Newly diagnosed diabetic cat

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rsnow02

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I have a cat that has just been diagnosed with diabetes. He is 9 years old and his number was 393. He went in to the vets and spent three days and they were able to get his number down to 120. They want to do blood tests every week for the next three weeks and then once a quarter. They gave us some of the DM diabetic food which seems to be filled with garbage. I hear a lot about the fancy feast classics. Only problem is he gets really loose stools when he eats the canned food. I am green when it comes to cats with diabetes. Not sure if there is something I can give him to help with his loose stools so he can eat the moist food. I also feed him the blue buffalo wilderness dry food. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Welcome! We have a very successful protocol for feline diabetes:

1. A slow, long lasting insulin. Lantus, Levemir and ProZinc are popular as they have a slow onset; they are not harsh and they are easiest to use for regulation. Humulin and Canninsulin are less popular because, in most cats, they have a rapid onset and don’t last as long. We like new diabetics to start low and go slow. That is, start at a low dose of .5 or one unit twice daily every 12 hours. And increase slowly, by .25 or .5 units as the numbers indicate.

2. A low carb, wet diet. We like to feed under 8-10% carbs. There are several food charts you can use: [=http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Food%20Chart%20Public%209-22-12.pdf] Dr. Lisa’s food chart [/url]
Hobo’s Food Chart
Whatever food you can afford that your cat will eat in that lower range. BUT DON'T switch foods without home testing first. The blood sugar levels can really go down, fast. If he is having tummy troubles, you might slowly transition from dry to wet. Beef does seem to cause issues in some cats so maybe avoid those at first.

2. And most importantly, hometesting. We think cats tend to be stressed at the vet and we know stress raises blood glucose levels. So we test our cats at home. We use human glucometers and test on their ears or paws. Here is a video that shows you how it is done: Video for hometesting The problem with your vet testing once a week is that the numbers can change suddenly. There are dozens of threads on this site about a cat suddenly having a lower than usual preshot number and the owner having to reduce the dose. Here is one today:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=91312 We wouldn't get insulin from the doctor and just blindly shoot our 2 legged child for a week before taking him in for a check up. We do the same for our cats.

Do some reading. Ask some questions. Let us know how we can help.
 
Has he already been started on the insulin? what kind and dose? We will be able to advise if we have more info..
thanks
Wendy
 
He is on lantus at 2 1/2 units twice a day. His stool is the consistency of pancake batter. He at times steps in it which tends to make a mess. The vet told us to put yogurt in his canned food that he gave us. His name is Smeagol and the breed is a sphynx. The vet told us he was going to show us how to test when we go back with him next week. My wife is diabetic as well, but this is a whole new experience to have a cat that is now diabetic that requires insulin. I live in Oakdale Connecticut which is by New London. He has also developed drop hock so he doesn't walk like a normal cat up on his paws. The vet did say once we get his blood sugar regulated it will stop the progression but he probably won't regain walking on his paws. We just started the insulin at home two days ago. Thanks for the advice on the pumpkin. Will definitely try that if it doesn't clear up.
 
I'm about an hour away so I can help you learn to hometest if you'd like. I'd also suggest Laurie's site on Neuropathy and the MethylB12. When I adopted Misty she had neuropathy and took it. With insulin regulation and the MB12 she did great.
 
How long has his stool been like this? Since you changed his food? You might want to change him back to his original diet until his stomach settles and then slowly transition to a better lower carb food - over a week or two.

If you do change to a low carb food like FF classics, then its critical you start home testing since his blood sugar will likely drop and so will his insulin needs. Which is what you want if you are aiming for remission!

Also ask the vet about Flagyl/metronizadole - its great for diarrhea.
 
Welcome!! I am a newer member too as my cat was diagnosed on 3/14. I can definately tell ya, you found the best site around!! I also had someone come here to help me with home testing. I am so grateful that 2 very kind ladies were able to come here and teach me how to home test and answer all of the questions I had. With home testing I feel so much more comfortable giving my Jupiter his insulin shots.

Jupiter and my other cats love canned food, but when I first switched them over I kept finding piles of vomit around the house - I left a little dry food out so that they would adjust better - and now only a few days later they arent vomiting anymore and I am getting them completely switched over to the wet food. It may be a little frustrating trying to get Smeagol switched to the wet food, especially if hes having diarrhea, but eventually you should be able to get him switched with no problem. The wet food is much better for cats, and after changing the cats food, a lot of cats wont require so much insulin.

