Patty Cake diagnosed today

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plemochoe

Member Since 2013
Hello everybody.

My cat Patty Cake got results back from her fructose test today, and it seems she has diabetes. I don't want to believe it...she tested negative for diabetes just two months ago...but now I realize that her breath does smell like fruit or acetone.

She had been eating the Innova food before the recall. When they had the recall, all the stores around me pulled ALL the Innova. I couldn't get her regular food. I tried different kinds of canned Fancy Feast and different dry foods. But I left her at the vet's in April for 3 days because I had to go find a house in a new town, and after that she lost 2 pounds (she had weighed 11), and it seemed like she had a lot of the stuffing knocked out of her. She still purred, but she was low on energy.

After reading around on some websites, I am hoping that I will be able to maintain her. I have to go Tuesday to learn about injections, but maybe after a while she will be able to just eat a monitored diet.

I don't know how old Patty Cake is. I've had her for ten years. I picked her up on a farm because she used to follow me and my dogs out in the fields, and when I left I thought she might do better, because there were lots of other cats and lots of big tractors, so I took her. Somebody owned her at one time because she was declawed in front when I got her. That's where she got her name, because she digs her front paws into boards and tree roots as if she is exercising them. She's a very talkative tabby cat. She's had to put up with dogs all her life but since she couldn't climb, I was able to make enclosures for her, and so she got to go outside without being exposed to all the dangers, etc. She still managed to catch mice even with her clawless paws.

She used to jump on me in the bed and walk up and down on my belly, like she had some job to do. I have to admit it was almost as good as a massage. She doesn't do that anymore, but she does still talk to me.

She might be 14 or 15. Her haunches are pretty bony. She must have been hit by a car when she was younger, because she has a hitch in her getalong, but this never used to stop her from climbing on top of the highest cabinets.

She is being treated at a university clinic. They told me not to worry about anything right now, that she wasn't likely to have a crisis...but I'm still worried. I moved into a house with a fenced back yard, and I want her to have some time to enjoy that. For years she was just "the cat"; she would walk by me in the morning, and yowl to go out a few times every day, and sleep on my desk while I was working. 5 years ago I had a big "TV set" computer monitor with a cathode ray screen, that got warm on top. She used to sleep (somewhat precariously) on my monitor (b/c it was warm) every day, until I got an LED monitor, which I hate b/c she can't sleep on it (she did finally agree to sleep on a bath towel next to it).

I had a dog that got sick, and she got very close to me at that time. She took up at the corner of the bed where several fellow critters breathed their last. I started to do things like notice the red and brown in the tip of her nose, and the number of black spots on her gray lip. Mostly I can always call to mind her big eyes, which are just a little Siamese looking. (I'll post a pic if I ever figure out how.)

I told some of my other critters, I'll be right behind you most likely; so it's not as bad as it used to be, but I would really like to give PK some "retirement years" now that she has a bigger safer yard, and nothing else to worry about.

She's just the talkinest cat, and I'm glad to write about her for people that have similar experiences
 
I see people are able to put their cat's name under their posts in a sig...that doesn't seem to work for me but I'm unfamiliar with message boards.
 
Now I've been reading the other newbie posts. So I can add the following information:

I don't yet know what PK's numbers were on her test. She's going to be prescribed insulin, but I don't know what kind. I guess I will talk to the vet about what I've learned here so far - pretty daunting, with spreadsheets and all, but I'll get it some way. I'll tell them I want to do home testing of BG.

If pilling is worse than shooting I'll be OK. I have pilled PK several times and I have even scaled some of her teeth.

MY name is Jeff and I live in central Illinois.

PK has always walked on her hocks a little b/c of the declawed front feet. She is still able to jump up on the counters - unfortunately I now have a tiled kitchen and the counters are made of some kind of slick stuff, so she is at a bit of a disadvantage but I'm working on that with rugs and step stools. She has been spending a lot of time outside and munching on grass at times.

She has been eating a Gravy Lovers Fancy Feast but I read the list of low-carb varieties and will get paté Classics tonight. She wanted to change from dry food to wet food. That's done.

Can she have actual salmon or tuna?

Regarding the 5 P's, she's still purring, peeing, pooping. Preening, her fur looks a little spiky but she's still jumping on my desk. What was the other one?

The university vets kind of like you to do what they tell you but I guess I should tell them I want Lantus insulin. (?) They were talking about giving shots between the shoulders. Testing - what I know is what I have picked up here in a couple of hours (there's a WalMart nearby and a Meijer's).

