Newly diabetic cat plus 3 non diabetic cats…

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Emilyplusfourcats

Member Since 2023
My 6 year old orange tabby Hossy was diagnosed with diabetes a couple days ago after we noticed significant weight loss and lethargy. He had a respiratory virus earlier this year and was on steroids, and has lost 5 lbs in the 2 months since then (22 lbs to 17 lbs). He also had the same virus and steroids last year so I suspect his obesity and the steroid use are the main causes. Anyway I am trying to get into a feeding regimen but have 3 other non diabetic cats. They have always had open feeding and we have switched them to Purina DM kibble and canned food. They have maybe a whole can a day between the four of them (two meals daily). Hossy started on 1 unit of insulin 2x daily. It’s only been a couple days but now we are noticing his appetite and thirst are through the roof. It’s hard to separate the cats at meal times and we are just a little lost and concerned as this is new to us. Looking for advice on what to expect with having recently started insulin, and any advice for dealing with 1 diabetic cat and 3 non diabetics.
 
Welcome to FDMB!!

You are definitely on the right track with feeding all of your cats the same food. However, the DM kibble is way too high in carbohydrates for a diabetic cat. (I know you're thinking that the vet said this is diabetic food. Read the label carefully. It says, "dietetic" not diabetic.) The canned DM is acceptable with regard to carbs but many cats get tired of it because the ingredients are suboptimal. This is a link to a website on feline nutrition that is authored by a vet. There is a great deal of information on the site. The author, Lisa Pierson, DVM is not a fan of giving any cat dry food. There are a couple of reasons. Cats are obligate carnivores and there is a good deal of unnecessary ingredients in dry food (my favorite is powdered cellulose -- also known as sawdust) including fruits and veggies. The other reason is that cats have a limited thirst drive and dry food is, well, dry and doesn't have enough moisture. This is a chart from her website that lists out most of the canned foods available in the US along with the amount of carbohydrates. We consider low carb to be under 10% although most members feed their cat in the 3 - 7% range and many feed either Friskies or Fancy Feast pate style foods. You have lots of choices.

If you've started insulin, we strongly encourage people to start home testing. Again, your vet may not have mentioned this. The best way to keep your cat safe is to test his blood glucose several times during the day. This is what humans do. Without home testing, you have no way to know if Hossy is in low blood glucose numbers and you're then giving an insulin injection which could cause your cat to have a symptomatic hypoglycemic episode. This is information on home testing. Most members use a human glucometer. The Walmart Relion brand is inexpensive and the strips are also inexpensive.

Could you let us know what insulin you're using? There are guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Assn regarding which insulins are recommended for the the treatment of feline diabetes.

I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information. The front end of this learning curve is huge. Please let us know how we can help.
 
Wow thank you so much for all of that information. I am actually a registered dietitian (for humans) but veterinary nutrition is a world of its own so I do appreciate any amount of information you can provide. The insulin we are using is Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension), however it doesn’t indicate if it’s Lantus, Novolog, etc. Also, thank you for pointing out the labeling on the DM food! I just assumed diabetes mellitus until I actually read it.
I am hesitant to start testing his BG because I hate to poke him and cause him any more pain than the 2 needles a day, but I see the importance of it and I think it is a necessary evil now that I realize how careful we must be. As far as the symptoms go, is it typical to find a cat with increased thirst and appetite after starting insulin? Is this just because he is not “used to” it yet? Or could it have something to do with the fact that he’s now on the DM food which is actually higher carb… thank you so much I really appreciate all of this more than you know!
 
Vetsulin is a pet specific insulin and it’s also called caninsulin because it was created for canines who have a much slower metabolism. It’s a harsh short acting insulin so your cat is not protected the full 12 hours between shots. Because it hits fast you need to feed Hossy at least 20-30 minutes before the shot. These are the guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Assn for the treatment of diabetes in both dogs and cats. the AAHA no longer recommends Caninsulin/Vetsulin for treating feline diabetes.

With a diabetic cat you need:
  • A low carb wet diet that is 10% carbs or under. Most of us use around 4-7% carbs
  • A suitable insulin such as Lantus or Prozinc which are long acting, more gentle insulins than the old insulins.
  • We recommend hometesting the blood glucose with a human meter…it is not necessary to use a pet meter which is expensive to run and is no better. It will keep your kitty safe and you will know how the dose is working for your kitty. Only testing every so often will not tell you what is happening in between those times and an awful lot can happen in even a day.
  • HELP US HELP YOU has information about the spreadsheet, signature and hypo box which you will need to be able to look after your beloved kitty properly

As Sienne said, theres a lot to learn so please keep asking questions!
 
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Unregulated diabetic cats will drink and eat more. They eat more because they can’t process the nutrients in food so they eat but are still hungry and can lose weight. I hope you’re feeding more than just twice a day. Diabetic cats also do much better on 2 main meals and 3-4 smaller meals or snacks throughout the day. It’s easier on their pancreas and it helps avoid sugar spikes.

we have lots of tips to make testing easier like always giving a low carb treat immediately after whether it’s a failed or successful attempt, in order to build positive association and warming up the ears to get the blood flow going. Think of it this way, if you had a diabetic child would you give it insulin blindly without testing knowing that an overdosed can kill? Trust me, I never thought I could test a cat in my life and I’ve done it with both of my diabetic cats now.

we can help you sort through all of it.
 
I'd encourage you to speak to your vet. Vetsulin is not an insulin that is recommended for the management of feline diabetes. The American Animal Hospital Assn published guidelines in 2018 and then updated their recommendations in 2022 and have not recommended Vetsulin for some time. It does not have adequate duration to last a 12-hour cycle. This is a link to the AAHA guidelines. See pages 3 - 4. You may want to print out the paper and bring it to your vet if they are less than supportive about prescribing either glargine or Prozinc.
 
Emilyplusfourcats said:
Wow thank you so much for all of that information. I am actually a registered dietitian (for humans) but veterinary nutrition is a world of its own so I do appreciate any amount of information you can provide. The insulin we are using is Vetsulin (porcine insulin zinc suspension), however it doesn’t indicate if it’s Lantus, Novolog, etc. Also, thank you for pointing out the labeling on the DM food! I just assumed diabetes mellitus until I actually read it.
I am hesitant to start testing his BG because I hate to poke him and cause him any more pain than the 2 needles a day, but I see the importance of it and I think it is a necessary evil now that I realize how careful we must be. As far as the symptoms go, is it typical to find a cat with increased thirst and appetite after starting insulin? Is this just because he is not “used to” it yet? Or could it have something to do with the fact that he’s now on the DM food which is actually higher carb… thank you so much I really appreciate all of this more than you know!
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testing them is not painful. Most of us test multiple times a day. I have a video in my signature showing how I tested my cat CC at home.
 
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