New diagnosis; what now?

[vcarver]

My 7-year old Simba was diagnosed today. The vet is going to administer first dose of insulin today. We are going to be learning a lot over the next weeks and months. The biggest factor for us is that although Simba is the sweetest, most loving cat, he will NOT be managed. We can't even give him a pill unless we can hide it in his food. He has peed on us and bitten us and sent me to the ER. He is a big, 18 lb. hunk of a cat and he is mortally afraid of any type of meds or med management. And he hates going to the vet so badly that we have to give him Diazepam to calm him before the trip. How are we going to manage all the things involved in treating a diabetic cat? I am overwhelmed.

 

[Just-As-Appy]

You'll manage. We all felt just the same. I suggest the first thing is to find out what kind of insulin your vet plans to use. If you have an influence, Lantus would be my choice, but the vet's choice depends on the country and their experience. Next I would get a large supply of his favourite treats along with some freeze dried chicken. Many cats like it and it is low carb. Many cats don't even notice the insulin injection because the needle is so fine. With his nose buried in his dinner is a good time to inject. I'm sure others will have other ideas for you. For now breathe - its doable, even with a challenging cat. A little story - 2 months ago my friend's cat would scream when she tried to test her bg. Now the princess sits beside the tester and taps it with her aw when its getting close to test and shoot time. She found freeze-dried turkey treats and they are irresistible.

 

[BJM]

First, breathe. This is going to be a learning process for you and Simba.
Next, the use of positive reinforcement will be helpful as you begin shaping his behavior.
Start by picking a place where you want to test him and to give his insulin. Bring him to the spot, give a low carb treat, and release him. Repeat this several times daily until he comes to get his treat willingly. Add in massaging his ears and his feet, as one of these locations will be where you will test his blood.

While you've working on the blood testing, take a look at my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools; these will be helpful in evaluating how Simba is doing, even if you haven't been able to blood test.