New user, foster cat with FIV just diagnosed with diabetes

C

Cmm2151

New Member
Hi everybody,

My name is Caroline and I have been fostering my cat James for about two months. In that time I’ve grown very attached to him.

James has about every problem you could name. He is FIV+, he doesn’t have ears because they were removed after a cancer diagnosis, and he is overweight. I have one other cat who is 22 (I know), but in insanely good health for his age. They get along reasonably well. James has basically zero aggression, which is what I was primarily monitoring when I brought him here with the other cat. He’s a very sweet cat.

This poor cat has been through the wringer. The rescue I’m fostering with thinks he was probably abandoned because of how sweet he is. He’s only recently become more comfortable in my apartment. Over the weekend he peed in my bed twice. So I took him to the vet yesterday, they did bloodwork, and diagnosed him with diabetes on top of it all. I have not stopped crying since.

I took the day off today to be sad and spent all last night and a lot of today researching feline diabetes, which is how I found this very helpful board. I don’t think I realized how attached I’ve already become to this cat, and what I want is whatever is best for him.

I have a lot of questions, of course. I live alone and work full time, so logistically from jump this diagnosis seems completely unmanageable. I was *this* close to adopting him, and I still might, but this is so daunting.

I feel confident that under no circumstances would any reasonable person adopt this cat—no ears, skittish, FIV, senior, and now diabetes. So there’s a lot of guilt and fear going on for me, but I’m trying to balance that with a reasonable assessment of whether I can manage his needs all on my own. The rescue and I are waiting for more info from the vet but I feel like I know the basic score now. I can of course give him back, but that breaks my heart and I suspect I know what will happen to him if I do—either compassionate euthanasia or living in a large kennel with a caretaker to give him his shots and monitor him.

I’m kind of all over the place right now so I guess why I’m posting is for some community and to see if folks have any thoughts on whether I’m being completely insane even considering keeping him and taking on what seems like an incredibly complex care schedule. My work schedule is unpredictable and I often have to go out of town on a moment’s notice. My other cat, Max, was my mother’s baby when she passed away in 2022, and he needs to be my priority. There is just so much swirling around in my stupid brain right now.

Anyway if anybody has words of support or good resources for newly diagnosed diabetic cat owners, I would appreciate it so much. My thoughts are clearly not super well articulated right now, so thanks in advance for your patience with this wall of text :)

So many thanks,
Caroline and James
 
Hi Caroline and welcome to FDMB.

It is truly wonderful you have decided to foster him with all he has going on. Let me assure you that every single one of us had your same reaction when we got the diagnosis of feline diabetes for our babies.

There are many members here working and dealing with FD alone. It is very doable. If you choose to continue fostering him, you can have the vets show you how to put a Libre continuous glucose monitor on him. They have to be changed every couple weeks but it will let you monitor his blood glucose without poking him.

There is nothing that says you have to be aggressive in treating his diabetes. We have a method called Start Low Go Slow and it’s very doable for someone working. He doesn’t have to be tightly regulated in order to do much, much better.

I would just like to share this story with you. I volunteer on the elephant team at the zoo and one of our keepers decided to foster a cat. She picked an older guy who looked like he had been through the wringer but he was also very sweet. She hadn’t had him very long before he was diagnosed with diabetes. And then he was diagnosed with small cell lymphoma. He also has arthritis and asthma. Zookeepers’ schedules entail very long days but she managed and she even got him into remission from the diabetes. She gave him the chemo he needed for the SCL and he’s doing excellent. For her, as much as she wanted to adopt him, she couldn’t afford all his treatments and the shelter was great at providing them. And guess what…..he got adopted. She is, of course, heartbroken as she loves him very much but older, sicker cats do get adopted on occasion.

All we can really tell you is we support any decision you make and if you decide to keep him, we have a strong community who will help you. We have decades of experience and have dealt with pretty much every situation you can think of. I hope this helps but please feel free to ask any questions.
 
Welcome to FDMB.

I'm one of those people who worked full time and was my cat's sole caretaker. I can also work crazy hours. I won't lie -- there are some adjustments to lifestyle but being a sole caregiver for a diabetic cat is doable. And, like Marje said, in the beginning it all seems completely overwhelming. In a relatively short period of time, you will establish a routine and it will get easier. The other thing that was reassuring to me is that there is usually someone around on this board 24/7. There were times that I was getting panicky and there would be someone with experience who could provide guidance and support. This is a wonderful community of people. Marje and I have been here for a long time and wouldn't have stuck around if we had concerns about paying it forward.

