Maura, I do not think it is the end of the world to find out your cat has feline diabetes. Here is a fantastic website where you can find very good information about this condition:
http://felinediabetes.com/

Take some time to go there and read about feline diabetes.

I'm sure your old girl has been a good companion to you and could still be for a few more years.

Take care,
Anicée

Anicee,

It was after visiting various web sites, including the one you posted, and after reading about all that is entailed in caring for a diabetic cat, that I posted my inquiry here.

Without getting in to details, as I stated, I cannot accommodate the needs of a diabetic cat. I know it's not the end of the world. However, after reading about feline diabetes the owner's personal and financial commitments, I also recognize that I cannot fulfill the necessary requirements beyond dietary changes.

But thank you for taking the time to respond and for providing the link.

Maura

Just to get it out of my system, and because they are your own words, yes, you do sound harsh and irresponsible. Diabetes is a largely preventable disease, and now that your cat has contracted it under your care, you are refusing to treat it. There's just nothing right about this scenario.

I am sensitive to this issue because I have a houseful of cats who I have set up to potentially develop diabetes through my own irresponsibility. I overfed them, and now I am working diligently to bring them all back to proper weight before the inevitable health problems (including diabetes) raise their ugly heads. One of my cats has already had a diabetes scare, and that is what finally slapped me hard enough to make me turn things around here.

Two things of which you need to be immediately aware -

1) Diabetes can be misdiagnosed in cats (as it was in mine). If a cat is under extreme stress and/or in pain (both of which were the case with my cat), the blood glucose level can rise substantially. Blood taken at that time will indicate diabetes where no true diabetes exists. That's not to say that your cat isn't diabetic, because she certainly may be. Her excessive drinking and urinating are common symptoms of diabetes, so her diagnosis may very well be correct.

2) Diabetes in cats can spontaneously go into remission. Assuming your cat is overweight, there is a possibility that if you can take the extra weight off of her, her diabetes may go into remission, and she may possibly live a long, healthy life with no diabetic treatment. Of course weight loss in cats is tricky business. It must be done slowly and gradually, or it is possible to irreparably damage the liver. It's also possible that weight loss may not be enough to bring your cat's diabetes into remission, or that the untreated diabetes may do serious physical damage to your cat's body before you can bring her weight within optimal range. Still, if you're not willing to treat the diabetes, and your cat is currently not in any physical distress, weight loss is your best course of action for her and has the possible potential to save her life.

Remember, you are responsible for this soul's life, like it or not.

Laurie

Maura, I just wanted to share my viewpoint with you FWIW. I suspect you are feeling overwhelmed at present.

I have a cat who was diagnosed with hyperthyroid and kidney disease about 2 years ago. When we got the diagnosis, many of the first thoughts I had were about affording the higher cost of vet care as well as having to endure the physical and emotional aspects of dealing with a sick cat. We had a 6 week old human baby at that point and money is perpetually tight for us.

I approached her illnesses with a mentality of taking it one step at a time and seeing how it went. I was a mess when I had to learn to stick a needle under her skin to administer subcutaneous fluids- I hate needles, but I managed this for her. Initially she was having to go to a lot of vet appointments for medication adjustments, check ups, to teach me how to treat her, etc. The costs were a bit overwhelming at first, as was dealing with the day to day hassles of a sick cat.

Here we are 2 years later and I'm glad we have done as much for her as we have. Her quality of life is normal and we've adjusted her care into our daily routine. I've learned a lot about her illnesses over the time and have implemented much of what I've learned, adding supplements to her diet, changing her diet to better suit her needs (and getting her off expensive RX diet).

Based on my experience, I'd encourage you to consider giving your cat a trial run to see how she and you both fair under the circumstances. Life is entirely too precious, once she is gone, she is gone. Don't let her go without a reasonable fight. I thought the finances of this cat's diseases would be too much, but we have squeezed them into the budget while being forced to squeeze other things out. She will only be here for a couple more years and I realize that after that time, I will be glad that we gave her the long, quality life that we did. Don't get me wrong, we cannot spend willy-nilly on this cat, but we can make sure that we do the routine things that guarantee a quality of life for her. Nothing about the diseases my cat has, or the one your cat has, is questionable. The treatment is pretty solid. If it is not going well after a month or two, you can readjust the direction you choose to go.

