04.17.2022 - New member - Yuki, 15(soon 16) years old.

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Hello ! First of all, I want to apologize if I make english mistakes, it is not my first and main language. I am very happy I found this forum.

My cat Yuki is a 15 (soon 16) female, and she is my soul mate. She's been in my life for over 10 years now !

Before she was diagnosed, I noticed she was losing weight, and the main reason I saw the vet was because she was constipated and was coughing (she is not anymore) and had greenish, mucus-like tears to her eyes. Before seeing the vet, I didn't even suspect she had diabetes. She is not always thirsty and she is urinating 3 to 5 times a day.

The vet diagnosed her with diabetes on march 9th. During the appointment they took a blood sample and Yuki's blood glucose was at 22 mmol/L. On the 28th the vet technician teached me very well how to give her insulin, so on march 29th we started 1 unit insulin (Lantus 100) shots, twice a day. I was very scared at first and I am still overwhelmed, but Yuki is a gem and she seems to have confidence in me. She lets me give her her shots every single time without complaining.

The vet also changed her diet ; she now eats Royal Canin - Satiety (kibble AND canned) two meals a day before her insulin shots.

She is in a dry food transition, here are the informations :

Royal Canin Gastro-intestinal : Moderate Calorie (her food since summer 2021) : 50%
Royal Canin Gastro-intestinal : Fiber response (prescribed by vet on 9 march 2022) : 25%
Royal Canin Satiety : Support Weight Management (prescribed by vet on 28 march 2022) : 25 %


I did her first blood glucose curve at home on april 9th 2022, and I am now waiting for the vet to get back to me about it. Her blood glucose is still high and I'm afraid it has lot of side effects on her body. I can't wait for the vet to call me back with more informations, the feeling is horrible.

Other informations that may be retaled to her diabetes, but I still know too little about it. I thought i'd write these informations anyways ;

- On march 22th we saw the vet because she coughed some blood the night before. The vet told us she probably has water on her lungs so I have to give her furosemide from time to time. Furosemide seems to help, she does not cough anymore.

- On April 8th we went back to the vet because I noticed a change in her right eye. It is very teary and the pupil stays the same size all the time while the other one works normally. The vet told me she has no ulcers in her eyes, so it might be an infection. He gave me Maxitrol eye drops; 1 to 2 drops, 3 times a day for 15 days. But I see no change for now and today her right eye is more cloudy so I suspect a cataract..

- Her right, back leg also softly moves from times to times, quite often.. I don't know if this is related to diabetes. It doesn't seem to hurt her.. but i've never seen her moving her leg like this.

Most of the time she is sleeping, relaxing as she always used to do.

April 19th update ; the vet increased her insulin dose to 2 units/ twice a day !

Thank you for reading me! And for having so many useful informations here.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi Mimi and Yuki and welcome to the forum. Your English is wonderful !
And I see you have set up the spreadsheet and the signature. That is very good and helpful!
Are you able to put in the blood glucose data you have collected already?

I’m not sure what has happened to her eye. Has the vet checked her blood pressure?

I’m not sure either why one of her legs is moving. Does it happen all the time or just sometimes ?

It is really good you are testing the blood glucose (BG) at home.
Are you testing before every shot of insulin to make sure it is safe to give the dose?
Are you testing during the cycles to see how low the dose is taking Yuki?

Are you feeding a meal before the insulin shots and then a couple of snacks during every cycle?
It is better for Yuki if he gets some snacks during the day and evening as well as just before the shots.
A lot of vets only recommend giving food before the shots but that is old thinking for the older types of insulin that used to be given.
With Lantus, it is a good idea to give snacks as well as the main meals.

The kibble you are feeding will be high carbs and is not recommended for diabetic cats. However I would not change the food just yet until we can see what the BG levels are doing as taking away the dry food can drop the BG quite a bit and you need to be careful.
I’m not sure where you live but you don’t need to feed prescription food to Yuki. Ordinary low carb canned foods are ok.
Once I know where you live I might be able to give you a list of suitable foods.
Do you have a hypo kit set up?
Please keep asking questions. We are very happy to help you.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Hello! Thank you so much for the warm welcome and kind words!!
Yes, I tried to set up most things last night, I still have changes to make to make it better, but I think all the important informations are here!

I will try to understand how the spreadsheet works, I am working on it right now ! But what I can say for now is that her BG is never seems to be under 10 mmol/L, and is most of the time 20+ mmol/L. Trying to add the blood glucose data I got until now as soon as I can For now, I added a graph of her first blood glucose curve, I hope it helps.

