What would you include in a care kit?

[shivermewhiskers]

Putting together a kit or case of things I need for taking care of Sophie, and I'm trying to come up with a list of what I need to get. I ordered a journal so I can log her symptoms, diet, and eventual readings. I know I need to find an affordable glucometer, but what else would be a good idea to include? I plan this to be readily accessible for her daily care, but able to be transported with us to the vet.

Though, I am new to caring for a diabetic cat, so ANY suggestions or advice other than what to put in my care kit would be appreciated. Especially in how to manage this on a budget. My partner lost their job, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, lost, and desperate to make sure my kitty is ok. My partner and I are needlephobic, we did our first insulin dose today and that was stressful but we managed, for Sophie's sake.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

/Hi and welcome to the forum to you and Sophie.
Here is a list of things you will need and included are some links to help you.

• low carb canned food 10%or under carbs HERE is a link to the food.
  
• A human glucose to test the blood sugars. A ReliOn Premier Classic from Walmart is $9 and the strips are $17.88/100. You will also need a box of 100 lancets.get the 26 or 28 gauge size. Also get some cotton rounds to put behind the ear when you test.
• HERE. is a link to how to test the blood glucose
• We recommend setting up a spreadsheet so you can add all the BG data to it and we can then help you with dosing the insulin. HERE is a link that will tell you how to set up a spreadsheet, set up your signature, and what you need for a hypo kit….very important and get that set up before you start the insulin.
• Can you tell us what type of insulin Sophie has been prescribed and the dose. We can tell you where to buy it more cheaply.
• Make sure you have some higher carb foods and honey in your hypo kit in case of low BG numbers.

It is overwhelming in the beginning but it gets much better and we can help you.
Make sure you feed before every dose of insulin and give at least 2 snacks of food during every cycle (12 hours).

Link HERE how to treat hypos. Print it off and put on your fridge

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Bron has pretty much covered the basics. What insulin did your vet prescribe? One of the more popular and effective insulins for treating feline diabetes is Lantus (glargine). It's expensive -- however, it's expensive in the US. Many people here order their insulin from Canada. Alternatively, there is now a generic/biosimilar form of Lantus, Semglee, that is MUCH less expensive.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Semglee is a lot less expensive than Lantus. I have used both and have not noticed a difference. It usually runs around $170 for a pack of 5 pens. If you have a drug discount card like Walgreens or GoodRX it is even cheaper. Depending on your dose, one pack of pens will give you enough insulin to last 9-12 months

Other things to have low carb treats to reward Sophie every time you test This will help make her associate testing with something good.

For syringes, try to get the ones with half unit markings on them. If you have to increase the dose you only want to increase it by .25 to .5 units at a time. If you have difficulty seeing small items a good lighted magnifier is very helpful. You can find them on Amazon or craft stores.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@Bronx's dad (GA)

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@Lisa and Witn (GA)
Hi ladies if you look at her profile and her info her cats on Prozinc

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@shivermewhiskers I read in your profile you are going through financial difficulties
All of the info you have in your information would go into your signature
I see you are feeding low carb wet which is great
Most of us feed Fancy Feast Pate or Friskies
Hi Emily if the prozinc gets too expensive here is a coupon for semglee
They will at least last you for a year

https://www.goodrx.com/semglee
Just put in where you live and the prices will come up for 5 pens

Hypo kit
Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming

Here is a video one of our members did
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand
I find it better to see where I'm aiming

Here is a video one of our members did
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar

Thank you for this! What should I do if my vet doesn't want me testing at home? I'm feeling extremely anxious because I feel like my vet is leaving me out of the loop. Like last night I honestly couldn't tell if her blood sugar was too high or too low, because I have been struggling to get her to eat. We had a breakthrough this morning and she ate, sometime after the mirataz kicks in, but as the day goes on we are back to her being reluctant. I am waiting on a shipment of better food options to arrive, so all I have is the nightmare prescription diet and friskies right now. My partner's grandmother lent me her Relion meter and lancets and etc this morning before she finally ate because I was freaking out. She was still too dehydrated to get a reading but now I'm scared to take her to her next reading because there's a few red marks and they will know. So far its been "oh, readers are too expensive as are the strips, its better for you to just come here". But every time I see them it keeps snowballing. She was healthy enough (probably should have introduced insulin but her blood sugar was low enough on the high end that they almost didn't think she was diabetic, I had to have lab work sent out) and then they made me put her on Hills Science MD and its all gone down hill from there because she wouldn't eat and her symptoms got bad and she started excessive drinking and peeing. So she went in to check her blood sugar on wednesday and a $20 reading ( I asked about additional fees when they insisted I do it from them rather than at home) and they said it wasn't a vet visit just a test. Then it ended up $140.90 because they had to do more. I'm feeling crushed because I know I was on the right track managing her and now I have been a wreck the last two weeks watching her go through this. And for them to tell me "Its best we keep doing the glucose tests here" and asking me schedule another for a day from now, I'm not made of money and am terrified of not knowing where she's at. I wish I could go back to the week of her diagnosis and tell them I wanted to learn more before changing any part of her routine. Sorry for the rant, I'm kinda panicked because I can't give her the insulin because now she's back to not eating (that medication does not work for 24 hours despite the instructions. I get one good feeding. She wasn't like this prior to the diet nightmare) and being a holiday then a weekend I am terrified of her dipping too low

