June 13 2020 New Member Scard for my cat

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Bruce Laybolt

Bruce Laybolt

Member Since 2020
Hi,

On thursday my cat was diagnosed with diabetes. I have to give him insolin 2 times a day. I want to do home testing but am scare. I find my self crying at night cause I just want my cat to be ok. I feel like i am going to screws this all up and he is the one that's going to pay the price. I wake up in panic attacks cause i am scard i am going to find him dead he is 15 years old. The vets keep telling me not to worry but I cant. anyone else going through this?
 
Hi Bruce. We all go through that scary phase but this is a place of support and advice. You've come to the right place. Once you get the hang of testing I promise you will feel a lot more comfortable and confident. Do you have any specific questions for us right now we can help you with? :bighug:

The 911 flare you used in your title is only for medical emergencies so we can see it easily and help. Could you please remove it by editing your title in the top right corner?
 
Hi,

I took the 911 away. Right now I dont have a glucose meter and I have to give my cat 2 units on insolin 2 times a day every 12 hours. but he eats through out the day. I was told by the vet to give the insolin with food so his sugars dont drop. what do I do if he wont eat? we started the insolin thursday night. his sugar thursday night was 26 last night I took him in and they were 12 high but low for him they said.
 
Hi Bruce and welcome,

We’ve all felt this way at one time or another, but the main thing to focus on is that diabetes is not a death sentence. Most folks here have cats who have been living with it for years and are otherwise perfectly healthy. Once you start insulin and home testing, which would be my biggest advice to you even when most vets tell us we don’t have to do it, your cat will get regulated and be safe and happy. It may take months so don’t think it’s an easy quick fix, but you’ll get there and we’ll gladly help you.

can you tell us a bit more about you and your cat? Is Bruce your name or his? What insulin are you starting him on and what’s the dosage? Also what type of food is your cat on?

Here’s a link for you to take a look at and start digesting all the info we have on this forum:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

welcome! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
Hi,

I took the 911 away. Right now I dont have a glucose meter and I have to give my cat 2 units on insolin 2 times a day every 12 hours. but he eats through out the day. I was told by the vet to give the insolin with food so his sugars dont drop. what do I do if he wont eat? we started the insolin thursday night. his sugar thursday night was 26 last night I took him in and they were 12 high but low for him they said.
Click to expand...

2 units is a bit high for a starting dose. Usually you want to start with 1 especially if you’re not home testing yet. Also keep in mind that the BG number at the vet will always be elevated because your cat is stressed out being there. What insulin are you on?
 
Hi,

and thank you. It's hard I dont want to hurt him. i dont see it as a death sentence. I am just scard I will mess up and it will cost hom his life. Bruce is my name Bob is his. Lantus solo pen 2 units 2 times a day. we took him off all dry food other then the diabetic dry food but that is given as a treat we have him now fully on wet food. I dont have a mater to test right now I am waiting for a new one. he is over weight 20lbs
 
One more thing, I think home testing will help immensely in feeling more in control of the situation and less worried about your cat because you’ll be able to monitor the glucose levels and insulin dose closely. I know it’s helped me tremendously!
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
Hi,

and thank you. It's hard I dont want to hurt him. i dont see it as a death sentence. I am just scard I will mess up and it will cost hom his life. Bruce is my name Bob is his. Lantus solo pen 2 units 2 times a day. we took him off all dry food other then the diabetic dry food but that is given as a treat we have him now fully on wet food. I dont have a mater to test right now I am waiting for a new one. he is over weight 20lbs
Click to expand...

what type of wet food? Most of us feed FF pate as it’s low in carbs. You want food that has less than 10% carbs in it. Lantus is a great insulin for cat so that’s great news. You’ve come to the right place and just ask as many questions as you need to and we can guide so you won’t feel you’ll hurt him. You can do this, trust me we all can and we’re here to support you the best way we can!!
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
2 units is a bit high for a starting dose. Usually you want to start with 1 especially if you’re not home testing yet. Also keep in mind that the BG number at the vet will always be elevated because your cat is stressed out being there. What insulin are you on?
Click to expand...
When we took him in he was at 26 for sugars last night I took him after 3 full 2 unit doses( over 36 hours) and it kept him at 12. I have an accu-chek but it broke so they are sending me a new one will be here in 5 to 10 days. what is the best way to draw the blood?
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
Hi,

and thank you. It's hard I dont want to hurt him. i dont see it as a death sentence. I am just scard I will mess up and it will cost hom his life. Bruce is my name Bob is his. Lantus solo pen 2 units 2 times a day. we took him off all dry food other then the diabetic dry food but that is given as a treat we have him now fully on wet food. I dont have a mater to test right now I am waiting for a new one. he is over weight 20lbs
Click to expand...

