My cat is going to die because of money

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Liam scott

Member Since 2012
May 8 year old cat suddenly became ill within the last week, he has been diagnosed with diabetes.
He also has been diagnosed with asthma so he is regularly treated with steroids and antibiotics (however, when he has antibiotics his asthma goes so maby it isn't asthma).
We are in a very stressful upsetting situation as we love our animals alot and cant stand it when we have to face the decision of putting our pets down.
We have contacted our local charities to ask for financial help as we simply cannot afford to treat him. we have been told that there is nothing they can do as younger cats are there first priority.
I really dont want my cat to die as he still seems happy and loves to get attention which upsets me even more.
any suggestions?

*I live in the uk
 
Welcome!

There are many ways to keep the costs low for a diabetic cat. I would suggest you do the ones you can afford to do know while you are looking for help.

First,
The biggest change right now is changing the food. I've added a link for the foods available to European/international buyers. you want to find something low carb- under 10% is the best, under 5% is even better. Binky's list is in this link and it covers UK.

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=64843

While canned food is a little more expensive than dry- remember this- dry food is basically air filled candy- nothing but air filled candy. In the states we have Fancy Feast, Friskies, 9-lives- all less expensive canned cat food that is a higher quality than dry and BETTER for your cat. When your cat eats dry he has to eat a lot- so he poops a lot- it goes straight through him. And right now he is starving so he eats a lot of food trying to find the nutrients that his body just isn't able to get so he is pooping all that dry food right out again. Canned food has more water and is better food all around. Once his body can get the nourishment from it he will start eating less. Granted, if you can get him started on insulin that will help his body to get better but changing his diet is an important step. He should never eat dry food again.

Second,
home testing. If you have no idea what his BG's are like you have no idea if he is getting better or worse. Get a human glucometer- but stay away from the generic brands- ours over here doesn't seem to read accurately in the higher numbers. Get brand name but one that has the cheapest strips you can afford. When testing you will want to test- at the LEAST- 3 times a day the more you test the better your data is and the better you can help your cat. I test a minimum of 7 times a day. Get a meter that has the smallest amount of blood you can get- something like a 3mml or 5mml. Usually the meters don't cost a lot and you can sometimes find free meters if you buy enough strips. We have a spreadsheet set up that you can attach to your signature. You want to input on the World tab and it should populate automatically to the US tab.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

Third-
insulin- good ones- Lantus and Levemir and ProZinc. Bad ones... all else. Yes, these do cost more, but if you start your kitty on a good insulin the chances of him regulating faster are far better than starting him on something like Humulin or Canisilun (made for dogs).

Good luck on this. I know it is hard and money just makes it harder sometimes.
 
If you feed low carb canned or raw foods, as mentioned above, this can greatly reduce the insulin need. Sometimes, it even eliminates it. This is may be beneficial in preventing obesity and renal disease in any other cats you may have.

Feeding several small meals morning and evening may help control the food-related spikes in glucose; This helps manage the diabetes too (also true for human diabetics). Many folks use a timed pet feeder to accomplish this.

If you absolutely had to use Humulin N (aka NPH) due to cost, the most effective dosing with that seems to be every 8 hours. This is because it only lasts 6-8 hours in the cat's rapid metabolism.
 
I wouldn't say diabetes is a cheap disease to treat, BUT it can be a lot cheaper than what your vet has probably outlined for you.

You don't need expensive prescription food. Any of the Fancy Feast Classic varieties work - they're .59 a can here and often you can find coupons. There are cheaper options too - I know Walmart brand works for a lot of people. My cat is just incredibly picky and likes the Fancy Feast.

You don't need to go to the vet for them to check his blood sugar over the course of a day (a curve). You can do that yourself; and you'll have more accurate data that way as well!

I use a Relion meter - that's Walmart's brand. Picked it up for around $9. Test strips I order off of American Diabetes Wholesale - Arkray brand (the generic of Relion). 5 boxes of 50 for $70 - one box lasts me around 2.5 weeks so. Lancets... Relion brand; 200 run around $5.

Syringes...box of 100 for $15. That lasts me 50 days.

The insulin we use is Lantus - our pharmacy allows you to buy 1 pen. A pen generally lasts Kazi around 2.5 - 3 months and is $56.
 