 

[shivermewhiskers]

@shivermewhiskers I read in your profile you are going through financial difficulties
All of the info you have in your information would go into your signature
I see you are feeding low carb wet which is great
Most of us feed Fancy Feast Pate or Friskies
Hi Emily if the prozinc gets too expensive here is a coupon for semglee
They will at least last you for a year

https://www.goodrx.com/semglee
Just put in where you live and the prices will come up for 5 pens

Hypo kit
Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Beef Feast in Gravy 20% High Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Gourmet Chicken Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Turkey Feast in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken and Beef in Gravy 15% Med Carbs

Good idea to mark the cans with magic marker how many carbs

That is really smart, I will mark the cans I get from now on and make sure I have the back up foods. I didn't realize I could edit the signature, I will figure out how to do that and put it in. From signing up for her until now I've just been an emotional mess trying to get her okay again and do everything for her absolutely right that I am having a hard time keeping my head on straight. Thank you so so so much for the coupon.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Emily your vet can't tell you not to home test , is the vet going to be there with you if god forbid Sophie has a hypo
You need to be testing always before giving insulin to be sure her BG is safe enough to shoot
If you're not happy with the vet and they won't work with you try and find a new one.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Lisa and Witn (GA)

Thank you so much. She is on Prozinc, though I am having trouble with knowing if I should administer or not. We came up with a planned schedule of 8 am and 8 pm but her Mirataz only seems to be helping her get maybe one feeding and then I can't get her to do more than pick at food right now. The vet office doesn't want me testing at home yet and I'm scared of flying blind here since hypos are deadly. Feeling so lost on what to do for her. I did borrow a relion kit from my partner's grandma (she doesn't have diabetes, she just likes to check now and then apparently) and attempted to do a test but she's trying to recover from being dehydrated and I think it affected my ability to get a reading. Kinda scared to go to her next in office test in a day because when I mentioned I did my own online research they immediately started ripping on the idea and saying I didn't need to test at home that we will look into it down the road if its necessary and that people online probably try to fix their cats with tea tree oil or something. I don't like how they treat me in regards to cat care, compared to how they acted with my partner about our senior dog. I'm scared I am going to lose her at this rate.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

How many units are you giving Emily?
I'm going to tag Bhooma to set up a spreadsheet for you
We all use it to record of cats BG to see how the insulin is working and how low it's taking them. When to increase or decrease when needed.
There are 2 dosing methods for Prozinc to choose from, which ever one works best for you
Look for n your inbox above , Bhooma will inbox you
@Bandit's Mom
Thanks Bhooma

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Emily your vet can't tell you not to home test , is the vet going to be there with you if god forbid Sophie has a hypo
You need to be testing always before giving insulin to be sure her BG is safe enough to shoot
If you're not happy with the vet and they won't work with you try and find a new one.

I think I am going to do that, because I am incredibly uncomfortable with how all this has gone. Its a point of issue with me and my partner because our last vet was really crappy to cats so my partner put in a lot of effort to find us a new vet, they were ok with our dog Harley but this whole experience has made me lose faith in them. Her pain levels are worse off too now because she hasn't had enough of her supplements in too weeks and she has gone from a playing cat who even got the senior jaunty zoomies to laying around a lot and limping in only two weeks.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Going to tag a prozinc user also
@JanetNJ

 

[shivermewhiskers]

How many units are you giving Emily?

She's prescribed 1.5, and the paper says if she doesn't eat to cut it in half to .75
The only dose I gave her was .75 because she wasn't wanting to eat, and then I was to worried about it being too low to administer the next. She had ate before we left for thanksgiving after her mirataz kicked in, but with us being gone I didn't want to risk it. I wanted to just stay home with her but was convinced to go because she had eaten a little and drank water.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I'm going to give you the link for Prozinc so you can read about the dosing methods
for SLGS it says
Starting Dose:

• 1u BID if kitty is not on a wet/canned low carb diet
• 0.5u BID if kitty has been switched to a wet/canned low carb diet
• If the cat was previously on another insulin, the starting dose should be increased or decreased by taking prior data into consideration
• Generally, shots are to be given 12 hours apart.

