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akashasmom

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Hi. My name is Melissa and my kitty Akasha was recently diagnosed with diabetes. I got the initial shock with her vet bills, then a really massive shock with the cost of her insulin and syringes. Right now, her vet isn't having me monitor her blood, just giving 1unit of Lantus every 12 hours. She is eating Wellness Core original formula dry food. Since I am new here and new to dealing with this, does anyone have any advice for me? I do not have an issue giving Akasha her shots or getting her to eat. Akasha's hair has fallen out, mostly on her hind quarters and back from this disease. Has anyone else had problems with their kitty's hair falling out from this? I am hoping Kasha's is going to come back. She is still beautiful to me no matter what, but I feel bad because her fur is patchy and I know ppl think something is wrong with her other than what is really wrong. I also have 2 other male cats, both healthy as can be. All of my babies are rescues. Akasha is from Hurricane Katrina, she was sent to Indianapolis, Indiana to The Humane Society, which is where I adopted her from shortly after the hurricane. I had another rescue that had Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia that I adopted when I adopted Akasha and unfortunately, he only made it to age 6. I also had a Great Pyrenees dog and unfortunately she had a brain tumor and I had to say goodbye to her in January, she was only 8. So, aside from all my rambling here, I would like to keep Akasha with me as long as possible. I know diabetes is not a death sentence like IMHA, so is there any advice anyone can give me to help me give her the best life possible and keep her as healthy as possible for as long as possible. My pets are my babies and losing one almost kills me. All that have gone have taken a piece of my heart with them.
 
Welcome! Yes, we have good news for you and your sweet Akasha. Lantus is a good insulin. Hometesting will help you save a lot of money and keep your kitty safe. You can do the tests at home instead of spending money at the vet. You can buy a ReliOn meter at Walmart for under $30 with strips and lancets. We've taught hundreds of people how to test over the Internet and would be glad to help you.

We also feed our cats wet low carb food. This vet explains why: www.catinfo.org. BUT we wouldn't want you to change until you are testing. Our Oliver went down 100 points overnight when we switched him from dry to wet.

Our protocol of low carb food, a good insulin and hometesting has helped many cats here to regulation and sometimes remission.

Keep reading. Ask questions. We'd love to help you help Akasha.
 
Thanks;-) I, amazingly, was just hired at Sam's Club, so Akasha's insulin and supplies will be somewhat cheaper for me. The first go round was $153. for insulin and syringes at Sams before I got hired, it will be a little cheaper this next time around. My vet did say something about me switching Akasha to wellness core wet food. Its quite expensive. The other choice, of course will be Hills prescription, which I already know she will not touch. I bought some canned wellness core before her diagnosis was fully confirmed and she liked it, but so do my 2 boys....I will admit, one of my boys is over weight and this is also something we are working on. His name is Blue Catfish, lol. He was abused by the ppl who adopted him the first time and they broke part of his nose and then dumped him in the street. When his nose healed, he developed a weird meow that sounds like a catfish when its out of water- its Oww, Oww instead of meow. Anywho, thanks so much for replying. Akasha has to go back in about 2 weeks to be rechecked. The vet office was going to let me rent one of their meters that is specifically for cats/dogs, but they charge $160 for a non refundable deposit. So, I am trying to figure out which to buy and I looked at the Relion. Its probably the one I will get. BUT the vet doesn't want me testing her at home yet. When I take her back, I fully expect to be told to purchase a meter. I have actually always been really leery of dry food with my cats, but all 3 drink plenty of water everyday. I have the catinfo site bookmarked on my laptop already, along with this site... Thanks so much :mrgreen:
 
This is definitely the place to come if you want advice - we have lots of it :-D

Read as much as you can of the stickies at the top of the forum - they have lots of invaluable info.
This one is a good starting read http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2501

Low-carb wet food, hometesting and a good insulin such as lantus are key ingredients to getting Akasha healthy again.
But, as you've started insulin, don't do a quick switch to wet food - you need to learn to home test first and then switch slowly.

You probably have a vial of lantus which does seem expensive but it does last. You will be giving such small amounts that you are unlikely to use it all up and although it says to discard after 28 days on the vial, it can last many months. I only bought 1 vial with my cat which lasted the whole 4 months she was on insulin before she became a diet-controlled diabetic.
You can also pick up syringes cheaply at Walmart - relion brand - so get those when your current ones run out.
For home testing the strips are the most expensive item so a lot of us use Walmart's Relion meters which have cheap strips (Confirm needs least blood but Prime has cheapest strips of all)

But, this will stop you having to go to the vet for expensive curves/testing - I didn't take my cat at all after initial dx.
It will also give you more accurate numbers as Akasha won't be stressed by being at the vet. It will let you know if its safe to give her insulin, ie. that she shouldn't go too low and risk a how to treat a hypo and let you control her shots so that you can help her get regulated.

Regarding the hair loss, I know that Honey's coat greatly improved after I switched her to wet food and she was regulated>remission but it could be something else.
Someone else may have some input on that.
 
We cross posted...

Congrats on the new job :-D
Don't go for the Presciption food particularly any weight-loss stuff for Blue Catfish - Honey was on that for years and I think its what gave her diabeties in the first place.
I feed my 3 on Friskies pates (no gravy, flakes etc..) or Fancy Feast classics pates. Its as good as the presciption wet but a lot cheaper!

Don't go for the vet meter - waste of money. Just go for the Relion one and please do start hometesting - this is one of those times to ignore the vet's advice - most of us did as well.
It is tricky at first but a necessity - if Akasha's bg was low and you gave her a shot, she could drop so low it could kill her.
It really is important.

Until you can get supplies, start getting her used to being handled and kept still for a few minutes. Play/rub her ears to get her used to that and find her a low-carb treat that she loves - that will make testing much easier. There are lots of youtube videos on testing and I'll try to dig out a really good link on it.
 
Welcome on!
I strongly suggest home testing. Testing before each shot lets you know if it's safe to give insulin or not. If BG is too low at shot time, giving insulin could be deadly. Testing in between shots, helps us to understand what the insulin is doing over its cycle.
Testing isn't really hard - it just takes practice, really. And lots of low-carb kitty treats. My Chester likes freeze-dried chicken and shrimp.
If you'd like some help learning how to test, I am in the area and could probably help out.
 
In addition to blood glucose testing, you will want to check for ketones, especially if she is at 300 or greater. Ketones are a by-product of fat breakdown. Too many may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially fatal, expensive to treat complication of diabetes. You will need urine ketone test strips; generic are fine. Tips for getting the urine are in my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools.
 
Just a side note here - So, the vet's office let you rent a meter (an expensive one) but they said not to worry about trying to do home testing? It sounds like they intend for you to learn how to use it, eventually, even if not right now. You already have the hang of the shots, and learning to home test now will just put you ahead of the game! :cool: I use the ReliOn and I like it, got to admit - it helps that it is cheap!

Welcome! Hope you enjoy the site and members as much as I have!
 
Thanks guys. I will purchase the Relion. I have done a lot of research on everything, from test strips to insulin- you name it and I have researched. I am used to giving humans insulin and have done it since the age of 6 as my grandfather had it and then later my father and grandmother. The only thing I didn't help with was the testing...I helped read the results, but not with the actual test. As far as giving Akasha her shots, I am fine with it, just need to get the testing part in check. I used to feed all my cats Friskies, canned and dry, and then slowly switched to the dry Wellness core after my vet told me to. I have bought the wellness canned also, just to see how it went and my 3 cats wanted to be picky- one likes one kind, one likes another, you get my point. Yes, my vet offered for me to rent the expensive meter, but I didn't do it. Akasha will have to go back this next week to be tested and it will be close to $300, I am not complaining about my vet (she is awesome), it is just that goodness it is expensive! I will start working at Sams Club next week, but I am on a limited budget because I am in college and so is my son. Akasha's visits have pretty much depleted my bank account. I think I have spent well over $1500 over the last month in a half trying to get her straightened out and healthy again. It is one expensive problem to deal with, thats for sure. BUT I love her and that is that and she will be taken care of;-) I am just blown away at the cost of it all- it is overwhelming to say the least. I will not put them on the prescription food because from all I have researched and read, it is not worth it and my cats do not like it. When one of my rescues had IMHA, I bought a few cans of the prescription food for him and he hated it. I had to syringe/force feed him at the time, but when I pureed friskies, I had no problems getting him to take it, but he was adamant about rejecting the prescription food. Unfortunately, he finally lost his battle with IMHA and I had to say goodbye to him (almost killed me and I am still grieving over him- we had an instant bond). So, prescription canned food is not going to be an option. I really appreciate all the advice that you all have given me and I love this site. I am so happy that there are knowledgeable ppl out there who are willing to help not just us humans, but our fur babies as well
 
What testing does your vet want you to have done for that $300? If it is a blood glucose curve, you can do that at home for a lot less money, less than $5 if you already have the glucometer.
 
