New Member! Nervous about second dose tonight w/ no monitor

Charlie'sMom22

Charlie'sMom22

Active Member
Hello there!

My name is Jess, and the love of my life, Charlie, just turned 12 on Thursday... and then was diagnosed yesterday afternoon just before the vet closed (worst birthday ever:(). Luckily a vet tech at the clinic heard them giving me the diagnosis over the phone and felt bad, so she agreed to come here this morning to show me how to give insulin shots. Other than that, I've been completely on my own with all of this.

I was nervous at first to start him on 2u Lantus BID, but she assured me that she trusts the doctor and that's a good starting dose for Charlie's size (he's a 19.8lbs Maine Coon). We gave him his first shot at 10AM after he ate a big breakfast around 9:30AM. She told me what to look out for and what to do if there was a hypo event, gave me her cell, and said I could text her if I got scared. I monitored him throughout the day and haven't noticed anything unusual. He did have a couple of muscle twitches while napping around 3PM, but that could've just been normal nap twitching. He eats small wet meals throughout the day so I did give him a little snack of 1/8th can after I noticed that, just in case.

Here's what I'm worried about--his next dose is coming up at 10PM and I'm VERY nervous about the possibility of him going hypo in the middle of the night. I ordered a monitor but it won't be here until tomorrow afternoon. I live on an island and the closest 24/7 emergency vet is FORTY minutes away. I don't have a car and I'd have to wake my mom up (who lives up the street) to bring us, which would add to the time.

To add to that, I don't even know what his blood sugar level was at diagnosis, just that it was confirmed in urine and fructosamine. Upon asking the doctor how high it was she said "not extremely high, but high enough to need insulin treatment." When I asked if I could wait until Monday to start (since nothing is open on weekends), I was told I could but there are risks of keeping his BG high for that long. I was also told it wouldn't be the end of the world if I skipped a dose when I said I was nervous about messing it up.

So now I'm torn between:
-skipping his dose on purpose tonight and resuming 2u at 10AM tomorrow
-giving him his regular dose and staying up all night sick with worry, lol
-giving him 1u tonight and probably also staying up sick with worry, lol

I think it's also important to note that I had barely noticed any typical symptoms before his diagnosis. We only discovered it because I brought him in for constipation and had a bunch of blood work done, which showed elevated levels and prompted further testing. Edit: I did notice a slightly weak gait last night (before his first dose today) and have noticed him drinking slightly more water than usual today.

The vet is having me bring him back in to place a CGM in two weeks, but that is way too long for me to be shooting blind, so I plan to start trying to test with the ReliOn glucose monitor as soon as it arrives tomorrow.

Any and all help is so very appreciated. I've been overwhelmed and stressed and crying for more than 24 hours now. Charlie is my world and I just want to do what's right for him.

Thank you so much,
Jess
 
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Hi Jess, welcome to the group! I think we can all relate to the overwhelming feelings at the start, but hang in there, it will get easier!

2 units is higher than folks here recommend starting on, so I’d be nervous shooting blind too. Is there anywhere you can get a glucose monitor tonight? CVS, Walmart, etc.

I’ll defer to more experienced members for actual advice.
 
Hi Tim!

Thank you for the warm welcome and words of encouragement ◡̈

Unfortunately I already tried getting supplies today but none of the stores had complete kits, and they were all out of some individual component or another (one reader, wrong type of strips etc). I’m very annoyed with my entire city right now lol.
 
Tim & Pookey said:
Hi Jess, welcome to the group! I think we can all relate to the overwhelming feelings at the start, but hang in there, it will get easier!

2 units is higher than folks here recommend starting on, so I’d be nervous shooting blind too. Is there anywhere you can get a glucose monitor tonight? CVS, Walmart, etc.

I’ll defer to more experienced members for actual advice.
Click to expand...
I do not have the experience to help him, so I am going to page more experienced members.
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Bron and Sheba GA
@Diane Tyler's Mom GA
 
One of the things you could do if we do not get a response is give a reduced dose this evening and set your clock and get up and check him every now and then. I get up sometimes and check my cat if I am worried about him. Hopefully, someone will respond soon.
 
Tim & Pookey said:
Hi Jess, welcome to the group! I think we can all relate to the overwhelming feelings at the start, but hang in there, it will get easier!

