New to forum...

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Marz

Member
Devasated. My best friend for the last 6 years is very, very sick. She showed up 6 years ago, an adult stray has given me nothing but joy.
Unfortunately, she is very sick. She has been diagnosed with diabetes and renal failure. She has been on insulin for a week. She spent
the day at the vets office (they monitored her blood sugar levels throughout the day). When I bought her home and let her out of her
carrier she could barely walk. The neuropathy is devastating to watch. She basically crawled to her litter box, used it, and laid down
outside the box. The knuckling under is so difficult to watch.I picked her up, carried her around outside for a bit and brought her
back inside. I laid her down on the couch and she appears comfortable. She hasn't eaten much the last couple of days. I have to check
her blood sugar in about 3 hours and administer insulin. She is scheduled to return to the vet tomorrow for more monitoring and fluids.
This is very hard to deal with.
 
Hi Marz, and welcome.
We know how hard it is at first in dealing with the diabetes and we know how hard it is to see your best friend (what's her name?) with neuropathy. We can help you to help her to get better, and most cats can overcome the neuropathy, but it does take time. My heart goes out to you.
What kind of insulin are you using, and are you feeding wet food or dry food?
Lots of people will be along to help answer your questions, when you have them. Right now, I am just offering my support, and letting you know that there is hope for your kitty to get much better and to live a healthy playful life again.
 
Marz,

We all know exactly how you feel right now scared and overwhelmed....but diabetes isn't a death sentence. I actually adopted both of my diabetic kitties as diabetics and because they were diabetic. Now that might not sound like much until you also learn that before I adopted my 2 diabetics, I already had 11 happy and health non-diabetic cats. Now if this was a difficult disease to manage I certainly not have taken on 2 more with special needs.

Maxwell was in rough shape when I adopted him. This is a picture of him the first day I laid eyes on him

Max001.jpg


and here is the same cat today,

060.jpg


The keys to getting him from point A to Point B were:

Home Testing,
A low carb/high protein canned wet diet
Insulin
and the support of the folks on this board.

Others will be along shortly to ask all kinds of questions and offer you tons of advice, but I just wanted to show you how much a diabetic cat can turn around, with just a little extra care.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Hi Dyana - thanks so much for reading my post, responding and offering support. I never really came up with a good
name for my kitty - I just called her Little Girl. She is currently receiving Glargine after a 2 week try with Glipizide.
I am feeding her Hill's m/d (measured amounts) - I put both wet and dry down for her. She seems to prefer the dry
although she is eating very little. Her peak weight was 15 pounds - she weighed 9.1 pounds this morning at the vets.
She hasn't eaten since I picked her up. Her last blood sugar reading was 353 mg/dL approx. 2 hours ago (down from
the 584 mg/dL this morning). I will check her in about 2 hours.

Again, thanks for the support. She was very sick yesterday (vomited 4 times) and with her limited food intake
and weakness I'm very much concerned about her future.
 
Vomiting can happen for a number of reasons - pancreatitis is one of them, as is ketoacidosis. Both can be serious conditions.

Please smell her breath - does it smell like nail polish? If so, she could be developing ketoacidosis. This can be a medical emergency. Feed her anything she will eat. Small amounts frequently are less likely to trigger vomiting. Encourage her to drink some water, or mix a bit into the canned food. Warming the food a little may encourage her to eat, too.

Many times, cats do not like the prescription food. There are over the counter foods which are as good, if not better, for diabetes AND renal disease. Tips for managing both diseases may be found on the links listed here

If her breath smells like urine, that is a clue about how weak her kidneys are.
 
Thanks to all for the replies. Little Girl just regurgitated a large amount of fluids. I carried her to her water dish
and she did drink. She still hasn't eaten anything.

She has been tested twice (the last time was last week) for the presence of ketones - both tests were
negative.

She is back on the couch. I will test her sugar levels within the next hour. I don't think I'll get much sleep
this evening.
 
