General guidance — not a diagnosis. When in doubt, call your vet.
Stop the named oral diabetes medicine and call immediately
If your cat taking Bexacat or Senvelgo loses interest in food, becomes less active, vomits, develops diarrhea or seems weak, stop that medicine and contact a veterinarian immediately. This is the FDA's specific safety direction for these products, not a general instruction to stop every diabetes treatment. [1]
Do not let a normal-looking glucose result delay the call. FDA warns that cats receiving Senvelgo can develop euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis: a life-threatening condition that may be missed because glucose is not elevated. [2]
Bring the exact product and explain that your cat is receiving an SGLT2 inhibitor. A sick diabetic cat needs assessment; neither this guide nor a home meter can establish the cause.
Identify the product before discussing the next dose
Find the original label. Bexacat contains bexagliflozin; Senvelgo contains velagliflozin. FDA identifies them as oral SGLT2 inhibitors, distinct from insulin. [1] Read the name to the receiving clinic rather than reporting only “diabetes medicine.”
State when the last treatment was given and when eating, activity or other signs changed. Describe what your cat actually ate, not just whether food was offered. Mention uncertain administration, another caregiver's involvement, other medicines and any recent procedure or illness.
Do not substitute insulin, restart a previous insulin prescription or add a carbohydrate remedy yourself. FDA's Senvelgo letter describes urgent clinical treatment for ketoacidosis; it is not an owner dosing plan. The veterinarian must assess the cat and direct care.
If your cat instead receives an insulin injection, use its individual sick-day instructions. The missed or uncertain insulin-shot guide concerns a different treatment problem. Do not apply this oral-product stop instruction to insulin without veterinary direction.
Make the call useful without delaying assessment
Lead with the product and the current problem: for example, “My cat takes Senvelgo and has stopped eating.” Tell the clinic about vomiting, weakness, breathing changes, hiding, urine output and how responsive the cat is. Say if the regular prescribing clinic is unavailable so an emergency service can arrange the handoff.
If you already have glucose or ketone results, provide the reading, units, device or strip type and time. Preserve the original result rather than rounding it or selecting a more reassuring repeat. Do not postpone travel to obtain a sample or keep checking until glucose rises.
The home glucose-monitoring guide explains recording and meter questions. Glucose monitoring is only part of the clinical picture here: a stable value cannot clear an unwell cat receiving one of these medicines.
FDA's Senvelgo warning specifically calls for assessment of ketoacidosis when appetite falls or lethargy, dehydration or weight loss develops, regardless of glucose. [2] Report symptoms honestly even if you are unsure whether the product caused them. Timing alone does not prove a drug reaction.
Keep monitoring and treatment decisions together
Have the prescription label, medication record, recent laboratory reports and any written monitoring plan ready. Ask how the receiving team should obtain records from the prescriber. Do not delay the initial call while assembling a perfect history.
FDA describes ongoing clinical and laboratory monitoring during Senvelgo treatment, including ketones as well as glucose. [2] Ask the prescribing team what testing it expects at home, how to report it and which changes require immediate assessment. Do not improvise a home ketone-testing schedule from another cat's plan.
For a cat that remains well, clarify monitoring and sick-day instructions before a problem occurs. Confirm that everyone giving treatment knows the medicine's name and the symptoms that trigger a call. Store the current instructions alongside the product.
After an illness, let the veterinarian decide whether and how treatment should resume or change. Eating a little again, an improved meter reading or a negative home strip is not an independent restart instruction. Ask for a revised written plan rather than returning automatically to the previous routine.
When to See a Vet
- Contact a veterinarian immediately for reduced appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, unusual inactivity or weakness during Bexacat or Senvelgo treatment, and follow the product-specific stop instruction. [1]
- Seek emergency care for collapse, marked difficulty walking, reduced responsiveness or laboured breathing; do not delay for another glucose reading.
- Contact the treating team urgently about ketones detected under your monitoring plan or continuing illness after treatment has been stopped, even if glucose appears normal.
For cat owners
Check your cat’s symptoms
Reading about a symptom? Describe what is happening to your pet to begin an assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can normal blood glucose rule out ketoacidosis on Senvelgo?
No. FDA warns that euglycemic ketoacidosis can occur without high glucose and can be overlooked for that reason. [2] Report illness immediately rather than using a meter result to decide that assessment is unnecessary.
Should I stop Bexacat or Senvelgo if my cat stops eating?
FDA directs stopping the product and contacting a veterinarian immediately for reduced food interest and other listed illness signs. [1] Identify the exact medicine when calling, and do not substitute a different diabetes treatment yourself.
Does this mean I should also stop insulin?
No. This article addresses the named oral products. A cat receiving insulin needs its own prescribed sick-day plan. Tell the veterinarian what has actually been given and ask for specific instructions rather than transferring advice between medicines.
Should I wait to obtain urine or a ketone result?
Do not delay care for an unwell cat to complete home testing. Share existing results with their times and ask the receiving team what is needed. Bring monitoring equipment or photographs of readings if requested.
Does illness prove the oral medicine caused the problem?
No. Symptoms during treatment require assessment but do not establish the cause. Report the timing, food intake, other medicines and concurrent problems so the veterinarian can investigate rather than diagnosing a drug reaction at home.
Can I restart the medicine once my cat eats again?
Do not restart independently after illness. Ask the treating veterinarian for a written plan about the medicine, monitoring and follow-up. A little food or a reassuring glucose reading alone does not establish that restarting is safe.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Two New Drugs to Treat Diabetes in Cats—Is One Right for Your Cat?. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/two-new-drugs-treat-diabetes-cats-one-right-your-cat
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dear Veterinarian Letter regarding important safety conditions associated with the use of Senvelgo (velagliflozin oral solution) for improving glycemic control in certain cats with diabetes mellitus. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/dear-veterinarian-letter-regarding-important-safety-conditions-associated-use-senvelgo-velagliflozin