It's a pity that I didn't have such a good guide at the time when my cats were sick. They didn't have diabetes, but I was completely confused, and the veterinarians said diametrically opposite things. And it was very difficult to give the injections.
It is so good that this article describes the instructions for injections and special care in such detail! I hope that this wonderful article will be useful to owners of cats with such needs.
K, this is excellent information for those with diabetic cats, and you are an inspiration for all of us who care about our felines. Your love for Mosi helped her through it all. 🐾💕
Thank you so much, Louise. I had so many questions when I was trying to help Mosi and was afraid of making a mistake and frustrated at not having as much guidance as I wanted. It can be very lonely, and few people understand why you would not want to go on vacation or need to stop what you are doing mid-day and return home to check on your cat. If my essays help even one person feel more seen and less alone, or give even one good idea on what to do, then I am happy.
Mosi had many lovely years, while suffering from diabetes thanks to you! Great work for a unique kitty!! The essays are inspiring for many people in similar situations. Thanks 🙏.
Great article! It's amazing how well cats do once a treatment regimen is set. Having a great vet a and doing your homework about feline diabetes can make a world of difference. I also had help and support from a feline diabetes support group in Facebook. Many knowledgable people there to help along with great resources.
My cat, Scout, developed diabetes and end-stage kidney disease quickly followed. As a feline nurse, I recognised the symptoms of polyuria/polydipsia (PU/PD) or peeing too much/drinking too much. Of course diabetes or kidney disease were the first things I thought of. At the vet’s his sugars were off the scale and he was put on glargine (insulin) Sadly he wasn't a candidate for the new oral hypoglycemic drugs like Bexacat. So two jabs/day plus earsticks. He took it all quite well. We did use CGMs (continuous glucose monitors—we used both the Libre and the Dexcom) as they helped cut down on earsticks. And the going-low alarm is great. We caught a few hypoglycemic episodes via the CGM—confirmed on earstick. They are great tools and cats don’t seem to notice them once they are in place. I think shaving off a bit of fur was worse.
We only had Scout five months post diagnosis as his kidneys packed it in and keeping him alive at that point would have meant daily fluids and other rather invasive procedures. There is no cure or getting better by that point. He was unhappy and the bad days vastly outnumbered the good. And I firmly believe in euthanising a day too soon rather than a day too late. He was telling me, too, it was time. Life wasn't meant to be full of needle sticks, ear sticks, subcutaneous fluids etc. He was euthanized at home, in my arms by a vet who specialises in end-of-life care. Scout is part of my soul and this was the most difficult decision I had ever made. It was the right decision for my cat. Had his kidneys not been so compromised, then it would have meant carrying on as usual. Cats do really well once therapy is begun. Sadly it didn't work out for Scout. I miss him every, single day.
Hi Tara. I am so sorry about Scout and I fully agree with everything you say.
The Libre thing didn’t work for us. We tried 3 times. And the vets never positioned it as a permanent solution- it was just to get a sense of her sugar fluctuations. But these were quite dramatic and the readings of one week told us basically nothing about another. It would have been great to have figured out a permanent way to read the glucose levels without hurting Mosi with ear pricks.
Thank you very much for sharing your story. When I cared for Mosi, I didn’t know anyone else caring for a diabetic cat and it felt quite lonely at times. Even though little Mosi is gone, I am glad I found other diabetic cat caretakers here.
They do become our soulmates, don’t they? And it can be lonely trying to figure it out. Huge learning curve as well! I became a champ at carb calculations for food. It turned out the Rx diabetic diet had more carbs than his regular diet! So we were able to keep him on the food he liked. It is a lot to figure out.
Scout had a couple of CGMs that didn't go in well—the sensor bent on application. The average time one will stay on a cat is about eight days vs. 14 days for the Libre and 10 for the Dexcom in humans. The first iteration of the Libre was actually validated for use in cats. I liked the Dexcom app a bit better. Every time I hear the Dexcom advert on TV where the low alarm goes off, it takes me back. Even still!
For us, it was a way to have fewer earsticks and see how he trended. We usually had about a week/CGM. He was so thin that it was difficult to find a location that worked. Several people with skinny cats used the neck for placement. My vet was shocked about that one. I showed him photos and detailed info about using the neck in lieu. We still managed on Scout’s flank, but higher up. Still, it can be challenging. He was quite a brittle diabetic, so he was tightly regulated—two to three earsticks/day. We have six other cats so they were all quite careful around Scout. They all knew he was ill, of course. And they were there when he died, which I feel was so important.
I am glad you are talking about it here. It's important people realise it is entirely manageable. And cats can live well despite it. Scout was just unlucky in the kidney department.
You took such a great care of her! Mosi was lucky to have you ❤️
Such dedication and love for sweet little Mosi. ❤️ It shows.
Mosi was so lucky to such to have such a caring parent. She looked so chill in vacation mode…
It's a pity that I didn't have such a good guide at the time when my cats were sick. They didn't have diabetes, but I was completely confused, and the veterinarians said diametrically opposite things. And it was very difficult to give the injections.
