Transient diabetic

[catherineelizabeth]

My cat, Schroeder (f, 13), was diagnosed with diabetes in March of 25. We managed our blood sugar on insulin for about a year then started having issues. We had an episode in June of weakness and she wouldn’t eat. I took her to her vet and our fructosamine was way too low. The month before it was going too low, but still in normal range. But that time in June, the vet took us off insulin. She called it transient diabetes. Being off insulin lasted about two months. This August, she had an episode of weakness on her back legs and wouldn’t eat. I took her to the vet and they said it was too high again. She recommended Bexacat because it wouldn’t cause the big highs and lows that insulin causes. She seemed to be doing well for about a month-up until today.

These episodes seem to be happening more frequently- about monthly. She hunches, won’t eat like normal, seems weak, and sometimes hides. Is there something more that could be going on other than diabetes? Her kidney and thyroid function tests have always come out normal.

 

[Connie & Parker & Moonie]

Hi - I don’t want to scare you especially because my own knowledge of diabetes is so limited. But I’m pretty sure that Bexacat is only indicated for cats who have not had insulin before due to it increasing risks of DKA as well as euglycemic DKA, which can cause all the life-threatening symptoms of DKA while showing a perfectly normal blood glucose number for the cat.

Dear Veterinarian letter for Bexacat

 

[Wendy&Neko]

How long since your kitty had a complete blood work done? Has she ever had a pancreatitis test done? A Primer on Pancreatitis

Are you able to home test her blood sugars and see where they are at when she's having these episodes?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Are you home testing your cat's blood glucose levels? If the vet is testing blood glucose in the office (not a fructosamine level), it's likely that the numbers aren't accurate. Cat's numbers are affected by stress and you may not get a true picture of where your kitty's numbers really are.

I also agree with Connie. The new, oral diabetes medications are only recommended for a non-insulin dependent diabetic cat. Once your cat has been treated with insulin, they are no longer recommended. This is a link to information on these newer treatments.