Honey diagnosed today - San Jose, CA

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Denise & Honey

Denise & Honey

Member Since 2012
My 10 year old cat was diagnosed today with diabetes.
The vet wants to start insulin tomorrow - which I'm fine with.

I looked at some of the documents on this site and mentioned some of them to my vet - home testing, canned food (no kibble) etc..
The vet said they do not advise home testing, she should have DM dry so its available for 'grazing' (she is underweight) and they want to hospitalize her for a curve.

I rang another local vet and they said the same.

This seems to contradict what I've read on this site. I'm worried that if I don't follow their recommendations, at least initially, the insulin levels may not get worked out.

I have 2 other cats and 2 young children so going with their recommendations seems to be the easy way. I also don't know how to find a 'good' vet relatively nearby (cat hates the carrier and the car).
If I start with this vet, is it easy to switch to another or to ignore some of their recommendations? I really want to get her on insulin asap so don't know what to do for the best.
 
Re: Honey diagnosed today

Oh boy! We see this so often. First thing to know is that diabetes is a condition that is managed by the pet owner, with assistance/guidance from the vet. I'm pretty darn sure that yo wouldn't give your children an insulin shot without testing their blood sugar to see if it was safe to give the dose, and so the cat is no different. Your instincts are correct!

There are 3 elements to managing diabetes and you've already mentioned them.
First, diet. Cats are not designed to eat dry food and especially carbohydrate loaded dry food. There are several ways to leave wet food for a kitty to graze - freeze 'pucks' and she will eat them as they thaw or get a timed feeder and divide her daily calorie requirement into 3 or 4 servings and put in the feeder. This will also help to level her bg during the day.
Second, insulin. A long acting human insulin such as Lantus (glargine) or Levemir (detemir) are very good. They both have gentle action and have a good record for having a cat go into remission.
And third is home testing. It is easy (although has a bit of a learning curve) and aves you and kitty stress of vet visits and also saves you $$.

If you post your location, we may know a vet who is more up to date on diabetes management in your area.
 
Re: Honey diagnosed today

Hi Denise,

I'm a newbie so I don't have a lot of advice except that there are so many people on this board that are so supportive, helpful and knowledgable. I know it's hard to trust someone on the internet, but I did and they have helped get my kitty off insulin. She's on a trial run without insulin right now to see how she does and so far so good. Their protocol works and since they live it every day, they stay updated on all the information and are so helpful. One day I hope that I can give as good of information as these guys. :lol:

One thing I would like to say is that home-testing is imperative to make sure you don't give too much insulin or that you are giving enough insulin. My vet wasn't crazy about me home-testing either, but I'm glad I did because there were a few times my kitty would have been in trouble with her glucose level if I hadn't tested when I did. My vet was also trying to get me to use their dry kibble, but I put both my cats on wet food that's low carb at the advice on this board. I noticed a huge difference in blood glucose levels within a couple of days. It's better for the other cat as well and can help prevent diabetes so I would feed all of the cats a low carb wet diet over dried. Any questions you may have can definitely be answered here so feel free to ask away! :-D These guys are awesome at helping you to gain control over your kitty's diabetes. Welcome to the board!
 
thanks Lori.
I'm trying to get up the courage to go for it!

Luckily (??) my husband also has diabetes - although not on insulin. I was hoping to get a test meter through him - any recommended for cats?
 
Oh! I know the feeling! I was so scared when I first came here. nailbite_smile I read so many threads on here and got so full of information my head was spinning. The only thing I had going for me was the basic knowledge of how the blood glucose works because I am hypoglycemic and my mom is diabetic. Other than that, it was a huge learning curve. My cat was diagnosed two weeks ago. She looked miserable and skinny two weeks ago. Now her fur is getting a shine back to it, she is filling back out, and she is bouncing off the walls because she feels so much better. When I started trying to really get her regulated, several of the veterans here would stay with me and check in with me every hour or two to make sure my kitty's glucose levels were OK. If they saw something that looked off, they told me exactly how to handle it. I couldn't ask for more support than that. :-D I hope you find a vet that works with you soon. My vet luckily went along with how I wanted to run the show once she saw some of the knowledge I had gained from this board. I have several animals and give them a lot of business so she humored me, I think. :lol: Hey... Whatever works, right? :mrgreen:
 
Hi Denise-
Welcome aboard. As they say...this is the best place you never wanted to be.