What lc wet food are you feeding

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@FrostD

@tiffmaxee
Hi ladies saw you were on do you think you can read Emily's posts and what's going in with her and her vet. I feel awful for her Sophie
I'm trying to help her out , I guess she's giving those supplements for the arthritis?
She stated above she going through financial difficulties right now
If you can just read everything
Thanks ladies
I think the dose was too high that the vet started her on , without Emily testing she's been only giving 0.75 units

I see she tagged
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

@Bron and Sheba (GA)

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I think I am going to do that, because I am incredibly uncomfortable with how all this has gone. Its a point of issue with me and my partner because our last vet was really crappy to cats so my partner put in a lot of effort to find us a new vet, they were ok with our dog Harley but this whole experience has made me lose faith in them. Her pain levels are worse off too now because she hasn't had enough of her supplements in too weeks and she has gone from a playing cat who even got the senior jaunty zoomies to laying around a lot and limping in only two weeks.

I think that's a good idea, some vets really are not that great when it comes to treating diabetic cats. After the initial visit with our cats blood work done, most if us never go back to our vets for them to test their BG, only if they are sick of course we take them. I just feel awful for you and Sophie.
I'm sure the other members you tagged and who I tagged will reply back
I would go out and buy The Relion Premier Meter from Walmart 9 bucks
17.88 for 100 test strips 26 or 28 gauge lancets and start testing and recording them on paper until we get you spreadsheet set up
I told you about these in the diagram I gave you.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

I'm going to give you the link for Prozinc so you can read about the dosing methods
for SLGS it says
Starting Dose:

• 1u BID if kitty is not on a wet/canned low carb diet
• 0.5u BID if kitty has been switched to a wet/canned low carb diet
• If the cat was previously on another insulin, the starting dose should be increased or decreased by taking prior data into consideration
• Generally, shots are to be given 12 hours apart.

What lc wet food are you feeding

I stopped feeding the Hills Science MD since it started this mess, and have been offering her Friskies Chicken and Tuna Pate and Friskies Salmon Pate (The classic ones) for the time being and I'm waiting for two Tiki Cat foods to arrive from Chewy. I'm also been trying to coax her with some shredded up chicken thigh and minced up chicken liver, hoping the fresh meat can lure her to eat. It has helped a little. We were trying to find food options for her prior to the prescription one and had tried some weruva and a couple other options. She was doing really well with these prior to the food change. It was a drastic change in energy and the supplements really help her arthritis noticeably once she was on them for a couple weeks. Prior to her current state we were planning to get her on a coticosteroid to manage her allergies and pain, but I haven't brought it up since I'm worried it will stress her even worse. Wednesdays vet trip was hard on her as it is.

 

[tiffmaxee]

I’m so sorry your vet is being so difficult. I would get a Relion meter and start testing before every shot and mid cycle to start when possible. Cats test higher often when stressed at the vet. Steroids often cause cats to become diabetic so better to try and find out what triggers her allergies. What are her symptoms? When did they start?

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Thanks for replying back Elise, I feel so bad for both of them
@tiffmaxee

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Her pain levels are worse off too now because she hasn't had enough of her supplements in too weeks and she has gone from a playing cat who even got the senior jaunty zoomies to laying around a lot and limping in only two weeks.

Why hasn't she had the supplements in 2 weeks?
For the neuropathy most of us give
If it's neuropathy
https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-100-capsules-6
14.49 for 100 capsules, empty it into the wet food it's tasteless
I saw a big improvement in about 2 months , but each week it got better
Tyler is 100% back to walking normal

 

[tiffmaxee]

Thanks for replying back Elise, I feel so bad for both of them
@tiffmaxee

Me too.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi Emily and welcome to the forum.
Can’t believe the vet said we give tea tree oil to our diabetic cats. If a vet thinks he knows everything about feline diabetes and rubbishes others who want to educate themselves and help their cat……I think you should shop around for another vet.
You need a vet who is going to work in partnership with you to help Sophie get regulated. .you don’t need a vet who is going to belittle you because you are trying to educate yourself about it all.

You don’t need the vets permission to hometest. A lot of vets, who don’t know a lot about feline diabetes, will say it is u necessary. The vets who know the most about FD will be happy for you to hometest.
I am wondering if Emily might be nauseated and that is who she is not eating well.
I would ask the vet for some cerenia or ondansetron that you can give at home. There is no point in giving an appetite stimulant if the cat is nauseated.

I would also buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test Emily’s urine for ketones. It’s a simple test, and if she is not eating sell, or is not 100% or is lethargic, it is a good thing to eliminate.

I agree with what Elise said in post 20. Get a ReliOn meter and start testing. Make sure she is eating well and I wouldn’t start any steroids either.
Please keep posting as we can help you. We have very experienced people here to help and support you.

 

[FrostD]

Oook a LOT of thoughts. Forgive me if I've missed something, it's 2am here.

