Update to: New members ... Lucky & his Mama Jan

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Lucky and Jan

Lucky and Jan

Member Since 2020
Hi Everyone! We are new to this site and new to feline diabetes ... Lucky was just diagnosed this week, we began Caninsulin treatment Tuesday evening. .08 ml every 12 hours, his initial diagnosed blood glucose level was 28.5 a week ago. He has responded very quickly, his drinking has slowed down considerably, as has his urinating, but today he seems alot more tired. I have a call into his vet, but in the meantime, I just wanted to introduce ourselves ... Lucky is a Canadian kitty with a 16.5 year old fur sibling, Daizee-Mae. She is not diabetic.
Feeding him is a big concern for me. Our vet told me to just keep feeding him the wet food I had him on, and because he was a grazer of dry food, to keep some down during the day for him to eat. I've read pretty much EVERYWHERE to stop dry food feeding since it's high in carbs. He was on Royal Canin veterinarian formula GI moderate calorie, and his wet food is a mixture of 1/4 Fancy Feast pate with 3/4 Blue Buffalo Natural Ocean Whitefish and Tuna. He gets the wet food twice a day, just before I give him his insulin injections (I make sure he keeps his food down, first). I've only been giving him a tiny bit of dry food or treats mid-day, when he seems hungry, or today, when he seemed overly tired, as I was concerned his glucose was too low. It was about 4-5 hours after his injection. I know it takes some time for his body to adjust to this and I'm likely being paranoid, but our vet also said it wasn't necessary yet to purchase a glucometer and do at-home testing ... but I'm thinking I'm going to start that. I've seen conflicting information about glucometers ... is a human glucometer ok to use? So many questions ... lol ... thank you for any input!!
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
WELCOME TO FDMB! We are glad you found us I am concerned about this tired description is he seeking food? Sometimes a cat that has gone too low will seek food . Is he lethargic?
Click to expand...
Hi! Thank you for your reply! He isn't seeking food, and isn't overly lethargic, he just seems alot more tired than normal (sleeping more). He is up right now, mostly because I encouraged it, and he is getting some fresh air at the patio door (it's an unusually warm day here in Ontario). He's just very tired ... even my husband commented that he seems sleepy.
 
we are all dedicated to helping anyone who finds these pages much like you have. I'm going to post a link you should check out once you and Lucky have settled.
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

This link will get you acquainted with how things work around here. Please pay particular attention to the "Profile/ Signature" section. All that information you fill out will appear at the bottom of all your posts. That way you wont have to be answering the same questions over and over, such as what insulin is Lucky on?

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY:bighug:

We look forward to getting to know you both
jeanne
 
Lucky and Jan said:
Hi! Thank you for your reply! He isn't seeking food, and isn't overly lethargic, he just seems alot more tired than normal (sleeping more). He is up right now, mostly because I encouraged it, and he is getting some fresh air at the patio door (it's an unusually warm day here in Ontario). He's just very tired ... even my husband commented that he seems sleepy.
Click to expand...
Did your vet give you instruction for what to do if Lucky is acting overly sleepy? You may want to temp him with some food to see if that makes a difference .
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
I think its VERY important to go down to a drug store and buy a glucose monitor now.
Click to expand...
My cat Oliver was on Vetsulin for a month and overnight things changed suddenly. I was SO GLAD that I'd learned how to use the monitor and understood what was happening to him. This forum and it's members saved Oliver's life yesterday. I'm not saying this to scare you but diabetes in cats is serious.
 
Lucky and Jan said:
Lucky is a Canadian kitty
Click to expand...

Welcome. Waving from the Kawarthas. I was out enjoying the fine weather.

Feline diabetes is a steep learning curve but it becomes second nature very quickly. And you have this whole forum of people who live feline diabetes and have done the research at your disposal! And we like questions.

Lucky and Jan said:
Our vet told me to just keep feeding him the wet food I had him on, and because he was a grazer of dry food, to keep some down during the day for him to eat.
Click to expand...

Some people used freeze dried treats, especially as a reward after testing. It is hard to find a low carb dry food in Canada. Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein is one. But do not change a thing until you are testing. Just switching to a low carb diet can drop numbers by up to 5 (that's 90 in US numbers – multiply by 18) which can lead to a reduction in the insulin dose.