Her insulin shots are at 10 AM and 10 PM

For her eye ; I don't remember him checking her blood pressure. He just asked me many questions, checked for ulcers in the eye, and made sure her eye was able to see (for now it is able to see).
I'm thinking about taking another vet appointment as soon as I can.

For her leg : It happens everyday, almost every minute or two, so I'm also thinking about asking the vet about this!

Since april 15th, I test before every evening shot (I'm thinking about testing in the morning too). Her BG is always very high ( on April 15 : 27.6 mmol/L after eating and on April 16 : 25.4 mmol/L before eating)
I do not test her during the cycle at the moment but I am also thinking of doing it now because I am so worried and I think it would be a good idea!

Honestly, she isn't able to eat all her food in one take so she takes small bites during the day when she feels a bit hungry (from 9 AM to around 5 PM) and sometimes she does not eat all of her entire meal. She always ends up eating like 70% of it, but almost never 100% of it, aven after a few hours.
Thank you so much for the information about snacks, I was worried I was doing something wrong, letting her eat bites of her meal during the day !


I also noticed I didn't write the entire name of her food so I write it entirely here just in case : Royal Canin - Satiety Support Weight Management

Here is the food plan the vet gave me for her :

Royal Canin - Satiety Support Weight Management (kibble) - 38 g / day
Royal Canin - Satiety Support Weight Management (canned) - 145g / day
recommended calorie intake : 212 KCal
divided in two meals.

She weights about 3.48 kg now, and on march 28 she was at 4.1 kg.

Oh no I will have to talk about this to my vet. I didn't know it was high in carbs, I thought it was not since the vet told me to give her this food and that it was good for diabetic cats. Thank you for the information.

I live in Quebec, Canada !

I still need to set up my hypo kit, I am working on it!

Thank you so, so much for your help, I appreciate it a lot!!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

The dry food you are using is either 18.6 or 28% carbs…..either way they are both high carb.
The canned one looks to be around 7% carbs which is low carb.
***Don’t stop using the dry food until you are testing a lot more and we can help you do the transfer to a lower carb diet. You will notice a difference in the BGs I am sure and we want him to be safe.
I would be dividing up the food into 2 main meals to be given before the shots and then 2 snacks in the morning cycles and 2 snacks in the PM cycles.
Don’t feed for the 2 hours before the preshot BG as we don’t want the BG number to be food influenced.

Please do test before every shot to make sure it is safe to give the insulin. And please do get another test in around 5 to 7 hours after the dose insulin (+5 to +7). I can see she is coming back down with the dose of Lantus but she would do much better without the dry food…..but don’t stop it yet.
I’m going to tag @Suzanne & Darcy to see if she has any ideas about the eyes and leg issues.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Thank you very much for the informations and your help !! I will do as you say !

Just to make sure ; I just tested her blood glucose. It is 8:31 AM right now. her BG is at 28.4 mmol/L and she did not eat in the past 2 hours. I think this is very high.
Can I give her food (i usually feed her at 9 AM/PM so she has time to eat before her 10 AM/PM insulin shots) and her insulin shot as usual ?

I also have a small problem at the moment an I don't know if someone can help me.
I ordered more of her canned food online a few days ago, but the delivery is late and I won't receive it monday. I only have one can left for today. I have plenty of kibble tho, a big big bag.
I don't know what food I can give her while I wait for her canned food to arrive home. I should receive it during the week. I'm afraid to give her only the kibble until then....
This situation is very exceptional and it's just a real bad timing, this never happened before.

I can't thank you enough for all the help and replies !!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

With Lantus you test, then feed and then shot (providing the BG is high enough) all within 15 minutes or so. You don’t need to wait 1 hour before giving the dose with Lantus. That just lets the BG go up higher.
As long as she is eating, and you know she will eat, it is ok to give the shot. Lantus does not onset for 2 hours after you give it, so you have 2 hours for her to eat after the shot. Does that all make sense?
Can you get to the shops and buy some ordinary canned cat food? . The fancy feast pate’s are low carb for example.
Im not sure what is available in Canada. Trying to think of Canadian members who can help you……..maybe @Red & Rover (GA) might be around today.
Have a look at this CANADIAN FOOD CHART …..look for carbs 10% or under.
Continue with the dry food though until we can help you do the swap over.
I’m going off line now as I live in Australia and it’s late at night……see you tomorrow. Good luck getting some low carb canned food.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Oh it makes a lot of sense! Thank you very much. At first I was feeding her at 9:45 and wasn't sure it was a good idea to give her insuline right after since she was not eating all of her food before 10 (insulin shot time).
I appreciate this information a lot!! Knowing and doing this will help very much I think.

