new member
- Thread starter janeo
- Start date
- Status
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
Welcome! We hope you will do lots of reading here (threads from other new members are always helpful) and ask questions.
If you give us more details, we may have suggestions for you. I have heard of Glyberide. Is it a pill? What kind of food?
We have great success treating diabetic cats with wet low carb food and insulin, with doses guided by testing at home. We feel testing at the vet can produce abnormally high numbers because of vet stress. And we want to know the glucose number before each shot so we can keep the cat safe. If we can help, we would love to.
If you give us more details, we may have suggestions for you. I have heard of Glyberide. Is it a pill? What kind of food?
We have great success treating diabetic cats with wet low carb food and insulin, with doses guided by testing at home. We feel testing at the vet can produce abnormally high numbers because of vet stress. And we want to know the glucose number before each shot so we can keep the cat safe. If we can help, we would love to.
Hope + (((Baby)))GA
Member Since 2009
2. ADDITIONAL TREATMENT
Q2.1. Can I give oral medication instead of insulin?
A2.1. Possibly. You should discuss this with your vet. Oral medications such as glipizide or glyburide will allegedly work for about 30% of diabetic cats. However, because these drugs can cause liver damage (and even further damage to the pancreas), and because giving an injection is often easier than giving a pill, most people on this board prefer insulin. Several people who switched to insulin after using drugs have reported that they thought the oral medication only delayed regulation. Others believe that starting with drugs rather than insulin made it impossible for their cats' diabetes to be controlled with changes in diet alone. Another drug, acarbose, works by blocking or delaying the absorption of carbohydrates from food. It probably is not necessary for a cat who is on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Oral medications are not a good idea for cats with elevated liver values (due to the possibility of liver damage), or ketoacidosis or neuropathy (due to the need to bring glucose levels down immediately). See the Pets with Diabetes site for a more detailed explanation. If your cat shows uncharacteristic lack of appetite, vomiting, lethargy or jaundice, discontinue the medicine and call your vet. You should also have liver enzymes monitored frequently during the early months.
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/faq.html
Q2.1. Can I give oral medication instead of insulin?
A2.1. Possibly. You should discuss this with your vet. Oral medications such as glipizide or glyburide will allegedly work for about 30% of diabetic cats. However, because these drugs can cause liver damage (and even further damage to the pancreas), and because giving an injection is often easier than giving a pill, most people on this board prefer insulin. Several people who switched to insulin after using drugs have reported that they thought the oral medication only delayed regulation. Others believe that starting with drugs rather than insulin made it impossible for their cats' diabetes to be controlled with changes in diet alone. Another drug, acarbose, works by blocking or delaying the absorption of carbohydrates from food. It probably is not necessary for a cat who is on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Oral medications are not a good idea for cats with elevated liver values (due to the possibility of liver damage), or ketoacidosis or neuropathy (due to the need to bring glucose levels down immediately). See the Pets with Diabetes site for a more detailed explanation. If your cat shows uncharacteristic lack of appetite, vomiting, lethargy or jaundice, discontinue the medicine and call your vet. You should also have liver enzymes monitored frequently during the early months.
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/faq.html
janeo said:
I think I would suggest insulin such as Lantus or Levemir, but first would be good to know how Leo was diagnosed and what diet did not work?
Home testing should be started so that you can know for sure how well this oral med is working and what sort of BG numbers Leo has.
For diet, the best working has been shown to be low carb wet food and NOT any of the vet foods.
on the old FDMB faq.....
Can I give oral medication instead of insulin?
A2.1. Possibly. You should discuss this with your vet. Oral medications such as glipizide or glyburide will allegedly work for about 30% of diabetic cats. However, because these drugs can cause liver damage (and even further damage to the pancreas), and because giving an injection is often easier than giving a pill, most people on this board prefer insulin. Several people who switched to insulin after using drugs have reported that they thought the oral medication only delayed regulation. Others believe that starting with drugs rather than insulin made it impossible for their cats' diabetes to be controlled with changes in diet alone. Another drug, acarbose, works by blocking or delaying the absorption of carbohydrates from food. It probably is not necessary for a cat who is on a low-carbohydrate diet.
Oral medications are not a good idea for cats with elevated liver values (due to the possibility of liver damage), or ketoacidosis or neuropathy (due to the need to bring glucose levels down immediately). See the Pets with Diabetes site for a more detailed explanation. If your cat shows uncharacteristic lack of appetite, vomiting, lethargy or jaundice, discontinue the medicine and call your vet. You should also have liver enzymes monitored frequently during the early months.
Julia & Bandit (GA)
Member Since 2009
If you're giving your cat glipizide pills (oral hypogycemic medication), these are not recommended for use in cats. From the American Animal Hospital Association Diabetes guidelines, p. 218: "Oral hypoglycemic drugs, combined with diet change, are only indicated if owner refuses insulin therapy or is considering euthanasia.These agents are not considered appropriate for long-term use."
What sort of diet did you try? Many vets do not recommend foods that are appropriate for diabetics (for example, the Hills diabetic prescription foods are not good foods for diabetic cats). If you are feeding any dry food at all, this can continue to cause high blood glucose.
What sort of diet did you try? Many vets do not recommend foods that are appropriate for diabetics (for example, the Hills diabetic prescription foods are not good foods for diabetic cats). If you are feeding any dry food at all, this can continue to cause high blood glucose.
- Status