Little Roo has diabetes :(

[LittleRoo]

Hi to all the pet moms and dads here!

Blood tests are back and my 9 year old cat, Little Roo, was diagnosed with diabetes today. The vet also ran a fructosamine test and I will find out those results on Wednesday. Her levels are pretty high: 384! I've taken up the dry food and will have her (and my two other kitties) on Fancy Feast Classic wet canned food from now on. Little Roo isn't on the insulin yet but will most likely start on Wednesday. Besides learning that dry cat food is so bad (who knew??) I also wonder if Lactulose (maybe even Miralax, although prob not,) has also contributed to raise her levels so high? Anyone have trouble with Lactulose and diabetes here?

As for the Lactulose: On April 10th 2017, Roo got all backed up and had to be sedated for an enema. After that, I got her on Lactulose and Miralax - which I put in her food. She's been on it ever since. But a few weeks ago, I noticed Roo feeling really bony! I could feel her spine down her back which I had never before. I also can feel it in her face. She even felt lighter to me. I know my cat very well! But when we weighed her at he vet just the other day - it showed she actually gained a little weight!! But even the vet said she felt more bony than usual. That's when we began the blood work.

I'm pretty worried with all this now. Costs - because I'm struggling financially due to suddenly and unexpectedly being a single woman. Long story there....

I'm also worrying terribly about Roo's life of course! I'd like to learn how to test her myself. Maybe I can save some there? And the insulin is quite expensive from what I hear. $115.00 bucks a bottle! And that lasts only a month? Are there cheaper insulin's available? Ones that last longer? What about 1800PetMeds? And do most vets agree to let you do that being it will have to be prescription? I'm sure most vets would rather you buy from them!

I'd love to be able to change her diet and see healthier results and change if possible. Does it take very long to see those results once giving up the dry foods?

And lastly, I am already worrying about the insulin: too much= bad! Too little= bad! It sure is a stressful and worrisome disease! I work Monday thru Friday F/T but how will I know how she is doing when I give Roo her shot in the morning and won't be home till early evening? Should I hold off on starting the insulin until the weekend so I am around? Am I crazy for thinking like this? (lol, not).

So, looks like I have my work and research cut out for me. Any guidance and direction here is much appreciated. I am thankful to find this group and forum. Looks to be a long tough road ahead and I know I will need all the help and advice I can get.

Thanks from suzanne and Little Roo.
P.S. Roo was a foster baby I bottle fed when she was only days old as her mom was killed She's my little angel girl, that's for sure. Follows me everywhere and sleeps with me every night <3 baby picture below and a more recent one:

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Hi Suzanne, and welcome.

Glucometers: cutting out dry can make a big difference but most likely Little Roo will still need insulin. Insulin needs can drop sharply by cutting out dry, so a glucometer and home testing is important. The vet might recommend an animal glucometer (AlphaTrack). The strips are crazy expensive. You can get a glucometer from Walmart. Most people in the US use a Relion meter - Confirm, Micro. The glucometer and the strips are much cheaper. (I'm in Canada - more on that later - so someone may correct me on the exact name of the human glucometer.) There is no correlation between the two meters and it is impossible to try to make one. The only known is that the AlphaTrak 68 roughly equals the human 50. The people on the forum are familiar with both types of meters. Home testing is imperative in keeping your cat safe. Home testing also cuts out the need for a fructosamine test which only gives a picture of blood sugar for a few weeks before the test. It does not tell you if the cat goes too low. If the vet thinks you do not need to test: would you give your child insulin without testing? No.

Do tell the vet that you have cut out the dry and have them take another reading before suggesting a dosage.

What insulin is the vet leaning towards?
I'm only familiar with the cost of Lantus. If this is the insulin your vet prescribes, or wants to prescribe but doesn't because of the prohibitive cost in the US, ask the vet for a prescription. You can order a box of 5 pens from Canada for $150 + $25 shipping. You send a photo or fax of the prescription to the CDN company for their files. The box will last you a year. You do not have to throw away Lantus, if handled properly, after 28 days.
all the information on buying from Canada
Also, you can check of the Supply Closet on the forum for give aways or cheap deals.

And yes, the weekend when you can test, would be a good time to start. There are ways to make this work while working full time. We can help you set up a schedule.

It's a steep learning curve, but it becomes second nature pretty quickly. Ask lots of questions. We like questions.

