Hello from Ohio .. just found out my cat is diabetic

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Tadd68

Tadd68

Member Since 2018
We took our male cat to the vet yesterday .. we noticed ge had dropped alot of weight (from 20lbs down to 15) in a quick time, he was not eating much. I also noticed him making a crying meow sound while in the litter box and from time to time he would put his head low to ground, stretch his neck out and make a retching sound like he had a furball stuck

So yesterday afternoon the vet calls and says "we found out what is wrong with Carlos, he has diabetes" she said they needed to keep him 24hrs at the vet to do a curve and find out what dosage of insulin we'll need to give him twice a day. She also said he will have to go on prescription Purina DM food

My wife is all upset mostly due to what all this will cost and we live on a budget. The vet told her on the phone the food is $40/6lb bag and the insulin is like $108/10ml bottle and then we have to pay the vet bill and testing they did etc.

We go pick the cat up today at 4pm so i will know more then as well as being shown how to give him his insulin etc. Vet told my wife on phone that we would have to bring him back in like a week to do another curve ..

I'm sure i'll learn more as i go, i am kind of a nervous wreck right now just thinking about giving him shots etc. I'm probably worrying for nothing as it's probably simpler than i imagine.

Glad i found this forum and look forward to learning as much as i can about feline diabetes

Thanks!
 
Welcome to the forum! Yo7 will find a lot of good information here and a lot of great people
Most of the people on here use fancy feast and not the doc food, here is link to different foods and their carb content
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dr-pierson-new-food-chart.174147/, the food from doc can be very expensive
This link is a welcome link and some guidance
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-use-the-fdmb-the-basics.130682/
We all home test and use a spread sheet that I will give you the thread for so we can all see what’s going on and help,guide you

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
This will help you set up your signature about you cat
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/
It looks overwhelming but once you have it set up it’s easy, very important to read the yellow sticky
 
I'm not one of the "experts" in this group, but I have had a diabetic cat for over 3 years now. With help from this board, it is a very manageable situation. The expense can be cut down dramatically if you follow the advice from this board.

First of all, you do not need to feed prescription diabetic food. The most important thing is to feed wet, low carb food. What a lot of people here feed their kitties is Fancy Feast Classic Pate or Friskies Pate. I'm not sure what type of insulin you will be using, but I use ProZinc, which is about $120/vial. However, it lasts about 3 months, so it isn't bad. You will want to start home testing, which may seem a little intimidating at first. After a week or so, it becomes second nature! You don't need an expensive pet meter. A human one will do just fine. Many people use Relion brand from Walmart. Test strips are much cheaper!

Bellasmom has given you some helpful information to read. It's a little overwhelming at first, but it's definitely worth reading.

Lots of great people to help you here! You are in the best place!
 
Here is a list that I copied and pasted for you what you will need

1. Relion micro or confirm meter (or some other brand that requires a 0.3 size sample)

2. Box of 100 extra test strips

3. Box of 26 or 28 gauge lancets as the ones that come with the meter are 31 gauge which is too thin for testing a cat

4. Cotton cosmetic rounds to go behind the ear

5. Neosporin ointment with pain relief

6. Good idea to pick up some ketone urine test strips.... They sell them in the pharmacy section.

7. Fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods
Like zoey and Carol said this does not have to be expensive
I was new to all this we only have been diagnosed since last July and I was so lost, my vet recommended me not test but I found this group and come to find out a lot of great things
 
Made it home from the vets office, wow this was really expensive .. total bill including tests at vet, blood work, curve, ProZinc insulin, ProZinc diabetes care kit with syringes, AlphaTrak meter and cat food was $600
Has us starting out with 2 units twice a day, his BG level at vet when he got there was 441
20180327_165340.jpg
 
Tadd68 said:
Made it home from the vets office, wow this was really expensive .. total bill including tests at vet, blood work, curve, ProZinc insulin, ProZinc diabetes care kit with syringes, AlphaTrak meter and cat food was $600
Has us starting out with 2 units twice a day, his BG level at vet when he got there was 441
View attachment 34976
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You bet it can be expensive! Get your brain settled, do some reading on here and then ask for tips on minimizing costs. We can help with that too. :)
 
LOL, my brain is settled .. i am just thankful i had the money to treat my baby, i'm sure there are alot of people who couldn't

Here is my buddy Carlos

20160819_152446.jpg
 
Here's my new member's handout. It covers a bunch of things including home testing. Read it over and ask a lot of questions. :)
______________________________________________________________________________________________

It would help us if you set up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
  • click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
  • click on "signature" in the men that drops down
  • type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using /glucose meter you're using/what he eats/any other meds or health issues he has.
Another thing that will help us help you now that you've started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. We can all see it and look at it before offering advice: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Here's the basic testing routine we recommend:
  1. test every day AM and PM before feeding and injecting (no food at least 2 hours before) to see if the planned dose is safe
  2. test at least once near mid cycle or at bedtime daily to see how low the BG goes
  3. do extra tests on days off to fill in the response picture
  4. if indicated by consistently high numbers on your spreadsheet, increase the dose by no more than 0.25 u at a time so you don't accidentally go right past a good dose
  5. post here for advice whenever you're confused or unsure of what to do.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Here's an explanation of what we call "bouncing". It explains why a kitty's BG can go from low to sky high:
  1. BG goes low OR lower than usual OR drops too quickly.
  2. Kitty's body panics and thinks there's danger (OMG! My BG is too low!).
  3. Complex physiologic processes take glycogen stored in the liver (I think of it as "bounce fuel"), convert it to glucose and dump it into the bloodstream to counteract the perceived dangerously low BG.
  4. These processes go into overdrive in kitties who are bounce prone and keep the BG propped up varying lengths of time (AKA bouncing).
  5. Bounce prone kitty repeats this until his body learns that healthy low numbers are safe. Some kitties are slowlearners.
  6. Too high a dose of insulin can keep them bouncing over and over until the " bounce fuel" runs out and they crash - ie., have a hypo episode. That's why we worry so much about kitties that have had too high a starting doseprescribed by the vet and the owner isn't home testing.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Here are some tips on how to do urine ketone testing (VERY important if BG is high and kitty isn't eating well!):
  • put the end of the test strip right in his urine stream as he's peeing
  • slip a shallow, long handled spoon under his backside to catch a little pee - you don't need much
  • put a double layer of plastic wrap over his favourite part of the litter box and poke some depressions in it too catch pee.
Most test strips have to be dipped and allowed to develop for 15 seconds before viewing the colour change in very goodlight.

I didn’t make up this new member sheet but I thought it might be helpful to you, if you have any questions at all please ask on the forum
 
The vet probably overcharged you for a lot of that. Return the food. Dry diabetic cat food is too high in carbs at 14%. I love my alphatrak meter but make sure he didn't overcharge you. The starter kit is only $49 on amazon and a vial of 100 strips is $47. If cost is an issue go with a cheap relion micro meter from Walmart. Strips are only $36 for 100

The syringes are cheap on Adwdiabetes.com. $14
And lancets I get are $1.19

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/18553/ulticare-u40-pet-29g-3-10cc-1-2in-half-unit

That's about the going price for prozinc
 
JanetNJ said:
The vet probably overcharged you for a lot of that. Return the food. Dry diabetic cat food is too high in carbs at 14%. I love my alphatrak meter but make sure he didn't overcharge you. The starter kit is only $49 on amazon and a vial of 100 strips is $47. If cost is an issue go with a cheap relion micro meter from Walmart. Strips are only $36 for 100

The syringes are cheap on Adwdiabetes.com. $14
And lancets I get are $1.19

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/18553/ulticare-u40-pet-29g-3-10cc-1-2in-half-unit

That's about the going price for prozinc
Click to expand...

Yes i'm sure i was overcharged, every time you go to the vet you're overcharged
I guess i didn't know at the time what to do when this is all put on you at once ... i didn't have time to go shop around so yes i likely over paid
 
Tadd68 said:
Yes i'm sure i was overcharged, every time you go to the vet you're overcharged
I guess i didn't know at the time what to do when this is all put on you at once ... i didn't have time to go shop around so yes i likely over paid
Click to expand...
Moving forward, to replace supplies like test strips and syringes, it will likely be less expensive than what you paid this time... so that’s a good thing
 
I assume they checked him for a uti... because while it's Conlin for a diabetic cat to pee often, it doesn't usually cause them to meow in the box. Uti is common with diabetic cats.
 
JanetNJ said:
I assume they checked him for a uti... because while it's Conlin for a diabetic cat to pee often, it doesn't usually cause them to meow in the box. Uti is common with diabetic cats.
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The vet said he was meowing in the box due to the high sugar levels which can cause crystals to form and make it painful while urinating ... You all agree?
And yes they did do a Cystocentesis/Urinalysis
 
JanetNJ said:
Have you attempted home testing yet? I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.
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No i have not attempted it yet but may do so this evening before his shot and food .. i am more nervous about that than giving his shot. I will watch your video, Thanks so much!
 
JanetNJ said:
Have you attempted home testing yet? I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH !! that video was so helpful, my wife is here and we both watched it together and WE DID IT !!! our first BG test at home with the AlphaTrak 2 BG meter ... you made my day! I wanted to check because this morning i made a really dumb mistake, when i went to give Carlos his injection i had my index finger on top cap of syringe and the insulin just went on his fur. The test meter showed his BG at 410 so i gave him his 2-units

Thanks again, that was a really helpful video and now i feel at ease in checking his BG levels with the meter and makes me feel better knowing what his actual reading is
 
Tadd68 said:
THANK YOU SO MUCH !! that video was so helpful, my wife is here and we both watched it together and WE DID IT !!! our first BG test at home with the AlphaTrak 2 BG meter ... you made my day! I wanted to check because this morning i made a really dumb mistake, when i went to give Carlos his injection i had my index finger on top cap of syringe and the insulin just went on his fur. The test meter showed his BG at 410 so i gave him his 2-units

Thanks again, that was a really helpful video and now i feel at ease in checking his BG levels with the meter and makes me feel better knowing what his actual reading is
Click to expand...
Congrats on getting that first BG test done! Bellasmom gave you a "handout" I made up for new members (post #13 above). It outlines a bunch of things but most important, the basic testing routine we recommend. Follow that, set up the FDMB spreadsheet (link in handout), come here for help and you'll be well on your way to getting Carlos' diabetes under control.

This morning's injection boo boo description seems to indicate that you were absolutely certain no insulin went in. I mention this because we always caution people to not inject after a messed up shot on the off chance a little insulin did go in. It's a safety precaution to keep in mind. A missed shot is less of an issue than too large a dose. :)
 
Tadd68 said:
THANK YOU SO MUCH !! that video was so helpful, my wife is here and we both watched it together and WE DID IT !!! our first BG test at home with the AlphaTrak 2 BG meter ... you made my day! I wanted to check because this morning i made a really dumb mistake, when i went to give Carlos his injection i had my index finger on top cap of syringe and the insulin just went on his fur. The test meter showed his BG at 410 so i gave him his 2-units

Thanks again, that was a really helpful video and now i feel at ease in checking his BG levels with the meter and makes me feel better knowing what his actual reading is
Click to expand...
Wow great job!!! So glad you found it helpful
 
Bellasmom said:
How are things going
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Things are going fairly well, i have not been able to get any BG readings in between shots yet due to the hours me and my wife work. I have been taking his BG with the AlphaTrak meter before giving him his 2U in the morning and evening and have yet to see a reading under 400 ... i read where the curve is like a smile so i expect that is normal to be high before shots.
This morning i noticed he made a sound when i gave him his shot ? I am using a U40 syringe and tenting like they showed me .. i was afraid maybe i did something wrong? Maybe i stuck needle in too far?
Also i have a couple questions if someone can answer for me ....

  1. I work 12-hr swing shifts 6am-6pm or 6pm-6am and my wife works 6am-2:30pm so we have been giving him his shots about 5:30am and then right when i get home about 6:15pm. So my question is .. do we need to stick to exact schedule like even on days we are off work on weekends?
  2. How critical is it that they have shot close to 12hrs apart? Say i was to give him a shot at 6am and was not able to give another shot till 8pm .. is that ok or not ok?
  3. Can our diabetic cat have tuna in water as a treat once in a while
  4. For those of you feeding your cat Fancy Feast Classic Patē, how much do you feed and how often?
Thanks for any and all help, this is quite a responsibility and i want to do everything i possibly can to ensure i am helping Carlos and doing what's right.
The vet wants us to bring Carlos in next Friday at 8am to do a curve, i know we can do a curve ourselves but i think i will let my vet do this first one.

Thanks so much everyone!
 
Glad to hear things are going well, great job!
I always stick to the same schedule, I give shot at 5:10am and 5:10pm everyday, you need to keep it as close as you can, I usually don’t get many during the day when I’m working, I get a lot more on weekends, you could take 1 after the pm shot I do sometimes.
Yes on the tuna with juice as occasional treat
A lot of people give 3 or 4 small meals a day
About the vet doing curve, I’ve seen where a lot of people are against that because the numbers won’t be accurate because being at the vet stresses a cat out, when at home you could do it, just take it every 2 hrs for 12 hrs
Stress cause cat BG to rise
 
Hi Tadd68. As this is the Introduction Forum, please re-post your questions in the Health Forum where your concerns will receive wider attention. You can just copy and paste your last post.
Thank you. See you over there!
 
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