paul
Member Since 2014
Hi all,
So a bit of background info about my cat who has been newly diagnosed with diabetes.
A month ago my 14 year old cat, Julius, started getting conjunctivitis in one of his eyes which he has suffered from his whole life and normally passes in two days but this one lingered for a week so I called the vet in to check his eye. At the same time I had started suspecting he may have diabetes because he was eating up to 5 cans of food (Fancy Feast) a day and drinking bowls of water (he weights just over 5kg). The vet did a blood and urine test and confirmed he had diabetes and also prescribed ointment for the bad eye.
The vet immediately told me to start giving him 2 and a half mls of Lantus and to change his food to a vet prescribed low carb diet immediately. This was a huge shock to me that I would have to start insulin right away and stop all his favourite foods to a brand only sold at a vets which I was told was quite 'bland' tasting.
The vet taught me how to do the insulin shots but after reading a lot online I refused to give him 2 and half mls as I thought that was a lot from what other people had started their cats on. However I have since learnt that the syringe sizes in Australia are different than the UK and US so it may not be as much as it sounds. Even though I started him on only 1 and half mls of lantus.
10 mins after the shot Julius immediately curled himself in a ball and started thumping his tail like he was really angry and annoyed. Then he ran towards one of the bedrooms and was preparing to squeeze himself under the bed to hide. I could tell something was wrong so I picked him up and reassured him for a while and when I put him down he ran to the pantry cupboard in kitchen and starting scratching at the doors wildly. I opened the pantry cupboard and he jumped in and curled himself in a corner and just hung his head down. This is totally unheard of behaviour from him.
Naturally having just learnt about diabetes a few hours earlier and having basic knowledge about feline diabetes I assumed he was having a hypo because I could tell something was wrong. I called the vet and he said don't worry about it and that I was watching him too closely. I was NOT reassured. Still I gave my cat some sweet cane sugar and watched him. After several hours and much worrying from me he came out of the cupboard and ate some food and seemed ok.
I had calmed myself and thought it was just a one off reaction so 12 hours later I gave him another shot and the same behaviour again. He just became very restless and almost acted like he didn't know where to run and hide. I called the vet and he said it can't be a hypo because that would happen an hour after the injection and that my cat must just not be liking the injection.
OK so I thought I will try once more 12 hours later and just sit with Julius for as long as I needed.
I did another shot 12 hours later and sat with him and boy did he became an angry cat about 15 minutes after his lantus injection. This is a cat I've had for 14 years and is the gentlest cat anyone has ever met. For me to see him angry and agitated is behaviour that I had never seen until these injections.
Anyway I called the vet and I told him that I was stopping his lantus injections until my cats conjunctivitis had cleared up because I felt like too much was happening to my Julius. He was getting new food which he didn't like much, lantus injections and ointment squeezed into one of his eyes. I thought it was all too much and I decided I would deal with one thing at a time and my priority was to get his eye better.
Once I stopped the lantus he was a happy cat again without the injections. Then one morning I went to put ointment in his eye and I saw the eye had a thick white substance growing over it so I immediately got a specialist involved who looked at the eye and found an ulcer which Julius had apparently scratched and the white growth was only a scab healing over it so I was prescribed some eye drops 6 times a day.
I thought it was a good time to get a second opinion on my cats diabetes. So with a second vet we did a glucose curve over 12 hours which was three tests 4 hours apart. His results were, 17.3, 17.6 and 15.4 - if that means anything to anyone, the numbers may be different here in Aus. I told the vet that this was my second opinion and she confirmed those results meant diabetes and to start the lantus I already had in the fridge but on a smaller dose since I had explained my cats previous reaction and I wasn't comfortable with a larger dose.
So two days ago I prepared myself to start the insulin again but on an even lower dose, only one ml. Within 15 minutes he started getting really angry and wanted to hide so I reassured him and again he went straight for the pantry cupboard and hid right in the darkest back corner and hung his head down and shut his eyes. I tried to give him his absolute favourite treat to eat and he wasn't interested so I gave him some sugary stuff which he ate then his tongue was just hanging out and his head was side ways which literally started giving me a heart attack and I just sat with him and watched him closely but he still hid in there for hours. The injection was at 7pm and he finally came out of hiding after midnight.
I must also mention that all these lantus shots were given straight after eating a full bowl of food and 12 hours apart. And I will also mention that both vets had checked my technique about how I was administering the injections and it was correct.
Its obvious these insulin shots are affecting his behaviour.
