Not diagnosed yet but curious if my cat could have diabetes

[Sandra K]

Lulu stopped eating early January. Started vomiting. Began losing weight. Always drank plenty of water. Stayed hanging over the water bowl. Peeing inside the litter box, alot of times outside the box, then other times I would put her in the box to pee. Liver enzymes slightly elevated from first bloodwork. Shes eaten dry food all her life. My vet said "no good." He finally placed an E-tube for feeding and hydration. Been feeding Critical Nutrition diet. Doing well but still not eating on her on. Still drinking though. On pred, ax, cerenia and pepcid. Any thoughts?

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Has she been tested for diabetes? Has she had the e-tube since early January?

 

[Sean & Rufus]

I might be in the minority, but if any of my cats ever went on pred (which won't happen), they'd be getting their BG checked weekly if not daily if they weren't diabetic to make sure they don't become diabetic.

 

[Sean & Rufus]

Oh, and cerenia did nothing for my guy. We are on ondansetron now, and works pretty good for appetite.

 

[JanetNJ]

Sounds like it could also be pancratitis.


Vet can easily check ketones and blood glucose.

 

[Sandra K]

Has she been tested for diabetes? Has she had the e-tube since early January?

E-tube was placed early last week. They've done bloodwork and never mentioned sugars or anything. I am boarding her next week because I'm having surgery and I'm going to mention it to the vet. They've never mentioned it as a being a possibility.

 

[Sarah Smith]

I might be in the minority, but if any of my cats ever went on pred (which won't happen), they'd be getting their BG checked weekly if not daily if they weren't diabetic to make sure they don't become diabetic.

I second the checking BG on pred! Prednisolone is what caused Cooters diabetes

 

[Sean & Rufus]

I second the checking BG on pred! Prednisolone is what caused Cooters diabetes

My guy was on pred for 2 months, and his bg wasn't checked once. My vet was an idiot. Now has diabetes. Not saying it caused it, but definitely didn't help. I will never put a cat on it again.

 

[Sandra K]

My guy was on pred for 2 months, and his bg wasn't checked once. My vet was an idiot. Now has diabetes. Not saying it caused it, but definitely didn't help. I will never put a cat on it again.

Really?! OMG. Vet said he put her on it for GI inflammation. I want to get a second opinion now.

 

[Sean & Rufus]

Really?! OMG. Vet said he put her on it for GI inflammation. I want to get a second opinion now.

I don't mean to worry you. Rufus had all the prerequistes for diabetes. That's where my frustration comes in, because he should have been checked frequently for increased BG. It is a wonder drug, and it did help Rufus with his itching, but it has a lot of side effects too.

I also second Janet about pancreatitius. GI inflamattion can cause pancreatitus.

 

[Lillie]

My previous cat who had IBD and intestinal lymphoma was put on prednisilone for about a year. She never developed diabetes, so it doesn't happen to all cats. You could ask the vet to try budesonide for GI inflammation in lieu of the pred if you are worried. It has a lower chance of causing diabetes.

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Sandra,

If you're worried about a possible diabetes Dx, then you need to bring a urine sample with you to the vets to check for glucose and ketones in the urine and also make sure that they run a fructosamine blood test. (Note: An on-the-spot check showing high blood glucose at the vet's office is insufficient as a diagnostic for FD because BG may be temporarily elevated due to travel/vet stress.) Your vet should also be looking at your kitty's clinical signs in conjunction with blood and urine test results. The most common clinical signs of feline diabetes include:

* increased peeing/drinking (polyuria/polydipsia, aka PU/PD)
* increased hunger (may be ravenous)
* unexplained weight loss (even in spite of increased food consumption)
* poor hair coat condition (dry, dull, unkempt, dander-ridden)
* low mood/lack of energy
* inappropriate elimination
* loss of appetite/nausea/vomiting (if cat has high ketone levels/ketoacidosis - both are medical emergencies requiring immediate veterinary intervention)

Note: the above clinical signs can also appear due to non-diabetes health issues. For more information on symptoms and diagnosis of FD see:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1 2130&aid=199

If you are concerned about possible feline diabetes it would be a good safety precaution to regularly check Lulu's urine for ketones. More info and tips here:

Testing your cat for ketones

Tips for collecting urine samples

He finally placed an E-tube for feeding and hydration. Been feeding Critical Nutrition diet. Doing well but still not eating on her on. Still drinking though. On pred, ax, cerenia and pepcid.

I also second the suggestions to check Lulu for pancreatitis. Diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs (lethargy is probably the most consistent symptom in cats but nausea and inappetence are very common clinical signs, Spec fPL blood test and, if required, abdominal ultrasound. More info here:

IDEXX Feline Pancreatitis Guidelines

The following page has a list of common signs of nausea:

Nausea / inappetence symptoms and treatments

I also had very good results with ondansetron for nausea.

More information on IBD here:

IBDkitties.net


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