My boy just diagnosed, I'm confused, devastated

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Jainarayan

Jainarayan

Member Since 2017
I'm Jainarayan, male. My boy's name is Christian, he's 7. For the past week or so he's been having problems jumping. Most people don't want cats jumping on the table, but that's where I have to feed him or the dogs will eat his food. Trouble jumping was the first thing I noticed. I've since put a step stool he can use to climb.

He hasn't looked right: fur getting "mothy" despite combing and brushing him; lost weight almost overnight; somewhat lethargic, having to try two or three times to get on the table; I had to put wee-wee pads on the floor, though he uses the litterbox too. I don't think he knows what he's doing when he urinates on yhe floor because at times he stares off into space. This all occurred within a matter of days.

I took him to the vet because I was getting increasingly worried. She took blood and urine samples and came back in the room with the results... diabetes with his blood sugar almost 400 and some blood in his urine.

The doctor said he could be treated with insulin. I've stopped his dry food and give him as much canned as he wants. I use Blue Wilderness. I could certainly check his blood and give him injections. But she said we're looking at thousands in cost. I simply do not have that kind of money. The doctor said it could still all be in vain. Maybe the diabetes is that advanced?

I asked how this happened, what did I do wrong? At his last checkup in Sept. 2016 his blood sugar was only slightly elevated, doctor said probably due to the stress of the visit. I know cats are extremely talented at hiding illness. When you do see symptoms it's usually pretty advanced. Is he that critical for it to be so high and for him to change and lose weight almost overnight?

The other option she said is to do nothing. She said there's no shame in it because of the cost, which is beyond a lot of people's mean. Right, so I can be called one of those people who have an animal they can't take care of? I know I'm being irrational because I've rescued sick animals before (ferrets, cats, a puppy) and gave them a home and care for the time they had left.

So without being able to afford treatment I have to opt for making him as happy and comfortable as possible until either he decides to leave his body to take a new birth (a better one I hope), or it's time to send him to take his next birth (I'm Hindu, we believe in rebirth)? That's a euphemistic way of saying watch him die or decide when it's time to put him down?

If 10 people all beat me at the same time with Louisville Sluggers it would hurt less than this. I just don't know what to do. Someone please advise me.
 
Ok, welcome to feline diabetes! I'm really glad you found us.

First things first, take several deep breaths and we will see what we can do to sort this out for you.

The main health forum is for your questions but let me just give you a quick run down of what is and what's not. :bighug:

First of all. Feline diabetes (FD) is treatable and in many instances kitties can go into remission so it's not a death sentence by any means.

Stopping dry food is a fantastic first step, but you also want to feed low carb wet food that will reduce his blood glucose as well. 400 bg isn't actually bad considering it was done at the vets office when his bg will be higher anyway so it's possible it's closer to being 300 and also possible it can be diet controlled.

If you do need to use insulin there are different types at different prices, so one may be affordable for you.
A glucose meter need not cost the earth either and one for testing humans with will do just fine. This will allow you to track kitty's glucose levels which is really important if you are using insulin.

It would be a dreadful and painful death if left untreated, and while the initial outlay may cost a bit, generally it's manageable by most people. There are also charities that will assist if it came to it. Last scenario is to rehome kitty to someone who can take care of him/her.

I hope you choose to take the path where he stays with you and gets the treatment he needs. :)
 
Thanks for responding so quickly.

The vet listed out an estimate for the initial full blown testing. It came to something like $600-700 (roughly). I don't have the list with me now but I remember fructosamine and another -amine test on there.

I may have been so rattled I misunderstood her in that this would be done every month. She said insulin itself is $300, but that can't be for one month. Given that I got the idea it would be close to $1,000 a month.

I think I definitely have to ask the vet more questions.
 
Jainarayan said:
Thanks for responding so quickly.

The vet listed out an estimate for the initial full blown testing. It came to something like $600-700 (roughly). I don't have the list with me now but I remember fructosamine and another -amine test on there.

I may have been so rattled I misunderstood her in that this would be done every month. She said insulin itself is $300, but that can't be for one month. Given that I got the idea it would be close to $1,000 a month.

I think I definitely have to ask the vet more questions.
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No problem there's usually someone around to help. :)

Ok so that sounds really expensive!

She may have meant you to leave your cat in for curves, but you can do your own curves at home with a blood glucose meter. Cost of this is approx 36 dollars for 100 tests plus the meter.

Normally a bottle insulin lasts a few months - maybe more for most people. Insulin is NOT 300 a vial unless she's trying to sell you a gold plated vial! Go look on some of the pet pharmacy sites for prices. I think ProZinc (the insulin I used)was one of the expensive ones and cost me under £100 for a vial. But you can ask for a prescription and get it yourself.

So um.. maybe time to change your vet if that's what she's said.. a lot of vets want to do the curves and disagree with home testing just to put more money in their pockets! And it never gives a true reading at the vets due to stress so it's pointless and a waste of your money!
 
Hi Jainarayan, welcome to FD.

First, hugs and deep breaths!
Second. Treating diabetes can be affordable.
What country do you live in? (That may change costs depending on access to medication.)

Okay, so my vet DID charge me a thousand dollars when we got our Fabby diagnosed. So your vet is right - that's totally a possibility - if you listen to your vet. It still makes me sooo mad that I did listen and just didn't know enough and got way taken advantage of. First, get a new vet.