Thats not good, has she been tested for pancreatitis? Is she eating? I would be concerned if it was me. I don`t know about keytones as my cat never had them but I think they can come on pretty quick but I am not sure about that. The others can comment on that. Where are you located? Can you call the vets office? I just reread your post and you mention knuckling under. Please describe that. Is she meatloafing? Sitting with her paws tucked underneath her?

Terri
 
I am in the southeastern US. I don't know if she has been tested for pancreatitis - she has has two
extensive blood tests done the last two weeks. I did let the vet know today that she had vomited
4 times in the previous 24 hours. She is scheduled to go back in the morning - I will let them know
that she is still vomiting. I'm very concerned that she hasn't eaten.
 
You have not given her any insulin this evening have you? If she is not eating I would be hestitant to give insulin. But hopefully someone else will come along and comment on that. You might ask them to run a fPl test for pancreatitis. The vomiting can mean a lot of things being ketones, pancreatitis and I am not sure what else but these two being common in diabetic kitties.
I am sorry you are going through this and I do know whats its like as I went through it myself. Please do get her in in the morning as soon as you can to the vets office.
Offer her whatever you have to try to get her to eat.

Terri
 
If her tummy is upset (obviously), 1/4 of a tablet of Pepcid (10 mg regular version), sometimes is helpful.

If you press on her belly, does she object or move away? That could suggest it is painful there.

Cats that are not eating may develop a condition called hepatic lipidosis - basically, the body starts to break down fat for energy and the fat overwhelms the liver, shutting it down.
 
BJ

I would almost take her to the ER vet myself, but that being me and what I have been through. Been through the hepatic lipidosis and pancreatitis.
The vomiting of large amounts of liquid would concern me.

Terri
 
All, thanks again very much for the for the responses. Little Girl is "Sphinxing" on the couch - I can't easily
get to her belly and it looks like she might be getting ready to fall asleep. If she presents an opportunity
for me to check her belly, I will. I will have her at the vets office first thing in the morning. She is an
amazing little cat - she gave me a little purr even though I know she feels terrible. She's been under a lot
of stress - she's basically been at the vets office every day (except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and
the day after Christmas) since the beginning of the month. I think I'm going to lay down with her and see
if we can make it through the night. Thanks again to all.
 
Marz

That Sphinxing is what we call meatloafing, sitting with paws tucked under. It usually means the cat is in pain, could be pancreatitis or liver. please tell the vet about this.
If paws sticking straight out that is not meatloafing that is Sphinxing(new term by Marz) that is to funny

Terri
 
Marz

Please do keep us updated and I hope she will be alright. My thoughts will be with you and Little Girl.

Terri
 
Sending feel better and healing vines to Little Girl.
One thing my cats love is pouring some tuna water over their food. Maybe you could try that.
We actually have a lot of ways and ideas to help her to eat. Some people will put a bit of food on their finger and the cat will lick it off. Some people syringe feed some blended and watered down food. A lot of people have saved their cats via having a feeding tube put in for a while. I have seen (from my experience on this board) vets that do not properly address the importance of eating, that waited too long to get the cat to eat, or to put in a feeding tube, and the cat developed Feline Hepatic Lipidosis, so make sure you address this with the vet. Also, I would have the vet check for ketones tomorrow morning. And buy some Ketostix tomorrow morning, if you don't already have some. They are sold in the diabetic section of every pharmacy for about $15.00 for 50 strips.
I hope your night goes okay and you both get some rest. (((hugs)))
 
Little Girl made it through the night. She has not been sick since the single episode last night at around
7:00 p.m. She is still having some difficulty walking (knuckling under). She has eaten a little bit of food,
both dry and wet. She is currently laying on the couch - I'll be taking her to the vet in about 2 hours.
 
Good luck at the vets. I hope you get a very wise vet today, that will help her to start getting better.

Please let us know how it goes.
 
Please let us know after you take her to the vet. Thoughts are with you. I hope she gets to feeling better. It is good to know she did eat a bit and has not been sick.

