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AlwaysAardvarks

AlwaysAardvarks

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Hi, I'm Gary, and I'm trying to preserve the life of my dear friend Gracie, who is 7 and newly diagnosed. Right now I'm at a low point of the emotional roller-coaster, very tired and concerned. Must rapidly get Gracie to stop avoiding the litter box, to keep peace in the house. Don't want to portray wife as villian; she loves Gracie, but many stressers are in play, and I don't want Gracie to be the big loser. Too exhausted to go deeper right now......please add Gracie to your prayers. Be back soon with updates. :sad:
 
Take a deep breath, Gary. Diabetes is a very treatable disease and can be treated at home. One of the worst parts is the steep learning curve in the beginning. Your job is to read and ask questions. Our job is to answer your questions and give you resources and information.

We'll have some questions for you when you return.

What kind of test was done at the vet? Fructosamine or glucose?
What kind of insulin was prescribed? What dose?
Will you be testing Gracie's blood glucose levels at home?
What kind of food do you feed her?

Our protocol, which is very successful leading cats to regulation and sometimes remission, calls for a gentle long lasting insulin like Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc. We feed our cats wet, low carb food (see this website for an explanation: www.catinfo.org). And most importantly, we test their blood sugars before each shot and during the cycle to be sure the insulin is working well and the kitty is safe. But don't change the diet until you are testing, because wet low carb can mean a big drop in bg levels and call for less insulin.

We can help you with all of this.

Another question: did the vet test for UTI? Gracie might be avoiding the litter box because of an infection. It could also be that she is just having to go so often, she can't make it there.
 
Sending prayers for Gracie. Thank you for treating her diabetes. The disease is NOT a death sentence and things WILL get better. Things are crazy at first but it is all manageable. This site is a wealth of information and we have all been through what you are going through.
Keeping you ALL in my prayers,
jeanne
 
Diabetes is not an awful disease, and the majority of cats can even go into remission if the right treatment plan is followed (low carb canned diet, long acting insulin like Lantus or Levemir, and dose adjustments via home testing). It's very manageable and Gracie has a very good chance of recovering fully. Can you give us some more information so we can help you out? What insulin are you using? What are you feeding her? Has your vet talking to you about home testing?

Now for the urination problem--is Gracie showing any weakness in her hind legs, or does she have trouble walking? When cats have high blood sugar for a long period of time, they can develop a condition called diabetic neuropathy. This causes weakness in their limbs and makes it difficult for them to walk. If so, the litter box avoidance might be because she has trouble getting in and out of it. Diabetic Neuropathy can be reversed by getting her blood sugar under control and with a supplement you can get at the vitamin store called Methyl-B12. In the meantime, if you think this is causing the problem you might want to get a litterbox that she can get in and out of more easily, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Champ-L...EHM6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336414320&sr=8-1.

If she's walking just fine, then the litter box avoidance could be because it's not being cleaned frequently enough. Cats with uncontrolled diabetes urinate a lot, so the litterbox needs to be scooped out about twice a day. Cats will urinate outside the box if they think it's too full of clumps. The excess urination will also stop once you get her blood sugar under control.
 
Hello Gary and Gracie!

You're not alone...those first couple of weeks are absolutely draining emotionally and physically as you, the human, try to learn and adjust, and as the kitty starts adjusting to the routine of shots, home testing, traumatizing vet visits, etc.

The people here will not only give you great advice, but will give you emotional support to get through the rough times. :YMHUG:

My best to you and your wife and Gracie!

Suze
 
Welcome, Gary and Gracie!

My Hershey is 10 years old, was diagnosed 11/11 and started ProZinc in Jan. I think we all have the same initial reaction to the diagnosis - surprise (if you're like me and didn't know cats could get diabetes!), fear, guilt, confusion - How in the world am I going to deal with this? Financially? Emotionally? Is this the beginning of the end for my furry buddy? etc...

I don't know all of your details, but I'll share mine. My husband, Doug, has always been the one to clip the toenails, wrangle to put in the carrier for a vet visit, assist the vet if she couldn't handle them, give baths, etc. When Hershey was diagnosed, Doug didn't want to treat...it would be costly (We had just had a $300 vet visit and she said a 2-3 day regulation/curve would be another $500. We're a one-income family of four (two are college students!)...it would change our schedules, etc. I cried and cried and cried and...you get the picture. Days went by and he said, "We'll do whatever you want to do." Well, duh! I wanted to treat!!! In the meantime, I had spent night after night reading on this forum, gathering all of the information I could to help us on this journey. I learned I didn't have to take him in for that $500 vet visit! I was seeing a light at the end of the tunnel already! Even though Doug didn't want to treat initially, he did agree to test and give shots because I thought I'd never be able to do it. Fast forward...we now both test and shoot, but I do it most often because of his work schedule. Early one, he would seem a little irritated at the schedule or Hershey not cooperating or whatever. Now, he never mentions the notion of not treating. Hershey has come SUCH a long way - it's hard to argue with results. I pray Gracie's results will be enough to sway your wife. Who knows? In a few months, she may be the primary care-giver!

Finding this place was a God-send for us. I don't even remember what I put in the search bar that brought me here, but I am thankful beyond words for all of the advice I've received and the friends I've made. You've already met some SUPER people who have given good advice and asked all of the questions that came to my mind. Since I can't really add to their thoughts/wisdom, I'll just say, "WELCOME!"

Prayers for Gracie, you and your wife -

Libby (and Hershey, too!)
 
How can I begin to thank everyone I've heard from in the last two days? A Google search found Diabetic Cats in Need. Venita and Lydia began emailing me at 5AM on Sunday morning. I feel as if angels have been sent to watch over Gracie, angels from DCIN. And these wonderful ladies helped me find FDMB, and.....I am suddenly in tears. Gracie has been saved. My little friend will be with us for a long time.
We have much to learn, and we will have many questions, but our dearest Father has blessed us beyond my dreams. May He also bless all of you.
With our love, Gracie, my wife Annette, and I humbly thank you for the joy we feel.
 
Gary, we are all in various stages of dealing with FD. I am very new to this, too, so I certainly remember the raw emotions/stress that you are going through right now. But the experienced people will be able to give you so much good information to get you into a manageable routine, you have no clue!

I cried many tears the first few weeks after the diagnosis. I called it "leaking stress"! It's very therapeutic! Pumbaa's diagnosis was just one month ago, and I seldom "leak" anymore. :)

You might want to post where you are located, as there might be others very nearby who could help you and Annette and Gracie in the next few weeks. Especially if you haven't been home testing yet.

((HUGS)) to you and Annette and Gracie!

Suze
 
AlwaysAardvarks said:
Thank you, Suze. We live in Lancaster, Ohio, about 30 miles southeast of Columbus.
Click to expand...


You might want to add your location to your profile, so others can easily see it without viewing this post.

When I joined these boards, I hunted through the member's list for people nearby, and found that a huge percentage don't list their location. That's nutty, to me, because if we are in the same area, we can guide each other to vets who are knowledgeable about FD, best prices for purchasing insulin, where to purchase food, etc.

Suze
 
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