Frankie, Newly Diagnosed

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Dan and Frankie

Member Since 2013
Hi,

My name is Dan and my cat Frankie was just diagnosed with diabetes. I have read through the stickys on the board here and have acclimated myself to a lot of the terminology, however I know I am not alone in that fact that I have no idea where to start. The vet has recommended hospitalization as she is very emaciated. Sadly, I cannot afford to do so. Frankie has a sister, Mollie, who I have raised from when their umbilical cords were still attached and their eyes still shut. I rescued them from a vacant home when it was 110 degrees outside about 9 1/2 years ago. The vet has said that we can do in home treatment, but the costs there were adding up exponentially and I have already spent over $300 on the testing to find out what was wrong. Adding to the stress is my wife and I are currently pregnant with identical twins and we also have a 5 1/2 year old son. Last night, I was ready to take her in to be euthanized, but today i have been reading a lot about in home management and I have some renewed hope. At this point the Vet has indicated that the diabetic consult will be another $100 and there will be several tests needed ranging from $25 per day to $75. Again, I cannot afford to do so. Every penny we have right now is being devoted to medical and necessity needs of the twins. I have several friends who are diabetic... and I have an aunt who has successfully treated a diabetic cat as well. I know I need quick action at this point and it seems that I need a home tester, some Karo syrup, insulin and syringes. Like I said she is very emaciated and she needs to gain weight, so I am not sure where to start. I am afraid to talk to my vet about what I am going to do, but my only other option is to euthanize and that kills me because she seems happy and does not seem to be in pain. Please can I have some insight on where to go, what to do next.... I need to figure out what I'm going to do because my 5 1/2 year old thinks I was taking her in and if I am not I want to be confident that I am doing the right thing.

Thank you!!

Dan
 
hi Dan

welcome to FDMB - its really overwhelming at first but just take a step back and try to relax a little.
After initial dx, I didn't take my cat to the vet for 3 mths - and that was for a cold, nothing to do with her diabeties.

As long as there are no other health issues, you can manage her condition at home - it doesn't need to be a death sentence :-D

Ok - so, first off is why is Frankie so emaciated?
Is she not eating or eating but losing weight? If eating ok, weight loss is normal with an unregulated diabetic - she will improve as she gets in better blood glucose numbers.
But, you can feed her more food in the meantime - wet/canned is preferable as its sooo much better for them and can reduce her bg by maybe 100 points so she may not even need insulin.
You can put her on Friskies pates or Fancy Feast classic pates - both low carb so good for diabetics.
What does she eat at the moment?

Next, has she started on insulin? If so, then yes, you do need to start bg testing. If not, the switch to wet food may be enough, but don't switch if you've started insulin as you could end up over-dosing her. That would need to be a more gradual transition.
Do you have any bg numbers for her - the ones from the vet?
Any other blood work results?

PS. you don't actually need to tell your vet anything - remember, they provide a service for you ;-)
 
Frankie has always been much slimmer and dainty than Moliie, who we lovingly call fatty. The reason I took Frankie in is that she was urinating blood. I read up online and determined it to be a urinary tract infection... I'm now learning that it is because of the diabetes. On Saturday they gave her a shot of antibiotics for the blood in urine and took the blood sample for the full senior cat work up. They also did a test to besure there was not kidney damage... or renal failure. He 1st level was high due to the dehydration, but the other level was normal so no renal failure. When she came home, I put her in the bathroom with a towel in the tub, one of the litter boxes (clean) and some food and water.... she peed, but no poop and it looks like she ate a little, but I could not tell for sure. They both currently eat Nutro indoor dry food on an open basis which I know has to change. Mollie eats some Friskies Pate wet food at night, but Frankie has never shown interest in wet food (sometimes she have a bit, but Mollie is a freak about it)

I have not started any insulin (currently I have nothing and am planning a trip to Walmart shortly) I don't know what insulin to start with or even if I can get it (I'm in AZ so it doesn't look like I need a prescription)

At the moment I don;t think the switch to wet food will be enough because she is very bony, but I'm very new at this, so I have no clue.
 
This site has some tips for transitioning to wet for ardent kibble lovers - catinfo.org - transitioning to wet food

I haven't heard about blood in urine as being related to diabeties (may be wrong) - I would have thought UTI.
You said she had an antibiotic shot - do you know what she was given?

The prefered insulins on this site are lantus, Levemir and prozinc. Most members probably use lantus.
Walmart have it, Costo was cheaper - I needed a prescription.
 
Denise & Honey said:
This site has some tips for transitioning to wet for ardent kibble lovers - catinfo.org - transitioning to wet food

I haven't heard about blood in urine as being related to diabeties (may be wrong) - I would have thought UTI.
You said she had an antibiotic shot - do you know what she was given?

The prefered insulins on this site are lantus, Levemir and prozinc. Most members probably use lantus.
Walmart have it, Costo was cheaper - I needed a prescription.
Click to expand...

I think is was UTI but as a complication of the dehydration.
 
I spoke with the pharmacy and the OTC insulin Relizen N, Humilin R, Humilan N and Humilin 70/30 are $25 per 10ml (1000 units) These are within my affordability range and also do not require perscriptions. I will not be able to afford the ones you have stated above. Is there much success with these forms of insulin?
 
Generally, no - they are considered a 'harsh' insulin that causes the bg to dip fast and then they wear off fast.
So that cat is on a roller-coaster ride.

I've asked more experienced users to come over and give some advice.
 
The Vet says Glargine (Launtus) is the only thing I can give her... They are refusing to give me the prescription without the consult, so what do I do? I can't afford the consult and the glargene...
 
I thought you had a consult when they did the blood work - they said it was diabeties.
Do you mean they want to show you how to give the shot?

Where are you located? There may be another vet someone knows of who can help.
 
It is possible to obtain limited control using Humulin N, which lasts about 6-8 hours in the cat, but you'd need to be able to test and shoot 3 times a day for the best success.

We advise that you always home test before giving insulin, to make sure it is safe to do and when starting out, do not give insulin when the test is under 200. That number may be gradually reduced when you have data showing it is safe.

We advise testing about midway between shots to see how low the glucose is going; you want it to go no lower than 50. For Humulin, this would be 3 to 4 hours after the shot (+3, +4).

We recommend you monitor for ketones, a by-product of fat breakdown. Ketones may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of diabetes which is expensive to treat and may be fatal. See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for info on how to do that, as well as other tactics for assessment.

You may need to shop around for another vet; I have a signature link on Vet Interview Topics which may be helpful in the search.

The consult may be to esplain diet, feeding, shooting, testing, and monitoring your diabetic cat. It can be a lot to master on your own. If you can do that on your own, then tell them that, or show them test numbers and health status monitoring to prove it.
 
Did I miss any mention of the food you are giving your cats? If you are feeding any dry food, switch to a low carb wet food.... you may not even need to give ANY insulin because several cats are DIET CONTROLLED.

I would for sure start home testing, fix up the diet, and then after you have some numbers, you can re-visit the insulin part of the picture.

Quite often, cats BG numbers can be high because of infections as well, so once the UTI is cleared up with meds, and you have both cats on a good low carb WET food diet, you will know what's the next step.
 
BJM said:
It is possible to obtain limited control using Humulin N, which lasts about 6-8 hours in the cat, but you'd need to be able to test and shoot 3 times a day for the best success.

We advise that you always home test before giving insulin, to make sure it is safe to do and when starting out, do not give insulin when the test is under 200. That number may be gradually reduced when you have data showing it is safe.

We advise testing about midway between shots to see how low the glucose is going; you want it to go no lower than 50. For Humulin, this would be 3 to 4 hours after the shot (+3, +4).

We recommend you monitor for ketones, a by-product of fat breakdown. Ketones may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of diabetes which is expensive to treat and may be fatal. See my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for info on how to do that, as well as other tactics for assessment.

