newly diagnosed scared to death

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nikki

nikki

Member Since 2015
Hi all I'm posting from ns Canada. Boobear is our 11 year old baby. About 3 months ago we noticed weight loss even though he seemed really hungry. Unable to get into our normal vet I went to the only other one in the area. He told us he had a toothache and put him on antibiotics. It seems at first to be working, or maybe wishful thinking on our part? We had also noticed he couldn't jump on bathroom vanity where his food was so we bought him steps thinking it was age. A couple of weeks ago he was walking funny. Well Monday we had enough and called vet again but soonest we could get in was next week. Well long story short Monday evening he couldn't use his back legs at all, was like he collapsed. We called emergency number and rushed him in. Not only was he unable to walk, he just laid on table not moving at all, very lethargic. His lost more than half his weight and could feel all his bones on his back. They tested his sugar and it was 35, 5-6 being normal. They admitted him right away to rehydrate him and start insulin in the am. They kept him until Thursday. He is now on 1 unit twice daily and on canin mature. It seems like all he wants to do is sleep. When he's awake he often seems to be staring blindly. He is walking better but sometimes just goes in circles. Have any of you experienced this? Sorry for long read but terrified! !!
 
Oh dear, that sounds so horrible! I have read about these issues with the legs and it is something called nuropathy which is not uncommon in Diabetic cats if the Diabetes is left untreated.

Try to be positive...he is being treated now and the nuropathy is reversible once his body responds and recovers from the constantly high blood glucose, which it will.

He should start to get less lethargic and zombie like as he begins to feel better.

My baby Dweezil lost weight, we could feel his back bones and he was drinking and peeing a lot last December. He is only six years old. Since then he's been on 2 units, then reduced to 1 unit, of lantus and although not yet regulated, he is greatly improved and a happy, perky and feisty kitty again.

One thing (of many) i've learnt from being here...feeding dry foods, even the diabetic / special prescription ones...no good. They are moderate in carb content and we need our cats to be on the lowest carb consumption possible.

Lowest carb moist food is the ideal diet. I am in Australia and having some issues finding adequate low carb foods here, but i'm sure others in Canada and the US will post soon.

Try not to feel overwhelmed, though we all do at first. Your baby WILL improve.
 
Hello Nikki & welcome, oh dear, poor Boobear :( Try not to panic, my cat was only diagnosed a few weeks ago, so I'm a relative Newbie , but I'm sure folks will come along soon who'll give you lots of advice & support.

My cat Squiggles developed weak back legs & people here suggested she went on a sort of Vit B 12 called Methyl-Cobalamin. It comes in powder form in capsules which you just sprinkle on their food, although you might want to wait til the vets check there's nothing else going on , but it's worth considering.

Hang on in there, I'm sure he'll improve once he's started treatment xx
 
Hi and welcome Nikki and boobear. Where about are you in the world?

When you say one unit which insulin do you mean? What food is he on?

We do recommend feeding a wet low carb food however as it can reduce your cats blood glucose levels it can also reduce the amount of insulin needed and so we don't recommend you change suddenly and not until you are hometesting
http://www.catinfo.org

With regards hometesting we do recommend that you test before giving the insulin shot to make sure it is safe to give. It may seem daunting at first but it isn't difficult once you get used to it. Is that something you would consider? We use human meters as the strips are a lot cheaper and you can buy them easily.

This link will help you understand more about it
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Finally is boobear eating and drinking okay? He probably still feels poorly and so you may need to assist him. When he was at the vets did they say he had diabetic ketosis?

Best wishes

Sarah
 
Welcome to FDMB.

We'll help you whatever way we can.

For safety, since you're already using insulin, keep the food the same until you are home testing. A change to a low carb level from a high carb level can reduce the insulin dose 1-2 units and reduce the glucose level 5.5 - 11 mmol/L (100-200 mg/dL), which could result in hypoglycemia if these are not monitored and adjusted.
 