Lucky and Jan said:
Caninsulin
Click to expand...
This is not the best insulin for cats. The name says it all. It was designed for dogs who have a different metabolism. This insulin is harsh and drops a cat fast. There are better, more gentler alternatives, Lantus being one of them.
Have a look through
You might want to show it to your vet.

Lucky and Jan said:
but our vet also said it wasn't necessary yet to purchase a glucometer and do at-home testing ... but I'm thinking I'm going to start that. I've seen conflicting information about glucometers ... is a human glucometer ok to use?
Click to expand...
Yes, a human meter works just fine. Pet meter strips are crazy expensive in Canada.

A lot of people use the FreeStyle Lite meter (strips $80/100 - and you are going to go through more strips than you think). The advantage of the Freestyle Lite is that it takes the smallest amount of blood (0.3).
There is a coupon for a free meter here. Just don't tell them that the meter is for a cat.
https://www.freestyle.abbott/ca/en/order/lite.html

There are cheaper options but the downside is that you have to order the strips online and cannot go running out to the drug store to buy more strips in an emergency. It is important to always keep at least 50-100 strips in a hypo kit.
If you go with the Freestyle Lite, save up and use your PC points at Shoppers to buy the strips. If you have a senior citizen handy, take advantage of seniors days.

One online option is the Bravo meter. The strips are half the price but it requires a 0.6 drop of blood and you need to order strips online.
https://diabetesexpress.ca/products/bravo-meter

Another person from Ontario
@Sam&Milo&Singha uses a Contour Next subscription service with unlimited strips. I'll let her tell you about it.
 
Red covered all the bases, but please know that with Vetsulin, aka caninsulin, you need to have food onboard at least 30 minutes before the shot since it’s such a harsh fast acting insulin and it can drop his bg pretty low pretty fast. I’d encourage you to consider switching to a better gentler long acting insulin for cats like Lantus or prozync.

I second human meters since that’s all I’ve ever used :)

Welcome! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
we are all dedicated to helping anyone who finds these pages much like you have. I'm going to post a link you should check out once you and Lucky have settled.
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

This link will get you acquainted with how things work around here. Please pay particular attention to the "Profile/ Signature" section. All that information you fill out will appear at the bottom of all your posts. That way you wont have to be answering the same questions over and over, such as what insulin is Lucky on?

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY:bighug:

We look forward to getting to know you both
jeanne
Click to expand...
Thank you so much!! I am so glad to have been directed to this page! My daughter-in-law, who is a veterinary assistant at an ER veterinarian, sent me here ... she also has a diabetic cat
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Welcome. Waving from the Kawarthas. I was out enjoying the fine weather.

Feline diabetes is a steep learning curve but it becomes second nature very quickly. And you have this whole forum of people who live feline diabetes and have done the research at your disposal! And we like questions.



Some people used freeze dried treats, especially as a reward after testing. It is hard to find a low carb dry food in Canada. Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein is one. But do not change a thing until you are testing. Just switching to a low carb diet can drop numbers by up to 5 (that's 90 in US numbers – multiply by 18) which can lead to a reduction in the insulin dose.


This is not the best insulin for cats. The name says it all. It was designed for dogs who have a different metabolism. This insulin is harsh and drops a cat fast. There are better, more gentler alternatives, Lantus being one of them.
Have a look through
You might want to show it to your vet.


Yes, a human meter works just fine. Pet meter strips are crazy expensive in Canada.

A lot of people use the FreeStyle Lite meter (strips $80/100 - and you are going to go through more strips than you think). The advantage of the Freestyle Lite is that it takes the smallest amount of blood (0.3).
There is a coupon for a free meter here. Just don't tell them that the meter is for a cat.
https://www.freestyle.abbott/ca/en/order/lite.html

There are cheaper options but the downside is that you have to order the strips online and cannot go running out to the drug store to buy more strips in an emergency. It is important to always keep at least 50-100 strips in a hypo kit.
If you go with the Freestyle Lite, save up and use your PC points at Shoppers to buy the strips. If you have a senior citizen handy, take advantage of seniors days.

One online option is the Bravo meter. The strips are half the price but it requires a 0.6 drop of blood and you need to order strips online.
https://diabetesexpress.ca/products/bravo-meter

Another person from Ontario
@Sam&Milo&Singha uses a Contour Next subscription service with unlimited strips. I'll let her tell you about it.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for all this information!! I will check it all out today. And hello from Clarington!! We love the Kawarthas! Have spent many years enjoying cottages and holidays there, and we have a few clients that have relocated to that area.
 