I will see if I can go to the shops! I think most of them will be closed tomorrow because it's a Holiday here but maybe I'll have some chance to find an open shop!
Wow this chart and brand names & infos are VERY useful. Thank you for the link and advices!

I wish you a lovely night, thank you once again for your very useful and quick replies!! Rest well!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Ohmy, I realized I completely forgot to write about her dry food transition.
I was very sleepy when I made my first post and I understand just NOW that I forgot this crucial information. I am very sorry about this, this is probably because I am emotionally tired and very overwhelmed.

Royal Canin Gastro-intestinal : Moderate Calorie (her food since summer 2021) : 50%
Royal Canin Gastro-intestinal : Fiber response (prescribed by vet on 9 march 2022) : 25%
Royal Canin Satiety : Support Weight Management (prescribed by vet on 28 march 2022) : 25 %

I will add it to my original post too. I just can't believe I forgot this.. I am very sorry..

 

[Larry and Kitties]

On April 8th we went back to the vet because I noticed a change in her right eye. It is very teary and the pupil stays the same size all the time while the other one works normally. The vet told me she has no ulcers in her eyes, so it might be an infection. He gave me Maxitrol eye drops; 1 to 2 drops, 3 times a day for 15 days. But I see no change for now and today her right eye is more cloudy so I suspect a cataract..

Did the vet say if Yuki could still see? You can do some the the vision tests on page 3 of the following:
https://www.eyevet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/vision_cat.pdf
Besides measuring blood pressure already suggested in this thread, did you test for glaucoma (high eye pressure)?
The signs of glaucoma, says Dr. Kern, are “pretty subtle.” “Usually,” he says, “owners will notice that one or both eyes become progressively cloudy, and over a period of time will enlarge. And one eye may look larger than the other as pressure increases.” Other potential clinical signs include squinting and a dilated pupil that does not react to light. An affected cat may lose interest in normal activities, but more often, the progression of the disorder is so subtle that behavioral changes may not be obvious. “Typically,” he adds, “the progression takes months or longer before changes are noticed. Even with significant eye discomfort, a cat with vision impairment can continue its normal indoor and outdoor activities.”
Above from:
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departm...ormation/feline-health-topics/feline-glaucoma
A cloudy eye and cataracts look different.
https://cat-world.com/cataracts-in-cats/

I have had cats with cataracts and ne with glaucoma

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Hello!!
According to the Vet ,she can still see!
He did the menace response test, the dazzle reflex and te pupillary light response (but her pupil size changes only a tiny bit, and always remains in between constrict and dilated, with light or without it.), but didn't do the tracking response. I will also do these tests at home!!

I don't remember him doing a glaucoma test and he didn't do any ''deep'' eye tests (except looking for ulcers, but she does not have any ulcer in her eye), that's why I think that i'll have to see him again and ask for more eye tests

I'll ask for glaucoma, I didn't know what it was at all before today !! Thank you for the informations and links!!

Awww I hope these do not hurt the cat? I don't know much about cataracts and glaucoma

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Im not sure what is available in Canada. Trying to think of Canadian members who can help you……..maybe @Red & Rover (GA) might be around today.

Welcome, Mimi. Waving from Ontario.

Fancy Feast and Friskies are available in Canada. It is the pates that are low carb. And you can look through this list for other canned foods available. I know Tiki can be found at pet stores. Some small grocery stores may be open today. I doubt any pet stores are open.

• Cat Food - Nutritional Composition, data compiled by Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM (2017)

For low carb snack, you could try Pure Bits cat treats. They have a single ingredient – meat. (The Pure Bits for dogs are exactly the same and a bit cheaper – just crumble the larger pieces). There is also Orijen cat treats which contain more than one meat source. Here is an example: https://www.canadianpetconnection.ca/cat-products/cat-treats/orijen-tundra-freeze-dried-cat-treats/

The only low carb dry foods available in Canada is Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein and Epigen Wysong 90.

I'm tagging @Ti-Mousse and Pepe who lives in Quebec and has a better idea of what is easily available in La Belle Province.

For constipation, check out https://felineconstipation.org/ – there are ways of managing constipation without resorting to a high carb, high fibre veterinary food.

