Senior cat >12 years old, diagnosed with diabetes 2, advice?
Hi friends! I have an ex-stray senior domestic long hair boy, and he has been diagnosed with diabetes. It's a strange case because he goes to the vet every 6 months since turning ~8 yo (once annually before), his weight has always been controlled since I found him as a mature stray, they manage a thorough physical exam when he is sedated for his annual teeth cleaning, and he is on a scheduled prescription diet (royal canin urinary diet for struvite, plus supplements being fortiflora, hydracare, and renaplus).
It was only in the last few weeks that he started drinking so much more water and urinating in his box so much that it would puddle on top of the soaked litter. He's still active and playful and friendly, but yesterday at his senior semi annual, his glucose had gone from 106 to 501 in only 6 months! And he has a small amount of ketones already present in his urine, plus he has lost a pound... the vet feels confident we've caught it early, but my stomach is in knots.
Initially I was scared it might be his kidneys, since he is on renaplus from early signs of kidney disease... and now he has diabetes. I will be starting his 1 week daily dose of insulin today, before he gets the monitor for his glucose curve, but I'm quite scared...
Anyone else with diabetic golden years kitties?? How are they? What was the prognosis? Any advice?? Thank you so much!!
Ping (16 years old)
Ping is my baby girl, she was born on my parents farm, and she's been with me all 16 years of her life. I have so much love for this tiny beast, we have been through a lot and grown together. Now the plan is keeping her as comfortable and healthy as possible in her golden years. â¤