Steroids and Diabetes

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Sue & Callie

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Hi,

I have a 12 year old female cat, Callie who was diagnosed December 11, 2009. She was on Lantus and got her down to less than .25U BID when my vet told me to change her to .5U SID. That was back in June and didn't produce good results so I now have her back on .5U BID.

She developed a small inflammation last night on her lower lip. My other cat developed this a few years ago and was diagnosed with allergies and received a few depomedrol shots. I've read that steriods in general are not good for diabetic cats and was wondering if anyone has had experience treating these allergies with something other than steriods? I spoke with my vet this evening and he said that steriods are the only treatment.

Thanks,

Sue
 
Re: Steriods and Diabetes

I would be careful - I firmly believe and my vet concurs that it was a shot of steriods (cortisone) that pushed my cat over the edge in terms of his diabetic condition. There are lots of reasons for inflamations on the lower lip - it can be feline acne - which won't need steriods - I'd continue to look into it - perhaps if you spoke to your vet again you'd get some more specific information.
Good luck -
 
Also, Sue, another thing to keep in mind is that just in case your cat should have any heart issues, steroids are usually contraindicated too, according to my vets.

My cat, Ketchie, is a tortie and is now 15. She has allergies, and years ago, I used to have the vet give her prednisolone shots, until he knew that she had some heart issues, and he no longer gives them to her. She has some sores, and she bites at herself and licks herself (overgrooming) and basically, she has what is called "Hyperesthesia".

If she or my other cat, Woodee, who is my orange cancer survivor of 2 and a half years, gets sores or inflammation on their lip/mouth areas, I have been putting a little bit of Terramycin eye ointment on the sores, and last week, with Woodee, he had a large sore, almost like an abscess, and I got really nervous. I put the Terramycin on it, and each day checked it, and the sore broke open, and as I put the ointment on it, I knew that if he rubbed it into his eyes, he would be okay. The sore has totally healed up now. PHEW!

So, if you have anything that you might want to try like the Terramycin ointment, it is a lot better than getting a systemic shot of steroids that would be more dangerous in a diabetic cat.

I am no vet, nor vet tech, just have had plenty of cats, and taken the best care of them that I possibly can with the advice of others, lots of research on my own, and with the help of my vets.

Hope something like that might help. This is from a site that I just looked up:

http://www.thefind.com/pets/info-terramycin-ointment

Terramycin Opthalmic Ointment 1/8th ounce tube Contains Oxtetracycline and Polymyxin B in an ointment form for use in the eye. Useful for superficial ocular infections caused by susceptible organisms, such as pinkeye, corneal ulcer, and conjunctivitis in dogs and cats.

This has worked more than once for my cats, by using it on sores or inflammations on their faces where they might rub it into their eyes.

Good luck!
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
Thank you very much. I just found a prescription of Antirobe Aquadrops (Clindamycin Hydrochoride) that she was given after her dental surgery. It says it's a treatment for infected wounds, abscesses and dental infections. I was wondering if I could use that???

Sue
 
An antibiotic like Terramycin will only help with a bacterial infection that may result for scratching etc due to an allergy. It does not do anything to help with the underling cause. Clindamycin is a good antibiotic and will help with a secondary bacterial infection but will not do anything with an allergy.
 
I spoke with my vet again today and we decided to try the Antirobe for a couple of days and see if it clears up.

Jen, I don't think it's a rodent ulcer...it's on her lower lip and looks like a simple inflammation.

Thanks!

Sue
 
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