2 units is higher than folks here recommend starting on, so I’d be nervous shooting blind too. Is there anywhere you can get a glucose monitor tonight? CVS, Walmart, etc.

I’ll defer to more experienced members for actual advice.
Click to expand...

Welcome to FDF Jess and Charlie, you are in the right place, we all feel overwhelmed at first, but in this forum we can help you with advice and guidance in dosing and any other concern you may have, we need to know a bit more about Charlie, We would like you to create your signature and spreadsheet, this way the member that will guide you thru this journey and we can be on the same page; Your Vet should of explained to you the need for diabetic cats to consume a diet of wet cat food between 0-10% carbs, it is important to home test, you can purchase a human monitor and strips, most of the members use ReliOn Premier monitor and strips, they are inexpensive and accurate you should not shoot insulin without first testing the BG, to avoid hypoglycemia, I will tag a couple of members that can help you with dosing for Lantus, in the meantime, below are several links to create your signature and spreadsheet, also a link of a Drs. Food List, the third column contains the %
of carbs, most of the members enjoy Fancy Feast, it is US made, but there are many brands to choose from so it's regulated and no waste goes into the
food, you should have what is called a HYPO KIT, this should have some medium carb food between11-15% carbs some high carb foods between 16-24% carbs KARO syrup or honey, this is in case Charlie's BG lowers to 50 or less, we can help you on how to bring the BG back up to safe numbers if necessary, , an advice, I was told when I first signed up in this Forum, was to breath in and breath out, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress they stress, in the Main Forum are many sticky notes you can read that are very valuable, We are here for you, no concern of Charlie's is a small one, so post post and post, there will always be someone to help you:bighug::cat::cat:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/spreadsheets-tech-support-testing-area.6/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
 
CORKY said:
Welcome to FDF Jess and Charlie, you are in the right place, we all feel overwhelmed at first, but in this forum we can help you with advice and guidance in dosing and any other concern you may have, we need to know a bit more about Charlie, We would like you to create your signature and spreadsheet, this way the member that will guide you thru this journey and we can be on the same page; Your Vet should of explained to you the need for diabetic cats to consume a diet of wet cat food between 0-10% carbs, it is important to home test, you can purchase a human monitor and strips, most of the members use ReliOn Premier monitor and strips, they are inexpensive and accurate you should not shoot insulin without first testing the BG, to avoid hypoglycemia, I will tag a couple of members that can help you with dosing for Lantus, in the meantime, below are several links to create your signature and spreadsheet, also a link of a Drs. Food List, the third column contains the %
of carbs, most of the members enjoy Fancy Feast, it is US made, but there are many brands to choose from so it's regulated and no waste goes into the
food, you should have what is called a HYPO KIT, this should have some medium carb food between11-15% carbs some high carb foods between 16-24% carbs KARO syrup or honey, this is in case Charlie's BG lowers to 50 or less, we can help you on how to bring the BG back up to safe numbers if necessary, , an advice, I was told when I first signed up in this Forum, was to breath in and breath out, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress they stress, in the Main Forum are many sticky notes you can read that are very valuable, We are here for you, no concern of Charlie's is a small one, so post post and post, there will always be someone to help you:bighug::cat::cat:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/spreadsheets-tech-support-testing-area.6/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
Click to expand...
Corky, I was just getting ready to page you.
 
Hi Jess and welcome :)

First off, take a few deep breaths, you’re in the right place and we will be able to help. You have good instincts about wanting to test Charlie’s blood glucose at home, that really is the best way to keep him safe. Good job getting your signature set up, and perhaps have a look also at this info page: New? How to Help Us Help You

As for starting dose, one of the dosing methods we follow on the forum for Lantus does use by ideal weight calculation, and for Charlie’s weight, 2u is fine to start, provided however, you can test at home.

It doesn’t sound like Charlie had any ketones at diagnosis, since you didn’t mention it? I think since you are so worried, and just started, it would be ok to skip tonight and start again tomorrow when you can monitor.
 
CORKY said:
Welcome to FDF Jess and Charlie, you are in the right place, we all feel overwhelmed at first, but in this forum we can help you with advice and guidance in dosing and any other concern you may have, we need to know a bit more about Charlie, We would like you to create your signature and spreadsheet, this way the member that will guide you thru this journey and we can be on the same page; Your Vet should of explained to you the need for diabetic cats to consume a diet of wet cat food between 0-10% carbs, it is important to home test, you can purchase a human monitor and strips, most of the members use ReliOn Premier monitor and strips, they are inexpensive and accurate you should not shoot insulin without first testing the BG, to avoid hypoglycemia, I will tag a couple of members that can help you with dosing for Lantus, in the meantime, below are several links to create your signature and spreadsheet, also a link of a Drs. Food List, the third column contains the %
of carbs, most of the members enjoy Fancy Feast, it is US made, but there are many brands to choose from so it's regulated and no waste goes into the
food, you should have what is called a HYPO KIT, this should have some medium carb food between11-15% carbs some high carb foods between 16-24% carbs KARO syrup or honey, this is in case Charlie's BG lowers to 50 or less, we can help you on how to bring the BG back up to safe numbers if necessary, , an advice, I was told when I first signed up in this Forum, was to breath in and breath out, cats are very sensitive to stress, you stress they stress, in the Main Forum are many sticky notes you can read that are very valuable, We are here for you, no concern of Charlie's is a small one, so post post and post, there will always be someone to help you:bighug::cat::cat:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/spreadsheets-tech-support-testing-area.6/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, Corky! I will work on getting my spreadsheet set up in the morning so I can plug numbers in as soon as I start recording! My vet did mention that the food I have him on is great but I’ll cross reference with the list you linked to be doubly sure. I’ll also work on getting some medium and high carb foods set up for the hypo kit. Right now I just have some simple syrup and maple syrup in the fridge I can use in a pinch, along with a list of symptoms, steps to take, and numbers/hours for the (not-so-nearby) emergency vets. Thank you for all your help and reassurances and the links!
 
Jess-Just also checking with you on the insulin syringes you have? They should be for U-100 insulin, 3/10 cc capacity 30 or 31 gauge, with 1/2-unit marks.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
Hi Jess and welcome :)

First off, take a few deep breaths, you’re in the right place and we will be able to help. You have good instincts about wanting to test Charlie’s blood glucose at home, that really is the best way to keep him safe. Good job getting your signature set up, and perhaps have a look also at this info page: New? How to Help Us Help You

As for starting dose, one of the dosing methods we follow on the forum for Lantus does use by ideal weight calculation, and for Charlie’s weight, 2u is fine to start, provided however, you can test at home.

It doesn’t sound like Charlie had any ketones at diagnosis, since you didn’t mention it? I think since you are so worried, and just started, it would be ok to skip tonight and start again tomorrow when you can monitor.
Click to expand...


Hi Christie,

Whew, I just sighed a huge sigh of relief. Thank you. It’s so reassuring to hear from someone experienced and besides the vet that the dose seems fine to start (monitored of course). That was really hanging over my head and it can be so hard to push back on a vet.

The vet didn’t say anything specifically about ketones. She just said that both the urinalysis and the fructosamine tests confirmed diabetes. I believe there was glucose in his urine—is that the same thing?
 
Charlie'sMom22 said:
Hi Christie,

Whew, I just sighed a huge sigh of relief. Thank you. It’s so reassuring to hear from someone experienced and besides the vet that the dose seems fine to start (monitored of course). That was really hanging over my head and it can be so hard to push back on a vet.

The vet didn’t say anything specifically about ketones. She just said that both the urinalysis and the fructosamine tests confirmed diabetes. I believe there was glucose in his urine—is that the same thing?
Click to expand...

you should ask the vet to give you or email you the lab reports , if there are Ketones present it should be in the report good reference for you and the Forum, you can take a look at Corky's Spreadsheet, below in blue you can get an idea how it's set up, also Charlie is using good insulin, Lantus, my Corky uses ProZinc, both a 12 hour insulin, Walmart has an excellent diabetes supplies :bighug::bighug::cat::cat:
 
The vet would have mentioned if Charlie had ketones in his urine. Not the same as glucose in urine; urinalysis will measure things like urine specific gravity, glucose, ketones, pH, etc. Urinalysis that shows glucose along with fructosamine tests are how diabetes is diagnosed.
 