My question is has anyone else heard about or seen this sort of behaviour in their own cats or other cats after a lantus injection??
I called the second vet and told her about his reaction after the first shot and she said it can't be a hypo because that would happen several hours after an injection. I told her the first vet said a hypo would happen after an hour. Its all very confusing. I have stopped his insulin and needless to say he is once again happy (his eye ulcer scab is almost better btw).
He is having the second vet visit again in a few days and she wants me to give him an injection of lantus while she is there and then she will immediately check his glucose level to reassure me he isn't have a hypo and she suspects its a 'behavioural problem'. To me its strange that a cat I've loved for 14 years suddenly has behavioural problems only when he is given an injection on insulin.
I can not find any other people online that have mentioned this sort of behaviour from their cat after insulin. And the only thing I can think of is it is mild hypo because he gets angry and restless and just wants to hide for hours after an injection. I should also mention that naturally when he has been hiding after the injection I constantly check on him and his legs just twitch and twitch. And its not the twitching from dreaming either as his eyes are open and glassy and his limbs just twitch like crazy. I've told all of this to both vets but I keep being told its not a hypo and I am either watching him too closely or its a behavioural problem. I respect both these vets opinions but at the same time I have known for 14 years every sound, movement, motion and habit that my cat does and I know when something is not right with him.
I have also told the second vet I want another complete blood and urine test done again to double check for diabetes. Although he has all the symptoms I just want it all done again.
Any advice from anyone about reactions to lantus and if this behaviour is normal when a cat starts insulin would be greatly appreciated. Its all very bewildering and I'm ready to take on the commitment to take care of him but something just doesn't feel right about these injections I'm giving him.
I also emailed my vet today and asked about giving Julius just a blank injection (no insulin or air) to test whether it is simply the injection that is annoying him but I haven't heard back from the vet yet.
I would also like to know if other diabetic cat owners out there feed their cat Fancy Feast? Both vets have told me to stop feeding him that and give him a brand called M/D which is sold only in Australia at vet clinics and is low carb and high protein but I have compared the protein/carb values in the M/D brand to the Fancy Feast and FF actually has quite a few options that have less carbs than the M/D brand and higher protein, so once again I'm confused and would like to know if FF is ok to keep giving to him.
I thank everyone on here for all your advice, in two weeks I have learnt so much about feline diabetes.
So a bit of background info about my cat who has been newly diagnosed with diabetes.
A month ago my 14 year old cat, Julius, started getting conjunctivitis in one of his eyes which he has suffered from his whole life and normally passes in two days but this one lingered for a week so I called the vet in to check his eye. At the same time I had started suspecting he may have diabetes because he was eating up to 5 cans of food (Fancy Feast) a day and drinking bowls of water (he weights just over 5kg). The vet did a blood and urine test and confirmed he had diabetes and also prescribed ointment for the bad eye.
The vet immediately told me to start giving him 2 and a half mls of Lantus and to change his food to a vet prescribed low carb diet immediately. This was a huge shock to me that I would have to start insulin right away and stop all his favourite foods to a brand only sold at a vets which I was told was quite 'bland' tasting.
The vet taught me how to do the insulin shots but after reading a lot online I refused to give him 2 and half mls as I thought that was a lot from what other people had started their cats on. However I have since learnt that the syringe sizes in Australia are different than the UK and US so it may not be as much as it sounds. Even though I started him on only 1 and half mls of lantus.
10 mins after the shot Julius immediately curled himself in a ball and started thumping his tail like he was really angry and annoyed. Then he ran towards one of the bedrooms and was preparing to squeeze himself under the bed to hide. I could tell something was wrong so I picked him up and reassured him for a while and when I put him down he ran to the pantry cupboard in kitchen and starting scratching at the doors wildly. I opened the pantry cupboard and he jumped in and curled himself in a corner and just hung his head down. This is totally unheard of behaviour from him.
Naturally having just learnt about diabetes a few hours earlier and having basic knowledge about feline diabetes I assumed he was having a hypo because I could tell something was wrong. I called the vet and he said don't worry about it and that I was watching him too closely. I was NOT reassured. Still I gave my cat some sweet cane sugar and watched him. After several hours and much worrying from me he came out of the cupboard and ate some food and seemed ok.
I had calmed myself and thought it was just a one off reaction so 12 hours later I gave him another shot and the same behaviour again. He just became very restless and almost acted like he didn't know where to run and hide. I called the vet and he said it can't be a hypo because that would happen an hour after the injection and that my cat must just not be liking the injection.
