He's pretty awesome, loves everybody including our very large rescue GSD Maggie (which was sort of surprising since he has never been around dogs of any size).

was diagnosed with diabetes at 16. It was very stressful for me because I was racked with guilt, not sure that I was doing the right thing by him, or merely being selfish in trying to keep him with me a little longer. My vet was very supportive. My cat didn't seem to mind the shots, and I worked hard to make sure he was happy and comfortable for a year after he started insulin. When the day came that he stopped eating, I knew the decision I feared the most had to be made.

All I can say is work with your vet to do what's best for your Calvin and love him for as long as you can. Best wishes to you both.

He's only 8 and our vet is optimistic. I'll just have to see how it goes, the worst part is not knowing if we caught it in time and if he will rally.

This may seem dire, but it isn't that bad. The hardest thing will be finding that sweet spot for insulin. My neighbor's 23 year old cat has been on insulin for three years now and is still doing well. Before they got the right insulin dose, it was difficult though. Her cat started having seizures when the insulin dose was too high, and that was traumatic for her but didn't seem to bother the cat, who would come out of them as if nothing had happened.

Giving the shots doesn't seem to bother the cat at all. The needles are very small and the dose is tiny. He doesn't seem to notice when he gets the shot. She found that it was easiest to give it to him when he was eating, because he loved his food so much that he didn't pay any attention.

You will have to have some testing to determine the dosage, and may have to tweak it, but you can do it. Good luck.

As long as I'm petting him he'll let me do almost anything, but if he starts tensing up I'll remember that.

Calvin's next appointment is Friday morning, hopefully we'll get good news.

Thank you

Her food is carefully measured, she gets her 2 nightly fishy treats were approved by her vet. Now that she is stable, 3 years out from her diagnosis, she is doing well. She gets bloodwork done 4 times a year. She never seems to notice when I inject her cause she is so focused on eating. Call around for the best prices on the insulin, I keep hers' in the fridge. ((Calvin& BMUS)). You can do this.

Our vet is 45 minutes away and worth the trip but if I can find a cheaper source for his insulin close by that would be great.

Thank you for your kind words.

Hugs to you and Kiralove.

I expect I'll have to change his diet and I want to be able to ask my vet intelligent questions about what's available.

Seems like a good resource, lots of other advice there about home glucose monitoring, etc.

He lived another five years, and only the last year was really difficult, because he was having problems staying hydrated and I had to give him subcutaneous fluids.

However, once he got used to me giving him his shot before meals, he was "okay, whatever" about it-- he knew dinner was coming.

Things to do:

Be sure he's on a grain-free food-- vet's probably already recommended one.
Do whatever it takes to keep him hydrated. Extra water bowls, change them out a lot to keep it fresh, or get one of those recirculating dishes.
Keep his claws clipped, and check his paws regularly for litter clumps, etc., help him keep them clean.

Other than that, just keep an eye on how he seems to be feeling, and consult the vet if something seems off.

Good luck!

helpfully,
Bright

I did it for my elderly cat Cecil, but after a few weeks I realized I was just prolonging the inevitable.

Thank you for the advice, I do change their water bowls several times a day. I figure if I wouldn't drink it they shouldn't have to.

Our vet is great and we increased the dose slowly, giving it several days to settle out and do blood sugar testing. we settled at a dose of 8 units twice a day and we give it to him 15 minutes after he eats. He is a found kitty and i'm not sure how old he is but at least 11. When you get the syringe use the smaller length (8MM) and gauge (31, the larger the number the smaller the needle) also use a smaller .3M/L syringe it's easier for doing the smaller doses. Walgreen's carries them 18 bucks a hundred.
He has gain the weight back and isn't drinking water like mad anymore. He is still a bit wobbly but getting better every day.

Sorry, time to go, my A.C. (antichrist) kitty has ascended the mobile kitty lounge........ Good Luck

We're going to have to test his sugar at home, Calvin doesn't do well at the vets.

I'll make sure to get the smallest needle for his insulin, he's so skinny now he's hypersensitive.

I'll know he's on the mend when he starts play-stalking Beaker, who always rewards him with a blood curdling scream.

He didn't mind.

I wish we had a sitter like you.

I gave him insulin shots twice a day for about six years with no serious problems. He barely noticed the shots, and his diabetes was pretty stable - I can remember only one occasion where we needed to make a major change to his dosage. He passed away at 16 from something unrelated (RIP, Teddy). It isn't as bad a situation as you might think. We managed just fine and chances are you will, too.

Calvin

If I can have even one more healthy happy year with him it will all be worth it.

And once had a diabetic cat. The shots are basically nothing. You can't feel them because the needle is tiny and it goes under the skin instead of in a muscle.

Once you get it under control, life expectancy can be the same as non-diabetic lifeforms.

{hugs} it's sooooo scary at first, but soon you'll find it's just a part of life.

ETA: Oh yeah, I use 6mm 32G needles... what that means is they are only 1/4 inch long and super tiny. See if you vet is ok with the HIGHEST gauge you can find (basically, as another poster said, the higher the gauge, the smaller the needle)

Right now Calvin's skin is super sensitive but he's very forgiving.

I'm scared I'm going to screw up more than anything, what if I miss a dose, don't notice a warning sign, etc.

Thank you.

Do not feed Calvin dry food. It is too high in carbs.

When buying canned food, check the protein level. You will see that it varies considerably. It can be low as 8%. Canned cat food with 11% protein include many types of Purina Pro Plan, Purina One, and Fancy Feast. Fancy Feast has gluten in it as does Purina Pro Plan. I have never been able to find how much of the protein is gluten, not meat based. Purina One seems to be better but also has some gluten.
One variety of cat food has 12% protein (can't remember) but my cats don't like it.

Oliver is the only diabetic cat of the three cats with me but I still try to feed them all the same stuff. The only difference is that he gets his insulin shot while eating.

Neuropathy and kidney disease often occur as a result of diabetes.

Oliver has had some neuropathy. He can't jump any real height any more and does not see as well as he used to.
I am grateful that he has not shown any kidney damage.

Calvin's a picky eater and loves to graze so finding the right food and convincing him to cooperate may be more difficult than getting him used to injections.

His eyesight and ability to jump have decreased too, and I just hope it's not too late to save him.

Thank you, Sanity.

Last edited Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:36 PM - Edit history (2)

Go to felinediabetes.com. Extraordinarily helpful folks and everything you need to know is there.

Main site: http://www.felinediabetes.com/
Forum: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/index.php

I recommend getting a blood glucose monitor and learning to test him at home. We use a ReliOn Confirm. It will give you a much better feel for how he is responding to the insulin. Also you want to cut carbs out of his diet as much as possible - Fancy Feast classics are an affordable option. Even prescription diabetes diets are not really what he needs - especially not anything dry. I believe the Purina DM canned is OK but no better than good old Fancy Feast classics.

My boy was diagnosed at the beginning of September and due to diet change and vigilant attention to glucose levels and proper insulin dosing... he appears to be going into remission. We are on day 5 of him not needing insulin at all. (His glucose is below 100 now.)

Seriously... check out the website I referenced. It was a lifesaver for us, maybe literally.

My best to you and Calvin.

We tried the Fancy Feast Classics and he seems to like the taste so I'm hopeful.

We're going to get a monitor next.

I hope your boy is in remission, I think it's too late to reverse Calvin's damage but the links and advice may just save his life too.

I know how you feel, I was totally freaked out and just overwhelmed at trying to absorb all this information the first couple weeks... then we settled into a routine. I was the same way, thinking "Oh god what if I do something wrong?"

It will become your "new normal" soon. We are on day 12 no insulin and my vets and everyone else are amazed. Blood glucose in the 50-80 range now. When I looked back, he was showing symptoms (increased urination, etc.) for at least year before he got diagnosed... I just wasn't as alert as I could have been. So who knows what will happen with Calvin. The good news is now you know, and can take care of him.

I know many cats live a long time with diabetes, even if they don't go into remission, with proper support and care. I feel so blessed at his apparent remission (I have some other ailing cats that also need attention) but am fully prepared to do whatever it takes to keep him healthy and happy. (And I can tell you are the same way with your Calvin.)

She upped his insulin and we're going to try a few other things. He did improve somewhat so we're hopeful.

Going back again Friday.

Thank you again, he seems more comfortable and happy today and that's huge.

It can be so draining taking care of ailing pets. I am so exhausted with worrying about making sure I do all the right things for my guys. Please make sure you also take care of you!!

:hugs:

regulate than dogs. What insulin are you giving?

I hope we can get him stabilized soon, I can't stand to see him struggle.

I was blown away by my dog's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. No cures or dietary changes would change the outcome so I was going to be nursing my dog with insulin and special care for the rest of his days which sounded like a huge issue and heavy responsibility. I know my dog would do anything for me and the feeling is mutual, so I just rolled up my sleeves and dealt with it. In the end it has not been nearly as difficult as I'd imagined and is now just a part of my routine.

I found that there were few dependable and appropriate food choices for diabetic animals. Everything seemed to have corn, potatoes, fatty meats and other carbs and fillers not good for diabetics. So I began making meals (a stew really) which was not only healthier with only the ingredients I knew were best for him, but much cheaper than the really high end 'pure' dog foods. If anyone would like the recipe I use which has worked really well for my dog, I'd be happy to share. But I'm also looking into supplements now which might assist and support these efforts and I immediately came upon fenugreek (for humas and animals who suffer from diabetes, among other things). I can't yet provide any anecdotal information because I'm just starting him on this. He's also a dog rather than a cat. But I highly recommend looking into it further.

Here's one link I posted above about fenugreek:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/fenugreek-a-food-and-a-me_b_868534.html

I will look into it, Calvin is so finicky just getting him to eat the canned food is a chore.

she is diabetic. She is also finicky. I think most cats are, especially compared to dogs. My first step was to take her off dry food as I think that is the primary culprit. I've given her fresh food when I can and canned wet food the rest of the time. At first I think I added
too much fenugreek powder into her food. She rejected it. Now I sprinkle smaller amounts and she's eating it. Again, no anecdotal information or results yet. I'm sure it will take some time. Best wishes to you and Calvin.

How are things doing?

I'm on my way out the door, so I haven't had time to read the other replies.

It took awhile to determine the correct insulin dose. I have fogged out, but I think that involved initially multiple trips to the vet and one or two days staying in there so he could measure the blood sugar level 2 or 3 times that day. That determines not only the dose but if once or twice a day shots are needed. Then we were okay except things needed adjusting once more later.

I understand rare cats have trouble stabilizing on a dose, but the word there is rare.

The only time my cat got into trouble was when the vet was out of town and a new assistant kept the insulin dose high. He went into too much insulin trouble, but Karo syrup rubbed in his mouth brought him out of it. At the vet's direction, I had bottles of Karo syrup even in the car.

It was a lot easier to deal with that I had feared.

Insulin shots are not hard to give either, surprisingly, your vet can show you how.

Good news is cats are less sensitive to diabetes damage than humans, so you can err on the side of low treatment for some time if needed.

As this is coming back to me, he was on insulin for several years, then didn't need it any more.