Hello all! First I’d like to thank everyone for their help to date. I have posted this question in the feline diabetes group on Facebook AND on the Message boards so i Apologize if you see in duplicate. The more input the better IMO.
My 18lb male Nimbus was Dx DM on 4/19 with a glucose of 359 (not sure how much of this could’ve been stress induced due to his being fractious) and positive ketones in his dipstick at the vet. His symptoms included frequent malodorous urination, increased thirst, and increased grazing on his kibble. He also just looked “off” in his eyes... a mother knows lol.
Being a RN for the human Population, I recognized these symptoms and scheduled a vet visit. My poor guy is a maniac and fractious at the vet. We tried 300mg gabapentin previsit with no effect. The second he smelled that fresh vet smell the hisses and batting started. Long story short, they used a reversible sedation in office to examine him. In addition to the DM Dx he was noted to have bacteria in his urine and started on 125mg clavamox twice a day x 7 days.
Nimbus has been getting 1/4 can wet friskies in gravy AM and PM and free range on his kibble which I have since started weaning Him off of.
He was started on 1U prozinc Every 12 hours. (He’s 18lbs if it matters). I haven’t gotten my meter yet to start checking his sugars. It arrives mid next week and I am
Hoping he will allow it because I completely think it is necessary to have a pre shot value to avoid a hypo event. When I asked about this at the vet they sort of shooed it off as unnecessary. That felt weird because as someone on this board asked me... would you give insulin to a patient not knowing their baseline? And the answer is absolutely friggen not. I never ever would. So why should it be any different with my fur child? sorry... I am really upset that I wasn’t properly educated at the vet and my
Stress about the entire situation didn’t have me challenge what they were saying. The whole visit was less than typical due to the current Covid situation In nyc. No humans are permitted to go in for the visits. All of our chats and transactions took place outside of the office and the only folks I chatted with were techs. Now as a nurse, I’m ok with that cuz I know you don’t have to have a dvm to be educated enough to speak with a patient but I really feel like they dropped the ball! I am
So thankful for this forum and all of the research I have done. Yesterday I spent 6 hours on these message boards Studying all the necessary info to successfully help my little boy and I can’t thank you all enough for making your knowledge available.
That said, I’d like to ask opinions on attempting a diet change first prior to implementing insulin. Now, I have already started his insulin because I panicked and didn’t think this through but I know in the human population you can start and stop with diet changes etc. I’d like to wean him off of the kibble totally, start him on his low carb pate wet meals, and see what effect it has on his sugars without the insulin. My plan was to attempt this for a full week after
I get the glucometer. Of course if I don’t see a reduction overall in his numbers I’d then add in the insulin and take it from there.
Please weigh in with any thoughts, advice or info based on experience if possible.
Again thank you so much for all of you being so generous with your time and advice. I feel like this board and its members deserve the hundreds of dollars I paid the stupid vet a lot more than they do. You’re all so appreciated.
My 18lb male Nimbus was Dx DM on 4/19 with a glucose of 359 (not sure how much of this could’ve been stress induced due to his being fractious) and positive ketones in his dipstick at the vet. His symptoms included frequent malodorous urination, increased thirst, and increased grazing on his kibble. He also just looked “off” in his eyes... a mother knows lol.
Being a RN for the human Population, I recognized these symptoms and scheduled a vet visit. My poor guy is a maniac and fractious at the vet. We tried 300mg gabapentin previsit with no effect. The second he smelled that fresh vet smell the hisses and batting started. Long story short, they used a reversible sedation in office to examine him. In addition to the DM Dx he was noted to have bacteria in his urine and started on 125mg clavamox twice a day x 7 days.
Nimbus has been getting 1/4 can wet friskies in gravy AM and PM and free range on his kibble which I have since started weaning Him off of.
He was started on 1U prozinc Every 12 hours. (He’s 18lbs if it matters). I haven’t gotten my meter yet to start checking his sugars. It arrives mid next week and I am
Hoping he will allow it because I completely think it is necessary to have a pre shot value to avoid a hypo event. When I asked about this at the vet they sort of shooed it off as unnecessary. That felt weird because as someone on this board asked me... would you give insulin to a patient not knowing their baseline? And the answer is absolutely friggen not. I never ever would. So why should it be any different with my fur child? sorry... I am really upset that I wasn’t properly educated at the vet and my
Stress about the entire situation didn’t have me challenge what they were saying. The whole visit was less than typical due to the current Covid situation In nyc. No humans are permitted to go in for the visits. All of our chats and transactions took place outside of the office and the only folks I chatted with were techs. Now as a nurse, I’m ok with that cuz I know you don’t have to have a dvm to be educated enough to speak with a patient but I really feel like they dropped the ball! I am
So thankful for this forum and all of the research I have done. Yesterday I spent 6 hours on these message boards Studying all the necessary info to successfully help my little boy and I can’t thank you all enough for making your knowledge available.
That said, I’d like to ask opinions on attempting a diet change first prior to implementing insulin. Now, I have already started his insulin because I panicked and didn’t think this through but I know in the human population you can start and stop with diet changes etc. I’d like to wean him off of the kibble totally, start him on his low carb pate wet meals, and see what effect it has on his sugars without the insulin. My plan was to attempt this for a full week after
I get the glucometer. Of course if I don’t see a reduction overall in his numbers I’d then add in the insulin and take it from there.
Please weigh in with any thoughts, advice or info based on experience if possible.
Again thank you so much for all of you being so generous with your time and advice. I feel like this board and its members deserve the hundreds of dollars I paid the stupid vet a lot more than they do. You’re all so appreciated.