Terri
 
I am back from the vets office. The vet was not there but I spoke with her on the phone.
Little Girls blood sugar was 484 mg/dL - actually down 100 from yesterday morning. She was
given 1 unit of Glargine. She also received fluids and an injection of antibiotics. I was told
that if she vomited again the vet wanted to run another blood test to check BUN and creatine
levels (which had increased in the 2 weeks she was receiving Glipazide). I opted to bring
Little Girl home with me to reduce her stress level and to give her the opportunity to move
around which seems to help with the neuropathy (instead of being in a small cage all day).
I will monitor her today - if she gets sick during the day I will take her back to the vet.
Either way, she goes back to the vet first thing in the morning. Also,I purchased 7 cans of Hills
m/d wet cat food. She is laying in the door threshold - I have opened the door so she can look
outside - I think she really enjoys the feel of the sun on her fur. Thanks to all for your concern
for me and my Little Girl.
 
Many cats do not like the Hills M/D AND it is higher in carbohydrates and more expensive than some good over the counter pet foods. Please take a look at this link to information on managing both renal disease and diabetes at the same time.
 
Glipazide is not a good diabetic medication for cats as I think it can cause problems with the liver but I am not sure about that. The Glipazide may have caused some of her problems. Cats do not do well on it. Lantus which is what she is getting now is probably best. Can you test her at home? Are able to give her the shots at home as well? Lantus is best dosed twice a day at the same dose each time at 12 hour intervals. In other words if she got one unit this morning, she would get one unit this evening provided she is eating alright and not throwing up.
You can request a newbie kit from here on the board and they will send you a meter to test her at home.
Maybe the others will come along shortly as I don`t know much about the renal disease. Hope she eats a bit today.

Terri
 
Again, thanks for the replies. I will definitely check the links on dealing with diabetes and CRF
at the same time. If Little Girl doesn't start to eat soon I will have to find alternative foods for her.
As for the diabetes management, yes I test her at home. It is a bit tough - there is only me - but
I've been fairly successful. I do administer her evening dosage of Glargine - during the Christmas
holiday I monitored her blood sugar and gave her insulin injections both in the morning and evening.
 
You are going in the right direction for sure if you are giving shots and testing. Can you run out to the store and maybe pick up some Fancy Feast Classic? They are the pate and most cats like them, they come in Chicken, Fish, Liver and Chicken, and few other flavors, about .50 a can.
Thats what I fed my diabetic kitty and she seemed to like them real well. I know others feed other foods as well and there is a list on here to look at of the canned varietys. Fancy Feast was easiest for me as I did not have to go to the pet store and I could pick it right up at the grocery.

Terri
 
You might speak with the vet about getting a prescription for an anti-emetic (a medication to will reduce vomiting). Most frequently, either maropitant/Cerenia or ondansatron/Zofran are prescribed. It is important to know what the cause of the vomiting is, though. Vomiting can throw off the electrolyte balance. With renal issues or any other condition, you don't want to further tax your cat's metabolic system so getting the vomiting under control is important.

Is there any chance your cat ingested something he shouldn't have -- tinsel, poinsettia, etc? This could be a cause of vomiting.
 
Also you might ask the vet about B-12 for Little Girl for her neuropathy, they can give her shots at the vet or I suppose you could ask a prescription for it and give her the shots yourself if your up to that.
Sienne posted on another post that it will help the neuropathy which I did not know.

Terri
 
I'm sorry, I'm at work, so could only quickly scan your posts.
Did they check her for ketones today?
 
Again, thanks to all that have read this thread and a special thanks to all that have replied with advice and support.
After a morning trip to the vets, Little Girl has spent the day at home. Her weight this morning was 8.9 lbs (down
from 9.6 lbs before Christmas). She has nibbled a bit of food, both wet and dry today - although it is far less than
she needs. Her neuropathty, although obvious, is not as bad as yesterday - she is not knuckling under, just weak
and unsteady. She has not vomited as of 3:45 p.m. I will check her blood sugar in around 4 hours and administer
insulin.

