? Our cat was just diagnosed with diabetes. We don't want to jump to insulin but vet has us scared.

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LoCarbCat

LoCarbCat

Member Since 2022
We have a 7 yr old female Norwegian Forest Cat. She was first diagnosed with diabetes (GLU 473) two weeks ago. Her only symptom was more thirst and more urination than usual. Right then the vet wanted us to start insulin but we resisted and wanted to put her on a diabetic prescription diet hoping that and weight loss would help. She's a couple of pounds overweight at 16lbs. We took her today for a blood glucose test and it was still high at 472. But it's only been two weeks.


Is two weeks enough time to get any results? At 472 are we risking her health even though she now has no symptoms? The thirst is back to normal yet the numbers are still high. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. We're so worried. The vet has us scared. She even made us sign a legal waiver!
 
Welcome to the FDMB. Did your vet run complete labs and a urinalysis? Was there glucose in the urine? Diabetic food is expensive and nit necessary. Is it wet or dry? The dry is very high carb so won’t help lower the bg. Cats do test higher from stress when at the vet. Did the vet say if there were ketones?
If you are in the US, I would get a cheap hunan meter lime the Relion from Walmart and do some tests at home. Test before eating and 3-4 hours after.

@Diane Tyler's Mom Would you give her info on what to buy and how to test please?

If diabetic try wet low carb food and home testing for a few weeks. If insulin is needed you want to start sooner than later for the best chance fir remission but you want to see what the food does first.

If you have complete labs you can post them here.
 
tiffmaxee said:
@Diane Tyler's Mom Would you give her info on what to buy and how to test please?
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Go to Walmart if you live in the US and pick up the Relion Premier Classic 9 dollars( it's a human meter that most of us use, Pet meters like the Alpha Trak which your vet probably used are too expensive especially the test strips around 54.00 for 50 strips

17.88 for 100 test strips
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets any brand
Cotton rounds
Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
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6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
You can also put a thin layer of vaseline on the ear ,to help the blood bead up
A video one of our members posted
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar
 
There are three keys to feline diabetes. First is a good diet, low carb wet or raw food is best. Like human diabetes, appropriate food is key and low carb food will also help her lose weight. My second fatty cat benefited greatly from the low carb diet. You absolutely do not have to feed Fancy Feast. There are many other low carb options. FF is just one example if cost sensitive. Second key is home testing to manage her blood sugars. Cats have the unique ability to go into remission, so their dose can change over time. Blood testing will keep her safe. Third, sorry to say this, but insulin that is appropriate for cats is also important. Lantus, Prozinc, or Levemir are all good insulins for your cat. Your cat's blood sugar numbers are high enough that diet won't be enough of a change. Most of the diabetes drugs actually end up damaging the cat's pancreas further, meaning that the chance of remission is greatly reduced. They are not recommended.

Is there a reason you don't want to give insulin? We can help you. As someone who hates needles, I had to overcome a lot of fear, but it's what I needed to learn to do to help my cat. I got five more years with her, it was worth it.
LoCarbCat said:
At 472 are we risking her health even though she now has no symptoms?
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Yes, the longer you wait with her in high numbers, the more damaging to her. Her body, and especially her brain, need insulin as a key to help them survive. You might want to read this post: What is Feline Diabetes?
 
The sooner you start the insulin, the sooner she will start recovering, and less chance of acidosis or compromised organs. They are very good at hiding discomfort. I have a video in my signature showing how I tested my cat CC.
 
JanetNJ said:
The sooner you start the insulin, the sooner she will start recovering, and less chance of acidosis or compromised organs. They are very good at hiding discomfort. I have a video in my signature showing how I tested my cat CC.
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Don't mean to bogart her condo, just wanted to tell you @JanetNJ
It's good to see you posting . I hope everything turned out OK. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
I'm going to tag a few members for you , did you do the prescription food for 2 weeks What , was the prescription food , there is no need for prescription food ,most of us feed Fancy Feast Pate or Friskies Pate low carb 6% and under
@Suzanne & Darcy

@tiffmaxee

@Wendy&Neko

@Bandit's Mom
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There were no Ketones but +4 glucose in urine via strip analysis. We're giving soft Purina DM hard and canned. Hills M/D canned, Royal Canin Glycobalance canned and dry. And yes she keeps favoring the dry ones.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Is there a reason you don't want to give insulin?...I had to overcome a lot of fear, but it's what I needed to learn to do to help my cat...I got five more years with her, it was worth it.
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One of the most important things for older members is remembering that first week. The day I found out a cat could even be diabetic. Standing over him with a syringe at my clinic, took me 30 minutes to get up the nerve to poke him. The Sunday morning he was having a nap but I was sure I had just murdered my own cat. When our second cat was diagnosed I just got some new batteries for the meter and calmly took him home. It wasn't a tragedy anymore.
Wendy&Neko said:
the longer you wait with her in high numbers, the more damaging to her
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I'm not eager to have a third diabetic cat but I know now it's exactly as Wendy said, I did what I had to do and helped two cats live years more than they would have without treatment. Every day without insulin is shortening that time
 
LoCarbCat said:
There were no Ketones but +4 glucose in urine via strip analysis. We're giving soft Purina DM hard and canned. Hills M/D canned, Royal Canin Glycobalance canned and dry. And yes she keeps favoring the dry ones.
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All those dry foods are high in carbs. And you don’t need prescription foods for diabetic cats. You would be much better off feeding low carb canned food if possible. There are some low carb dry foods available but canned is much better for the cat.
You will not get the blood glucose back down to normal with the foods you are feeding at the moment.
FOOD CHART
Look for foods with carbs 10% or under. Most feed carbs 4-7%

Are you hometesting the blood glucose?
 
I did not see results from a fructosomine test. The test they have is a spot glucose test. Glucose levels at the vet are normally higher due to stress.

I think if you want to start with changing her diet to a low carb canned food diet that would be great. Don't feed the prescription food. It is too high in carbs. You can return it to the vet for a refund.

If the vet still pushes for insulin tell them you want a fructosomine test run first. That gives an average glucose reading and is the accurate way to diagnose feline diabetes. It should never be diagnosed from a single glucose test . I also recommend that you buy a human glucose meter and learn to home test. Also if the vet tries to push the pet meter for home testing it is not needed either. Most of us use human meters to test our cats.
 
Lisa and Witn (GA) said:
I did not see results from a fructosomine test. The test they have is a spot glucose test. Glucose levels at the vet are normally higher due to stress.

I think if you want to start with changing her diet to a low carb canned food diet that would be great. Don't feed the prescription food. It is too high in carbs. You can return it to the vet for a refund.

If the vet still pushes for insulin tell them you want a fructosomine test run first. That gives an average glucose reading and is the accurate way to diagnose feline diabetes. It should never be diagnosed from a single glucose test . I also recommend that you buy a human glucose meter and learn to home test. Also if the vet tries to push the pet meter for home testing it is not needed either. Most of us use human meters to test our cats.
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Do you have any recommendations for soft food? Prior to the prescription food, we were giving her Wellness Signature Selects Grain Free Shredded, Weruva Lamburger, Fancy Feast Petites Pate. Stuff like that.
 
LoCarbCat said:
Do you have any recommendations for soft food? Prior to the prescription food, we were giving her Wellness Signature Selects Grain Free Shredded, Weruva Lamburger, Fancy Feast Petites Pate. Stuff like that.
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Bron and Sheba gave you the food chart above in post #15 the numbers are on the right hand side of each post Tap on Food Chart
 
The Weruva Lamburger is low carb and a good option - it was one of Neko's favourites. The Fancy Feast pate's are commonly fed here. Was she getting any dry food prior to her diabetes diagnosis? If so, that should be stopped.
 
You've gotten great information already.

The only thing that I would add to Wendy's suggestion about insulin is that Lantus, which is a very good insulin for cats, is now available as a generic/biosimilar -- glargine. If you opt for glargine, you may need to call around. Lantus (non-generic) is pricey. It costs around $500 for a box of 5 pens. The generics cost far less. Many people here also order Lantus from Canada (Marks Marine Pharmacy) and the cost is about 1/3 of the cost in the US.

We encourage you to use canned foods that are under 10% carb. Most people here give their cat food that is in the 5% range. Most of the prescription foods, especially the dry food, are much higher in carbs. To be honest, there is nothing "prescription" about diabetes formulated food. In fact, if you compare the ingredients to the Weruva, you were feeding your cat a much higher quality, low carb food with that choice.