This is a post a member wrote on working full time with a diabetic cat. It's geared to members using Lantus but it's widely applicable.
 
Welcome Caroline and sweet James. As mentioned above, it can be very overwhelming at first, we all went through that. I was sure it was kidney disease before I got the blood work results. Oh well, it was something new to learn. I cried too. The people here have all been through what you are feeling now, which is why we love to help, as others helped us.

We've had people here with FIV+ cats, and all sorts of other conditions. Most diabetics are older cats, which means other conditions too. My Neko ended up with a long list of conditions due to a secondary endocrine condition (or two) that she had. Check out people's signature at the bottom to see what other conditions they have dealt with.

Another basic not yet mentioned, what food are you feeding James now? A low carb wet or raw food diet is best for diabetics. We've some big improvements in the diabetes with a change to low carb food if on high carb food to start.
 
Hi Caroline! No you are not being insane for helping James. He sounds wonderful! I too have an FIV+ cat who had squamous cell carcinoma on his white ears. He had to have an ear trim. Then he got SCC on his nose which was treated with superficial Strontium 90 radiation. He definitely is having a few challenges now, but he is so worth it.

It sounds like you are the one who can help James (and we can help you.) The people here have a wealth of experience and information on all things cat! Where do you stand since receiving the diagnosis? Have you talked about insulin with the vet and have you thought about how you will be able to monitor his blood glucose? Is the rescue helping with this?
 
Hi everybody,

Thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful responses. I'm already feeling a little better. I'll try to answer specific questions below:

Food: Prior to the diagnosis on Tuesday, I had been feeding James and my other cat Max prescription Z/D dry food from Hill's. My cat who passed away in April, Mrs. Bananas, had been prescribed the Z/D food, and Max had gotten accustomed to it, so I just kept buying it (Max has GI issues so I figured I wouldn't rock the boat). I've been free feeding with the dry food, so they both graze throughout the day.

Since James was diagnosed I picked up a couple cans of Fancy Feast pate based on recommendations I saw on this board, and he loves it. Max is a little more fickle, but as far as James is concerned I have no worries about whether he'll eat the wet food. That will be a relatively easy (and cheaper!) fix, I think.

James is a massive cat--paws the size of a medium dog's, lol. He needs more exercise for sure. Last time he was weighed he clocked in at 13.5lbs, which was lower than I thought it would be. Definitely room for improvement there.

Insulin: He hasn't been prescribed insulin yet. I was so overwhelmed at the vet after getting the diagnosis, they ended up calling the rescue and we all decided that the vet would draw up a projected treatment plan, send it to the rescue, and we would go from there. I really appreciate the insulin recommendations. I'll hopefully know more tomorrow, and I don't want to waste a lot of time waiting to get him on his way.

Question about the shots--I know they're to be administered 12h apart. If I were to be off by a half hour to an hour on either shot, is that really bad? Really just worried about potential work complications.

I'm also stressing about what to do when I'm out of town. James is VERY skittish around strangers (he's still semi skittish around me) and I'm concerned about asking somebody he's not familiar with to administer them. The shot schedule is probably my #1 concern, overall. Hopefully somebody from the rescue could help with this, but sometimes schedules just don't align.

At-home testing: The vet didn't mention this to me (yet), so I've only learned about it on this board and on Reddit. I'm SO glad to learn about the Libre system--because he's earless I knew I wouldn't be able to prick him, so this is a great relief.

I don't LOVE the vet that the rescue goes to, but they do give a 20% discount for rescues so I'm weighing whether those cost savings outweigh switching him to my regular vet (who I adore).

Financially, could anybody give me a rough estimate of what vet bills look like with diabetes, especially in these early stages?

Again, thanks to all who have responded. Sweet James is a special cat, and I want the best for him. I'm so happy to have found this community to guide me :)
 
Cmm2151 said:
Hi everybody,

Thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful responses. I'm already feeling a little better. I'll try to answer specific questions below:

Food: Prior to the diagnosis on Tuesday, I had been feeding James and my other cat Max prescription Z/D dry food from Hill's. My cat who passed away in April, Mrs. Bananas, had been prescribed the Z/D food, and Max had gotten accustomed to it, so I just kept buying it (Max has GI issues so I figured I wouldn't rock the boat). I've been free feeding with the dry food, so they both graze throughout the day.