You may need to shop around for another vet; I have a signature link on Vet Interview Topics which may be helpful in the search.
Click to expand...

Is the Purina Glucose test in addition to the Keto test, or is it one or the other?
 
Okay, I am going to make the switch to wet foods. They are both open fed Nutero Catmax indoor formula currently. But Mollie likes an evening treat of Friskies Pate... Frankie will sometimes come over and have some as well, so the transition should be relatively easy, what should I do yo make this happen? I will pick of a glucose tester today as well... which one is most cost effective?
 
Glucotest only shows rough glucose levels in the urine. For those to occur, the blood glucose must be over 240, the renal threshold. You get much more precise information from blood glucose testing, plus it is current at the time you collect. Urine tests reflect the accumulation over several hours and are affected by dehydration.

Urine ketone testing is done with Ketostix or similar generic product, obtained from a pharmacy section. In my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools it explains how you use these.

WalMart ReliOn (Confirm, Prime, Vital) meters have been used quite successfully here, and the strips are inexpensive. Plus, the unbranded, generic versions of them are available at our shopping partner ADW (link above; purchases help subsidize this board)
 
Denise & Honey said:
I thought you had a consult when they did the blood work - they said it was diabeties.
Do you mean they want to show you how to give the shot?

Where are you located? There may be another vet someone knows of who can help.
Click to expand...

Phoenix AZ.... I don't think I would have trouble giving the shot... but I am wanting to determine if this is necessary first. I am going to switch them over the the wet food only (they are used to Friskies Pate) so I am thinking I'll start feeding them each 1/2 can in the morning and again at night. Or is there a better brand that I can try?
 
There is a group called Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN) that can help with supplies if you send in a request. This is their link
http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/p/education.html

One of the quickest ways you can help Frankie is to change his diet and get him off of the dry. It's best to do this before the insulin shots begin because it will change his overall blood glucose trends tremendously. Some kitties actually only need a change in diet and no insulin, but most need insulin for a while too. Also there are food charts of carbohydrate contents for popular canned foods, you want to stay below 10% so stay away from the gravy style ones completely. Here's a link for one called Janet and Binky's food charts
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html Hopefully there's something on there that Frankie will LOVE!

Lantus is the best insulin and while the initial cost is a whopper when you're on a budget (approx 120.00) it lasts for 4 months so if you think about it, that's 30.00 a month, not too bad. As BJM said above, the other insulins aren't so great but if that's all you can afford, then follow BJM's advice...
Wal Mart has inexpensive syringes.
Make sure you get the ones with half unit marks on them for easier dosing. Also get a consult on this forum on how to read the syringe markings before you try dosing! Some people have misread and given 10 x the dose they really intended and it's been disastrous, so take your time getting prepared for all of this. There are stickies above with dosing recommendations (depending on the insulin you choose) images of how to read the syringes, videos of how to test your cat, and how to give a shot etc. Take your time learning to test blood glucose before you get into giving shots. Any questions on any of these processes or where to find the stickies or images, just post a new subject and click on the question mark icon. People will answer as quick as they are able.

Folks here will help you tremendously with advice on how to home test, which blood glucose meters are best (some are crappy for cats....ok for people, so ask here before buying! and some have very inexpensive strips and some have super expensive strips which add to costs tremendously over time.....basically the Walmart Relion meters are good and have the cheapest strips...look for the ones that have a low sample volume so it's easier to test your kitty)

The nice thing is that there's the potential for going into remission so these costs are only temporary (best chances of this are using Lantus or Levemir....but is has happened with other insulins, just not often). My Molly only needed insulin for 3 months...she's on canned food and diabetic lifestyle for life, but at least for now all of the shots and testing are finished.
Best of luck for Frankie!
 
Dan and Frankie said:
BJM said:
(Confirm, Prime, Vital)
Click to expand...

What is meant by this?
Click to expand...

Sorry - those are models of glucometer.
ReliOn Confirm, ReliOn Prime, ReliOn Vital.


