Need some help with my cat.

[Spaniard]

I really should change my signature because he lost a lot of weight since we cut back his wet food intake. But I'm sure thats probably what led to this, he was always very healthy until then. Is there any other way to treat this or is it either A) I do the insulin or B)I put the cat to sleep....this is all killing me, just spent the last twenty minutes holding him while he purred and crying like a baby. This is so hard, he's such a good mush of a cat; but with work and school I don't know if I would be able to commit or afford it. Oh man...

[slartibartfast]

As I said before, a small percentage do well on m/d diet alone. At the minimum, start him on that right now and then work on getting the insulin regulated. A human glucometer will allow you to do a glucose curve at home, saving you money at the vet's. A glucose curve is where you take a reading right before you give the morning insulin, and then every two hours after that to see the highs and lows in his sugar cycle over the next 12 hours. You need that to be able to adjust his insulin accordingly.

It sounds complicated, but it's not that hard...just takes a while to find the right dose for them sometimes. If you'd like, we can talk on the phone about it.

If he's lost a lot of weight recently, it could be due to the diabetes kicking in...they stop being able to metabolize appropriately.

[Spaniard]

How often do you have to do glucose curves? I appreciate your offer with the phone but I'm in no shape to talk right now. Chronic sinus + crying=major face congestion issues. If you were me going to the vet what kind of questions would you be asking.

[slartibartfast]

The problem is that a lot of it depends on variables...how well he responds, how long it takes get him regulated, etc. Sometimes they can swing back and forth for weeks before you find a good balance. Too little insulin doesn't produce enough effect, and too much can send them into a hypoglycemic coma.

I would definitely want to see a curve done within a few weeks of starting the insulin. That curve will tell you whether you need to adjust the dose up or down. A cat is typically considered regulated if you can keep the blood glucose levels around 200, meaning that in the course of the day it may swing between 150 and 250. Over 300 and you're definitely not giving enough, under 100 and it means the dose is too high.

Unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to predict how a cat will respond to treatment...each case is different.

I would ask your vet what the odds are that this is transient diabetes secondary to pancreatitis (ask if they've checked amylase and lipase levels on the blood, if not this should be done), and I would get them to show you how to use a glucometer to monitor the blood glucose at home so you can check it yourself. It's definitely frustrating to regulate but it's very doable given time and money.

[Spaniard]

Well I had an appointment tomorrow to learn how to do the insulin injections but after a lot of thought and some tears I faced the facts. I realized that work and school were not going to allow me to have the commitment I needed to do this treatment. For the time being he's going on prescribed m/d cat food and in four weeks I'm going back in to check his blood levels to see how the diet has affected him. Buying my first round of food at the vet but I hope to find it on the net for less. If anyone knows any good sites let me know. I appreciate all the information and support everyone has given me. Cassandra thank you for sharing that experience it really helped me.