1year in

[Wende Burbridge]

Hi, my name is Wende and my cats name is Patches. We adopted her from a shelter about 5 years ago and last year she was diagnosed with diabetes. It's been a frustrating year starting with frequent visits to the vet to get her sugar level under control. Her vet said we wouldn't be able to test at home which l thought was unusual since I know friends who are diabetic and test daily so they could dose appropriately. I figured they just don't have that available for animals (I don't know anyone with a diabetic cat). Finally, I am learning more. I plan to inform the vet of my plans to test her blood at home and switch to grain free food. If she doesn't support me, and work with me, I will have to seek out another vet. Hopefully, with the info found in this forum and other sources, Patches will have a better quality of life.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Welcome.
What insulin and dose? Good insulin are the human Lantus and Levemir and the pet insulins ProZinc and BCP PZI. For those two human insulin it is best to get the 5 pack of 3 ml disposable pens via a 10 ml vial. Although per ml the vial is less expensive most cats will not use up a 10 ml vial before the insulin goes bad/becomes ineffective. The human insulin N/NPH is sometimes prescribed but only lasts 8-10 hours. Same for the pet insulin Vetsulin/Caninisulin.
Most of us here test or cats blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...te-a-ss-and-link-it-in-your-signature.130337/
What are you feeding? A low-carb canned is best. No reason for a prescription food. Here is a list of commercial low-carb canned

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/shortcut-shopping-list-all-8-or-less-updated.117688/

Here is a link to home testing blood sugarshttp://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Wende and Patches. Welcome to FDMB.

I hope that we'll be able to help you in your goal to improve Patches' wellbeing. Having the ability to home test makes a world of difference. Here are a couple of links for you:

Home Testing and Injection Tips - includes helpful diagram of the 'sweet spot' on the ear - typically the easiest place to get a blood droplet.

More Home Testing Tips and Links - includes 'how to videos'

Most people here use human glucometers and a cat-specific reference range to monitor their kitties' blood glucose (BG) levels. Veterinary meters calibrated for use on animals are also available (e.g. Alphatrak 2) but the test strips are quite expensive. If you let us know which country you're located in members should be able to suggest meters with reasonably-priced strips.

If you're doing a food transition it is important to monitor blood glucose levels both before insulin doses and between doses the whole way through the transition for safety. If there's a significant difference in the carb values of the foods it can impact blood glucose levels enough to require an insulin dose adjustment.


Mogs
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[Georgie]

Greetings Wende and Patches.. Welcome!
Good you want to switch the food.. Quality wet food brought my kitty's numbers down, can probably be valuable to you too.
Lots of good help on these boards.