CORKY said:
you should ask the vet to give you or email you the lab reports , if there are Ketones present it should be in the report good reference for you and the Forum, you can take a look at Corky's Spreadsheet, below in blue you can get an idea how it's set up, also Charlie is using good insulin, Lantus, my Corky uses ProZinc, both a 12 hour insulin, Walmart has an excellent diabetes supplies :bighug::bighug::cat::cat:
Click to expand...
Also in the Main Forum Page you can find the Threads on Lantus, many valuable information about

Lantushttps://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/
 
Ketones are very different than glucose in the urine. Ketones develop if there's an underlying infection or inflammation + not enough calories (usually because your cat is feeling lousy) + not enough insulin. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a condition that results if the level of ketones gets too high and as a result it throws your cat's electrolytes out of whack. The bottom line is that DKA can be a life threatening condition. You can get urine test strips to test for ketones. And Christie is spot on -- your vet would have told you if ketones were present.

Like Maria suggeted, I always get a copy of my cats' labs from the vet. I'm not sure what Maria was referring to as the "Main Forum Page." She linked you to the Lantus insulin support group page. There are yellow sticky notes at the top of the page that provide a great deal of information about Lantus. If your vet didn't provide a great deal of information, those notes will inundate you with the information you need.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
The vet would have mentioned if Charlie had ketones in his urine. Not the same as glucose in urine; urinalysis will measure things like urine specific gravity, glucose, ketones, pH, etc. Urinalysis that shows glucose along with fructosamine tests are how diabetes is diagnosed.
Click to expand...


Whew, another sigh of relief! I’m definitely going to ask them to email everything over when they open on Monday. She did say “everything else was normal” re: the two tests so that’s reassuring.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
Half unit markings are helpful, since we have found that cats metabolize insulin differently than humans, and we typically make small dose adjustments.
Click to expand...

ah, good to know. The vet did say the needle was going to be different than what I saw at the clinic so maybe she knew the local Walgreens is worthless, hahaha. I’ll check out Walmart in the meantime and start reading up on lantus. From some preliminary browsing I did read a lot of good things about it!
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Ketones are very different than glucose in the urine. Ketones develop if there's an underlying infection or inflammation + not enough calories (usually because your cat is feeling lousy) + not enough insulin. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a condition that results if the level of ketones gets too high and as a result it throws your cat's electrolytes out of whack. The bottom line is that DKA can be a life threatening condition. You can get urine test strips to test for ketones. And Christie is spot on -- your vet would have told you if ketones were present.

Like Maria suggeted, I always get a copy of my cats' labs from the vet. I'm not sure what Maria was referring to as the "Main Forum Page." She linked you to the Lantus insulin support group page. There are yellow sticky notes at the top of the page that provide a great deal of information about Lantus. If your vet didn't provide a great deal of information, those notes will inundate you with the information you need.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Can ketone test strips be used in wet litter or does it need to be a clean sample? Also, am I mostly safe to assume that he would be showing some obvious signs of hyperglycemia if ketones were present? Just so I can be aware going forward
 
I use these ones, you can get them either in 8mm or 6mm. That’s just a small difference in needle length, but both work.

upload_2025-2-15_19-24-44.jpeg
 

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@Charlie'sMom22

Welcome Jess and Charlie, what a gorgeous boy :cat:
Using syringes with a pen, cartridge, or vial:
  • U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings are the best to use for drawing Lantus, Levemir, or the Biosimilars from vials, cartridges, and pens.
  • BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.
  • Syringes come in 5/64 inch (6mm), ½ inch (8mm) or 5/16 inch (12.7mm) needle lengths. Needle gauges are 29, 30 or 31 (31 being the thinnest).
You can order the U-100 syringes with half unit markings from Amazon without a doctors script
https://www.amazon.com/UltiCare-31-Gauge-Veterinary-Insulin-Syringes/dp/B009LTE0DO
  • Full and half-unit syringe scales:
49823063143_3437e9e997_o.jpg
 
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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
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capillaries 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 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets any brand
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with

Try putting a thin layer of Vaseline on the ear so the blood will bead up

Here is a video that one of our members did ,ignore the coding because she is using a pet meter, with a human meter no coding needed
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar
 
Diane Tyler's Mom GA said:
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
c2b8079a-b471-4fa6-ac36-9ac1c8d6dcca-jpeg.57072
fec17d29-5ab4-44a8-912b-3a91944c3954-jpeg.57073

