Good day everyone,
My male cat was diagnosed with diabetes back in Oct 2007 (he was 14 at the time). We had just moved to a new province so I was seeing a new vet for the first time. Luckily she said she had some knowledge of diabetes and came up with a treatment plan. First, was to run a serious of blood tests -- all confirmed high blood sugar. Two, rather than insulin try an oral medication called Glyburide. Third, switch food from dry to wet. Fourth, monitor progress and report back on litter box issues, food/water intake, general health issues, and follow up with additional blood work.
Stimpy has been on wet food since Oct 2007 - Fancy Feast to be exact - and we only give him 4 flavors, all of which have less than 10g of carbs. Once he was on his medication for a few weeks, we noticed a big improvement. The next few blood tests varied - most were within the range, and one was above. We moved again in 2009 back to our home town, and returned to see our vet that we've known forever. He did a blood test and the results showed that his count was within the range but above mid-level. He did say that because Stimpy has diabetes, his numbers may never be consistent. The vet renewed his prescription for Glyburide.
So Stimpy has now been on this medication since 2007. His hind legs are weakening quite a bit, actually more so in the last few months. Before 2007 we had noticed he was having problems getting up to the bed or sofa, so we started placing stools everywhere. Is it age, maybe? Is it a side effect of being on the medication for this long? Possibly, but I don't know for sure. I've also noticed a slight change in his demeanor -- he moves around a lot like he can't get comfy at times (from floor to bed to sofa, to other areas on the floor). No issues with food. He urinates anywhere from 2-4 times a day -- this has been his norm for a very long time now. Regular bowel movements every 1-2 days. Still gets us up at 5am to eat, and knows when it's treat time!
We recently moved about a 1 hour drive from our old vet so we thought we'd try someone local. That appointment was a disaster - the vet was very inexperienced and had little to no knowledge of diabetes. In the end we left the appointment mid-way through.
I've re-read all the material and revisited all the diabetes websites to see what I could make of everything on my own to help me figure out next steps. My gut tells me to get Stimpy off the Glyburide and see what happens. So much of what I've read says that once the diabetes is under control with insulin or medication, and if you've altered the diet to wet food, things should be okay for most felines.
My gut feelings are usually 99% accurate, and I want to follow the feeling now. I would just like to hear from others who have had experience with Glyburide or other oral meds, or who can share helpful info about managing diabetes once your feline has come off medication.
Thanks
Gammy
My male cat was diagnosed with diabetes back in Oct 2007 (he was 14 at the time). We had just moved to a new province so I was seeing a new vet for the first time. Luckily she said she had some knowledge of diabetes and came up with a treatment plan. First, was to run a serious of blood tests -- all confirmed high blood sugar. Two, rather than insulin try an oral medication called Glyburide. Third, switch food from dry to wet. Fourth, monitor progress and report back on litter box issues, food/water intake, general health issues, and follow up with additional blood work.
Stimpy has been on wet food since Oct 2007 - Fancy Feast to be exact - and we only give him 4 flavors, all of which have less than 10g of carbs. Once he was on his medication for a few weeks, we noticed a big improvement. The next few blood tests varied - most were within the range, and one was above. We moved again in 2009 back to our home town, and returned to see our vet that we've known forever. He did a blood test and the results showed that his count was within the range but above mid-level. He did say that because Stimpy has diabetes, his numbers may never be consistent. The vet renewed his prescription for Glyburide.
So Stimpy has now been on this medication since 2007. His hind legs are weakening quite a bit, actually more so in the last few months. Before 2007 we had noticed he was having problems getting up to the bed or sofa, so we started placing stools everywhere. Is it age, maybe? Is it a side effect of being on the medication for this long? Possibly, but I don't know for sure. I've also noticed a slight change in his demeanor -- he moves around a lot like he can't get comfy at times (from floor to bed to sofa, to other areas on the floor). No issues with food. He urinates anywhere from 2-4 times a day -- this has been his norm for a very long time now. Regular bowel movements every 1-2 days. Still gets us up at 5am to eat, and knows when it's treat time!
We recently moved about a 1 hour drive from our old vet so we thought we'd try someone local. That appointment was a disaster - the vet was very inexperienced and had little to no knowledge of diabetes. In the end we left the appointment mid-way through.
I've re-read all the material and revisited all the diabetes websites to see what I could make of everything on my own to help me figure out next steps. My gut tells me to get Stimpy off the Glyburide and see what happens. So much of what I've read says that once the diabetes is under control with insulin or medication, and if you've altered the diet to wet food, things should be okay for most felines.
My gut feelings are usually 99% accurate, and I want to follow the feeling now. I would just like to hear from others who have had experience with Glyburide or other oral meds, or who can share helpful info about managing diabetes once your feline has come off medication.
Thanks
Gammy
