Very worried, I feel like I’ve failed my cat

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Dakotayocom

Dakotayocom

Member Since 2019
So I just moved from Utah back home to Tennessee with my husband and my 12 year old kitty in November. Before the move I started noticing small things in my cat, peeing more and losing some weight. After we arrived I had to borrow some money to take him to the vet so see what was up. He was diagnosed with feline DM, this was close to a month ago. Regrettably, I didn’t have money to get him started on insulin. I know that that is awful, but they money just wants there due to the financially stressful move. I planned on calling today or tomorrow to get him insulin, but just last night he stopped eating. My cat had NEVER in his life refused food. Since I was already going to call the vet today, I of course gave her a call and I’m still waiting to hear back. I can’t stop thinking that I’ve failed my cat and I don’t know what to do. He’s acting very lethargic and won’t eat and seems irritable, but he’s still drinking. Does this seem like ketoacidosis? I know a lot of you may disagree with me, but if my cats quality of life is going to be bad, I don’t want to prolong it. He seems I’m very bad shape and I’ve never seen him like this before. Is this just because I couldn’t afford to get him started on insulin?
 
If I were you I would get your cat to the vet ASAP. If it is DKA it can become very serious quickly. A lot of cats have survived DKA but treatment needs to be done quickly for them to recover.

The good news is if you cat does not have DKA or recovers from it, feline diabetes is very manageable and most cats can survive years of being treated. To do this a low carb canned or raw food diet, a long acting insulin and home testing are needed to provide the best treatment for FD.

All of this can also be done economically too. Many members feed their cats either Fancy Feast or Friskies pate flavors canned food. Dry food and anything with gravy have too many carbs. Also you cat does not need prescription food either, even if your vet says otherwise.

Home testing means testing your cat's glucose levels before every shot. There are pet glucose meters but they are expensive to use. Most of us use human glucose meters to home test. If you are in the US, the Walmart ReliOn brand meters are the most economical to use.

Long acting insulins work better in cats for treating FD. The insulins we recommended are Lantus, Levemir, ProZinc and BCP PZI. The first two are human insulin you will get at your pharmacy. The other two are pet insulins you will get through your vet. All of these work great in cats.

I know this is overwhelming. The important thing is to get him to the vet quickly to find out what is going on. Once you are beginning your treatment for FD we can help you learn the rest.
 
I finally heard back from the vet, and I have an appointment in an hour. I did switch him to friskies pate as soon as he was diagnosed to try to do SOMETHING to help him. We’ll see what the vet says. He seems to be more lethargic as the day goes on, and he only started refusing food last night. Its crazy that he would seem to go downhill so quickly. I’m assuming if it is DKA it’s pricey to help I’m through it. That’s what scares me, I know I can’t afford a couple thousand dollar vet bill. I just don’t want him to be suffering, and I’ll do anything in my power to help him. He’s been my best friend of 12 years.
 
Dakotayocom said:
So it’s entirely my fault, I did fail him
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No you didn't. If your vet didn't explain to you how important it might be to start insulin or at least adjust his diet initially, you couldn't have been expected to know that. And you were trying to keep a roof over your (and his) head. Sometimes there are limited resources and you can only do as much as you can do. Right now, I would focus on getting him seen by the vet and getting him feeling better and on insulin, not on blaming yourself for not knowing something you had no reason to know.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Help with insulin, testing and possibly veterinary bills may be available through DCIN (Diabetic Cats in Need). You can send a message to them through Facebook. I am tagging someone for you.
@Chris & China (GA) Can you direct Dakotayocom about how to apply for assistance.
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Yup. We had our time, Gustav, Simba and I when Venita who started DCIN had it, and just as an FYI were major single donors to two of their DCIN cats DKA. But with Ennis dying Venita had enough of it and it's an Amy who seems to be in charge now, since I still have DCIN on my Facebook even if Venita is gone. DCIN = Diabetic Cats In Need. And is now since Venita's IRS application one of those 9-something IRS approved Cat Rescues.
 
Okay everyone, I just got back from the vet. They said he did have ketones in his urine and she emphasized the importance of getting him rehydrated. She sent me home with fluids to give him, insulin and some recovery food to try to get him to eat. She says if I can get him to eat, things can likely be okay. If not he doesn’t he doesn’t have great chances. Here’s hoping I can get him to eat so I can give him insulin tonight.
 
What kind of insulin did they send him home with? What dose do they want you to give?

Hopefully the recovery food does the trick-- many cats find it very appetizing, so crossing fingers on that. Did they give him any meds, like an anti-nausea?
 
Dakotayocom said:
So it’s entirely my fault, I did fail him
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No you cannot believe that. You have done the best you could with the circumstances you faced. You did not fail him.

Let us know what the vet says. The behaviors you are seeing could be caused by other issues instead of DKA. What matters now is that he is treated for his current issues. Another option some vets offer is Care Credit. Normally I don't recommend taking on additional debt, but if you are able to use it then it gives you the option of spreading out the payments instead of coming up with the money all at once.
 
Did the vet say that he needed to eat all of the food before you gave him the insulin? Mine said just to give my cat about 1/4 of the food first. But then my cat is on Lantus, which is long-acting. You may actually ask around in facebook groups to see if anyone has any extra insulin. Often people have extra after their pets pass away. I think there is a forum here for that, too.
 
This is the link to our Supply Closet. People who have supplies to donate or sell post here. I'd also look on Craig's list for insulin. If your vet suggested Lantus or Levemir, many people here purchase their insulin from Canada. The cost is about one third of the price here.

Please let us know if you need help with assist feeding. You can get a food syringe at most pet stores or possibly from the vet. One additional suggestion re. getting your kitty to eat -- baby food. You want either Beechnut or Gerber Stage 2 which is only a protein and broth, no veggies. However, if ketones are appearing, it really doesn't matter what you are feeding your cat. What's important is getting your cat to eat. It doesn't matter if your kitty is eating ice cream -- the calories are what counts.
 
If he does not eat willingly then you may need to syringe feed him. If you have to do this then take some of the food and puree it with water to make it soupy. I found that using a small food chopper or even a coffee grinder helps to get it smooth enough to use with a syringe or medicine dropper. I usually only mix 1/4 can at a time. If the vet did not give you a syringe to use for feeding you can often find a large hole medicine dropper in the baby section of the pharmacy. The important thing is to get food into him.
 
This is all so wrong, your guilt is totally misplaced. While you are now in the best place possible for medical and financial aid there is a more human aspect we all contribute to. More than anything else if you stay here you'll find extremely compassionate people who are all volunteers, no one will snicker at you and there is no such thing as a stupid question.
Years ago and two sugar cats ago we had no idea why our young and otherwise healthy cat was climbing all over our dinner plates (no excessive urination or water intake but he was a very private cat) so a quick check up was in order. I was in my 50's then and we had nine cats along with a lifetime of other cats so of course I thought I knew it all. How arrogant could I be, the idea Nigel was diabetic didn't even occur to me. I had a vet whose dad was a vet who promptly showed me everything and more importantly why I needed these things. We cried for a day and then got down to business.
If you've had a cat for twelve years it means you love him and unlike so many other people he is not some disposable animal at the first sign of trouble. That you care enough to be here and admit a mistake so many of us have all missed is a sign of love and compassion. I cannot tell you how many people "advised" me that this was going to be too much trouble and maybe Nigel's time had come. I know people that spend more on expensive sneakers that they do on the cat they apparently love. Before I moved here 3,000 miles I was also advised that spending $300 to fly my cats here with me was a waste of money. Those cats lived to 17 and 23. I cannot imagine trying to have a conversation with two cats telling them moving all my furniture was fine but that their time had come. That is not love, it's the lack of value we put on things we claim to love until the going gets a little bit rough. The money can be an issue, luckily it never was for us, and with both cats their passing had nothing to do with diabetes.
None of this is medical advice but it shows me that no, none of this is your fault and it's nothing you should have seen coming. You're here now and you'll have a thousand questions but guilt and remorse have nothing to do with it.
Sorry for making this so long but there are two more things you need to read that will help you sleep better tonight.
The first is what we call the "Dear Mom" letter and it should be required reading for all new sugar cat caregivers.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/letter-from-your-kitty-to-you-during-this-time.131186/
The second is my story only but if you think you're feeling guilt have a look at this. It's the story of me being a super responsible cat owner and then this happens.
Read them both when you have the time, especially the second story, and then you tell me what it real guilt feels like. (It has a happy ending).
Welcome from all your new friends. :)
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/andy-back-home.221709/#post-2477405
 
I have just syringe fed him about a 1/4 of a teaspoon of recovery food. I’m going to give him about 10 minutes to see if he keeps it down and then give him more. He threw up after he got home from the vet, which might have been the stress but I don’t want to feed him a lot and have him throw it up.
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
What kind of insulin did they send him home with? What dose do they want you to give?

Hopefully the recovery food does the trick-- many cats find it very appetizing, so crossing fingers on that. Did they give him any meds, like an anti-nausea?
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It’s Prozinc insulin. They didn’t give him any anti nausea, although I’m sure it would be helpful. I just syringe fed him a little food and I’m seeing if he’ll keep it down before giving more.
 
Ketones can make cats feel nauseated and cats who are nauseated don’t feel like eating.
If he continues to not want to eat, an injection of cerenia or some oral tablets could make a bit difference.
The most important things to do when a cat has ketones is to make sure they are eating, getting their insulin and any infection or inflammation treated.
So getting as much food into him as you can without making him sick is really important.
Keep syringing small amounts often as he will tolerate it.
And I would mention the cerenia to the vet.
Have you started on the insulin yet?
 
Let's see how he does with the assist feeding. Sometimes, you just have to get them started and that perks them up. The fluids should also help make him feel better and flush out some ketones, and then yes, some Cerenia would definitely help so talk to your vet about that.

Did the vet suggest a starting ProZinc dose? How much does your kitty (name?) weigh?
 
You can also give Pepcid AC Original Strength to help with nausea. The generic name is Famotidine. If you get the 10 mg tablets you can give 1/4 tablet every 12 hours. The dose for cats is .25 to .5 mg per pound. So if he weighs around 10 lbs 1/4 tablet would be a good dose.

A lot of times when the cat becomes rehydrated and gets some food, that encourages them to start eating.
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
Let's see how he does with the assist feeding. Sometimes, you just have to get them started and that perks them up. The fluids should also help make him feel better and flush out some ketones, and then yes, some Cerenia would definitely help so talk to your vet about that.

Did the vet suggest a starting ProZinc dose? How much does your kitty (name?) weigh?
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She suggested starting him at 1.4 units. She wants me to bring him back in the morning to check on him.
 
General update, I’ve continued to try and syringe feed him. I just got a whole syringe in him, so I gave him his insulin dose, and also was able (with a lot of crying and panicking) to get him his fluids for the night. Now I plan to let him rest and calm down tonight, and I’ll be returning to the vet to get his levels checked and see how he’s doing.
 
Whoo-hoo! Congratulations on the food, fluids, and insulin-- that's a big deal! He'll need more food than that, but a whole syringe is a great start, and hopefully will help to make him start to feel better.

Give him lots of comfort and praise for putting up with all that, he's a good boy. Give yourself a treat too (chocolate, glass of wine, whatever), this is super-stressful for the caregiver.
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
Whoo-hoo! Congratulations on the food, fluids, and insulin-- that's a big deal! He'll need more food than that, but a whole syringe is a great start, and hopefully will help to make him start to feel better.

Give him lots of comfort and praise for putting up with all that, he's a good boy. Give yourself a treat too (chocolate, glass of wine, whatever), this is super-stressful for the caregiver.
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I should mention, since getting him home he’s actually gotten almost three syringes total, but I made sure to give him a full one before the insulin. The vet said obviously he needed to eat something, but since his blood glucose is so high (500 :/) anything he could eat would be okay.
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
How is he this morning?
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I woke up and it seems he ate the tiny amount of food I left for him. So I’ve added some water and heated up some recovery food and he’s eating it little by little. Right now my husband is feeding it to him off his fingers, lol. Once he eats at least what’s in his dish, I’ll get his insulin in him, and call the vet to get him checked out.
 
Dakotayocom said:
I woke up and it seems he ate the tiny amount of food I left for him. So I’ve added some water and heated up some recovery food and he’s eating it little by little. Right now my husband is feeding it to him off his fingers, lol. Once he eats at least what’s in his dish, I’ll get his insulin in him, and call the vet to get him checked out.
Click to expand...

:woot: :woot: :woot: !!!!

Eating on his own is wonderful at this stage! Such a good sign...
 
Do you plan on home testing? Also it would be helpful for you to fill your signature out
Your name/Cat's name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, type of food, any other health issues or meds? and a general location.
You'll also want to get a 2020 spreadsheet set up. Here is the link below to the information
We're very data driven here so the spreadsheet really helps us to help you!
Take a look at anyone's Spreadsheet and you can see it has the date, AMPS which is when you first test him in the morning, the next will be how many units you are giving
You will see columns that say +1 +2 +3 etc that is where you will put his BG number
For Example if you test him 2 hours after giving him his morning shot you would put that number in the #2 square, you would do the same thing for his PMPS shot PS means pre shot. There is also a column for remarks. You would want to get maybe 3 or 4 tests in if you can like a+2, +4, +6 then other times to fill in the blanks you can do a +3, +5, +7 for both 12 hour cycles. This is to see where the insulin is taking him in order to see how low he is dropping, if the dose might have to be decreased or increased.
This is to keep him safe. This is important because if you need help the members here can take a look at his spread sheet and see what is going on if you need help with his dose.
When increasing insulin we like to increase by 0.25 units at a time so you don't skip over the best dose
I know it sounds so overwhelming right now, it did to me in the beginning, but everyone here is so amazing with helping out.
Most of us use human meters such as the Relion Prime its $9 at Walmart and the test strips are about $18 for 100 strips.
Most vets use a pet meter and they are very expensive and the test strips are even worse
something like $55 to $70 dollars depending where you get them and you only get 50
You will most likely do a lot of testing in the beginning so the money does add up
If you have trouble setting up the spread sheet ask for help, like I did and someone will set it up for you.
Did you read the sticky about prozinc yet?
Ask as many questions as you want to, that's how you will
learn about everything like I did.
Everyone here is so awesome and helpful that I can't say enough about them
I'm glad Tomo is eating for you. Best of luck



http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ase-read-and-keep-bumped.222332/#post-2496623
 
Last edited:
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Do you plan on home testing? Also it would be helpful for you to fill your signature out
Your name/Cat's name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, type of food, any other health issues or meds? and a general location.
You'll also want to get a 2020 spreadsheet set up. Here is the link to the information
We're very data driven here so the spreadsheet really helps us to help you!
Take a look at anyone's Spreadsheet and you can see it has the date, AMPS which is when you first test him in the morning, the next will be how many units you are giving
You will see columns that say +1 +2 +3 etc

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ase-read-and-keep-bumped.222332/#post-2496623
Click to expand...
I think I will, I’m just currently trying to get through this week (I have another appointment on Thursday) and then I will figure out where we’re going from here. I definitely do not want to pay $30 everytime I need to get his BG checked, so I will likely have to home test.
 
Dakotayocom said:
Another update for everyone, just returned from the vet, he got his fluids for the day and his blood glucose was at 266... a stark contrast from yesterday’s 511!
Click to expand...

Sounds like he's feeling better!

Dakotayocom said:
I definitely do not want to pay $30 everytime I need to get his BG checked
Click to expand...

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Definitely cheaper to do it at home, yikes! Home testing is one of those things that has a steep learning curve at the beginning (those first few test attempts can be really frustrating, it feels like it will never work), but then once you get going it's a breeze. Not only will you save a ton of money, but being able to get that information about how he's doing really helps you feel more in control of the situation, and it's absolutely the best way to keep him safe while he's on insulin.
 
Dakotayocom said:
Another update for everyone, just returned from the vet, he got his fluids for the day and his blood glucose was at 266... a stark contrast from yesterday’s 511!
Click to expand...
Sorry about my post cutting off, something happened when I was writing and half of what I wrote disappeared , so take a look above I finished what I wanted to tell youyou, just saw his picture he is very handsome @Dakotayocom
 
You can learn to give the fluids at home yourself. I've done it for 2 different cats. Something else to ask your vet about.

Glad to read Tomo is eating on his own and his BG is down.

Did you get some keto test strips at the drug store? That way you can check for ketones at home. Or smell his breath and if it smells fruity, like an over ripe banana or some people think ketones smell like acetone (nail polish remover).
 
Deb & Wink said:
You can learn to give the fluids at home yourself. I've done it for 2 different cats. Something else to ask your vet about.

Glad to read Tomo is eating on his own and his BG is down.

Did you get some keto test strips at the drug store? That way you can check for ketones at home. Or smell his breath and if it smells fruity, like an over ripe banana or some people think ketones smell like acetone (nail polish remover).
Click to expand...
They actually did show me how to give fluids, and I did it last night, but it was very incredibly stressful for us so we were glad the vet did it for us this morning to give us, and Tomo, a break.
 
@Dakotayocom don't know if you saw the rest of this, what I posted above some how got erased
You will see columns that say +1 +2 +3 etc that is where you will put his BG number
For Example if you test him 2 hours after giving him his morning shot you would put that number in the #2 square, you would do the same thing for his PMPS shot PS means pre shot. There is also a column for remarks. You would want to get maybe 3 or 4 tests in if you can like a+2, +4, +6 then other times to fill in the blanks you can do a +3, +5, +7 for both 12 hour cycles. This is to see where the insulin is taking him in order to see how low he is dropping, if the dose might have to be decreased or increased.
This is to keep him safe. This is important because if you need help the members here can take a look at his spread sheet and see what is going on if you need help with his dose.
When increasing insulin we like to increase by 0.25 units at a time so you don't skip over the best dose
I know it sounds so overwhelming right now, it did to me in the beginning, but everyone here is so amazing with helping out.
Most of us use human meters such as the Relion Prime its $9 at Walmart and the test strips are about $18 for 100 strips.
Most vets use a pet meter and they are very expensive and the test strips are even worse
something like $55 to $70 dollars depending where you get them and you only get 50
You will most likely do a lot of testing in the beginning so the money does add up
If you have trouble setting up the spread sheet ask for help, like I did and someone will set it up for you.
Did you read the sticky about prozinc yet?
Ask as many questions as you want to, that's how you will
learn about everything like I did.
Everyone here is so awesome and helpful that I can't say enough about them
I'm glad Tomo is eating for you. Best of luck
 
Dakotayocom said:
They actually did show me how to give fluids, and I did it last night, but it was very incredibly stressful for us so we were glad the vet did it for us this morning to give us, and Tomo, a break.
Click to expand...
Its just like caring for a diabetic cat, just takes some practice to become comfortable doing it. One thing we recommend to reduce your stress while giving fluids, shots or home testing is to sing while doing it. It sounds crazy, but it is hard to be stressed if you are singing. Unfortunately, cats are very perceptive and if you are stressed, they also stress more. By reducing your stress, you also will reduce his stress.
 
Quick question, would it make sense to give Tomo electrolyte water instead of filtered water to help him out?
 
For Tomo, I wrote that in a big hurry and none of it was either meant as nasty or strictly medical advice. Almost all of us have had a cat get sick, sometimes very suddenly, and it's never a question of should we have known better. Cats get into garbage, puppies swallow batteries, kids swallow nickels (me). You're doing what you need to do and taking the great advice from the wonderful people here. You've loved Tomo for a long time and none of us have a crystal ball. I hope that makes sense.
Much love from both of us and our bunch of sleeping cats. Guilt is a wasted emotion.
 
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