Diabetic Cat

Anyone out there have experience with caring for a cat that is diabetic? Last night we had to rush "the most handsome male in the universe" (my cat Picasso) to the emergency vet.

Yesterday morning he was happy, happy, roaming around and when I got home last night he was huddled under the bed in a state where he could not even stand up and could barely lift his little head.

I had his teeth cleaned last week and there were no problems and his blood sugar was not elevated then but the vet last night tells me his blood sugar is elevated now and that they want to keep an eye on him and that I may end up needing to give him daily insulin shots.

I'll know more when I call them at 5:00 today. But I'm curious, I've given insulin shots to people before (my mom was a severe type 1 diabetic), so the shots don't put me off. Though I am worried about how to feed him correctly and also how his interaction with our other cat will be now.

She has been slapping him around a lot lately - maybe it's because she noticed he was weaker and somehow I missed that. (She is a bit of a brat).

I'm really hoping that it's just a severe infection from the teeth cleaning, but I have a bad feeling that it's more than that and he has been odd lately.

I would be appreciative of any pointers or recommendations.

This is a picture of him, he is the black one.

I dont have experiance with diabetic cats, but i did have a hamster a few years ago that was diabetic. Most cases are treatable with oral medications or even specialized foods. Just be sure to check with your vet and a few others to make sure that you can give your cat the best quality of life, cause im sure those shots are painful >_<. Good luck

Thanks - I did not know that oral medication was available so I will ask the vet about that when I pick him up tonight (if I can, the vet hinted at wanting to keep him another night).

Not very many people do know since there is no oral treatment for diabetic humans. But their are a few i think the most commonly used is glipizide. I think it can have some side effects though if your cat has any other medical problems.

awww rose, your cats are adorable. a co-worker's cat just got diagnosed with diabetes. she said they do have to give it shots 2x a day. but as long as they give her the shots, she's pretty much normal. it just makes it difficult to go anywhere, since not many people are willing to cat-sit a diabetic cat. good luck, and hope she's ok!

My neighbor has a diabetic cat who is allowed to freely roam the apartment complex. She gets very, very angry if anyone feeds this cat.

Apparently she uses a specific diet -- I don't know exactly what it is, but regular cat food is not going to cut it (it's probably best to ask your vet what to feed him).

My brother's cat is diabetic. He gives her an insulin shot every day and she doesnt seem to mind it. He has been doing this for a couple of years now, so if u can deal with giving a shot a day, and deal with the expense, then its quite do able. Good luck!!! If you want any specific information, IM me when I am inworld.

I have a diabetic cat who gets insulin shots twice a day. Because you generally administer the shots in the scruff of the neck, the cat almost never even feels it. All things considered, it's probably easier than trying to feed your cat a pill.

For food he's restricted to Purina Diabetes Management dry food (he doesn't like canned food, but in general canned food is better for diabetic cats than dry).

I also do occasional home testing of his blood glucose levels (a standard One Touch Ultra or similar diabetic testing unit is used) which is a bit more difficult; it involves pricking the cat's ear to draw a bead of blood. He hates it, and it can turn into a battle of wills. Day-to-day I can tell if he's getting enough insulin by how much water he drinks.

Is you cat drinking/peeing a lot? This could be a sign he's diabetic and his body is trying to rid itself of excess sugar. Diabetic cats can also be afflicted with neuropathy, which manifests itself as a weakness in the hind legs; it's a side-effect that does improve with treatment.

My cat is responding very well to the insulin, which is particularly gratifying since he's beginning to get on in years (turned 14 in April). His name is Grendel.

My little guy has been drinking more water lately and now that you mention it, I have noticed a weakness in the hind legs (though he got his tail broken once and I initially attributed it to that).

Believe it or not, it helped me up a lot to read this - Picasso is only six years old and I am very concerned about him having a long, healthy life as a diabetic cat. Seeing that your little cutie is 14 makes me think we can manage this.

Glad to be of assistance. One of the most valuable resources for diabetic cat owners (more than one veterinarian has pointed me to it) is:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/

In the meantime, keep us updated on Picasso's status.

Thanks everyone for your information and support, I'm picking the little bugger up today and as it turns out he is not diabetic. They don't know what was wrong with him (which worries me a little), but his blood sugar has gone down, his fever has left and his white blood count is much better.

So Woo Hoo - I'm leaving now to go get him!!!

Great news, Rose. Probably just a bump in the road.

I'm glad he's doing better (and doesn't seem to be diabetic)!

I hope other cat owners will read this and remember that a diabetic cat can, with treatment, live a fairly normal life. Eleven years ago (when I still lived with my parents), our eight-year-old chinchilla persian was diagnosed with diabetes, and my parents put him to sleep. I argued that we could maintain his health with shots, but they thought the idea of giving a mere cat two shots a day was grotesque and absurd and had him put down.

On a related note, they encouraged me to have my bird euthanized when he sustained a serious beak injury, on the grounds that it would be a hassle to prepare him special food and that I should "start over" with a new bird. But this was my pet (not theirs) so I ignored their advice. He eventually recovered and is doing well, eight years later