My friend misread the syringe and gave 10 units instead of 1 unit; that resulted in a $2,000 stay at the emergency vet.

You want U-100 syringes, with half-unit markings, in a 3/10 cc (also called ml) volume, with 5/8", 30 or 31 gauge needles. (slender, short needle tip, doesn't hold very much, and lets you measure as low as 0.5 units without eyeballing it).
 
Welcome to FDMB.......Relion is the brand name of the meters sold at Walmart.....confirm, prime are the diffent models under the relion brand. I use the relion confirm & the test strips are $20 for50....I think the prime test strips are $10 for 50. Also look at the top right hand corner of our site "home Testing Kits"...need one our webmaster & all the wonderful folks get you one, just pay s/h....click on the link above......again welcome & you'll have the experienced members walking you through & the rest of us giving you support & :YMHUG: :YMHUG: Cindy & Sabrina cat_pet_icon
 
Here is a pic of Mollie (Calico) and Frankie (Tabby)in better health (Probably about 5 years old here) They are both female... (Frankie was thought to be a male at first, and was named Frankie before we realized she was a female)
2bb451a6-0c35-4ce5-9228-501611561aa3_zpsf32c298b.jpg


Anyways, I am off to Walmart to pick up the tester and some wet food... I haven't heard anyone mention that the Friskies Pate is a bad Idea, so that's what I'm getting, but I'll only pick up a bit just in case (They eat this anyway, but I am currently needing more)
 
Friskies Classic Pates, nothing with gravy, fish only 1-2 times a week.

I get the Turkey and Giblets for my 14.
 
milfordcollector said:
Welcome to FDMB.......Relion is the brand name of the meters sold at Walmart.....confirm, prime are the diffent models under the relion brand. I use the relion confirm & the test strips are $20 for50....I think the prime test strips are $10 for 50. Also look at the top right hand corner of our site "home Testing Kits"...need one our webmaster & all the wonderful folks get you one, just pay s/h....click on the link above......again welcome & you'll have the experienced members walking you through & the rest of us giving you support & :YMHUG: :YMHUG: Cindy & Sabrina cat_pet_icon
Click to expand...
Thank you, I can afford the tester and strips.... I just can't afford being forced into hospitalizing my cat and doing diabetic consults with the Vet... I am really disappointed about them anyways... don't have a lot of options in close proximity though.
 
BJM said:
Friskies Classic Pates, nothing with gravy, fish only 1-2 times a week.

I get the Turkey and Giblets for my 14.
Click to expand...

Thank you!! I'll be back in a few hours...Need to pick up my son from school too.
 
Dan and Frankie said:
BJM said:
(Confirm, Prime, Vital)
Click to expand...

What is meant by this?
Click to expand...
Those are different models of BG meters sold by Walmart under the Relion brand. Target (if that is closer for you) also has a house brand meter Up & Up which is one of Consumer Reports top picks. The price is about the same. Most of us buy strips online or even on eBay for much less than in retail stores. Those strips are really the most expensive part of feline diabetes management. BG testing is done on the ear between the edge and the vein. If you've read the stickies, you know the basics. Or ask here when you have a question.

Lantus is a great insulin for cats. Generally we buy the pens in a 5pack. More expensive initially, but it saves a lot of money in the long run because thy last so much longer. if you have family members who have diabetes, do they use insulin? Could you buy a single pen from them if they use Lantus? Some Costco stores will sell a single pen as will some hospital pharmacies. I've also heard of extra pens sometimes being available on Craig's list.

As for the bloody pee, that is generally a sign of a UTI, either infection or inflammation. Although Convenia is not a great antibiotic for cats it should help to clear it up. Did the vet give any pain meds? That will help as UTI can be painful, cats associate the pain from peeing w/ the litter box and can start to go outside the box.
 
Another question for you..... HOW was your cat diagnosed as diabetic?
If the vet tested just his blood sugar and the meter gave a high number or bloodwork showed the high GLUCOSE number, then it is not proof of diabetes.

