Diabetic cat - any experiences?

[Sparrowlegs248]

Background - adopted this cat from CPL a October last year. He is about 10 and previously had a thyroidectomy. Was in good health. Has just been diagnosed as diabetic - took him to vets due to weight loss and hind leg weakness.

He's been started on insulin, one week of 1.5ml twice a day, upper to 2ml twice a day after a week. He had a glucose curve Friday and will have another this Friday to check levels.

He has improved from pre insulin (vet initially thought he was in pain with legs, i didn't and took him back requesting blood tests as he was deteriorating fast) but is in no way back to his old self.

My questions are, once he is stabilized, will he get back to normal?

What about diet - vet suggested royal canin diabetic food. Royal canin nutritionist said normal food would be fine if he is on insulin. Vet said NO extras. Have read up online that a high protein diet is needed and chicken is fine......

Is it going to be a downward progression from here or is he likely to be ok?

Just looking for other experiences really as not 100% confident in the vets. (sent him in for glucose curve with two needles for two shots of insulin - he came home with one un used. Also, he has ad lib crunchies during the day, they had obviously only given him a tiny few for breakfast.)

Thanks in advance.

We had an elderly cat that developed diabetes, to be honest, she never really rallied, we had her for a good few months on insulin but her sugar levels were not under control and eventually we had to have her pts. In hindsight we should have been a little more assertive with the vet and done the deed sooner than we did as her last few weeks were pretty miserable I think.
Sorry it's not a more positive story, she was much older than your cat (15) and was looking elderly and frail even before the diabetes.

Cats are tricky diabetics as unlike humans and dogs they can be diabetic today and not tomorrow. Are you using the vetpen to administer insulin as it makes storage, dosing and administration much easier than vials and syringes.
Having said that the vast majority of diabetic cats do, do very well.

Regarding the needles when in for a glucose curve we would use from our own stock and would use a clients needles as it would be double billing.

Thanks for the responses. I can't find a great deal of useful info online.

They asked me to take in my own insulin and syringes so i wasn't charged extra (which i wasn't) that's what I did. One for each dose.

Its a worry re feeding as everything i had read is for overweight cats, and he is NOT overweight, he hs lost weight and needs to regain some. The diabetic food is law calorie.....