Since James was diagnosed I picked up a couple cans of Fancy Feast pate based on recommendations I saw on this board, and he loves it. Max is a little more fickle, but as far as James is concerned I have no worries about whether he'll eat the wet food. That will be a relatively easy (and cheaper!) fix, I think.

James is a massive cat--paws the size of a medium dog's, lol. He needs more exercise for sure. Last time he was weighed he clocked in at 13.5lbs, which was lower than I thought it would be. Definitely room for improvement there.

Insulin: He hasn't been prescribed insulin yet. I was so overwhelmed at the vet after getting the diagnosis, they ended up calling the rescue and we all decided that the vet would draw up a projected treatment plan, send it to the rescue, and we would go from there. I really appreciate the insulin recommendations. I'll hopefully know more tomorrow, and I don't want to waste a lot of time waiting to get him on his way.

Question about the shots--I know they're to be administered 12h apart. If I were to be off by a half hour to an hour on either shot, is that really bad? Really just worried about potential work complications.

I'm also stressing about what to do when I'm out of town. James is VERY skittish around strangers (he's still semi skittish around me) and I'm concerned about asking somebody he's not familiar with to administer them. The shot schedule is probably my #1 concern, overall. Hopefully somebody from the rescue could help with this, but sometimes schedules just don't align.

At-home testing: The vet didn't mention this to me (yet), so I've only learned about it on this board and on Reddit. I'm SO glad to learn about the Libre system--because he's earless I knew I wouldn't be able to prick him, so this is a great relief.

I don't LOVE the vet that the rescue goes to, but they do give a 20% discount for rescues so I'm weighing whether those cost savings outweigh switching him to my regular vet (who I adore).

Financially, could anybody give me a rough estimate of what vet bills look like with diabetes, especially in these early stages?

Again, thanks to all who have responded. Sweet James is a special cat, and I want the best for him. I'm so happy to have found this community to guide me :)
Click to expand...
Great job switching food. The z/d is so high in carbs that it was, no doubt, driving up his BG. It will be absolutely perfect if he’s eating the Fancy Feast Classic Pates before you get started (no tricky food transitions while you are giving insulin.)

I am glad to hear that the Libre could be an option for you. We have people here who put them on themselves and can be very helpful in that respect. Some people also test their vat’s blood sugar from the paw. I never did, but some cats don’t seem to mind it. It’s good to be able to have a way to spot check the Libre when it’s telling you things are low, but don’t worry about that right now.

As for insulin, as long as they don’t prescribe Vetsulin (otherwise known as Caninsulin) you should be okay.
 
Cmm2151 said:
Hi everybody,

Thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful responses. I'm already feeling a little better. I'll try to answer specific questions below:

Food: Prior to the diagnosis on Tuesday, I had been feeding James and my other cat Max prescription Z/D dry food from Hill's. My cat who passed away in April, Mrs. Bananas, had been prescribed the Z/D food, and Max had gotten accustomed to it, so I just kept buying it (Max has GI issues so I figured I wouldn't rock the boat). I've been free feeding with the dry food, so they both graze throughout the day.

Since James was diagnosed I picked up a couple cans of Fancy Feast pate based on recommendations I saw on this board, and he loves it. Max is a little more fickle, but as far as James is concerned I have no worries about whether he'll eat the wet food. That will be a relatively easy (and cheaper!) fix, I think.

James is a massive cat--paws the size of a medium dog's, lol. He needs more exercise for sure. Last time he was weighed he clocked in at 13.5lbs, which was lower than I thought it would be. Definitely room for improvement there.

Insulin: He hasn't been prescribed insulin yet. I was so overwhelmed at the vet after getting the diagnosis, they ended up calling the rescue and we all decided that the vet would draw up a projected treatment plan, send it to the rescue, and we would go from there. I really appreciate the insulin recommendations. I'll hopefully know more tomorrow, and I don't want to waste a lot of time waiting to get him on his way.

Question about the shots--I know they're to be administered 12h apart. If I were to be off by a half hour to an hour on either shot, is that really bad? Really just worried about potential work complications.

I'm also stressing about what to do when I'm out of town. James is VERY skittish around strangers (he's still semi skittish around me) and I'm concerned about asking somebody he's not familiar with to administer them. The shot schedule is probably my #1 concern, overall. Hopefully somebody from the rescue could help with this, but sometimes schedules just don't align.

At-home testing: The vet didn't mention this to me (yet), so I've only learned about it on this board and on Reddit. I'm SO glad to learn about the Libre system--because he's earless I knew I wouldn't be able to prick him, so this is a great relief.