The only symptoms she has are her breath smelling a little like fruit gum (not really so much like acetone I guess) and she feels like she's lost some tonus. On the bright side I'm pretty sure she's gained some weight back in the last couple of days.

Vets are fallible. The tech at the clinic said her weight was 7.9 pounds. The vet and I both shook our heads at that b/c we had picked her up. They reweighed her and she was 9 1/4...

I can stay with her almost all the time. The longest I would ever have to be gone, normally, would be 4 hours. I never travel or stay gone 8 hours. I stay home a lot

You folks seem incredibly knowledgeable and you give generously of your time. Speaking as somebody whose personality description was once given as "baby birds, stray cats and lost dogs", bless you all
 
Hello and welcome to the board!

Good job on the food change.

I am worried about her breath.. You are looking for an acetone, nail polish remover smell.. If you smell that its very very bad and you need to go to the emergency vet now. But if you aren't sure can you pop out to a pharmacy and pick up some urine ketone test strips tonite? Walmart have relion ones for like $10.

While you are there, here is a home testing shopping list ;)

Getting started shopping list
1. Meter ie Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro.
2. Matching strips
3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool.
4. Cotton balls to stem the blood
5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment to heal the wound
6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against
7. Ketone urine test strips ie ketodiastix - Important to check ketones when blood is high
8. Sharps container - to dispose of waste syringes and lancets.
9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken
10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

Oh and to change your signature, click "user control panel" above and go into "profile" and choose "edit signature "

Wendy
 
Hello :) and Welcome.

We can help you with Patty Cake.

My kitty has a "hitch in his get along" a little bit too, or what my vet calls a crik in his back leg.

I'm glad you found us.

You will find that almost all of us home test our cat's blood glucose so that we can be sure giving insulin is safe and adjusting the dose is safe. You might want to buy a glucometer this weekend, and see how testing goes. We can help you. :YMHUG:

I thought I just read your post, but I just re-read it and missed "The only symptoms she has are her breath smelling a little like fruit gum". Please go buy some ketone test strips as soon as possible, like tonight if you can. You do not want you Patty Cake to have ketones and that is a sign. My cat is a DKA survivor.
 
Hello Jeff and welcome to our family! I'm Kat and Gobbles is my non-sugar boy. He went into remission about a month ago, thanks to everyone here at FDMB and good maintenance of his FD and well as being on one of the good insulins (Lantus): Lantus, Levemir and PZI.

Anyways, first and foremost, it is imperative that you get the ketone test strips and test her pee asap. Being as she's diabetic, she is probably peeing a lot so there's a good chance you'll catch her "in the act". The only way I was ever able to test Gobbles was to follow him to his litterbox and stick the strip directly into his urine stream--ain't none fresher than that :lol: Please let us know how the test turns out.

You'll be fine getting together your signature line and a spreadsheet--we'll help you :-D

As mentioned above, the best insulins (all are injectable--which works way better than pilling): Lantus, Levemir or PZI. Let us know which one and also what her starting dose ("unit") is.

Great call on the food change; there's a real good chance that her blood glucose level will go down once she's eating the low carb foods. Regarding Salmon/Tuna: I'd feel better if someone with more experience with that type of food will answer that question.

The fifth P is playing.

One of the most important things that you need to do is hometest before each insulin shot. A majority of vets are against hometesting. Too bad. She's your cat and I'm sure you want to keep her safe. I would never give my child (or my fur child) an insulin shot without first knowing what the blood glucose level is -- it can be extremely dangerous if you do not test her BG before each and every shot.

And for starters, we ask that you do not give insulin if the pre-shot number is under 200. Simply post a ? for help; something like (just an example) Newbie Dosing Advice (in the subject line)

It will be really to your advantage to get a scale. Have you any idea what her ideal weight should be?

Ask, ask, ask away any questions you have; the only dumb question is the one you haven't asked.

This gets easier. You will be okay and so will your little sugar kitty :mrgreen:
 
ketone smell

I knew this was going to happen.

PK has only seen this vet once. Her diagnosis is 6 hours old. And already, I am preparing to throw the vet under the bus and listen to you guys.

I told the vet (rather the 4th year student) about the acetone-y smell on PK's breath today. She told me that PK was not in ketoacidosis. And PK seems fine. Better, even.

But, after a little bit, I'm going to saddle up and head back to WalMart. I didn't see ketone test strips, and there's nobody there now, but I will try it.

PK is a DSH. Probably 14-15 years old. Her normal weight would be 10-11 pounds.