So my biggest concern for you is that your kitty has blood in his urine and your doc wasn't concerned about treating that at all?
I had a different kitty, Tristan, who had a UTI and some crystals forming who the vets we're sure it was diabetes. His glucose tested in the 900's. They sent me home with diabetes info. I asked if we could get his urinary issues resolved first as they were life threatening, and then we can check on the diabetes. My vet agreed. Turns out he was spilling glucose because he was super stressed and in pain. After we got his urinary issues resolved and his diet changed to prevent more issues with crystals he wasn't diabetic at all. All of the techs and vet's mouth's were open in surprise at the results.

So please, get a second opinion with a different vet, and definitely focus on the urinar concern first, as those are horribly painful for the male kitties.

Now if your kitty is still diabetic without the urinary issue, you don't have to do a fructosimine. That test doesn't even provide accuracy. All it does is take an average of the cats glucose over a 2-3 week period. So if your kitty does have an infection and has been throwing high glucose the past week but normally runs non-diabetic, the fructosimine will still come back diabetic because it's an average and those high numbers will skew the test.

If you're in the U.S. Go ahead and pick up a human meter for home testing. (This will even help if you do go get a 2nd opinion with a new vet, so the sooner this can be done the better. The more info you have the better for Christian.) A lot of us in here with human meters use the one from Walmart because of cost/convenience. The ReliOn Confirm uses the smallest blood drop at .3 and the meter is $15 and the test strips ar cheap (for strips). I think I pay $20 for 50 strips or $35 for 100. So start up on the meter could be as low as $35.00 to get you started testing. (You can also check the forum for people giving away/selling their diabetes equipment on this thread.)

Insulin... there are insulins that cost $300 from the vet. You don't have to choose to use that kind of insulin. If you feel you need to start off with a cheaper insulin, I use Vetsulin, the cost is $60.00 and it lasts me 4-6 weeks before it expires.
So far we're at just about $100 for getting your cat diabetic treatment. (If he even needs it.)

For my second opinion I found a non-profit vet that's an hour away. My second opinion with fructosimine test and insulin included cost me $125.00. My vet supposrts home testing and was actually surprised at how good the numbers were looking because I followed the advice of the experienced people here. (Again, you don't need the fructosimine test, I did it because my non-profit could do it so cheap.)

So, don't give up. 7 years old is young in the life of a house cat. And like Tempestsmum said, your kitty might even not need insulin and might be able to be managed with food. I use Friskies Classic Pate flavors for Fabby because they all are 6 carbs or less. Our first glucose reading at the vet was in the mid 500's. So this is do-able, and the great people here will help you manage Christian at home if you want!

Hang in there. The beginning is stressful, but the more you learn the easier it gets. There are some great videos in here to show you how to test your kitty's glucose at home. Let me know if you want me to post some for you!
 
Jainarayan said:
She said insulin itself is $300
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Sounds like your vet wants to use Lantus, which is an excellent insulin for cats, but yeah, it's crazy expensive...However, you can ask for a written script (just tell them you want to shop around) and then you can send it to Canada where it's 1/3rd the price!!

I think the majority of us that use Lantus are buying from Canada now. Here's all the information on where we're buying from

If you get the 5 pack of pens, that's 1500 units.....that's enough to last most cats at least a year so it breaks down to about $15/month

If you go to WalMart, you can get U100 insulin syringes for $12.58 for a box of 100

The Relion Confirm or Micro meters are about $15 and the strips are $35.88/100

You don't need to feed an expensive "prescription" food either (no matter what your vet says)...Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground foods which are all low carb and fine for diabetics.

We can help you manage this without breaking the bank
 
Jainarayan said:
I'm Jainarayan, male. My boy's name is Christian, he's 7. For the past week or so he's been having problems jumping. Most people don't want cats jumping on the table, but that's where I have to feed him or the dogs will eat his food. Trouble jumping was the first thing I noticed. I've since put a step stool he can use to climb.

He hasn't looked right: fur getting "mothy" despite combing and brushing him; lost weight almost overnight; somewhat lethargic, having to try two or three times to get on the table; I had to put wee-wee pads on the floor, though he uses the litterbox too. I don't think he knows what he's doing when he urinates on yhe floor because at times he stares off into space. This all occurred within a matter of days.

I took him to the vet because I was getting increasingly worried. She took blood and urine samples and came back in the room with the results... diabetes with his blood sugar almost 400 and some blood in his urine.

The doctor said he could be treated with insulin. I've stopped his dry food and give him as much canned as he wants. I use Blue Wilderness. I could certainly check his blood and give him injections. But she said we're looking at thousands in cost. I simply do not have that kind of money. The doctor said it could still all be in vain. Maybe the diabetes is that advanced?

I asked how this happened, what did I do wrong? At his last checkup in Sept. 2016 his blood sugar was only slightly elevated, doctor said probably due to the stress of the visit. I know cats are extremely talented at hiding illness. When you do see symptoms it's usually pretty advanced. Is he that critical for it to be so high and for him to change and lose weight almost overnight?

The other option she said is to do nothing. She said there's no shame in it because of the cost, which is beyond a lot of people's mean. Right, so I can be called one of those people who have an animal they can't take care of? I know I'm being irrational because I've rescued sick animals before (ferrets, cats, a puppy) and gave them a home and care for the time they had left.

So without being able to afford treatment I have to opt for making him as happy and comfortable as possible until either he decides to leave his body to take a new birth (a better one I hope), or it's time to send him to take his next birth (I'm Hindu, we believe in rebirth)? That's a euphemistic way of saying watch him die or decide when it's time to put him down?