what type of wet food? Most of us feed FF pate as it’s low in carbs. You want food that has less than 10% carbs in it. Lantus is a great insulin for cat so that’s great news. You’ve come to the right place and just ask as many questions as you need to and we can guide so you won’t feel you’ll hurt him. You can do this, trust me we all can and we’re here to support you the best way we can!!
 
Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
what type of wet food? Most of us feed FF pate as it’s low in carbs. You want food that has less than 10% carbs in it. Lantus is a great insulin for cat so that’s great news. You’ve come to the right place and just ask as many questions as you need to and we can guide so you won’t feel you’ll hurt him. You can do this, trust me we all can and we’re here to support you the best way we can!!
Click to expand...
Thank you. Fancy feast is what I have him on now. I have choose different ones till i find what he likes but none over them are over 7 carbs. I used the binkyspage
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
When we took him in he was at 26 for sugars last night I took him after 3 full 2 unit doses( over 36 hours) and it kept him at 12. I have an accu-chek but it broke so they are sending me a new one will be here in 5 to 10 days. what is the best way to draw the blood?
Click to expand...
I’m not familiar with acu check but most of us test the ears. Some people do the paws but I prefer the ear. There are lots of tips here about how to do it. For me it’s key warming up the ear first. You should also give him a treat after testing so there’s an association with a good thing and not a bad thing. Even when the test fails still give a treat. This is the spot you’re aiming for:
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Also know that it’s takes a bit for the ears to learn to “bleed” as the capilares build so it gets easier overtime. For warming most of use use an old sock that we fill with rice and nuke it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. I make sure the eat is warm to the touch and I hum to myself so I feel less stressed and so does Minnie. Are you getting lancets or a lancet pen?
 
A refillable lancer pen how ever it didnt come out or I didnt do it right so the first time I tried I got a little blood but wasnt enough. the Lancet wouldnt come out of the pen so I took it out and poked it my self. then the meter died and I stopped. by the 3rd try though after the meter said not enough blood I was a mess a pool a sweat I started hyperventilating it was I think worse for me then bob.
 
WELCOME Bruce and Bob! Hes a beautiful!
Believe me we ALL have been through the hyperventilating! Its pretty daunting and you're right! Bob is probably saying "whats all the hubbub about dad?" I know it "feels" lik you are hurting him but in actuality you are literally saving Bobs life. We can help with that!

It all seems daunting but I bet in a couple of weeks, this will be old hat, with a new routine. You GOT this dude!;)

Again welcome to the best site on the planet to help you navigate this disease to keep Bob SAFE.
jeanne
 
Hi,

and thank you I do appricate it. hes an amazing boy and the people I got him from wanted to put him down 4 years ago said he had tons of medical issues. I took him to my vet she said nothing was wrong with him. and other then the diabities he is healthy well over weight but I am too haha. they think his bowels was inflamed from constipation and liver enzyme were hi cause of the diabetes heres a pic of his blood work
 

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Bruce, that’s great news! While we wait for other Canadians to chime in, do you mind going to that link I posted and setting up your signature? There are also instructions on setting up a spreadsheet that you can enter all the testing info you have so far and once you start again. There’s also a tab for lab work and you can transfer all the info in there too.

Thanks!
 
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Aleluia Grugru & Minnie said:
Bruce, that’s great news! While we wait for other Canadians to chime in, do you mind going to that link I posted and setting up your signature? There are also instructions on setting up a spreadsheet that you can enter all the testing info you have so far and once you start again. There’s also a tab for lab work and you can transfer all the info in there too.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I see the speed sheet and I have copied that (hope its ok). i dont see where the signature instructions are. I see how to do it but dont know what to put there.
 
