Hello and thanks!

[Amy and Socks]

Hi! I'm Amy, and my diabetic kitty is Socks. He's 15 and was diagnosed in June of this year. We tried to control his sugar with diet first, but had to start him on insulin last month. Our vet did not tell us to test at home, but when I asked her if we could/should, she was very supportive of it. From reading on here, it seems like that is not the norm.

We had a hard time with the testing at first- we couldn't get any blood after multiple pokes, so we gave up (we had started trying to test before he was on insulin). After the insulin we started trying again and can now get a sample, usually on the first or second try, but not always. Our vet gave us some larger gauge needles and we started using a flashlight. Both helped a lot for us.

I thought I'd say hi, but mostly I wanted to say THANK YOU! This has been a great resource. I feel like I've learned so much from reading everyone's posts and all the sticky threads. I'm going to stop and get some Fancy Feast on the way home. AFter looking at the chart, it seems the carbs and protein are much better than the DM we are currently feeding. In fact, the Friskies we have all the other cats on has the same carbs as the DM, just much cheaper. We did the calculations, but that was based on the info on the website/can, so I thought it was much lower.

I also just ordered a human meter (ReliOn). We have an AlphaTrak currently, and while we technically can afford the strips, I don't see the point of paying more if I don't have to.

I really appreciate all the time and effort that everyone has put into this site. You guys are great!

 

[Idjit's mom]

Hi and welcome Amee and Socks. So glad you are here and have already taken advantage of the information and posting so far.

Good going on getting the signature and spreadsheet set up, and super good going on testing Socks. It's the best way to keep him safe and see how that insulin is working. I will tell you though, that the (GA) in the signature is a designation for Gone Ahead or Guardian Angel, for our dear kitties that have passed away. Socks is very much with us and I hope for a very very long time.

Using the ReliOn meter and strips is definitely going to be easier on the wallet. The protocols for insulin therapy are based on human meter use because that's what was available then. So many of use human meters because of the cost factor, and they are reliable too. When you change your meter from AlphaTrak to the ReliOn, the spreadsheet format needs to be changed also, to properly reflect the BG values per meter type. We have a spreadsheet whiz here who did that for me, and will be able to fix that for you also. Just PM (start a conversation) with Marje and Gracie, and she will do it in a snap.

Going forward you can post general health questions about diet, testing etc in the Main Health Forum. I hope you have visited the Vetsulin forum to read about that insulin, and you are welcome to post there with dosing or insulin related questions also. Just FYI, this document is for all new members (applies to all actually):
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216680/

Looking forward to getting to know you and Socks, and watching his progress.

 

[Sarah&Soph]

Welcome Amy and Socks! It sounds like you are doing great so far It’s a shame that your vet didn’t suggest home testing to you, but definitely great that she is supportive of it! If you have any questions, please ask away