First and foremost, I'm going to cut straight to the chase - I'd ditch the vet. It's practically a canned speech we all got, oh do this special diet, come to us every 2 weeks, yadda yadda. Which fine, a lot of times they do that because people would out them down if they knew it was this whole lifestyle change. But there is no, and I mean absolutely NO, reason you can't or shouldn't test at home. It sounds like a money grab honestly with the way they're so discouraging. Additionally, BG often higher due to stress at vet office. No need to incur the cost nor stress of those trips. For the cost of one trip you can have your meter and a decent supply of strips from Walmart.

It should not be a point of contention with your partner - you appreciate the help, you tried it, not a good fit. Simple as that. Not all that different from picking a restaurant to eat at, and turns out don't care for the food.

Why is she dehydrated? Are you giving any fluids?

Is there a chance she's nauseous? Licking lips, hanging by food and water but not actually eating . Mirataz won't help if she's also nauseous. I suspect the pain is also making her inappetent - why did you reduce her normal meds? I'd give whatever meds she needs, worry about the insulin later.

I'd go buy some syringes for assist feeding. They're pretty cheap, I usually get mine from Amazon. And the Gerber meats baby food, bit of a risk with the unknown allergy but it's limited ingredients so probably ok. Water down the food a bit and try to syringe whatever you can, ideally 3/4 of her daily needs. There's a risk for fatty liver if she goes without eating for too long.

Did anyone mention ketone strips yet? If she's inappetent and not on insulin, I'd be checking daily if you can. Just to be safe.

1.75U way too high. I'd consider starting 0.5U and going from there, but not until home testing

So your shopping list would be:
Urine ketone strips, human ones from any pharmacy is fine. No script needed

Gerber baby foods

Syringes for assist feeding

Possibly nausea meds (ondansetron is best for nausea but something tells me your vet may be difficult about that too - they'd call it into human pharmacy)

 

[shivermewhiskers]

I think that's a good idea, some vets really are not that great when it comes to treating diabetic cats. After the initial visit with our cats blood work done, most if us never go back to our vets for them to test their BG, only if they are sick of course we take them. I just feel awful for you and Sophie.
I'm sure the other members you tagged and who I tagged will reply back
I would go out and buy The Relion Premier Meter from Walmart 9 bucks
17.88 for 100 test strips 26 or 28 gauge lancets and start testing and recording them on paper until we get you spreadsheet set up
I told you about these in the diagram I gave you.

I think

I’m so sorry your vet is being so difficult. I would get a Relion meter and start testing before every shot and mid cycle to start when possible. Cats test higher often when stressed at the vet. Steroids often cause cats to become diabetic so better to try and find out what triggers her allergies. What are her symptoms? When did they start?

She's had allergies most of her life but vets haven't tested her, just initially told me how to give her benadryl. When I was a teen I couldn't really afford to push the matter. She's stayed with my parents when I moved out for the last 8 years and her allergies were mostly managed with regular bathing and benadryl if it was super bad. I've kept that routine except we skipped the last one because we didn't want to make her stress worse. Sometimes they flare up and we just don't know why. When she was transferred to me we weaned her off dry food and switched to wet, and immediately started the supplements. Her only diabetic symptoms that I could tell were occasional disorientation (once we were sure it wasn't the benzene exposure, story is on my page) lack of muscle in the back legs, and slightly more frequent urination but not an excessive amount. I have Pretty Litter and her pee had only been registering to dark green, maybe a tinge of blue, once in a while but was in the healthier olive green and closer to nothing yellow. After the diet switch to the prescription it went mostly blue. I know its not a glucose test and doesn't replace any real work but I feel like it was a decent indicator. So she was mostly well managed. I had her arthritis being treated enough that she would play with a laser for small periods or a crinkle toy. We dragged feet on the corticosteroid since she was doing okay and we wanted to resolve the possible diabetes issues first. We just keep her area really clean, and if she gets chin bumps we try to see if its food or not. I have her on special hypoallergenic shampoo that does so much for her. She used to lose fur and her skin would flake and shed scratch herself raw. She's had less issues the last several years with the regular bathing. She only recently since starting the prescription diet took a turn and had worse diabetic symptoms. She gets unbalanced, pees too much, drinks too much, her skin peaked from dehydration so they rapid did sub q fluid. Shes been weird about food, only picking. Once I cut the prescription stuff back out I got her to eat a little more, but she lost over a pound of body weight in 2 weeks, and not in a good way. She was already really thin.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Was hasn't she had the supplements in 2 weeks?
For the neuropathy most of us give
If it's neuropathy
https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-b-12-methylcobalamin-5000-mcg-100-capsules-6
14.49 for 100 capsules, empty it into the wet food it's tasteless
I saw a big improvement in about 2 months , but each week it got better
Tyler is 100% back to walking normal

Her supplements have to be mixed into food, and since she didn't want to eat and would only pick at it or refuse it, she wasn't getting enough of them. I'll check the link out. For her osteoarthritis we give her dasuquin and welactin.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Oook a LOT of thoughts. Forgive me if I've missed something, it's 2am here.