OK so I thought I will try once more 12 hours later and just sit with Julius for as long as I needed.
I did another shot 12 hours later and sat with him and boy did he became an angry cat about 15 minutes after his lantus injection. This is a cat I've had for 14 years and is the gentlest cat anyone has ever met. For me to see him angry and agitated is behaviour that I had never seen until these injections.
Anyway I called the vet and I told him that I was stopping his lantus injections until my cats conjunctivitis had cleared up because I felt like too much was happening to my Julius. He was getting new food which he didn't like much, lantus injections and ointment squeezed into one of his eyes. I thought it was all too much and I decided I would deal with one thing at a time and my priority was to get his eye better.
Once I stopped the lantus he was a happy cat again without the injections. Then one morning I went to put ointment in his eye and I saw the eye had a thick white substance growing over it so I immediately got a specialist involved who looked at the eye and found an ulcer which Julius had apparently scratched and the white growth was only a scab healing over it so I was prescribed some eye drops 6 times a day.
I thought it was a good time to get a second opinion on my cats diabetes. So with a second vet we did a glucose curve over 12 hours which was three tests 4 hours apart. His results were, 17.3, 17.6 and 15.4 - if that means anything to anyone, the numbers may be different here in Aus. I told the vet that this was my second opinion and she confirmed those results meant diabetes and to start the lantus I already had in the fridge but on a smaller dose since I had explained my cats previous reaction and I wasn't comfortable with a larger dose.
So two days ago I prepared myself to start the insulin again but on an even lower dose, only one ml. Within 15 minutes he started getting really angry and wanted to hide so I reassured him and again he went straight for the pantry cupboard and hid right in the darkest back corner and hung his head down and shut his eyes. I tried to give him his absolute favourite treat to eat and he wasn't interested so I gave him some sugary stuff which he ate then his tongue was just hanging out and his head was side ways which literally started giving me a heart attack and I just sat with him and watched him closely but he still hid in there for hours. The injection was at 7pm and he finally came out of hiding after midnight.
I must also mention that all these lantus shots were given straight after eating a full bowl of food and 12 hours apart. And I will also mention that both vets had checked my technique about how I was administering the injections and it was correct.
Its obvious these insulin shots are affecting his behaviour.
My question is has anyone else heard about or seen this sort of behaviour in their own cats or other cats after a lantus injection??
I called the second vet and told her about his reaction after the first shot and she said it can't be a hypo because that would happen several hours after an injection. I told her the first vet said a hypo would happen after an hour. Its all very confusing. I have stopped his insulin and needless to say he is once again happy (his eye ulcer scab is almost better btw).
He is having the second vet visit again in a few days and she wants me to give him an injection of lantus while she is there and then she will immediately check his glucose level to reassure me he isn't have a hypo and she suspects its a 'behavioural problem'. To me its strange that a cat I've loved for 14 years suddenly has behavioural problems only when he is given an injection on insulin.
I can not find any other people online that have mentioned this sort of behaviour from their cat after insulin. And the only thing I can think of is it is mild hypo because he gets angry and restless and just wants to hide for hours after an injection. I should also mention that naturally when he has been hiding after the injection I constantly check on him and his legs just twitch and twitch. And its not the twitching from dreaming either as his eyes are open and glassy and his limbs just twitch like crazy. I've told all of this to both vets but I keep being told its not a hypo and I am either watching him too closely or its a behavioural problem. I respect both these vets opinions but at the same time I have known for 14 years every sound, movement, motion and habit that my cat does and I know when something is not right with him.
I have also told the second vet I want another complete blood and urine test done again to double check for diabetes. Although he has all the symptoms I just want it all done again.
Any advice from anyone about reactions to lantus and if this behaviour is normal when a cat starts insulin would be greatly appreciated. Its all very bewildering and I'm ready to take on the commitment to take care of him but something just doesn't feel right about these injections I'm giving him.
I also emailed my vet today and asked about giving Julius just a blank injection (no insulin or air) to test whether it is simply the injection that is annoying him but I haven't heard back from the vet yet.
I would also like to know if other diabetic cat owners out there feed their cat Fancy Feast? Both vets have told me to stop feeding him that and give him a brand called M/D which is sold only in Australia at vet clinics and is low carb and high protein but I have compared the protein/carb values in the M/D brand to the Fancy Feast and FF actually has quite a few options that have less carbs than the M/D brand and higher protein, so once again I'm confused and would like to know if FF is ok to keep giving to him.
I thank everyone on here for all your advice, in two weeks I have learnt so much about feline diabetes.