If 10 people all beat me at the same time with Louisville Sluggers it would hurt less than this. I just don't know what to do. Someone please advise me.
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You've had great advice so far. I can't believe your vet misled you like that. :( Fructosamine tests are NOT NECESSARY. All that tells you is the average glucose in the urine over the past 2-3 weeks. If you are testing at home, that information is not helpful.

get on a good oral antibiotic for the uti. UTI's are painful and can be dangerous for male cats if they develop a blockage. Infection and vet stress raise Blood glucose levels.

The leg weakness is called neuropathy... good news is once you get the BG under control it is reversible, esp. if you also give Vitamin B12 Meth. supplements (available online for just a few dollars. Google Zobaline... available on amazon.

It's not necessary to go to the vet often with diabetes. Once I learned how to test at home I just emailed my vet a copy of CC's spreadsheet every few weeks to keep her in the loop. as a matter of fact this month was the first time she had been to the vet in a year. no reason to do curves there. tests are more accurate at home where the cat isn't stressed out.

The insulin lasts 4 or more months generally. So while it's pricy, it lasts a while. There are different insulines. my vetsulin is about $50. Prozinc is around $110. Lantus is about $300 in the us, but if you order from Canada you can get a year's supply for $150.

With home testing it's more possible to regulate your cat and get it into remission. My cat was on insulin for four months before going into remission, and has not needed a shot in 10 months. It is not a death sentence.
 
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JanetNJ said:
My vetsulin was still working fine after 3 months... so you can stretch it out much longer then 6 weeks.
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I got my first vial from the vet that charged me $1000.00 so I have no idea how long he kept it there before he gave it to me or how rsponsible he was about the conditions... but after being fleeced on diagnosis, I don't trust him at all.
I'm on my second vial now, so I hope I have much longer lifespan on this one!
 
Thanks everyone. I tried responding individually but I keep getting an error.

Anyway, I'm in NJ. Based on all the comments I am now leaning towards getting another opinion at another vet. I've used this animal hospital since 1990, but things change. I may even have a glucose meter or two at home, my late mother-in-law was diabetic.
 
I am horrified at the advice your vet gave you, especially suggesting you not treat your cat! Feline diabetes is so very treatable, and need not cost a fortune. Please take to heart all the good advice you've gotten from the folks here. And if, I were you, I would definitely be looking for a new vet!!!

Welcome to FDMB, I hope you have a very long and happy life with your super-sweet kitty! :):):)
 
Welcome Jainarayan and Christian!
You've been given some great advice so I'm just adding support! My boy's initial diagnosis exam, first vial of insulin, over priced syringes, and over priced unnecessary prescription food (later returned) was about $500. I had purchased an AlphaTrak 2 pet meter but being unemployed that was unrealistic to keep affording so I joined the forum, after reading things for a day or two, and ended up switching to a human glucometer :).

Obviously my credit cards are getting a little workout but it's still a lot less than if I was doing things the way his old Vet's (yes, I've been through 2) it would have cost way more and he probably would've ended up on too high a dose of insulin and had a Hypo emergency visit. Anyways, my point is it's totally manageable and safer if you take some of our suggestions. Correct, we are not Vet's but everyone here has or has had a diabetic kitty that we manage 24/7.

I do hope you'll find a second opinion if that will help you, but also take some of our suggestions :bighug:. If you have an older glucose meter, it will work for now but they can go bad after a few years. Like Chris said, many of us in the states use Walmart's ReliOn Confirm / Micro meter for $15 and test strips in store are $35.88/100ct. Sometimes you can find test strips for less online too. Since you haven't started the insulin yet, I hope you'll switch to the low carb wet food diet immediately. Christian could have a chance of being diet controlled :cat:.

Regardless, please let us know what you decide to do and we'll be here
rub.gif
 
Jainarayan said:
Thanks everyone. I tried responding individually but I keep getting an error.

Anyway, I'm in NJ. Based on all the comments I am now leaning towards getting another opinion at another vet. I've used this animal hospital since 1990, but things change. I may even have a glucose meter or two at home, my late mother-in-law was diabetic.
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Hey fellow NJ person! :D I'm in Bergen county... where are you? Many of us on here use the Relion Micro or Confirm from walmart because the strips are cheap. That's great if you have one already... make sure you pick one that needs a small blood size (.3) as opposed to a larger size (.5 or .6) because it can be hard to get a blood drop at first from a cat's ear. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC that you can watch.
 
Squalliesmom said:
I am horrified at the advice your vet gave you, especially suggesting you not treat your cat! Feline diabetes is so very treatable, and need not cost a fortune. Please take to heart all the good advice you've gotten from the folks here. And if, I were you, I would definitely be looking for a new vet!!!

Welcome to FDMB, I hope you have a very long and happy life with your super-sweet kitty! :):):)
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Thanks. :) As I think about her advice I'm torn between being enraged and being horrified I'd consider it. But I'm not going to get more worked up than I am. Christian is my main concern. So to that end I just submitted an appt. request to another vet. hosp. nearby.
 
JanetNJ said:
Hey fellow NJ person! :D I'm in Bergen county... where are you? Many of us on here use the Relion Micro or Confirm from walmart because the strips are cheap. That's great if you have one already... make sure you pick one that needs a small blood size (.3) as opposed to a larger size (.5 or .6) because it can be hard to get a blood drop at first from a cat's ear. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC that you can watch.
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Thanks for the info. I have a lot of homework to do.

I'm Exit 102. :D Monmouth County.
 