First and foremost, I'm going to cut straight to the chase - I'd ditch the vet. It's practically a canned speech we all got, oh do this special diet, come to us every 2 weeks, yadda yadda. Which fine, a lot of times they do that because people would out them down if they knew it was this whole lifestyle change. But there is no, and I mean absolutely NO, reason you can't or shouldn't test at home. It sounds like a money grab honestly with the way they're so discouraging. Additionally, BG often higher due to stress at vet office. No need to incur the cost nor stress of those trips. For the cost of one trip you can have your meter and a decent supply of strips from Walmart.

It should not be a point of contention with your partner - you appreciate the help, you tried it, not a good fit. Simple as that. Not all that different from picking a restaurant to eat at, and turns out don't care for the food.

Why is she dehydrated? Are you giving any fluids?

Is there a chance she's nauseous? Licking lips, hanging by food and water but not actually eating . Mirataz won't help if she's also nauseous. I suspect the pain is also making her inappetent - why did you reduce her normal meds? I'd give whatever meds she needs, worry about the insulin later.

I'd go buy some syringes for assist feeding. They're pretty cheap, I usually get mine from Amazon. And the Gerber meats baby food, bit of a risk with the unknown allergy but it's limited ingredients so probably ok. Water down the food a bit and try to syringe whatever you can, ideally 3/4 of her daily needs. There's a risk for fatty liver if she goes without eating for too long.

Did anyone mention ketone strips yet? If she's inappetent and not on insulin, I'd be checking daily if you can. Just to be safe.

1.75U way too high. I'd consider starting 0.5U and going from there, but not until home testing

So your shopping list would be:
Urine ketone strips, human ones from any pharmacy is fine. No script needed

Gerber baby foods

Syringes for assist feeding

Possibly nausea meds (ondansetron is best for nausea but something tells me your vet may be difficult about that too - they'd call it into human pharmacy)

She has three available water stations around the house that we wash and refill a couple times a day, we never let them get empty. She got dehydrated because after trying to start the new diet the vet said her kidneys were probably flushing because she started peeing and drinking excessive amounts. We've been putting the supplements in her food per normal, she just isn't eating enough. She wasn't missing a single meal prior to the prescription diet, but then a few days into the prescription diet it started going all wrong and she wouldn't want to eat or would only eat a tiny amount. Since her supplements are administered in food, without her eating it I couldn't do much. I will see if I can get that stuff today. I already have ondansetron I believe, its generic zofran right? What amount should she be given? She has been doing the little mouth smacking motions, and looking at the bowls so if that's nausea than it probably is that.
She's not been given any other kind of meds other than the supplements and the mirataz, I didn't know what to do for the insulin with her not eating enough.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Hi Emily and welcome to the forum.
Can’t believe the vet said we give tea tree oil to our diabetic cats. If a vet thinks he knows everything about feline diabetes and rubbishes others who want to educate themselves and help their cat……I think you should shop around for another vet.
You need a vet who is going to work in partnership with you to help Sophie get regulated. .you don’t need a vet who is going to belittle you because you are trying to educate yourself about it all.

You don’t need the vets permission to hometest. A lot of vets, who don’t know a lot about feline diabetes, will say it is u necessary. The vets who know the most about FD will be happy for you to hometest.
I am wondering if Emily might be nauseated and that is who she is not eating well.
I would ask the vet for some cerenia or ondansetron that you can give at home. There is no point in giving an appetite stimulant if the cat is nauseated.

I would also buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test Emily’s urine for ketones. It’s a simple test, and if she is not eating sell, or is not 100% or is lethargic, it is a good thing to eliminate.

I agree with what Elise said in post 20. Get a ReliOn meter and start testing. Make sure she is eating well and I wouldn’t start any steroids either.
Please keep posting as we can help you. We have very experienced people here to help and support you.

I have Ondansetron ODT 8MG that I take for myself, would that be the same thing? Would there be a safe amount I could give her? They didn't even suggest antinausea. My antinausea meds are cheaper than the darn mirataz was. I wonder if the pork upset her stomach? We've never fed her pork and its a main ingredient in the prescription diet (we took her off it, regardless what the vet says so shes on the friskies classic pates I mentioned in a dif reply)

 

[FrostD]

She has three available water stations around the house that we wash and refill a couple times a day, we never let them get empty. She got dehydrated because after trying to start the new diet the vet said her kidneys were probably flushing because she started peeing and drinking excessive amounts. We've been putting the supplements in her food per normal, she just isn't eating enough. She wasn't missing a single meal prior to the prescription diet, but then a few days into the prescription diet it started going all wrong and she wouldn't want to eat or would only eat a tiny amount. Since her supplements are administered in food, without her eating it I couldn't do much. I will see if I can get that stuff today. I already have ondansetron I believe, its generic zofran right? What amount should she be given? She has been doing the little mouth smacking motions, and looking at the bowls so if that's nausea than it probably is that.
She's not been given any other kind of meds other than the supplements and the mirataz, I didn't know what to do for the insulin with her not eating enough.