6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capillaries 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 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets any brand
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand not the lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with

Try putting a thin layer of Vaseline on the ear so the blood will bead up

Here is a video that one of our members did ,ignore the coding because she is using a pet meter, with a human meter no coding needed
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar
Click to expand...
I noticed on your profile that Charlie suffers from constipation Corky and Coco also have constipation. The Miralax you noted is great but I also switch now and then with Lactulose is liquid I use 1ml and put it in the food for 3-4 days twice a day good to have you can ask your vet for a script, or if you have a primary Dr you can ask him for the prescription and you insurance will cover it, and is a large bottle, from what the vet gives you you can get a non-needle syringe at the pharmacy free:bighug::bighug::cat::cat:
 
Good morning, Jess. You asked:
Thank you! Can ketone test strips be used in wet litter or does it need to be a clean sample? Also, am I mostly safe to assume that he would be showing some obvious signs of hyperglycemia if ketones were present? Just so I can be aware going forward
Click to expand...

Christie is one of our established members and I had asked her to stop by since she's also Canadian and can direct you to resources available in Canada versus us suggesting all sorts of things or stores that are available primarily in the US.

Like Christie, I was able to get a ketone test by quickly swiping the strip in Gabby's urine stream. Some members would put plastic wrap over the litter or replace the litter with aquarium gravel, use a spoon or ladle to get urine or all sorts of other options that are in the link Christie provided. I tend to think it's a matter of what your cat will put up with. The problem with dipping a strip into wet litter is if it's not a fresh urine sample. Typically, you need a fresh sample.

As for what you would see if a cat has high ketone levels, I wouldn't rely on hyperglycemia as an indicator. While ketones are more likely to occur if numbers are high, that's not always the case. The caveat is that some cats are prone to developing ketones especially if they had a recent episode of DKA although I don't believe the underlying inflammation had been fully treated. We've had a few instances of a cat that's not in especially high numbers and had worrisome levels of ketones present. The one symptom that pings my radar is if someone comments that their cat seems to be lethargic. This is a link to our Primer on Ketones. It may help with some of your questions. I'd also make one point. There's a difference between a cat that's showing the presence of ketones versus DKA. If you're using the color coding on the strip container, a level below "trace" is not anything to worry about although we recommend being very attentive to make sure that the ketone levels don't continue to increase. Beyond a trace level, we recommend a vet visit.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom GA said:
@Charlie'sMom22

Welcome Jess and Charlie, what a gorgeous boy :cat:
Using syringes with a pen, cartridge, or vial:
  • U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings are the best to use for drawing Lantus, Levemir, or the Biosimilars from vials, cartridges, and pens.
  • BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.
  • Syringes come in 5/64 inch (6mm), ½ inch (8mm) or 5/16 inch (12.7mm) needle lengths. Needle gauges are 29, 30 or 31 (31 being the thinnest).
You can order the U-100 syringes with half unit markings from Amazon without a doctors script
https://www.amazon.com/UltiCare-31-Gauge-Veterinary-Insulin-Syringes/dp/B009LTE0DO
  • Full and half-unit syringe scales:
49823063143_3437e9e997_o.jpg
Click to expand...
Thank you! Just ordered some of the ones you linked on Amazon
 
CORKY said:
I noticed on your profile that Charlie suffers from constipation Corky and Coco also have constipation. The Miralax you noted is great but I also switch now and then with Lactulose is liquid I use 1ml and put it in the food for 3-4 days twice a day good to have you can ask your vet for a script, or if you have a primary Dr you can ask him for the prescription and you insurance will cover it, and is a large bottle, from what the vet gives you you can get a non-needle syringe at the pharmacy free:bighug::bighug::cat::cat:
Click to expand...

Thank you. Charlie has been having an issue with this for about a month now, ever since I switched his food from raw to canned (after being on raw for his whole life). He was only pooping every 4-5 days or so. I got him down to 3.5 just before his diagnosis, but now he's back up to 5 again (still hasn't gone). I have some psylium husk the vet said I could add to his food, which I may do tomorrow if he doesn't go tonight. Or I may ask about the lactulose. I want to call them first to make sure it won't interfere with his insulin. Have you used psylium husk at all with any results? I'm so baffled by all of this--when he does poop it's perfectly formed and just the right amount of softness, so I'm not sure what the issue is. The vet seems to think this is just the new normal for him with his new food. I'm going to write a separate post about switching him back to raw. I had originally switched him because I was worried about bird flu, but I have a sneaking suspicion all of his recent issues are caused by the new food and it might be worth the risk to switch him back.

