New Member, Link Diagnosed Yesterday

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kaitxgreen

kaitxgreen

Member Since 2021
Hi y’all,
My name is Kaitlyn and I have a almost 10 year old (birthday is in March) boy who was diagnosed yesterday.
The vet kept him overnight to watch him since his levels were over 500 and I just went to pick him up.

They prescribed him Vetsulin which I’ve read isn’t the best for cats to be on.
I have an appointment with a specialist this upcoming Monday, Dec 6th.
Is it okay for him to be taking the Vetsulin until I can get him prescribed a different insulin? Or should I call the Emergency Vet I originally took him to and ask for a different prescription?

Any advice would be great. All very overwhelming at this point and just want what’s best for my little dude.

Ps. Im planning on setting up his chart tomorrow. He hasn’t been tested too many times since he just got diagnosed. His last test he was right above 300.
 
Hi and welcome Kaitlyn and your boy to the forum. You have come to the best place for help and support. Yes it is overwhelming in the beginning…we will support you.
Yes it will be ok to start him on Vetsulin until you see the specialist on Monday.
What dose did the vet put him on? You would not want to be giving more than 1 unit twice a day at the most. What does he weigh?

Are you hometesting? Sounds as if you might be!
You need to be testing before every shot to see it is safe to give the insulin. Don’t give any insulin if the BG is under200 on a human meter and 230 on a pet meter.
Stall, don’t feed, and post and ask for help.

Are you feeding a low carb diet? 10% or under carbs
Here are a couple of links for you to look at.
Make sure you set up a hypo kit before you start the insulin
Make sure you ask lots of questions. We are very happy to answer them:)
HELP US HELP YOU LINK
FOOD CHART LINK

Also links VETSULIN ( introduction) and BEGINNERS GUIDE TO VETSULIN
Bron
 
The vet prescribed 2 units in the morning and 1 unit at night. He weighs around 11.8 to 12 pounds right now. We originally brought him into the vet for loosing weight and having diarrhea so he is also prescribed some medication for that.

We will be home testing. I just need to pick up a glucometer from the store. I had the vet test his levels before taking him home so I would know what they were tonight. Thank you for the heads up on not giving him insulin if the levels are below a certain amount! I tried asking the vet and they didn’t seem too sure about it, which was a bit concerning.

They prescribed him hills multi benefit m/d and said it would help him gain some weight back but open to suggestions on what everyone thinks the best food for him would be.


Thank you for the links! I’ll check them out. :)
 
kaitxgreen said:
The vet prescribed 2 units in the morning and 1 unit at night. He weighs around 11.8 to 12 pounds right now
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I would not give 2 units in the morning. It is too much to start with. If you are feeding a low carb or raw diet, I would start with 1/2 unit morning and night. You can always go up if needed. You will find information about the starting dose in the link I sent you.

Also make sure you feed him 30 minutes before the dose. So you test, feed, wait 30 minutes and then give the dose….providing the BG is high enough. If you are ever unsure post and ask for help and make sure you change the subject line so we can see you need help. Write something like preshot BG xxx stalling. Please HELP

I would suggest getting a human glucose meter. You can buy a ReliOn Premier Classic for $9 and 100test strips for $17.88 from Walmart.
Also when you buy the lancets get size 26 or 28 and buy some cotton rounds to put behind the eat when testing.
There is no need to use the prescription foods. They are higher on carbs than is good for diabetic cats and they are no better…just more expensive. Have a look at the list I sent you. And get foods 10% or less carbs. A lot use fancy feast pates.

A lot of diabetic cats lose weight in the beginning. This is because they can’t absorb all the nutrients in the food. Once he starts insulin and his BGs get into better numbers he will put on the weight.
Feed him before the shots and then give him 3 snacks in the first 7 hours after the dose…..each cycle.
If unsure about anything always post and ask for help….we are only too happy to help our diabetic kitties!:cat:
 
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When you go to see the specialist on Monday I would ask about swapping to Lantus insulin. Another genetic version of Lantus is Semglee which is available in the US and is cheaper than Lantus. You will need U100 syringes for this insulin.
Another good insulin for cats is Prozinc. You will need U 40 syringes for this insulin.
When you get the syringes, ask for 1/2 unit syringes as they are easier to dose with.
We have dosing methods for both these insulins.
 
Semglee, it is a generic Lantus, and was approved by the FDA last June. The cost is compatible with Lantus from Canada.


Here is a coupon below
Just call any pharmacy to see if they have the 5 pens, they will last you a year or more
Type in where you live and you will see where you can buy it
Lantus is expensive if you live in the US
https://www.goodrx.com/semglee?dosa...rride=Semglee&quantity=1&sort_type=popularity
 
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Thank you guys for the suggestions and links on the different insulin. I’ll talk with the specialist and update on what he thinks the best course of action should be.
Going today to get low carb food for the dude. He seems to be in great spirits today and is acting more like himself which is so reassuring to see already.

Appreciate everyone being so welcoming and helpful :)
 
Update:
Went to the closest pharmacy and got fancy feast pate and a glucometer. Will most likely head to Walmart soon since Relion seems to be reliable and cheaper in the long run. Battled with Link for a bit trying to get enough blood to be drawn for a test. Finally got it! He’s now eating and I will give him his nightly insulin in thirty minutes.
 
kaitxgreen said:
Update:
Went to the closest pharmacy and got fancy feast pate and a glucometer. Will most likely head to Walmart soon since Relion seems to be reliable and cheaper in the long run. Battled with Link for a bit trying to get enough blood to be drawn for a test. Finally got it! He’s now eating and I will give him his nightly insulin in thirty minutes.
Click to expand...
Great update! Looking forward to hearing further updates:)
 
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