Mr. Louis and I Need Help! New members 02/24/23

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Mr.Louis

Mr.Louis

Member Since 2023
Hi everyone. My name is Jessie and my furr baby is Louis. I have to admit that everything is slowly falling apart, I don't know what to do at this point and I'm terrified of doing **** wrong and shortening his life. He is almost 10 years old and on April 19/2022 he was diagnosed with diabetes finally after many trips to the vet and then taking him to the local vet where I threatened them to run some tests because there was something wrong with him. I never take my babies to the vet here because they are money driven and couldn't give two ****s about people's pets BUT I didn't have a choice in the matter. He's supposed to get insulin twice a day but i was forced to cut him back to one shot a day because he is running out of insulin. The vet here refuses to write him a prescription for insulin because they won't be receiving the money for it. Pretty shady eh? Well turns out NO other vet I've called and talked to will write him one either because they want me to bring him in and have them do the exact same tests done, to tell me what i already know before they will even consider writing a prescription for him.Which would cost me around $400, That obviously doesn't include the turmoil and stress and pain Louis has to go through again just so we can be told what i already know, I refuse to put him in a carrier for him to then stress pee and poop himself ( He's a long hair Maine coon X, so he becomes a mess) cry and scream all the way to the vet, Then calm him down just in time for them to take him to the back and do whatever it is they figure they have to do ( which clearly isn't enjoyable ) then they slam him back into his gross carrier ( you'd think they would of cleaned it out and dry him off a bit but nope ) Throw a outrageous bill and tell me " Looks like he does have diabetes BUT you'll have to bring him back in two week so we can check his levels and think about that prescription" Then of course the ride home he stress pees and poops himself again and the first thing that happens when we get home after he screamed and cried the whole way back is a BATH. He use to bath pretty good but now its horrible and everytime him or Lily my other furr baby goes to the vet its week to two week off HATE and foaming mouths and more bullshit. So since i believe and don't want to put my cats through that, nor can find a vet that isn't a straight up goof. He's going to get sicker and sicker than die horribly when I run out of insulin, Which would be in the next week or so. So if anyone knows what i can do, please let me know asap. That would be muchly appreciated.


P.S. Other concern about my Louis today He went to the litter box and came out with blood around his Bum, bright red and wasn't just a few dots either. He seems to be fine, Other than being hungry but i don't want to feed him but need to, so i can give him his insulin... Anyone had this happen to their diabetic baby??
 
Hello and welcome. I turned off the 911 since you have someone responding and it's not a medical emergency (I hope).

First of all, which insulin are you using with Louis? You are lucky that you live in Canada (like I do), so you don't need prescriptions for all types of insulin. Lantus and Levemir are two good insulins for cats, and are available over the counter at most pharmacies.

Any chance the place you live has a vet that does house calls? That can greatly relieve kitty stress of visits. There are also tricks and tips to help make vet visits calmer. If you want to switch vets, you will have to set up a clinic visit. No vet would treat a cat without seeing them.

Speaking of seeing a vet, you should see a vet anyway, due to the blood you are seeing. Any chance he has an infected or ruptured anal gland? Those do need to be treated by a vet as would blood you are seeing from internal sources.
 
Hi Jesse and Louis and welcome to the forum.
I am sorry you are having so much trouble with getting sorted out.
I don't understand why the vet won't give you more insulin if Louis has already been diagnosed with diabetes.
What type of insulin are you using ? What dose are you giving?
As far as I am aware, Lantus insulin can be bought over the counter in Canada and you don't need a prescription form the vet.
I will tag a couple of people who live in Canada and may be able to help you
@Wendy&Neko
@Red & Rover (GA)
Arrr...I see Wendy has just answered you and given you some suggestions.

Can you tell us what type of food you are feeding Louis?
 