In any case, thank you for your input!
 
Charlie'sMom22 said:
Hi Christie,

Whew, I just sighed a huge sigh of relief. Thank you. It’s so reassuring to hear from someone experienced and besides the vet that the dose seems fine to start (monitored of course). That was really hanging over my head and it can be so hard to push back on a vet.

The vet didn’t say anything specifically about ketones. She just said that both the urinalysis and the fructosamine tests confirmed diabetes. I believe there was glucose in his urine—is that the same thing?
Click to expand...
Christie & Maverick said:
Here is some good info on Catching and Testing Urine

Just pick up some Ketostix from the pharmacy and you’ll be good to go ;). I was always good at stalking Maverick to the litter box and catching him while peeing.
Click to expand...


Thank you! I'll get some, though unfortunately, I haven't historically been able to get a clean urine sample from Charlie. He actually had to be brought to the vet to do a cystocentesis for his urine test since he was refusing to go in the hydrophobic litter. Maybe I'll try stalking him.

Also, you're not gonna believe this, but the glucose monitor got delayed in shipment today (F&$% FedEx!), so I am still without one. I gave Charlie his dose this morning but now I'm back in the same situation as I was last night. And now we have a nasty storm going on so the roads are going to be iced over to boot. I keep going back and forth on whether to skip again. This is so difficult and frustrating.
 
Charlie'sMom22 said:
Thank you! I'll get some, though unfortunately, I haven't historically been able to get a clean urine sample from Charlie. He actually had to be brought to the vet to do a cystocentesis for his urine test since he was refusing to go in the hydrophobic litter. Maybe I'll try stalking him.

Also, you're not gonna believe this, but the glucose monitor got delayed in shipment today (F&$% FedEx!), so I am still without one. I gave Charlie his dose this morning but now I'm back in the same situation as I was last night. And now we have a nasty storm going on so the roads are going to be iced over to boot. I keep going back and forth on whether to skip again. This is so difficult and frustrating.
Click to expand...
Remember to take a step back breath in and breath out we are here for you, you don’t have a neighbor that may be diabetic and can lend a monitor and strip?
 
Jess --

Why the switch from raw to a canned food diet? A raw diet is typically very low in carbs. Without other information, I suspect it was perfectly fine especially since the canned food diet sounds like it was giving Charlie some tummy trouble. If you were feeding Charlie a poultry based raw diet, I might be a bit leery of feeding raw chicken or turkey right now. I feed my guys raw pork or bison. There are some commercially prepared raw diets that are also fine.
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Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Jess --

Why the switch from raw to a canned food diet? A raw diet is typically very low in carbs. Without other information, I suspect it was perfectly fine especially since the canned food diet sounds like it was giving Charlie some tummy trouble. If you were feeding Charlie a poultry based raw diet, I might be a bit leery of feeding raw chicken or turkey right now. I feed my guys raw pork or bison. There are some commercially prepared raw diets that are also fine.
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It was raw chicken and I was worried about bird flu, even after talking to someone from the company directly. They were great, I'm just very risk-averse. If I do switch him back, which I probably will once he's more regulated, I'll be doing either their fish or rabbit protein. The food is Instinct Raw. I miss it, lol. He never had a problem a day in his life before this.
 
Charlie'sMom22 said:
I've been overwhelmed and stressed and crying for more than 24 hours now. Charlie is my world and I just want to do what's right for him.
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Welcome Jess, I can totally relate to the stress on all levels. It is a lot right now, but I promise you will find a new groove for you and Charlie and it slowly gets better. You'll be in good hands with the experience here. My Petey was diagnosed in December too and we've come a long way thanks to this group. :bighug:

Charlie is absolutely gorgeous and huge! :joyful:

Not sure where you live but can someone deliver your order of a monitor?
 
