OK - so not really a nursing question, but with so many people here, maybe someone out there will have some answers!
Does anyone have any experience with diabetes and cats?
My neighbour's cat has just been diagnosed with diabetes. She is giving him insulin shots once a day. She is dealing with that OK. Her biggest challenge is the litter box.
The cat is still drinking lots and of course, peeing lots. Adn the litter box smells horrible!
I've told her that if it is like human diabetes, this should improve over time as the diabetes gets under control better. Is this accurate?
Any experience out there with this?
Thanks!
PS - I'm cat sitting this weekend - have to go over and give the shots once a day - and I'm nervous! Crazy, eh? I can give shots to people but am nervous about giving a little cat a shot! :)
1 - The cat is being followed by a vet. He was only diagnosed 3 weeks ago so things are still being looked at.
2. My friend did try the twice a day shots but was finding it too difficult to get the second shot done on time due to work obligations - she lives alone so there was no one else around to help out. The vet recommened the once a day shots.
3. She hasn't been testing the sugars yet - I'm not sure why. Like I said - its my neighgour's cat, not mine.
>>that wouldn't even begin to address how I was going to deal with my neighbor
I'm not sure what you mean by this. My neighbour has only had this cat for a little over a year, although he is 9 years old. He started losing weight when she first got him, but thought it was because she wasn't giving him as many treats as previous owners - and as he was very overweight when she got him, no one was worried. When she mentioned to me a little while ago that he had been drinking more, peeing more and was losing more weight, i suspected diabetes and she brought him to the vet the next day. She has done nothing wrong and is doing everything she can to keep this cat healthy. I am asking questions here to help support her. As for cost - she is aware that this disease will cost her extra money but is trying to find the money to continue to keep the cat.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
I hear what you are saying and I feel badly for the cat. I am advocating for the cat. I, personally, wouldn't accept that it is too hard to give the kitty the two insulin shots a day. I'd find a way to get it done. I would be upset beyond belief if I were in your situation. I would immediately offer to make sure this cat gets its two shots of insulin every day. I'd adopt the cat if that is what it would take. What I meant by how I would deal with my neighbor is that I would get the cat taken care of and see how she reacted to that when she returned. But if this is a new diagnosis I know from my own cat's experience that it takes time to get the treatment adjusted.
Definitely have her check out the message board at felinediabetes.com like any board there are quite a few very knowledgeable folks and a few fruit loops, lol, but all in all they know the ropes. They often have free blood glucose meters available. Sady many vets don't advocate hometesting but again there are veterinary journal articles supporting it. If she starts hometesting she would be better able to tweak his shots in the cases of when she isn't home from work on time etc. but again he most likely needs two shots a day and his urinary issues won't resolve until he is regulated. It truly doesn't have to cost very much more than a healthy geriatric cat would if she hometests and gets him regulated. Here is a link to frugal feline diabetes:
I am and have been a licensed veterinary technician with lots of experience in emergency and critical care...Cats with diabetes is very common... To the nurse that gave the insulin and said her cat went into a coma... did you give the insulin and then food and then leave, had she been eating ok?? We used to "revive" comatose diabetic cats all the time... There are some very good diabetic cat foods that are prescription and available from your vet. we had alot of clients check glucoses with a ear prick on a glucometer or urine dipsticks... Glucose curves are essential when trying to get the insulin correct and monitoring their eating habits is also important... just giving the insulin twice a day is asking for trouble. Regulating the diabetes when first diagnosed is really the hard/expensive part and careful monitoring of behavior is important...you know your cat better than anyone...
Definitely have her check out the message board at felinediabetes.com like any board there are quite a few very knowledgeable folks and a few fruit loops, lol, but all in all they know the ropes. They often have free blood glucose meters available. Sady many vets don't advocate hometesting but again there are veterinary journal articles supporting it. If she starts hometesting she would be better able to tweak his shots in the cases of when she isn't home from work on time etc. but again he most likely needs two shots a day and his urinary issues won't resolve until he is regulated. It truly doesn't have to cost very much more than a healthy geriatric cat would if she hometests and gets him regulated. Here is a link to frugal feline diabetes:
Wish her my best and give him a head-butt from me.
Thanks Jules - she is feeling very overwhelmed right now but giving it her best effort. Her last cat turned wild on her and she finally had to give it away to someone on a farm and that really hurt her - this cat was bringing home dead things, then moved on the bringing in life things and ripping their heads off in front of her. Just got to be too much for a condo so she brought him to a farm where he could live in a barn and hunt mice! But with that in the past, trying to deal with another cat crisis is difficult! However, I just popped over to check on Moby and he's looking good so I think we are on the right track. Just need to fattened him up now! (boy I wish someone would say that to me...)
Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN
1,790 Posts
Thanks for all teh great advice!
in answer to some questions:
1 - The cat is being followed by a vet. He was only diagnosed 3 weeks ago so things are still being looked at.
2. My friend did try the twice a day shots but was finding it too difficult to get the second shot done on time due to work obligations - she lives alone so there was no one else around to help out. The vet recommened the once a day shots.
3. She hasn't been testing the sugars yet - I'm not sure why. Like I said - its my neighgour's cat, not mine.
>>that wouldn't even begin to address how I was going to deal with my neighbor
I'm not sure what you mean by this. My neighbour has only had this cat for a little over a year, although he is 9 years old. He started losing weight when she first got him, but thought it was because she wasn't giving him as many treats as previous owners - and as he was very overweight when she got him, no one was worried. When she mentioned to me a little while ago that he had been drinking more, peeing more and was losing more weight, i suspected diabetes and she brought him to the vet the next day. She has done nothing wrong and is doing everything she can to keep this cat healthy. I am asking questions here to help support her. As for cost - she is aware that this disease will cost her extra money but is trying to find the money to continue to keep the cat.