New mom of a diabetic cat - remission already??

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EmmynOscar's Mom

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Hi,

First of all, I am so very grateful for this forum and the website and all the info and support I've already gleaned from it! Here's my story: one of my cats, Emmy (an 11 year old pale tortie) was diagnosed with diabetes about a month ago (6/8). In the vet's office, her blood sugar tested in the 400s. We were sent home with a kit (the AlphaTrak, which knowing what I know now I might not have gone with but I was stunned and just following the vet's advice) and started Emmy on 1 unit of Lantus. After a couple of home curves and gradual dose increases, we landed at 2 units 2x daily, which she has been receiving since 6/27 (two weeks). Prior to her diagnosis, she had been eating dry food (I had no idea how bad it was!) and so post-diagnosis and education (thanks FDMB!) we weaned her from dry food, (including the DM I got from the vet) and she is now exclusively eating a high protein, low-to-no-carb wet canned food.

Emmy is NOT a lap cat; she is a rescue and slightly feral, although very loving and affectionate as long as you're not confining or picking her up. Of course, that's exactly what we have to do to test her so it's quite traumatic for both of us. We give her love before and after, and no-carb treats after, but she doesn't like it anymore than she did the first time. That being the case, we haven't tested her in the last week and half or so. Then last night we tested her and her BG reading was 107, so we withheld insulin and tested again in two hours - her reading was then 59. She was playful and active and eating and showing no signs of hypo. This morning at 5:30am (24 hours after her last dose) her reading was 92, so once again, I did not give insulin (I can't be home all day to watch her and am concerned about hypo).

Thoughts, advice are welcome, appreciated and needed!

Janelle
 
I'd continue to test her, even though it is a pain. Cedric was on Lantus for about a month, so it's possible. Have you called your vet about this?
 
Thanks for the reply - I'll be calling my vet as soon as her office opens in an hour. Yes, testing is a pain but I know it's for her own good and so will continue to - thanks for the encouragement!
 
Keep testing daily of even 2x/ day for at least 2 weeks.

2-3 weeks of good, normal numbers is indeed remission.

But then test every so often, like every other day for a while, then once per week,
just to see where she is.

Once a diabetic, always a diabetic.

Watch behavior (drinking and peeing) for signs that she needs insulin again.

Hopefully, that won't be any time soon.
 
To add what others have said, continue to test her, if she gives you normal numbers for 2 weeks then you are in remission. My Maxwell, diet change alone with just a couple of weeks on Lantus took him into remission, where he has been for the last 8 months. But I still test him twice a month.

But also you don't have to worry about hypo if she isn't on insulin right now. No insulin = no hypo.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Hi and welcome!

She might be in remission but can't really tell if she was having an off day or if that's really her new normal. What you saw was a nice normal cycle.

Every cat is different and the experienced folks here have recommended here that we try to keep the cat between 50-100 for 2 weeks. I know it's a pain to test (believe me, I nicknamed my cat Jaws b/c of home testing) but knowledge is power and doing this will give you a peace of mind. Wrapping the kitty in a towel like a burrito has helped tremendously. Hope that will work for you too!

Re: dosage, it would depend on how her numbers look. If her numbers are above 100 for a couple of days, I would certainly consider putting her on a little insulin. Keep in mind that numbers tend to be lower in the evening than in the daytime.

If you need to give her insulin, I'm sorry I'm experienced enough to recommend it so I'd post that question over to the Lantus group where more experienced people can guide you.

Good luck!
Bonnie
 
Thanks again to everyone for their comments and support! Emmy's BG was 112 last night and 114 this morning (I'm using an Alpha Trak so the reading is a little higher than if I were using a human glucometer). I talked with my vet and she recommended testing every 12 hours for at least two weeks and if she holds steadily below 130 then I'm going to do a happy dance!! (and keep testing sporadically, or course!).
 
Great news! I still test Cedric every other day, although I should probably do it a little less than that now. Not sure how he would feel aobut getting less treats tho! :lol: Maybe: cat(2)_steam
 
Emmy's #s have slowly been creeping up - about 40 points higher last night and another 40 this morning. After consulting our vet and perusing the great info on the message boards, we decided to give a "token" dose - about .5 unit. I have to go to work but will be able to check on her around her nadir and will check her BG then to see how she's doing. Is it best to make game time calls each shot time, or keep her on a certain dose for a few days or even a week before changing?
 
Emmy continued to go longer stretches maintaining good BG levels without insulin and she is now on DAY #9 with no juice! I am so grateful for the advice and information I found on this website - and hope to be able to pay it forward to other new diabetic moms (and dads) facing the challenges of sugar kitties!
 
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