Please let us know what questions you may have. We're here to help.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
One of the most important things for older members is remembering that first week. The day I found out a cat could even be diabetic. Standing over him with a syringe at my clinic, took me 30 minutes to get up the nerve to poke him. The Sunday morning he was having a nap but I was sure I had just murdered my own cat. When our second cat was diagnosed I just got some new batteries for the meter and calmly took him home. It wasn't a tragedy anymore.

I'm not eager to have a third diabetic cat but I know now it's exactly as Wendy said, I did what I had to do and helped two cats live years more than they would have without treatment. Every day without insulin is shortening that time
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It's my experience with human medicine that makes me cautious. I get a gut feeling when I'm being led down "the primrose path." We were being set up for failure with high carb, "prescription food" and a very short window to see results. My skepticism when high-profit drugs and treatments are involved has saved my life many times over. I can see right now the hard foods have caused her to be addicted.

The needles don't intimidate me. We did this for our neighbor's cat when they went on vacation. What gets me is the vet didn't even do a fructosamine test. I've got to be careful. In my experience, it's a jungle out there, and it seems no different than dealing with human doctors. My concern is that I know some drugs "lock in" the condition rather than reverse it. I was worried it was that way with insulin. It seems to be the opposite, at least some studies show. So I'm not opposed to insulin. I'm just cautious about treating something that exhibits no symptoms except an elevated number at the doctor's office. I'll be getting the home meter today from Amazon. She's now on truly low-carb food and has zero physical symptoms.

All I know is if a patient came to me with a carb addiction, and was overweight, I wouldn't right off the bat put them on insulin based on one test. I just can't wrap my head around how that makes sense.
 
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If your Kitty is a diabetic cat, she needs insulin.
If after 2 weeks her BG is still 472, I think it is a pretty safe bet she is diabetic, unless you have not swapped to a low carb diet.
The thing is, if she is needing insulin and you are not giving it to her, there is a very real risk that she can start forming ketones in the blood and urine. And ketones can progress to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) which is how a lot of human loose weight BUT for a cat, it is deadly.
So my advice to you is if you are not going to start insulin straight away, then go out and buy a bottle of Ketostix today from a pharmacy or Walmart and start testing the urine every day for ketones as per the instructions on the bottle today.
Cats and ketones are different to humans and ketones.
I am glad you are going to start testing the BGs.
If she were my cat, I would go back today and get a fructosamine test done today and you will know yes/no if she is diabetic and can start insulin if the test says she is diabetic.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
If your Kitty is a diabetic cat, she needs insulin.
If after 2 weeks her BG is still 472, I think it is a pretty safe bet she is diabetic, unless you have not swapped to a low carb diet.
The thing is, if she is needing insulin and you are not giving it to her, there is a very real risk that she can start forming ketones in the blood and urine. And ketones can progress to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) which is how a lot of human loose weight BUT for a cat, it is deadly.
So my advice to you is if you are not going to start insulin straight away, then go out and buy a bottle of Ketostix today from a pharmacy or Walmart and start testing the urine every day for ketones as per the instructions on the bottle today.
Cats and ketones are different to humans and ketones.
I am glad you are going to start testing the BGs.
If she were my cat, I would go back today and get a fructosamine test done today and you will know yes/no if she is diabetic and can start insulin if the test says she is diabetic.
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I have a multi test strip. Every time the ketones and leukocytes are good.
 
LoCarbCat said:
What gets me is the vet didn't even do a fructosamine test.

All I know is if a patient came to me with a carb addiction, and was overweight, I wouldn't right off the bat put them on insulin based on one test. I just can't wrap my head around how that makes sense.
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That is what concerns me about your vet's diagnosis. There are numerous things that can raise a cat's glucose levels. Stress, infection and how recently did the cat eat are just a few. That does not mean the cat is diabetic. Switching her to a low carb diet will reduce the chances of becoming diabetic. By home testing you should be able to see how well the diet change is working. You want to test at least two or three hours after the last meal so the food does not affect the glucose readings. If the readings are still high then have your vet run the fructosomine test.
 
