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calliecat an marty

calliecat an marty

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Hello everyone my name is Marty ( I'm female ) I have two calico cats they are sisters Callie and Tesse!! I just found out yesteday Callie is diabetic :( I am diabetic myself so I've been stressing out bad I've been doing nothing but crying I feel very alone. I have always been a cat person am 49 years old I have a son 29 and a daughter 27, Callie and Tesse are 7 years old. I noticed a couple of weeks ago Callie was drinking alot of water and I was scooping their little more often ( which I did daily anyway ) and the littler was like wet cement instead of the harder clumps I told my husband I thought there was something wrong with Callie he said there is nothing wrong with her.... I called the vet Callie had an appoint on Monday of this week they took blood and checked her weight she weighs 15 pounds. I called the vet on Tuesday to ask the results they said her bs was high but inconclusive because of fat in her blood so back to the vet she went on Tuesday for another blood sample but to do a A1c scan I had to wait for 24 hours for the results ( which darn ner killed me ) Callie hates car rides and trips to the vet it about rips my heart out to here her cry :( I was at work yesterday when the vet called I have 2 jobs home health care and habilitave services for mentaly challenged kids I was at my home health job yesterday, Callie bs came back as an average of 340. At 4:00 pm after my husband and I got done with work we went to the vet without Callie to talk to her about options and what to do next she said Callie would have to take 2 shots a day and change her diet what I had been feeding them is can cat food 1/2 can each in the morning and same at supper which they had hard food to eat with there water at all times but a small bag of cat chow would last them at least a month! the soft food they like was some frisky flavors and 9 lives. I bought a 30 dollar bag of W/D dry food from the vet because they didn't have the can food in this they would have to order it neither one of my girls will eat this and i mixed it with the cat chow, I have been reading the post on here and found out fancy feast is good ??? I am going to ask the vet this today and get some for them if it is all right . I was also sent home with a urine cup with it filled with a special littler for a sample I WAS UP ALL NIGHT WITH HER AND I CAN'T GET HER TO PEE IN IT HELP !! what scares me the most is when my bs is low its scarey the way it makes you feel most of the time I can feel it coming on and take care of it BUT WHAT DO I DO WHEN I'M WORKING and if callies go's low no one will be here with her during the day :cry: I'm trying to make some shift changes but if not Callie has to come first !! I live in rual Minnesota the vet clinic here is small and I had a bad experence here with another cat of mine seven years ago he is in a urn in my hutch I'm only bringing Callie here because there is a different vet and I've asked around and she is supose to be good she is only 25 years old and I asked her yesterday if she has ever taken care of a diabetic cat before she told me no I'm stressing about this to!!! thank you for reading Callies story and I thank god I found this site LOVE TO ALL FROM CALLIE, TESSE , MARTY !
 
Hi Marty! Please don't stress out. Being diabetic yourself, you're already educated about the disease, so you're in a good spot to treat Callie! Feline diabetes is treated very much the same as human diabetes.

First of all, please DO NOT feed her the W/D dry. It's a good thing your cats don't like it. It's way too high in carbs for a diabetic cat, and will likely cause her diabetes to get worse. I'm convinced this is what caused diabetes in my own cat.

You don't need to really change their diet much since they were already eating canned food. Most canned food is low carb as long as it doesn't have gravy or grains. What flavors of 9 lives and Friskies were you feeding? Chances are you might be able to continue feeding the same food. Fancy feast is also good, and here's a list of the low carb, grain free flavors: http://felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm You don't mention feeding any dry before the W/D, but if you were, you will want to get rid of it and only feed canned.

Do you have a home meter that you use to test your own blood sugar? Home testing is the best way to help treat your cat, just like you would do for yourself. I use the Aviva Accuchek meter for bandit. You just get a tiny drop of blood from Callie's ear, and most cats don't mind it at all after week or two. We have lots of tips here to help hometest your cat, if you need them.

One of the reasons it's important to home test is because blood sugar numbers are much higher at the vet because the kitty is stressed out. You need accurate numbers when determining her dose of insulin. Also, testing will help you determine if her blood sugar is low, so you know whether to give her some food to help bring it up.

Many people here use their vets simply for the insulin prescription, and then adjust doses themselves based on the guidelines found on this discussion board. There are also insulin support groups that can give you dosing advice if you're home testing. Most people here use Lantus or Levemir insulin, but PZI is also good. Lantus and Levemir can be found in a human pharmacy, where PZI is only available through your vet. Lantus has a very good remission rate in cats--80+% of newly diagnosed cats go into remission on it.

In my opinion, I think you might have better luck with the younger vet because even though she hasn't had a diabetic cat yet, she will be willing to learn the best course of treatment with you. Your current vet has already shown he is not current with treatment of diabetes by prescribing the W/D.

There are tons of people here to answer any questions you might here. We are here to help!
 
Welcome Marty and Callie to the FDMB family

First Breathe! You are so not alone in this, at least you aren't now that you found us!!!

Managing Callie's diabetes is no more difficult that it is to manage your own.

I have one diabetic cat that I adopted as a diabetic and tomorrow night I will be welcoming home my second adopted diabetic.

Now not only very shortly will I have 2 diabetic cats, I also have 10 other non-diabetics we call them civies here. Everyone here eats exactly what my diabetics eat, good old fashioned pate-style Friskies & 9-lives. So if those are the brands your girls like best, then go ahead and keep feeding them what they like, just ditch the dry.

Here is a link to the food charts we use to pick our kitties food from that lists both Friskies and 9-Lives http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html
You just want to stay with those flavors that are under 10% which is just about all the pate style.

Personally I feed:

Friskies:

Turkey and Giblets
Poultry Platter
Country Style Dinner
Mariner's Catch
Ocean Whitefish & Tuna
Mixed Grill
Super Supper

9-lives:

Liver & Bacon
Seafood Platter
Chicken & Tuna
Super Supper
Whitefish Dinner
Chicken Dinner

Fancy Feast Classics (also pate style) is also great for a diabetic kitty, just with 12 cats I'm not opening that many cans per day..lol
You can still leave food out during the day, either mix some water with the wet food to help it stay fresh longer, freeze it and put it out frozen and let them nibble on it as it thaws or use a timed feeder. Whatever works best for you. You don't need the prescription stuff, Friskies, 9-Lives and Fancy Feast all work fine, and are easier on the wallet.

Being a diabetic yourself you already understand the importance of testing before shots, so you have half the battle won!
We simply use the same human meter that you probably use for yourself, so if you want you and Callie can share, or you can get her a meter of her very own.

We just test on their ears, like you do on your fingertips. You can find lots of links here to videos and tricks and tips on how we test.
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

We test at home before every shot, and then try to catch spot checks during the day or evening to see how the insulin is working. We run our own curves at home. I don't think any cat is truly happy about going to the vet's, and they get stressed out which raises blood glucose. So by testing at home we get truer numbers, and save a few bucks along the way. My own Maxwell has only seen my vet once since I adopted him on October 15, 2010, and then he wasn't a patient he was helping show them how I test him. Otherwise he is just a normal cat, who is a little extra sweet. You can do this, and we can help you every step of the way.

My guy went from 485 to diet controlled with the help of these wonderful folks. Just remember this isn't a sprint it is more like a marathon. It won't happen overnight, but it will get easier and easier as you go along, and one day you will look back on today and wonder why you were so scared and upset. :-D

Hang in there, others will be along to give you advice, offer hugs and welcome you to the best place you never wanted to be, but will be so blessed to have found.

Again Welcome to the family of sugarcats and the people that love them
Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
 
Hi Marty... Welcome to FDMB... You and Callie will be so glad you found us. I'm in Minnesota and started out answering your post, cause Hope (another Member) noticed you were from Minnesota and PM'd me. Then I went to post my answer and pow... gone... It was a bit lengthy anyway.

I'll now simply say... Testing of Callie's BG is critical for safely giving her her insulin shots. Which you know are a snap...Follow each test with a treat (boiled chicken is a favorite) - give some to Tesse also, she shouldn't feel left out. Keep a record... Do a curve...

If you'd like to phone me, just ask, and I'll PM my phone number to you.

I'm a poet and have written some regarding my long walk with Charlie through seven years of shots and tests and love and games and cuddling and love... I lost my boy to a stroke almost two years ago... he was almost 19.

Finding FDMB
© 2004 By Carol Notermann

Alone I heard the words I’d feared, alone and terrified.
Did no one know or understand, I cursed the tears I cried.
I’ll beat this thing, I’ll prove them wrong for he is my best friend
There has to be some help somewhere, this cannot be the end.

The vet had been so cavalier, explaining choices to be made.
I’d heard his words, but in my brain, too few of them had stayed.
I ran to my computer, typed in the word I’d heard
As I hit “search” I trembled, for I hated that darn word.

The list popped up, and there I saw, that I was not alone.
I clicked on one, and read the text, but those words too had flown.
Then next I clicked, a message board, with others just like me.
I typed the words, “I’m just so scared, I’m crying and can’t see.”

Within a minute, maybe two, I was welcomed with a (hug).
They said to simply take a breath, my heart, it felt a tug.
For here were others just like me, they seemed to understand.
No one said to PTS, they said they’d lend a hand.

Thus guided by the “experts” that had no vet degree
I learned about this thing I feared, they took each step with me.
They told me of the blood tests, how to poke his little ears.
I learned of its importance, to shoot and have no fears.

I learned to simply trust my “gut”, and that I knew my cat.
I learned to treat a “hypo”, my testing spotted that.
I’ve cried tears of joy with others, and also tears of pain.
We are a world-wide family, we cheer each others gain.

And now, just four months later, my guy is lying at my feet,
Our lives are back to “normal”, and the path was not too steep.
For with the help of all my friends here on FDMB
I know that I am not alone, and that’s enough for me.
 
Hang in there! And take a moment to breathe slowly and deeply and relax a tad. :YMHUG:

Getting your cat's diabetes management where you want it to be will be a process, not an event.
 
thank you all so much ((((( Hugs to all ))))) I told my vet yesterday I have been on the internet doing some research on feline diabetes she told me that was not good for me to do!!!! I don't agree you all have made me feel so much better, and yes Carol-charlie could I please have your number. this morning after I posted on here I called the vet again because I can't get Callie to pee in that special litter I also asked her about fancy feast she told me no and she said to put Callie in a room by herself and shut the door to get her to pee in the litter , I have tried this and I was worried she would start crying because she couldn't come out of the room , she didn't cry but she didn't go and she was in there for 3 hours.
I also asked the vet yesterday about me testing Callie at home she didn't like the ideal she said they would test her again in a week she also told me she would need a special meter if I were to do it at home, I have 3 different meters for my self contour , diabetes care club , and reli on , I said to my husband I don't know how I can monitor Callie unless I check her bg like I check mine ... I don't take shots for my diabetes I take pills i'm type 2 and so is Callie ! so the giving shots will be new!! I am going to get some fancy feast for my girls for supper I feel in my heart its the right thing to do Callie is going through enough right now nailbite_smile I have a called another vet from another town she is going to call me back I have questions for her to I want to see what her answers are and if she has ever taken care of a cat with diabetes before you guys are a god send to me !!! my mom yelled at me on the phone yesterday because I was crying so much she said its just a cat :cry: I told my mom they are more to me than just cats they are my babies !!! they own my heart I would die for them like I would my human children !! oh the vet said yesterday to that Callies insulin would cost $136.00 a bottle but would last her for months ????? its only good for 6 to 8 weeks right ?!?!? I don't care about the cost only Callies health !!
 
ohhhh I forgot yesterday I asked the vet about if Callies bg went to low ( I was checking the internet the night before ) the internet said to rub karo syrup on her gums, I told her I got some suringes <---- I don't know if I spelled that right I'm terrible at spelling .... I put 1 tablespoon of karo syrup in each I have 5 just in case , she said that was a good ideal , should n't that have been hers ???
 
If you get the pens rather than the vial 5 pens should last you a good long while and you should be able to use every drop. But that only works if it is either Lantus (my favorite) or Levermir. Since they are human insulins they come in the pens, and then we just use regular syringes to draw the insulin. Yeah they are pricey upfront but last a good 6 months or longer if properly handled and stored. A vial you might get a month or two out of, before it loses its punch.

I use the Relion Micro for Maxwell works great, cheap, easy and takes such a tiny sample of blood. Not much bigger than a sharpened pencil lead.

And personally not one of my 11 cats would touch that prescription stuff after the novelty of it wore off, and it smells horrible, I just about gagged just opening the can. :lol: But you should see them all dance when the Friskies come out..lol. Even my confirmed dry food addict is loving the new wet diet and they look great, sleek, shiney and soft to the touch.

Mel, Maxwell, and the Fur Gang
 
****HUGS*****

I know you're under alot of stress --- we've all been in your shoes and totally understand what you're going through...the fear, the anxiety, the tears. I had used clumping litter and remember just crying over the sink, trying to wash the clumped litter that cemented to my kitty's paws. Just thinking about that makes me tear up again.

One of the sources of stress will be that the things you find here might conflict with what your vet is telling you. Ultimately it's your cat, your money, and your call so weigh both sides carefully.

I was going by my vet's guidance for 5 weeks and there was no improvement. I came to this board frazzled and crying. I started following their recommendations and saw improvements within a week. Every cat is different but this was what happened to Junior.

Now this is not what I would recommend for everyone but for me, again it's my cat, my money, my call: I didn't let my vet know what I was doing for over a month. Instead, I followed the guidance of this board, asked questions, and tried to learn what others were doing. I was scared to death about the risks and if it didn't work, my cat could be dead and my vet would've said "I told you so."

Junior dropped from being 400-500 down to 90-140. When I saw my vet again, he was absolutely amazed at the results and all the research I had shared with him through this board. He was also excited about the research and admitted that sometimes he doesn't have the bandwidth to read up on everything in detail. He also said that it would be arrogant of vets to think they know everything about everything and appreciated me bringing this to him. His words, not mine.

Here are a few final thoughts:

- My vet understood the value of home testing from the beginning. He said testing at the office may not be as accurate because the cat is stressed out and home testing would save us money.

- We started on AlphaTrak, a meter designed for animals. It's expensive (~$200 for the meter, $1/strip + control solution) and you can only order test strips online. Not good if you run out as I did one day. Now we use Contour and I love it. My vet said that they used to use human meters before AlphaTrak came out. Just know that Contour numbers are 30 points lower than AlphaTrak. Otherwise they're both effective. If you do decide to go with the AlphaTrak, you might want to post on this board to see if anyone will sell one to you for cheaper. There are some folks who have abandoned these meters in favor of human meters. Or look on Ebay.

- I used Fancy Feast Classics and Friskies. Seafood has phosphorous (bad for kidneys) so I stayed with the chicken, beef, and turkey flavors. Foods with gravy tend to be higher in carbs.

Welcome to this board! The folks here are great and don't look at me like the crazy cat lady. Or say "it's just a cat."

You're in great hands here.
Bonnie
 
Hi there

I know this is terribly stressful but you need to calm down for your sake and Callie's. You can do this! You are a diabetic and are SO far ahead of where many of us were.

Now, you've figured out we disagree with your vet. You don't know us and your vet tells you not to listen. Why should you? Well, unlike some sites, we have been around for a long time, we've had 1000s of cats come through, we've got 2 vet techs and a vet who frequent here, we are run by a medical doctor, and all our posts are subject to peer review.

Now, you said that you are giving Callie pills. Please tell me that is incorrect! unlike humans, the glipizide doesn't work well for cats and I'm surprised there is even a vet still prescribing it! Insulin, particularly lantus/glargine or levemir, is absolutely the way to go

Further. My vet didn't support me testing at home, back in 2002...she soon changed her mind and supports it. Further, veterinary journal articles support it and the canadian veterinary association strongly supports it.

Third. You do not need a pet meter, you just need one of yours. Period.

This is overwhelming, but we've been there, done that, and some of us even have tshirts :)

This is doable.

Jen
 
Whereabouts do you live (city, state or province)? There may be some members nearby who can recommend vets, or provide a bit more hands on teaching if you need it.
 
Jen,

I think it is just Marty that is taking pills, since the vet quoted a price for insulin, but they are both type 2 diabetics. Did I get that right Marty?

By any chance did your vet tell you which type of insulin s/he will be prescribing?

Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
 
Oh I knew I forgot 2 things

1) Some people here use Ketostix. I have to admit I haven't done this but did ask some people about it awhile back. They said it's actually easy once you see your kitty heading to the litterbox. You just lift up the tail and catch the pee in midstream with the strip. Sounds like it would make for an interesting YouTube video.

2) I'm not sure about rubbing their gums but 1 tbsp sounds like alot. When Junior dropped into the 40's for the first time (on a human meter), I was advised to put in 1 drop into his food to bring him into the 50's. Because it's gummy, I mixed in with a little bit of water so it's slurpable. I'm guessing that you rub it on their gums is when they won't eat anything.
 
Hello Jen and Squeeks Callie does not take pills I do she is supose to start insulin on Monday , and I want to thank all of you for your coments they have been helpful (( hug )) I trust you all :thumbup and I trust my heart ..
callie and tesse like 9 lives beef and chicken , turkey which were all in gravey they like friskys turkey and cheese and lamb and rice they also like friskys turkey and giblets which is not in gravey , I would also give them every so often a little bit of tuna packed in water ??? the vet wants to start Callie out at 1 units twice a day to start with , the first day she takes her shots I'm thinking of leaving Callie at the vets for the day so she can be monitored closley I'm really scared about this I would not leave her there over night ! what are your thoughts on the first day of shots ????
 
Hi there

good, glad its not pills!

Insulin is measured in units, not cc's and there is a huge difference :) 1 unit to start is reasonable.

Vet stress can inflate blood glucose levels, plus it takes awhile for insulin to really take effect so having Callie at home really should be fine. Of course, there is always teh chance of her going too low but honestly, I think the risks outweigh the benefits.

Feed her what works for you. I'm talking carb levels, quality of ingredients, price, and what she will eat. You can work on this as you go, you do not have to sort it out in the first week!

Jen
 
As Jen said, you don't have to do everything overnight, just baby steps for now. Diabetes isn't a sprint it is more like a marathon. Your not going to go out and run a 5k is you can't jog around the block. :lol:

So just take it in as small enough chunks so you can handle it, and we will be here to hold your hand and paw through it all.

There is a reason why we call it a sugardance, got to learn the steps before you can move to the music. =)

Baby steps for now.

Mel, Maxwel and The Fur Gang
 
I just got off the phone with the vet from another town, she said callie should be on pill first ??? I asked her if she has taken care of diabetic cats before she said yes I asked her if she has had a good sucess rate she said no and she said Callie should be left on the W/D food that high fiber was what she should have I'm not going to listen to the vets I'm going to do what I feel is right for Callie and what I've read on here !!!
some one asked me were i'm from I live in st. james Minnesota small town of 4,500 hundred people Callie and Tesse will have fancy feast chicken for supper !!
 
Kudos! give yourself a pat on your back.

What it really boils down to is no one knows Callie as well as you do, she is your baby and when the time comes you will be the one that holds the syringe. High fiber is old school and it doesn't work. When it comes to her care, you have to go with what you think is right and keeps you from getting ulcers.

I'm going to give you a couple of pictures because sometimes pictures speak louder than words. This first one is the very first day I brought my Maxwell home.

Max001-1.jpg

He was a walking rack of bones at 10.5lbs, shaved because he was so sick that he couldn't groom himself and was matted.

This is the same cat 8 months later by following the protocol here:

060.jpg


Happy, Healthy and tipping the scales at a perfect weight for him (He's a big guy, long and tall) 15.8 lbs

You can do this, go with your gut and you will be fine. Your her voice and her advocate.

Mel, Maxwell and The Fur Gang
 
Hi Marty! ((((hugs))))
Welcome to the best place on the planet for everything FD. We all feel like you. Are kitties are our kiddies!...lol

I also have a Callie. Only, my sister informed me when I was adopting her that everyone with a calico names their cat Callie. So I told her, "Fine, then I will name her Callie Mae" because my sisters middle name is May. :lol:

My story is very similar to yours. My vet gave me ALL the wrong advice. And Callie Mae had been on a dry diet her whole life. He also prescribed the expensive stuff. I am *partly* grateful for that dry food. I say this because it probably (no, it DID) saved her life. Callie Mae was up to 9units :shock: twice a day. I managed to find this board and read as much as I could find and knew within days what I needed to do.

I made a gradual change to the wet, and dropped her dose to 1u and started home testing. Within weeks, Callie Mae was off insulin altogether and diet controlled. Of course, that was only temporary. But, that is another story for another day!
I was scared as hell, at first. But these folks are wonderful. Just stick around. You'll be part of the family in no time.
 
Please don't start her on the pill Glip....hopefully it will be Lantus insulin via shot. Things will come together for you and hopefully Carol will be able to touch base and talk with you. W/D is so old school and I am amazed after all these years that the vet schools have not updated what they are teaching new students on FD. Hometesting is the life saving tool and IF, big IF, you ever need to use Karo syrup please do not syringe it. Just keep a bottle on hand and if ever needed, you can put some in a dish, dip your finger in it and then rub it on the gums. It is absorbed quickly that way and is a quick sugar spike until food can kick in. Never syringe Karo syrup......you could aspirate the kitty that way.

Board is covered 24/7 so help with any questions is usually available. Welcome, calm down, read and learn and educate yourself, remind yourself it all takes time but will become second hand in no time, and give Callie's body a chance to utilize the insulin with canned food. Patience is the name of the game with this disease and always make sure that you have test strips. If you are getting down to one vial, go buy some more. In the winter I always make sure I have plenty of backup.
 
Hi Marty!

I didn't have enough time to post this morning when Hope sent me a message saying there was a new Minnesotan on block.... I see others have jumped in and provided a great deal of information so I'd just like to say hi to the fellow Minnesotan and your kitty Callie!
 
Hi Michele and peeps :) everyone on here has been very helpful this has been my life line !! I was wondering if you ever had to
get a urine sample for peeps ?? I was supose to get one from Callie yesterday and have failed to do so, they gave me a urine CUP
with this special litter that looks like chololate sprinkles you would put on cookies ( only a cup full of litter) I went and bought a
different litter box just for this cause it has to be very clean !! she will not go in there and I've tried everything the vet told me to
do buts its not working any ideal's would be great !!
 
I am only taking a *guess*, but I bet the vet (hey, that rhymes!) wants a urine sample to test ketones. You can call him/her to ask WHY they need the sample. ANyway, if that is the case, you can go to the drugstore and buy some ketostix. Then, when you see Callie heading to the box, just go up behind her and place the stick in her urine stream. Then you read the stick against the chart on the bottle and get your reading.
Even if that is NOT why your vet wants to sample, you should probably get them anyway because you are going to want to keep an eye on her. Ketones in her urine is VERY dangerous.
If that is not why your vet wants the sample, then I am sorry. I have no advice. Unless of course you want to spend a *little* chunk of money. I bought this litter box so I would always have access to my Callie Mae's urine anytime I needed it.
There is a little hefty up front price tag, but all things considered, and the fact that I am not spending copious amounts of money on litter, it has already paid for its self.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/SCB/SCBindex.html

And if you would like to *SEE* how it works, there is a video, here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXmMSuL5C4
 
The vet probably gave you No-Sorb litter. Yes, a very small amount is expensive.
It's just plastic pellets as far as I can see.

I re-use mine.

Dump it into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse well under running water.
Then spread it out on paper towels on a tray, like a cookie sheet to dry.
 
they want the urine sample to check for uriniary trac infection , they want to check that before she starts getting her shots !! she is supose to start her
insulin on monday , all the delays in starting her treatment make me so nervious ! nailbite_smile
 
Wish I had more advice to offer.
Is your vet not able to get a sample at the office? They usually have a way of getting urine by placing a needle in the bladder and extracting the urine. You may have mentioned this, and I missed it. Sometimes, there is no urine in the bladder, which makes it impossible to do that, but, it's an option.
I understand your urgency with wanting to get the insulin started right away.
Hopefully others will be along shortly and can maybe offer some suggestions.
I'm glad I have my Smart Cat Box!! ;-)
 
calliecat said:
Carol could you please im me your number so I can call you or someone who will talk to me on the phone ???
Click to expand...


Did you get in touch with Carol. We do PMs here (private messages), not im's.

Look in the upper left corner of any page to see "User Control Panel (X new messages)" and
click on "X new messages" to get to the private message area of this board.
 
I just spoke with Carol and she is getting on to pm you her phone number. It will show up in your email and also on the board that you have a new private message.
 
Carol I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart !! I love you :RAHCAT you were such a help to me I think I probably would have had a heart attact !!
callie loves you to !! she was just chattering at some birds lol! thank you again
 
I so enjoyed talking to you Marty... I'm hoping we can get together at least by August and our Minnesota Reunion at my home. I feel as if we totally understand each other on the importance of our boys and girls... my boys, your girls... in our lives. Luv, and (((Hugs))) Carol.
 
Marty-

I've never tested Peeps' urine at home. If she's going to the vet anyways - I make them needle her bladder (she has entirely too private litter box habits, and if I do catch her in the box, it usually means a trip to the vets office anyways). Peeps has a handful of other issues (mostly non diabetic related) going on also, so she's way out in outer space when it comes to her insulin and other treatments.
 
Hi and welcome Marty and Callie from another Minnesotan.

Good for you for finding us so fast. Glad you were able to talk to Carol, she's an angel.

You have gotten alot of great advise so far, there is alot to learn but take your time, ask questions and everything will fall into place soon.
 
Caliecat wrote, "The vet said yesterday that Callies insulin would cost $136.00 a bottle but would last her for months ????? its only good for 6 to 8 weeks right ?!?!? I don't care about the cost only Callies health "
Click to expand...

A vial of Lantus lasts for a year with my cat with no problem. The last vial I bought at CVS pharmacy was $119. You have to keep it refrigerated.

Lana
 
Personally, I wouldn't count on Lantus to remain effective for a full year. Sure, the bottle will probably still have insulin in it, but chances are it won't be doing any good. Most people change their insulin anywhere from 28 days to 4 months - with most falling somewhere in between. If you're home testing, you'll probably be able to see when the insulin is starting to lose it's potency, because the BG numbers really won't make sense.

So, unfortunately, because we use such small doses, we do end up wasting a fair amount of Lantus. To help combat that, you can try using the Solostar Pens instead of the vial. The pens contain a much smaller quantity of insulin, so there is a lot less waste. You don't use the needles that come with the pen; you just draw the dose from the pen the same way you would draw from a vial. Most pharmacies sell the pens in 5-packs, which is a more costly upfront investment, but in the long run it is much, much cheaper than going the vial route. Each pen has a long shelf life, until you actually start using it; that's when the 28 day clock starts ticking. Also, a lot of people order the pens from online Canadian pharmacies, which are also much cheaper.

My local Target pharmacy is willing to sell me individutal pens for $45 each. So calling around can also help. This pen will last me a couple months; just like the vial, it will probably lose it's potency before I get through all of it, but at least I've only spent $45 on it, rather than the $102 a vial costs at the same Target pharmacy.

Good luck, and keep asking questions!

Amy
 
Lana & Yoyo said:
Caliecat wrote, "The vet said yesterday that Callies insulin would cost $136.00 a bottle but would last her for months ????? its only good for 6 to 8 weeks right ?!?!? I don't care about the cost only Callies health "
Click to expand...

A vial of Lantus lasts for a year with my cat with no problem. The last vial I bought at CVS pharmacy was $119. You have to keep it refrigerated.

Lana
Click to expand...

It is very unusual for a vial of Lantus to last an entire year. Mine only lasted 6 weeks. Some people can get a few extra months out of it, but you can't count on it lasting more than 4 weeks. After that, it could go at any time.

After that first vial, I got a prescription for the Lantus solostar pens. You get 5 3ml pens, and you're not wasting nearly as much insulin. The 5 pack of pens will last you 6 months to a year.
 
I had to come on here and post this I'm crying again and its good !! last night I checked callies bg for the first time , she is not supose to start her insulin until tomorrow ( I don't have any for her yet ) Thursday at the vets hers was 340 , last nigt it was 326 I called Carol and she calmed me down and helped me with alot of question thank you again Carol .

I called Carol again today because I was worried Callie has been doing nothing but sleeping but when she is hungrey I feed her , I feed both of my girls fancy feast now ( no hard food anymore ) she hasn't been drinking hardley anything today or using her littler box I started fancy feast on Friday the vet told me not to.

Carol told me that this was all good signs :thumbup and I should check Callies bg later so I did and everyone it was 269 flip_cat :RAHCAT I want to thank all of you for all your good advice and love for kitties, me and the vet are going to talk alot more tomorrow !!! and I'm going to be doing alot of talking about FDMB ( all good ;-)
 
Good for you for changing their diet before starting insulin, it will make the transition sooooo much easier.

Also, congratulations on home testing, isn't it impowering??!! :RAHCAT Now you can start Callie on insulin at an appropriate dose.
 
Wow...this is good news. Going in the right direction !

If vet gives you a lot of grief about following our advice here...well
maybe you need a new vet.

Gee that sounds harsh, and I don't want to scare you off. But
we really do know what we are doing here.
 
Welcome, Marty !! Been reading the posts since you joined. Just wanted to say that this group of people really know their stuff and you (and Callie) couldn't be in better hands. My Vet was against home testing. This cat is one of your children and you would never just give a child insulin without checking their BG first. So, you have found your way to the best place that you could have. This support group really CARES about you and your Callie. I already feel that you will be listening to all the advice given---even over your Vets. Good for you!
 
Good Job Marty!!!! Calley couldn't be in better hands. I think a very large percentage of us are now going to a different vet than the one that gave us the diagnosis.

Keep up the good work!!!
 
Amy wrote, "Personally, I wouldn't count on Lantus to remain effective for a full year. Sure, the bottle will probably still have insulin in it, but chances are it won't be doing any good. Most people change their insulin anywhere from 28 days to 4 months - with most falling somewhere in between. If you're home testing, you'll probably be able to see when the insulin is starting to lose it's potency, because the BG numbers really won't make sense."
Click to expand...

Marty, I keep my vial of insulin in the box it came in, nestled in the insert that came in the box. I keep a rubber band around it to hold the top closed. I keep it refrigerated and take it out of the frig to fill the syringe, then immediately return it to the frig.

You can take a look at my spreadsheet. The vial of insulin that was being used on May 11, 2011 was purchased in May, 2010. The insulin being used on May 12, 2011 was purchased the previous day.

Buy your insulin from a reputable pharmacy ( I use a local pharmacy and do not order insulin online) and I am extremely vigilant in handling it after I get it home.

Lana
 
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