A few days ago I was very stressed and overwhelmed but now I am feeling better about things. There are so many people here that are willing to help you and answer your questions. Hang in there - it will get easier!
 
Thanks everyone. I will definitely keep you in mind Jennifer. My wife is diabetic as well and we have a vet visit next Wednesday. She is going to bring her meter in and he is going to show her how to use it. I have 6 other cats and most eat the blue wilderness duck formula dry. It lists quite a few B vitamins on the bag, but from what I am hearing the moist food is the way to go. Even when he was a baby he had really loose stools from moist food. The yogurt has seemed to stop it for now. He was also on an antibiotic which I am thinking is what mostly attributed to the looses stool. We got a different one now but are going to wait a couple of days before starting it to let things settle down. I am curious to see what his blood sugar is like with him eating some of the blue wilderness. He loves the canned food though. I was looking online at the evo beef formula wet food. It says high protein low carbs. I would like to give all my cats some moist food as part of their diet. Going to take this slow though. Don't want to upset the balance of things if you know what I mean with seven cats. I have two munchkins, a bengal, a rag doll, Siamese, sphynx and an all white domestic. Cat perch in just about every window and cat pillows, toys etc... But they aren't spoiled lol. Time to go get some wild bird food now. Feeders about empty. They love watching the birds. Thanks for the support and advice. I will let you know how I make out at the vets. Ahhhh, he just came out of the litter box. Had some poo on him. Time to clean and scoop.
 
Just did a little research and found this. The Sphynx has a sensitive digestive system that is not amenable to eating canned food every day. Most owners would recommend only feeding your Sphynx canned cat food once or twice a week. Try to vary the diet as much as possible to increase the nutritional value and keep the Sphynx interested and excited about its food.
 
It lists quite a few B vitamins on the bag
Click to expand...
Just double checked the bag online and it does not contain Methylcobalamin which is what diabetic cats with neuropathy need to help with their walking. Please read Jasper's site that both Jen and I sent you the link to.
 
I read the article about Jasper and METHYLCOBALAMIN. That sounds very promising. I looked on wag and did not see it there except in lozenge form. I looked on amazon and they have so much to choose from. They even have it in liquid form. Where do you get yours from. I would definitely like to try that.
 
Got the website bookmarked. Seen a review for this on amazon Methylcobalamin Liquid 30ml". The review stated that it worked wonders for their diabetic cat. Ordered some of that since I am a prime member and get free shipping and two day delivery. This sounds very promising. Thanks thanks thanks. Time to go to work now but going to work a lot more upbeat and not so down. Looking forward to receiving this to try it.
 
Because you are giving insulin now, please focus on learning to test and hold off on the diet change until you can test. Changing to a low carb diet may reduce the glucose levels by more than 100 points.

For diet issues, read at Cat Info to see what makes sense to you. Some cats do better on a grain free canned. And diet changes should be s l o w transitions to avoid GI upset.

See my signature link for Secondary Monitoring Tools.
 
Make sure you check that the "Methylcobalamin Liquid 30ml" on Amazon does not contain sugar - some do.
Also, I wouldn't know how much to give to a cat...

We used the zobaline which was really easy.
 
We have since taken him off of the antibiotic. When he was at the vets he found a couple white blood cells in his urine which is a sign of an infection. We are waiting now for things to calm down before starting the other type of antibiotic. The zobaline is in a pill format correct? Is there an easy way to give it to him without having to cram it down his throat? That's the only concern that I have with it.
 
Zobalin is a tablet.

Have you every tried Pill Pockets? If the cat likes them, they are wonderful for dosing small pills. I use half of a Pill Pocket to wrap around a small tablet, or part of a larger tablet.

B Vitamins are water soluble so this can work - take an oral syringe, put a cut up tablet into (cut so it'll fit in), suck up some water, shake well until dissolved, suck up some yummy canned food, shake well, and squirt in.

Or it may be possible to crush it up and stir it into food.
 
I just ordered some and hope to try it with some laughing cow cheese wrapped around it.
But look for the lowest carb% possible.
 