Testing in the 470's, two weeks apart, is really high. Higher than can be explained by food and it would be really unusual to be that high by stress. In one of my cats I saw a very stressful vet visit in the 220's.

Most important as Bron said, delay is not good for the cat. You don't have to wait for a successful blood test at home to get a fructosamine done. What did the urine strips say about glucose?
 
Hmm, I was the same in the beginning and wanted to wait to see if food worked to get the diabetes. The vet yelled at me because I was going to wait a week or two and scared me well. I am grateful he did. Henry was drinking tons of water tested 356 and had glucose in urine. He said we can do a fructosamine if I wanted and I asked for it because I was in disbelief. His levels were in the 700s. Yikes. Former dry addict on urinary SO. I have learned that with diabetes you have to move fast whatever your decision is. If you wait you risk DKA glucose toxicity and less chances at remission all things previously mentioned here. I am a pretty new member myself and really trust the expertise of the members here. My cat only doctor pointed me to this forum and she admitted she is learning from here:) The hardest for me was to process the news and I wanted to stall as if the diabetes would wait for me. It waits for no one. I made many mistakes and wish I did not. I also thought maybe glucose is higher at the vet but not for Henry. Now each cat is different. You must test yourself the glucose and this will give you better information. Knowledge is power. If I were you I would get the fructosamine asap. Feed low carbs and start testing. But the good news there is hope and you got to the right place. In the end the decision is yours you have to be comfortable with it but it it were my cat knowing what I know now, I would not wait a minute. Keep asking questions! Members here are great with an accumulated expertise of 1,000 vets
 
Insulin isn't really a "drug" per say its aa hormone that all normal healthy mammals produce on their own unfortunately some like my cat and it sounds like your cat either are no longer producing enough and/or aren't sensitive to it anymore, a word of warning ketones form FAST and that's even been my experience with Oreo even though she's only formed them 1 time but it took about 12 hours from happy and healthy to hospitalized when she did. I do believe the price of insulin is an absolute scam but it absolutely serves a purpose and saves many lives (used properly).
 
Additional note when Oreo was first diagnosed her BG was around 370 and the vet made the proposition of trying diet only change because that's quite a bit lower than when she usually diagnoses cats, but after fructosamine test came back that she was slightly higher than that on average said she wanted her to start insulin immediately (literally they gave her first shot 5 minutes later). Turns out the wet food I was feeding prior to that visit was already low carb so diet alone clearly wasn't working. My point there is that you're in the high 400's which concerns me because that's where ketones became a problem for Oreo after she got pancreatitis additionally the longer you stay there the bigger a fight your gonna have to bring those numbers down, they tend to acclimate to high numbers (doesn't mean it lessens the damage they do). Additional note she actually did worse on the "prescription" food than she has on tiki cats and fancy feast pate's.
 
LoCarbCat said:
It's my experience with human medicine that makes me cautious.
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Your skepticism with human medicine makes perfect sense to me. My brain aneurysm that was diagnosed as a sinus infection, the doctor that must have been late for golf and nearly put me on a colostomy bag, the miracle blood pressure drug with the side effect of dry mouth/lack of saliva. Two years later I had 14 teeth pulled in one go. That's no primrose path, it's the road to Hell. It was a hard lesson for me to learn.
It's dumb luck that both my vets are great human beings who have never tried to over sell me on some miracle treatment. I understand that. While almost every cat has higher numbers at a clinic numbers that high are indicative of just one thing, diabetes. If you're being oversold some miracle food then shame on the vet. Most of us use moderately priced food and get our supplies through the internet or at a local pharmacy.
This will make sense once you start home testing and see the numbers come down but I'll admit what we're saying involves a leap of faith with internet strangers you've never met. It is a strange concept that diabetes is not a big issue in veterinary college and we somehow know more than the professionals. There's no substitute for practical experience, some of our members here have been here for close to 20 years undoing that damage.
There's a fine line between urging a new member to do the right thing and almost shaming or berating them, then they never come back. I'm not very good at that. Sorry if it sounded that way.
 
Our first reading with the AlphaTrak meter was 389. It was 472 at the office. We started a truly low carb diet three days ago.
 