 

[Jan Radar (GA)]

It sounds like you could use these.
The first thing to know is that feline diabetes is very treatable and this is a place where there are many experienced care givers who can help you learn how to help your extra sweet kitty feel better.
We are strong advocates of home testing here and can help with that too.
We are very glad you found us and will be happy to help you. You've already taken an important step forward by taking up the dry food. That change alone can make a significant difference in a cat's blood sugar levels. I would suggest that the next step you take is to get an inexpensive human glucometer like the ReliOn micro from Walmart. The test strips are inexpensive and require just a tiny drop of blood. Then you can learn how to test Roo's sugar to see what effect the diet change is having on her before you begin insulin.

I don't want to fire hose you with information so I'll stop here for now.

 

[Squalliesmom]

Welcome, Suzanne and Little Roo, to FDMB! You've gotten some really sound advice to begin. At this point, so as not to overwhelm you, the only other advice I will offer is a LINK to one of the foods charts we frequently use. We recommend canned foods that are less than 10% carbs; you'll find lots on this list from inexpensive to quite pricey, but most of them are pretty widely available in local stores.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Lantus (and Levemir) insulin bottles last much longer than a month, if kept in the fridge. A more economical form is the pens. You can use each one to the last drop and store the unused ones in the fridge. And if the pen should go bad, you are throwing out less insulin than what is in a vial/bottle.

For diabetes supplies, check out ADW online (American Diabetes Wholesale), for test strips, syringes, lancets.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Hi Suzanne and Little Roo!
I know others have answered some questions / all but I said I would when I saw Main Health post

I'd like to learn how to test her myself. Maybe I can save some there?

Fantastic! Doing curves at home are more accurate and will save you money

$115.00 bucks a bottle! And that lasts only a month?

This sounds like Prozinc pricing but will wait for confirmation

Are there cheaper insulin's available? Ones that last longer?

Yes but not the longer lasting insulins.

And do most vets agree to let you do that being it will have to be prescription? I'm sure most vets would rather you buy from them!

They should, depending on which insulin we can direct you where to buy from. Mainly, Lantus/Levemir.

Does it take very long to see those results once giving up the dry foods?

Some cats respond quicker to diet change but if you don't see significant improvements in over a week, and she's still running higher BG, she's probably going to start insulin therapy.

Should I hold off on starting the insulin until the weekend so I am around? Am I crazy for thinking like this? (lol, not).

Probably the best idea but try to learn how to home test before starting insulin

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Hi and welcome!
Looks like your in good hands with my feline experts

Things will get easier I promise

 

[Jen and Alfie]

Hi Suzanne and Little Roo

I'm a newbie too, so can't offer much advice, but I just wanted to say hello and welcome!

I can't tell you how amazing this forum has been for me over the last few weeks while we've been trying to make sense of things!

There are so many great people here, with loads of experience, who are more than happy to help. You can't ask too many questions at this stage and will get tons of support!

I know it's all a shock to begin with, but I can honestly say it does get easier. Hang in there, sending hugs to you and Little Roo

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

Hi and welcome!!!

You are off to a great start, and you have arrived to a great place (given the circumstances) there are many great persons in here that can help you.

Working full time does complicate things a little bit, I know, I work full time in one of the craziest cities in the world, but still it can be done, REALLY and as they have said It does get easier.

It does take a lot of organizing and definitely you need to start testing before you start with the insulin since you are going to be leaving him alone for long periods of time so you have to be sure how he's doing before shooting him, here's a link with lots of information about how to do it http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

It will certainly save money that you home test since you will not have to pay for curves or tests made at the vet's office, and since you are changing his food is better to know what his numbers are with low carb food and at home, a lot of kittys have significantly higher numbers at the vet because of stress, (Babu could go up 150 points ), before starting him on insulin.

You may also to take a look at timed feeders those may help with letting him food available when you are not home, so that he doesn't have very long periods with out food

I use human meters and so does my vet since down here there are no pet meters and we have done just fine, plus most of the guides in here are based on human meters and strips are cheaper

Again welcome and ask as much as you want

 

[LittleRoo]

Hi Suzanne, and welcome.

