Just diagnosed

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Steph&BigKitty

Steph&BigKitty

Member Since 2017
Hello! I'm so happy to have found this site! My Kitty was just diagnosed last week. He's a 13 year old black and white male and his name is..Kitty :)
His only symptom was excessive drinking. I took him to the vet and had blood work done. Everything was perfect except his glucose came back at 429 and he hadn't ate in about 5 hours.
We just started insulin 2 days ago. He is one 1 unit every 12 hours of Vetsulin.
From what I read on here alot of people are using Lantis. Now I'm worried about using the Vetsulin. My vet chose it because she said she thinks its more effective than human insulin.
Also the vet wants me to bring him back every two weeks to get his blood checked. I didn't know I could use a human glucose meter until I joined this site. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Does it hurt the cat? What spot on the ear? What depth do you set your needle on?
Thank you everyone. I can't tell you how good it feels to have people to talk to.
 
Hi Stephanie. Welcome. The people here have taught me a lot about diabetes.
Someone will be along that will give you the links on testing. I just wanted to set your mind at ease about the testing. We adopted an untreated diabetic senior cat from animal control in Sept. Three months later he goes and gets on the stool when he thinks he should be tested. As those links will explain, giving a treat is part of the routine. Which of course is what Morris really wants. :) Everyone has their own routine that works for them. If after reading the links you have questions just ask. There is a wealth of experience here.
 
Welcome Stephanie and Kitty. So glad you are considering home testing. It is key to keeping Kitty safe and getting Kitty regulated.

stephanie horton said:
From what I read on here alot of people are using Lantis. Now I'm worried about using the Vetsulin. My vet chose it because she said she thinks its more effective than human insulin.
Click to expand...

While it's true a lot of folks use Lantus, the best insulin for your cat is the one that works for your cat. There are cats that Vetsulin works very well for. In fact we are counting down the days to remission for one such kitty right now. There are also cats for which Vetsulin just doesn't last long enough through a 12 hour cycle. Every cat is different. I would give Vetsulin a chance. You can switch insulin later if you find the Vetsulin is not working optimally for Kitty.

stephanie horton said:
Also the vet wants me to bring him back every two weeks to get his blood checked.
Click to expand...
There is no need to be taking Kitty into the vet every couple of weeks for curves if you are home testing. The benefits of home testing are
  1. You save money on vet bills by eliminating the need for vet curves.
  2. You don't stress Kitty out with vet visits which can cause elevated BG levels (sometimes by 100 points or more) and lead the vet to recommend too high a dose of insulin.
  3. You keep Kitty safe by only giving insulin when it is safe to do so by doing pre-shot BG tests.
  4. You can see for yourself how well the insulin is working for Kitty and avoid hypoglycemia by testing at appropriate times for your insulin to see how low the dose of insulin is taking Kitty. You can share this information with your vet so they have accurate unstressed BG readings on which to make any recommendations.
stephanie horton said:
I didn't know I could use a human glucose meter until I joined this site. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Does it hurt the cat? What spot on the ear? What depth do you set your needle on?
Click to expand...

Yes you can use a human glucometer and the most popular brand used by members in the US are the Relion Confirm or Micro. Both of these meters require only a small sample of blood and have reasonably priced strips. All the reference documentation on this forum is based on use of a human glucometer unless otherwise specified. Pet meters are great but considerably more expensive to use due to the cost of the strips.

HERE is a link to lots of testing information. If you need more assistance or more tips and tricks, just holler. :D
 
Hi Stephanie !!! Welcome to FDMB! You are in the exact right place for information and compassion as well. If not for the loving, knowledgable folks on this board I honestly believe Elmo might not have made it . I too started out with Vetsulin so please don' t beat yourself about that because you are early in this journey. Every kitty is different so different insulins work for different cats . You will know what is best for Kitty as you go thru this process. I see Linda( Mr WorfMen'sMom) has contacted you...she is one of the first to help Elmo and I so you are in GREAT hands, along with many others who I know will chime in soon:). I would encourage you to come here with an open mind and heart, knowing these are kitty parents who have" been there" and "done that"...their knowledge and experience is the best!!! Again, so so glad u and Kitty are here:bighug:
 
PS...i know it will be a lot to take in at first so take it one step at a time, get the basics down as advised by the more experienced helpers here( home testing, what to feed, keeping a Spread sheet and setting up a signature) and all else will flow from there. You and Kitty can do this !!!!!
 
Hi Stephanie... My cat was on Vetsulin and went into remission. The best insulin is the one that works for you. :). We are happy to answer any questions.

First try setting up a signature. Click your name in the upper right corner and click on signature. Add some info like date diagnosed, insulin type, food being fed, other health concerns...

Janet
 
Hi Stephanie and Welcome :bighug:
Please keep posting, reading the links, and asking whatever questions you have. We are here to help you, day and night, in any ways we can.
 
Hi Stephanie,

One thing you MUST remember, you are NOT alone. Everyone here has/had a cat with diabetes. This forum is in real time with real cats, with parents living in the real world, with all the rest of life thrown in to keep it interesting.

If you want to vent, cry, scream and or jump for joy because Kitty had a poop (something you will come to understand) we celebrate poop here. We will be here with you.

Any questions you have or not sure of just ask. Someone is around 24/7 as this forum has members all over the world.
 
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