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I'm still new/learning so don't have any direct advice but our kitty was in the 500's at the vets office but has never been that high at home and we started testing before starting insulin. I think the stress of the visit definitely can elevate the BG numbers.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
Your skepticism with human medicine makes perfect sense to me. My brain aneurysm that was diagnosed as a sinus infection, the doctor that must have been late for golf and nearly put me on a colostomy bag, the miracle blood pressure drug with the side effect of dry mouth/lack of saliva. Two years later I had 14 teeth pulled in one go. That's no primrose path, it's the road to Hell. It was a hard lesson for me to learn.
It's dumb luck that both my vets are great human beings who have never tried to over sell me on some miracle treatment. I understand that. While almost every cat has higher numbers at a clinic numbers that high are indicative of just one thing, diabetes. If you're being oversold some miracle food then shame on the vet. Most of us use moderately priced food and get our supplies through the internet or at a local pharmacy.
This will make sense once you start home testing and see the numbers come down but I'll admit what we're saying involves a leap of faith with internet strangers you've never met. It is a strange concept that diabetes is not a big issue in veterinary college and we somehow know more than the professionals. There's no substitute for practical experience, some of our members here have been here for close to 20 years undoing that damage.
There's a fine line between urging a new member to do the right thing and almost shaming or berating them, then they never come back. I'm not very good at that. Sorry if it sounded that way.
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Sugar’s Mama said:
I'm still new/learning so don't have any direct advice but our kitty was in the 500's at the vets office but has never been that high at home and we started testing before starting insulin. I think the stress of the visit definitely can elevate the BG numbers.
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At 389 it's still is too high to treat with diet I'm afraid.
 
I was anxious in the first couple of weeks thinking that the insulin wasn't doing anything or that maybe I was administering it incorrectly. But seeing the BG numbers on his spreadsheet turn from mostly pinks to mostly yellows and Sugar's energy and weight increase I am so happy I started it as soon as I could.
 
Sugar’s Mama said:
I was anxious in the first couple of weeks thinking that the insulin wasn't doing anything or that maybe I was administering it incorrectly. But seeing the BG numbers on his spreadsheet turn from mostly pinks to mostly yellows and Sugar's energy and weight increase I am so happy I started it as soon as I could.
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She experienced a weight increase? Ours needs to lose weight.
 
@LoCarbCat I'd agree with that statement but your cat is only 7 and your in a better place to start than some, it's very daunting at first but it gets easier (I won't say it gets easy it's definitely a commitment and it takes work). There's a chance that if you jump on this and follow protocol she could become remissive and you'll have many many more years with her. For me when I saw the positive effect the insulin began to have on Oreo it gave me strength to continue forward, you CAN do this like many others on here have!
 
LoCarbCat said:
She experienced a weight increase? Ours needs to lose weight.
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What prompted our vet visit when he was diagnosed was quick weight loss and very low appetite (which took a while to notice because we have another cat and had free-fed dry food). After a week or so on insulin his appetite shot up and over a month later he is getting back to his normal weight.
 
Diet only helps, in the end insulin is what you'll need and every day you put it off it's damaging her systems.
I've made this speech before but here goes. This wasn't what any of us expected the day our vet gave us the news, I didn't even know a cat could be diabetic. We had a great vet who made damn sure we knew how to test, inject, when and what to feed. Not everyone is that lucky. She was also on the phone with us morning and night for two weeks straight giving us advice on his dose. Some people get sent home and are told to watch a YouTube video and "you'll figure it out" which to me is almost unethical. Now you've got 100 new best friends, all volunteers, who are trying to help and know just how you feel.
Take advantage of all this. It's not voodoo, we're not a bunch of kooks and we're not going anywhere. It's just insulin, not homemade chemotherapy. If one of your children were diabetic you'd do what you had to do.
As for the weight loss issue it's never worked for me. Usually cats get fat and stay that way, weight loss food has never worked for me. I'd rather see you deal with her numbers first and her weight later.
Poking holes in a cat was not my idea of fun but they do know it's for the best, they're smart enough to trust you and it will add years more to what otherwise would be a miserable and short life. Because of screaming migraines I could eventually do all this in the dark without either cat running into the basement. Make that leap of faith I spoke of earlier and you'll never be sorry. Me and everyone else promise you that.
 