The only prob I can see with this board is, I can't see the previous posts as I write mine. I wish I could. But, minor detail.

The 5th P, playing. I don't think she feels much like playing, but she has been spending a lot of time outside hunting, so I think that qualifies. She's not catching anything.

Seriously, I'm about ready to cancel the educational visit because I know they're not going to want me to do any of the things you suggest. They probably have a research protocol in place and they make people conform to that. I can switch over to a private clinic. Anyway, so far the official vet has handed me off to one student after another. Like the girl who promised me PK was not in ketoacidosis.

But you guys have to understand, it's taking a bit of time for me to jump over the traces like that.
 
Hi there and welcome to FDMB.

If you cant find the ketone test strips at walmart, you can try calling around to local pharmacies. Most pharmacies have them but Walmarts are the cheapest.

To see previous post while you are typing a message, you just need to scroll down a little bit. I scroll down until this text box is at the top of the page... and then underneath where I am typing there are the messages and another scroll bar you can use to look at the previous messages. I hope I am explaining this right, please let me know if it works for you.

Remember its your decision in how you care for PattyCake. You can still get advice from the vet - but that doesnt mean you have to follow them strictly. I would think with something like Feline Diabetes they would have you talk to a vet with more experience instead of having you talk to students. You may want to consider calling a different vet. Like I said these are all your decision, so take your time and give it some thoughts.

Its a little overwhelming at first but I promise it gets easier. We will all be here supporting you while manage Pattycakes diabetes. Please always ask any questions you have :-D
 
I can see the last message, but not all of them. I can prob open up the board in two windows if I need to read the thread as I write

OK, the ketone strips have to be dipped in urine I guess. I don't know if I can get a sample tonight but I can try. Later I can get some of that plastic sand.

The vets needled her yesterday for urine, so they had some. I might have a sensitive nose but I do smell it. She seems fine. I put her in a room alone with a litter box and nothing in it. Actually, she peed in it the other day without there being any litter.

She seems OK right now, I hope we don't have to do the ER
 
The first time we tested my cats ketones we were having a bit of a hard time because he will only go in his litter... so we used like a plastic soup ladle and stuck that under him to get some pee and then dipped the urine stick in there...

there are lots of different tips and tricks that people use if you have a hard time just let us know and someone can give you more ideas
 
Let me tell you what Sue and Oliver told me about getting a pee sample for testing. It worked like a charm.
Get some aquarium gravel and use that in the litter box. That kind of gravel wont soak up the pee. All you have to do is to tilt the box and you have plenty of P there for testing. I tested 3 times just to be on the safe side. Then when you are done testing dump the gravel in a pair of panty hose for easy washing. The panty hose keeps the gravel all in one place and it was easy to wash and then I set the panty hose ball of gravel out in the sun to dry really good before I put it in the basement until I need to test again. The grave can be used over and over so you only have to buy it once!
Welcome!! You are at the right place!
Terriy
 
Re: ketone smell

plemochoe said:
I knew this was going to happen...I am preparing to throw the vet under the bus and listen to you guys.

I told the vet (rather the 4th year student) about the acetone-y smell on PK's breath today. She told me that PK was not in ketoacidosis.

I didn't see ketone test strips, and there's nobody there now, but I will try it...Her normal weight would be 10-11 pounds.

The only prob I can see with this board is, I can't see the previous posts as I write mine. I wish I could. But, minor detail...spending a lot of time outside hunting, so I think that qualifies....Seriously, I'm about ready to cancel the educational visit because I know they're not going to want me to do any of the things you suggest. They probably have a research protocol in place and they make people conform to that. I can switch over to a private clinic...But you guys have to understand, it's taking a bit of time for me to jump over the traces like that.
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The vet who diagnosed Gobbles would not prescribe insulin, even though his sugar was in the 500s. He sent me home with $70 worth of worthless, high carb D/M dry food and D/M wet food (that one was not horribly carbilicious). I fired him and gave the D/M to my mother's strays. Then I called my cousin who had a diabetic cat and she came over the same day to show me how to homestest; she even gave me a glucometer and some strips. She referred me to this board and to her vet. Gobbles got a new vet who prescribed him Lantus, 1 unit every 12 hours, which was the perfect dose for his weight (11.2 pounds), FYI, dosing is based on the cat's ideal weight. A lot of vets tend to start cats on a dose that is way too high and could make a cat hypo.

The only way a vet (or you for that matter) to know if their are ketones in the urine is to acquire a fresh sample of urine and test for the ketones.