Yong said:
Welcome Jainarayan and Christian!
You've been given some great advice so I'm just adding support! My boy's initial diagnosis exam, first vial of insulin, over priced syringes, and over priced unnecessary prescription food (later returned) was about $500. I had purchased an AlphaTrak 2 pet meter but being unemployed that was unrealistic to keep affording so I joined the forum, after reading things for a day or two, and ended up switching to a human glucometer :).

Obviously my credit cards are getting a little workout but it's still a lot less than if I was doing things the way his old Vet's (yes, I've been through 2) it would have cost way more and he probably would've ended up on too high a dose of insulin and had a Hypo emergency visit. Anyways, my point is it's totally manageable and safer if you take some of our suggestions. Correct, we are not Vet's but everyone here has or has had a diabetic kitty that we manage 24/7.

I do hope you'll find a second opinion if that will help you, but also take some of our suggestions :bighug:. If you have an older glucose meter, it will work for now but they can go bad after a few years. Like Chris said, many of us in the states use Walmart's ReliOn Confirm / Micro meter for $15 and test strips in store are $35.88/100ct. Sometimes you can find test strips for less online too. Since you haven't started the insulin yet, I hope you'll switch to the low carb wet food diet immediately. Christian could have a chance of being diet controlled :cat:.

Regardless, please let us know what you decide to do and we'll be here
rub.gif
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Believe me when I say I'm definitely taking all your advice, and am greatly relieved and grateful. :) It's only by accident I found this site. I was searching for how much feline diabetes care costs.
 
Jainarayan, JanetNJ is one of my Diabetes experts I've been following advice from. If you can get a vet recommendation from her that is awesome! It puts you way ahead of the game when looking for your 2nd opinion.

(Assuming that was a recommendation, @JanetNJ )
 
Jainarayan said:
Believe me when I say I'm definitely taking all your advice, and am greatly relieved and grateful. :) It's only by accident I found this site. I was searching for how much feline diabetes care costs.
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so the first month sucks with having a vet bill and paying for the insulin and other supplies all at the same time... but maintenance really isn't bad. figure with test strips and needles and lancets about $45-50 a month. about $12 a week. it's really not awful. then every few months you need to buy another vial of insulin... but like we said, there are affordable choices for insulin. and if you're lucky your cat will have periods of remission.
 
Jainarayan said:
Oh yeah, that's what I forgot to mention, that I contacted Red Bank Veterinary Hospital for an appt. People have praised them for years.
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my sister lived in brick for years... but I don't really know anyone specific in your area. Make sure you get a copy of all the lab reports from your current vet so they don't do duplicate bloodwork if you switch vets. Just ask the receptionist to email it to you.
 
Jainarayan said:
Thanks for the info. I have a lot of homework to do.

I'm Exit 102. :D Monmouth County.
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There is a learning curve, but as you've already seen this is a super supportive group, and there are folks familiar with all kinds of insulin, and we are more then happy to answer any questions and give advice on testing, dosing, feeding, whatever you need. You just watch, in six months it will be you dispensing the advice to the newbies.. hahah a diabetes diagnosis is so overwhelming at first. I remember crying non stop for about 12 hours straight wondering if I could handle it... if I was torturing her... if I could afford it. within two weeks it was all routine, CC felt better, and it was not the huge mountain I thought it was. Then when I found this site and learned to test, well that's when I really took the bull by the horns and went from a goal of keeping her alive, to a goal of really getting her WELL.
 
AlphaCat said:
Jainarayan, JanetNJ is one of my Diabetes experts I've been following advice from. If you can get a vet recommendation from her that is awesome! It puts you way ahead of the game when looking for your 2nd opinion.

(Assuming that was a recommendation, @JanetNJ )
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I know my sister took her cat there when he was suspected of having cancer (he did unfortunately)... it's a huge place. It's a referral only place with specialists like neurologists and oncologists and a 24 hour emergency er place. I don't think it's a regular vet place but I could be wrong. Good to have nearby in case of an emergency though.
 
JanetNJ said:
There is a learning curve, but as you've already seen this is a super supportive group, and there are folks familiar with all kinds of insulin, and we are more then happy to answer any questions and give advice on testing, dosing, feeding, whatever you need. You just watch, in six months it will be you dispensing the advice to the newbies.. hahah a diabetes diagnosis is so overwhelming at first. I remember crying non stop for about 12 hours straight wondering if I could handle it... if I was torturing her... if I could afford it. within two weeks it was all routine, CC felt better, and it was not the huge mountain I thought it was. Then when I found this site and learned to test, well that's when I really took the bull by the horns and went from a goal of keeping her alive, to a goal of really getting her WELL.
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Yeah, I cried for the past two days. It's not pretty seeing a 225 lb bear cry. Now it seems to be not as bad as I first thought. My only concern is learning how to poke his ear and give the injection. He's not the most cooperative patient. At the vet he gets downright nasty hissing, growling, screaming and fighting them. They have to towel him.
 
Jainarayan said:
Yeah, I cried for the past two days. It's not pretty seeing a 225 lb bear cry. Now it seems to be not as bad as I first thought. My only concern is learning how to poke his ear and give the injection. He's not the most cooperative patient. At the vet he gets downright nasty hissing, growling, screaming and fighting them. They have to towel him.
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make sure you always give a treat after. Some find it easier to inject while they are still eating.... the needles are really thin so they barely feel it. Start desensitizing him to having his ears touched and tugging on his scruff as you show affection. when you pet him stroke his ears a bit. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat. She's very cooperative in the video, but the first two weeks she didn't like it. she then started associating the test with a snack (she liked deli meats... turkey and ham) and started to enjoy it. If they are squirming you can also get the drop onto your nail and test from there.
 
JanetNJ said:
make sure you always give a treat after. Some find it easier to inject while they are still eating.... the needles are really thin so they barely feel it. Start desensitizing him to having his ears touched. when you pet him stroke his ears a bit. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat. She's very cooperative in the video, but the first two weeks she didn't like it. she then started associating the test with a snack (she liked deli meats... turkey and ham) and started to enjoy it. If they are squirming you can also get the drop onto your nail and test from there.
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Good idea about when to do the injection. He's already used to me touching his ears because when we play I tickle and rub his ears. He likes deli turkey.
 
Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
 
Former Jersey here. I was South River, exit 9 on turnpike. Now Pocono PA.

Welcome, I'm concerned like Alphacat about blood in the urine. Could be urine infection that will cause glucose to rise or crystals as mentioned.

In the beginning cost can be a bit much but you will figure out with help here how to save on some things and best place to get insulin and supplies. Once you have everything, the most expense long term is testing strips. Regular canned cat food can be purchased when on sale. Insulin, depending on dose can last close to a year if handled properly.

A lot of vets will require a hospital stay to start insulin and "regulate" your cat. That would cost the most. They may not give prescription for insulin unless you allow it, so be prepared that could be the $1000+ that you were told. My Smokey was diabetic for 6 yrs. He was 12 when diagnosed.

Getting kitty on low carb wet food (fancy feast pate) now before insulin starts is really a smart move. Also get him use to his ears being touched.

Glad you are going to another vet. Keep us posted. Also making this site a frequent stop of your daily routine should be considered.
 
Woodsywife said:
Former Jersey here. I was South River, exit 9 on turnpike. Now Pocono PA.

Welcome, I'm concerned like Alphacat about blood in the urine. Could be urine infection that will cause glucose to rise or crystals as mentioned.

In the beginning cost can be a bit much but you will figure out with help here how to save on some things and best place to get insulin and supplies. Once you have everything, the most expense long term is testing strips. Regular canned cat food can be purchased when on sale. Insulin, depending on dose can last close to a year if handled properly.

A lot of vets will require a hospital stay to start insulin and "regulate" your cat. That would cost the most. They may not give prescription for insulin unless you allow it, so be prepared that could be the $1000+ that you were told. My Smokey was diabetic for 6 yrs. He was 12 when diagnosed.

Getting kitty on low carb wet food (fancy feast pate) now before insulin starts is really a smart move. Also get him use to his ears being touched.

Glad you are going to another vet. Keep us posted. Also making this site a frequent stop of your daily routine should be considered.
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Thank you very much for the support and tips. I have the site bookmarked and have been bouncing around reading some posts.

He's eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned. He's been eating it for some time, but along with the dry. I stopped the dry completely. He eats the canned several times a day now instead of having the dry free-feeding. So far he still has a good appetite. He gets quite vocal and demanding when he wants to eat.

I can also get him Hill's Prescription Diabetic, which is even higher in protein and extremely low carb. I talked to one of the other doctors who said I can get it. But I think the Blue Wilderness is almost as good.

Maybe hospitalizing him initially is not the worst idea ever. I would rest easier knowing he'd get off to a good start.
 
Jainarayan said:
Thank you very much for the support and tips. I have the site bookmarked and have been bouncing around reading some posts.

He's eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned. He's been eating it for some time, but along with the dry. I stopped the dry completely. He eats the canned several times a day now instead of having the dry free-feeding. So far he still has a good appetite. He gets quite vocal and demanding when he wants to eat.

I can also get him Hill's Prescription Diabetic, which is even higher in protein and extremely low carb. I talked to one of the other doctors who said I can get it. But I think the Blue Wilderness is almost as good.

Maybe hospitalizing him initially is not the worst idea ever. I would rest easier knowing he'd get off to a good start.
Click to expand...

I don't think hospitalized helps. They almost always put them on too high of a dose because the numbers are high because the cat is stressed. They don't get regulated over night.
The perscription dry is actually not low enough in carb. It's about 14-16%... Better than most dry, but still too high for a diabetic. (There are only a handful of dry under 10%) Most cats don't like the canned perscription diabetic foods and they are no better than what you can get at the store... And expensive.
 
Jainarayan said:
Thank you very much for the support and tips. I have the site bookmarked and have been bouncing around reading some posts.

He's eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned. He's been eating it for some time, but along with the dry. I stopped the dry completely. He eats the canned several times a day now instead of having the dry free-feeding. So far he still has a good appetite. He gets quite vocal and demanding when he wants to eat.

I can also get him Hill's Prescription Diabetic, which is even higher in protein and extremely low carb. I talked to one of the other doctors who said I can get it. But I think the Blue Wilderness is almost as good.

Maybe hospitalizing him initially is not the worst idea ever. I would rest easier knowing he'd get off to a good start.
Click to expand...
Okay... the prescription diabetic foods are actually high in carbs. Check out Dr. lisa's food list to see where what you're feeding now falls, as well as the prescription, and then find a food that's where you want to be with carbs (which is under 10%) but if there's a urinary issue present, you may need to watch phosphorus (also listed on the list).
Also, hospitalization is NOT required or recommended. All they are doing is getting a curve. They are (or should be) watching to make sure your kitty doesn't go hypo. They do this because they don't tell people to test at home. If the vet you are going to doesn't support you home testing walk away. Personally, I'd call and interview the vet before you show up for the appointment so you're not wasting money. I want to know their philosophy and how much they actually know about managing diabetes before I trust their care.
Also, they will NOT have your cat regulated during a hospitalization. Again, they are just testing the same as you can do at home on a regular basis while insulin is started. Go to the intro threads are read the horror stories about the advice from vet's starting their kitty's off at 2 or 4 units twice a day. Leaving your cat at the vet will only make your kitty's numbers read higher, meaning the vet may over prescribe insulin and then instruct you to give the same amount at home. When you get home and give the prescribed amount, kitty is no longer stressed out, now kitty's insulin drops too low and you have a hypo event at home anyway AND you are out a grand from the hospitalization AND you may have an ER vet visit to pay for due to potential hypo event.
Again, there is NO reason to REQUIRE a hospitalization for diabetes, and it's counter productive, if a vet does require this, they just want your money, not what's in your cat's best interest, and you should run away.
*The only exception is if you were unwilling to test at home.
 
Hill's has nothing actually "prescription" about it, it's just a ruse to get consumers to pay more money for it, and it's not very good food for any cat. You would do better just to get some Fancy Feast pates or some Friskies, 9 Lives, etc, decent low carb food and cheaper than the Hill's. HERE is a list of readily-available foods, with their protein, fat, carbs, noted. Anything under 10% is considered acceptable for our diabetic kitties. :)
 
AlphaCat said:
Okay... the prescription diabetic foods are actually high in carbs. Check out Dr. lisa's food list to see where what you're feeding now falls, as well as the prescription, and then find a food that's where you want to be with carbs (which is under 10%) but if there's a urinary issue present, you may need to watch phosphorus (also listed on the list).
Also, hospitalization is NOT required or recommended. All they are doing is getting a curve. They are (or should be) watching to make sure your kitty doesn't go hypo. They do this because they don't tell people to test at home. If the vet you are going to doesn't support you home testing walk away. Personally, I'd call and interview the vet before you show up for the appointment so you're not wasting money. I want to know their philosophy and how much they actually know about managing diabetes before I trust their care.
Also, they will NOT have your cat regulated during a hospitalization. Again, they are just testing the same as you can do at home on a regular basis while insulin is started. Go to the intro threads are read the horror stories about the advice from vet's starting their kitty's off at 2 or 4 units twice a day. Leaving your cat at the vet will only make your kitty's numbers read higher, meaning the vet may over prescribe insulin and then instruct you to give the same amount at home. When you get home and give the prescribed amount, kitty is no longer stressed out, now kitty's insulin drops too low and you have a hypo event at home anyway AND you are out a grand from the hospitalization AND you may have an ER vet visit to pay for due to potential hypo event.
Again, there is NO reason to REQUIRE a hospitalization for diabetes, and it's counter productive, if a vet does require this, they just want your money, not what's in your cat's best interest, and you should run away.
*The only exception is if you were unwilling to test at home.
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I was just pointing out some vets will not give a prescription unless they start the insulin and monitor in hospital. It's a sad reality she needs to know could happen.
 
I'm so mad right now at your vet! I actually skipped all the post .
Please get another vet, the one you have is clueless!
Please please follow the advice you get here. I've had 2 diabetic cats and because of this awesome group I have gotten both of them into remission. And I did not listen to my vet who wanted me to use prescription dry food. And who also didn't support home testing.
 
Jainarayan said:
Thanks. :) As I think about her advice I'm torn between being enraged and being horrified I'd consider it. But I'm not going to get more worked up than I am. Christian is my main concern. So to that end I just submitted an appt. request to another vet. hosp. nearby.
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Yes!! So happy to see this
 
Woodsywife said:
I was just pointing out some vets will not give a prescription unless they start the insulin and monitor in hospital. It's a sad reality she needs to know could happen.
Click to expand...
I get that, that's why I recommended calling first not to waste her time with an initial appointment just to find out the next vet is just after her money. Because vets who require this do not have your pet's or your best interest, it's all about the money. That is a bad vet. If my medical doctor behaved that way I'd be livid.
 
I was able to go through all the responses again. Thank you all. I'm expecting a call back from the second vet sometime today. I have more questions now based on what everyone here said.

Without being naive, Christian seems pretty good today compared to how he's been. He's eating, drinking some water but not a lot, snuggling, walking around and being nosy. For the first time in the past week he curls up in his bed and sleeps as he's always done. He sat still while I combed and brushed him.

The other thing I'll have to mention is the urinating outside his litterbox, though he does use it. There are two places I have to put wee-wee pads. I wonder if that is indeed from a uti. I just thought the doctor could tell what a uti is in a cat and off-the-bat given him an antibiotic. But what do I know.
 
Jainarayan said:
I was able to go through all the responses again. Thank you all. I'm expecting a call back from the second vet sometime today. I have more questions now based on what everyone here said.

Without being naive, Christian seems pretty good today compared to how he's been. He's eating, drinking some water but not a lot, snuggling, walking around and being nosy. For the first time in the past week he curls up in his bed and sleeps as he's always done. He sat still while I combed and brushed him.

The other thing I'll have to mention is the urinating outside his litterbox, though he does use it. There are two places I have to put wee-wee pads. I wonder if that is indeed from a uti. I just thought the doctor could tell what a uti is in a cat and off-the-bat given him an antibiotic. But what do I know.
Click to expand...
Did they send out for a culture and sensitivity test? Clovamax is usually a good antibiotic for a cat. Uti will def cause cats to go outside the box. Is there visible blood on the pad?
 
Jainarayan said:
I was able to go through all the responses again. Thank you all. I'm expecting a call back from the second vet sometime today. I have more questions now based on what everyone here said.