The strips for the Alpha Trak are crazy expensive in Canada. At some point, you may want to switch to a human meter. We can help you decide which meter is good and cost effective.

Joyeaux Pǎques!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Awww I hope these do not hurt the cat? I don't know much about cataracts and glaucoma

Glaucoma can be painful while cataracts are not.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Can you describe a little bit more about how she moves her back leg(s)?

welcome to this forum! You will get a lot of support here.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Welcome, Mimi. Waving from Ontario.

Fancy Feast and Friskies are available in Canada. It is the pates that are low carb. And you can look through this list for other canned foods available. I know Tiki can be found at pet stores. Some small grocery stores may be open today. I doubt any pet stores are open.

• Cat Food - Nutritional Composition, data compiled by Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM (2017)

For low carb snack, you could try Pure Bits cat treats. They have a single ingredient – meat. (The Pure Bits for dogs are exactly the same and a bit cheaper – just crumble the larger pieces). There is also Orijen cat treats which contain more than one meat source. Here is an example: https://www.canadianpetconnection.ca/cat-products/cat-treats/orijen-tundra-freeze-dried-cat-treats/

The only low carb dry foods available in Canada is Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein and Epigen Wysong 90.

I'm tagging @Ti-Mousse and Pepe who lives in Quebec and has a better idea of what is easily available in La Belle Province.

For constipation, check out https://felineconstipation.org/ – there are ways of managing constipation without resorting to a high carb, high fibre veterinary food.

The strips for the Alpha Trak are crazy expensive in Canada. At some point, you may want to switch to a human meter. We can help you decide which meter is good and cost effective.

Joyeaux Pǎques!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!!

Yayy! Hello from Quebec ! Oh wow thanks a lot for all these infos!! I'll take a deeper look at the cat food and nutritional composition data as soon as possible!

I have some treats like this for my cats, I got them exactly because there is only MEAT in them! I'll look for the Pure Bits for dogs next time, if they are cheaper ! Also thank you for the link to the shop, I didn't know this shop at all !

The website for constipation has a LOT of important details to know, I'll read it tonight for sure.

Yes I think I've seen something around $100 for only a few strips, I told myself it's crazy. I will finish using the ones I have since I JUST bought the meter and then I will see what I''ll do...the strips are so expensive and my vet did not tell me about this ! I appreciate your help so much

Joyeuses Pâques yay!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Glaucoma can be painful while cataracts are not.

Thank you SO MUCH for the information !!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Can you describe a little bit more about how she moves her back leg(s)?

welcome to this forum! You will get a lot of support here.

Hello! Thank you so much for the warm welcome !!

it moves very softly, and I know she did not do that before. I'll try to upload a video of her back leg when she moves it as soon as I have a video of it, as it is a bit hard for me to explain! I think a video can explain it much better than me !

I appreciate your support a lot, I am so glad I found this forum and cat parents that can understand and help me, I hope I can help other too one day !!

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Hello! Thank you so much for the warm welcome !!

it moves very softly, and I know she did not do that before. I'll try to upload a video of her back leg when she moves it as soon as I have a video of it, as it is a bit hard for me to explain! I think a video can explain it much better than me !

I appreciate your support a lot, I am so glad I found this forum and cat parents that can understand and help me, I hope I can help other too one day !!

But she walks okay? And jumps up on things normally?

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

For her eye ; I don't remember him checking her blood pressure.

Checking blood pressure in senior cats is very important. High blood pressure can cause retinal detachment.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

The vet told us she probably has water on her lungs so I have to give her furosemide from time to time. Furosemide seems to help, she does not cough anymore

Did the vet take an X-ray of Yuki’s lungs? How was the probable fluid on the lungs diagnosed?

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Has Yuki had blood work done recently? Can you share it by uploading a photograph of it (blocking out personal information such as your address if that is on there.)

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

But she walks okay? And jumps up on things normally?

She is a bit slow when she walks and a bit.. clumsy? It happens one of her back leg slides just a little bit, but not all the time. and she jumps on my bed without any problem!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Checking blood pressure in senior cats is very important. High blood pressure can cause retinal detachment.

Thank you for the infos! I'll note it and will ask the vet to check it. she barely opens her eye today and when I manage to see her eye, it's darker than yesterday.. And she closes it before I have time to see her pupil.
This morning she had green discharge at the bottom of her eye.. I am very worried it looks like it's getting worse everyday. I can't wait to see the vet.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Thank you for the infos! I'll note it and will ask the vet to check it. she barely opens her eye today and when I manage to see her eye, it's darker than yesterday.. And she closes it before I have time to see her pupil.
This morning she had green discharge at the bottom of her eye.. I am very worried it looks like it's getting worse everyday. I can't wait to see the vet.