Gotcha!

I assume her other meds are pills? You can crush those and put them in the syringe, that's what I do (put a dab of food in syringe, then meds, then a bunch more - that way you know she gets all of her meds). You can also stick them straight in her mouth if she'll let you, but be sure to syringe some water in there after so it doesn't get stuck in her throat.

Yes, generic zofran. The dose is 0.5-1mg/kg weight, 2-4 times a day. My cat is about 13 lbs and I do 4mg 3x a day.

Fluids - you may need to syringe extra water as well. If you pull up her scruff, does it snap back? Or just kind of sit there/slowly go back down? Are her gums fully wet, or tacky?

Anything involving syringes is messy...you'll want towels you don't mind getting dirty

 

[FrostD]

I have Ondansetron ODT 8MG that I take for myself, would that be the same thing? Would there be a safe amount I could give her? They didn't even suggest antinausea. My antinausea meds are cheaper than the darn mirataz was. I wonder if the pork upset her stomach? We've never fed her pork and its a main ingredient in the prescription diet (we took her off it, regardless what the vet says so shes on the friskies classic pates I mentioned in a dif reply)

Yes something in the food seems to be the culprit but a bit hard to say. There are other things like pancreatitis that could be the issue, that would require blood test to diagnose (SnapfPl is the quick version).

Mirataz is great...once they're not nauseous and hopefully not in much pain.

I would calculate how many calories she needs in a day, then try to syringe 3/4 her daily needs over the course of a day. Syringe the meds first in just a small amount of food, then wait an hour for them to kick in. Then give Mirataz and see if she goes for regular food. If not, syringe what you can.

 

[FrostD]

I do apologize I need to get to bed here, but Bron is usually around at this time and will hopefully pop back in

 

[shivermewhiskers]

UPDATE AND ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:

My partner's grandmother lent me a ReliOn Prime meter and strips, and 30 gauge ultrathin lancets (no pen piece for poking just the lancets) would this be usable? I tried using it prior to our thanksgiving plans but couldn't get enough to get a reading earlier today, though it might be user error. I had wanted the vet to show me but since you guys got the idea of what his opinions were of me home testing, you can see I didn't get the option to learn in person.. If not, I will make a trip to walmart when its day time (its 2 am here) and get something different.

In regards to the nausea, I myself am on Ondansetron ODT 8 MG, would this be the same thing that the vet would give her? I already cancelled her appointment because I don't feel comfortable bringing her in there with all this. If that would work, how much?

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Gotcha!

I assume her other meds are pills? You can crush those and put them in the syringe, that's what I do (put a dab of food in syringe, then meds, then a bunch more - that way you know she gets all of her meds). You can also stick them straight in her mouth if she'll let you, but be sure to syringe some water in there after so it doesn't get stuck in her throat.

Yes, generic zofran. The dose is 0.5-1mg/kg weight, 2-4 times a day. My cat is about 13 lbs and I do 4mg 3x a day.

Fluids - you may need to syringe extra water as well. If you pull up her scruff, does it snap back? Or just kind of sit there/slowly go back down? Are her gums fully wet, or tacky?

Anything involving syringes is messy...you'll want towels you don't mind getting dirty

Her current weight is 6.4 lbs I think they said? She lost a ound of weight due to the food debacle. Her supplements are a capsule I open to mix a powder, and a liquid I mix into food. I could syringe that I suppose, I'm hoping the walmart will have that kind of syringe.

 

[FrostD]

UPDATE AND ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:

My partner's grandmother lent me a ReliOn Prime meter and strips, and 30 gauge ultrathin lancets (no pen piece for poking just the lancets) would this be usable? I tried using it prior to our thanksgiving plans but couldn't get enough to get a reading earlier today, though it might be user error. I had wanted the vet to show me but since you guys got the idea of what his opinions were of me home testing, you can see I didn't get the option to learn in person.. If not, I will make a trip to walmart when its day time (its 2 am here) and get something different.

In regards to the nausea, I myself am on Ondansetron ODT 8 MG, would this be the same thing that the vet would give her? I already cancelled her appointment because I don't feel comfortable bringing her in there with all this. If that would work, how much?

I am not sure the ODT is ok for cats? A quick Google would appear so but please double check on your own. You'd need to get it in the back of mouth/buccal pocket and hold her mouth closed til it dissolves.