Without being naive, Christian seems pretty good today compared to how he's been. He's eating, drinking some water but not a lot, snuggling, walking around and being nosy. For the first time in the past week he curls up in his bed and sleeps as he's always done. He sat still while I combed and brushed him.

The other thing I'll have to mention is the urinating outside his litterbox, though he does use it. There are two places I have to put wee-wee pads. I wonder if that is indeed from a uti. I just thought the doctor could tell what a uti is in a cat and off-the-bat given him an antibiotic. But what do I know.
Click to expand...
I'm glad he's speaking to feel better.
Good luck with the new vet!
And yes trust your gut! Any vet should have been concerned about blood in the urine.
 
JanetNJ said:
Did they send out for a culture and sensitivity test? Clovamax is usually a good antibiotic for a cat. Uti will def cause cats to go outside the box. Is there visible blood on the pad?
Click to expand...

She won't send the samples out unless it's the whole series of tests. That's the set that she wrote up Friday night. It includes the fructosamine, CBC, and others I can't remember (I don't have the list with me, it's at home). No blood on the pads.
 
Jainarayan said:
She won't send the samples out unless it's the whole series of tests. That's the set that she wrote up Friday night. It includes the fructosamine, CBC, and others I can't remember (I don't have the list with me, it's at home). No blood on the pads.
Click to expand...
This makes my blood boil!!!
 
Jainarayan said:
I'm Jainarayan, male. My boy's name is Christian, he's 7. For the past week or so he's been having problems jumping. Most people don't want cats jumping on the table, but that's where I have to feed him or the dogs will eat his food. Trouble jumping was the first thing I noticed. I've since put a step stool he can use to climb.

He hasn't looked right: fur getting "mothy" despite combing and brushing him; lost weight almost overnight; somewhat lethargic, having to try two or three times to get on the table; I had to put wee-wee pads on the floor, though he uses the litterbox too. I don't think he knows what he's doing when he urinates on yhe floor because at times he stares off into space. This all occurred within a matter of days.

I took him to the vet because I was getting increasingly worried. She took blood and urine samples and came back in the room with the results... diabetes with his blood sugar almost 400 and some blood in his urine.

The doctor said he could be treated with insulin. I've stopped his dry food and give him as much canned as he wants. I use Blue Wilderness. I could certainly check his blood and give him injections. But she said we're looking at thousands in cost. I simply do not have that kind of money. The doctor said it could still all be in vain. Maybe the diabetes is that advanced?

I asked how this happened, what did I do wrong? At his last checkup in Sept. 2016 his blood sugar was only slightly elevated, doctor said probably due to the stress of the visit. I know cats are extremely talented at hiding illness. When you do see symptoms it's usually pretty advanced. Is he that critical for it to be so high and for him to change and lose weight almost overnight?

The other option she said is to do nothing. She said there's no shame in it because of the cost, which is beyond a lot of people's mean. Right, so I can be called one of those people who have an animal they can't take care of? I know I'm being irrational because I've rescued sick animals before (ferrets, cats, a puppy) and gave them a home and care for the time they had left.

So without being able to afford treatment I have to opt for making him as happy and comfortable as possible until either he decides to leave his body to take a new birth (a better one I hope), or it's time to send him to take his next birth (I'm Hindu, we believe in rebirth)? That's a euphemistic way of saying watch him die or decide when it's time to put him down?

If 10 people all beat me at the same time with Louisville Sluggers it would hurt less than this. I just don't know what to do. Someone please advise me.
Click to expand...

Welcome , you really found the best place. My vet told me the same thing almost that it would cost thousands and it'd be so difficult to treat myself so on and so forth. He suggested we put him down. It's been almost a month now but we are doing pretty good. I've been checking his blood glucose myself at home im actually pretty good at it now. I would suggest finding a new vet, i know that can be hard as well. Im pretty new at this and still learning a ton everyone here as one common goal to keep our cats happy and healthy as possible. Best of luck
 
AlphaCat said:
This makes my blood boil!!!
Click to expand...

Right!? At the risk of sounding money-driven, that's the set that comes to $600-700. Knowing what I know now, learning from here, I'm not willing to do that without that 2nd opinion. Maybe all those tests aren't necessary at this point, maybe another vet is more astute and experienced.
 
Bee said:
Welcome , you really found the best place. My vet told me the same thing almost that it would cost thousands and it'd be so difficult to treat myself so on and so forth. He suggested we put him down. It's been almost a month now but we are doing pretty good. I've been checking his blood glucose myself at home im actually pretty good at it now. I would suggest finding a new vet, i know that can be hard as well. Im pretty new at this and still learning a ton everyone here as one common goal to keep our cats happy and healthy as possible. Best of luck
Click to expand...

I'm glad your little guy is doing better. :)
 
Update:

Ok, so we haz an appt. on Sat. @ Red Bank Veterinary Hosp. It's an internal med. consult. The receptionist said to get Christian's exam results from my regular vet. I'll have them e-mailed. I gave her a run-down of the issue, and said in no uncertain terms why I want a 2nd opinion. She was very nice and understanding. The consult and exam is $185. She said if there's an emergency go right in to their ER. If he stays stable I think we can wait. And I'm going to copy and distill down into Word what I've posted here to bring to the vet. There's a reason I get paid as a nerd. :D
 
I am quite new to this message board, but it has helped me to be better informed/educated about how to take proper care of my kitties. I received great advice when I was panicked about Harley. One month ago my Harley had BG of 510. This morning it was 89, only 2 1/2 weeks after starting him on an all canned diet using the food list from this site. I would suggest you read all this site has to offer as well as consider all the great advice. You might want to read the book "Your Cat" by Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM. It is an awesome book and reinforces all the great advice I received here.
 