Yes. She needs to be seen right away. Are there any veterinary eye specialists near you? I am worried too!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Did the vet take an X-ray of Yuki’s lungs? How was the probable fluid on the lungs diagnosed?

Not yet! Sadly they only do X-Rays at the vet that is an hour drive away from my home, and I have to raise around 300$ for it, which I am working on, I want an x-ray to be done.

the vet just listened to her heart and how she was breathing, and I told him she had green eye discharge and was coughing since a month and coughed blood the night before the appointement, and then he said she probably had water on her lungs, and gave me the medicine (Furosemide) and told me to talk to him if her condition gets worse (about cough and eye discharge)... The medicine seems to have helped, but I still want an X-ray to know what she really has, and if she is okay.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Yes. She needs to be seen right away. Are there any veterinary eye specialists near you? I am worried too!

We do not have eye specialists here I think, this is a very small city with a small vet clinic ! And it's closed today because of Easter..

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

She is a bit slow when she walks and a bit.. clumsy? It happens one of her back leg slides just a little bit, but not all the time. and she jumps on my bed without any problem!

This also is concerning. I wonder if she could have had a “vascular accident” (like a stroke) since this is affecting only one side of her body?? Has your vet given her a neurological exam and watched her walk? Could you take video to show them as well? They have certain tests they can do during a neurological exam (not blood tests, I mean physical tests that they do to evaluate the cat’s nervous system.)

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

I am sorry to be suggesting things that all are expensive and difficult. I understand! Believe me, I do because I have so many cats - my vet bills are very high. Fortunately, my vet lets me run a “tab” (meaning run up a bill and not pay it all at one time).

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Has Yuki had blood work done recently? Can you share it by uploading a photograph of it (blocking out personal information such as your address if that is on there.)

She had on march 9th, but the vet did not have the results right away and told me to go home and that she would call me with the results. She called me that night and just told me about her blood glucose and diagnosed her with diabetes.
I am waiting until the c

Important information ( I will add it in my main post too) ;

A few years ago the vet in my city lost my confidence for.. some reasons. So for the past year i've been going to the vet that is an hour drive away from my home ; this is the vet that diagnosed her with diabetes and did her blood work on march 9th.

Now I HAD to go the the vet in my city when she started to cough blood, and.. they kind of regained my confidence, plus I can't always drive an hour for emergency, it's too far, so..I will go to the vet clinic of my city from now on.

I am currently waiting for the other vet (that is far away) to transfer Yuki's informations to the vet clinic of my city, they have not done it yet.. and I also need a prescription for all the material (insulin, syringes, etc..) so I can order them in my city. So I am kind of running after them at the moment in order to settle all of this, I want them to send me the blood work they did on march 9th too, I'll have to call them again tomorrow for it because they still haven't send it to me.

They also didn't got back to me about her first blood glucose curve that I sent them on april 12th.


And I feel like Yuki's getting worse.. I am panicking so much, I try not to, but it's hard. Maybe i'm too worried...Why do vets have to be closed today....

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

This also is concerning. I wonder if she could have had a “vascular accident” (like a stroke) since this is affecting only one side of her body?? Has your vet given her a neurological exam and watched her walk? Could you take video to show them as well? They have certain tests they can do during a neurological exam (not blood tests, I mean physical tests that they do to evaluate the cat’s nervous system.)

Ohhh that's a good question ! Nope, the vet didn't do any of these, and I didn't know they had to do this in this situation, i'll talk to them about it!!
Yes that'S a good idea! A video can tell SO MUCH! I'll ask for some physical tests, Thank you !!

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

She had on march 9th, but the vet did not have the results right away and told me to go home and that she would call me with the results. She called me that night and just told me about her blood glucose and diagnosed her with diabetes.
I am waiting until the c

Important information ( I will add it in my main post too) ;

A few years ago the vet in my city lost my confidence for.. some reasons. So for the past year i've been going to the vet that is an hour drive away from my home ; this is the vet that diagnosed her with diabetes and did her blood work on march 9th.

Now I HAD to go the the vet in my city when she started to cough blood, and.. they kind of regained my confidence, plus I can't always drive an hour for emergency, it's too far, so..I will go to the vet clinic of my city from now on.