Glucometers: cutting out dry can make a big difference but most likely Little Roo will still need insulin. Insulin needs can drop sharply by cutting out dry, so a glucometer and home testing is important. The vet might recommend an animal glucometer (AlphaTrack). The strips are crazy expensive. You can get a glucometer from Walmart. Most people in the US use a Relion meter - Confirm, Micro. The glucometer and the strips are much cheaper. (I'm in Canada - more on that later - so someone may correct me on the exact name of the human glucometer.) There is no correlation between the two meters and it is impossible to try to make one. The only known is that the AlphaTrak 68 roughly equals the human 50. The people on the forum are familiar with both types of meters. Home testing is imperative in keeping your cat safe. Home testing also cuts out the need for a fructosamine test which only gives a picture of blood sugar for a few weeks before the test. It does not tell you if the cat goes too low. If the vet thinks you do not need to test: would you give your child insulin without testing? No.

Do tell the vet that you have cut out the dry and have them take another reading before suggesting a dosage.

What insulin is the vet leaning towards?
I'm only familiar with the cost of Lantus. If this is the insulin your vet prescribes, or wants to prescribe but doesn't because of the prohibitive cost in the US, ask the vet for a prescription. You can order a box of 5 pens from Canada for $150 + $25 shipping. You send a photo or fax of the prescription to the CDN company for their files. The box will last you a year. You do not have to throw away Lantus, if handled properly, after 28 days.
all the information on buying from Canada
Also, you can check of the Supply Closet on the forum for give aways or cheap deals.

And yes, the weekend when you can test, would be a good time to start. There are ways to make this work while working full time. We can help you set up a schedule.

It's a steep learning curve, but it becomes second nature pretty quickly. Ask lots of questions. We like questions.

Thank you so much for the fast response! I will def head out tomorrow and get a Glucomter at Walmart. My vet also already had a lot of her blood left from the full testing last week so he ran the fructosamine to see those levels and he said it would confirm for sure if she has diabetes. I am not sure which insulin he will be recommending Roo yet. I will def ask about the pens and all those options. Thinking we will discuss that tomorrow or Thursday - depending on Roo's next appointment. I think I will try and see how much the vet is willing to work with me as well - which I will also mention beginning this journey this coming weekend being that I will be home. Hope he's ok with that!

So thankful for all the responses and advice here thus far! I certainly need to educate myself! And the support is a God-send! I'll certainly keep everyone posted when I see the vet this week!

 

[LittleRoo]

Welcome, Suzanne and Little Roo, to FDMB! You've gotten some really sound advice to begin. At this point, so as not to overwhelm you, the only other advice I will offer is a LINK to one of the foods charts we frequently use. We recommend canned foods that are less than 10% carbs; you'll find lots on this list from inexpensive to quite pricey, but most of them are pretty widely available in local stores.

Thank you so much for the link! Great resource!! I'm giving them canned Fancy Feast Classics right now..

 

[LittleRoo]

Lantus (and Levemir) insulin bottles last much longer than a month, if kept in the fridge. A more economical form is the pens. You can use each one to the last drop and store the unused ones in the fridge. And if the pen should go bad, you are throwing out less insulin than what is in a vial/bottle.

For diabetes supplies, check out ADW online (American Diabetes Wholesale), for test strips, syringes, lancets.

Thank you! Will research these guys for supplies and compare costs!

 

[LittleRoo]

Hi and welcome!!!

You are off to a great start, and you have arrived to a great place (given the circumstances) there are many great persons in here that can help you.

Working full time does complicate things a little bit, I know, I work full time in one of the craziest cities in the world, but still it can be done, REALLY and as they have said It does get easier.

It does take a lot of organizing and definitely you need to start testing before you start with the insulin since you are going to be leaving him alone for long periods of time so you have to be sure how he's doing before shooting him, here's a link with lots of information about how to do it http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

It will certainly save money that you home test since you will not have to pay for curves or tests made at the vet's office, and since you are changing his food is better to know what his numbers are with low carb food and at home, a lot of kittys have significantly higher numbers at the vet because of stress, (Babu could go up 150 points ), before starting him on insulin.

You may also to take a look at timed feeders those may help with letting him food available when you are not home, so that he doesn't have very long periods with out food

I use human meters and so does my vet since down here there are no pet meters and we have done just fine, plus most of the guides in here are based on human meters and strips are cheaper

Again welcome and ask as much as you want

Thank you so much for this link! Gotta learn how to do this for sure!

 

[LittleRoo]

Little Roo thanks everyone so much for helping her mom deal with all this!!

 

[JanetNJ]

Little Roo thanks everyone so much for helping her mom deal with all this!!

We've got your back.... I know it's overwhelming but you aren't going it alone.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

Little Roo thanks everyone so much for helping her mom deal with all this!!

As they've said you two are not alone in this, we'll all been there and I'm glad all this is helping, give your mom a few purrs she deserves them she is being very brave.

