Diagnosed last week / stressed and confused :(

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Billys Dad

Billys Dad

Member Since 2019
I posted this incorrectly into the introduction forum, thought I would post again where it would be more appropriate

...

Good Day everyone

Glad to see something like this message board exists for

My 9yr old Russian Blue, Billy, was diagnosed at the vet 7 days ago with diabetes

Over the last 6 months or so Billy had been losing weight - he was a big boy obsessed with his Turkey Cheese and Gravy shredded canned food - around 20lbs and now down to 13lbs. He also began drinking lots of water and water ( in an attempt to lower his food portions we began mixing it with water making a stew like meal )
2 months ago he started peeing everywhere in the basement, however continued to use his litter upstairs. I thought it may be behavioural since he was always very picky about his clean litter box and began peeing and pooping outside in the closed backyard.
The vet initially blamed it on behaviour.
Last week i noticed he could barely walk on his back legs and was very lethargic, walking a few steps and then resting. I was very worried and went to the vet immediately.
They tested his blood and everything was great aside from elevated glucose (around 26)

They prescribed 2units every 12 hours of Glargine and feed 2 times a day quarter of a can of purina dm. and 1/8 cup of the dry version.

I gave him his first dose last thursday night, 2 units. The next day i came across many pages warning of an initial dose over 1 unit. I have gradually lowered his dose and have been giving him around 1.5 units.

The first day after his initial dose I noticed a change.

He feels heavier, i havent gotten a chance to weigh him. He is running around and playing and not sleeping all day like he was. He is still walking funny, but not as bad as it was in the days leading up to diagnosis.

The vet told me to come back in 2 weeks to discuss a glucose curve.

I am constantly worried and checking up on Billy all day, I have barely slept worried about his insulin dosage. I havent yet been able to get a glucometer, the vet keeps pushing the Alphatrak one but I am constantly re-thinking their advice. They told me the purina food was the best, they also told me 2 units is not a high dose, and they werent too worried with me not checking his glucose levels rather just to inject him.

I dont know what to do or who to trust.

Please any guidance will help me and my beloved Bill.
 
I will add, for his whole life up until last weeks diagnosis, billy was eating Friskeys Turkey and Cheese in Gravy shredded food.
Upon diagnosis the vet ordered me to throw that all away and buy the Purina DM.

I am scared that changing his diet + insulin dosage is a hypo event waiting to happen
 
I will add, he was eating quite a bit, maybe up to 2 cans of that per day along with whiskas high protein dry food which he would snack a little throughout the night while i slept

The vet sold me purina dm canned food, half a can a day (quarter can twice daily) and also purina dry dm kibble 1/8 cup a day.

Ive lost confidence in all the vets around me, from misdiagnosis to feeling pressured into buying "good" food
 
Welcome to you and Billy! Unfortunately, many vets do not know very much about feline diabetes. I learned that the hard (and very expensive) way.

Diabetic kitties do best on a low carb wet food. The purina DM wet is low enough carb but the dry is not. However, there are many way less expensive wet foods that are just as good if not better than the purina. If he likes friskies, the pate versions are perfectly fine for diabetics, just not the gravy ones. But it’s important not to change his food unless you are home testing, as it could lower his blood glucose.

You can buy the AlphaTrak but the strips are quite pricey. Human meters work just as well and are usually quite a bit cheaper, although I think they are more pricey in Canada than in the US. There are lots of Canadian members here who can give you a recommendation :)

As for his legs, it sounds like he may have neuropathy, which can happen in cats with uncontrolled diabetes. There are supplements you can give him that will help that, I believe there was a recent post about it.

Definitely be sure to check out the lantus forum! The stickies there have a lot of good info, and other lantus members can help you with dosing advice
 
Billy's Dad, could we know your name please? First, at least the vet was able to diagnose. Unfortunately many of us have encountered the same issues with our vets, it's a matter of not enough education and they are so busy taking care of so many different species and conditions..well, it's very difficult to keep up to snuff with everything.