I am currently waiting for the other vet (that is far away) to transfer Yuki's informations to the vet clinic of my city, they have not done it yet.. and I also need a prescription for all the material (insulin, syringes, etc..) so I can order them in my city. So I am kind of running after them at the moment in order to settle all of this, I want them to send me the blood work they did on march 9th too, I'll have to call them again tomorrow for it because they still haven't send it to me.

They also didn't got back to me about her first blood glucose curve that I sent them on april 12th.


And I feel like Yuki's getting worse.. I am panicking so much, I try not to, but it's hard. Maybe i'm too worried...Why do vets have to be closed today....

So you can take her into the vet first thing tomorrow? I hope so. I will be thinking of you and Yuki.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

I am sorry to be suggesting things that all are expensive and difficult. I understand! Believe me, I do because I have so many cats - my vet bills are very high. Fortunately, my vet lets me run a “tab” (meaning run up a bill and not pay it all at one time).

Oh no worries at all, it's not our fault! I'm so happy you can understand me! I really want the best for my kitty , I really don't mind paying, only problem is.. to gather that money.. while dealing with the emotions sometimes. Luckily I work from home !
Ohhh that is so great!! I wonder if my vet would let me to this, i'm so happy your vet lets you do this, it must be relieving!! or at least decrease the pressure about money !

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

So you can take her into the vet first thing tomorrow? I hope so. I will be thinking of you and Yuki.

I really hope I can!! I will call the vet in the morning! They usually have some place during the day orduring the week! Finger crossed!!
Thank you sooooo much for your help and thoughts, I appreciate it very, very much!!

 

[Ti-Mousse (GA) Pepe (GA)]

Hello and welcome Mimi and Miss Yuki ! Sorry if I didn't answer @Red & Rover (GA) sooner, I was taking care of my old uncle. Where are you living? Me, I'm from Mirabel.

First, for the eye of Yuki: I had to have Zoe and Pepe treated for serious eye problems and was referred by me vet to an eye specialist, Dr. Franck Ollivier, https://ophtalmoveterinaire.com/; https://www.facebook.com/Ophtalmoveterinaire/. Clinic is in Montreal, Dr. Ollivier is wonderful, his team is very devoted and prices are OK. He saved Zoe's eye and he followed my Pepe for melanome; he is very honest.

As for the food stores, you have Mondou (freeze dried threats), Walmart (Fancy Feast and Friskies), "Pitou Minou" (French name for Global Pet Food of Ontario), there is also Pattes et Griffes; if you're in the western part of Quebec you have Petsmart and PetValue in Eastern Ontario which sell different brands we don't get here. At Pitou Minou, I get the Tiki Cat, Weruva, GO, Wellness. You'll see what Yuki likes in the LC (low carb) cans whenever you are ready for the change.

We'll follow your little Yuki; she's very lucky to have you take good care of her!
Let us know what you need so we can help you.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

I also need a prescription for all the material (insulin, syringes, etc..) so I can order them in my city

In Canada, you don't need a prescription for Lantus if it is for an animal. Humans yes, animals no. You also don't need a prescription for syringes. These are the syringes you should get. They have half unit markings which will make it easier for you to draw up the correct dose (increases and decreases are generally 0.25 units).

(freeze dried threats)

lol. One of the better typos.

 

[Ti-Mousse (GA) Pepe (GA)]

In Canada, you don't need a prescription for Lantus if it is for an animal. Humans yes, animals no. You also don't need a prescription for syringes. These are the syringes you should get. They have half unit markings which will make it easier for you to draw up the correct dose (increases and decreases are generally 0.25 units).
View attachment 64076

lol. One of the better typos.

At least there are some funny things on the Forum.... Glad you had a good laugh.... now Freeze Dried will make you smile and think of me !!

I also need a prescription for all the material (insulin, syringes, etc..) so I can order them in my city.

In Quebec, you don't need a prescription anymore for insulin (human or animal); if you say it's for you, most pharmacists will sell it to you without tax (no prescription needed); however some old fashioned ones are still not used to it and will charge you Sales Tax as if it was for animal use; I never used a prescription.

The syringes Kel showed you are the ones I'm using also and they are not taxable. Here is a quick Government link on diabetic supplies.

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Hello and welcome Mimi and Miss Yuki ! Sorry if I didn't answer @Red & Rover (GA) sooner, I was taking care of my old uncle. Where are you living? Me, I'm from Mirabel.