We joined a few weeks ago. Fur Ball was dx'd Sept 5. Wow. After the shock wore off, I too, like Lori absorbed so much information about FD that my head was spinning. My vet had us start insulin (2u bid) and asked us to return in one week (which we did). She prescribed Hills m/d (dry) but after all the research, we made the decision to go raw. Fortunately FB transitioned beautifully and he is now kibble free. Our vet also did not recommend testing. Going w/ my gut, and after all the research we got a meter but not after about 2 weeks of insulin. Here is a link that Rebecca just updated. I have the ReliOn confirm but probably would have gone w/ the other one had I seen this report first. The strips are what's the most expensive.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=80723

I know it is hard to go against the advice of the vet and trust an internet group. But this place really is the best and there is a wealth of knowledge here. We have not seen our vet since his follow up visit (and once FB finishes his OTJ (off the juice) trial we plan to go back and talk with her about everything we've learned). Of course. FB doesn't have any other medical issues so we were comfortable w/ this decision. It doesn't seem necessary for hospitalization unless Honey has DKA.

If you look at the spreadsheets on the signature lines, you will see how much we test and keep track of BG (blood glucose). Fur Ball appears to be going into remission and I attribute this to changing his diet, putting him on safe levels of insulin and following the protocol. It is a lot of work (and some loss of sleep!) but sooooooo worth it. Plus this forum offers such great support and encouragement.

That's my 2 cents. Most of the activity goes on over on LL (lantus land) but post any questions you have and someone will get to you. you can always use the icons at the top of the post to alert people to a question (?) or an emergency (911).

Karen
 
Welcome Denise & Honey! Glad you found us - tons of collective knowledge and a very caring support group who can help you every step of the way.

As far as meters go, any human glucometer will do. Many folks here use the Relion meters from Walmart. The key is in the test strips. The meters are usually not too expensive, but the test strips for some models are very expensive. For instance, I started out with the OneTouch Ultra and got a sticker shock of $130 for 100 test strips!! Now I use the Relion Prime with the strips going for about $9 for 50 strips.

For home testing you will also need:

Lancets or a lancet device. Some kitties don't like the clicking of a lancet pen, but you will find what works best for you. Personally, I freehand it using a 28 gauge lancet. Any brand will work for freehand, but if you use a device you will need to be sure the lancets match.

Tissue/paper towel/cotton ball/cotton rounds: something to put behind the ear to poke against without poking your own finger - ouch! I use cotton rounds cut in half. After taking the blood sample you will want to apply pressure to the poke to help prevent bruising and stop the bleeding.

Optional: Neosporin or vaseline can be applied to the edge of the ear to help the blood pool. Especially helpful for longer haired kitties. Neosporin can also aid in keeping the ears healed up.

Ketone strips for testing urine. You can get those in the diabetic section along with the other supplies.

Rice sack or something to warm the ears before poking. You can use a small, think sock filled with rice or oatmeal and knot it. Then you heat it in the microwave until it's warm (15-20 seconds or so). Some people use a prescription bottle filled with warm water. It is important to warm the ear so the blood gets flowing. A cold ear usually yields nothing.

Flashlight: This is handy for finding the sweet spot along the edge of the ear. Personally, I use one of those camper headlights. Keeps the hands free and adds a spotlight on the ear.

Low carb treats! Successful or not - kitty gets a treat just for giving it a whirl. It takes some practice, but you will find your way.

Despite what your vet says, home testing is a must! I should know - I was shooting blind and almost lost my sweet Buster Bu! Hypoglycemia is a real possibility and it can kill. The only way to know Honey is safe is to test her. Keep asking questions and read, read, read all you can! You can do this and we're here to help!
 
Honey - first insulin shot

Took her back to the vets today for her first shot - she did fine.
I had a practice go with some saline and stabbed myself - I think I saw a smirk on Honey's face!