You need to start home testing and start getting Billy ready and used to the process. Choose a place where both of you are comfortable, with good lighting. Stroke and gently rub his ears and give him a low carb treat. A small piece of poached or baked chicken (no seasonings) works until you can try other things. (Pure Bites or Orijen freeze dried meat) Do this as many times a day as you can.

Read this information: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
How to test your cat's bg at home: Video I made showing how to test your cat's blood sugar

@Judy and Boomer
@MrWorfMen's Mom
@Ti-Mousse
@Tracey&Jones (GA)

Can you please help Billy's Dad with recommendations for proper food and testing supplies in Canada?

Read the information at the top of the Lantus forum HERE. This information is going to go a long way to helping you feel less stressed and confused, plus answer many questions.
 
Welcome to the forum, when I joined all I did day and night for at least a week was read everything I could find on the forum and online, also lots of scientific articles out there for the basics;

I do agree with Sarah&Soph that vets don't know much, they will probably be learning about your cat WITH you and FROM you as does mine I swear;

Definitely get a blood glucose monitor, I have an Alphatrak 2 (I'm UK-based), but because the test strips are so expensive, I am going to switch to a human one, I have a question on this posted as well.

Good luck, don't lose hope, and start testing! Someone (lots of us) will always be here to answer questions and give support. This is a good place to be.
 
Hello Billy's Dad! It's definitely a lot to take in but fear not, we all start out that way ^-^

I was intimidated at first at using a glucometer (it took me two months to finally start) but before I did I was constantly worrying about my cat, just like you, so definitely get one, it will really help put your mind at ease, plus you'll know exactly what Billy's body is doing. The Alphatrak is great but not necessary, any human meter will work fine. I paid 9 USD for mine at Walmart but I don't believe that brand is available in Canada, but they're all pretty cheap. You already have lots of helpful information in the thread, so take a deep breath and relax! :)
 
I definitely agree with Panic! It took me way too long to start home testing, and I was constantly a nervous wreck because I could tell Sophie felt bad but I didn’t know if it was because her BG was too high, too low, something else. With home testing, you’ll know what Billy’s BG is doing and I won’t say it completely gets rid of the worry lol, but it certainly helps ease it
 
a thought -- when you have your own glucometer ..

one I like for beginners is a Freestyle Lite -- and there are companies online who will give you a free one if you buy the strips it takes, then later on order the strips online from another source (cheaper) -- reason I like it is that it takes one of the smallest blood drops to work properly, since to begin with, your cat's ears don't bleed easily (with time, the cat develops more capillaries in their ears) --

explanation interrupted my thought -- with your own, you have control and information, you don't need to depend on the vet who doesn't know YOUR cat and isn't there 24/7

many vets have been told to advise clients to feed only twice a day -- this has been modified after research, most cats do better with small meals more frequently, makes for a happier, less stressed, cat and helps to regulate the blood glucose -- works for humans too

listen to the other members here, many of them have been dealing with their sugarcats for YEARS .. and have shepherded many of us through the journeys

many vets will push the AlphaTrak2 -- it's what they're used to -- but the strips are expensive, not available in stores, which is why most of us are using glucometers marketed for humans (however, that used to be all that was available, vets and caregivers used them for years, and the protocols here were developed using them); check online, and the Canadian members will be chiming in soon with their experiences

@MrWorfMen's Mom -- who's at least in the same province

not mentioned yet, but also get a supply of Ketostix or the generic equivalent, to check for ketones in the urine -- this can be crucial depending on what's going on internally with Billy

I had a beautiful Russian Blue -- I miss Talja -- she had the most luxurious fur and soft purr --
 
Hi and welcome to the FDMB. So sorry you have had to find us but so glad you did. This is a remarkable community with a unbelievable amount of knowledge to share for just about all things feline. Keep the questions coming and soon this will all become routine.

The Alpha Trak 2 meter is a great meter but the strips here are about $2.00 each so it gets very expensive very fast. The strips are only available from your vet or through online pet pharmacy so they are not readily available and you have to make sure you always have an extra supply on hand. A lot of vets are pushing the AT2 meter but most don't think testing kitty more than occasionally is necessary. We tend to advocate more testing so human meters allow for that without a huge hit to the pocket book.

