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Feline diabetes - Christchurch NZ

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Feline diabetes - Christchurch NZ

Support for diabetic cat owners. This is not a veterinary service, but I have many years of experience with my own diabetic cat. It’s time to give back.

It’s a topic that fascinates me and I’ve learned so much.

28/06/2022

We’d love our diabetic cats to go into remission. But it shouldn’t necessarily be a treatment goal because sometimes it just isn’t possible. Perhaps consider these as goals instead:

:: Blood glucose regulation and stabilisation
:: Stable, appropriate body weight
:: Good quality of life
:: Avoiding hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), ketoacidosis (cell starvation where fat breaks down to provide energy), or neuropathy (pain or damage to nerves)

🐱💜🐱💙

13/06/2022

Hi all - I've managed to source some supplies at a good price, and will be placing an order today. No mark-up added, just postage costs if you don't live in Chch and can't pick up..

BD syringes - $21.30 (box of 100)
BD test needles = $8.75 (box of 100)
Caresens pro test strips = $15.60 (box of 50)

07/06/2022

Is your cat on Lantus? If so, that’s a depot insulin. It’s important to understand some things about this in regards to dose adjustments.

Lantus thrives on consistency in dosing and timing. There’s a big difference in humans using Lantus and cats using Lantus. A cat's metabolism runs about twice as fast as a human. Lantus is one 24 hour shot for humans but a 12 hour shot for cats.

When injected, it creates small crystals in the fatty layer that slowly 'melt' over 2 to 3 days. Very little of any shot is actually 'used' during the cycle it's given. Each time a shot is given, the same small crystals are created and melt over that 2 to 3 days - this is the 'depot' or 'shed'. As seen by that explanation, it will take approximately 3 days to fill the depot.

Each time a dose is changed either up or down, the liver has to find a new 'balance' to use the available insulin.

So why is this important when we hold a new dose for a week or so?

The 'hold' period and the depot fill are separate things even though they're happening at the same time. The 7 to 10 day hold is to allow just a bit of time for the body to adjust to the new amount or, in the beginning, even just having insulin available again.

Some cats take longer to settle into a new dose. I found with Milly, it was around two weeks.

Patience is key - grit your teeth and ride out those wonky numbers following a dose change; get lots of mid cycle testing in and it’ll paint the picture of what’s going on.

04/06/2022

Have you heard of “bouncing” in a diabetic cat?

This can often happen when a cat is first diagnosed and starts out on insulin. The cat presents with high blood glucose, and the cat's liver has come to accept the high BG as "normal" over time. The liver does not know that normal range BG are from 2.8 to 8.3 and it must be retrained to accept normal range BG once again. When given insulin and the numbers start to drop considerably lower than what the liver "thinks" is safe, the liver responds by kicking out glycogen to bring the BG back up to a level the liver mistakenly believes is "normal". This usually happens around mid-shot, when the insulin has dropped the BG into lower numbers than the cat has been in for quite a while, and then by the time the insulin starts to leave the system, you might see much higher number than we started with at PS (pre-shot). The BG at nadir (insulin's peak action/lowest BG on the shot) is usually no where near low; rather it is simply a good amount lower than what the liver has come to "accept" as normal.

This is why testing is so important, and especially getting lots of mid cycle numbers to understand what’s really going on before any dose changes are considered. Such a fascinating and complex science!

09/05/2022

Welcome Karen and Harry. Harry is a 14 year old Tonkinese, and he’s starting insulin next week. We would love to see some photos of all of these cats!

🐱💙🐱❤️

09/05/2022

Welcome to Sarah and Louie! Sarah's doing a great job with Louie with regular testing, it can be a tough job getting those numbers under control. We look forward to seeing how Louis progresses...

08/05/2022

One in four diabetic cats may be resistant to insulin, and their diabetes might be caused by acromegaly. Your vet can test for this, and it can be treated. This is a really informative video on this topic. 💙🐱

08/05/2022

Happy Mother’s Day to all the cat mums. Have a fabulous day 💚🐱💜

05/05/2022

Have you heard of diabetic neuropathy? It’s a common complication in diabetic cats.

It affects about 10% of cats diagnosed with diabetes and usually develops after a few months of untreated diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy typically affects the femoral nerve (a major nerve in the leg), causing weakness of the legs and something called a plantigrade gait. You and I have a plantigrade gait - we walk on the soles of our feet. Cats usually walk on their toes. When they have diabetic neuropathy, cats often walk on their hocks or heels. Cats with this type of gait look a bit like rabbits - they just don’t hop.

Diabetic neuropathy is usually reversible with glycemic control through insulin therapy, diet, and healthy lifestyle.

05/05/2022

Welcome to Bronwyn and Jeddah; and Tracy and Millie. I’m looking forward to helping you with your cat’s diabetic journey 💜🐱💙🐱

~ Jo

03/05/2022

A lesson learned today about a diabetic cat:

Milly is becoming more vocal as she’s getting older, but overnight she drove me crazy with her meowing. When I tested her this morning, I realized the reason why - she’s really low at just 3.1 and would have for sure been even lower during the night. I think she was probably trying to tell me there was a problem.. plus that her food bowl was empty.

Lesson #1 - listen to your diabetic cat and act on unusual behaviours

Lesson #2 - test your cat before giving insulin. I’ve withheld insulin this morning based on that number.

02/05/2022

How did you discover your cat was unwell leading to a diabetic diagnosis?

For us, it started with pancreatitis.. then, within a week Milly was ripping off the tin foil trying to steal our naan bread 🙃

Her body was telling her she was starving due to not being able to process her food in the right way anymore.

22/01/2022

I have created this page to support cat owners in Canterbury (and further afield) who have diabetic cats.

My cat has had diabetes for seven years and has been in and out of remission during this time.

It’s a scary prospect when first diagnosed, and I’d love to give back and help provide support where I can.

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Christchurch

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