Good luck. Sorry your cat is not well.

A cat who has untreated diabetes will - sooner or later - become depressed, vomit, breathe more rapidly than normal, stop passing any urine at all, and will eventually go into a coma and die. If he gets too much insulin or doesn't eat enough food, his blood sugar could dip dangerously low levels (hypoglycemic shock), causing seizures and even death.

Diabetes is a brutal disease for cats, and leaving it untreated is not an option. That said, the treatment doesn't have to be expensive and time consuming. The first thing I would do is look into drastic changes in the cat's diet. I assume you are feeding a regular kibble. Most cat foods have tons of grain in them for fillers. The excess carbs from these grains is thought to be one of the primary causes of the increase in feline diabetes over the past few decades. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they are meant to eat all meat. What we force our cats to eat instead is literally slowly killing them. Consider a grain-free kibble or a raw diet before making any other decisions. I personally know of two cats who were previously insulin dependent (and whose owners were told they would be for life) and who are now living normal, healthy lives on grain-free diets. Isn't it worth a try?

When Noddy had his diabetes scare, I switched all of my cats to a low-carb, grain-free diet. I now feed a small amount of Innova Evo dry cat food at the morning meal, and Wysong Au Jus Beef, Chicken, or Turkey canned food at the evening meal.

Another low-carb, grain-free dry food is Wellness Core, but I can't find a supplier for it in my area.

Laurie

My cats insulin costs about $20 every 4 or 5 months. His low carb food is actually cheaper than the food he was getting before.

If treated, your cat could live happily for years. If not, she will probably go downhill fairly quickly. One of our cats was diagnosed last year, she has asthma and had been on steroid shots for years. The diagnosis and necessary care initially seemed daunting, but it is much, much easier than I thought.

She needs a shot once every 12 hours, low carb, no grain food (as mentioned by several posters above), and occasional testing. The expenses are not nearly as bad as I thought. We have to use PZI insulin and the cost is approx. $10 per month. That's cheaper than our newspaper subscription. Each syringe can be used several times (as per our vet) and are not expensive either. We attempted at-home testing, but she did not tolerate this at all, so we go in every 8 weeks or so and the test costs us approx. $12.

I really hope you will change your mind and give your cat a chance.

All,

I don't have time to post a thorough response at the moment (running out for carpooling assigment) but I wanted to let you know that I just returned from the vet with insulin and food, and had a lesson on how to administer the insulin. My cat will begin treatment tonight.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories.

I am very, VERY glad that you have decided to treat your cat for diabetes. You will see that it is not nearly as daunting a task as you imagine it to be, and I know that you will feel much better about providing the care your cat needs.

Please, though, BEFORE you give the first shot of insulin, make sure you have a bottle of clear Karo Syrup in your kitchen cabinet. It is critically important, esp. during this initial treatment period when insulin adjustments may need to be made, that you have Karo on-hand to immediately treat hypoglycemia, if it should occur. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) poses a much greater and more immediate risk to your cat's life than does high blood sugar, and it can occur if your cat receives more insulin than her body needs or if she has not eaten sufficient food before the injection. Make sure you read up on hypoglycemia on the diabetes websites so that you are familiar with the symptoms and the appropriate corrective measures.

My housemate is diabetic and has experienced hypoglycemia, so I am familiar both with the symptoms and the potentially fatal outcome if not immediately treated. As a result, I watched my cat, Noddy, very carefully after every insulin injection to make sure he was OK. He had only been getting insulin injections for a couple of weeks, so I would check on him every 15 mins for a couple of hours after each injection; I'd just go into the room in which he was napping and talk to him so that he'd wake up, lift his head, and look at me. One morning on one of my checks, he was unable to lift his head and could only utter the weakest of mews. He was barely conscious. I ran for the Karo and started rubbing small amounts of it onto his gums until he regained full consciousness and was able to stand on his own. Then I fed him. He recovered from the hypoglycemia pretty quickly, but it sure was scary to find him in that condition.

Make sure your cat eats a hearty meal right before each insulin injection. If your cat doesn't eat or eats very little, don't give the insulin until she does. And if you notice your cat looking a bit wobbly, spacy, or non-responsive after an insulin injection, rub a little Karo into her gums first, then give her an extra meal. Remember that hypoglycemia is a life-threatening, emergent condition that requires immediate care, but it is easily reversed if caught in time. Just make sure you always know where your Karo Syrup is.

