Frecking out my cat may have diabetes. - Page 3

Eibhinn · 11-28-15, 12:35 AM

I have a senior kitty with chronic illness (thyroid for him). He used to absolutely despise going to the vet but after going regularly it barely bothers him. Cats are very territorial. Once they go to the vet often enough that they associate it as being part of their territory, most will probably calm down about the whole thing. It only took a few monthly visits for that to happen with ours. His medication also quickly became totally routine for us, although we are very hesitant to trust a sitter with him, as well. We had a friend whose cat had epilepsy. She would have seizures if her meds were off at all. She would trust my partner and I to care for the cat if they went away, but no one else. But she eventually found a reliable paid cat sitter to use if she was going to be gone more than a day or two because she didn't want to be an imposition. So that can also be an option. Not for us - our kitty gets sad and refuses to eat if left alone more than four or five hours. He's a weirdo, though. He also had fluctuations with appetite until he stabilized on his meds. Now he's doing really well.

Hope your kitty's health improves very soon.

afirmrose · 11-28-15, 08:27 PM

Louie is not eating anything. The vet told me to stop the injections and stick with the special food and see how it goes but he is not eating at all. the injections was making him too lethargic.

ETA: I started mixing his old wet food in with the new wet food and now he is eating.

Dorothy J · 11-28-15, 08:52 PM

I'm glad to hear Louie is eating! It's so stressful worrying about our fur kids.

kiwichick · 11-28-15, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afirmrose

Louie is not eating anything. The vet told me to stop the injections and stick with the special food and see how it goes but he is not eating at all. the injections was making him too lethargic.

ETA: I started mixing his old wet food in with the new wet food and now he is eating.

We went through this with Ted during the first few weeks - his body is just trying to adjust and stabilise. Try not worry - you have a few more weeks of this yet!

afirmrose · 11-29-15, 01:03 AM

He is not eating as mush as he needs to. Still very worried about him. It is like he is giving up.

kiwichick · 11-29-15, 01:43 AM

He's not giving up, he's ill. He's been ill without treatment for a while and now he is being treated it will take a few weeks for things to stabilise. This won't be sorted overnight. When you are ill (or at least for me) sometimes the last thing you want to do is eat. Be patient. We fed Ted morsels of chicken and white fish - things we knew he would have trouble resisting - to make sure he was eating something.

He will be ok. It's just going to take a while for him to feel better - and he doesn't understand what's going on. He will however be picking up on your anxiety so try not to stress, I know that is easier said than done. And talk to your vet, they will have seen this a thousand times - feline diabetes is so common.

Hugs!

afirmrose · 11-29-15, 11:53 AM

He is not eating the special food. I tried mixing in with his regular food and no go. Is there any other wet food out there that is good for him to eat?

kiwichick · 11-29-15, 02:49 PM

Hey Wendy - me chiming in again...

Ted has been diabetic for four years. I can't remember when we last tried to give him the 'special food' the vet recommended (think it was MD brand). When we researched feline diabetes online the one thing that came through loud and clear was to get him off dry food. So that's what we did. We went through a period initially of trying the prescribed food and he too refused to eat it. It became a rough period of seeing who could outlast whom. He on occasion would eat it but only if there was absolutely nothing else on offer and even then he would have to be starving - which we figured wouldn't have been doing him any good because of his glucose levels.

As I mentioned before, we went through a time of giving him fish and chicken (tuna in spring water out of a can was a favourite) just so we knew he was eating. We tried mixing the special food with his usual to try and entice him to eat but after doing more research online just ended up feeding him regular supermarket cat food, but only wet. When we lived in Australia he was on 'Felix' and now we are back in NZ he is on 'Whiskas'. They are just wet foods we pick up at the supermarket.

www.catinfo.org is a great website for nutrition advice for diabetic cats.

Two weeks ago he was at the vet for his 6 monthly check up (he's an old boy of 14) and the vet told us he had the most stable glucose curve she had seen in 20 years.

macska · 11-29-15, 02:53 PM

There is nothing new I can add only offering hugs from one cat mama to another.

cfwb · 11-30-15, 09:34 AM

Just offering my sympathies - I have a cat who is a picky eater AND who has food sensitivities, so getting him to eat the right thing is a challenge.

For health problems with my kitties, I have found great comfort and advice from this book: http://smile.amazon.com/Natural-Cat-...ew+natural+cat

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11-28-15, 12:35 AM
Eibhinn Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada	I have a senior kitty with chronic illness (thyroid for him). He used to absolutely despise going to the vet but after going regularly it barely bothers him. Cats are very territorial. Once they go to the vet often enough that they associate it as being part of their territory, most will probably calm down about the whole thing. It only took a few monthly visits for that to happen with ours. His medication also quickly became totally routine for us, although we are very hesitant to trust a sitter with him, as well. We had a friend whose cat had epilepsy. She would have seizures if her meds were off at all. She would trust my partner and I to care for the cat if they went away, but no one else. But she eventually found a reliable paid cat sitter to use if she was going to be gone more than a day or two because she didn't want to be an imposition. So that can also be an option. Not for us - our kitty gets sad and refuses to eat if left alone more than four or five hours. He's a weirdo, though. He also had fluctuations with appetite until he stabilized on his meds. Now he's doing really well. Hope your kitty's health improves very soon.

