when the time comes to leave your sugar baby for a night, or three...what do you all do?

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Mimis mom

Mimis mom

Member Since 2019
Which I have never done since she's had the betes. I have been WAYY too nervous, especially because she has been DKA before...

I know Ive talked about this on here before and a lot of you that have gone on vacation have given reduced doses- but what if the dose ends up being "too much" or what if she doesn't eat, because the BG is getting too high. What if I need the caretaker to have a PJ party with her?
WHAT DO YOU ALL DO??
I almost want to just take her with me wherever I go but I know that can probably stress her out even more, right?
Obviously because of what's been happening around the world, travel won't happen for a while but I really want to have something planned when it does normalize a little.

I haven't even wanted to spend one night anywhere. I don't trust anyone will do the same job I would do, know how much to leave her to eat, make sure she ate, and make sure she's not going hypo.

anyone live near me in albany new york, we could trade care taking once in a while? That would be ideal, that way I know you know how this all works..
 
I got China used to riding in the car and just packed her up and took her with me!

You can hire a pet-sitter to either come twice a day or you can hire some of them to stay in your home while you're away. Of course you want to meet this person and make sure they're bonded and insured before hiring them.

Some vet techs will want to earn some extra money and will come do tests and shots....College students are also sometimes a good source of labor.
 
I found a vet tech that is/was amazing (Pretty Girl is GA now :(). She came twice a day and mostly did a fabulous job and really cared.

Still there were a couple of tricky times. Once I got home and PrettyGirl's BG was very low - ended up staying up nearly all night that night.

But mostly it was good. If I had to do it over, I would be gone from home a lot less but there were still family events that I needed to be away for.
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
I got China used to riding in the car and just packed her up and took her with me!

You can hire a pet-sitter to either come twice a day or you can hire some of them to stay in your home while you're away. Of course you want to meet this person and make sure they're bonded and insured before hiring them.

Some vet techs will want to earn some extra money and will come do tests and shots....College students are also sometimes a good source of labor.
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how did you get China used to riding in the car? Any tips or tricks?
 
JeanW said:
I found a vet tech that is/was amazing (Pretty Girl is GA now :(). She came twice a day and mostly did a fabulous job and really cared.

Still there were a couple of tricky times. Once I got home and PrettyGirl's BG was very low - ended up staying up nearly all night that night.

But mostly it was good. If I had to do it over, I would be gone from home a lot less but there were still family events that I needed to be away for.
Click to expand...

i haven’t left Mimi once since she’s been diabetic. I’m so scared but at the same time I’m a little burnt out mentally and when this is over with I really need to get on a plane...
 
Mimis mom said:
how did you get China used to riding in the car? Any tips or tricks?
Click to expand...

Lots of trial and error at first....try in a crate (on the floor, on the seat, in the back, covered, not covered)….find what works best for your cat.

In China's case, she hated being in the crate more than she hated being in the car. Once I figured that out, I bought her a harness. Started by wearing it in the house until she didn't pay any attention to it, then added a very light leash and let her drag that around. Once she was comfortable with that, I started taking her out. (now here she never did want to "go for a walk"...she really didn't like being outdoors)

At first you just take kitty out to the car....then you sit in the car for 30 seconds and take back inside. Gradually lengthen the time you're in the car...then one day, start the car. Turn it off and go back inside. Gradually lengthen as tolerated....then put the car into gear and back in/out of the driveway and back inside. Gradually lengthen your trips …..from the driveway to the end of the block...to around the block, to the other side of town and back, etc. etc.

Lots of love after each training session.

She did best wearing a harness and leash that I tied into the back seatbelt. I took my mom to Branson several times to see the Christmas lights and shows and China rode along quietly for about 2-2 1/2 hours before she got a little antsy so we'd stop for a little while, give her a break and then finish the drive

One time when we got to the hotel (pet-friendly of course) I was shocked when I opened the back door to get her and she hopped down on the pavement and walked right next to me from the parking lot to the room. There were several other people out in the parking lot that couldn't believe I had a cat that walked on a leash better than their dogs did! It was great!

Man I miss my girl:(
 
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Chris & China (GA) said:
Lots of trial and error at first....try in a crate (on the floor, on the seat, in the back, covered, not covered)….find what works best for your cat.

In China's case, she hated being in the crate more than she hated being in the car. Once I figured that out, I bought her a harness. Started by wearing it in the house until she didn't pay any attention to it, then added a very light leash and let her drag that around. Once she was comfortable with that, I started taking her out. (now here she never did want to "go for a walk"...she really didn't like being outdoors)

At first you just take kitty out to the car....then you sit in the car for 30 seconds and take back inside. Gradually lengthen the time you're in the car...then one day, start the car. Turn it off and go back inside. Gradually lengthen as tolerated....then put the car into gear and back in/out of the driveway and back inside. Gradually lengthen your trips …..from the driveway to the end of the block...to around the block, to the other side of town and back, etc. etc.

Lots of love after each training session.

She did best wearing a harness and leash that I tied into the back seatbelt. I took my mom to Branson several times to see the Christmas lights and shows and China rode along quietly for about 2-2 1/2 hours before she got a little antsy so we'd stop for a little while, give her a break and then finish the drive

One time when we got to the hotel (pet-friendly of course) I was shocked when I opened the back door to get her and she hopped down on the pavement and walked right next to me from the parking lot to the room. There were several other people out in the parking lot that couldn't believe I had a cat that walked on a leash better than their dogs did! It was great!

Man I miss my girl:(
Click to expand...
Awwwww thank you for sharing!!!!!!! Did you notice her blood sugar would change during this time? I just don’t want to stress her out long term and cause her to remain sick or get sick with something else.
China had a great life!!!!
 
Mimis mom said:
Did you notice her blood sugar would change during this time?
Click to expand...

Actually, China was one of the unusual cats that react to stress by going lower. She earned several reductions when we were in a hotel room when my mom was having open heart surgery and even though the vet we finally ended up using the majority of the rest of her life (#5) was an hour drive, she never went sky high like most cats do.
 
Its a huge commitment. Some ideas:
- Check Rover.com for people who are experienced with administering medications. We had luck with one guy who could come to our home twice a day and was able to administer insulin.
- Check local boarding options. We used an amazing "Cat Hotel" in CT and loved them (the happy cat), but it is pricier. A lot of vets will board your kitty overnight and administer the medication for you. We liked the cat hotel because they had a nice big room instead of a tiny crate to hang out in.
- See if anyone on this forum lives near you where you could swap
- See if a local vet tech (someone in vet school or someone who works at your vet) would be willing to help!

I also recommend a timed feeder for wet food. This allowed us to take day trips and ensure our kitty was getting fed his portions through the day :)
 
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