She's on Purina DM canned until I can get to a Pet Smart to get her the Wellness that seems to be a favourite with everyone on the site.
She seemed to have more energy this afternoon - jumped onto the wall to sit in the sun, which she hasn't done for several weeks - so feeling hopeful.

I also tried my first home test today - but not on Honey. I tested on 1 of my other cats - my nice, placid, sleepy one (Minkie). I used my husbands lancets and test strips but couldn't get enough blood - tried twice and then felt too sorry for Minkie to continue. My husband said he has problems getting enough blood for the test so tomorrow going for the Rellon meter.

Got to do my first insulin shot tomorrow - bit nervous, more about getting it out of the vial correctly than anything else.
 
Congratulations Denise. Sounds like you have been doing a lot of research.
I think testing was so hard. The first week was pretty "awful" as it would take me 5-6 times before getting blood. Make sure you have a 27-28 gauge lancet. The bigger numbers are just too small to get the blood.
But, after so many goes at it, I feel almost like a pro. Fur Ball will sit and purr through the proceedure. I use a wet wash clothe that I've microwaved about 11 seconds and sit and massage his ear.
Gotta get, but wanted to drop you a quick post.
Way to go on taking the next steps!!!
Karen
 
Hi Denise,

I am in San Jose (Cambrian). It's been my experience that not a lot of vets are good at managing FD. However, I think that if your vet is open to listening to your ideas you may be on the right track. I love my vet and she is very good at what she does. Unfortunately, she gave the same advice for treating diabetes that many of us receive. I read all the advice I received here and many of the previous posts and decided to go ahead and feed my cat a lower carb food I could purchase at the store, home test, and not bring my boy into the office for glucose curves ( I did my own at home). I can't say my vet was happy and I also "ticked off" the internal specialist, but he's MY cat. We were OTJ within a month!! I continue to check his BG monthly now and his diabetes is nicely diet controlled. Now that my vet has seen how well my cat is doing she has become more open to listening to my ideas and we are back to working as partners. I can't offer you any dosing advice as we used it for such a short time and I can't offer a specific vet to see, but hopefully give you the courage to listen to the advice here, courage to home test, and courage to question your vet's advice if it doesn't sound like what you've seen here. Your vet should be your partner in your cat's health. Good luck!
 
Honey - San Jose, CA

thanks to all for the encouragement and advice.
Its given me the confidence to switch the diet - she's started on Fancy Feast (which she loves) and I got some Wellness grain-free today to see if she likes that.

I also got a ReliOn meter and 26 gauge lancets and did my first test on her this evening (hence this posting as I'm so exited!).
She wasn't keen on the warm sock but we persevered. I had no problem with the lancet device and got blood on the first try.
Reading was 392 - 2 hours after eating and 14 hours after her insulin (1 unit).

Wondering why the vet prescribed only 1 shot a day? Is that normal?
 
Denise,

Nice job on the home testing!! Once a day seems odd to me too. We used Lantus and I know that's twice a day. What insulin are you using and how much? Hopefully, other more experienced members will be along soon to give their advice.
 
Its Lantus - she's 9.5 lbs weight - not sure if that makes a difference.
I'll double check with the vet tomorrow but when I went in and the technician showed me how to do the shot, he just said keep it to the same time each day - 8am.
 
A cat's metabolism is about twice as fast as a humans so 24hr insulins like Lantus only last 12hrs or so in a cat. You want to be giving the shots twice a day, as close to 12 hrs apart as possible...

If you only shoot once a day, she will have 12 hrs of nice regulated numbers from insulin... and when it wears off her bg will start climbing higher and higher. It's an awful roller coaster ride that will make her feel terrible and impossible to regulate.

I left my boyfriend alone to take care of Scooter for a week and he did only about 1 shot a day because he was "too busy". If you look at my SS you can see his numbers are all over the place. For example on 10/07 he was at 286 for his morning shot of 1.25u. He probably got down to the 100's at the nadir, and then my bf skipped his PM shot. By the next morning he had gone all the way up to 416. :shock: Reds are very rare for my Scooter. Then he was given another 1.25u and 6 hrs later went down to 121! See what I mean about a roller coaster ride? :lol:
 
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