She's 2.9kg, since she hasn't eaten for awhile now I'd start with 3mg 3x a day. Since you have 8mg tablets (standard size), I'd try to cut it in thirds and call that good enough.

Edit: I see Elise said 1mg, that's lowest end of dose. Also fine, but since she really needs to perk back up here I went with higher end.

The 30 gauge lancets may be too thin. We recommend 26-28 gauge, Walmart should have those I hope. Otherwise, the 30 will work you just might have to do two pokes really close together. Aim for a blood drop the size of a pinhead, I use Vaseline to help it pool together better.

If Walmart doesn't have syringes you may need to get creative...even a turkey baster would work, just awkward.

So more shopping items:
26-28 gauge lancets if you can find them. If momey is tight, 30s will suffice

Pill splitter?

 

[tiffmaxee]

I used to test using a needle or lancet freehand. You don’t need a lancing device. You could try one mg of ondansetron. They are easy to cut using a pill cutter or sharp knife. It’s the same medication that you take. I used to put pills in empty gel capsules. I prefer not putting them in food so my cats don’t develop food aversions.

Melissa 3 mg is too much for a cat that small. My 8 pound cat was given 1 mg twice a day. It can be given every 8 hours though.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

I used to test using a needle or lancet freehand. You don’t need a lancing device. You could try one mg of ondansetron. They are easy to cut using a pill cutter or sharp knife. It’s the same medication that you take. I used to put pills in empty gel capsules. I prefer not putting them in food so my cats don’t develop food aversions.

Melissa 3 mg is too much for a cat that small. My 8 pound cat was given 1 mg twice a day. It can be given every 8 hours though.

Would cutting it in quarters be ok? Its barely bigger than a pea, I don't know if I can get it that much smaller

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Would cutting it in quarters be ok? Its barely bigger than a pea, I don't know if I can get it that much smaller

I was wrong, I think I got it into 1/8th of the pill. maybe a little loss since it powders easily

Are there any side effects I should watch for @tiffmaxee ?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I agree with 1 mg for that weight.
I used to give Sheba 2 mg and she was 6 kg

 

[JanetNJ]

I think I am going to do that, because I am incredibly uncomfortable with how all this has gone. Its a point of issue with me and my partner because our last vet was really crappy to cats so my partner put in a lot of effort to find us a new vet, they were ok with our dog Harley but this whole experience has made me lose faith in them. Her pain levels are worse off too now because she hasn't had enough of her supplements in too weeks and she has gone from a playing cat who even got the senior jaunty zoomies to laying around a lot and limping in only two weeks.

Adquen shots for arthritis were life changing for my cat and helped give her several more quality years.



I have a video in my signature showing how I tested my cat CC at home.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I hope you're not too swamped with all of the recommendations that the members here have provided!

Just an FYI about food... There is nothing "prescription" in a prescription diabetic diet. Take a look at the labels. In fact, there's a class action law suit filed against the pet food manufacturers based on their calling food "prescription." You want a high quality, low carbohydrate food. Cats are obligate carnivores and don't need fruit, veggies, or my favorite -- powdered cellulose (aka sawdust). The brands you were feeding prior to the recommended prescription food were fine as long as they were the low carb varieties.

You may also want to consider trying novel proteins. Unless the allergies are environmental, if the allergen is in food, trying a protein your cat isn't accustomed to may make a difference. Many cats have sensitivities to beef, poultry, and fish. In many cases, fish is far down on the list but isn't on the label. (Take a look at some of the Fancy Feast varieties as an example.) If you can source venison, lamb, rabbit or other foods to try out (i.e., don't buy a case until you know that your cat will eat it), it may be a way to see if the food makes a difference.

As for the vet, there are cat only practices. In fact, there is a veterinary organization, American Assn of Feline Practitioners, that list practices nationally. It's not a guarantee that a practice near you will have vets who are conversant in treating feline diabetes, but the odds are better than a general veterinary practice. If you do opt to look for a new vet, this is a link to a post we put together on interviewing a new vet.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

I hope you're not too swamped with all of the recommendations that the members here have provided!

Just an FYI about food... There is nothing "prescription" in a prescription diabetic diet. Take a look at the labels. In fact, there's a class action law suit filed against the pet food manufacturers based on their calling food "prescription." You want a high quality, low carbohydrate food. Cats are obligate carnivores and don't need fruit, veggies, or my favorite -- powdered cellulose (aka sawdust). The brands you were feeding prior to the recommended prescription food were fine as long as they were the low carb varieties.

You may also want to consider trying novel proteins. Unless the allergies are environmental, if the allergen is in food, trying a protein your cat isn't accustomed to may make a difference. Many cats have sensitivities to beef, poultry, and fish. In many cases, fish is far down on the list but isn't on the label. (Take a look at some of the Fancy Feast varieties as an example.) If you can source venison, lamb, rabbit or other foods to try out (i.e., don't buy a case until you know that your cat will eat it), it may be a way to see if the food makes a difference.

