starting or delaying start of insulin

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suz2

Member Since 2020
newly diagnosed, wondering if we can wait to start insulin until return from traveling in early May. Will consult with Vet but wonder if anyone has waited after getting diagnosed. He is 16 y/o, getting some issues with back legs, but am worried is alot to put on cat sitter, daily shots.
 
If he is at the point of having neuropathy (this issue with his legs) then he is past diet controlled diabetes. He needs his insulin, might not even make it til May without it but I wouldn't leave him in that condition as his body will deteriorate the longer he goes without insulin. I know it's an inconvenient time for the diagnosis but your bud is sick and it can't wait :/
 
DKA can happen and escalate very quickly. Our cat started showing symptoms of diabetes, we scheduled a vet appointment, and two weeks later (before the vet could get us in) he started to show signs of DKA so we rushed him in the next morning without an appointment and demanded to be seen. He wouldn't have survived another day or two. Now he's in remission and doing better than ever. Take care of your cat ASAP.
 
I agree with what everyone has said, you definitely should not wait, start now and find who ever you can to come and test him in the am and pm and give him the insulin. He would also need to be spot checked a few times during the day and night to see how the insulin is affecting him. If he is already having issues with his back legs, not a good sign, he needs his insulin, maybe you can see if one of the vet techs in your vets office might come and do this for you
 
Start his treatment now. You've got time to look for a qualified pet sitter or train a friend or family member how to take care of him while you're away. Some folks also travel with their cat. There are so many hotels and motels that allow pets these days.
 
Cats can literally starve to death without insulin.

Please think about putting yourself on a "hunger strike" type diet, where you would not eat for two months.
This is the feeling your cat has, without enough insulin to process his food correctly.

Literally starving.
 
I agree with what has been said. He needs the insulin now. They haven’t exaggerated in what will happen without the insulin.
Can the vet look after him? That would be the easiest option while you are away.

If you go the pet sitter option you will need a pet sitter who can look after him at home. But you will need someone who is willing to give the injections.
How long before you leave on the trip?
 
7 weeks. I wish I had the means to board him with the Vet but I don't. I have ordered the insulin and will meet with my vet and talk over all my anxieties and options and decide from there. If all goes well we will treat and then see how it goes. I haven't talked to my pet sitter yet either but I will let her know what is going on. She has been great and does go the extra mile with my felines, but I don't know if this is something she has done or would do. The timing of trip is not ideal, I might have not chosen to go if I had known beforehand.
He has been with me since 2004 and he wasn't a kitten when we got him so he is older than 16, probably closer to 18. Thank you all, seems to be consensus against any delays.
 
suz2 said:
7 weeks. I wish I had the means to board him with the Vet but I don't. I have ordered the insulin and will meet with my vet and talk over all my anxieties and options and decide from there. If all goes well we will treat and then see how it goes. I haven't talked to my pet sitter yet either but I will let her know what is going on. She has been great and does go the extra mile with my felines, but I don't know if this is something she has done or would do. The timing of trip is not ideal, I might have not chosen to go if I had known beforehand.
He has been with me since 2004 and he wasn't a kitten when we got him so he is older than 16, probably closer to 18. Thank you all, seems to be consensus against any delays.
Click to expand...

We are actually a very helpful bunch here with a lot of collective experience. How long will you be away for?
We can help your pet sitter also then.
 
I had to delay treatment of insulin for 5 weeks due to being away. I know the anguish. We live in a remote setting, and the vet also ordered DM Dry or canned as an option which I now realize was not a good idea but I had to use dry in auto-feeders. On return, he had developed a mild peripheral neuropathy which made me feel awful but I just noticed it with stair climbing. He was started on lantus almost 3 weeks ago, and is now like his previous self. A miracle to me how he has recovered, and I have had to skip the past 10 doses due to normalizing blood sugars.
As above the risk would be DKA, and worsening peripheral neuropathy. Cats do not have the awful complications like we humans such as strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, or amputation from poor circulation.
I am sure there are stories of not so good outcomes with treatment delay. Every cat is different- a common theme here!
 
AnneforMarley said:
I had to delay treatment of insulin for 5 weeks due to being away. I know the anguish. We live in a remote setting, and the vet also ordered DM Dry or canned as an option which I now realize was not a good idea but I had to use dry in auto-feeders. On return, he had developed a mild peripheral neuropathy which made me feel awful but I just noticed it with stair climbing. He was started on lantus almost 3 weeks ago, and is now like his previous self. A miracle to me how he has recovered, and I have had to skip the past 10 doses due to normalizing blood sugars.
As above the risk would be DKA, and worsening peripheral neuropathy. Cats do not have the awful complications like we humans such as strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, or amputation from poor circulation.
I am sure there are stories of not so good outcomes with treatment delay. Every cat is different- a common theme here!
Click to expand...