First, for the eye of Yuki: I had to have Zoe and Pepe treated for serious eye problems and was referred by me vet to an eye specialist, Dr. Franck Ollivier, https://ophtalmoveterinaire.com/; https://www.facebook.com/Ophtalmoveterinaire/. Clinic is in Montreal, Dr. Ollivier is wonderful, his team is very devoted and prices are OK. He saved Zoe's eye and he followed my Pepe for melanome; he is very honest.

As for the food stores, you have Mondou (freeze dried threats), Walmart (Fancy Feast and Friskies), "Pitou Minou" (French name for Global Pet Food of Ontario), there is also Pattes et Griffes; if you're in the western part of Quebec you have Petsmart and PetValue in Eastern Ontario which sell different brands we don't get here. At Pitou Minou, I get the Tiki Cat, Weruva, GO, Wellness. You'll see what Yuki likes in the LC (low carb) cans whenever you are ready for the change.

We'll follow your little Yuki; she's very lucky to have you take good care of her!
Let us know what you need so we can help you.

Hello hello!! Nice to meet you! I am from a small city an hour away from Rimouski, in Bas Saint-Laurent ! And no worries at all, thank you for your reply !

Sadly I live almost 8 hours drive away from Montreal But I will keep these informations and this eye specialist in mind for future reference, we never know ! Thank you for the links! Ahhh sometimes I really wish i'd live closer to the big cities.. I am really happy he was honest with you and was able to help your pets, this is WONDERFUL!

We don't really have pet stores in my city, except a small one that mostly sell pets, and the vet clinic But I think I can order online from some of these shops which is really good!! Nothing in my city was open today where I could find pet food, sadly
Ohhhh ! I'll have to try these brands!

Thank you, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!! I will do my very best for her, I often have low confidence in myself, but I will always try my best.
Thank you so so much!

freeze dried threats made me laugh too

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

In Canada, you don't need a prescription for Lantus if it is for an animal. Humans yes, animals no. You also don't need a prescription for syringes. These are the syringes you should get. They have half unit markings which will make it easier for you to draw up the correct dose (increases and decreases are generally 0.25 units).
View attachment 64076

This is VERY GOOD to know !! Thank you very much for the picture and information !!

At least there are some funny things on the Forum.... Glad you had a good laugh.... now Freeze Dried will make you smile and think of me !!


In Quebec, you don't need a prescription anymore for insulin (human or animal); if you say it's for you, most pharmacists will sell it to you without tax (no prescription needed); however some old fashioned ones are still not used to it and will charge you Sales Tax as if it was for animal use; I never used a prescription.

The syringes Kel showed you are the ones I'm using also and they are not taxable. Here is a quick Government link on diabetic supplies.

Wow I didn't know about this at all, that's great!! I'll take a look at it. It would be way easier for me to go to a pharmacy for it.
I will try to find these syringes and get them!!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

I'm sorry, I jsut want to write down what makes me anxious and worried right now.. it helps me feel a bit better..

I am very anxious.. Today Yuki is acting strange. She is very slow (slower than usual), her tongue sticks out of her mouth (this never happened before), I can even touch her lips and take a look at her teeth, which is something she NEVER lets me do. And her right eye, all of a sudden since the morning, completely dark blue and seems cloudy, she still barely opens it...All I want, is to be tomorrow, to call the vet and get an appointement, hopefully during the day.. my stomach hurts.. I pray she will be okay, and that she isn't in pain.

She has no interest in drinking water, unless it's mixed to some food (if she is hungry)...Hopefully she seems to sleep peacefully, stretches, and changes sleeping spot from time to time... I've stayed by her side all day.

I want to fill her spreadsheet as soon as I can too, I took some more BG today, it was hard, but I still didn't have time to learn how to do it.. I'm to worried and want to stay by her side

I will keep you updated. Here is a lovely picture from today until then ;

 

[Ti-Mousse (GA) Pepe (GA)]

I'm sorry, I jsut want to write down what makes me anxious and worried right now.. it helps me feel a bit better..

I am very anxious.. Today Yuki is acting strange. She is very slow (slower than usual), her tongue sticks out of her mouth (this never happened before), I can even touch her lips and take a look at her teeth, which is something she NEVER lets me do. And her right eye, all of a sudden since the morning, completely dark blue and seems cloudy, she still barely opens it...All I want, is to be tomorrow, to call the vet and get an appointement, hopefully during the day.. my stomach hurts.. I pray she will be okay, and that she isn't in pain.