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Laurie&Petey said:
Welcome Jess, I can totally relate to the stress on all levels. It is a lot right now, but I promise you will find a new groove for you and Charlie and it slowly gets better. You'll be in good hands with the experience here. My Petey was diagnosed in Decmeber too and we've come a long way thanks to this group. :bighug:

Charlie is absolutely gorgeous and huge! :joyful:

Not sure where you live but can someone deliver your order of a monitor?
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oh my goodness, I just realized I have the DX date wrong in my signature thanks to your reply!! He was actually just diagnosed on Valentine's day. I'll go fix that now. Thank you for unintentionally catching that!

In any case, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Today feels better than yesterday, which felt better than the day before that. So I'm hoping that trend will continue :) And this has already helped so much! Plus it feels nice to know I'm not totally alone in this.

I tried having a monitor delivered yesterday but all stores on the island are sold out of one of the things I need. Like, CVS had one brand of monitor but not the strips, while Walgreens had another brand of strips but no monitor. Walgreens also didn't even have the insulin at first!! I had to go to a different one! I'm beyond frustrated. It's ridiculous that these things are all proprietary.
 
Laurie&Petey said:
Welcome Jess, I can totally relate to the stress on all levels. It is a lot right now, but I promise you will find a new groove for you and Charlie and it slowly gets better. You'll be in good hands with the experience here. My Petey was diagnosed in December too and we've come a long way thanks to this group. :bighug:

Charlie is absolutely gorgeous and huge! :joyful:

Not sure where you live but can someone deliver your order of a monitor?
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Also, thank you for the compliment, I'll pass it along to Charlie! Petey is very beautiful as well! Is he a Maine Coon?
 
Charlie'sMom22 said:
Thank you! Just ordered some of the ones you linked on Amazon
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@Charlie'sMom22
You're welcome :bighug::cat:
While you are waiting for the meter to arrive you might want to read about the 2 dosing methods for Lantus. Each one will tell you when an increase or decrease is needed
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...-low-go-slow-slgs-tight-regulation-tr.210110/

I would read all the yellow stickys about Lantus here

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-levemir-biosimilars.9/
 
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Just an FYI...

ADW is a site that carries diabetes supplies -- meters and strips and more. This includes pet diabetes supplies. The pet supplies are less of an issue if you're using Lantus since it's a human insulin and you use U100 syringes. Amazon also ships supplies and you don't need a prescription for syringes which some online sites require.

Given your local pharmacies are not well stocked, I would consider online suppliers. Since most places will discount of you are on an automatic renewal of supplies, it may help with costs. I used to routinely order from ADW unless someplace was having a sale. I still order all of my cat food from Chewy's.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom GA said:
@Charlie'sMom22
I see you are waiting for the Relion Platinum Meter, just be sure you ordered enough test strips so you j
have enough on hand
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Thank you, done and done! Do I need lancets too? The device comes with 10. Do those get changed out every time?

edit: just watched the video and she recommended to use the lancets without the device. I’m gonna get a box of 28 gauge
 
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Charlie'sMom22 said:
Thank you, done and done! Do I need lancets too? The device comes with 10. Do those get changed out every time?
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yes, ULTRA THIN Lancets 30 gauge, also, I get 250 strips for the month , but then again I test every 2 hours, but there might be some days where you'll need to test every 1/2 hour because BG is low, so you should never rum out, the ReliOn strips are very inexpensive and the lancets are $2.99 here in Fl. for 200 lancets, I use the same lancet 2 or 3 times and they work just fine, just make sure that once opened they do not touch anything dirty, I keep it in a piece of toilet paper, but that's me, we all have our methods and way to do things, you are getting it all together you and Charlie are going to be ok! You'll be a pro at it in no time, also you can reward Charlie after testing with a low carb treat or example a small piece of ham I use for snack the 1% carb ham, test by association.:bighug::bighug::cat::cat:
I see the SS good job, now it's time to fill out that baby!!
 
I added to my post in case you didn't see this
I would get either
26 or 28 gauge lancets any brand to start with. The lower size lancet means it will make the hole bigger until the capillaries grow more. Don't worry you won't see a big hole at all.

As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capillaries it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try.

Down the road if his ears start bleeding with one poke you can switch to size 30. Me myself I always used the 28 gauge lancets


@Charlie'sMom22

Don't forget the cotton rounds to put behind the ear when you poke. Any brand will do , your supermarket will have them or any pharmacy , Walmart, CVS, Walgreens. Pic below
 
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