Usually, there is a test done, Fructosamine test, and it's the average of your cat's blood sugar over the last few weeks. If that number is on the high range, chances are good that your cat is having problems.

YES, Friskies pates are just fine. So are lots of the more economical wet foods like Special Kitty.... just stick to the pates - NO gravies, or grilled flavors.... if you do need to start insulin, you do need to keep a couple of the gravy / high carb cans around, just in case your Frankie goes a bit low on the insulin. If you do need to go with the cheaper humulin N, you definitely want to keep some high carb and karo on hand.

No, you don't need the vet to manage feline diabetes at all! All you need from the vet is the prescription for the insulin and then everything else can be done by YOU and AT HOME.

Here's a list of foods from which you can choose.... stick to the lowest carbs
http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

The trick to it all is to home test and feed a low carb wet food diet.
Way too many cats get whisked onto insulin by their vets and at too high a dose and told to feed the expensive vet food.... just crazy. .. and expensive for no reason!

You test Frankie's BG at home with the meter ... those numbers will be true because Frankie's at home .. the numbers at the vet are most likely skewed by stress at being there, so I say those numbers are pretty much useless. No need for further tests or curves at the vet office. Test her at home.

The food is such a HUGE factor... one cat came to the site on 20units of insulin, but eating dry and high carb food. Once that cat got fed properly, that dose dropped like a rock down to 1u

Other cats on this site have started on insulin before they joined here and within weeks of switching to decent food, the cat was off insulin. Just think of the expense of buying all the supplies: insulin and syringes, and it's not needed.

Give Frankie some time to adjust to the food change, get used to testing, and keep posting.
She may well need a bit of insulin, but it will be a lesser amount, and maybe it will be for just a short time.

ETA: many cats have higher BG when they are sick, so once you clear up the infection, you will see lower BG
 
Blue said:
Another question for you..... HOW was your cat diagnosed as diabetic?
If the vet tested just his blood sugar and the meter gave a high number or bloodwork showed the high GLUCOSE number, then it is not proof of diabetes.

Usually, there is a test done, Fructosamine test, and it's the average of your cat's blood sugar over the last few weeks. If that number is on the high range, chances are good that your cat is having problems.
Click to expand...
The test that was done was a senior profile blood test (cost $205)On the invoice it says T4,Fel/FIV,UA 90

They also did an in house test which was AHL-BUN and Creatinine
 
We have several people in Phoenix. Some have not posted in a while. I will send them emails and see if any can help.

I'm with the try the food first crowd. Change the food to all wet low carb, learn how to test and see what numbers she gets with the new diet.
 
I have the Reli on Confirm and 20 test strips to start. I have not fed the cats yet, but I don't know if they have been eating dry food today. I am going to put it away right now. I need to test Frankie before I feed her right? If so, what do I do?
 
Dan, what part of Phoenix are you in? If you're within driving distance of central Phoenix. I highly recommend Blue Cross Vet Clinic at 36th St. and Indian School Rd. and even more specifically, Dr. Brian Peter. He's been our vet for over 12 years now and has helped my cats through a lot of different illnesses.
 
I definitely would ask for a copy of the test results. I don't think a fructosamine is normally included in the senior profile. A single blood test is inconclusive because cats can be very stressed at the vet and that can raise the blood glucose levels.

I'm not sure what is meant by the UA 90. Different testers us different abbreviation, but I would think it is some sort of urine test panel.
T4 is a thyroid test
Fel/FIV is for virus testing
"AHL-BUN and Creatinine" not sure about the AHL (Animal Health Laboratories perhaps) BUN and creatinine are part of the normal blood panel and measure kidney function.
 