Any human meter will work fine however best to take the cost of strips into consideration as this will be the largest expenditure and also the size of blood sample needed for the glucometer. The least expensive strips needing the smallest blood sample tends to be the Freestyle Lite meter and there is a coupon for a free meter at the link. I may be biased but I personally found the Freestyle meters with the side loading strips easier to use with kitty ears but that may just be what you get used to. :D

There is the Bravo meter with cheaper strips ($40.00/100 vs. approx. $79.00/100 for the Freestyle Lite) but it takes a slightly larger blood sample and the strips are only available through one retailer. You'd have to order online and unless the order is over $150.00, there will be shipping costs. And of course you have to be sure to always stay well ahead supply wise should there be any order or shipment issues. That meter is available HERE.

The other option I would consider is the Nova Max which is a duo testing meter for both glucose and ketones which is handy if you happen to have a ketone prone kitty. Not sure but think the blood sample might be a bit larger on this meter too. This meter is available free at Diabetes Express with the purchase of 100 glucose strips which are also about $79.00/100.

On the food front, I used Fancy Feast pates but there are lots of different options available on the lists here . The top two lists have US products many of which are available here. On the Canadian list you will find PC Extra Meaty available at Loblaws and their partner stores. Boreal is another option although I have found it hard to source. :)

When you have a spare moment, I'd love to see a pic of your Russian Blue. I have a feral rescue Russian Blue wannabe and just adore Russian Blues! :D
 
Hello from the Kawarthas.

Pick up some freeze-dried all meat treats for testing purposes. The cat will associate being tested with being given a treat.

One of our members has made an excellent video about how to test: Video I made showing how to test your cat's blood sugar

For the peripheral neuropathy in the hind legs. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...europathy-weak-back-legs.178252/#post-2172382
You need Zobaline, which is a form of B12 called methylcobalamin, not cyancobalamin. Unfortunately, all the methylocobalamin in Canada has sugar in it. Believe us, we've looked everywhere, many times. Here is a thread that has links about buying from Canada: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/where-to-buy-zobaline-in-canada.142504/
 
Wow, Thank you all for your messages - We are forever grateful, honestly. I have learnt so much in the past few hours then all my phone calls with the vet.

My name is Mac, I will be uploading a picture of Billy shortly :)

In regards to the meter - do I need to calibrate it or anything for accurate results for cat vs human? Thank you for the link, I just submitted my information for the coupon, I hope I can pick it up from my pharmacist soon.

Ive been sick to my stomach with worry after giving him his injections, I was told to give 2 units twice daily, however that scared me and over the week ive lowered the dose to 1.5

Thank you so much for mentioning zobaline, breaks my heart as he struggles to walk - although he has improved since last week.

I bought some purebites wild tuna treats, he loves them and I used them for this mornings shot.

What are some of the consequences of missing a dose?

I have noticed he immediately has changed his pee and poo frequency. It used to be 4 pees and 1-2 poo a day, for the past few days its been 1-2 pees and 1 poo - although today he hasnt gone yet. Is this down to the diet change + less water?

Ketones are a brand new concept to me... is this something I should be worried about?
 
You have lots of great info already, I just want to say I was in a similar boat less than two months ago--a vet who just said, "here, give the insulin, come back in a week or two" :eek: with very little other info. It took me a bit to start home testing his glucose levels...honestly I didn't think I'd be able to do it at first. But I feel SO much more in control now. As others have said, setting up a testing area with good lighting, special treats (make sure to seal them up tight.. ahem, someone has ripped open his treat bag before :facepalm:), and all your supplies. Do it right away so that you can set up a routine, it helps immensely. The sick-to-your stomach feeling after an injection--that was totally me. Things got much better through the help I received here.

It is a crazy wash of information all at once, it is scary, and it's so frustrating that vets--who you want to be able to trust with your beloved kitty--don't seem to have the answers with diabetes. You have made huge, HUGE steps by joining the forum and starting to ask questions so keep at it! I'll look for you and Billy boy in the lantus forum soon. There are many knowledgeable folks there who have helped me tremendously.

Look for the "sticky" posts at the top of each forum, especially in the lantus forum.