When my cat first got diagnosed with diabetes, I wanted to try a diet change too before starting insulin. The problem was that the vet let me do it for way too long and I did not know at the time how I was jeopardizing her chances at remission by waiting like that. Eventually she ended up much sicker, was hospitalized, and almost died on me. So if I could go back in time, I'd have started her on the insulin right away. I hope our story helps!
 
babyg said:
When my cat first got diagnosed with diabetes, I wanted to try a diet change too before starting insulin. The problem was that the vet let me do it for way too long and I did not know at the time how I was jeopardizing her chances at remission by waiting like that. Eventually she ended up much sicker, was hospitalized, and almost died on me. So if I could go back in time, I'd have started her on the insulin right away. I hope our story helps!
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What were her numbers and symptoms before the hospitalization? She was 384 last reading.
 
I know I’ve commented a lot already but my warnings aren’t because I’m some agent of “big pharma”. But because I’m really concerned that your fear of her getting “hooked” on insulin (that’s not how it works!) is going to get her “hooked” on insulin or far far worse... I’ve experienced some of the complications and I swear nothing hurt me more than having to syringe feed my cat her every meal for 5 days, pill her 2 times per day, give painkillers 4 times per day, and watch her just lay there and lose weight at a rate I didn’t even know was possible all in one week and. Never again... Diabetics have no safety net when it comes to health one of the first things to be compromised is the immune response (around avg 160 mg/dl) the next is passing renal threshold around 250 dehydration, cellular starvation, and eventual and irreversible kidney damage follow. The further you go up from renal threshold the more complications will occur. I can’t tell you what or when because every cat is different only that the complications WILL happen at some point. If you were seeing a fasting around 130 the diet change would be on the table because you’d be pre diabetic but right now I’d implore you, even if it’s only slgs at a starting unit of .5 to begin insulin. Even a healthy cat could be injected with Lantus and they’d be perfectly fine (assuming you weren’t trying to hypo them) all that would happen is their pancreas would go into sleep mode a little sooner than it would have without it. Diet is a supportive tool you use to reduce the spike and ensure that their natural defenses to hypos are awake and ready to go if their needed. I’m sorry to say but your greatest fear will become a self fulfilling prophecy if you don’t act. You’ve already waited and are still above 150 to me personally that would be case closed now let’s get down to business.
 
Ben and Oreo said:
first things to be compromised is the immune response (around avg 160 mg/dl) the next is passing renal threshold around 250 dehydration, cellular starvation, and eventual and irreversible kidney damage follow.
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Just wondering where you obtained this information. I know the renal threshold is about 250 but that is the that is not where glucose spills into the urine. During the first part of the kidney cycle all the glucose is removed from the blood and goes into the urine stream. During the latter part of the kidney cycle all the sugar is normally reabsorbed into the bloodstream but if the blood glucose level is too high all the glucose can't be reabsorbed and thus remains in the urine stream and is excreted from the body
https://www.britannica.com/science/loop-of-Henle
I agree that high BG does damage cells and organs but am not aware of any specific BG values were different things occur.
 
My understanding is renal threshold IS the point glucose spill into the urine, which is why urine glucose stro ups can’t tell you much. https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-renal-threshold.189019/

Even a healthy person can see negative immune response to sugar intake. The connections the diabetes I and poor immune response are pretty well documented.
http://www.ghrnet.org/index.php/JT/article/view/1340/1795

In my mind if they’re significantly past renal threshold for significant periods of time you gonna get excess water out which can make electrolytes go funky and dehydration progressively more likely. If you have low hydration, poor immune response, and funky electrolytes. I would think it’s only a matter of time till a straw comes along and breaks the camels back. She seems to be asking for number ranges to see how long it’s ok to wait so I gave some rough ranges based on the knowledge I’ve found in my time dealing with this to give her my idea of when it might be ok to wait but I’m not a vet. In humans you would normally discuss diet and life style changes without insulin to avoid diabetes at the pre diabetes stages which is only a slightly elevated resting glucose, not over renal threshold. If this was a human we were talking about I don’t believe for a second anyone would say it was a good idea to wait. I don’t want to see her or her cat suffer. And just because a cat can look healthy doesn’t always mean they’re feeling good. I learned that the hard way last Friday when I had to put my other cat to sleep due to a large lung tumor that he only just began to show symptoms for 2 days prior.
 
