New mommy... basic questions to start

[srhfoster]

Hi all,

Glad I found your board. I posted first in the Introductions board, and it was suggested that I also post here.

My 15-year-old, 23-lb Maine Coon JAKE was acting "strange" Saturday night. I slept on the floor with him after he urinated on the kitchen floor (never done before), then took him to the emergency vet clinic on Sunday. I've spent all day yesterday and most of today browsing through the websites and trying to learn as much as possible. Honestly, it's overwhelming, as you know.

His blood sugar was 599, and he stayed with ER vets overnight, going to our normal vet this morning for the day. The ER vet said he'd responded well to the insulin, with levels going all the way down to 115 before bouncing back up to 250. I've not had a chance to see Jake again today or talk to the regular vet yet, but she called to say we had to go purchase insulin since they didn't keep it in stock at the vets (which seemed odd). The assistant had said Walmart was the best place to buy that it was a lot cheaper, maybe like $25.00. But when we went to pick it up it was $300 for the vial!!

I spent Sunday doing research on diet. I have 3 indoor cats, all of whom will be getting a diet change. They have all been Purina Cat Chow grazers, and have split 1 can of Fancy Feast pates daily (more of a treat than anything, either Ocean Whitefish/Salmon/or Seafood Feast). So they are already on board with the wet, I'm not sure they will be happy giving up the dry.

I plan to go hunt down some EVO and try and wean them off dry food totally. I'd like to continue with the FF pates since they seem to be acceptably low in carbs, and to eventually go completely canned food.

I would very much like to try to get him regulated to where he doesn't need insulin. I'm going to be out of the country for a month in June, and I'm not totally sure how on board the hubby is going to be with 2x shots per day. What are the chances that I can make this work without insulin, and if we want to head in that direction, am I on the right track with diet or is there something else we should look at? Are there pills that might work? Hubby can give a pill pocket I think.

Thank you for any thoughts!
srhfoster

 

[Kris & Teasel]

The assistant had said Walmart was the best place to buy that it was a lot cheaper, maybe like $25.00. But when we went to pick it up it was $300 for the vial!!

Different insulins vary in price. Vetsulin is probably the one that the assistant was talking about. It's around $25 to $30 a vial. ProZinc is about $125 a vial and Lantus is roughly $300 + a vial. Your budget might have to determine which insulin you use. They all work a little differently. There are pros and cons for each.

I spent Sunday doing research on diet. I have 3 indoor cats, all of whom will be getting a diet change

We recommend low carb wet food. There's no need to buy expensive prescription food. Many of us feed Fancy Feast and Friskies pates - no sauce or gravy types because they're too high in carbs.

I would very much like to try to get him regulated to where he doesn't need insulin. I'm going to be out of the country for a month in June, and I'm not totally sure how on board the hubby is going to be with 2x shots per day. What are the chances that I can make this work without insulin, and if we want to head in that direction, am I on the right track with diet or is there something else we should look at? Are there pills that might work? Hubby can give a pill pocket I think

A diabetic cat is always diabetic. Some can end up being diet controlled diabetics and we refer to that as remission. There are ways to optimize the chances of that happening but there's no guarantee. Every cat is different as we often say here. So far there are no oral medications that are proven to be successful. You'll have an easier time ahead if you accept that twice a day insulin injections will be part of your daily routine unless/until diet or insulin therapy gets your kitty into remission. I think you'll be surprised at how quickly the skills can be learned after the initial anxiety wears off.

One thing we strongly recommend is learning how to test kitty's blood glucose at home. Vets often want you to buy a pet meter for this but there's no need. The cost of testing is in the test strips and pet meter strips are $$$$$$$$ ! Many people here use a Walmart ReliOn brand meter. You need the type that uses only a tiny drop of blood. Home testing will save you money because you won't have to pay your vet. It's a good idea to start home testing now so you can track the effects of the diet change before you start insulin. We can give you tips on how to test successfully.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

But when we went to pick it up it was $300 for the vial!!

That sounds like Lantus ......most of us are buying it from Canada now due to the insane price in the US...it's 1/3rd the cost there!

Here's all the information on Marks Marine Pharmacy in Canada where we're all buying from

The Lantus Solostar pens are the best buy....a vial contains 10ml (1000 units) and most cats end up on less than 2 units twice a day, so you end up throwing away about half a vial when it loses efficacy. Each pen only contains 300 units and will last until the expiration date on the box (usually at least 2 years)

For $175, you can get 5 pens which is enough to last most cats 1-2 years!!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

). The assistant had said Walmart was the best place to buy that it was a lot cheaper, maybe like $25.00.

That means it is Novolin N. N/NPH insulin is not that good for cats since it only last 8-10 hours.

 

[JanetNJ]

If you have a hard time finding Evo food in a local store, I found it on jet.com at a good price. Another option is Young Again Zero carb food available at Youngagainpetfood.com.

For wet, any of the fancy feast classic (no gravy) or Friskies pate foods are inexpensive.

 

[Vannypack]

If you have a hard time finding Evo food in a local store, I found it on jet.com at a good price. Another option is Young Again Zero carb food available at Youngagainpetfood.com.

For wet, any of the fancy feast classic (no gravy) or Friskies pate foods are inexpensive.

I just bought the YA zero for all my kitties to try out as Tommy seems to be eating their dry foods and this seems to be the best option (in addition to his wet food). You convinced me!

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

I just bought the YA zero for all my kitties to try out as Tommy seems to be eating their dry foods and this seems to be the best option (in addition to his wet food). You convinced me!

Feeding a low carb dry food may help in controlling feline diabetes, but there are common medical issues associated with feeding dry food, any dry food: Diabetes, Kidney disease, Cystitis/Urethral blockage/Urinary tract infection/Crystals, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hairballs, Obesity, Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver disease), Dental disease, Asthma, and then there's the safety of dry food to consider.

Please take the time read what Dr. Lisa has written on her website to help understand the big picture: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition.