Georgie's curve test/where can I buy insulin and supplies in canada

[NancyF]

I'm really not sure what to do. I was bringing Georgie in to the vet for his curve test on Monday and minutes away, we're rear ended. Ambulance, police, me freaking out!

The EMT's were wonderful. I was so upset about the accident with Georgie in the car, and I wouldn't let them take me into the ambulance until I was sure he was ok. So one of them actually went and checked him for me. When they said he was fine, then I let them take me to the ambulance.

The wondefule police officers even dropped my son and Georgie off at the vet after the two trucks took his car away.

Now where I'm confused is the vet refused to use my glucometer, which I had hoped she would so that we had similar readings. She said he BG is still pretty high but much better than when we brought him in and he was first diagnosed. But I don't have HER readings! And she didn't increase his dose.

I'm back home now, and I'm wondering if I should now do my own curve test. I'm sure the accident plus my being absent for a couple of days has really stressed Georgie out. I don't want to stress him out more, but when I took his BG twice today, he was so calm and cooperative.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I hope you are OK.

Definitely do your own curve at home. All will be much calmer there. I had a non diabetic cat read over 220 points at a stressful vet visit, and 53 the next day at home. Doing your own curve is also a lot cheaper, and less dangerous too.

 

[NancyF]

I hope you are OK.

Definitely do your own curve at home. All will be much calmer there. I had a non diabetic cat read over 220 points at a stressful vet visit, and 53 the next day at home. Doing your own curve is also a lot cheaper, and less dangerous too.

I'm fine, thank you.

Ok, so my instincts about the curve test are right? That's a huge load off my mind.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Glad you are ok and I would do the curve over myself

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

God bless you! So happy you are ok. Listen to these fine people. They KNOW what they are talking about. AND

WELCOME TO THE BEST SITE ON THE PLANET!
jeanne

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Wait a day or two before doing a curve. No matter how calm Georgie appears a car accident is not usually part of a cat's life and even a tiny bit of stress will alter the numbers.
The numbers your vet got belong to you, same as Georgie's files. She may believe her meter to be more accurate which may be so but an argument can be made for consistency, in other words using the same meter.
I'm glad your EMT's understood your situation. I once asked a big burly firefighter about those "We have pets" stickers on front doors. He had a cat and said obviously human life comes first but all life matters. I got to sit in the fire engine too! (all men are 12 years old on the inside)
To make your day just a little bit better...

 

[NancyF]

Glad you are ok and I would do the curve over myself

Thank you. I'm going to do just that

 

[NancyF]

God bless you! So happy you are ok. Listen to these fine people. They KNOW what they are talking about. AND

WELCOME TO THE BEST SITE ON THE PLANET!
jeanne

Thank you. I would be so very lost without this site. I've learned so much and am feeling much less overwhelmed.

 

[NancyF]

Wait a day or two before doing a curve. No matter how calm Georgie appears a car accident is not usually part of a cat's life and even a tiny bit of stress will alter the numbers.
The numbers your vet got belong to you, same as Georgie's files. She may believe her meter to be more accurate which may be so but an argument can be made for consistency, in other words using the same meter.
I'm glad your EMT's understood your situation. I once asked a big burly firefighter about those "We have pets" stickers on front doors. He had a cat and said obviously human life comes first but all life matters. I got to sit in the fire engine too! (all men are 12 years old on the inside)
To make your day just a little bit better...

Such a beautiful video. I was very lucky to have such a great set of EMT's and police. And you're right. Georgie has been stressed. First by the accident, then overnight at the vet then me not at home when he was brought back. He's quite clingy and his BG numbers aren't so great. But we'll do this!

 

[Juls and Billy]

So glad you are doing all right. What a scary thing to have happen. I agree with the others to wait a few days and do your own curve. With Billy, I decided to do his curve at home and take the results to his vet. The vet wasn't happy, but that's what we did. Then the vet just tested his fructosamine. Worked out fine, and Billy didn't have to spend the day at the vet.

 

[NancyF]

So glad you are doing all right. What a scary thing to have happen. I agree with the others to wait a few days and do your own curve. With Billy, I decided to do his curve at home and take the results to his vet. The vet wasn't happy, but that's what we did. Then the vet just tested his fructosamine. Worked out fine, and Billy didn't have to spend the day at the vet.

I agree. The vet is going to have to accept that I'm taking charge of Georgie's daily care and I need her for tests I can't do at home and his insulin

 

[Deb & Wink]

I'm sure the accident plus my being absent for a couple of days has really stressed Georgie out. I don't want to stress him out more, but when I took his BG twice today, he was so calm and cooperative.

Goodness! Glad you are safe and back home.

How is Georgie doing? Sounds like he really missed you. Especially since he is easily letting you do the ear pokes for BG testing.

I agree. The vet is going to have to accept that I'm taking charge of Georgie's daily care and I need her for tests I can't do at home and his insulin

So, do you know when you should/want to be doing the home BG testing? Besides pre-shot tests of course. Always do those.

This may sound a bit odd or untimely, but for those days when you were in the hospital, recovering from the car accident, the SS is blank. Some notes on the SS (spreadsheet) would be appropriate. Otherwise we'll see those blank spots and wonder why.

p.s. Rear ended 3 years ago with my cat in the car in her carrier. Luckily, I had the carrier strapped in with the seat belt in the back seat. First thing I did was jump out of the car and check on her. Highly recommend a chiropractor for neck and back adjustments. Really helps. Never believed in chiropractors before this.

PTSD for quite some time post car accident. Still hate highway driving to this day.

 

[NancyF]

Goodness! Glad you are safe and back home.

How is Georgie doing? Sounds like he really missed you. Especially since he is easily letting you do the ear pokes for BG testing.


So, do you know when you should/want to be doing the home BG testing? Besides pre-shot tests of course. Always do those.

This may sound a bit odd or untimely, but for those days when you were in the hospital, recovering from the car accident, the SS is blank. Some notes on the SS (spreadsheet) would be appropriate. Otherwise we'll see those blank spots and wonder why.

p.s. Rear ended 3 years ago with my cat in the car in her carrier. Luckily, I had the carrier strapped in with the seat belt in the back seat. First thing I did was jump out of the car and check on her. Highly recommend a chiropractor for neck and back adjustments. Really helps. Never believed in chiropractors before this.

PTSD for quite some time post car accident. Still hate highway driving to this day.

I still think he's stressed by the car accident, the vet stay and my not being home a couple of days. His BG has been so high.

I think I'd like to do weekly curve tests for a little while. It would have to be on Friday since I don't have to work that night.

I'm fairly certain his insulin needs to be increased. But I spoke to the vet today and she said she'd like to wait at least a week before she does that because of the car accident stress. So I need to bring him back again in a week or two.

I wasn't there for his last curve (obviously) so I'm going to try and insist she use my glucometer. Even if she uses both her's and mine, I'd like the readings from mine on my SS.

And thanks for that SS advice. I hadn't thought to put the car accident in the notes. My son was giving him his insulin shots while I was away, but he had a very difficult time with that. Georgie is my cat, and he doesn't even eat much when I'm not around. Maybe another reason his BG is so high?

 

[Ann & Scatcats]

Sweet Georgie, and Nancy.

So sorry you had to go through a car accident and end up in hospital. And a confusing time for Georgie with you not there with him.

I hope the trauma settles so you can get into your normal routines and pace again.

You can always give this webaddress to us here to your son and have him come on here and we will help him out with Georgie. Which we would have been glad to do.

Hugs to Georgie and you Nancy

 

[NancyF]

Sweet Georgie, and Nancy.

So sorry you had to go through a car accident and end up in hospital. And a confusing time for Georgie with you not there with him.

I hope the trauma settles so you can get into your normal routines and pace again.

You can always give this webaddress to us here to your son and have him come on here and we will help him out with Georgie. Which we would have been glad to do.

Hugs to Georgie and you Nancy

I wish I had thought of that. Something he said yesterday makes me think all he got were fur shots. Which would explain, in part, the high BG's

 

[Deb & Wink]

You can do the curves yourself at home for Georgie.
You have the meter, you have test strips.
A curve is testing every 2 hours, for a 12 hour period.

Most people do the curves themselves, at home. Less stress for you, less stress for Georgie.

Maybe tell your vet your are too stressed to drive right now. You'll do the curves at home, send her an email or copy of the SS for her to look at.

Curves are more reliable at home anyway. No "vet stress" to artificially inflate the BG levels.
(2018) AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats recommend home testing.
If the caregiver or cat owner is willing to do that. And feeling up to doing that after a car accident and a hospital stay.

At least the food at home is better than the hospital.

 

[NancyF]

You can do the curves yourself at home for Georgie.
You have the meter, you have test strips.
A curve is testing every 2 hours, for a 12 hour period.