It is so good that this article describes the instructions for injections and special care in such detail! I hope that this wonderful article will be useful to owners of cats with such needs.
K, this is excellent information for those with diabetic cats, and you are an inspiration for all of us who care about our felines. Your love for Mosi helped her through it all. 🐾💕
Thank you so much, Louise. I had so many questions when I was trying to help Mosi and was afraid of making a mistake and frustrated at not having as much guidance as I wanted. It can be very lonely, and few people understand why you would not want to go on vacation or need to stop what you are doing mid-day and return home to check on your cat. If my essays help even one person feel more seen and less alone, or give even one good idea on what to do, then I am happy.
Mosi had many lovely years, while suffering from diabetes thanks to you! Great work for a unique kitty!! The essays are inspiring for many people in similar situations. Thanks 🙏.
Had one too .. don't panic. She never cared when I gave her shots (I got used to it real fast)
Great article! It's amazing how well cats do once a treatment regimen is set. Having a great vet a and doing your homework about feline diabetes can make a world of difference. I also had help and support from a feline diabetes support group in Facebook. Many knowledgable people there to help along with great resources.
My cat, Scout, developed diabetes and end-stage kidney disease quickly followed. As a feline nurse, I recognised the symptoms of polyuria/polydipsia (PU/PD) or peeing too much/drinking too much. Of course diabetes or kidney disease were the first things I thought of. At the vet’s his sugars were off the scale and he was put on glargine (insulin) Sadly he wasn't a candidate for the new oral hypoglycemic drugs like Bexacat. So two jabs/day plus earsticks. He took it all quite well. We did use CGMs (continuous glucose monitors—we used both the Libre and the Dexcom) as they helped cut down on earsticks. And the going-low alarm is great. We caught a few hypoglycemic episodes via the CGM—confirmed on earstick. They are great tools and cats don’t seem to notice them once they are in place. I think shaving off a bit of fur was worse.
We only had Scout five months post diagnosis as his kidneys packed it in and keeping him alive at that point would have meant daily fluids and other rather invasive procedures. There is no cure or getting better by that point. He was unhappy and the bad days vastly outnumbered the good. And I firmly believe in euthanising a day too soon rather than a day too late. He was telling me, too, it was time. Life wasn't meant to be full of needle sticks, ear sticks, subcutaneous fluids etc. He was euthanized at home, in my arms by a vet who specialises in end-of-life care. Scout is part of my soul and this was the most difficult decision I had ever made. It was the right decision for my cat. Had his kidneys not been so compromised, then it would have meant carrying on as usual. Cats do really well once therapy is begun. Sadly it didn't work out for Scout. I miss him every, single day.
Hi Tara. I am so sorry about Scout and I fully agree with everything you say.
The Libre thing didn’t work for us. We tried 3 times. And the vets never positioned it as a permanent solution- it was just to get a sense of her sugar fluctuations. But these were quite dramatic and the readings of one week told us basically nothing about another. It would have been great to have figured out a permanent way to read the glucose levels without hurting Mosi with ear pricks.
Thank you very much for sharing your story. When I cared for Mosi, I didn’t know anyone else caring for a diabetic cat and it felt quite lonely at times. Even though little Mosi is gone, I am glad I found other diabetic cat caretakers here.
They do become our soulmates, don’t they? And it can be lonely trying to figure it out. Huge learning curve as well! I became a champ at carb calculations for food. It turned out the Rx diabetic diet had more carbs than his regular diet! So we were able to keep him on the food he liked. It is a lot to figure out.
Scout had a couple of CGMs that didn't go in well—the sensor bent on application. The average time one will stay on a cat is about eight days vs. 14 days for the Libre and 10 for the Dexcom in humans. The first iteration of the Libre was actually validated for use in cats. I liked the Dexcom app a bit better. Every time I hear the Dexcom advert on TV where the low alarm goes off, it takes me back. Even still!
For us, it was a way to have fewer earsticks and see how he trended. We usually had about a week/CGM. He was so thin that it was difficult to find a location that worked. Several people with skinny cats used the neck for placement. My vet was shocked about that one. I showed him photos and detailed info about using the neck in lieu. We still managed on Scout’s flank, but higher up. Still, it can be challenging. He was quite a brittle diabetic, so he was tightly regulated—two to three earsticks/day. We have six other cats so they were all quite careful around Scout. They all knew he was ill, of course. And they were there when he died, which I feel was so important.
I am glad you are talking about it here. It's important people realise it is entirely manageable. And cats can live well despite it. Scout was just unlucky in the kidney department.
May Mosi’s memory be a blessing….
I am sure this article is a great guide for both cat parents and veterinarians.
When our animals get sick we all get lost and nervous.
Not all doctors are able to give us moral support and explain the details so clearly.
Katia’s experience, skills and love for little fluffy Mosi will help many people who value the health of their pets.
Thank you very much for the sincerity, love and kindness that we feel in every word of this essay!