Hi,
Can you go back to your original post and and something like "live in UK"? We have members there that would be able to help. You may not have access to the same choices for insulin or food that most of us have, but they can steer you good choices where you are.
Carl
 
I can get a cartridge (or pen, forget) of Lantus from Ware as well as some syringes and maybe testing equipment. The cartridge or pen may be recently expired end of June but it has never been punctured or used or mishandled in any way so I would think it would be good
If we can get it delivered to someone who can deliver it to her in Harrowgate in yorkshire and show her how to test and shoot, that can hold things over for a bit giving time to find out what needs to be done and where it goes from there
I have contact with her if needed
 
Thanks alot for all the help , my cat has improved alot over the last few days.
He is alot more alert, can walk almost normally and is actually wanting to eat now. I also think he has stopped losing weight.
At the moment due to it being a weekend the best we can do is feed him chicken in small portions throughout the day, then hopefully tomorrow we can get some proper cat food made for a diabetic cat.
We also hope to get a call from the rspca tomorrow to see if they could help us financially.
The only time we will be able to take him to the vets is Wednesday because that is when our proffered vet is in, who is alot more caring and doesnt just care about money.
Do you think my cat will be fine till then?
How often should I feed him the chicken?
 
I would think small amounts every hour or every couple of hours at night, would be good. I'm glad he is feeling better and eating YAY!
 
I meant to say every hour or so during the day, and then every couple of hours during the night, would be good :-|
 
Liam scott said:
Thanks alot for all the help , my cat has improved alot over the last few days.
He is alot more alert, can walk almost normally and is actually wanting to eat now. I also think he has stopped losing weight.
At the moment due to it being a weekend the best we can do is feed him chicken in small portions throughout the day, then hopefully tomorrow we can get some proper cat food made for a diabetic cat.
We also hope to get a call from the rspca tomorrow to see if they could help us financially.
The only time we will be able to take him to the vets is Wednesday because that is when our proffered vet is in, who is alot more caring and doesnt just care about money.
Do you think my cat will be fine till then?
How often should I feed him the chicken?
Click to expand...
As long as he continues to show a willingness to eat, he should be fine until Wednesday. I think it is important that you are able to get him to a vet that you seem to have confidence in, and I'm happy to hear you have seen an improvement!
Carl
 
Welcome to the FDMB!!

In the UK, there is a cascade system for the prescription of medicines by veterinarians. http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Compendium/Overview/-45043.html

My understanding is that Caninsulin is the only approved veterinary insulin under the UK cascade system. Caninsulin was originally manufactured for dogs (hence the name Canin-insulin) and was discontinued in the US due to quality issues. According to the manufacturer, there are no quality issues in Europe.

There is a bovine based Protamine Zinc Insulin manufactured in the UK--Hypurin Bovine PZI. Hypurin Bovine PZI can be prescribed under the cascade system but many vets will require Caninsulin be used first.

If your vet will prescribe Hypurin Bovine PZI, you may be able to buy it from the vet or order it from online pharmacies.

Online sources for Hypurin Bovine PZI:

Masters Direct http://www.mastersdirect.com/prescr...0ml-pack-of-1-prescription-item?source=search

Pet Drugs Online UK http://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/site.aspx?i=pr479579

From discussions with a couple folks who understand the manner in which UK veterinarians apply the cascade system when it comes to insulin, it would be the rare and renegade veterinarian who would prescribe the use of Lantus or Levemir insulins on a diabetic cat. And it would therefore be rare for a UK vet to understand the use of Lantus or Levemir insulins in a diabetic cat. If I were you, I would try to get the cat on the Hypurin. Some folks think Hypurin is the gold standard of insulins for diabetic cats, and many in the US wish it were available here.

Cross-border shipping of insulin (if that was what Ken was suggesting; I'm not sure because I don't know what or where he meant by Ware) could be problematic with shipping time and current temperatures (Lantus is not to be exposed to temperatures over 86 degrees Farenheit) and with needing a customs declaration that I believe requires evidence of a prescription and shipping by someone licensed to distribute drugs cross border.

I understand that there is a listing of tinned foods available in the UK, including carb calculations compiled by Hobbs/Hillbilly, on Pet Forums Cat Health & Nutrition at http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/112132-z-wet-food-cats.html. I can't say that's true because I am not a member of that forum and thus cannot see the post with the listing or when it was posted. However, perhaps you have time to register and check it out.
 
The best food in my local pet store was this, is it ok for now?

Applaws - Natural Cat Food (100% Natural) - Tuna Fillet

Composition:
Tuna Fillet - 75%
Fish Broth - 19%
Rice - 6%

Additives = None

Analytical Constituents:
Crude Protein - 14%
Crude Fibre - 1%
Crude Oils & Fats - 1%
Crude Ash - 2%
Moisture - 82%

[70g]

This is one of 5 cans I have which are all different meats so there content % slightly differ

How often and how much should I feed my diabetic cat these (He isn't on insulin yet
 
The rice is a concern. It is a carb and if your cat is carb sensitive, this may not be a good option.

Also, because of the mercury in fish, you want to limit the amount of times you feed fish no more than once or twice a week.
 
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