I don't LOVE the vet that the rescue goes to, but they do give a 20% discount for rescues so I'm weighing whether those cost savings outweigh switching him to my regular vet (who I adore).

Financially, could anybody give me a rough estimate of what vet bills look like with diabetes, especially in these early stages?

Again, thanks to all who have responded. Sweet James is a special cat, and I want the best for him. I'm so happy to have found this community to guide me :)
Click to expand...
I’m going to tag @Staci & Ivy as she uses a Libre and Lantus. My kitty passed ten years ago so I don’t know what current costs are but Staci can help.
 
Hi Caroline, I see Marje asked me to drop in with some information about using a Libre CGM sensor.
I use a Libre 3 (now being transitioned to a newer model Libre 3 Plus) made by Abbott. It’s a human sensor you may have seen people wearing on the back of their arms to read their glucose.

My cat, Ivy has been diabetic for three years and I’ve been using a Libre for almost that long.
I’m going to attach a document here about using a Libre that we have put together which has lots of great information about using one of the sensors.

What I like best about the Libre 3 is that it sends the data from the phone you will leave at home with your cat to your phone, so you will be able to receive data 24/7 and know what’s going on with James’ current glucose.

I live on the East Coast and have been paying about $38 for each Libre, they are designed to last up to two weeks.
About a month ago, I found out about a manufacturer coupon and used it at my local pharmacy and I paid $19.99 per sensor. I will attach a link with information about that coupon.
At the moment, it is good until the end of this year, 2025. I do not know if they will be renewing the coupon in 2026 yet.
If you have any questions about using a Libre, please feel free to ask me.
And as everyone has said, we are happy to help you in any way we can ❤️‍🩹

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...ucose-monitors-cgms-for-diabetic-cats.301950/

Freestyle Libre CGM Abbott Coupon $19.99 Each!!! Please Read
 
Staci & Ivy said:
Hi Caroline, I see Marje asked me to drop in with some information about using a Libre CGM sensor.
I use a Libre 3 (now being transitioned to a newer model Libre 3 Plus) made by Abbott. It’s a human sensor you may have seen people wearing on the back of their arms to read their glucose.

My cat, Ivy has been diabetic for three years and I’ve been using a Libre for almost that long.
I’m going to attach a document here about using a Libre that we have put together which has lots of great information about using one of the sensors.

What I like best about the Libre 3 is that it sends the data from the phone you will leave at home with your cat to your phone, so you will be able to receive data 24/7 and know what’s going on with James’ current glucose.

I live on the East Coast and have been paying about $38 for each Libre, they are designed to last up to two weeks.
About a month ago, I found out about a manufacturer coupon and used it at my local pharmacy and I paid $19.99 per sensor. I will attach a link with information about that coupon.
At the moment, it is good until the end of this year, 2025. I do not know if they will be renewing the coupon in 2026 yet.
If you have any questions about using a Libre, please feel free to ask me.
And as everyone has said, we are happy to help you in any way we can ❤️‍🩹

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...ucose-monitors-cgms-for-diabetic-cats.301950/

Freestyle Libre CGM Abbott Coupon $19.99 Each!!! Please Read
Click to expand...
Thanks, Staci. Can you also give her an idea of the total costs….i don’t know what Lantus is running these days or syringes, etc. thank you!
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Thanks, Staci. Can you also give her an idea of the total costs….i don’t know what Lantus is running these days or syringes, etc. thank you!
Click to expand...
Below is information on buying Lantus.
I’ve been using a Good RX coupon lately for $35 for a vial or a box of 5 pens.
(Read specifics in post below on how prescription needs to be worded)

Sourcing Lantus More Economically

I buy my syringes at Walmart, a box of 100 for around $13.00.

This is the package (10 packets come inside the box)
IMG_0317.jpeg

Hope this is helpful 🥰
 
The Relion syringes are what most US people use since they are affordable If you don't have a local WalMart, you do have other options. A store pharmacy like CVS and Walgreens will have syringes, prescription usually required. Some online places sell insulin syringes with no prescription required such as Amazon. I buy from AmericanDiabetesWarehouse.com with no prescription but my state doesn't require it. People in other states may have to provide at least a vet's phone number. Chewy is another place and a prescription or vet's phone number may be required.

I buy the expensive BD syringes because Leroy :facepalm: Other brands are Monoject, UltiCare, and SureComfort among many others out there for Human diabetics. Any U100 insulin syringe brand you can afford and can easily buy works. Just be sure that the syringes are 3/10cc with half unit markings. Needle length and gauge is preference.