She was not tested for ketones today. I will take her to the vet first thing tomorrow morning for blood sugar check
and fluids. The vet may want to do another blood profile to check BUN and creatine. Either way, she will also go
back first thing Friday morning. After that, I will have her for 3 days (New Years Holidays) and I return to work on
the 3rd - I will not be with her all day like I have since the 22nd of December.

I think the decision to keep her home today was a good one - I hope to do the same tomorrow. She is currently
curled up on the couch napping. I'm just hoping at some point she will get up and eat a bit more.

Thanks again to all from me and Little Girl.
 
Marz, you can buy some Ketstix from any pharmacy. They are in the diabetic section and look like this http://www.google.com/products/cata...wZv7TuHMHab30gHn7fGSAw&sqi=2&ved=0CEIQ8gIwAA#
My cat is a DKA survivor, that's why I push people to check for ketones, especially when the cat is not eating enough, feeling off, etc. I really do encourage you to go out and buy some tonight. I use a little plastic cup to gather the urine when my cat pees and just dip the stick in and then you wait 15 seconds for the result.
Have you tried tuna water? People food, like unspiced lunch meat? Baby food (meat only, and no onions or garlic)? Cream Cheese? Canned tuna or salmon? I use a littel FortiFlora sprinkled on my cat's food, or some crushed freeze dried treats sprinkled on top to get them to eat. My cats like shrimp, and steak, and chicken, and porkchops. You may need to syringe feed her or try to finger feed her, if she won't eat enough.
 
I heard your cat isn't eating. Please read Maverick's story in my signature. Your cat is dealing with diabetes and CRF which is manageable. You are in good hands here to manage these conditions. But you might be dealing with a third illness - feline hepatic lipidosis. This happens because a cats liver doesn't process body fat when it loses weight - their livers clog with the fat. I think rabbits and cats are one of the two animals susceptible to this. FHL can cause meatloafing because the cat feels miserable and horribly nauseated. Your cat may not even drink water if its feeling horrible.

On top of managing the Diabetes and CRF you HAVE to get food into Marz. This is the only way to keep her well - to prevent that liver from processing more body fat. So your aim is to make sure she eats enough so that at a minimum she is getting enough food to maintain her weight. This is a prescription - food and lots of it, on top of the treatment for diabetes and CRF.

1. Anti-nausea medication is a must for her to feel better. She still may take a bit to eat on her own but she will when she is feeling better. Ondansetron is the best choice for nausea. 1mg twice a day. A 4mg pill is four doses. You can get this at Costco without being a member. Non disolving pills. Cerenia is good for acute vomiting but not so much nausea. But if this is all your vet will go for, do it!

2. Pepcid AC - in addition to the anti nausea medication. All CRF cats should be on this as it helps with stomach acid. This will do nothing for nausea.

3. Food - lots of it. a 5.5oz can a day is a starting guideline. Wellness Chicken is 200 calories a 5.5 oz can and is very low carb for diabetes. You have to be creative in how you get her food in. Oral syringes from the vet will be helpful. I can walk you through syringe feeding. Its very easy to do. You just have to find a way to adjust to your cat. Finger feeding works well also. But the antinausea medication will work wonders. Not eating will kill your cat. They are not biologically built to fast like humans are. She will eat when she's feeling better so you get the food into her in the meantime.

4. DO NOT go with an appetite stimulant. Focus on assist feeding. An appetite stimulant in her shape would be like giving you one with an all out flu. You would eat, feel like ****, and never eat chicken soup ever again. It can cause long term food aversion and she may not eat on her own for a long time.

5. Listen to people here re the diabetes - they are the experts. Vets see a handful of diabetic patients a year, this board helps hundreds.

Please read Maverick's story. The yahoo Feline Assisted Feeding forum helped save his life. I make it a point of helping others and their inappetant cats as a way to honour him. This board helped make diabetes a regular part of our day and not crazy overwhelming if we had been on our own. I've met people I consider really good personal friends here also.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top