Last edited:
Lucky and Jan said:
Thank you so much for all this information!! I will check it all out today.
Click to expand...
Lucky and Jan said:
Hi Everyone! We are new to this site and new to feline diabetes ... Lucky was just diagnosed this week, we began Caninsulin treatment Tuesday evening. .08 ml every 12 hours, his initial diagnosed blood glucose level was 28.5 a week ago. He has responded very quickly, his drinking has slowed down considerably, as has his urinating, but today he seems alot more tired. I have a call into his vet, but in the meantime, I just wanted to introduce ourselves ... Lucky is a Canadian kitty with a 16.5 year old fur sibling, Daizee-Mae. She is not diabetic.
Feeding him is a big concern for me. Our vet told me to just keep feeding him the wet food I had him on, and because he was a grazer of dry food, to keep some down during the day for him to eat. I've read pretty much EVERYWHERE to stop dry food feeding since it's high in carbs. He was on Royal Canin veterinarian formula GI moderate calorie, and his wet food is a mixture of 1/4 Fancy Feast pate with 3/4 Blue Buffalo Natural Ocean Whitefish and Tuna. He gets the wet food twice a day, just before I give him his insulin injections (I make sure he keeps his food down, first). I've only been giving him a tiny bit of dry food or treats mid-day, when he seems hungry, or today, when he seemed overly tired, as I was concerned his glucose was too low. It was about 4-5 hours after his injection. I know it takes some time for his body to adjust to this and I'm likely being paranoid, but our vet also said it wasn't necessary yet to purchase a glucometer and do at-home testing ... but I'm thinking I'm going to start that. I've seen conflicting information about glucometers ... is a human glucometer ok to use? So many questions ... lol ... thank you for any input!!
Click to expand...

Spoke with Lucky's vet Friday evening, she recommended a very slight drop to his dose ... dropping to .07 from .08 ml ... I did see a change in him overnight, he wasn't as sleepy, up early this morning ready to eat. I just gave him his second .07ml dose at 7:15 this morning, he is sleeping now, his vet is going to call us again this morning. Will update a bit later ... will be going to get a meter today.
 
Jan --

Welcome to you and Lucky!

Please take a look at the information about Caninsulin on the support group page. There are two sticky notes that pertain to Caninsulin.

Part of why we're encouraging you to start testing ASAP is that Caninsulin can drop numbers fast and hard. Home testing is the only way you can keep your cat safe. Many cats do not immediately show signs of hypoglycemia until numbers are dangerously low. If you're testing, you can monitor and catch things before it's a trip to the ER.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Jan --

Welcome to you and Lucky!

Please take a look at the information about Caninsulin on the support group page. There are two sticky notes that pertain to Caninsulin.

Part of why we're encouraging you to start testing ASAP is that Caninsulin can drop numbers fast and hard. Home testing is the only way you can keep your cat safe. Many cats do not immediately show signs of hypoglycemia until numbers are dangerously low. If you're testing, you can monitor and catch things before it's a trip to the ER.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! We are definitely going to begin home testing and I will look at the information you mentioned above.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Welcome. Waving from the Kawarthas. I was out enjoying the fine weather.

Feline diabetes is a steep learning curve but it becomes second nature very quickly. And you have this whole forum of people who live feline diabetes and have done the research at your disposal! And we like questions.



Some people used freeze dried treats, especially as a reward after testing. It is hard to find a low carb dry food in Canada. Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein is one. But do not change a thing until you are testing. Just switching to a low carb diet can drop numbers by up to 5 (that's 90 in US numbers – multiply by 18) which can lead to a reduction in the insulin dose.


This is not the best insulin for cats. The name says it all. It was designed for dogs who have a different metabolism. This insulin is harsh and drops a cat fast. There are better, more gentler alternatives, Lantus being one of them.
Have a look through
You might want to show it to your vet.


Yes, a human meter works just fine. Pet meter strips are crazy expensive in Canada.

A lot of people use the FreeStyle Lite meter (strips $80/100 - and you are going to go through more strips than you think). The advantage of the Freestyle Lite is that it takes the smallest amount of blood (0.3).
There is a coupon for a free meter here. Just don't tell them that the meter is for a cat.
https://www.freestyle.abbott/ca/en/order/lite.html

There are cheaper options but the downside is that you have to order the strips online and cannot go running out to the drug store to buy more strips in an emergency. It is important to always keep at least 50-100 strips in a hypo kit.
If you go with the Freestyle Lite, save up and use your PC points at Shoppers to buy the strips. If you have a senior citizen handy, take advantage of seniors days.