If you are using lantus
In Canada, humans need a prescription for Lantus. Animals do not. Just say it is for your cat
Generic lantus is probably cheaper
Basaglar (a generic form of glargine)
Check your local pharmacies for prices for the pens
EDIT Cartridges are cheaper like Wendy posted
 
Last edited:
Jessie -

The vet withholding insulin in a diabetic pet is malpractice. If you hadn't seen the vet for a period of time after your cat's diagnosis (e.g., it has been 3 - 6 months since he was diagnosed and the vet wanted to make sure your cat was adjusting to insulin it would be a reasonable request to ask you to come in for an office visit. Human doctors do the same thing.) I would suggest contacting the veterinary licensing board in your state, the State's Attorneys General office, the Better Business Bureau, and even creating a social media account (not using your full name) and posting reviews of your experience on Yelp, etc. However, this will take time and may not resolve the situation. If there is a local/state veterinary association that can also offer you advice, take notes about what they tell you and contact the vet's office, let them know you spoke with the state agency, and that you will file a complaint unless they renew the prescription. You should also be aware that some types of insulin are pet-specific and mostly available through the vet's office (e.g., Prozinc and Caninsulin). They recently became available online through Chewy's. Insulin such as Lantus are human insulin and available at any pharmacy.
 
Welcome. Waving from Ontario.

You can test your cat's blood glucose levels at home – and it is highly recommended that you do. No one would give insulin to a child without testing first. It is the only way to keep your cat safe. Here is some information on that. Note: while Lantus is cheap in Canada, strips for home testing are not. I used the FreeStyle Lite meter. Your vet may insist that you use a pet-specific meter. The strips for that are crazy expensive ($2 a piece). A human meter works just fine. Most people here use a human meter.

Some people use gabapentin to calm their cat for the trip to the vet. It does require a prescription.

Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
They recently became available online through Chewy's.
Click to expand...
No Chewy's in Canada, Sienne. I wish there was. :(
 
You've come to the right place. diabetes is very treatable and not a death sentence. Listen to the folks here.... They will help you manage it!!!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Hello and welcome. I turned off the 911 since you have someone responding and it's not a medical emergency (I hope).

First of all, which insulin are you using with Louis? You are lucky that you live in Canada (like I do), so you don't need prescriptions for all types of insulin. Lantus and Levemir are two good insulins for cats, and are available over the counter at most pharmacies.

Any chance the place you live has a vet that does house calls? That can greatly relieve kitty stress of visits. There are also tricks and tips to help make vet visits calmer. If you want to switch vets, you will have to set up a clinic visit. No vet would treat a cat without seeing them.

Speaking of seeing a vet, you should see a vet anyway, due to the blood you are seeing. Any chance he has an infected or ruptured anal gland? Those do need to be treated by a vet as would blood you are seeing from internal sources.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help! Appreciated. Sadly there is no decent vet here nor a mobile vet around where I live that will do house calls or I would definitely go down that route. Ive tried all kinds of things to "calm" him all with no success, just a waste of money and time..I clearly understand that a vet would have to see the animal to treat it but not looking for them to treat him, he's already been "treated". I was just under the impression that I needed a prescription for insulin for him but now since I'm aware that I don't need one for insulin that kinda changes the situation a little bit.
Yes obviously the blood is from a internal source and I've read what could be the cause and what to do. Even contacted a online vet and they said to wait it out a couple of days and feed him some pumpkin. So I'm going to try that.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Jessie -

The vet withholding insulin in a diabetic pet is malpractice. If you hadn't seen the vet for a period of time after your cat's diagnosis (e.g., it has been 3 - 6 months since he was diagnosed and the vet wanted to make sure your cat was adjusting to insulin it would be a reasonable request to ask you to come in for an office visit. Human doctors do the same thing.) I would suggest contacting the veterinary licensing board in your state, the State's Attorneys General office, the Better Business Bureau, and even creating a social media account (not using your full name) and posting reviews of your experience on Yelp, etc. However, this will take time and may not resolve the situation. If there is a local/state veterinary association that can also offer you advice, take notes about what they tell you and contact the vet's office, let them know you spoke with the state agency, and that you will file a complaint unless they renew the prescription. You should also be aware that some types of insulin are pet-specific and mostly available through the vet's office (e.g., Prozinc and Caninsulin). They recently became available online through Chewy's. Insulin such as Lantus are human insulin and available at any pharmacy.
Click to expand...
Hey Sienne and Gabby. They aren't withholding they just won't write me a prescription and just want me to keep buying the insulin from them and no one else.. Thanks for the info too I was under the impression that I needed a prescription for any type of insulin, human or pet. I went online and never found that information anywhere nor did any of the vets I've called and talked to, never said I didn't actually need a prescription for insulin either. So muchly appreciated and that info definitely helps out alot and now I'm not so frantic and stressed out about not being able to get a prescription for him that I don't even actually need.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Welcome. Waving from Ontario.

