Inaba Churu. Lastly, you can ask your vet for some cans of hills AD recovery food. It’s too high carb for a diabetic cat, but it’s very palatable and high calorie so it’s a good emergency food when cats are not eating. Would you be able to try to syringe feed him? Ketones are a major concern so I’d get the test kit asap and check for that and keep checking daily.

just wanted to add I know how you feel. I went from Minnie’s multiple health issues straight to Bobo’s IBD and diabetes so yes, it does feel like a train ride you can’t get out of. Hang in there we can help you and if you’re willing to start home testing, you can help you manage the diabetes. The weakness in the back legs is likely due to neuropathy which is a common side effect of unregulated diabetes. The good news is that it’s totally reversible once you get the diabetes under control

 

[Stewarts Mom]

Thank you again, i am giving his insulin, he had a shot at 745 this morning. Im heading to the store to get that baby food, do you think if i ask at gnc they would know probiotics that are safe? We live in wyoming so no whole foods but we do have a natural grocer that may carry it too. I really appreciate all of your help. I will get a glucometer too.

 

[Stewarts Mom]

I would follow all the advice already given here. An anti nausea med is definitely needed. I would ask if they gave him a shot of Cerenia there. It only lasts about 2 days so it could be why he’s now not wanting to eat. You can give him both Cerenia and ondansetron since they work differently. The vet might suggest an apetite stimulant but know that a nauseated cat won’t eat so you first need the 2 meds mentioned above. Baby food and tuna usually work for cats that are not eating. I’d also try those lickable sticks like the ones by Inaba Churu. Lastly, you can ask your vet for some cans of hills AD recovery food. It’s too high carb for a diabetic cat, but it’s very palatable and high calorie so it’s a good emergency food when cats are not eating. Would you be able to try to syringe feed him? Ketones are a major concern so I’d get the test kit asap and check for that and keep checking daily.

just wanted to add I know how you feel. I went from Minnie’s multiple health issues straight to Bobo’s IBD and diabetes so yes, it does feel like a train ride you can’t get out of. Hang in there we can help you and if you’re willing to start home testing, you can help you manage the diabetes. The weakness in the back legs is likely due to neuropathy which is a common side effect of unregulated diabetes. The good news is that it’s totally reversible once you get the diabetes under control

Yes i would definitely syringe feed him i fed him with a bottle when he was a kitten, i have had my sweet boy and his brother since they were two weeks old.i will lool for the test kit too, i really appreciate it.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

You can buy Forti flora at any pet store like Petco or petsmart. S Boulardii is the best for diarrhea and gnc may carry since it’s also for humans. I have the one by Jarrow.

As far as meters, if you have a Walmart by you, you can get their ReliOn Premier human meter. Most of us use to and it’s very accurate as well as affordable.

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

Yes i would definitely syringe feed him i fed him with a bottle when he was a kitten, i have had my sweet boy and his brother since they were two weeks old.i will lool for the test kit too, i really appreciate it.

That’s great. I’d start syringe feeding him today then to make sure he’s getting enough calories and enough food for the insulin

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi and welcome to the best group you could ever find
Here is the link for the meter and test strips so you don't have to search for them
Relion Premier Classic Meter at Walmart for 9 dollars
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-CLASSIC-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/552134103

The tests strips are 17.88 for 100
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-Blood-Glucose-Test-Strips-100-Count/575088197

Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with
Here is a video one of our members made testing her kitty
She's using a pet meter that has to be coded ,with a human meter you don't have to code it.
I have always used a human meter
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar

The normal range for a cat on a human meter is 50-100
On a human meter, 50 is your “take action” number meaning it's time to intervene with food to bring the BG up if needed

Here's the link for lantus/glargine ,read all the yellow stickys especially the 2 dosing methods to follow ,they will tell you when an increase or decrease is needed
After you get all your supplies and start testing you can set up your signature
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/


For your Hypo kit
Med and High Carb food and some honey



Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

Or any on the food chart. Doesn't have to be Fancy Feast just an example about the med and high carb foods

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-



Just keep asking questions
11% -15 is medium carbs.

16- 24 is high carb.
from The Official Lantus, Levemir & Biosimilars Slang Dictionary MC =11=15% and HC is usually 16-24%

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Foods for Diabetes and Kidney Issues ( not saying your kitty has kidney disease but these are great foods for them any

BFF play chicken Checkmate
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 133%

BFF play chicken & turkey topsy turvy
Protein 32%
Carbs 5.20%
Phosphorus 134%

BFF play chicken cherish
Protein 31%
Carbs 4.90%
Phosphorus 132%

BFF chicken & turkey tiptoe
Protein 31%
Carbs 5.10%
Phosphorus 133%

BFF chicken duck & turkey take a chance
Protein 32%
Carbs 5.20%
Phosphorus 152%

BFF play chicken & lamb laugh out loud
Protein 31%
Carbs 5%
Phosphorus 152%

BFF play chicken & duck destiny
Protein 32%
Carbs 5.10%
Phosphorus 163%

BFF play chicken & beef best buds
Protein 33%
Carbs 5.30%
Phosphorus 175%

Don't know if your kitty likes pate but here is the list of the BFF line.
YOU WANT CARBS UNDER 10% AND PHOSPHORUS IDEALLY LOW 200's OR LESS

Also

https://www.amazon.com/Weruva-Focus...cphy=9003521&hvtargid=pla-1796056536677&psc=1

I know you can buy single cans of the BFF I listed at Petco, Petco, to see which ones your kitty likes , the Focused one not to sure

With weruva foods
You want the metabolizable energy profile percentage of carbs to be less than 10%, and the phosphorus which Weruva lists in Minerals to be less than 250 mg per 100 cals. So you have to look at two different places in the Weruva charts.


You can even check out the soulistic pates
https://www.soulisticpet.com/pate
When you click in one of the flavors then click on
COMPLETE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (link to page)
and look at the same two places like on the weruva site