LoCarbCat said:
What were her numbers and symptoms before the hospitalization? She was 384 last reading.
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If I remember right (but it's been a few years), I think she was in the 400s when first diagnosed, and after diet change was in the 200s. It was still not enough.
384 is really high.
Edited to add symptoms because somehow I missed that part the first time I read your question. I originally took her in for weight loss. She also was losing a tuft of hair here or there. But the main thing was the weight loss and lack of appetite.
 
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Have you given yourself a hard cutoff date? Have you at least been blood testing everyday to build a record up so you can see if diet is making any significant change? The changes from carb content are generally seen in a couple days. Please go get a fructosamine ASAP and put the question to rest as opposed to sitting back and hoping she gets better... Looking at your labs it will actually have been 4 weeks on Sunday, that’s a month... You only get about 6 to get them at least somewhat regulated if you want good remission chances and we don’t know how long this has been flying under the radar. I know it’s hard to take the dive but deep down you’re scared for a reason because if she is diabetic, bad things are coming unless she goes on insulin. It’s far better to be proactive than reactive.
 
Ben and Oreo said:
Have you given yourself a hard cutoff date? Have you at least been blood testing everyday to build a record up so you can see if diet is making any significant change? The changes from carb content are generally seen in a couple days. Please go get a fructosamine ASAP and put the question to rest as opposed to sitting back and hoping she gets better... Looking at your labs it will actually have been 4 weeks on Sunday, that’s a month... You only get about 6 to get them at least somewhat regulated if you want good remission chances and we don’t know how long this has been flying under the radar. I know it’s hard to take the dive but deep down you’re scared for a reason because if she is diabetic, bad things are coming unless she goes on insulin. It’s far better to be proactive than reactive.
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She's 374 today, down from 384. No symptoms. We have an appointment in a couple of weeks for a fructosamine test and most likely insulin. I'm getting all different recommendations for the best insulin. We have Trupanion but one vet on JustAnswer said to insist on a human insulin pen called, Glargine. another poster here mentioned Lantus.
 
LoCarbCat said:
She's 374 today, down from 384. No symptoms. We have an appointment in a couple of weeks for a fructosamine test and most likely insulin. I'm getting all different recommendations for the best insulin. We have Trupanion but one vet on JustAnswer said to insist on a human insulin pen called, Glargine. another poster here mentioned Lantus.
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To be frank with you, I dont think you have the luxury of waiting a couple of weeks. Something bad will happen by then if she doesnt get any insulin. Happened to me. Trying to warn you so you don't lose your cat.
Please listen.
 
LoCarbCat said:
She's 374 today, down from 384. No symptoms. We have an appointment in a couple of weeks for a fructosamine test and most likely insulin. I'm getting all different recommendations for the best insulin. We have Trupanion but one vet on JustAnswer said to insist on a human insulin pen called, Glargine. another poster here mentioned Lantus.
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Hi and welcome to the group, sorry to hear about your cat's diagnosis. I was brand new to all this just six months ago, so I'm not one of the gurus but I have certainly been through a lot these past six months. My cat Hendrick is now in diabetic remission after we started him on Lantus and followed the Tight Regulation dosing method and the advice of the experts here at the FDMB. Lantus is a brand of insulin glargine, there are other brands, generics which are cheaper such as Basaglar or Semglee. Insulin glargine is a great insulin for cats as it is long-lasting and very gentle. Many many cats have gone into remission on Lantus or a generic while following Tight Regulation.

The Tight Regulation dosing method was shown in one study to produce remission in 84% of the cats in the study. But you must act fast, get started now with the method, in order to have a high rate of success.

On a side note the BG values of 374 and 384 are considered exactly the same, when two BG numbers are that close they are evaluated as being the same because when you test the BG, the number can vary up to 20% from one test to another, the meters have that bit of wiggle room built in. Don't let the cat's high BG continue, start insulin therapy right away -- you keep mentioning zero symptoms. That's great, and a good reason to get kitty on insulin immediately before there are any. Best case scenario right there, you don't want to wait until there ARE symptoms such as nerve damage (neuropathy) or ketones building in.
 
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