Trouble regulating newly-diagnosed cat

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dhallgan

Member Since 2014
Hi, All, and thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.
My senior cat, Monkey (spayed female Norwegian, about 12 years old) was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with diabetes. My vet was willing to let me treat her at home with sub-q fluids, Lantus injections bid, syringe feedings and glucose tests.
Monkey still hasn't reached a point where she will eat much on her own. I'm feeding her FancyFeast wet-she's been on this for quite some time. No dry food or treats are offered. I'm syringe-feeding her meat baby-food 3-4 times a day, injecting 1 U of Lantus twice a day. I have a hard time getting blood from her ears-she's a good girl with all the sticks, but doesn't bleed much. I do have a meter that takes a tiny drop of blood.
I guess my question is-will I ever get her stabilized? I'm currently not working, so can't afford constant vet checks, and I'm more than willing and able to put in as much effort as possible to get her back to some degree of normalcy, but, after 3 weeks, I'm starting to despair.
I get confused about the symptoms of hypo vs hyper-they seem to be very similar.
Dana
 
Hi Dana and of course you too sweet Monkey.

First BREATHE!!! Regulation doesn't happen overnight. Monkey didn't become diabetic overnight either she was sick long before you knew something was off. Cats are stoic like that.

Also regulation and remission are two separate things most cats can be regulated but only some will go into remission.

There is a very easy way to tell hypo from hyper....test. if under 40 you have a hypo.

But to do that you have to be able to get those ears to bleed. So now to sort out the problems, What size lancet are you using? Free hand or device? Are you warming her ear first ?

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Hello, and welcome! This is exactly the place to be if you're willing to put the leg-work into getting your cat healthy on your own. That's how most of us do it. The vet is our source for an insulin prescription, but beyond that, the people on here know a lot more about this specific disease than most vets!

You can do this. :)

One thing I know from reading the research is that regulation of cats by using insulin is something that generally happens within the first SIX MONTHS if you're testing at home and following a strict dose-adjustment protocol. It's awesome if your cat is regulated or goes into remission before six months, but it isn't something you should expect, so I would suggest thinking of this as a slow shift in the numbers you see rather than something you're expecting to happen immediately.
 
Hi Dana,

My name is Shelly, and my cat, Jersey, is one of the many success stories here at FDMB! I followed the Tight Regulation protocol, so I haven't posted regularly on the Relaxed forum. I do try to "lurk" around a bit, though, and I saw your post tonight and just wanted to offer some encouragement to you.

Diabetes is so difficult, and a lot of times, it doesn't seem like you're making any progress. It was that way with Jersey. We went for weeks without seeing very many good numbers. Then, everything seemed to "click," and Jersey barreled into remission. I do clearly remember how frustrating it was in the early days, though. Hang in there! :YMHUG:

You mentioned treating with sub-q fluids and syringe feeding. Was Monkey diagnosed with pancreatitis, too? I don't have any experience with that, but I know there are several members on the site who have/are dealing with pancreatitis, too. They may be able to offer you some great tips if you need any.... or help answer any questions you have about p-titis. Just don't be afraid to ask!

Shelly
 
Hi and Welcome

I am going to respond about the ears... the best thing that helped me in the beginning, when I was learning to test, was the rice sock. A small, thin sock full of uncooked rice. Put a knot in it and warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds. Use it to warm up the ear (both sides). It will cause the blood to rush to the ear and then you will get a bigger drop. I used this sock for nine months before I realized that the capillaries were trained to do it on their own. Sometimes when the ear is cold it won't give a big enough drop. Rubbing it will also warm it up but not as fast as the sock. The sock was a lifesaver!!!
 
Thanks, Mel, Shelly & Katie for your prompt responses.
I don't know if Monk has pancreatitis; however, the vet suspected that, if she doesn't show marked improvement in 3 weeks, she should be tested, as the diabetes may be secondary to something else.
I'm using a 23g needle to manually stick her ears-I do try to warm them up before the sticks, and she tolerates this pretty well. I'd feel much better if she'd fight a little more, though! I've tried using a lancing device, but i can never get a blood drop that way. I use a little Neosporin on her ear after I've warmed it a bit, then I do 2 quick jabs with the 23g needle. I can get blood this way about 50% of the time, without going in for another jab.
I feel like I've put her through a lot these last 3 weeks, and she's certainly had her ups and downs. Her reading this morning was 153. I gave her the prescribed 200ml of LRS, and about 12ml of chicken baby food, warmed and diluted with a little water. She tolerates all of this well. She just wants to sleep and lay in the sun. She's weak and wobbly. I'm sure that the see-sawing of her numbers, at times too high to read on my meter (>600) are causing some type of nerve/organ damage. I know she should be examined again, but I'm not working right now, and had a really unsatisfactory experience with her vet's office yesterday. She'd had a bad weekend, but I couldn't take her in and get charged their amazing emergency fee. My vet couldn't see her, and none of the other vets had appointment times available that day either, which is a little hard to believe, as they have about 15 vets and are open 24/7. The said the best that they could do for me was to have me come in and sit with her, pay a $82 "walk-in" fee, and wait until one of the vets could squeeze me in. I explained that I wanted her to be seen by the vet that knows her history, and the only thing I got from them was "sorry". It was very disappointing, especially as their mission statement is "animals come first".
So-I'm trying to keep her hydrated, fed and I keep a close watch on her all day and many times during the night.
If she has pancreatitis, would she be in pain? As she doesn't appear to be-never complains when she's picked up or dragged out of her hidey-hole to be fed. No vomiting, no diarrhea, no fever.
Thanks much for the support-I am so torn between continuing the fight and letting her go. You've given me the encouragement to keep trying.
Has anyone tried the homeopathic oral med that's supposed to help with BG control? (As I just ordered it-appears that it can't hurt, anyway)
Dana
 
Hi Dana,

I'm so sorry to hear that you and Monkey had a rough weekend, And the vet clinic.....so frustrating. :YMHUG:

I applaud you on keeping up with the ear testing; that was something we actually never got the hang of. We had to go with paw testing instead. Although it was all a challenge in the beginning, it really did get easier over time. I think you'll find that to be true with you and Monkey, too.

If you're ready for us to throw another "to do" item on your list, I'd like to recommend getting a spreadsheet set up for Monkey's blood glucose numbers (like the one you see at the bottom of my signature - "Jersey's SS"). Using the spreadsheet helps others see the big picture when it comes to the numbers, which allows them to better help us figure out the perfect dose for our kitties. When you're ready for those instructions, let me know. I'll be happy to post them for you.

On the oral med - are you talking about Liquid Gold? I've seen it discussed here, but I've never seen any kitties have success on it. I really think you'll have better luck with low-carb cat food combined with a good insulin. That's just my two cents' worth, though.

I'll ask someone who has experience with p-titis to stop by and help you with it since I don't want to give you any incorrect information about it.

Shelly
 
Hi Dana. Shelly asked me to see if I could be of any help. Poor Monkey has not been given all the support necessary for pancreatitis so let's see if we can fix that. My cat Max is 16 and has chronic p'itis first diagnosed nearly 5 years ago. The first thing your vet should have done was to give you something for the nausea which is always present with p'itis. Ask for cerenia and see if that helps. If not ask for ondansetron which is a human drug that I use for Max. A nauseous cat won't eat. Plus if you feed a nauseous cat he can develop food aversions to whatever you are feeding. Cats do have to eat or they will develop hepatic lipidosis so it's good you are syringe feeding. Fluids are also good but that sounds like a lot at one time. I gave 100 ml. Monkey very well could be in pain. Most of us use buprenex for that. It's a liquid and you squirt a few drops of the gums.

There is a very good article I recommend that you read. Just google IDEXX Round table by Robertson. It explains all this. You can also use the search engine here and find it because I have told several people here to read it. I would also join the yahoo feline pancreatitis group. Get a copy of Monkey's most recent labs and copy the results for us to look at. Marje on this board also has a pancreatitis post that will be helpful. I'm going to see if I can find the condos with all this and if I do I will post again. Here's the primer
on pancreatitis.

The only symptom Max had was inappetence when diagnosed. He went from eating a normal amount to nothing over the course of several months. It was nausea. Cats hide pain really well. It's a self preservation thing from being in the wild that has stuck with our domestic cats. Max didn't vomit either.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=79693 ROUNDTABLE:
https://www.idexx.com/pdf/en_us/smallan ... rticle.pdf
:YMHUG: Elise
 
Hi Dana
don't feel you have to give up yet. I know it is so hard in the beginning but the folks on this board are amazing and will help you get through this with your beautiful kitty. Did anyone suggest also testing for ketones in the urine. If not, you can buy ketone test strips at any pharmacy. I get a small plastic pan and put it under my kitty when he is peeing. then you just dip the stick. it takes about 15 seconds. this will alert you to any ketoacidosis that may be taking place.
someone may have already mentioned this but just in case. Hang in there. It takes time and you will do really well. We are all here to support you.
Nadine
 
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