Deanie and Boo (GA) said:
Dan, what part of Phoenix are you in? If you're within driving distance of central Phoenix. I highly recommend Blue Cross Vet Clinic at 36th St. and Indian School Rd. and even more specifically, Dr. Brian Peter. He's been our vet for over 12 years now and has helped my cats through a lot of different illnesses.
Click to expand...
I'm in Laveen (51st Ave and Baseline)
 
Ann & Tess said:
I definitely would ask for a copy of the test results. I don't think a fructosamine is normally included in the senior profile. A single blood test is inconclusive because cats can be very stressed at the vet and that can raise the blood glucose levels.

I'm not sure what is meant by the UA 90. Different testers us different abbreviation, but I would think it is some sort of urine test panel.
T4 is a thyroid test
Fel/FIV is for virus testing
"AHL-BUN and Creatinine" not sure about the AHL (Animal Health Laboratories perhaps) BUN and creatinine are part of the normal blood panel and measure kidney function.
Click to expand...

I am going to pick that up tomorrow... I was pretty upset with the strong arm they were giving me to come in for the consult. I have a right to them , right?
 
Dan and Frankie said:
Blue said:
Another question for you..... HOW was your cat diagnosed as diabetic?
If the vet tested just his blood sugar and the meter gave a high number or bloodwork showed the high GLUCOSE number, then it is not proof of diabetes.

Usually, there is a test done, Fructosamine test, and it's the average of your cat's blood sugar over the last few weeks. If that number is on the high range, chances are good that your cat is having problems.
Click to expand...
The test that was done was a senior profile blood test (cost $205)On the invoice it says T4,Fel/FIV,UA 90

They also did an in house test which was AHL-BUN and Creatinine
Click to expand...
What is the glucose number on the bloodwork? It does not look like any fructosamine test was done.
 
Dan and Frankie said:
What do I do with the lancet when it is done? I assume they are single use?
Click to expand...

Yes, you discard the used Lancet.
Since many are giving insulin, they have a Sharps container for discarding the syringes ... I just tossed the lancets in the same container.
 
Sounds like you first attempt at testing went well. Always try to test before feeding, any food eaten from 20 minutes to 2 hours before a test can really spike the numbers up. Especially when we shoot insulin we try to have a "fasting number" that means no food for 2 hours before the test.

yes, you definitely have a right to any test results! There should be no charge for them either! If you do decide to go to a new vet you can get full copies of all chart notes, but they may charge you a copying fee for that, usually about $10.

:lol: :lol: You type faster than i do. Lancets should be disposed of in a "sharps" container. An old milk bottle is good. Find out at a pharmacy what the local regulations are.
 
Get copies of ALL testing done; you want the results and tell them you keep a binder of everything for your cat. Even urinalysis results. Before you leave with the copies, look them over and ask questions on all items that you don't understand.
I also kept prints of all the billings; I wanted to see the breakdowns of every item in the total..
All those items, UA-90 and the rest, have them explained to you and take your time to write it all onto your copy of the billing.
 
Blue said:
Dan and Frankie said:
What do I do with the lancet when it is done? I assume they are single use?
Click to expand...

Yes, you discard the used Lancet.
Since many are giving insulin, they have a Sharps container for discarding the syringes ... I just tossed the lancets in the same container.
Click to expand...

Since I dont have a sharps container what is the safest way to dispose of them?
 
Frankie went right for the food. I am cooking the fam dinner right now, so I will check on her when we are done. When should I test her again?
 
I'd wait for at least 2 or maybe 3 hours since she last ate. An empty milk container works well for a sharps container.
 
Just peeked in on her and she hasn't eaten much.... but she did show interested and was eating when I put it down for her. How long should I give her on it?? Should I just leaver her in there with it? If so, when should I test again?
 
For testing, you don't need to worry about when you fed Frankie, except for the test at shot time.

You want the number at shot time to be free of food influence, so people pull up food 2hours before shot time, and that way, your test 2 hours later, at shot time, will be a true number with no food influence. A food influenced number may have you thinking it's safe to give a shot, but then an hour later, the food wears off and the numbers drop and then the insulin kicks in and drops the numbers even more.

During the cycle, just feed as usual because you want to know how food reacts with the insulin for your cat.... some cats spike high from meals and may need for their food to be spaced out into smaller mini meals. Test whenever you like because every test number contributes to the whole picture.
 
