me and alex

[vrswesley]

Alex is about 10 yrs old . ... she may not be diabetic.. but i have a feeling she is.. vet is in the process of testing her... she is a calico and is very small... always has been.. she has a little /big brother, named toki who is part chihuahua who she use to enjoy playing with... now she mostly sleeps eats a lot and loses weight and drinks alot of water.

My name is violet and her dad is dan.. we live on disability.. really dont know how we are going to afford to pay to keep her hesalthy. need sugjestion there.
I cant bear to put her down but may not have a CHOICE- I pray I ll be able to treat her, I love her.Im 48 dan is 53... we are getting married next month.

violet

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Welcome!

Be sure to ask your vet for a fructosamine test - it is the definite test for diabetes. (other things can cause similar symptoms and higher blood glucose levels.

The other thing you can do right away is to change his food to wet low carb food.(A vet explains why on this website: www.catinfo.org). Some inexpensive choices include Sophisticat and Friskies. We have a food chart and try to stay under 8%carbs.

There are cheap insulins but they are generally harder to work with. The most popular ones here are Lantus, Levemir and PZI. Your vet can get a free sample of BCP PZI.

We also have a free testing kit (we test our cat's blood glucose levels just like we would our 2 legged children). See the picture of the top of this page.

Let us know we can help. This is not an expensive disease to treat and can be done at home.

 

[Grayson & Lu]

Hi Violet and welcome!

Some numbers that I spend...to give you an idea of the costs associated with diabetes:

** My meter was about $9 at Walmart (Relion Ultima, although there are 2 other Relion models for the same price)
** Test strips (this is the most expensive item). For my meter, 100 strips for $36. Relions have the least expensive strips - but shop around if you can, and decide. The strips must match the meter. (MOST DIABETIC SUPPLIES ARE NOT RETURNABLE, SO MAKE SURE WHEN YOU PURCHASE THAT IT'S THE RIGHT ITEM). If you're testing about 3 times a day, that's a months supply.
** Lancets are I think about $4 for 100. I freehand - others use a lancet pen. Many "kits" come with a lancet pen - some require you get the correct brand lancets to fit the pen.
** Insulin will vary per brand. Prozinc I get at my vet for $120 - I've used it for 3 months and just replaced the bottle yesterday. It's NOT the kind the pharmacy makes... I understand that is the BCP PZI - have only heard it can vary in its effectiveness. Lantus and Levemir are the other popular insulins, both used in humans, so some people get a prescription from the vet and buy them at Costco or another pharmacy for less.
Needles - I buy the Relion needles at WalMart with the half-unit markings on them. A box of 100 is about $13.

That's pretty much it... so if you add up the monthly costs of the insulin, strips, lancets and needles, you're looking at about $93/month. Plus you've got the cost of wet food... but you'll save on the kitty litter, as I'm going through considerably less since Grayson has been being treated!

I hope you'll be able to care for your kitty - it's heartbreaking to think of letting them go after they've been such a loving companion. Good luck with your decision.

Lu-Ann