Newly diagnosed :(

F

fghtffyrdmms

Member Since 2026
Hello! Just found you guys here. I wanted to say I’m grateful that I did and also introduce myself, I’m Melissa. Our poor baby, Zorro, was just diagnosed. He’s not even 6 yet. Already has ketones in his urine so Lantus is our only option. Which, I guess, took some stress of making the right choice away. All the research was keeping me up at night. He’s so skinny and drinking so much… a bottomless pit with food. We’re picking up his medicine today so, I’m both eager to start it so he starts to feel better but scared to put him through this. He’s not gonna be a happy camper and it’s gonna make me cry 😿 I feel so bad; I wish I could communicate to him what’s going on and to hang in there, he’ll feel better soon! And I’m type 1 diabetic so I literally know how he’s feeling. I’m terrified it’ll be too much insulin and he’s going to go low. We’re probably gonna get a CGM to monitor him. Ughh. Our other cat has a rare eosinophil disease the vet has only seen one other time in 25 years, there’s hardly any literature on it, she’s doing very well after her emergency surgery last February and weaning her off prednisolone currently. She’s not even 6 yet either. They’re one litter apart from the same mom … I guess bad genes? 😅 Not sure what else to say I’m just rambling now.
Here’s a picture of our handsome boy:

IMG_7078.jpeg
 
Welcome to FDMB
I have to say that Zorro is Adorable, and no, you are not rambling, it is overwhelming, all of us have been there but you have a head start, you are familiar with diabetes, FD is exactly the same and is manageable, You have been prescribed a good insulin, Lantus and Prozinc they are a 12-hour insulin and easy on the cat, also the right diet is very important, diabetic cats need to have a diet of wet can or raw foods between 0-10% carbs, most members use Fancy Feast Pates between 0-10% most feed up to 5% carbs, several meals during the day, a feeding schedule and home testing is very important especially before each shot, using CGM, is good, as well as a human monitor, which I am sure you use, this comes in handy, since the Libre tends to read low number lower, you can retest manually to be on the safe side. We are here to help you in this journey by addressing your concerns and dosing advice, since Zorro has Ketones, you should purchase a ketone kit (Walmart), Corky has never had Ketones, but I do know that food is very important, so let him eat all he wants, I will tag a couple of members that can answer your concerns, ketones, dosing etc. We are very numbers oriented, so to be able to be on the same page we would like you to create your signature and Zoro's Spreadsheet, links below, In our Main Forum there are sticky notes with much valuable information 🤗

Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
Info - Ketones, Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), and Blood Ketone Meters
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
 
The good news is that you already have an understanding of diabetes. Type 2, which is what most cats are, is easier than Type 1. Regardless, you know about carbs and the importance of diet. You know how to use a syringe. Hopefully, you know how to use a glucometer. The CGMs are good but they tend to give a false low reading if numbers are around 100 or lower. Most of our members whose cats have a CGM will also use a glucometer if their cat is in lower range numbers.

The other thing to know is that Zorro will catch on that even though you're poking him, he'll be starting to feel better. All of this will become routine for both of you. The one thing that will help smooth out this change in lifestyle is treats! Most of our members feed their cat a freeze dried protein treat (e.g., chicken). But honestly, if Zorro regards being brushed as a treat, that's fine. (Of course, we've had cats that prefer shrimp but that gets expensive!!)

The link in Maria's post above on how you can help us help you, has a great deal of basic information. It will provide instructions on setting up your signature and a spreadsheet. The signature tells us about Zorro's age, when he was diagnosed, the insulin you're using, etc. so we don't bother you by asking the same questions. A spreadsheet will allow you to track Zorro's progress and we can follow along and provide feedback.

If you want to do more reading about Lantus, there are several sticky notes at the top of the Lantus forum page. They describe how Lantus works, the dosing methods we use, along with a wealth of other information

Please let us know how we can help.
 
CORKY said:
Welcome to FDMB
I have to say that Zorro is Adorable, and no, you are not rambling, it is overwhelming, all of us have been there but you have a head start, you are familiar with diabetes, FD is exactly the same and is manageable, You have been prescribed a good insulin, Lantus and Prozinc they are a 12-hour insulin and easy on the cat, also the right diet is very important, diabetic cats need to have a diet of wet can or raw foods between 0-10% carbs, most members use Fancy Feast Pates between 0-10% most feed up to 5% carbs, several meals during the day, a feeding schedule and home testing is very important especially before each shot, using CGM, is good, as well as a human monitor, which I am sure you use, this comes in handy, since the Libre tends to read low number lower, you can retest manually to be on the safe side. We are here to help you in this journey by addressing your concerns and dosing advice, since Zorro has Ketones, you should purchase a ketone kit (Walmart), Corky has never had Ketones, but I do know that food is very important, so let him eat all he wants, I will tag a couple of members that can answer your concerns, ketones, dosing etc. We are very numbers oriented, so to be able to be on the same page we would like you to create your signature and Zoro's Spreadsheet, links below, In our Main Forum there are sticky notes with much valuable information 🤗

Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
Info - Ketones, Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), and Blood Ketone Meters
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! ❤️ We begin tonight, finally! My husband and I will look at the spreadsheet and see how that works 😊
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
The good news is that you already have an understanding of diabetes. Type 2, which is what most cats are, is easier than Type 1. Regardless, you know about carbs and the importance of diet. You know how to use a syringe. Hopefully, you know how to use a glucometer. The CGMs are good but they tend to give a false low reading if numbers are around 100 or lower. Most of our members whose cats have a CGM will also use a glucometer if their cat is in lower range numbers.

The other thing to know is that Zorro will catch on that even though you're poking him, he'll be starting to feel better. All of this will become routine for both of you. The one thing that will help smooth out this change in lifestyle is treats! Most of our members feed their cat a freeze dried protein treat (e.g., chicken). But honestly, if Zorro regards being brushed as a treat, that's fine. (Of course, we've had cats that prefer shrimp but that gets expensive!!)

The link in Maria's post above on how you can help us help you, has a great deal of basic information. It will provide instructions on setting up your signature and a spreadsheet. The signature tells us about Zorro's age, when he was diagnosed, the insulin you're using, etc. so we don't bother you by asking the same questions. A spreadsheet will allow you to track Zorro's progress and we can follow along and provide feedback.

If you want to do more reading about Lantus, there are several sticky notes at the top of the Lantus forum page. They describe how Lantus works, the dosing methods we use, along with a wealth of other information

Please let us know how we can help.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. You guys are so welcoming 😊 definitely overwhelmed but knowing we have the support is comforting. I’ll figure out the signature and spreadsheet when I get to my PC that’ll probably be easier lol. Thank you again! ❤️
 
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