As for the vet, there are cat only practices. In fact, there is a veterinary organization, American Assn of Feline Practitioners, that list practices nationally. It's not a guarantee that a practice near you will have vets who are conversant in treating feline diabetes, but the odds are better than a general veterinary practice. If you do opt to look for a new vet, this is a link to a post we put together on interviewing a new vet.

I know she generally is fine with chicken and fish, but she's not had many instances of beef, and up until the Hills Science diabetic food she had never ever had pork as far as I'm aware. I haven't tried the more unique proteins. I have a picky cat that for the longest time only wanted rabbit flavor from I and Love and You. I didn't think to see if there was a rabbit or lamb option Sophie could try. I do have some Tiki Cat foods (panic ordered even though its a lot, because she's had them and ate really well with them) on the way at least, supposed to be here tomorrow. I think its mostly environmental, but she's a sensitive cat in general.

Also HUUUGE thank you for those links! There's a vet about 40 minutes for me (not ideal for emergencies, but for general care would be worth it) who is on that list and their personal site really makes me feel like I would be more comfortable taking any of my cats there. The current vet is great with dogs and was awesome about alternative methods and etc for dogs, but disappointing to say the least with cats. So was my previous vet. Two other cats I have also have some unique needs, so rather than get them set up at the place I'm at I think I will talk to the medical center listing I found. Both of these links are awesome.

Yeah, when I looked at the ingredients on the prescription diet I was appalled. I usually am far more picky about what I feed them, but the pandemic kind of really messed that up between food shortages and prices and more, and now more financial problems.

 

[tiffmaxee]

There are raw lamb, duck, venison, lamb. I currently feed my girl with skin allergies Primal venison. There are other brands as well or if you prefer cooked food you can use Alnutrin or EZ Complete and make your own.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

Update: I couldn't get meat babyfood at my store (black friday and all) but I got the 28 gauge lancets, vaseline, and in a moment of mutual understanding my vet office gave me varying sizes of syringes to assist her in eating and I found some cerenia from my dogs oral surgery so they advised me on dosage and if I had enough to get through the weekend to save me some money. They also helped me with some high cal wet food that isn't pork to try to get her on track. I'll get some baby food too tomorrow, the mayhem should die down and they be restocked. I'm relieved to have had a better interaction this time.

 

[shivermewhiskers]

There are raw lamb, duck, venison, lamb. I currently feed my girl with skin allergies Primal venison. There are other brands as well or if you prefer cooked food you can use Alnutrin or EZ Complete and make your own.

Thank you for these suggestions. I've been making lists of tips and reasons from these comments, because I really do plan to look into every option to make sure Sophie gets better. Raw has been on my mind, at least more control over the contents.

 

[tiffmaxee]

Thank you for these suggestions. I've been making lists of tips and reasons from these comments, because I really do plan to look into every option to make sure Sophie gets better. Raw has been on my mind, at least more control over the contents.

That’s why I started raw. You can cook the protein and buy one of the mixes I mentioned. I would love to have done that with EZ Complete but my girl can’t have chicken and it contains chicken liver.

I am so happy to hear that you had a better experience with your vet. That’s huge!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Many vets are more skilled with dogs. At some level, I think they have an incredibly hard job. We expect them to be fluent with treating cats, dogs, guinea pigs, ferrets, snakes, etc., and that's just small animals. Some vets throw cows, sheep, and horses into the mix. And not only should they know all of these species, we expect them to know exactly how to treat every possible illness. I've had great luck over the past many, many years with feline specialists.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I'm going to tag Bhooma to set up a spreadsheet for you
We all use it to record of cats BG to see how the insulin is working and how low it's taking them. When to increase or decrease when needed.
There are 2 dosing methods for Prozinc to choose from, which ever one works best for you
Look for Bhooma to send you a PM , Bhooma will inbox you look for it above
@Bandit's Mom
Thanks Bhooma
Don't know if you got the previous tag
@Bandit's Mom

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Update: I couldn't get meat babyfood at my store (black friday and all) but I got the 28 gauge lancets, vaseline, and in a moment of mutual understanding my vet office gave me varying sizes of syringes to assist her in eating and I found some cerenia from my dogs oral surgery so they advised me on dosage and if I had enough to get through the weekend to save me some money. They also helped me with some high cal wet food that isn't pork to try to get her on track. I'll get some baby food too tomorrow, the mayhem should die down and they be restocked. I'm relieved to have had a better interaction this time.

Glad you vet helped you

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I'll get some baby food too tomorrow, th

Any of these will be fine
the Gerber Sitter 2nd foods these are stage 2

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