 

[LittleRoo]

Hi! Do I keep posting here for Little Roo's updates? I'm not sure where to post really - since we're still newbies on this {awesome} forum..

Okay, so I only spoke with my vet tonight (appointment to see vet with Little Roo will be on Saturday) and he said Roo will go on Pro-Zinc insulin. He said Roo will start on 1 unit - twice a day for 3 weeks. He also said her fructosamine blood work showed she was high - at 609. Her first shot will be Saturday afternoon most likely. (I held off till the weekend, that way I am home and can monitor her.)

I mentioned checking/monitoring her blood glucose levels myself -here at home, and he recommend that I get a pet monitor rather than a human one. Truth is, I can initially afford the pet monitor meter but those darn strips cost a freakin' LOT! I have battled with myself regarding which one to get all night. But reading all the stories here on the different glucometers, and human ones - I'm just gonna go with the less expensive Relion micro one right now (Walmart.) I'll have to learn how to do the spread sheets (looks confusing right now) and just keep myself and the vet aware of the numbers recorded (and for the vet - maybe he can estimate those numbers give or take for now.)

I wanted to get the monitor tonight but I was too exhausted lol. But def heading there tomorrow after work! I have a shopping list now too - due to reading all the great postings and articles here. That really helped a lot! Better to be prepared, right!?

So far the wet diet is working out okay for everyone, other than hungry meowing cats when I wake up and get home from work!

So that's it for the moment tonight. Thank you to all the sugar moms and dads writing to me here today! Means a lot!

 

[JanetNJ]

Hi! Do I keep posting here for Little Roo's updates? I'm not sure where to post really - since we're still newbies on this {awesome} forum..

Okay, so I only spoke with my vet tonight (appointment to see vet with Little Roo will be on Saturday) and he said Roo will go on Pro-Zinc insulin. He said Roo will start on 1 unit - twice a day for 3 weeks. He also said her fructosamine blood work showed she was high - at 609. Her first shot will be Saturday afternoon most likely. (I held off till the weekend, that way I am home and can monitor her.)

I mentioned checking/monitoring her blood glucose levels myself -here at home, and he recommend that I get a pet monitor rather than a human one. Truth is, I can initially afford the pet monitor meter but those darn strips cost a freakin' LOT! I have battled with myself regarding which one to get all night. But reading all the stories here on the different glucometers, and human ones - I'm just gonna go with the less expensive Relion micro one right now (Walmart.) I'll have to learn how to do the spread sheets (looks confusing right now) and just keep myself and the vet aware of the numbers recorded (and for the vet - maybe he can estimate those numbers give or take for now.)

I wanted to get the monitor tonight but I was too exhausted lol. But def heading there tomorrow after work! I have a shopping list now too - due to reading all the great postings and articles here. That really helped a lot! Better to be prepared, right!?

So far the wet diet is working out okay for everyone, other than hungry meowing cats when I wake up and get home from work!

So that's it for the moment tonight. Thank you to all the sugar moms and dads writing to me here today! Means a lot!

I have a pet meter that I love, but it is expensive. Luckily my cat went into remission after 4 months.... If it had gone on much longer I may have switched to human.

If the kitties are hungry you can always get a timed pet feeders for mid day and mid night. Some people also freeze a portion of food so it will be fresh and ready for them to eat a few hours later.

You're doing great!

So you'll want to pick up

Relion micro or confirm
Box of 100 28 gauge lancets
Cotton pads to hold behind the ear
Neosporin ointment with pain relief

Not a bad idea to get a box of ketone strips

And chocolate or other comfort food for you. Lol

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Hi! Do I keep posting here for Little Roo's updates? I'm not sure where to post really - since we're still newbies on this {awesome} forum..

You can head over to Prozinc and make threads for insulin specific questions and updates on Roo

I'll have to learn how to do the spread sheets (looks confusing right now)

Now that you will be starting insulin, I can give you the new member links I usually post right away
Signature instructions: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/
Spreadsheet template: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
If you still need help setting up a Spreadsheet, just ask

Understanding how to use Spreadsheet: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/
Info to read ahead of time, but hope you will never need : http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

If your Vet doesn't understand or refuses BG numbers taken from a human glucometer, you could purchase the AT2 pet meter and just use it for Vet curves. I initially wanted to use the AT2 but being unemployed that became very unrealistic so I switched to human meter and kept my AlphaTrak 2 to use for curves