Hello all!

[Lyss]

I'm Lyss, my cat is Pan. He was diagnosed about two weeks ago, after we thought he had some dental issues. I'm actually very familiar with diabetes as my brother has been type 1 for about 20 years. We have a wonderful clinic with amazing staff, and Pan has some mild health issues aside from diabetes we are managing.

He had bladder crystals when he was about a year old, and had been on a low magnesium diet ever since. I realize now his food probably caused (or played a big part) in him becoming diabetic after looking at the label when he was diagnosed. He has some dental issues, nothing serious, gingivitis and significant plaque and tartar build up before his cleaning two weeks ago. He also has some form of an anxiety disorder, which has improved greatly in the past few years, it's now only a problem when strangers are around or he is put in his carrier to go to the vet.

His BG was over 500 at his last visit, we started him on 1 unit of Vetsulin twice a day. We discussed food options, as I've been wanting to put him on a more natural diet for years, but needed some guidance for his bladder crystals and keeping that in check. So my vet had me check some food labels and gave me some numbers to check. He wants him on a mix of dry and wet because while diabetic cats need the moisture, he's against me removing dry food completely for the sake of his teeth. So we settled on blue wilderness Denali kibble and the red meat feast for wet. Currently it's a 50/50 mix by calories, but I'm considering going 75/25 wet to dry depending on his curve results on Tuesday and the vets blessing. All wet for one meal and half and half for the other.

The shots have been a tough adjustment for me, I hate stabbing my baby. And he is my baby. I got him when he was six weeks old, snuck him into my mother's house and hid him for a week before letting her know. We're super bonded, his favorite place is anywhere he can feel my heartbeat. So needless to say I hate to hurt him. But we're getting better. We have a bit of a routine now and sometimes he's a very willing participant, sometimes I have to chase him a bit to get him to come over for his shot.

We aren't currently testing his sugar at home. I know the importance, but also with his anxiety issues I want to keep the changes slow so it doesn't freak him out extra. He gets Xanax before going to the vet so I'm not too concerned about stress elevating his levels and skewing results. I'm also concerned about doing it. I'm very confident I can prick him, but zero confident I can get the blood on the strip after as he will just run from the click of the lancet pen. It always freaked him out when we lived at home and my brother checked his sugar so I don't have high hopes of home testing right now. Hopefully that changes soon.

 

[Sharon14]

Hi Lyss, welcome! You’ll get more eyes on your post if you post it on the Main Health Forum, but I’ll give you some ideas on hometesting. First, choose the spot that will be your testing spot and bring Pan there several times a day. Just rub his ear and cuddle with him, then give him a treat and let him go. When you and he are comfortable with that, you can try to test. Since the lancet device scares him, don’t use it. I simply held the lancet in my hand and poked my kitty’s ear. Here are some tips http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
Please come to the Main Forum where we can better help you.

 

[Idjit's mom]

Welcome Lyss and Pan. I can so empathize with your recount of Pan's fear of strangers and going to the vet. Idjit is a big Maine Coon mix and you would think he would be a brave soul, but quite the opposite is true. Strangers at the door, rides in the car or even rustling plastic bags causes a big tizzy. But we love them anyway, don't we?
I also can identify with your concerns about injections and testing, "hurting" this precious being. But it's such a small and transitory prick that more likely hurts you more than Pan. Testing is going to help you see how the insulin is working, and pre-shot tests are going to insure that it's safe to inject. You sound like a wonderfully caring and loving pet parent, and testing is the best way to keep Pan safe and help him to better health and well being.
Please do carry your message here to the Main Health forum HERE as Sharon14 suggested. Every member here has faced similar if not exactly the same challenges, concerns and downright fear. Count me in on that. We are a couple of seniors and didn't have a clue about feline diabetes, but this board provided the education and support we needed so badly.
We can help with suggestions for diet and testing, as well as provide information about Vetsulin and dosing you might not have learned yet.
You aren't alone in any sense of the word, we are all in our little boats paddling the same river of managing diabetic kitty's treatment. Best wishes going forward.

 

[Lyss]

I absolutely plan to try home testing once we get through this curve test and the next one is farther out than a week. He's definitely not going hypo, and is responding amazingly well to insulin so far. Also with his sugar so high, and his dose so low maybe it's slightly irresponsible but I feel like at this stage there isn't a whole lot of risk it not testing at home. He's a special boy and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to give him the best life possible, but I definitely want to get through the first week and discuss everything with my vet first.