I really don't mean to frighten you, but hypoglycemia is more likely to occur in cats who are just beginning insulin treatment, and you need to know how to handle it quickly if it does occur.

Your girl will feel much better when her blood glucose is under control, and so will you. You're doing the right thing.

Laurie

I might also add, my cat is so used to getting his needle that he won't eat until he gets it. If I put the food down he just stares at me and meows until I give him the needle, then he starts to eat. My wife cried for the first couple times she had to give him the needle. I'd tell her it can't hurt that bad and it'll make him feel better in the end.(We use almost the smallest needle possible). Now she just grabs him and jabs him, and everyone is fine. lol

Timbulb brings up a good point. Cats can be better patients than humans. I never had a diabetic cat, but have had CRF cats who eventually needed twice daily sub-q injections. My late cat Max (who lived for 2+ years after being diagnosed)would actually jump up on the 'treatment area' chair when he heard me preparing the bag. He would just hang out and purr for the minute or so it took to get the fluid into him.

The diet issue is a very important one. Dry foods contain more carbs than any cat should eat, much less a diabetic one. And try to stay away from any food (canned or dry) that contains soy protein...not good for people...worse for cats. Hopefully the food your vet recommended contains 'human grade' animal protein as its primary source.

LF

I had a cat that was the love of my life he turned 11 in September 2014. I noticed he was drinking and urinating great volumes in February 2014. I brought him to our vet and they took his blood sugar level and it was 480. They sent me home with a script for insulin and told me cats can go into remission and it may be possible if he lost some weweight. They never recommended an at home glucose testing kit and when i asked they said they didn't recommend them to pet owners 2units of insulin wouldn't hurt him and if he seemed sluggish to rubb maple syrup or honey on his gums. Optimistic that my love for this cat would be enough to save him I truly believed he would go into remission. Come end of April went from 17lbs to 14lbs and it seemed he was no longer symptomatic. I brought him back to the vet and they said he went into remremission. I stopped insulin continue him on special md diabetic food the vet told me to give him. September I went away for a week i wish i didnt because when i returned he was skin and bones ketoacidosis i suspect. I brought him back to the vet he weighed 10lbs at this time. they said he was diabetic again and recommended 1unit insulin with meals... November 2014 He had a violent hypoglycemic seizure I ran him to emergency animal hospital paid 3000 to save him. He was in recovery and observation 24hrs. When he came home he continued to have mini seizures or trimmers for 3weeks. Then they stopped and i finally got my stupid vet to give me a glucose monitor everytime i took his blood his sugar was 83 the kit said 100 to 150 was nomal. I thought finally maybe he might be in remission again and he will be better. Dec 2014 He started having anal leakage i thought he had anal gland infection or just fullness. But when i bought him to the vet they said he lost control of his bowels and it was time to put him down he suffered enough. I listened after being left in a room crying for almost 2hrs with my two yr old and my now 7lb cat. Dec 19th 2014 will be a day i regret for the rest of my life as the day i put my best friend to sleep even though he had no organ failure his sugar was normal he stopped seizing and he could have just had diarrhea dehydration or even possible infection. Moral of the story get informed before its to late, get a vet that understands feline diabetes, feed them wet food low carbs, and try to do all you can not to live with regret.

OP so good to hear from you! You did good - I can tell that she was a loved cat by the love shining back on that sweet face. My sympathies - I know what its like to lose an old girl ... they become such a part of your life.

Fwiw, if anyone out there is on the fence about starting a diabetic cat on insulin..... one thing I don't think was stated above was just how easy giving the ishots are. These are very thin, fine needles, not the big honkin ones for vaccinations. With my diabetic cat, I was so worried about hurting him that I tested the needle on myself and literally it was just like a little mosquito bite. Then what often happens is the cat learns pretty quickly that the insulin makes him feel better and they learn to associate it with dinner time - so when its shot time often its the cat who is going to their human and asking for their shot.

I'm glad you posted a followup Maura! You did well.