HERE is a link about ketones: http://www.felinediabetes.com/ketones.htm
What are Ketones?
Ketones or ketone bodies (acetone, acetoacetic acid, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid) are waste products of fatty acid breakdown in the body. This is the result of burning fat, rather than glucose, to fuel the body.

The body tries to dispose of excess ketones as quickly as possible when they are present in the blood. The kidneys filter out ketones and excrete them into the urine.

Should you care about ketones?
YES! If they build up, they can lead to very serious energy problems in the body, resulting in diabetic ketoacidosis, a true medical emergency. If the condition is not reversed and other systemic stresses are present, ketones may continue to rise and a condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may occur. This condition can progress very quickly and cause severe illness. It is potentially fatal even when treated. Recognition of DKA and rapid treatment by your veterinarian can save your cat's life.
Click to expand...

Testing for Ketones
Simple urine tests can detect ketones. This is done by collecting a urine sample and inserting a special dip stick into the urine. Some urine ketone strips detect only ketones while other types test for both glucose and ketone levels. Urine ketone strips will detect only some of the ketone bodies produced by the body, not all of them. Strip storage, handling, and testing procedures are similar to those used for glucose test strips. Strip test results are indicated by presence of color changes, indicating presence of ketones, either quantitatively (giving you a number for the ketone concentration) or by descriptive terms (for example, negative, trace, small, or large). False positives may occur if you are also using certain medications or vitamins, or if the strips have been handled or stored improperly. If you wish to test blood instead of urine for ketones, there is a meter that allows for home testing, the Abbott Precision Xtra meter. Outside of the US, the meter is known by the brand name Precision/Optimum/Xceed. The premise behind blood testing for ketones is the same as that for favoring glucose testing of blood over urine. The Precision Xtra meter is offered by Hock's online pharmacy for US$29.95 in October 2006. The ketone test strips are about US$30 for a box of 50. The Precision Xtra also does blood glucose testing with standard blood glucose test strips made for use with the meter.

When to call the vet
In a diabetic, any urinary ketones above trace or trace urinary ketones plus some of the signs listed above, are cause to call a veterinarian immediately. If your vet doesn't offer after-hour emergency care, be sure to have the number and location of a 24 hour emergency veterinarian.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Mac and welcome to Lantus Land! I'm your neighbour, just down the 401 in London!

I use a One touch ultra meter which is free when you purchase the test strips. Best place to get them is either Costco or Walmart.

For food....well a lot of us feed the Fancy Feast pates, they are low carb and there are quite a few choices. There are also Friskies pates and Weruva. Dry food is all high in carbs, sometimes a switch to canned pates is all it takes for a kitty to go OTJ (off the juice, off insulin).

We all understand your stress; we've all been there. This forum is a valuable source of information....much better than most vets who really don't seem to know a lot about diabetes.

Testing is not difficult but it will be stressful for a few days until you and Billy get the hang of it. And there's no need to take him in to the vet for the curve; Billy's numbers will be higher due to vetty-stress and there's really no need for the vet to do it; you can do it at home and get much more accurate results.
 
Hi Mac, good to know your name. Do you think you are going to have problems with giving the insulin dose at 12 hour intervals? Is this a work schedule issue? You don't want to skip doses unless you get a pre-injection test "no shoot" number. That information is in the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus forum. As you become more familiar with how the insulin is working for Billy, that "no shoot" number can be lower.

Lantus is a depot insulin and needs to build that depot so Billy is getting a consistent amount of insulin, then with testing you can determine whether the dose is too high, too low or working well.

Regarding calibration of meters, you can't compare pet meter vs. human meter, as they use different reference points. The important thing is to be testing and see how the trends and patterns develop. Please don't worry about that.
Here's something from my files:
Human meters do read lower than pet meters, and BG range in the dosing protocols are adjusted accordingly. For example, a normal range on a human meter is 50-120, while on a pet meter it is 68-150. You cannot compare numbers from a human to a pet meter because you're using a different point of reference for them. It's more important that a meter be consistent, (we are generally looking for trends in data to adjust the dose, not single, exact numbers). There is also a +/- 20% variable allowed in any glucose meter, including pet meters.
You can't translate numbers from a human meter to what they would be on a pet meter. Then are no studies which provide a correlation between the two. However, it's equally important to note that 50 on a human meter does not equal 68 on a pet meter. Those are the numbers which have been determined to provide a safety net.

Since you have ordered your meter and strips, you can set up the spreadsheet so that you can begin recording the insulin dose and testing data. I know, one more thing and your brain might explode!!! Please don't go boom. It's a most useful tool so that advising members have current, as well as past, data at hand to review before making suggestions.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/
 
You all are amazing people, I hope you know! I didnt expect such a response, I am thankful for you all.

I am going to Walmart after work (I work 9-5, I have been giving him insulin at 8am and 8pm, checking up on him my lunch break from 12-1) to see if I can buy a meter right away, perhaps the One Touch as Judy mentioned

I was just concerned that if I dont get the meter until tomorrow, should I perhaps skip his injection tonight... I guess I will continue to give him one tonight and start the checking tomorrow morning.
I will definitely have to learn more in regards to when to test and when it is okay to inject.

I am concerned that since changing the high carb gravy friskas diet - that now with low carb food + insulin is gonna result in low blood sugar. He was eating the gravy cans up until last week.

I am sorry if I am repeating myself or sound confused.. havent slept more than 3 hours a night this week and literally the only people I can talk to who have any interest are you wonderful kitty parents.
 
I am so sorry you have been so stressed out and this has resulted in much loss of sleep. You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of Billy. There, I'm in MOM mode now!

It's true that transition to lower carb food is going to lower the BG, but he's still getting the dry right? So, no more changes until you can test....if you are super worried, you could possibly lower dose to 1 Unit tonight, but I want a more experienced Lantus user to confirm that. I don't usually meddle with dosing. I would not recommend skipping doses, however.
@Bron and Sheba
@Judy and Boomer
@Bobbie And Bubba
@Olive & Paula
@MrWorfMen's Mom
 
Welcome Mac and Billy from Quebec ! Like you, I was sold DM cans and dried and I bought the AT2 meter and was told to be back in 2 weeks for a curve... !! I'm late, but I'm sure you got all what you need already!

As for the meter, I'm using the Freestyle Lite (free coupon from Abbott) as it's the one taking the smallest blood sample and my Ti-Mousse ears don't bleed well! (strips are expensive; sometimes you can get good deals online).
For the food, like others I use FancyFeast pates; there is also Weruva and Hound and Gatos; always make sure to go with low carb (on the food links, the percentage of carb is listed)! Orijen for treats or freeze dried!
For home testing, you have the instructions and the video. For me it was the hardest thing to do at the beginning and it took a little while for Ti-Mousse and myself to get use to it, but now it's just like brushing your teeth! Never forget to give him a nice treat after testing!!
Of course, the spreadsheet to be completed! That's your last homework, but sooo useful!

You are probably overwhelmed with all this, we were all there at one point; you'll see pretty soon all this will work out smoothly, I swear !!
Don't forget to post on the Forum and ask as many questions as you need!

Ti-Mousse can't wait to see his new friend Billy!
 
Hi Mac and Billy! Love the grey kittties.

I would almost skip tonight. The change in food and then the changes in doses...I don't know....to many factors and no testing.

The only other thing I would add is if you have a costco close by - you can get 5 pens for around $100 versus getting the pens from your vet. Way cheaper and you don't need a prescription.
 
I have only been giving him the canned food purina dm for his meals, I stopped giving the kibble day before yesterday when I learned of the carb percentage 18%. I have still been giving the insulin, so now I am afraid I have to give him the kibble as a way to balance the BG.
I am hoping that Shoppers pharmacy will accept the coupon for the Freestyle meter which i Just received in my email.

Will attempt to start testing his BG tomorrow

I just spoke with a retired vet tech who has opened her own hollistic and natural raw food store in town. She has referred me to a vet in Guelph (30 mins away) to discuss how to get him off the insulin and just manage him by his diet

I cant be more thankful for all the responses from all you wonderful people. I will keep updating and asking questions as I can think of them
 
If you make the occasional trip across the border or know someone who does, you can pick up FreeStyle Lite strips a lot cheaper. Also, use your PC Optimum points.
Insulin is much cheaper in Canada. Strips are much more expensive in Canada.
 
