gilliesisle
Member
Hi all. Found your board when one of my cats was diagnosed with diabetes. It didn't come as any great shock as I noticed food and water being consumed with great speed along with someone peeing in the wrong place - my bedroom carpet. As I have two cats I wasn't sure which one it was until I caught Taz as he was peeing on my carpet. :cry:
Off to the vets we went on 12/18/09 and his glucose was 530. I knew it wasn't good when both the vet and his wife said "WHOA!" loudly at the same time. Subsequent readings have been 500 and 481 (12/23/09). My vet is not opposed to home testing and in fact is encouraging me to do so, which is a relief. It's too expensive to go every other week, not to mention the time it takes to get there - half-hour each way- and the stress it puts on Taz. I work 2 jobs, so time is tight anyway. A blood panel indicated that everything else is fine with Taz. He has a cataract in his left eye, which I'm assuming is from the diabetes. Diabetes runs on both sides of my human family.
Taz is 11 yo, and my other cat Tigger is his littermate. Tigger was also tested and his level is 91, which is surprising since he's 24 pounds. Tigger is healthy, he's part coon cat so he was even large as a kitten. Taz was 15.9 pounds when he was diagnosed, down 4 pounds from a year ago, and on his last visit was 15.4 pounds. I adopted both of them from a shelter. They are both neutered males. I have always free-fed them because I have found that when I leave wet food out, or pick up any food after a certain time, usually only one of them will hog whatever is put out. I am feeding them Hill's W/D which as I'm sure you know is a dry food - amd $$$. I would love to put them on wet food, but don't want to starve Tigger because Taz is inhaling the food and water. Any ideas on how best to do that?
The vet has me injecting Taz 2x/day with 4 units each. The insulin is vetsulin (I know; I've read the boards and need to have the insulin changed.) Since I started him on 4 units, he seems much happier - more energy. He's back to grooming himself.
Off to the vets we went on 12/18/09 and his glucose was 530. I knew it wasn't good when both the vet and his wife said "WHOA!" loudly at the same time. Subsequent readings have been 500 and 481 (12/23/09). My vet is not opposed to home testing and in fact is encouraging me to do so, which is a relief. It's too expensive to go every other week, not to mention the time it takes to get there - half-hour each way- and the stress it puts on Taz. I work 2 jobs, so time is tight anyway. A blood panel indicated that everything else is fine with Taz. He has a cataract in his left eye, which I'm assuming is from the diabetes. Diabetes runs on both sides of my human family.
Taz is 11 yo, and my other cat Tigger is his littermate. Tigger was also tested and his level is 91, which is surprising since he's 24 pounds. Tigger is healthy, he's part coon cat so he was even large as a kitten. Taz was 15.9 pounds when he was diagnosed, down 4 pounds from a year ago, and on his last visit was 15.4 pounds. I adopted both of them from a shelter. They are both neutered males. I have always free-fed them because I have found that when I leave wet food out, or pick up any food after a certain time, usually only one of them will hog whatever is put out. I am feeding them Hill's W/D which as I'm sure you know is a dry food - amd $$$. I would love to put them on wet food, but don't want to starve Tigger because Taz is inhaling the food and water. Any ideas on how best to do that?
The vet has me injecting Taz 2x/day with 4 units each. The insulin is vetsulin (I know; I've read the boards and need to have the insulin changed.) Since I started him on 4 units, he seems much happier - more energy. He's back to grooming himself.