Blue said:
During the cycle, just feed as usual because you want to know how food reacts with the insulin for your cat.... some cats spike high from meals and may need for their food to be spaced out into smaller mini meals. Test whenever you like because every test number contributes to the whole picture.
Click to expand...

Since I tested before her meal (as if she ate the whole meal) would I want to test after to see what the food does to her levels?
 
Dan

Test her three hours after she eats to see if her pancreas is bringing her blood glucose down.

I live in Tucson but when I lived in Phx I used Apollo Animal Clinic....they are at Peoria and 51st Ave. Dr. Chuck Tobin....he's a sweetheart. He doesn't know alot about feline diabetes but he is very compassionate and I don't think he will require all of those tests, etc, especially if you have all the results with you. Also, Dr. Haskell Wright is also really kind. I believe he is an owner...he's been there for a very, very long time. It's kind of a drive from Baseline, though.

In Arizona, you can put lancets and syringes into heavy duty laundry detergent containers and mark them in big bold letters "SHARPS DO NOT RECYCLE" and then throw them in the trash.

I'd also strongly recommend that you get a script for lantus (and you will need one for lantus). The cheapest place I've found for the 5-pack of 3ml pens (and make sure the vet writes the prescription for the Lantus Solostar Pens), is Costco. If you call around, some places might sell you an individual pen so your layout is not as much at one time or, as someone else suggested, you can check Craigslist but I would be really careful about that. I think a couple members said that their Target and KMart would sell individual pens but the ones in Tucson will not.

There's a member in the Lantus Insulin Support Group who knows where on the internet to get Lantus Solostar coupons and I'll send her over to tell you. I no longer use lantus so I'm not sure where she gets them.
 
Hi & welcome! My name is Kat and Gobbles is my super-sweet sugar boy! He's a lantus user and I want to help you in any way I can. I get his Lantus for only $25! Here's how: Have your vet prescribe Frankie - Lantus Solostar Pens. These pens are sold in a 5 pack, which here in Ohio, costs about $225, however, some pharmacies will sell them one at a time. I called around and found a "mom & pop" pharmacy that sells singles. The cost of one single is $57, but there is a Lantus Solostar savings card that can be printed online and brought with you to the pharmacy: http://www.lantus.com/sign-up/default.aspx Click on "Sign Up & save up to $25....". My pharmacist honors the savings card and with the savings card, you pay only $25. A pen lasts me about 2 months; there are 300 units in it. The pens are hardier than the vials. If you get the pens, do not let the pharmacy talk you into buying the "needle tips"--you will not be able to use them and they are very costly. You will be inserting a syringe into the end of the pen (same way you draw insulin out of a vial).

Are you located in the states? I have some supplies I'd be willing to send you, if there is anything you can use: a box of 28 gauge lancets & about 3/4 box of 5/16" short U100 syringes (no half increments). Let me know :)

Please, please try to get Lantus (not Humulin or Vetsalin!!!!) for Frankie.
 
Dan and Frankie said:
Blue said:
During the cycle, just feed as usual because you want to know how food reacts with the insulin for your cat.... some cats spike high from meals and may need for their food to be spaced out into smaller mini meals. Test whenever you like because every test number contributes to the whole picture.
Click to expand...

Since I tested before her meal (as if she ate the whole meal) would I want to test after to see what the food does to her levels?
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Yes, if you want to test before her meal and then a few hours after she eats, you will get an idea how she utilizes the food.
The first 2 hours, you may see a spike from the food, but then if the pancreas is doing its job, you should see a drop in the numbers..... that's pretty much what's seen with a non diabetic healthy cat.

Big spikes can be lessened by dividing the main meal at shot time. ..... some people may give 1tbsp with a shot and then 1tbsp every hr for the next 4 hours.... stops a food spike and helps to keep numbers leveled. Using an auto feeder is a great way to space out the food as well.
 
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