You can test your cat's blood glucose levels at home – and it is highly recommended that you do. No one would give insulin to a child without testing first. It is the only way to keep your cat safe. Here is some information on that. Note: while Lantus is cheap in Canada, strips for home testing are not. I used the FreeStyle Lite meter. Your vet may insist that you use a pet-specific meter. The strips for that are crazy expensive ($2 a piece). A human meter works just fine. Most people here use a human meter.

Some people use gabapentin to calm their cat for the trip to the vet. It does require a prescription.


No Chewy's in Canada, Sienne. I wish there was. :(
Click to expand...
Thanks, I do have a human tester and a whole bunch of strips from this girl who lives in my town. I've tried testing him myself but he gets super nasty with me every time I try ( all attempts unsuccessful) I still try though. I can only assume he gets like that because the last visit to the vet here to check his levels and whatever. Ended up doing something to him while they had him in the back taking his blood. I know it needs to be tested but when he gets so nasty and stressed out over me trying and then other takes it out on me or Lily ( his gf, who just loves him to pieces ) is just a stressful situation
 
Thats great information! Im going to check into that as soon as possible! Thanks
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
If you are using lantus
In Canada, humans need a prescription for Lantus. Animals do not. Just say it is for your cat
Generic lantus is probably cheaper
Basaglar (a generic form of glargine)
Check your local pharmacies for prices for the pens
EDIT Cartridges are cheaper like Wendy posted
Click to expand...
 
Mr.Louis said:
Thanks, I do have a human tester and a whole bunch of strips from this girl who lives in my town. I've tried testing him myself but he gets super nasty with me every time I try ( all attempts unsuccessful) I still try though. I can only assume he gets like that because the last visit to the vet here to check his levels and whatever. Ended up doing something to him while they had him in the back taking his blood. I know it needs to be tested but when he gets so nasty and stressed out over me trying and then other takes it out on me or Lily ( his gf, who just loves him to pieces ) is just a stressful situation
Click to expand...
Keep trying. The link I gave you above has lots of tips. It's all about getting the cat accustomed to testing – low carb treats such as a bit of chicken or tuna or some single ingredients freeze dried treats work.
 
You might want to read over our info on home testing. Part of what may help are treats. Any time you try to test, whether you're successful or not, you want to give a treat. You want to build up the association between testing and treats.
 
What insulin is Louis currently taking? What is the dose?

Also, what is his current food? If high in carbs, do not make a quick change to low carb. This change needs to be done slowly because the cat's insulin needs might need changing which can only be found out by testing.

As a bonus, home testing saves trips to the vet. Curves can be done at home.
 
JanetNJ said:
You've come to the right place. diabetes is very treatable and not a death sentence. Listen to the folks here.... They will help you manage it!!!
Click to expand...
Thanks! I'm super happy I found this page, with I would of found it a year ago. Would of saved alot of mistakes and the fear which followed diagnosing
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Hi Jesse and Louis and welcome to the forum.
I am sorry you are having so much trouble with getting sorted out.
I don't understand why the vet won't give you more insulin if Louis has already been diagnosed with diabetes.
What type of insulin are you using ? What dose are you giving?
As far as I am aware, Lantus insulin can be bought over the counter in Canada and you don't need a prescription form the vet.
I will tag a couple of people who live in Canada and may be able to help you
@Wendy&Neko
@Red & Rover (GA)
Arrr...I see Wendy has just answered you and given you some suggestions.

Can you tell us what type of food you are feeding Louis?
Click to expand...
Last week I've changed his food to something that actually has high protein and low carbs. Which I found Tiki cat born carnivores devine chicken dry cat food and I'm also feeding him Fancy feist twice a day
 
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