Zobaline crushes into a fine powder very easily.
I crushed it in a little (about 1/5) Fancy Feast Appertizer and Honey would wolf it down in approx. 1.5 seconds ;-)
 
Hi friends, this is Julie, Ray's wife. I have questions about testing. I am diabetic and use an Acuchek compac meter, can I test Smeagol's blood on my meter or is there a meter for cats? The vet said my meter would be 30 points different. Is there some type of scale to know how much insulin to give based on what number you get when you test? All of this is overwhelming, thanks for your help.
 
You may use the meter you have. It will be about 30 points lower than the pet-specific meter or a vet lab at the low numbers; it will read about 30%-40% of what a lab result might have at higher numbers (University of Queensland Animal Companion Centre). However, there are reference numbers developed for cats, just check this PDF files posted at the Centre.

You are looking for a Lantus dose which
1) may be given safely every 12 hours
AND
2) doesn't take the cat too low (below 50 on a human meter; you test around +5 to +7 hours after the shot to see how low he is going)
AND
3) Doesn't leave the glucose too high - about 240 is the renal threshold where glucose starts spilling into urine. Keeping the cat lower than that for as much as possible reduces damage to the internal organs
AND
4) Doesn't result in skipping shots because the cat is too low to give insulin (initially, no shot below 200, until you learn how the cat responds; that number may gradually be lowered as your data collection shows it is safe.)

Note that dose adjustments for Lantus are made based on the nadir - the lowest glucose level after an injection.
Initial doses are calculated based on the LEAN weight of the animal - current weight if underweight, ideal weight if normal or obese.
 
hi Julie

Most of us use human meters - but they do run 30 points or so lower.

We do use a protocol for dosing and its very successful at getting cats regulated and into remission.
It is based on bg numbers but on the nadir, ie. lowest point in the cycle which is generally around 6 hours after testing but not always as cats like to keep us guessing :roll:

Do you have any test numbers for Smeagol yet? Do you need any help with the testing? Cats are a little tricky at first but it gets easier.
We would advise you get a pre-shot number - that will tell you that its safe to give him the shot.
To start with, don't give a shot if bg is less than 200 - as you don't know how low his bg will drop when the insulin kicks in.
Then spot checks around the nadir to try to figure out how Smeagol reacts to it because every cat is different!
Once you build up some data, the dosing advisors can step in and help make adjustments.

We use a spreadsheet on google docs/drive.
Its very easy to use once you have it set up and really helps everyone keep an eye on Smeagol as well.
setting up a spreadsheet
 
Ok got the zobaline in and gave him his first pill today crushed in some fancy feast. Also ordered evo moist cat food chicken and turkey blend. Expensive but worth it. Less than 7 % carbs. Also ordered some raw meat made for animals. Ordered some steak. Nature's Variety Instinct Grain-Free Raw Frozen Bites Beef Formula. Parasites and bacteria are killed. I know my bengal will love this stuff. He was weaned with raw meat. Vet appt for smeagol on Wednesday but will try to get him in tomorrow due to still a loose stool. I also ordered some diar-eze to firm up his stool. Heard a lot of testimonials on the stuff. Looked for pumpkin purée in the grocery store. Three different ons and none of them had it. Will keep you posted on the outcome of the vet check up.
 
Are you home testing yet? I know you said you had a meter, and now that you have changed his food its important you keep an eye on that blood sugar as it can drop fast with a diet change.

Good luck at the vets!
 
Not yet. The vet is supposed to show us how when we see him again. Thanks for the advice and suggestions everyone. It's a learning curve for both my wife and I. Will keep you posted
 
Question. The vet says the lantus insulin is good for 6 months. The pharmacist says 28 days. Which is correct. What has been your experience in the insulin shelf life. Thanks
 
The bottle/vial/pen says 28 days on it. But thats for humans who use more and get through it faster.

If you store yours in the fridge (not the door), dont shake or roll it, you can get up to 6 months out of it. However as you get towards the 4/5 month stage watch for cloudiness or flakes. And as you will be tracking his blood sugar, if his numbers start to look odd, then its time replace the insulin. I have had them last over 4 months and thats only because I have 2 cats using it so am accessing it twice as much as most people here.

Pens last longer because you only "open" one at a time though.
 
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