Thank you so much all for replying and the warm welcome. In answer to some of your questions. We live in Nova Scotia Canada. He is on royal canin mature consult which they said is a low carb food. They also put some hard diabetic food in the bag with instructions of 1/2 a cup twice daily but am unsure of name on that one. He doesn't seem fussy about the soft one. The only way I can get him to eat it is put it on my fingers to feed him that way but I know he's hungry because if offered the dry he will go for it. The insulin is called caninsulin. I do test hid sugar at home. At 4 am it was 26.6 and at 4 pm it was 28.6. Not sure why it's going up. They ran blood tests at vet and his kidney and liver function were ok.
 
Hello nikki, I'm in the UK & my cat's on Caninsulin , how is Boobear now ? Is he still sleeping a lot ? Does he still look as though he's staring around blindly ? & is he still unsteady on his feet & walking round in circles ?

When you tested him at 4am how long was it since his last insulin shot ?

Sorry for all the questions .From my limited experience , when Squiggles figures were that level , after she'd been in 1iu twice a day for a week , my vet told me to put them up to 1.5.

However others here have more knowledge than me & I'm sure they 'll advise you soon. They might even suggest they ring your vet for advise about the dose. I'll be checking your thread to see how you're doing xx
 
Thanks for your reply and concern. He is still very sleepy. He is actually on our bed which has always been his favorite spot. So not really walking around but when he does he can't seem to turn around And is very wobbly. He does still have his blind stare. There was 12 hours difference when I tested and gave him his insulin. Even though he's drinking he's not really going to bathroom. He gave us a real scare this am. I woke up to my husband calling out his name and falling backwards off the bed with boobear with him. I figure boo was trying to go to litter box because he had a major accident.
 
It is great that you are testing at home. We recommend that you test before each insulin shot and then again during the cycle. So you would test the level, feed and then give insulin.

Since you are already testing can I get you to start up a spreadsheet to record you results. It's a google document that you can link in your signature here and so people can look at it and you can also share it with your vet

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...te-a-ss-and-link-it-in-your-signature.130337/

Transitioning a cat to wet can take a while and as has been said before this should only be done if you are hometesting and done slowly. Here is a link with some tips of making the change

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/transitioning-your-cat-from-dry-to-wet-food.956/

Could we also get you to add some info in your signature. The insulin used and the blood glucose monitor you are using.
 
nikki said:
Thanks for your reply and concern. He is still very sleepy. He is actually on our bed which has always been his favorite spot. So not really walking around but when he does he can't seem to turn around And is very wobbly. He does still have his blind stare. There was 12 hours difference when I tested and gave him his insulin. Even though he's drinking he's not really going to bathroom. He gave us a real scare this am. I woke up to my husband calling out his name and falling backwards off the bed with boobear with him. I figure boo was trying to go to litter box because he had a major accident.
Click to expand...

Oh poor boy :( do you reckon he can see at all ? Did he do a wee & poo when he had his accident ? Perhaps you ought to have old towels over your duvet cover when he sleeps on your bed !

Can he walk to his food & water bowls ? or do you have to carry him ?

Hopefully some more people will soon comment on his BG number before his last shot, & give you other advice .

If you're still really worried on Monday, perhaps you could ring your vet.

I really hope he starts to improve soon, as people have said, it will be a slow business. Fingers crossed for you both & Boobear.xx
 
Hi Nikki, just want to let you know that you're not alone. Our Goofus was diagnosed on Dec 4, 2014. I was so scared I cried all the way home from the vet. I was so sure we were going to lose our boy. I felt SO VERY overwhelmed, but I'm lucky because our vet and his staff are AWSOME and helped me so much. It took some time and more than a few tears, but it got better and so much easier for all of us. The first thing I'd say is if you don't like or trust you vet implicitly, find a new one, because they're going to be your BF for quite a while. Goof is pretty well regulated now, we're optimistic that he'll even go into remission one day..... He still walks kind of funny, his back end is a little wobbly, but he's playing much like his old self now.
 
Editing your Signature

In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

Click on your ID.

On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name,
cat's name,
date of Dx (diagnosis)
insulin
meter
any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.
 
Sounds mor neurological to me...as if your cat has had a stroke. All the behaviod you have sited speaks to that end. Has your vet considered evaluating your cat for a stroke? It might help to understand his mobility and cognitive behavior. Good luck from Jane and Stewey
 
Any time you see unusual behavior, check his glucose. Some of those symptoms could indicate hypoglycemia, which can be fatal if untreated.
 
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