You can buy the ketone test strips at any pharmacy--if you don't see them, ask somebody in the pharmacy; I'm sure they will have some. You will be testing for ketones as long as she's diabetic; usually there are 50 in a bottle.

Based on her normal weight if she is prescribed Lantus, a good starting dose would be 1 unit, but hold up on purchasing the insulin and giving her the insulin; please post first for advice. Some cats can be diet-controlled and don't need insulin once their diet is changed; that's why we ask you to not shoot for now. I don't know the initial dosing on the other insulins, but somebody here will know and will help you (should you need to give it).

Regarding having problems with this board: server maintenance is being done this weekend and some people may not be able to access FDMB. Please be patient should you have problems getting on; did you "subscribe" to this post? That could be it as well.

Well heck yes the hunting qualifies!!! I tend to get most of my playtime while hunting :lol: Is there any possibility at all that when she's outside she may be getting into any high-carb foods, for example, neighbors feeding her and/or leaving food out for their animals?

As far as cancelling the visit: if it was me, I would call ahead of time and see what they are going to teach you. As for their "protocol" and wanting you to "conform" to it? She's your cat, you are paying the bills and therefore, you decide if you're going to conform.

We have members from all states; I'm sure if you wanted (and need to administer insulin), someone here would be more than happy to teach you :-D I highly suggest you switch to a private vet; although call around to see what the vets prescribe for insulin and if they support hometesting. We may even be able to refer you to a good vet in your area.

We totally understand your plight: most of us have "been there and done that". Everything will be okay. We will hold your hand. We can educate you. We will support you. You have made the best choice by joining our family. If anyone seems pushy or bossy, don't take it to heart. Just let us know. We have your best interests at heart.

Hang in there!
 
Thanks to everybody for the advice and information. I got the strips; I'm going to get some aquarium gravel. It will be a while before I can get a sample, but PK seems fine.

I will have a chat with the clinic Monday, and we'll see what happens. There are private clinics all around here. I don't even have her test numbers at this moment. I'm sure I can take her test results to another vet and get a prescription for insulin. This isn't to say that I wouldn't like to see if she can be controlled with diet, for sure, The sequence of events - several food changes and a 3-day board at a vet clinic, plus a nine-hour drive and everything being in a different place - does add up to major stress. But she was losing weight even before we moved (she started losing weight right after a vet told me in April that she did not have diabetes).

I'm trying to get the ketone test done. I'll let you know what happens. Walmart had the tester and the lancets and all the rest. Relion
 
To put some information in your posts like your name and your cats name, etc. Follow these directions.

Would you please provide us with some more information and put this in your user control panel? It helps us to help you better.

Go to the upper left corner of your screen and click on the words, User Control Panel
On the next screen, a row of tabs is presented. Select the Profile tab
On the next screen, there are a number of choices along the left hand side. Select Edit Profile.
Go down to the location field and enter your country, state/province, and city if you are willing to share that info.
Click on submit to save this change.

Still in the User Control Panel, Profile tab, this time select Edit Signature from the left hand list of options.
A free form text box appears.
We like to see information like your name, your cats name age and sex, the diagnosis date for the diabetes like this (DX 4/30/13), what meter you are using for testing, what insulin you are using , what you are feeding (wet or dry, what brands/style of food), any complicating health issues your cat may have, any additional medications your cat is receiving. If you are using a pet specific meter like an Alphatrak or Ipet, please change the font size on that text from Normal to Large (using the drop down arrow list in the middle of the editing commands)

Click on submit to save this information. Now, this will appear at the end of every post you make. You can update the info when you need to.

Think of this as having some very useful information at our finger tips for those that are replying to your posts.

Would you please do those updates when you get a chance? Thanks.

The profile is in addition to this info See this link on the how to's of profile creation. http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=79123
Click to expand...

Welcome to the FDMB, the best place you never expected to be.

This new journey you have started with your sugarcat Patty Cake, will bring you closer as time goes on. She'll learn to come to you for shots and ear testing, for treats and hugs and we'll get her feeling better.

It's very stressful and overwhelming at first. You wonder how you will ever manage. It does get easier. There is a lot to learn. I equate this to a crash course, college masters degree level, in managing feline diabetes.

Ask us any questions you may have. Ask for clarifications if we have said something you do not understand. And feel free to push back and tell us you can not do something. With our collective knowledge of having sugarcats 24/7, we know a lot of the day to day details in managing this sugardance.

Best piece of advice for you? Breath, take deep breaths whenever the stress gets overwhelming.
 
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