Billys Dad said:
I just spoke with a retired vet tech who has opened her own hollistic and natural raw food store in town. She has referred me to a vet in Guelph (30 mins away) to discuss how to get him off the insulin and just manage him by his diet
Click to expand...

SOME cats can go into remission on diet change alone, but this is not the case for all cats and many need insulin support, either temporarily or more permanently. Home testing will certainly help you to know if diet change is helping, but definitely don’t withhold insulin if Billy needs it, as that can cause many problems
 
Mac, Idjit is a diet controlled diabetic, but know that once diabetic always diabetic. I have read some posts that vet or someone else says "kitty is no longer diabetic". It doesn't go away.

Idjit didn't need insulin very long, but we still test to be sure he's still doing ok without insulin. And if for some reason, he falls out of remission, he will be taken care of with renewed insulin therapy. Be very careful with Billy, explore and research, you may find out some things you wish to share with us that might help any of our kitties, current and future.
 
I will give him the shot in an hour. I will continue to use 1.5 and will try and test him in the morning. I guess I will have to read into when to test and what to do depending on the result. I guess I will also give him a little of the dry food too
 
I'm sure your head is spinning about now but I wanted to just clarify about the pet vs. human meter use.

Pet meters are a relatively new technology. Before that human meters were used and some vets still use human meters.

The difference between the meters comes about because cat blood and human blood are not the same. Cats carry glucose in a far greater percentage in their plasma than humans do. When you use a pet meter, it is reading the blood as cat blood. When you use a human meter it is reading cat blood as human blood. This is why there is a difference in the readings that generally has the pet meter reading higher than human meters. The difference between the readings will be greater the higher the BG. At low numbers the difference is much smaller and can in some instances be negligible.

If you were to graph readings over 12 hours with both meters, the pattern of readings would be very similar but the human meter will read lower than the pet meter. It's the pattern of readings rather than individual readings that you need to focus on other than pre-shots tests which tell you whether it's safe to give insulin or not.

All the methods/protocols used here are based on human meter readings. We can guide you with either meter but using a human meter definitely makes it easier on you and those offering assistance.

Good idea to leave some hard food out for Billy till you get testing down pat. Diet change can make a significant difference in BG for some cats so better to be testing before making any big diet changes like removing the dry food. :)
 
Always test before an injection, ALWAYS..you can't rely on previous BG numbers. Then test at least once during the 12 hour cycle between shots. You can see on the spreadsheet that there are columns marked +1, +2 etc. That's how many hours it has been since injection. The cat "nadirs" or has the lowest blood sugar levels sometime in that 12 hours, and only by testing at different times are you going to be able to determine when that is. A before bed test is good also, we don't expect you to stay up all night to get a midcycle test.

Reading the info is good, then ask questions if you don't understand something. Lantus does not work well if you dose on the pre-test result, and raise or lower the dose each time. Lantus dose is based on the nadir or lowest BG in the cycle, and that's only after you have tested enough and have a good idea when that is and how low the BG goes. If you get a low pre-test result tomorrow morning, don't give the shot (stall and post on the Lantus forum in a new thread). If you don't get a quick response post again here on the Main forum in a new thread, with a title indicating that you are stalling and waiting for dosing help. If you post for help here on today's thread it might get missed and you won't get a quick response.
 
I just fed him a quarter can of Purina dm along with a spoon of his old food - the friskeys. I will give him the shot and leave him some of the Purina kibble to snack on

I’m so overwhelmed but you great people are helping us so much
 
Billys Dad said:
I have only been giving him the canned food purina dm for his meals, I stopped giving the kibble day before yesterday when I learned of the carb percentage 18%. I have still been giving the insulin, so now I am afraid I have to give him the kibble as a way to balance the BG.
I am hoping that Shoppers pharmacy will accept the coupon for the Freestyle meter which i Just received in my email.