No worries a lot of info on that sticky note. Here you go:

Make sure your signature is up-to-date.
  • On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature. This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback.
    • There is a limit of two lines which may include two links; you may separate pieces with commas, dashes, | etc. This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    • Add any other text, such as
    • Caregiver & kitty's name (optional)
    • DX: Date
    • Name of Insulin
    • Name of your meter
    • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
    • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
    • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
    • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
    • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
    • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.
Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.

Thank you!
 
Welcome, Bob. Waving to you from Ontario.
With home testing, diabetes is not a death sentence. There are members here from all over the world and there is almost always someone online to help you.
Kudos for getting rid of the dry food. Unfortunately, there is no dry food in Canada that is low enough in carbs. Even the diabetic dry food is too high.
But before you cut out the dry altogether, you need to have a working meter. Cutting out dry food drops a cat's numbers by up to 5.5. (Note: a lot of members are in the US so World Numbers are used on this site – just multiply your numbers by 18 – your reading of 26 would be 26 x 18 = 468.)

Take in what I've written. I'll write more is just a few minutes. I'm trying to finish up some work on the computer.

And welcome again to the best place you never thought you would be. Don't believe for a minute that you cannot do this. We have all been where you are and we can help.
 
hehe We are waving from NS. I was just wondering about the numbering cause everything I see was 3 digit numbers so that makes sense. i do think the accu-chek meter i got is in US mesument though. but I'll have to wait till I can use it. I noticed that about the dry food. the vet wanted me to cut dry food altogether. I had to speak to a vet last night and she said I should not have changed the food or anything till we got the insolin down. The vet that we seen thursday was nice but like you should cut dry food all together. and wet food is best. monday at 9am I have an appointment with my normal vet and i am going to go over everything with her. shes been seeing all my pets over the years shea just been busy cause she is also the vet surgeon.
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
the vet wanted me to cut dry food altogether.
Click to expand...
Sorry but this vet has the right idea. AND its better to stop the dry before that first drop of insulin.

I know this is confusing and you dont want to go against your regular vets advice but ALL dry food is PACKED with carbs that MAKE sugar... (You should have seen my husbands face when his doctor told him "NO MORE ICE CREAM" ) Hes been a diabetic for a couple of years now. :p
 
awww your poor hubby. My family are but not insolin dependant. I havent stopped the dry food yet. But I also havent seen my regular vet yet either. the one that DX him was an emergancy vet and it was like 11pm at night. I took him to vet for constipation and found out he is diabetic
 
And as Red said don’t do anything until you’re home testing as well. Numbers can drop considerably. Even for treats, you should look into low carb options like freeze dried ones. I’m tagging someone who can set up the spreadsheet for you. See how much you’ve accomplished already? ;)
@Chris & China (GA) ss sos please :D
 
hahaha yeah. you are all so welcoming and I appricate it. I'll probably get some sleep tonight I was staying up to make sure he was ok .. My partner cant handle this part of things and he has lost so much of his family. and he is losing his dad to diabities cause he wont manage it. bob and his daddy (yes I am dad and my partner is daddy) are extremely close. they are like shadows to the point bob sleeps with us and when his daddy is on his back so is bon when hes on his side so is bob it's rather cute.
 
Question.. Do you think that I should go and put him back on the food I was feeding him before I took him to the vet (heavy dry food diet whiskas gillers lots of temptation treats.) just until our regular vet can see him on monday I guess really what I I scard of the most is his sugars dropping too low. The vet that I talked to last night told me I probably should have changed his food at all until we got the insolin regulates. I do see my vet on monday she hasn't seen him in 1 year.
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
hahaha yeah. you are all so welcoming and I appricate it. I'll probably get some sleep tonight I was staying up to make sure he was ok .. My partner cant handle this part of things and he has lost so much of his family. and he is losing his dad to diabities cause he wont manage it. bob and his daddy (yes I am dad and my partner is daddy) are extremely close. they are like shadows to the point bob sleeps with us and when his daddy is on his back so is bon when hes on his side so is bob it's rather cute.
Click to expand...
Awwwww :cat::cat::cat:

I’m sure that given what daddy’s dad is going through has added to your stress and fears. Just remember that is much easier to manage your cat’s diabetes since you decide what they eat and when they get medicated. We don’t have as much control over the humans in our lives sadly :(
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
Question.. Do you think that I should go and put him back on the food I was feeding him before I took him to the vet (heavy dry food diet whiskas gillers lots of temptation treats.) just until our regular vet can see him on monday I guess really what I I scard of the most is his sugars dropping too low. The vet that I talked to last night told me I probably should have changed his food at all until we got the insolin regulates. I do see my vet on monday she hasn't seen him in 1 year.
Click to expand...
If it gives you peace of mind, yes and once you start testing then you can pull it again
 
yes and this is what our fears are the most. bob is older 15 but hes a fighter too. I dont know what he been through before we got him 4 years i dont think it was good. he use to be so timid. now hes got addatude and we love it. we love him and it would crush us if anything happend to him. we just want his remaining years to be the best they can be he deserves that.
 
Bruce Laybolt said:
yes and this is what our fears are the most. bob is older 15 but hes a fighter too. I dont know what he been through before we got him 4 years i dont think it was good. he use to be so timid. now hes got addatude and we love it. we love him and it would crush us if anything happend to him. we just want his remaining years to be the best they can be he deserves that.
Click to expand...
I totally understand where you’re coming from and I feel exactly the same way about my cats. They’re both 12 and the folks here have been with me through Minnie’s 2 hospitalizations in the last 3 weeks, pneumonia, cardiac arrest and IBD. Through it all, I just knew it wasn’t her time yet and I feel like we’re finally on the last leg of the road to full recovery and I’m very grateful to have been able to support her through it. And also very grateful for the good friends in this forum who have literally helped me keep it together and not fall apart, who check in everyday and ask me how she’s doing, and keep sending so much love and prayers her way just like a family would :bighug:
 
I'm a bit concerned about a starting dose of 2 units, especially if you are unable to test for a week or two. Usually the starting dose is 1 unit. I'll let a few other people chime in on this one. I don't give dosing advice.

Now, I'm going to overload you with information. Take your time. Your cat is not going to be regulated overnight.

Lantus is a good insulin for cats. And inexpensive here in Canada.
You can start reading about Lantus here. Read the yellow stickies.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

Read through the stickies a couple of times and you will be better able to ask questions and understand answers at the vet's on Monday.

Lantus dosing is based on how low the dose takes the cat, and not on one test done at the vet. That said, your vet may want the cat to stay at the office for a day to do a curve. Once you have a meter, this expense will not be necessary. You can do a curve at home. Vet curves are not always accurate. White coat syndrome applies to a cat as well. They are in a stressful environment.

Some questions to ask your vet. Click on the blue Vet Interview Topics. And if you decide that you need a different vet, the questions to ask the practise are there too.

The Lantus Solostar only allows you to dose in 1 unit increments. It is recommended that increases and decreases be 0.25 units. That way, you do not bypass the correct dose going up the dosing scale or going down.
You will want to invest in some insulin syringes. You can use them with the pen.
You will need these ones with the purple and yellow on the box. They have half unit markings and are easier on the eyes.
BD_320440__64513.1520533063.jpg

You may have to order them from your pharmacy. Or call around. Some human pharmacy is bound to have them.

Meters and strips:
The vet may want you to use a pet meter called an AlphaTrak. It is calibrated for animals. The strips are crazy expensive – roughly $2/strip. Just tell your vet that you cannot afford it. Before the AlphaTrak came on the market, vets used human glucometres. You can too.

Strips are expensive in Canada, and you will be going through more strips than you imagine. Do check out the price of strips for your Accu-Check. (I'm not sure which Accu-Check you are using. There are a couple of different ones.)
The size of the drop of blood required is a factor as well. You don't want a meter than requires an overly large drop of blood.

A lot of people use the FreeStyle Lite. It requires the smallest drop of blood and the strips are not incredibly expensive.

Testing: we have a compendium of testing tips and videos. Testing does get easier, I promise.

Hypo tool kit:
Anyone with a diabetic cat needs to have one of these. It will save your cat's life.
The information can be found here:
Miscellany:

Fancy Feast Classic are called Fancy Feast pates in Canada. Only the pates are low carb (under 10%). You will however need a couple of cans of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers for your hypo kit. They are high carb.

You will see mentions of "karo" on the forum. That's corn syrup to us Canucks. Liquid honey and maple syrup will work as well.