I am going on year two with my diabetic cat. I am still overwhelmed at times since he has been so hard to regulate--up and down, up and down. The expense is much greater now than it was in 2008 when Maura just posted. I am about to take the training to learn how to regulate at home but now that adds the problem of the ear prick. It does seem like a lot. My cat has been ill with one thing or another since he was 7. He's now 16 and it is amazing he's still alive.

Maura you lived with a diabetic cat for many years. Did you test blood glucose at home?

Yeah - good to see this thread again - that is one lovely cat - rest in peace Rosie girl!

Cassandra - you've probably been to http://www.felinediabetes.com but just in case you haven't (or for other readers) the FDMB message board is by far the most wonderful, loving on-line communities Ive ever been a part of - back when I had a diabetic cat about 12 yrs ago. There is so, so much info there. I learned to test Basil's BG at home and someone from the forum it turned out lived only 3 blocks away from me and spent an entire Saturday with me walking me through how to do it.

I had an awful time of it - unlike the very fine syringe needles used for the insulin which they hardly notice, the ear pricks are a lot more noticeable for the cat and there's a trick to restraining the cat in such a way that he doesn't freak out but still is restrained enough so you can get a good blood drop. Basil fought at first but eventually.... it was kinda like he decided "I don't understand and I don't like it, but Ill let you do it."

Things that help - warm his ear with a warm washcloth or rice bag heated gently in a microwave - he loved that! I would massage his ear and entire head with it. The heat expands the blood vessels to give a better sample.

Also, have a specific place set up where you do this - and end with a treat. This helps the cat understand its just a procedure with a beginning or end and that when he's not in that room, or spot, he's safe from being pricked.

Sadly, I never got my boy well regulated - I do think now he had pancreatitis from an earlier car accident which makes for notoriously irregular BG's . And another thing we're up against - there's no cat insulin available - only insulin made for people - so when you try to use it on a cat its hit or miss.

With a lot of cats though you can find the right dose AND the right insulin, and the cat goes on to live many happy healthy years - your doing the BG curve more regularly will a) give more accurate readings without cat being stressed from being in vets office and b) will allow you to get a more accurate picture over time about what effect the insulin is having - whether the cat would be better off with a short acting or longer acting insulin, etc. and allow you to tweak dose more precisely - perhaps more in the am, less in pm - however it works best.

All the best!

Thanks Kasha. I am just dreading this. The upfront expense is high. But I also just can't keep running back to the vet every couple weeks with a new spike in his BG. Funny, the cat in question is also named Basil. He will HATE having his ear pricked. I wish I knew why I was being so resistant to doing this. I'm just feeling very tired and overwhelmed from nearly 9 years of Basil's ongoing illnesses.

HI THERE FIRST OFF I GOTTA SAY I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL AND WHY.

AS JUS LAST WEEK I FOUND OUT MY MALE TABBY WHOS AROUND 11 HAS DIABETES AND WE CONFIRMED IT BUT, BESIDES THE FACT YOU HAVE TO PAY 300$ EVERY 3 MONTHS AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING CHANGES EXCEPT TREATS ECT..NOW I WANT TO LET MY CAT KEEP ON EATING BUT I FOUND SOME VERY GOID DRY FOOD FOR DIABETIC CATS , AND UNTILL THERE LETHARGIC I WOULDN'T WORRY SO WHAT IF SHES MORE THIRSTY. IVE BEEN READING HOW IT CAN BE HANDLED BY A GOOD DIET!

❤❤ NOW THERES PEOPLE WHOM I KNOW THAT WILL TAKE YOUR GIRL ÀND TAKE OVER , YOU CAN SEE PICTURES BUT THATS IT.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT THIS LADY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT SHE JUS LOST 1 OF 3 OF HER CATS AND SHES WANTING MY SAMMY, BUT NAA AT THIS POINT ILL PAY THE 300 IF WE NEED TO USE IT IS ANOTHER STORY I HOPE. GOD

My mom is 91 years old and has 2 cats. Both cats are very over weight. Both cats are drinking alot of water and peeing excessively. One actually peed on her walker., and vomits because she eats to fast. We suspect diabetes. Are making a vet appointment soon. My issue is that my mom cant administer shots due to shaky hands and neuropathy. I cant be there everyday to help her with shots. Im at a loss, she loves these cats, and i dont want her to come home and find a deceased cat.

Dawn

I hope all the cat with diabetic in this post are doing well