Will attempt to start testing his BG tomorrow

I just spoke with a retired vet tech who has opened her own hollistic and natural raw food store in town. She has referred me to a vet in Guelph (30 mins away) to discuss how to get him off the insulin and just manage him by his diet

I cant be more thankful for all the responses from all you wonderful people. I will keep updating and asking questions as I can think of them
Click to expand...
Billy... what a handsome little boy!
You should not have any problems with the coupon!

Good luck with the new vet!

For the testing, kitties feel when we're nervous... and we do when we start testing! Take deep breathing (like for yoga) and think it's for his health that you're doing it!
Always remember, one thing at a time and you'll get there for Billy !:bighug:
 
Billy says Hi to all you wonderful kitties and kitty parents <3
 

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One little tid bit after poking the ear to stop the bleeding, just get a cotton round, I'll post a pic, just hold it on his ear for about 10 seconds or so and press gently, the bleeding will stop, you can get them in any drug store or supermarket. They are a few bucks, usually will come 80 in a package
Yes it does get easier,

IMG_20190809_215502.jpg
 
My cat was in a similar state as Billy and my vet was useless. The forums here are terrific and people are so helpful. I've dealt with kidney cats and old cat with health issues, so needles and cats don't bother me. I read about wet food and started the journey to find a food my cat would eat. She really liked the prescription Hills d/m and I switched her immediately. Her BG levels dropped dramatically and I started adjusting her dose down. I learned that making dosage changes each shot is generally not the best thing to do because of an effect called bouncing which causes the BG to increase with decreased insulin. I think I've finally read a good share of the useful information:

- Read the stickies at the top of this forum
- Read the stickies at the top of the forum for the type of insulin you are using
- Read through some threads; they may not apply to Billy, but will be educational and might be of future use
- Go through the links on the Health Links/FAQs forums

There's an overwhelming amount of info!

My cat is 16 and sleeps *a lot*. She has never been a cat that wants to play at all, so it's difficult trying to notice changes in mood. Her numbers have been stable for two days now and there are no numbers in the yellow or red (YAY!) thanks to the help from experienced people here. We are only two weeks in, but I feel like the situation is under control, we have a plan and I'm learning more every day.

I hope that in a couple of weeks time your cute little Billy is in a similar situation.
 
Hey Everyone! I hope you are all well

I know this may be an odd request - I have been reading and reading and reading, lots of questions of course but I was wondering if anyone here could answer my questions via phone? I must confess I am not the most intelligent person and some of the reading and methods have me constantly puzzled. I dont really have anyone around to speak to or help me understand. The vet has also probably labelled me as an annoyance.

I will happily send money via e-transfer for your time and phone cost.
If that is possible I would be forever grateful
 
I just read your signature. Your cat is 20 lbs but you are only feeding him a half can of food a day? That's not enough.
 
Hey. He was 20lbs last year this month and since then had dropped to 13 lbs. since this week of insulin he does feel heavier. I have to weigh him still. The vet said they wanted to bring him down to 12lbs and told me to only feed quarter can before the shots and in a full day no more than 1/8 cup of Purina dry. I did that for the first day or two but then opted to feed him more through the day as that did not seem anywhere near enough
 
so glad you didn't follow the vet's instructions --

wish I were capable of helping you via phone, but am very hard of hearing on phone, and caption phone is frustrating for most on the other end, the silence and delays drive some up the wall

what you could do, is read aloud, to yourself, sentence by sentence, or word by word, and listen to yourself -- at the beginning it all comes at you in a rush and it's no wonder you are confused, overwhelmed, and not making sense out of it all

every one of us went through some form of this -- we understand -- IT WILL GET BETTER :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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How many calories are you feeding your cat per day? Can you figure out what fraction of those calories are carbs? Those numbers and the current weight of your cat should provide guidance about food situation. Changing too many things at once is makes it difficult. I started my kitty on 2U of insulin, 3 days later switched to wet food and my cat's BG levels plummeted to dangerously low numbers and I had to adjust insulin by an huge amount to prevent hypoglycemia.

You are getting good advice. Keep on readying the FAQ and stickies at the top of the forums. I also read threads about other cats to watch advice in action. It was helpful. I'm still reading and rereading, but it *does* get better.
 
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