Newly Diagnosed

A

azuremoon_cat mom

Member Since 2026
I am a cat mom to newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus for my 8 yr boy, Luka. He spent two days this weekend in the vet ICU to get it under control. I am terrified. Is this something that is going to stress me out with each check of his levels? Reassurance would be amazing.
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Welcome to you and Luka to FDMB
All of us have been in your shoes, stressed, overwhelmed, inadequate, can we do this? and the answer is YES YOU CAN!, Feline diabetes is manageable, with the right Insulin, dose, diet, food schedule, home testing and lots of love
1- The best insulins for cats are Lantus and ProZinc they are a 12-hour insulin gentle on the cats system, the dose should be a low dose to start, all cats are different and you want to know how your cat reacts to the dose given
2- A diabetic cat needs to have a diet of wet can or raw food between 0-10% carbs, most members use Fancy Feast Pates or Friskies Pates between 0-10% carbs most feed up to 5%, so kibbles (dry foods, "prescribed or Diabetic foods", grazing) are not a good idea they contain between 20-30% carbs cats cannot digest carbs
3- A feeding schedule is a good idea, you want to feed two main meals before each shot and 3-4 small meals or snacks between the day to keep the insulin in check, if you will be away during the day, a wet food feeder is a good idea, some have chips and cameras
4-Home testing is very important when you give insulin, you want to make sure of your cats' glucose level before each shot to avoid hypoglycemia, as well as testing 3-4 times during the day, most members use a human monitor, such as the ReliON Premier meter and strips (Walmart) you do not need an expensive pet meter. there's also the option of CGM, the LIBRE by ABBOTT, continuous testing via sensor
We are here for you, we are also very numbers oriented, we would like you to create your signature, this way we get to know more about Luke, and his spreadsheet, this way we can all be on the same page, links below. Also a Drs approved food list the third column contains the carb %, There are sticky notes in our Main menu with much valuable information. Keep posting your concerns 🤗


Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
 
CORKY said:
Welcome to you and Luka to FDMB
All of us have been in your shoes, stressed, overwhelmed, inadequate, can we do this? and the answer is YES YOU CAN!, Feline diabetes is manageable, with the right Insulin, dose, diet, food schedule, home testing and lots of love
1- The best insulins for cats are Lantus and ProZinc they are a 12-hour insulin gentle on the cats system, the dose should be a low dose to start, all cats are different and you want to know how your cat reacts to the dose given
2- A diabetic cat needs to have a diet of wet can or raw food between 0-10% carbs, most members use Fancy Feast Pates or Friskies Pates between 0-10% carbs most feed up to 5%, so kibbles (dry foods, "prescribed or Diabetic foods", grazing) are not a good idea they contain between 20-30% carbs cats cannot digest carbs
3- A feeding schedule is a good idea, you want to feed two main meals before each shot and 3-4 small meals or snacks between the day to keep the insulin in check, if you will be away during the day, a wet food feeder is a good idea, some have chips and cameras
4-Home testing is very important when you give insulin, you want to make sure of your cats' glucose level before each shot to avoid hypoglycemia, as well as testing 3-4 times during the day, most members use a human monitor, such as the ReliON Premier meter and strips (Walmart) you do not need an expensive pet meter. there's also the option of CGM, the LIBRE by ABBOTT, continuous testing via sensor
We are here for you, we are also very numbers oriented, we would like you to create your signature, this way we get to know more about Luke, and his spreadsheet, this way we can all be on the same page, links below. Also a Drs approved food list the third column contains the carb %, There are sticky notes in our Main menu with much valuable information. Keep posting your concerns 🤗


Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
Click to expand...
Thank you so much!!!
 
Hospitalization can never get blood glucose level under control. The only time a new diabetic would need hospitalization is if the cat is in diabetic ketoacidosis or has other complications.

Regulation happens at home with daily blood glucose testing and the right diet. Did the vet prescribe insulin yet? The two best choices for cats are ProZinc and Lantus (aka glargine). The new oral medicines (Bexacat and Senvelgo) have mixed results. Not many people here on FDMB use it or have good results using it.

Learning how to test daily is the hard part for most newbies. Everyone was once in your shoes. The key is to have patience and reward your cat with low carb treats (freeze dried treats like PureBites are best) even if a poke isn't successful. There are testing tips here: Hometesting Links and Tips

Any Human blood glucose meter works fine. A basic no frills meter is all you need.

Some people choose to use a CGM that sticks onto the cat's skin. Some cons: the meter only lasts for 2 weeks, it can fall off or malfunction, a replacement meter is expensive and you'll need to keep a few spares on hand to replace it yourself.

Newly Diagnosed - Felinediabetes.com
 
CORKY said:
What insulin were you given for Luka and what dose? What are you feeding? Home testing
Click to expand...

CORKY said:
What insulin were you given for Luka and what dose? What are you feeding? Home testing?
Click to expand...
We are feeding him the Royal Canin Glycobalance. The insulin is Vetsulin and dose is 1.5ml. We got a hike glucose meter as well. The Relion Classic. His levels have all be in the 300s since we got him home Sunday afternoon. He didn't eat much today which is making me nervous. I still haven't seen him drink any water either.
 
Vetsulin isn't a good choice to use. Ask the vet about ProZinc or Lantus (glargine).

The dose is not 1.5 ml. That would be a massive overdose for a cat. Insulin is measured in units. Your dose is (hopefully) 1.5 units which is a somewhat bigger dose this board recommends most newbies start with.

You don't need the prescription food even if the vet insists on it. There's nothing in the food that helps a diabetic. Low carb canned foods are best. There are many commercially available brands you can feed: Fancy Feast, Friskies, Weruva, etc. The food charts are here: Links to FOOD CHARTS Anything under 10% carbs is good for a diabetic.
 
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