It is 2 tests: It is Fructosamine and Comp Blood Ct and Chemical Profile and the curve too. So, actually 3 things. The first 2 are $192 and have to be sent off. The other is all day at the vet ($120), which makes Akashas bg go up because it stresses her out to go to the vet :o
 
And no, I haven't bought a meter yet....At this point in time, I don't even know how I am going to be able to buy one right now unfortunately- (could pull my hair out, everything is overwhelming at the moment)
 
If you started the home testing you wouldn't need the curve or the Fructosamine test (not sure what the other tests are for so no comment on those).
It would save you a lot of money and make Akasha much happier as she doesn't have to spend a day at the vets.
You mentioned it would stress her out and put her bg up so the reading won't even be accurate.

Save the money and spend it on the testing equipment. It is all very stressful at first but once you figure out the testing, you will start to feel that you are ahead of this and can really manage it for Akasha.
 
If you can home test, you can gather more accurate data than you will get from the Fructosamine test. A fructosamine test is an average of the blood glucose levels over the past 2-3 weeks. If you home test instead, you will get actual daily data of what is going on with the blood glucose (BG) levels.

If your vet was not sure about the diabetes diagnosis, the fructosamine test would help to confirm the diagnosis. Personally, I would rather put that money towards testing supplies.

Relion Confirm meter about $20, 200 test strips about $72.
Relion Prime meter about $20, 200 test strips about $36.
Relion insulin syringes about $12.75 for 100
Ketone test strips about $8-13

Unless you have a very laid back cat, the blood glucose curve done at the vet will often give high readings due to vet stress. Vet stress can raise the BG 100-180 points, within 5 minutes and last for 90 minutes.

Vets often base the initial dose on this curve. Our concern here is that if the initial dose is based on high numbers, the starting dose of insulin will be too high. Dealing with a hypo incident is not fun.
 
oops, posted the same thing twice.


good luck on getting the supplies and home testing. We have tips for you when you need them.
 
Her last vet test curve was 410, if I remember correctly. She has very high anxiety over going to the vet- period. While there all day, she would not eat or use the litter box, which I figured would be the case. She was a kitten during Hurricane Katrina and sent from Slidell, LA to Indianapolis, IN where I adopted her. No one wanted to adopt her because the hurricane caused her a lot of nervous issues and anxiety. I saw her and felt so sorry for her, that I had to adopt her. I couldn't stand to see this little baby all balled up in a litter box in a cage shaking and scared to death. Since adopting her, she has settled down considerably, but anything out of the ordinary makes her go into over drive and she flips out. She doesn't like to be picked up- everything is on her terms, and that is fine with me. She sleeps with me (on me), sits next to me, follows me, and is my constant companion as long as I do not pick her up. I pretty much play by her rules. So taking her to the vet is a BIG BIG stress to her. She does not like to get in her carrier- which doesn't happen because I like to keep my skin on my bones lol- she gets wrapped in her blanket to go. BUT before we get out of the house to go, she pees all over me while trying to get out of the house. She is not a happy camper on vet day, that is for sure. I believe that I will go get her meter tomorrow and do the home testing. I really think her levels will be much lower at home and she will at least eat and be in her normal environment. She is a weird kitty, but I love her and only want what is best for her.
 
Here are some testing tips https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub

Also here's a shopping list if its not too late

Getting started shopping list
1. Meter ie Walmart Relion
2. Matching strips
3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool.
4. Cotton balls to stem the blood
5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment to heal the wound
6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against
7. Ketone urine test strips ie Ketostix or ketodiastix - Important to check ketones when blood is high
8. Sharps container - to dispose of waste syringes and lancets.
9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken
10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast
11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

Lastly many of us here just feed fancy feast classic pâtés, friskies pâtés or wellness grain free. These are low carb canned food which help to get the blood sugar under control.
 
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