There are veterinary U100 syringes such as UltiCare VetRX but they more expensive than the Human version and there are typically only 60 syringes in the box. Human syringes are 100 to a box. There's nothing special about the veterinary syringes that make them better for pets than Human syringes.

Re: testing - you can get blood from a paw pad if needed. It's good to know how to get blood from a paw pad just in case the Libre fails / falls off / etc.

Once you have all the supplies to get started (insulin, syringes, testing supplies), the costs do go down. Most people just need to occasionally buy supplies as needed: syringes, test strips, maybe urine strips to check for ketones, insulin, and of course food. Your only vet bill will probably be the once a year check up. Curves done at the vet aren't needed since you'll be testing at home. Once you get your spreadsheet set up, you can share that with the vet.

The vet techs who work with your vet may do pet sitting on the side. Many do since a vet tech salary 👎 Ask the techs. Other options for when you go on vacation, etc are to take the cat with you, board the cat with the vet or at a boarding place, ask friends and family and show them how to give insulin.
 
Nothing to add to the great practical advice you've already been given here except to say:
* You're a sweetheart for taking care of James. He sounds like he's impossible not to fall in love with for those of us with hearts.
* You're not alone in this. Here, there's caring people galore.
* You get into a routine of care that's doable, and the kitty can tell it's helping him feel better.
* Keep on with the Fancy Feast pates. There's suggestions for fun, low-carb treats here too. You can order FF by the case to make it cheaper.

We're all with you and James 😻
 
Thank you all SO MUCH for all of this information, and all your support. I've still yet to talk to the folks at the rescue, but I think I've decided to give it the old college try. If I can't manage it, I can't manage it, but at least I'll know I gave it a shot (no pun intended :) ).

I'm going to make it a point to talk to the rescue over the weekend and get this thing going. I'm still very much on the fence about staying with their vet, regardless of reduced costs. They were, IMO, pretty glib about the diagnosis and didn't seem especially invested in really training me in giving shots/doing home testing ("it's easy, you just grab him by the scruff of the neck while he's eating and stick it in there). Because of all your help, I feel that I can at least get started over the weekend gathering supplies (thanks so much for the needle recs--Walmart is easy--and the coupon for the Libre!), at least syringes and a case of Fancy Feast. I have an appointment for my other cat at my regular vet tomorrow and will talk to them about moving forward with having James seen there ASAP and get him going on the insulin. I also want to know more about their protocols for working with me on home testing.

Anyway, I can't overstate how helpful you have all been and how much better I'm feeling with your support. I realize this will be an uphill climb, but I'm so glad I found this board. I will keep everybody posted :)
 
Cmm2151 said:
Thank you all SO MUCH for all of this information, and all your support. I've still yet to talk to the folks at the rescue, but I think I've decided to give it the old college try. If I can't manage it, I can't manage it, but at least I'll know I gave it a shot (no pun intended :) ).

I'm going to make it a point to talk to the rescue over the weekend and get this thing going. I'm still very much on the fence about staying with their vet, regardless of reduced costs. They were, IMO, pretty glib about the diagnosis and didn't seem especially invested in really training me in giving shots/doing home testing ("it's easy, you just grab him by the scruff of the neck while he's eating and stick it in there). Because of all your help, I feel that I can at least get started over the weekend gathering supplies (thanks so much for the needle recs--Walmart is easy--and the coupon for the Libre!), at least syringes and a case of Fancy Feast. I have an appointment for my other cat at my regular vet tomorrow and will talk to them about moving forward with having James seen there ASAP and get him going on the insulin. I also want to know more about their protocols for working with me on home testing.

Anyway, I can't overstate how helpful you have all been and how much better I'm feeling with your support. I realize this will be an uphill climb, but I'm so glad I found this board. I will keep everybody posted :)
Click to expand...
Wishing you lots of good luck! 🍀👍 🍀👍
I just want to mention when using the coupons for the Libre or for Lantus, if the pharmacy gives you a hard time “because it’s for a cat” they DO work for a cat.

Sometimes it takes being a bit firm and you may have to ask to talk to the pharmacist directly.
Sometimes it takes going to another pharmacy if they’re just being impossible.
Just know it may take an intelligent person to get the coupon to be applied. (It can be frustrating at times, but we’ve had plenty of success using these coupons for our cats).
Hoping you don’t have these struggles, just wanted to warn you ahead of time 💕
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top