reassurance and help

[beckyandwinston]

My boy has just been hospitalised for the third time in 6 weeks. First time when he was diagnosed, then two weeks later as his glucose readings were off the chart and again today two weeks later for the same problem.there could b an issue with his kidneys but we are trying to stabilise him. He went up to 2units twice a day two weeks ago. Am i doing something wrong? Am i putting him through all this unnecessarily? Am so scared he wont stabilise and am putting him through all this pain. Will this get better?

 

[dian and wheezer]

we need to know the insulin he is on
food you are feeding
you home testing?
do yo have a spread sheet made or someplace someone can look at the numbers to see if there is some kind of pattern

 

[BJM]

Welcome.

And breathe.

This is manageable.

First, if you have him on insulin, learn how to test at home. That way, any insulin dose changes or food changes can be monitored and done safely. A spreadsheet will help you keep track of the numbers and you can upload one from here to your own Google Docs account. You can get a Free diabetes home testing kit here.

Second, food. We strongly encourage a low carb, canned or raw diet for cats. The vet-written site Cat Info has lots of information on feline nutrition. Its a good place to start your reading. Binky's Page has lists of info for various canned foods and a few dry ones (dry not recommended due to kidney workload) and a more recent list from another member Pet Food Nutritional Values Comparison

Third, learn about your insulin in the forum for that insulin. See how others are doing it and get feedback for your kitty.

 

[nwnews]

HI Becky - some cats take a while to get their insulin dosage correct - or what they call "regulated" on this forum. Every cat is different and while some regulate quickly others don't. That being said it is very important that you learn to home test your cats blood glucose so that a) you can administer insulin safely and b) that you can see and respond to your cats insulin needs. Think of it like this - a human would NEVER give themselves insulin without testing their blood sugar first - why should it be any different for a cat?

So first order of business is to go to a pharmacy and get a blood glucose meter, testing strips and lancets. Most everyone here has found the Relion meter from Walmart to be the most reasonable in cost. Check out Youtube - there are a few videos that will teach you how to get blood from your cats ear to test with. Make sure you warm the ear first - some use a sock filled with rice or oats and microwaved. I wet a washcloth, ring it out, then microwave it for 20 seconds.

Finally what insulin did your vet give you? If its Humulin N that is not a good insulin for cats. Currently the best insulins are Lantus, Levemir, or Prozinc - which are designed to be given every 12 hours.

Knowledge is power in the case of treating a diabetic cat!! This is a great board and everyone here will help you to help your kitty. Jan

 

[MommaOfMuse]

Hi Becky,

Others have given you great advice on home testing etc. So let me fill in the reassurance part, I have two diabetic cats which wouldn't seem like that big of a deal except for the fact that I adopted them both as diabetics and both were in really rough shape when I got them. I adopted them from DCIN through this very board. Today Maxwell has been in remission for over a year, he was one of those that not only quickly became regulated but also went into remission quickly. Then there is Musette she had I have been dancing the sugar dance since last June and while she is now regulated for the most part...she still throws curve balls every now and then she is a happy healthy little girl that loves life, her new humans and her new furry family.

And here is something else to give you hope...Not only did I adopt both of mine as diabetics when I did it I already had 11 healthy kitties at home, and now that my 3 foster cats have new homes my husband and I are looking at adopting our third sugarcat. Why? Because with the advice from this board and the power that comes from home testing a diabetic cat is just about the best cat there is! There is a bond that developes with that sugarcat that is like nothing I have ever had with any of my other cats. Oh sure I have a bunch of lovebugs, but not like my diabetics. And with what support you can find on this board neither of mine have seen the vet of anything other than the basic everyday cat things, in fact I think my non-diabetics have seen the vet more than my diabetics....lol. But also the information I have found here has made the life of my other cats better as well. For I have learned to be a better cat mom thanks to my diabetics.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang