Newly Diagnosed and Devastated

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Davey'sMom

Member Since 2017
Hello,

New to this forum. My beautiful 10 year old boy Davey was just diagnosed with Diabetes as well as a UTI.

I feel very unprepared. The vet bill has been a fortune, and then I went to fill his Lantus and was informed that it is $ 300.00 every 28 days...... I feel beyond overwhelmed and heart broken. I would appreciated if someone can answer some basic questions:

1) Can I use the Lantus beyond 28 days ? If it goes bad for humans, why doesn't it go bad for cats ?

2) Can I give him his insulin shot while eating ? Or do I have to wait 20 minutes ? Is 10 minutes okay ? Is the time delay important, or is it more important for him to get the shot as long as he has eaten ?

3) He also has a UTI and I have to give him oral Baytril which is worse than giving him the shot. He froths and foams at the mouth, his adrenaline goes through the roof, he shivers , and his stomach makes noises. I am not sure if I should even continue giving him the antibiotic as it seems to do more harm than good. Does anyone know if there is a shot I can get for the UTI instead of this 14 dose , which he hates ?

4) I also have a multi-pet household. Do I really have to starve him in between meals ? It seems so cruel.

Overall, my cat who I could carry around like a baby won't even come near me. He recoils at my touch. I cry after every baytril dose as it is so traumatic trying to administer it.

Is this disease really manageable ? Will he eventually forgive me ? I am so terribly sad for him. Thanks for listening.

Davey's Mom
 
Welcome Davey and his Mum!
We all know the overwhelming feeling you are experience right now :bighug:. It is going to be OK!:bighug:
I am not a Lantus user just yet but many purchase it from Mark's Marine pharmacy in Canada with a prescription from your Vet. They buy the insulin pens and use them as mini vials.
  1. Last I heard a box of 5 pens, on a "regular" dose (less than 3.0U), can last almost a year for about $150 + $S&H. The vial is expensive and tends to go bad before you can use majority of it on a cat, that is why they choose pens. Refrigerating also extends the life, since pens for people use can be left out at room temperature.
  2. Lantus is a long-lasting insulin and has a slow onset (activation time so to speak), so you will be able to test Davey's BG, feed meal, and give shot within 15 - 20 minutes. There are a couple factors to emphasize if he can receive shot but I'll leave that to one of the Lantus experts ;).
  3. Are you trying to dry pill him? Meaning, just putting the pill in his mouth and trying to get him to swallow? That can be dangerous and very uncomfortable. Also, clearing the UTI infection can have an impact on his BG. As the infection clears his BG could go down.
  4. Majority of us find the 2x daily feedings is an older school of thought and does not work well for many diabetic kitties, including civvie's (non diabetic). The best thing would be to get them all on the same LC (low-carb) wet food diet. If the others prefer dry food, there are three more acceptable ones, should Davey get into theirs.
You are both just scared, overwhelmed, and feeding off each other's emotions :bighug:. Feline diabetes is manageable and treatable, it is NOT a death sentence. You're relationship just hit a bump. Many kitty - bean relationships grow stronger through the sugar dance, it just takes some patience. We offer complimentary (virtual) patience pants to everyone! This is a support group for Davey and YOU!

Home testing will be your best tool in your FD kitty tool belt. We can help you learn! We use Google docs to share BG spreadsheets, can help set it up too, just ask: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Setting up your Signature with some information about Davey will be helpful as you continue to post and update. Also helps those of us with bad memories :smuggrin::
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/

Lastly, I like to leave this with new members. Read ahead of time, but give yourself some time to take all this in. It's better to read about it before hand so you are more prepared but I hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Feel free to vent and ask any questions
rub.gif
 
Davey's mom.....

You've come to the right place. I remember all too well how overwhelming the diagnosis is..... It's not as bad as you are picturing.

I hope we can put some of your worry to rest.

1. Lantus lasts well beyond the 28 days when kept in the refrigerator. (3 months I think?)

The even better news is that you can order it from Canada at a fraction of the cost it is in the states.... Wait, are you from the US? Anyway, many lantus users order lantus in packs of 5 pens for like $150..... Depending on your dose that's like a years supply. They will need to confirm the perscription with your vet but then you're good to go. This is the pharmacy

https://rxcanada4less.com/

2.the delay is more important for harsher instilling like vetsulin. With lantus you want to test, feed, shoot, but you can do that all in 10-15 min. Some shoot while they are eating if the cat ìs more cooperative that way. You do want to make sure they are eating and feeling good though at the time of injection.

3. Poor kitty. Maybe a different antibiotic if the reaction is that strong. Was a culture and sensitivity test done or just a urinalysis? Clovamax has been used in my cat for UTI in the past with no side effects.

4. Most of us feed several times a day.... Just no food 2 hours prior to preshot testing so the numbers are not food influenced. Make sure it's low carb wet. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods.... Perscription food is not necessary or better.

We can help you learn to test. I have a video showing how I test my cat CC in my signature below.
 
Yong said:
Welcome Davey and his Mum!
We all know the overwhelming feeling you are experience right now :bighug:. It is going to be OK!:bighug:
I am not a Lantus user just yet but many purchase it from Mark's Marine pharmacy in Canada with a prescription from your Vet. They buy the insulin pens and use them as mini vials.
  1. Last I heard a box of 5 pens, on a "regular" dose (less than 3.0U), can last almost a year for about $150 + $S&H. The vial is expensive and tends to go bad before you can use majority of it on a cat, that is why they choose pens. Refrigerating also extends the life, since pens for people use can be left out at room temperature.
  2. Lantus is a long-lasting insulin and has a slow onset (activation time so to speak), so you will be able to test Davey's BG, feed meal, and give shot within 15 - 20 minutes. There are a couple factors to emphasize if he can receive shot but I'll leave that to one of the Lantus experts ;).
  3. Are you trying to dry pill him? Meaning, just putting the pill in his mouth and trying to get him to swallow? That can be dangerous and very uncomfortable. Also, clearing the UTI infection can have an impact on his BG. As the infection clears his BG could go down.
  4. Majority of us find the 2x daily feedings is an older school of thought and does not work well for many diabetic kitties, including civvie's (non diabetic). The best thing would be to get them all on the same LC (low-carb) wet food diet. If the others prefer dry food, there are three more acceptable ones, should Davey get into theirs.
You are both just scared, overwhelmed, and feeding off each other's emotions :bighug:. Feline diabetes is manageable and treatable, it is NOT a death sentence. You're relationship just hit a bump. Many kitty - bean relationships grow stronger through the sugar dance, it just takes some patience. We offer complimentary (virtual) patience pants to everyone! This is a support group for Davey and YOU!

Home testing will be your best tool in your FD kitty tool belt. We can help you learn! We use Google docs to share BG spreadsheets, can help set it up too, just ask: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Setting up your Signature with some information about Davey will be helpful as you continue to post and update. Also helps those of us with bad memories :smuggrin::
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/

Lastly, I like to leave this with new members. Read ahead of time, but give yourself some time to take all this in. It's better to read about it before hand so you are more prepared but I hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Feel free to vent and ask any questions
rub.gif
Click to expand...
Well now if I knew you were typing almost the same stuff as me at the same time I could have saved myself the trouble. ;). Lol
 
Welcome. Here's a pilling tip. Get some empty gel capsules size 3 or 4. It eliminates the taste of the medicine. You can buy them on Amazon. The larger the number the smaller the capsule so only get size 3 or 4. Then chase it with something yummy that your cat likes. I used Gerbers meat only seconds, chicken or ham or turkey.

The UTI can raise the glucose as can just being at the vet's. So was more than one blood test done? How high was the blood glucose? Was there sugar in the urine? What are you feeding? Check out the food list and see if yours is low carb, under 10%.

Knowledge is power and there's tons of it here. Read the stickies at the top of the lantus forum. Ask as many questions as you want.
 
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I buy my insulin from Alan Hamman - see the Supply Closet sub forum. He is reputable and provides a good discount.

It's challenging to get started. Same happened to Leo - he got really skinny before we got him diagnosed. Now he is back to svelte...and chubby 17 pounds and pretty healthy. You are getting good advice from others here.

I dose Leo right when I feed him. He hardly even knows he is getting an injection.
 
I have used a Lantus vial for about a year when it was finally used up. It worked fine for the entire vial.
One of my cats tries to bite me when I inject so I inject her when she is finishing her meal
 
Oh Davey's mom , (((Hugs))).
At diagnosis it is so overwhelming.
Just hang in there!
One of my boys came down with a uti & crystals. The vet thought it was diabetes, and his numbers were high. We dealt with the uti/crystals issue first as it was more immediately important. When we got his urinary problems under control, his glucose levels went back to normal levels.
I can't say this scenario will happen to your kitty, but it is something to consider.
When my boys got uti's they stopped drinking and eating. (Heck, I've done the same thing when I had uti's when I was young. If there's no liquid intake it can't come out and hurt...) But uti's need to be treated and flushed. So this antibiotic you're on isn't working since it's causing extra stress. There are alternatives. Call your vet and see if they'll be able to do a different one. Wet food mixed with filtered water is my go to uti diet. I call it cat food soup.
Since you're a multicat house you may want to quarantine Davey soup you can watch urine output. Because if a kitty gets a urine blockage it gets serious very fast.

The uti should be gone with the course of the antibiotics so just keep telling yourself this part is temporary.

Home testing is going to be your biggest before when treating Davey's diabetes. Especially since with pain and the anxiousness of a vet visit might be providing a false positive with diabetes. But even if the diabetes is here to stay, it's manageable. It's only overwhelming because it's so new (and so expensive in the beginning). The best help for me was getting informed through the resources on this site.
Hang in there! It gets better!
 
Davey'sMom said:
Hello,

New to this forum. My beautiful 10 year old boy Davey was just diagnosed with Diabetes as well as a UTI.

I feel very unprepared. The vet bill has been a fortune, and then I went to fill his Lantus and was informed that it is $ 300.00 every 28 days...... I feel beyond overwhelmed and heart broken. I would appreciated if someone can answer some basic questions:

1) Can I use the Lantus beyond 28 days ? If it goes bad for humans, why doesn't it go bad for cats ?

2) Can I give him his insulin shot while eating ? Or do I have to wait 20 minutes ? Is 10 minutes okay ? Is the time delay important, or is it more important for him to get the shot as long as he has eaten ?

3) He also has a UTI and I have to give him oral Baytril which is worse than giving him the shot. He froths and foams at the mouth, his adrenaline goes through the roof, he shivers , and his stomach makes noises. I am not sure if I should even continue giving him the antibiotic as it seems to do more harm than good. Does anyone know if there is a shot I can get for the UTI instead of this 14 dose , which he hates ?

4) I also have a multi-pet household. Do I really have to starve him in between meals ? It seems so cruel.

Overall, my cat who I could carry around like a baby won't even come near me. He recoils at my touch. I cry after every baytril dose as it is so traumatic trying to administer it.

Is this disease really manageable ? Will he eventually forgive me ? I am so terribly sad for him. Thanks for listening.

Davey's Mom
Click to expand...
Baytril tabs have a bitter taste to them. I got a pill wrap from my vet for Smoky. The pill pockets didn't work for him. The wrap is stretchy and just coats the pill making it easier for them to swallow it.
 

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To save money you can also wrap the pill in a small sliver of chicken breast. It's nice and slimy too so slides down easy especially if you put it into the corner of his mouth. Give him some chicken before and after too as a treat and he will associate it with something good.
 
Hi Davey's mum! Can just imagine how overwhelming it must be -- so sorry, and many hugs. However this is a wonderful forum and we're all in this together -- and it honestly isn't so overwhelming or devastating after a while. Re Lantus: if you are careful to keep it in the fridge, well-closed in a plastic bag, use a new syringe each time etc it will EASILY last you at least 3 months, if not much longer (I even hear of 6 months from people). Also, I would strongly advise using a Lantus Pen, not a vial -- so much cheaper -- CVS sells them individually for about $80. Mine last at least 4 months before I worry it might be getting a bit expired, so I then get a new one which is not a biggie as once in four months is basically only $20 a month! Still money, I know, but at least not overwhelming.

I buy syringes from ADW. Love CarePoint as they are good quality and relatively inexpensive at under $12 for 100. Here are the details from my last receipt:
SY8622776535 CarePoint Vet U-100 Pet Syringe 31G 3/10cc 5/16" With Half Unit Markings 100/bx $11.17

Amazon has very cheap lancets by TruePlus (box of 100 for about $6).

Sending many hugs and best wishes. We're all with you!
 
And also: pilling is amazingly easy with a pill gun. Literally changes your life. I love FourPaws pill guns (pretty cheap on Amazon).
 
I love this website., I remember all these feelings. I swear my kitty hates me sometimes too but it does get easier. My kitty is on Prozinc and I buy it from a website called valleyvet and its about half price. last me about 10 weeks. Just know that this will get easier and that you are honestly not alone <3
 
I put the pills in gel caps and dab in vaseline .... goes down nice and easy....
give yourself a big hug! You are doing great :)
I use Lev and it lasts much longer than 28 days --more like 6 months
Maybe your vet can give you injectable (pre filled) baytril or whatever they want to use instead of the pill--
Baytril is 1x a day so might be easier?
 
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