You were very lucky Marley didn't develop DKA.
Cats don't get some of the things humans do but DKA can kill them much quicker.:(

@AnneforMarley Looking at Marleys SS......to get a strong remission you need to give insulin for as long as you can if the numbers are up a bit higher than normal. Normal is 50-120.
Anything above 120 is above normal and it is best to have the numbers under 100.
There are doses lower than 0.25.
There is 0.1units and a drop of insulin.
If you would like any help please post and we are happy to help you.
I would test at the normal preshot time both am and pm at the moment. If the number is over 100, I would test again a couple of hours later to see if it has come down at all.. otherwise test at the next preshot time.

I see you gave some higher carb food in the evening cycle of 3/11 at +3 (or +15 really as no insulin was given for the pm dose)
If you are not giving insulin, a number like 63 is normal and does not require higher carb food. If you wanted to feed him something, give him some normal low carb food.
 
AnneforMarley said:
Cats do not have the awful complications like we humans such as strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, or amputation from poor circulation.
Click to expand...
Cats can suffer all those things. If they live long enough with poorly controlled diabetes.
Ask anyone here, who has had a cat with a saddle thrombosis, like Hillary & Maui (GA)
Ask anyone with a cat that also had CKD along with the diabetes.
Ask anyone here with a blind cat, like Pamela & Amethyst

So @suz2 , what have you decided to do?
 
Deb & Wink said:
Cats can suffer all those things. If they live long enough with poorly controlled diabetes.
Ask anyone here, who has had a cat with a saddle thrombosis, like Hillary & Maui (GA)
Ask anyone with a cat that also had CKD along with the diabetes.
Ask anyone here with a blind cat, like Pamela & Amethyst

So @suz2 , what have you decided to do?
Click to expand...
You are absolutely correct Deb
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
You were very lucky Marley didn't develop DKA.
Cats don't get some of the things humans do but DKA can kill them much quicker.:(

@AnneforMarley Looking at Marleys SS......to get a strong remission you need to give insulin for as long as you can if the numbers are up a bit higher than normal. Normal is 50-120.
Anything above 120 is above normal and it is best to have the numbers under 100.
There are doses lower than 0.25.
There is 0.1units and a drop of insulin.
If you would like any help please post and we are happy to help you.
I would test at the normal preshot time both am and pm at the moment. If the number is over 100, I would test again a couple of hours later to see if it has come down at all.. otherwise test at the next preshot time.

I see you gave some higher carb food in the evening cycle of 3/11 at +3 (or +15 really as no insulin was given for the pm dose)
If you are not giving insulin, a number like 63 is normal and does not require higher carb food. If you wanted to feed him something, give him some normal low carb food.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was very lucky that my cat did not get DKA, absolutely. Back on March 8th, with the advice to move to 0.1 unit lantus, I studied and practiced how to guestimate this tiny dose on the syringe and read all the information on how to do this. I thought the blue/green values were reasonable so did not give any. With recent preshot values of 153-106-95 in the AM and 166-113-99 in the PM, and the tests after meals were 65,76,103. For the last three days, would you have given insulin? (Or should I make a new post for this question?). I have searched also for any research on giving drops of insulin in controlled studies, but cannot find this. Is this something that was developed with the expertise of this group, but not published?
Thank you for pointing out the high carb treatment for 63. Yes, I agree the higher carb food was not needed.
 
Deb & Wink said:
Cats can suffer all those things. If they live long enough with poorly controlled diabetes.
Ask anyone here, who has had a cat with a saddle thrombosis, like Hillary & Maui (GA)
Ask anyone with a cat that also had CKD along with the diabetes.
Ask anyone here with a blind cat, like Pamela & Amethyst

So @suz2 , what have you decided to do?
Click to expand...

I feel that I may have offended those that have had very serious and life altering complications, Deb. I meant to say that cats do not have the rate or prevalence of awful complications like humans. There are incredible stories on this site of committment, intelligence, perseverance, and loyalty to healing their beloved.
 
@AnneforMarley No offense taken.

Yes, could you start your own new post, please. So we can address some of what you asked about for Marley in your own post. To try and not and confuse the original poster, @suz2 anymore than she may already be. Hope she comes back and reads what we have written.

Thanks, for a new thread.
 
AnneforMarley said:
I had to delay treatment of insulin for 5 weeks due to being away. I know the anguish. We live in a remote setting, and the vet also ordered DM Dry or canned as an option which I now realize was not a good idea but I had to use dry in auto-feeders. On return, he had developed a mild peripheral neuropathy which made me feel awful but I just noticed it with stair climbing. He was started on lantus almost 3 weeks ago, and is now like his previous self. A miracle to me how he has recovered, and I have had to skip the past 10 doses due to normalizing blood sugars.
As above the risk would be DKA, and worsening peripheral neuropathy. Cats do not have the awful complications like we humans such as strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, or amputation from poor circulation.
I am sure there are stories of not so good outcomes with treatment delay. Every cat is different- a common theme here!
Click to expand...
@Bron and Sheba (GA) is right, you were very lucky indeed! My boy was off insulin for only two days and developed DKA. He was very very lucky to make it out alive (and I was very very lucky to be able to afford his treatment). Every cat is different, but without doubt a diabetic cat will be suffering without insulin.
 
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