Out of Remission. Need advise!

[Mom of Big Kitty]

My Big Kitty has been in remission for the last 8-months and had perfect blood work and vet check up during that time. He was diagnosed last year and after changing his diet to LC wet only and taking him off of dry food along with managing him on Lantus I successfully got him into remission. He is still eating the LC wet and the only thing that has changed is that we moved into a new home a few months ago. He took to the move well and is very happy and playful in our new home so I don't think stress is an issue.

I took his sugar a few times during his remission and he's stayed steady around 100. Last month I checked him in the afternoon and he was at 198 then went down to 150 without insulin. This past week he seemed a bit distant sleeping more under the bed and his coat seemed duller than usual. As I sadly suspected when I checked his BG it was 413! I've been doing a curve and started Lantus again because he's been between 420-500 for the past few days. I started low at .75u and increased to 2.0 units but he's still high. I know it takes a few days to build a therapeutic dosage and he was on a 3.5-4.5 unit dosage twice per day prior. He's also a very big boy at 25lbs. I am just curious to know if there's something I am missing here as to why he's suddenly out of remission. I am considering switching him to the Rx science diet wet food for diabetic cats but not sure if that's the right move either. He just celebrated his 13th birthday and is a very happy boy so any suggestions on where to go from here to keep him happy and healthy is very much appreciated.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome back to the forum. I’m sorry Big kitty has fallen out of remission.
I would not swap to science diet diabetic wet food. I don’t think it is low carb. I would stick with what you have been feeding ….looking at your signature.

Remember that Lantus is a depot insulin and it takes 5 days for the depot to fill. So you need to stay with the same dose unless the BG drops under 68. If he is 25 lb, 2 units would be an OK starting dose, but do monitor. Don’t forget the PM cycle is just as important as the am cycle with testing the BGs.

As to why he has come out of remission…….have you had his teeth checked recently?. Does he have a UTI? He is very heavy….does he need to lose weight or is he just a big cat? How is his appetite?

Cats are often more difficult to get back into remission the second time, although some achieve it.
I would just follow the TR dosing method again and get those things I mentioned checked.
Please keep us in the loop and good luck!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Please do not use a prescription diabetic food. They are not really "prescription" diets and Science Diet is high in carbs. What you were feeding Big Kitty were premium, low carb foods.

I would suggest a vet visit. Any source of infection or inflammation can throw a cat out of remission. Dental issues are probably the biggest culprit but you may have also caught the early stage of a urinary track infection.

 

[Mom of Big Kitty]

I read about the prescription diets and I will not be starting him on any of that. Too high in carbs and the food he's on seems to be the best choice. To answer some questions, yes, he's a big cat but could use to loose a little weight. He loves to eat so I do feed him about 2-full 5.5 oz cans per day and sometimes a small can in between. He has a brother who usually sits and eats with him and I split the cans between the two but Big Kitty always eats more. His litter box seems like there's no change and he's not appearing to be in pain so how would I know if he has a UTI? His teeth also seem fine but I am not a vet to really know. Our favorite vet left the practice and I can't find her anywhere so I am going to have to start over with a new one which I am not happy about. I went through several vets when he was first diagnosed and some just aren't educated on feline diabetes unfortunately. I've been staying steady with the 2units and will for now because I always fear those low numbers. He started the day at 244 and I gave 2units this morning and he was so happy and playful today. His PM number ended up being 478 which shocked me and I again shot 2 units. I will do a curve on Saturday when I am home all day to see how it's working. Thank you all for your feedback because this page got us to remission the first time and we really appreciate everyone here!