Gladioli66 said:
I am quite new to this message board, but it has helped me to be better informed/educated about how to take proper care of my kitties. I received great advice when I was panicked about Harley. One month ago my Harley had BG of 510. This morning it was 89, only 2 1/2 weeks after starting him on an all canned diet using the food list from this site. I would suggest you read all this site has to offer as well as consider all the great advice. You might want to read the book "Your Cat" by Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM. It is an awesome book and reinforces all the great advice I received here.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's excellent results! If I'm not mistaken 89 is normal. Continued good health for Harley! :) I think feline b.g. is just a little wider range than human. I can't believe how bad dry food is turning out to be. I read http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-dry-food-is-bad-for-cats-and-dogs/ and wanted to puke.

I am unbelievably thankful I stumbled onto this site.
 
Jainarayan said:
Update:

Ok, so we haz an appt. on Sat. @ Red Bank Veterinary Hosp. It's an internal med. consult. The receptionist said to get Christian's exam results from my regular vet. I'll have them e-mailed. I gave her a run-down of the issue, and said in no uncertain terms why I want a 2nd opinion. She was very nice and understanding. The consult and exam is $185. She said if there's an emergency go right in to their ER. If he stays stable I think we can wait. And I'm going to copy and distill down into Word what I've posted here to bring to the vet. There's a reason I get paid as a nerd. :D
Click to expand...

I hope things go much better for you on your 2nd opinion.
Just some additional advice about your above statement.
I have a chronic illness and have 6 specialists I see, and my primary doctor. It took 7 years to get to my diagnosis, including exploratory surgery.
I also have 8 cats, all found their way to my door or rescued over the last 15 years. All been seen by a vet, and certainly spayed and neutered.
I bring up this resume of doctors and vets to give you the advice that, doctors hate it when you print testimonials from the internet. I say this not to discourage you from gaining the best info for you and your cat, but instead to help you get the best treatment. Doctors spend a lot of time correcting things people read off the internet, in many cases the person was trying to avoid seeing the doctor in the first place and tried crazy things for treatment instead of trusting the medical establishment with their care. I sit in enough waiting rooms to see quite a bit of the crazy they have to fight to sympathize with them. It must be tiring to hear your medical degree challenged every 15 minutes by someone who read something on WebMD.
So with this advice, I would recommend leaving this thread in the car (in case you need to reference something specific you learned here). By leaving it in the car you will be less likely to offer a challenge to your new doc, from whom you want and need something - good care for your cat.

Or even better, typing out your own list of facts to bring along with you that don't have to do with our collective experience here.
Like Dr. Lisa's food list, for example in case the prescription food is recommended over something that is lower carb.
Or the reasons to test at home, like, a doctor wouldn't suggest you give insulin to a child without testing the glucose first, why would I do that to my beloved cat?
Or a list of ways diabetes can be managed instead of a death sentence.
It might also be good to have the internet prices of insulin and syringes with you so your new vet can match price or offer you a script so you can go with the best price.

The goal is to have the info you need and want, without challenging the doctors expertise, while also getting to the bottom of your kitty's urinary issue, glucose numbers, and leg/jumping weakness without breaking the bank.

The people here are really good at offering experience related advice, which can help you immensely on your journey. What we can't do is diagnose, or prescribe, or even treat. But you want to know the best way to transition a cat to a wet food diet that is low in carbs, we got you. You want to know how to get your cat to look forward to the ear testing - we're your board. If your kitty goes too low on a glucose test we can help you stabilize until/unless you need to rush to the ER vet. We can most certainly be outraged that your previous vet allowed you to walk out of their office expecting your kitty to die because you couldn't/didn't want to pay a grand for a diagnosis. We are here for your support, but you still need a partnership with your vet. Challenging the vet often doesn't lead to that win/win/win relationship, and that's the relationship all of us want for you and Christian.

(P.S. I found this site on my own when the vet told me over the phone Fabby's diagnosis. When I went to pick up my cat from the curve I could have done myself, but paid a grand for... the vet mentioned this site - even gave me a print out with the website directly to Dr. Lisa's food/carb list. So then I came here and learned just how much I was over charged. And to be fair to the vet, they don't often deal with feline diabetes, and even less do they deal with a caretaker that is willing to home test and keep track of their pet's glucose on a spreadsheet. It's weird though, the disconnect. The vet knows I care enough about my cat to pay a grand for one visit, but doesn't think I care enough to do care at home...)

As always, take my advice for what it is, a testomonial of someone with experience, lol.
 
Yes, Harley's BG this morning was normal. I went to the vet expecting to start him on insulin. It was a wonderful surprise. It has been a stressful month, but we can relax a bit now. We will have to keep our kitties on canned food forever, but I can live with that. No more steroids either. It is thought Harley was already on the edge and steroids threw him into really high BGs. The "premium dry food" we had been feeding him was likely the explanation for why we could only feed him 1/3 cup dry for the whole day and he remained overweight. Poor cat. We had been starving him nutritionally and by amount fed and did not even know it. Like you, I am so glad I found this site. I hope your kitty has some positive changes with his new wet food diet. Like many others, I was truly appalled by the ignorance of your vet, the prices she quoted and the things she said. I am glad you are looking into finding someone new because You and your kitty deserve better.
 
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