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Saylii

Member Since 2013
Hey everyone,

My kitty, Lance, was just diagnosed this morning with diabetes. It's been a rough road to get to this point. I had noticed that something hadn't been right for a few months. We took him to the vet a few times, but we always treated what was on the surface due to a lack of funds and the fact that it never really ventured into the serious category. Things like biting the hair on his back (we attributed that to fleas that he got from our dog) and having what we loving refer to as a poo-splosion (I'm still unsure why we decided not to do bloodwork on that one). He went into ketoacidosis over the weekend, which very nearly killed him. When I got him to the vet this morning, his temperature was 94 degrees and he was almost comatose. He went into fatty liver failure from his lack of eating and when I got the call that this was all caused by diabetes... well, it's safe to say that I'm still in shock.

I live in Austin, TX and I'm not really sure where to go from here. I know there's a whole lot of legwork that the vet is going to have to just to get him to the point where we can really start treating his diabetes and I'll admit, I'm scared about what the future holds for us. I'll be honest that I don't know the first thing about feline diabetes and what I've read so far is giving me a headache. Help?
 
Good news - Its a chronic disease which can be managed!

If you aren't giving insulin yet, then focus on feeding a low carbohydrate (< 10% calories from carbohydrate, not weight), canned or raw food. Inexpensive choices include Friskies pates and Fancy Feast Classic pates. Cat Info, written by a vet, has a printable food list where you can see what common US foods are under 10% calories from carbohydrates.

If you are using insulin, then focus on home blood glucose testing to keep your cat safe. You'lll need a human glucometer such as the WalMart ReliOn Confirm (generically available as the Glucocard 01 from our shopping partner ADW, link at top of screen), test strips (get a couple boxes), and 27-28 gauge lancets.
 
Welcome to sugardude Lance and his caregiver. What's your name? You forget to tell us. Not a surprise in your current state of being overwhelmed with Lance being sick.

Cats can live long and healthy lives with diabetes. Many cats can even be diet controlled after a time on insulin.

The keys to treating diabetes in cats are:
1. low carb canned food, <10% carbs
2. a good long lasting insulin like Lantus or Levimir or Prozinc
3. home testing to keep your kitty safe.

This document, AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats is useful to learn about the current state of treating diabetes. Vet journal published article from June 2010.
 
My name is Amanda. You're right; it completely slipped my mind.

Lance is still in the emergency hospital & vet right now trying to stabilize the liver situation. They are giving him IV insulin there, but I'm not sure what kind. I'll be sure to ask when I visit him in a few minutes. The food will definitely need to change. He currently gets dry food, Blue Buffalo weight control (which never really ever "controlled" the weight). He's never been a wet food kitty, but we'll get there hopefully.

The comforting part of the diagnosis is that it explains a lot of the crazy behavior Lance has had the last few months. We've always lovingly referred to him as our "mean" kitty, because he's not a fan of cuddling, likes to be the center of attention and will do anything to get it, and will bite if you don't pet him and will bite if you pet too long. It's a careful balance.

However the last few months he's been licking plastic store bags (particularly looooves Macy's), drinking water out of the toilet and will almost have a panic attack if you close the lid even with available water, has had his eating go out of control and would get really vicious if you didn't refill his food bowl (which was always hard, because he got 1/3 cup dry food in the morning, 1/3 cup dry food in the evening and he would act seriously starved if you didn't feed him at least once more in the afternoon and he'd try really hard to get a fourth out of me). He's always had a dandruff problem, but it got really bad lately as well. We chalked that up to it being the summer and the fact that the dog would bring in fleas from the outside and Lance does not go outside.

The worst part about it is that I feel like I completely failed him. He gave me all the warning signs and I wasn't informed enough to realize what was going on. Yes, vets were involved on and off but they never had the full picture in front of them. Hindsight is 20/20, I suppose.

I'll probably get him back from the vet on Wednesday, maybe Thursday. Is there anything I need to know to hit the ground running with all of this? How much does managing diabetes cost over time?
 
In treatment for hyperglycemia emergency procedures will use an IV drip of a short acting insulin such as R. This is seldom used for home treatment (special circumstances only).

Good insulins for cats are Lantus, Levemir, and ProZinc in the US. If the vet tries to give you Humulin N or Vetsulin, be firm and say no. They won't last 12 hours in the cat and make it more difficult to manage the glucose levels.

If you get Lantus or Levemir, ask for a pen prescription. Each pen is treated like a little vial of 3 mL and you use insulin syringes to withdraw it. Each mL has 100 units in it (hence the U-100 designation). Common doses are 1-2 units, twice a day. At 4 units total per day, 1 pen (300 units) will last 75 days or 2 1/2 months. A 10 mL vial would last 250 days, but might be weaker near the end of its use. Despite the labeling, the pen or vial will last more than 1 month if you refrigerate it on a stationary shelf.
 
It can be difficult to change foods; whatever you do, don't go with something prescription. There are vastly more affordable over the counter foods with a low percentage of calories from carbohydrates.

Make any food changes gradually to reduce the chances of GI upset.

Cat Info written by a vet, has a printable food list with the percentage of calories from carbohydrates, fats, and protein, plus phosphorus levels. Select any with < 10% calories from carbohydrates for routine feeding.
 
Hi Amanda!

Some of the upfront costs for treating diabetes are one time only. Or the supplies last a long time.

I would recommend getting a human glucometer like the Relion Confirm (~$15-16) or Relion Prime from Wal-Mart along with matching test strips $9-18/for 50. Your vet is likely to try and sell you an Alphatrak 2 meter, for pets. They are very expensive $200 and the test strips are outrageously expensive $1-2 each.

The insulin can last a long time. A 10 mL vial 4-6 months. We recommend the pens, box of 5 will last you a year or more. Ask for a prescription for the Lantus Solostar pen and sign up for and print out this Lantus Savings Card program Some people have said their local Target will sell the pens individually.

There are low carb commercially canned foods available for your cat that will cost a lot less than the prescription diets the vet may try to sell you. Fancy Feast classic pate, Friskies pates, Wellness are all lower cost alternatives. Ingredients better than the prescription diets plus, they come in a wide range of flavors.

Here is a new member shopping list for you to print out and get you started. new member shopping list
 
Hi and welcome to the board.

The good news is that 84% of cats go into remission within 6 months with a low carb wet food, a good insulin and home testing. Deb has made great recommendations for each and we can help advise more once Lance is home.

For now read everything provided above and ask lots of questions. Go buy your supplies. Talk to your vet about the insulins and your plan to move to a low carb food and home test. Some vets are better than others so be ready to ask both us and them questions if you are hearing different things. vets are great generalists but some are out of date with feline diabetes.

We are here for you.

Wendy
 
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