She has no interest in drinking water, unless it's mixed to some food (if she is hungry)...Hopefully she seems to sleep peacefully, stretches, and changes sleeping spot from time to time... I've stayed by her side all day.

I want to fill her spreadsheet as soon as I can too, I took some more BG today, it was hard, but I still didn't have time to learn how to do it.. I'm to worried and want to stay by her side

I will keep you updated. Here is a lovely picture from today until then ;

Tellement belle, on a juste le goût de l'embrasser et de la caresser!!! Je connais très bien Rimouski et le Bas St-Laurent, ma fille est restée là pendant ses études à l'Université. J'adore le Bas St-Laurent!! Vas-y Yuki, on est avec toi et on t'aime!

Hope you have an emergency appointment with a good vet, this is the important thing right now for her. You'll take care of everything else after and we'll help you!
Sending positive vibes for little Yuki! Keep us updated !!

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

Tellement belle, on a juste le goût de l'embrasser et de la caresser!!! Je connais très bien Rimouski et le Bas St-Laurent, ma fille est restée là pendant ses études à l'Université. J'adore le Bas St-Laurent!! Vas-y Yuki, on est avec toi et on t'aime!

Hope you have an emergency appointment with a good vet, this is the important thing right now for her. You'll take care of everything else after and we'll help you!
Sending positive vibes for little Yuki! Keep us updated !!

Ohhh merci pour elle!! Je lui ferai plein de bisous et de câlins! Ohhh ça fait plaisir, quelqu'un qui connaît le coin!!
Merci beaucoup pour les encouragements! Plein d'amour !!

I was able to see the vet for her eye yesterday but sadly, the vet said her eye became blind in one night and he said he never saw this and he doesn't know what's going on.. I'm afraid it will do the same thing for her other eye..
And I forgot to ask to take her blood pressure and now I feel so, so bad. Culpability is eating me. I will call the vet again.
I take all the positive vibes thank you, this helps <3

UPDATE ; Just called the vet clinic ; they told me ''if the vet didn't take her blood pressure it's because he didn't feel the need to do it''. I hope they are right !

 

[Ti-Mousse (GA) Pepe (GA)]

So sorry for her eye. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause detachment of the retina... Too bad vet didn't take her blood pressure at the very beginning! It's not easy to tell them what to do but I think he should test her to prevent further damages if she's got HBP! I had to change vet 3 times for my Ti-Mousse.
Don't feel bad, you're doing all what you can. All this is a lot to take care of.

What are your next steps?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

UPDATE ; Just called the vet clinic ; they told me ''if the vet didn't take her blood pressure it's because he didn't feel the need to do it''. I hope they are right !

That is a load of rubbish! The vet should have taken the blood pressure. One of the causes of blindness in cats, especially sudden blindness is high blood pressure. Please ring the vet back and say you are bringing her in and you want the blood pressure taken.
Also did they check the ketones?

 

[Yuki (mama is Mimi)]

I am so exhausted, plus I need to do the vet's job..Sometimes, I don't get it.

So sorry for her eye. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause detachment of the retina... Too bad vet didn't take her blood pressure at the very beginning! It's not easy to tell them what to do but I think he should test her to prevent further damages if she's got HBP! I had to change vet 3 times for my Ti-Mousse.
Don't feel bad, you're doing all what you can. All this is a lot to take care of.

What are your next steps?

Ohmygod 3 times!! I'm so glad you finally found a good vet for your baby!!
If only there were more vets in the city... the closest vets are over an hour away from my home I would love to be able to go to Rimouski all the time but it's just impossible since I can't drive and Yuki would be super stressed to be on the road so often..I feel so lost and powerless

Thank you, I really do all I can right now <3

I guess I will call again and make a new appointement I really don't want her to suffer more or develop more problems because of potential high blood pressure..

That is a load of rubbish! The vet should have taken the blood pressure. One of the causes of blindness in cats, especially sudden blindness is high blood pressure. Please ring the vet back and say you are bringing her in and you want the blood pressure taken.
Also did they check the ketones?

It worries me so much, especially because he said he never saw a condition like hers.. well then maybe do some more tests???
I was so overwhelmed yesterday at the vet, that I forgot to ask...I'm tempted to ask them to do a full check up on Yuki. So they forget nothing..

Nope, yesterday the vet only looked at her eye with a lamp and made some tests to see if she was seeing his hand and stuff...and sent me home with anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops...