Help, New to Feline Diabetes

[Halita Wilson]

Hello everyone. My name is Halita Wilson. I have a 10 year old tuxedo cat named Bianca Marie. I just found out this afternoon from my local vet that she has on-set adult diabetes. I have no idea where to start or what I need to do to begin to help her. She is no longer on hard food but rather homemade food from www.catinfo.org

I myself have diabetes so I do know about insulin but I hear that feline diabetes is different and hard to manage? How much do each of you pay for insulin and how much does your cats take daily?

I am open for suggestions. I have to make an appointment with a vet who does deal with feline diabetes.

Halita Wilson

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Welcome.
Good insulins are the human Lantus and Levemir and the pet insulins ProZinc and BCP PZI. For those two human insulin it is best to get the 5 pack of 3 ml disposable pens via a 10 ml vial. Although per ml the vial is less expensive most cats will not use up a 10 ml vial before the insulin goes bad/becomes ineffective. The human insulin N/NPH is sometimes prescribed but only lasts 8-10 hours. Same for the pet insulin Vetsulin/Caninisulin.
What insulin are you using yourself? You can likely use the same insulin.

Really. treating feline diabetes is not that much different than human insulin except you typically only use one insulin twice daily

Most of us here test our cat's blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
The catinfo.org is a good food recipe.

Here is a link to home testing blood sugarshttp://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

[scoobydoox]

Hello and welcome you cam to the right place. What area are you from? I only ask this because maybe there is members near you that can recommend a better vet to help you. My cat is on Lantus 1 unit twice a day. I first started with vetsulin but my cat didn't take to it. I also do home testing on my cat. There is going to be a lot to cover. The biggest problem is finding a good vet. Everything else you can learn here.

 

[Sarah Smith]

Welcome to you and your beautiful girl! I'm sure costs vary by location, but a vial of Prozinc cost me just over $100 for a 10ml at my vets office. I was thrown off my the price difference between it and the vetsulin we started on (about $40 for a 10ml vial) but it does seem to be working much better for my boy.
I did not realize how long a vial would last either, and was thinking I would be going through one every few weeks (will definately vary per what dosage your having to use). After doing some looking on the internet it seems that there are about 1000units in a 10ml vial (correct me if I'm wrong please!) So it should last awhile since we are using no more then 1 unit twice a day currently.
Testing and dosing supplies can be found cheaper then the vet too, most of us here use human meters and strips, and some buy syringes from walmart or online. Please ask any questions you have, there is always someone who can answer them for you

 

[BJM]

Vet Interview Topics to help you select a vet.

 

[Jan Radar (GA)]

Welcome to you and your extra sweet kitty, you've come to the right place to get help with treating feline diabetes. A year ago I knew next to nothing about diabetes. My vet helped me get started with Radars treatment. But the knowledgeable and kind people here taught me the practical day to day care and feeding, tips for testing and sometimes just an understanding ear was provided when I felt discouraged. We've all been where you are now and we want to help you and your kitty feel better.