Poorly controlled diabetic cat...

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Hi my 6yo male cat was diagnosed with diabetes about two months ago and we have been really struggling to get him stable. He has been on Caninsulin 5 units morning and evening for several weeks but I did a glucose curve on him yesterday and his blood sugars are all over the shop!

He started the day reading high at 25mmol, had his insulin and then in the middle of the day his blood sugar went too low 3.1mmol and I had to give him honey to get them back up (on advice from the vet) by 8pm he had gone back up to 20mmol again

Due to the hypo he had ystd the vet has told me to reduce the dose to 4 units morning and night but this morning his sugars are back to being in the 20s

I feel like we are not getting the balance right at all, he is on a high meat content, no grain dry food (Applaws) and Butchers Classic wet but tbh we have tried various foods and none seem to have made any difference.

I am obviously in close contact with the vet but just wondering if anyone has had any experience and words of wisdom for me!

Here is a picture of the trouble maker

[Lonecatwithkitten]

He might be better on the new Protamine Zinc insulin Prozin for cats. We always used to use Protamine Zinc for cats as it is a longer last peak of action, but then it was taken off the market. I have found Caninsulin a lente insulin much harder to stabilise cats with and am delighted I have a licensed Protamine zinc again.

[Vinorosso74]

I remember your cat was diagnosed as diabetic just after mine.
The nurses at our vets have said it can take a few months to get diabetes under control so maybe it might just take time? Ours was at vets on Monday for a fructosamine test and it was only a little bit higher than being under good control so they've decided to keep her on 3 units.
Have your vets done a fructosamine test at all? That can indicate overall control during the previous 3 weeks. Ours seem to find this very helpful.
He's a cute cat! Here's our girl....

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Hi thanks for the replies

Lone will ask the vets about that insulin, they did mention swapping his insulin to another one so it might have been that one possibly anyway. I certainly feel with this insulin there are too many peaks and troughs.

Thanks Vin our cats are similar! (Black and whites are the best obv ) He has had a recent fructosamine test which they said was slightly better than the previous one he had had, although still high. What food have you got yours on?

Am also worried as we are going away on holiday next week so he will be in the cattery which he hates at the best of times

[Vinorosso74]

Yes B&W cats are fab!
Our cat is on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic or Purina Hypoallergenic (of she goes off the RC one) as she had triaditis last year so needs to stick on a hypoallergenic diet.
Lots of cuddles for your boy before and after his cattery stay. Are the cattery staff used to insulin injections etc. We're lucky as our vets have a cattery at the back so ours stays there.
Interesting about the insulin Lone. May ask about that of we have any problems.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Have been checking his sugars again today for comparison and they have swung again between 29mmol this morning to 5.4mmol just now.

The lady at the cattery is really nice, loves cats which is good and is happy to do the injections but not to do the blood sugars which is fair enough I suppose. She will just have to take him to the vets if there is any problems.

Some of the cat forums I have been on and have been very anti any dry food but I really don't want them to go to wet only. Will have a look at those ones, my other cat has an auto immune condition so hypoallergenic would be good for her as well!

[Vinorosso74]

Yes, I've noticed a large anti dry food mood now. It seemed wet food was bad for teeth but ours isn't a fan of wet food plus she's a grazer so wet isn't great to leave out. She's seen a lot of vets in the last year and they've all commented on how good her teeth are so over thing is ok with her!
Our cat will be 14 later this year so she's not likely to change her tastes now.
Sounds like you have a good cattery for him. Enjoy your holiday!

[Fluffycloudland77]

There's a toothpaste for cats you can put it on their paws and they lick it off. It might help if he has to come off biscuits.

From memory, applaws is potato starch and meat.

You could try withdrawing dry between now and the holiday, if it is the potato starch it should calm down quickly.

It would in a human.

Failing that raw feeding might work, it'd be low carb.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Hi Fluffy I know it sounds a bit ridiculous but the thought of giving up dry food all together makes me want to weep and both mine are also grazers. I have dry down all the time and they come and eat when they want to.

I think I am more tempted to try a different insulin first (although will be after the holiday now) and if still having problems look at changing the food.

Am guessing raw feeding would be expensive? Also have a feeling if I put raw food in front of them they would like at me like this

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Dry food with no grain - Arden Grange do a couple my favourite is salmon and potato. This is also good for allergic cats as novel protein and carb sources for most cats.
As historically PZI insulin was always the best choice for diabetic cats as Lente has a variable effect in cats.
But cats are insulin resistant ( type 2) diabetics so many factors affect the sugars each day. Fructosamine is a much better indication of overall control than blood glucose curves as just stress can make a cats blood glucose sky high.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Thats why I have done the glucose curve at home as don't think it would be a true reflection if he were at the vets all day. He finds any change in routine stressful but is fine with me checking his sugars at home.

Will def enquire about the PZI insulin and will look into the foods again, thank you.

[Iknownuffink]

You could try your cats on frozen pre-made raw. It works out fairly cheap as the cat gets more nourishment per portion. Nice solid compact poo with little or no pong

Cats being obligate carnivores need a high protein low carb diet.

The only carbs they would get in the wild is in the stomach contents of their prey.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Humans get on better with some insulin so that might well be the case for him.

I'm a mean owner, you eat your fill and the plate gets taken away and put in the microwave so ginger can't nip in for a snack.

Dh is opposed to raw. He says it's not natural for cats to eat raw food.

[Iknownuffink]

Not natural????

It is not natural for them to eat man made biscuits as their main diet, if it was all the cats living in the wild would die off.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I know. He has no answer when I ask about feral cats cooking arrangements.

The cat disembowelled a baby rabbit on the lawn a couple of years ago, he seemed to know what he was doing.