Off dry food 2 weeks and no insulin needed

[Cat mom]

I got off to a very rocky start when my cat was diagnosed diabetic. The vet rx'd Novolin 1 unit twice per day and for the first few days the BG just kept going higher. I wondered if the Alphatrack 2 was working correctly and bought a new one just in case. My vet advised I increase to 2 units twice per day, but my gut feeling said to wait. Good thing I did by day 5 his BG crashed to 70 and he was staggering and falling down. After that situation was resolved, that scared me so much, I swore off a few things, dry food...gone! No more insulin.

It's 2 weeks now no dry food and insulin and his BG is in the 100's. He seems a little better, still wobbly on his feet at times, definitely not his old self.

He's skinny as ever and my other 3 cats that also had access (and now don't) to dry food are doing ok, one of them has lost weight, but she could afford to, she was a little heavy.

My vet has been on Easter vacation and has no idea all that has happened since she left. I will talk to her when she returns in the next day or two.

When he was diagnosed with diabetes, I asked for a copy of the blood test and he had an apparent infection the ER vet did not catch, high WBC. When I brought it up she put him on a weeks worth of antibiotics, which I don't even know were the correct ones or long enough because she never mentioned what the infection could be.

I cannot believe the BG difference when stopping dry. I would never feed a cat dry food again and I've done it my entire life.

I am worried about the infection he had and wonder if needs more antibiotics.

When cats BG return to a normal range, can they still act diabetic? A little off balance, etc?

It's confusing.

 

[Djamila]

Hi Cat mom! Can you give a little more information about the BG numbers? You said 100's, but are they 190, or 108 (just making up numbers here)? When have you been testing in relation to food? How long has he been without insulin?

 

[Cat mom]

Hi Cat mom! Can you give a little more information about the BG numbers?

When he was first diagnosed his BG was 485 at the vet. After putting him on Novolin he actually went higher into the 400's, then 500's then 688 was the highest. Then a sudden crash to 70. He was on antibiotics at the time and I had to wonder if an infection was also boosting the BG and maybe as the infection resolved the BG dropped and w/the insulin it was too much? I just don't know.

He's had BG's in the low 100's - 116 and 108 and I have to wonder if that is now too low for him. Is that possible? The imbalance is better, but still apparent, but he was super off balance and falling at 70 and off balance when the BG was high, although not falling. I have wondered if there may be neurological damage from having high BG too long. I have him on 5mg of Methyl B12 daily right now and probiotics.

I am keeping him at 10% carbs and I keep wondering if that is just too low for him.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[GinnyBarr]

When he was first diagnosed his BG was 485 at the vet. After putting him on Novolin he actually went higher into the 400's, then 500's then 688 was the highest. Then a sudden crash to 70. He was on antibiotics at the time and I had to wonder if an infection was also boosting the BG and maybe as the infection resolved the BG dropped and w/the insulin it was too much? I just don't know.

He's had BG's in the low 100's - 116 and 108 and I have to wonder if that is now too low for him. Is that possible? The imbalance is better, but still apparent, but he was super off balance and falling at 70 and off balance when the BG was high, although not falling. I have wondered if there may be neurological damage from having high BG too long. I have him on 5mg of Methyl B12 daily right now and probiotics.

I am keeping him at 10% carbs and I keep wondering if that is just too low for him.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

From what I've learned so far, I'm still a noob myself, the low 100's without insulin is pretty damn good. Have they checked for an ear infection? Maybe fluid in the ears? It can definitely throw off the equilibrium of a human, so why not a cat? Just throwing that out there. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

I believe you are still using AT2, so normal BG range is 68 - 150. Some kitties natural run in the higher end, some in the lower end. I don't remember how long he was in the hypo territory before getting Vet attention, so the possibility is there for neurological damage. Would more likely be caused by the lower number event, than higher. Did he have neuropathy at initial diagnosis? Hind leg weakness, little wobbly? If so, this is nerve damage associated with diabetes. Nerves are the slowest thing to "heal", so if everything else is seeming OK with him, just need to give it time . The Methyl B12 should help promote the healing process but it still may take a month or more to see big improvements. Infections can definitely elevate BG levels and once it cleared could be the reason he went into hypo territory. Hope this reassures more than scares you! Don't lose hope . Things are looking very nice

 

[Cat mom]

Have they checked for an ear infection?

For a noob, really good, lol Yes, he had an ear infection. But was treated with Tresaderm (I've learned now she should have never rx'd because of the steroids in it, it can make BG higher) and clavamox. Even though he is finished w/the meds, the imbalance continues. Not horribly. But still noticeable. The vet believed ALL symptoms were attributed to diabetes. I now wonder if the infection, w/steroids and the dry food junkie he was all attributed to high BG. Now he is off all of it (I hope infection has resolved, don't know for sure) and BG is MUCH lower. I think the vet should have treated the infection and rechecked the BG, but it probably would have been high, I have to remember the dry food was a HUGE issue. He did have all the symptoms of diabetes, weight loss, drinking tons of water and peeing far too much.

Did he have neuropathy at initial diagnosis? Hind leg weakness, little wobbly?

YES, all of the above and more, all those symptoms are why I took him to the vet to be diagnosed.

I didn't know until I watched a video here (of a cat w/diabetic nerve damage) that all those symptoms were signs of neurological damage. It's interesting, because I, myself have nerve damage and was put on mega doses of methyl b12 injections for about 5 years, but it took more than that to help my nerve damage, although mine was not associated w/diabetes. I hope it works quicker for hi w/diabetic neuro-damage.

how long he was in the hypo territory before getting Vet attention

He only had one hypo-event that I am aware of, that came after insulin treatment began on day 5 and I caught it quickly, I had read about hypo here ahead of time and knew exactly what was happening. When I caught it, I fed him and rubbed karo on his gums and it turned around quickly, he was at 80 within 2 hours and by morning just above the normal range.

So, I guess my main issues are...is the infection gone? Which I probably won't know w/o another WBC and neurological damage can take time to heal and to keep watching his BG.

 

[GinnyBarr]

How are you and how is he today? Any changes?

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

It's interesting, because I, myself have nerve damage and was put on mega doses of methyl b12 injections for about 5 years, but it took more than that to help my nerve damage, although mine was not associated w/diabetes. I hope it works quicker for hi w/diabetic neuro-damage.

Hopefully it won't take years but do give it a good few months