11-28-15, 08:27 PM
afirmrose Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Utah	Louie is not eating anything. The vet told me to stop the injections and stick with the special food and see how it goes but he is not eating at all. the injections was making him too lethargic. ETA: I started mixing his old wet food in with the new wet food and now he is eating. __________________ Wendy ----------------------------------------------- "Oxygen is free. Breath it in!" Jennifer Galardi DOTI Hip Hop Party "A 30-minute workout is just 2% of your day. No excuses." Clubz Lisa Shaffer 2013 10,000 Kettlebell Swing challenge completed.

11-28-15, 08:52 PM
Dorothy J VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Florida	I'm glad to hear Louie is eating! It's so stressful worrying about our fur kids. __________________ - Dorothy "You want to go into life feeling great, feeling strong, and as you get older, feeling even stronger!" Gin Miller

11-29-15, 01:03 AM
afirmrose Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Utah	He is not eating as mush as he needs to. Still very worried about him. It is like he is giving up. __________________ Wendy ----------------------------------------------- "Oxygen is free. Breath it in!" Jennifer Galardi DOTI Hip Hop Party "A 30-minute workout is just 2% of your day. No excuses." Clubz Lisa Shaffer 2013 10,000 Kettlebell Swing challenge completed.

11-29-15, 01:43 AM
kiwichick Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dunedin, New Zealand	He's not giving up, he's ill. He's been ill without treatment for a while and now he is being treated it will take a few weeks for things to stabilise. This won't be sorted overnight. When you are ill (or at least for me) sometimes the last thing you want to do is eat. Be patient. We fed Ted morsels of chicken and white fish - things we knew he would have trouble resisting - to make sure he was eating something. He will be ok. It's just going to take a while for him to feel better - and he doesn't understand what's going on. He will however be picking up on your anxiety so try not to stress, I know that is easier said than done. And talk to your vet, they will have seen this a thousand times - feline diabetes is so common. Hugs!

11-29-15, 11:53 AM
afirmrose Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Utah	He is not eating the special food. I tried mixing in with his regular food and no go. Is there any other wet food out there that is good for him to eat? __________________ Wendy ----------------------------------------------- "Oxygen is free. Breath it in!" Jennifer Galardi DOTI Hip Hop Party "A 30-minute workout is just 2% of your day. No excuses." Clubz Lisa Shaffer 2013 10,000 Kettlebell Swing challenge completed.

11-29-15, 02:49 PM
kiwichick Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dunedin, New Zealand	Hey Wendy - me chiming in again... Ted has been diabetic for four years. I can't remember when we last tried to give him the 'special food' the vet recommended (think it was MD brand). When we researched feline diabetes online the one thing that came through loud and clear was to get him off dry food. So that's what we did. We went through a period initially of trying the prescribed food and he too refused to eat it. It became a rough period of seeing who could outlast whom. He on occasion would eat it but only if there was absolutely nothing else on offer and even then he would have to be starving - which we figured wouldn't have been doing him any good because of his glucose levels. As I mentioned before, we went through a time of giving him fish and chicken (tuna in spring water out of a can was a favourite) just so we knew he was eating. We tried mixing the special food with his usual to try and entice him to eat but after doing more research online just ended up feeding him regular supermarket cat food, but only wet. When we lived in Australia he was on 'Felix' and now we are back in NZ he is on 'Whiskas'. They are just wet foods we pick up at the supermarket. www.catinfo.org is a great website for nutrition advice for diabetic cats. Two weeks ago he was at the vet for his 6 monthly check up (he's an old boy of 14) and the vet told us he had the most stable glucose curve she had seen in 20 years.

11-29-15, 02:53 PM
macska VF Supporter Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NJ	There is nothing new I can add only offering hugs from one cat mama to another. __________________ 12 marathons 2 ultra marathons (50k) PR: Mohawk-Hudson Marathon 3hr 40min "You finish when you are done not when you are tired." David Goggins

11-30-15, 09:34 AM
cfwb Join Date: Aug 2005	Just offering my sympathies - I have a cat who is a picky eater AND who has food sensitivities, so getting him to eat the right thing is a challenge. For health problems with my kitties, I have found great comfort and advice from this book: http://smile.amazon.com/Natural-Cat-...ew+natural+cat