Newly Diagnosed

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Willow&Debs

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Hi everyone,

Just wanted to introduce ourselves! :smile: My name is Debs and my 8 year old tabby, Willow, has been diagnosed this morning with diabetes. She had the classic symptoms and although the vet was fairly convinced of the diagnosis from the blood test, we had the fun of trying to get a urine sample for confirmation!

I have to go along to my vets on Friday for more information and to be shown injection technique and no doubt I'll be back here to ask some questions and get some support once I know where we stand.

We're a multi-cat household (there are 6 furballs in residence) and although we've dealt with dental problems, cystitis and minor ailments, the only experience I have of long-term illness comes from taking care of Hartley. He was diagnosed with possible epilepsy towards the end of his life and we had to give him tablets every day - sadly, when this didn't work, it was decided that the diagnosis was more likely to be a brain tumour and as the seizures were not being controlled, we made the decision to let him go. He was a deaf, one eared rescue cat who loved to be cuddled, to the point where failure to cuddle would get you swiped and he was also Willow's best friend.

Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Debs
 
Hello Debs and Willow.

I have to pop off to work, but I wanted to welcome you to the best place you never wanted to be.

As you are waiting for the flood of responses that you surely will get, you may want to read the FAQ.
 
1st, get a home glucometer and learn to do the testing. It isn't that bad. You do not a special meter - something like the WalMart ReliOn works just fine, the strips are available when you need to get them, and the cat isn't stressed by having to go to the vet for testing.

2nd ,start looking at food changes (says the gal who was up until 0'dark hundred testing and monitoring for a hypoglycemic episode) to adjust the diet to canned low carbohydrate. No, you do not need the prescription stuff - it is higher in carbohydrate than some over the counter foods!

Once you start adjusting the food to a low carb diet, you may see the blood glucose (BG) go down dramatically.
 
Deb this is the best place for your new Dx kitty.I came here in May and Trey my diabetic kitty only was on insulin for two months.He is now off insulin He was on Lantus a 12 hour insulin and works great for cats. Read the stickies a lot of info there and any question put Advice in your subject line you will get so much help here. Yes by all means do hometesting that is the way to take control of your kitty`s health. Getting her off dry food is another important step. You may only have to do diet change. Welcome to the best place for diabetis cats. You are in the best hands ever. Sending Healing green vibes to help you kitty get better and she will . Kath and remember to Breath all will be ok
 
I am also at work, but I have just two things to say that are IMPORTANT.

1. Home testing. - By your testing Willow before each insulin shot, you may save her life.

2. Food. - By switching Willow to only wet low carb food, you may well be able to have a diet controlled cat.

The info that others will want to know is the following:
1. What insulin did your vet say to give.
2. What starting dose did your vet say to use.
3. What were the test results that indicated diabetes.
4. What were your vet's instructions for how to continue treatment.

There will be lots more questions, and you will feel overwhelmed with all the info you receive, but don't worry - you are in the very best place for the best advice to get Willow healthy again.
 
Welcome! If it helps, we were all bewildered and scared when we first came here. But knowledge is power and there are lots of resources here.

This site written by a vet explains why we are so convinced wet lo carb food is imperative: http:www.cat info.org and here is a video that shows how we home test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8

Ask lots of questions and do lots of reading. We are ready to help!
 
Welcome Debs and Willow,

You have found the best place to help you help Willow. Everyone here either has or has had a diabetic kitty, and there is literally years and years of experience of treating these extra sweet babies.

Like others 2 of the best things you can do for Willow and the rest of the fuzzy butts in the house is to switch to a low carb,high protein diet. And the absolutely most important is learning to home test.

This is a very easy disease to manage and treat, but in the beginning it is just down right scary and bewildering. But take it in baby steps, remember to breathe, and post tons of questions. We are all here to help, most of us are payig it forward for the help that we recieve when we too came here scared out of our minds.

Like you, my house is a multicat house hold, total of 11 kitties and 1 drooler that thinks he is a kitty. Everyone here eats exactly the same thing as my FD kitty Max. I like so many I fed my cats for years and years dry cat food. Then my girl Muse was dxed with Diabetes and we switched the whole house over to the wet food. Everyone of my cats have improved with the diet switch alone. They are just plain happier, healthier and more beautiful. Their coats shine like I have oiled them, they are just that sleek now.

Don't let the idea of switching everyone scare you, it did me, because I thought it would be so much more expensive to feed wet to 11 cats, but in reality it is costing me about the same in food, and way less in vet bills. Since wet food has less fillers in it that dry my cats eat less of it.

Just so you know this is entirely doable. We will walk you through every step along the way.

Again Welcome to the FDMB family, I'm looking forward to getting to know more about you and your dear Willow.

Mel
 
there is a link for 'newbie kits' if you need it. look at the bottom of my post.
it will provide all you need to start testing..possibly other things as well if you make mention of it, ketostix, syringes.
all you need to do is pay postage and if possible a donation.
your kit gets sent out within 24 hours of ordering.
 
Hi everyone,

Thank you all for your advice. I'm sorry I haven't been back to thank you sooner but I lost my (human) best friend in October and I've been a little rocky ever since.

Willow is doing well. She started off on 2 units of Caninsulin twice a day and tolerated the jabs well. We had to take her for a all-day glucose testing last month and they found that her levels were not dropping as low as they would like (she started off at 21.something and it only came down to 19 by mid-day) so they have increased her dosage to 3 units twice a day.

Pleased to say that her coat is now shiny again and she has resumed swiping me every time I walk past her - so I think she's feeling a little better! The next thing to tackle is her mouth. She needs a dental but the vet wanted to get the diabetes sorted first. Does anyone have any experience of caring for diabetic cats after an anaesthetic?
 
Glad she is looking better. Many cats are diabetic and had bad teeth. There is definitely a correlation; often when the teeth are fixed, the diabetes improve. Vets often want to wait until the kitty is regulated.

And that is much more likely to happen if you make two changes.

Canninsulin or Vetsulin has quality control problems and its use has been discouraged by many vets and the company. Here is info on the insulin: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=311 Even without the issues, it is a harsher insulin that hits fast and doesn't last the full 12 hours that the milder insulins do. Very few people here use it; most use PZI, Lantus or Levemir.

If you hometest, you are more likely to be able to regulate. Kitties are stressed at the vet with the strange noises, sounds and people. Stress raises bg levels and doses based on those levels may be too high. We figure we wouldn't take a dose from a doctor for our children and then go home and blindly give it for weeks without testing their blood sugars. We do the same for our 2 legged children.

You started at a higher dose that we suggest (maybe because of stress induced numbers at the vet). If you start high, you may be over the ideal dose and the kitty can be in rebound: Rebound We figure we wouldn't take a dose from a doctor for our children and then go home and blindly give it for weeks without testing their blood sugars. We do the same for our 4 legged children.

We can teach you to hometest over the internet; we have taught hundreds of people. Check out this site for beginning info: Newbie hometesting site and this video: Video for hometesting There also might be a member who lives near you that could come help the first time. If you want help, post your city and state.

We'd love to help you help Willow.
 
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