One online option is the Bravo meter. The strips are half the price but it requires a 0.6 drop of blood and you need to order strips online.
https://diabetesexpress.ca/products/bravo-meter

Another person from Ontario
@Sam&Milo&Singha uses a Contour Next subscription service with unlimited strips. I'll let her tell you about it.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum! The members here saved my kitty this summer. My cat, Singha, is in remission and was on Caninsulin for a year. No one ever told me to test him so I just got lucky he made it out unscathed. Testing is very important and keeping track of the data using the spreadsheet is essential. There's a good chance if you follow the TR protocol your kitty has the potential of going into remission.

My other cat, Milo, wasn't so lucky. He's also been diagnosed and was put on Caninsulin. It did NOT work for him and his numbers kept climbing and his health was became more and more compromised. Once I found this forum, desperate for help, I followed their advice and switched him to Lantus. I follow the TR protocol and the members' advice here. He responded beautifully and was a different cat in a month or so. He's gone from 3.5u 2x daily down to 1u 2x daily. I would highly recommend the switch. It's not very expensive (10 ml approx. $75 and I still have half a bottle left from July to now) and can be bought at Ontario pharmacies without a prescription. However, MAKE SURE you switch to u100 needles, if you go with Lantus!!!!!!! u40 needles (used with Caninsulin) should NOT be used as they deliver about 2 1/2x the dose unit-per-unit. I found out the hard way.

I would recommend OneDrop subscription service for the meter and strips. After the initial amount for the meter (I think a little less than $100 for meter and 100 strips, if I recall correctly), it costs about $108 CAD for unlimited strips. I have been getting 300 2x month to stock up and make sure I never run out. Hopefully I can go to the cheaper plan of 100 strips/month after a while, as well. They get delivered usually pretty quickly. It pairs with your phone through their app. The great news is that with unlimited strips, you never have to make the choice of whether or not to test because you're almost out of strips or you don't have the $$ to get another batch. I don't hesitate; it's taken that stress away completely.

You've found yourself in good hands here. There's always people looking out for our kitties and willing to help, I have found. They have been a game changer as I was at my wits end with what to do about poor Milo. I hope you have the same wonderful experience here. Welcome!
 
Sam&Milo&Singha said:
Welcome to the forum! The members here saved my kitty this summer. My cat, Singha, is in remission and was on Caninsulin for a year. No one ever told me to test him so I just got lucky he made it out unscathed. Testing is very important and keeping track of the data using the spreadsheet is essential. There's a good chance if you follow the TR protocol your kitty has the potential of going into remission.

My other cat, Milo, wasn't so lucky. He's also been diagnosed and was put on Caninsulin. It did NOT work for him and his numbers kept climbing and his health was became more and more compromised. Once I found this forum, desperate for help, I followed their advice and switched him to Lantus. I follow the TR protocol and the members' advice here. He responded beautifully and was a different cat in a month or so. He's gone from 3.5u 2x daily down to 1u 2x daily. I would highly recommend the switch. It's not very expensive (10 ml approx. $75 and I still have half a bottle left from July to now) and can be bought at Ontario pharmacies without a prescription. However, MAKE SURE you switch to u100 needles, if you go with Lantus!!!!!!! u40 needles (used with Caninsulin) should NOT be used as they deliver about 2 1/2x the dose unit-per-unit. I found out the hard way.

I would recommend OneDrop subscription service for the meter and strips. After the initial amount for the meter (I think a little less than $100 for meter and 100 strips, if I recall correctly), it costs about $108 CAD for unlimited strips. I have been getting 300 2x month to stock up and make sure I never run out. Hopefully I can go to the cheaper plan of 100 strips/month after a while, as well. They get delivered usually pretty quickly. It pairs with your phone through their app. The great news is that with unlimited strips, you never have to make the choice of whether or not to test because you're almost out of strips or you don't have the $$ to get another batch. I don't hesitate; it's taken that stress away completely.

You've found yourself in good hands here. There's always people looking out for our kitties and willing to help, I have found. They have been a game changer as I was at my wits end with what to do about poor Milo. I hope you have the same wonderful experience here. Welcome!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much!! I appreciate you taking the time to share your story and we are glad that Milo is doing much better. Thanks for all the information! Best wishes!!
 
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