Most people do the curves themselves, at home. Less stress for you, less stress for Georgie.

Maybe tell your vet your are too stressed to drive right now. You'll do the curves at home, send her an email or copy of the SS for her to look at.

Curves are more reliable at home anyway. No "vet stress" to artificially inflate the BG levels.
(2018) AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats recommend home testing.
If the caregiver or cat owner is willing to do that. And feeling up to doing that after a car accident and a hospital stay.

At least the food at home is better than the hospital.

I actually packed up his own food and treats along with my glucometer. So when the police dropped off my son and Georgie at the vet, she had that.

I'll bring him for another curve since she threatened no more insulin if I didn't. But I'm coming armed with my spreadsheet and am going to insist I will do it at home.

 

[Deb & Wink]

I'll bring him for another curve since she threatened no more insulin if I didn't.

To me, this says it's time to find another vet. This sounds unethical to refuse a customer a prescription for insulin. Get her to write you a prescription for lantus. Then go fill it at your local pharmacy. Or if you still want to use Caninsulin ( a dog insulin) then get a prescription for that.

At least the food at home is better than the hospital.

I meant the people food when you were in the hospital. What foods you are able to eat now at home are usually much tastier than what you get in a human hospital.

 

[NancyF]

To me, this says it's time to find another vet. This sounds unethical to refuse a customer a prescription for insulin. Get her to write you a prescription for lantus. Then go fill it at your local pharmacy. Or if you still want to use Caninsulin ( a dog insulin) then get a prescription for that.


I meant the people food when you were in the hospital. What foods you are able to eat now at home are usually much tastier than what you get in a human hospital.

Yeah, I was thinking that too. I was very upset that she would threatened Georgie's health like that.

True! Hospital food is horrible. I ate like a pig when I got home, and I'm not a foodie lol

 

[Deb & Wink]

Just checked some online websites. In Quebec, you do not need a prescription to buy Lantus or Levimir insulin at a drugstore or pharmacy. These are both insulins used by humans, and many cats here.

Costco was recommended as the least expensive place to buy human insulin.
If you decide to switch to Lantus insulin, there are plenty of people here that can help you with managing your cat Georgie on that insulin. It's a better insulin for cats anyway.

Buy the Lantus insulin pens, not the vial. You will need regular U100 3/10 cc volume syringes, with 1/2 unit markings on the barrel. Needle length is your choice. The insulin syringes with the 1/2 unit markings on the barrel are very important.

Call pharmacies in your area first. To check prices and availability.

Have your vet office email you copies of all of Georgie's vet records. Or have them print them out and have your son pick them up for you.

p.s. Sorry, I'm a bit angry at your vet threatening to withhold insulin from your Georgie.

 

[NancyF]

Just checked some online websites. In Quebec, you do not need a prescription to buy Lantus or Levimir insulin at a drugstore or pharmacy. These are both insulins used by humans, and many cats here.

Costco was recommended as the least expensive place to buy human insulin.
If you decide to switch to Lantus insulin, there are plenty of people here that can help you with managing your cat Georgie on that insulin. It's a better insulin for cats anyway.

Buy the Lantus insulin pens, not the vial. You will need regular U100 3/10 cc volume syringes, with 1/2 unit markings on the barrel. Needle length is your choice. The insulin syringes with the 1/2 unit markings on the barrel are very important.

Call pharmacies in your area first. To check prices and availability.

Have your vet office email you copies of all of Georgie's vet records. Or have them print them out and have your son pick them up for you.

p.s. Sorry, I'm a bit angry at your vet threatening to withhold insulin from your Georgie.

Wow, thank you. I wasn't even aware Costco would sell insulin. I'll definitely start checking around. I'm pretty angry myself.

 

[Deb & Wink]

Don't know if Costco sells the pet insulins. So call first.
They may only carry the human insulins.

If you are already a Costco member, and pay the annual fee, why not get Georgies supplies there.

Don't know as many places in Canada to order insulin supplies from.
Maybe create a new thread or even better, change the title on this thread to ask for recommendations on where to buy things in Canada.

 

[NancyF]

Don't know if Costco sells the pet insulins. So call first.
They may only carry the human insulins.

If you are already a Costco member, and pay the annual fee, why not get Georgies supplies there.

Don't know as many places in Canada to order insulin supplies from.
Maybe create a new thread or even better, change the title on this thread to ask for recommendations on where to buy things in Canada.

Good idea!