"Neosporin with pain relief" in Canada is Polysporin Complete. It can help if your cat's ears get sore.
https://www.polysporin.ca/products/complete-antibiotic-ointment

I hope this helps. It is time for me to put my bread and dinner in the oven.

Ask questions. We love questions. Allow your partner access so that he can post on your thread in case of an emergency.

It is time for me to put my bread and dinner in the oven. Gotta go. Stay safe and snug.
 

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Red & Rover (GA) said:
I'm a bit concerned about a starting dose of 2 units, especially if you are unable to test for a week or two. Usually the starting dose is 1 unit. I'll let a few other people chime in on this one. I don't give dosing advice.

Now, I'm going to overload you with information. Take your time. Your cat is not going to be regulated overnight.

Lantus is a good insulin for cats. And inexpensive here in Canada.
You can start reading about Lantus here. Read the yellow stickies.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

Read through the stickies a couple of times and you will be better able to ask questions and understand answers at the vet's on Monday.

Lantus dosing is based on how low the dose takes the cat, and not on one test done at the vet. That said, your vet may want the cat to stay at the office for a day to do a curve. Once you have a meter, this expense will not be necessary. You can do a curve at home. Vet curves are not always accurate. White coat syndrome applies to a cat as well. They are in a stressful environment.

Some questions to ask your vet. Click on the blue Vet Interview Topics. And if you decide that you need a different vet, the questions to ask the practise are there too.

The Lantus Solostar only allows you to dose in 1 unit increments. It is recommended that increases and decreases be 0.25 units. That way, you do not bypass the correct dose going up the dosing scale or going down.
You will want to invest in some insulin syringes. You can use them with the pen.
You will need these ones with the purple and yellow on the box. They have half unit markings and are easier on the eyes.
View attachment 54197
You may have to order them from your pharmacy. Or call around. Some human pharmacy is bound to have them.

Meters and strips:
The vet may want you to use a pet meter called an AlphaTrak. It is calibrated for animals. The strips are crazy expensive – roughly $2/strip. Just tell your vet that you cannot afford it. Before the AlphaTrak came on the market, vets used human glucometres. You can too.

Strips are expensive in Canada, and you will be going through more strips than you imagine. Do check out the price of strips for your Accu-Check. (I'm not sure which Accu-Check you are using. There are a couple of different ones.)
The size of the drop of blood required is a factor as well. You don't want a meter than requires an overly large drop of blood.

A lot of people use the FreeStyle Lite. It requires the smallest drop of blood and the strips are not incredibly expensive.

Testing: we have a compendium of testing tips and videos. Testing does get easier, I promise.

Hypo tool kit:
Anyone with a diabetic cat needs to have one of these. It will save your cat's life.
The information can be found here:
Miscellany:

Fancy Feast Classic are called Fancy Feast pates in Canada. Only the pates are low carb (under 10%). You will however need a couple of cans of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers for your hypo kit. They are high carb.

You will see mentions of "karo" on the forum. That's corn syrup to us Canucks. Liquid honey and maple syrup will work as well.

"Neosporin with pain relief" in Canada is Polysporin Complete. It can help if your cat's ears get sore.
https://www.polysporin.ca/products/complete-antibiotic-ointment

I hope this helps. It is time for me to put my bread and dinner in the oven.

Ask questions. We love questions. Allow your partner access so that he can post on your thread in case of an emergency.

It is time for me to put my bread and dinner in the oven. Gotta go. Stay safe and snug.
Click to expand...
He’s using acu check and I’m not familiar with it, are the strips expensive over there?
 
I am so sorry you kitty has gone though that you put thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

regarding the 2 units I mesure it with the insolin pen so I dont draw in a syringe. I screw a 8mm needle tip on the pen turn the dial to 2 and inject. the Friday morning I had to draw in a syringe and to the second line on a u-100 needle .50ml/cc. when I use the pen I have to prime 2 units out and then turn to 2 and inject. 3 tiny little drops come out of the tip of the needle that's it. it does seem like with a syringe its draw way more. when I talked to my regular vet on the phone they said that 2 units was a very low does and would be very surprised if thay hurt him in anyway. but I see them on monday so I'll go over that with them again.
 
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