new member of the diabetic cat club

[maysmom]

May was diagnosed with diabetes on Monday. Tuesday I got the Lantus insulin and syringes. Today we started with the shots. Part of me is panicking because I have a very irregular work schedule and won't always be able to stick to the every 12 hour schedule of injections and I am afraid something will happen to her while I am at work. Part of me is very determined to make this work. I lost my other cat Scooter a little over a year ago and I can't bear the thought of losing another one. I have read almost everything on this website and am happy to have a place for support in this journey. Tomorrow I will get a meter. My vet didn't say run out and get one but I figure it will help me better understand what is going on with this process.
Thanks for listening, Judy

 

[Dyana]

Welcome Judy and May
We will help you to help your May.

Post all the questions you have. When you have any spare minutes, go to the Lantus forum and read the starred stickeys at the top, and then ask any more questions you have. It's a lot to learn, but we're patient, and have helped a lot of other people help their cats. :YMHUG:

Getting that glucometer is the first step in keeping May safe. Let us know if you need any help in learning to home test, tomorrow.

 

[LynnLee + Mousie]

hi there! just wanted to say hi from another so cal member

and from another member with a bad work schedule. rarely do my kitties get their shots exactly 12 hours apart because of my work but i will say once you start reading, asking questions, learning, and hometesting, you soon know how to handle the odd schedule. like tonight i'm hearing the 91 freeway is a parking lot so we'll pass the 12 hour window i'm sure. if i'm close, i'll test and give them their insulin. if i'm too far out, say 15 hours, i'm liable to skip because the next shot (tomorrow morning's) comes too soon. that kind of thing. a meter to test at home is your best friend with this disease. it's the best way to keep kitty safe and seeing the data in front of you whenever you want it, is one of the quickest ways to pick up the learning.

if you think you might want hands on help learning to test or find that you do (the first couple days can be frustrating) just let us know where you're at (just city, not street address of course). there's several of us now in the so cal area and glad to help. kpassa, mustluvcats, misty & bast, jt and trouble, myself, karen & dB, all come to mind and i know i'm forgetting several

 

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

Hello, Welcome to the board!

Testing is a great idea and will help keep your cat safe. Many people here use the Walmart relion or arkay brands. It's also a good idea to track the results on a spreadsheet like in my link. We can explain how once you get the meter.

Can I ask what are you feeding her? Wet? Dry? What kind of food/brand?

Wendy

 

[maysmom]

I just started her on canned food. I had been only feeding dry because I didn't think she liked canned food (long story). Boy was I wrong. She loves the canned food so the transition was easy. I just picked up a mixed selection of things. Now I am debating if I should start looking for the lower carbohydrate stuff or just not worry about that right now.

 

[squeem3]

I just started her on canned food. I had been only feeding dry because I didn't think she liked canned food (long story). Boy was I wrong. She loves the canned food so the transition was easy. I just picked up a mixed selection of things. Now I am debating if I should start looking for the lower carbohydrate stuff or just not worry about that right now.

It's never too early to start looking for low carb food Buy a few different brands and see which one(s) your cat likes. Some cats are really picky. Whatever brand your cat likes to eat and you can afford is the best one to feed :smile: Some people stick with Fancy Feast, others feed high end premium brands.

Have you seen the food shopping lists some people have put together with suggestions?
Dr. Lynne's Wet Food list
List of low carb gluten free Fancy Feast
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=84885
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=81687
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=84512

Here are the more extensive food charts:
Dr. Lisa's new food chart http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Food Chart Public 9-22-12.pdf
Binky's canned food charts
Pet Food Nutritional Values list
Hobo's Guide To Nutritional Values

Look for foods under 10% carbs on the above four charts.

Do you have U100 3/10 cc (30 unit) insulin syringes? Those are the best ones to use for cats. Even better are the 3/10 cc ones with half unit markings which makes it easy to measure half and even smaller units which some cats do need.

Giving insulin exactly 12 hours apart is ideal but in reality it just doesn't happen. There's a window of 30 minutes or so in which you can give the insulin without worry. Some people have a pet sitter/neighbor/friend/etc give the insulin shot when they know they won't be home in time to do it.

Have you started gving the Lantus yet? What starting dose did the vet tell you? Some vets start a cat off on a high dose (2 or more units) which can be too much for the cat to handle and hypoglycemia results. A much safer dose to start with is 0.5 units or 1 unit twice a day. It's better to start too low and not have any effect on the blood glucose levels than to start too high and risk a hypo.

 

[Wendy&Tiggy(GA)]

Let us know when you get that meter.. its very important to test especially since you have stopped the dry, as her blood glucose could drop and she may need less insulin.

 

[maysmom]

It's never too early to start looking for low carb food Buy a few different brands and see which one(s) your cat likes. Some cats are really picky. Whatever brand your cat likes to eat and you can afford is the best one to feed :smile: Some people stick with Fancy Feast, others feed high end premium brands.

Thanks for the convenient links, I will do some homework before going shopping.

Do you have U100 3/10 cc (30 unit) insulin syringes?

I have the U100 3/10cc syringes marked in 1unit increments. I just started the shots on Wednesday. The vet started me with a conservative 1 unit dose. I think I am more freaked out by the shots than May. This is a lot easier than when I had to give my dog allergy shots.

Giving insulin exactly 12 hours apart is ideal but in reality it just doesn't happen. There's a window of 30 minutes or so in which you can give the insulin without worry.

Thanks for the reassurance about a small window. The vet tech had me a little wound up about timing.

I got my meter at Walmart and am reading the instructions. After seeing the lancet pen, I understand why people do it freehand. I will review instructions online before I tackle May.
Thanks everyone!

 

[squeem3]

I have the U100 3/10cc syringes marked in 1unit increments. I just started the shots on Wednesday. The vet started me with a conservative 1 unit dose. I think I am more freaked out by the shots than May. This is a lot easier than when I had to give my dog allergy shots.

When you need to buy more insulin syringes, buy the 3/10 cc ones with half unit markings. It'll make measuring insulin so much easier :smile:

You can buy insulin syringes online with no prescription. AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com is one popular place. Use the blue ADW ad link that is at the top of the board so that the board gets a commission :smile:

There are many brands of insulin syringes, some inexpensive and others pretty pricey. Whatever brand works for you and you can afford is fine. Here are some brand suggestions:
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=65136
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=86758

Walmart's Relion brand of insulin syringes is what many people here use. They are not available online, though.

I got my meter at Walmart and am reading the instructions. After seeing the lancet pen, I understand why people do it freehand. I will review instructions online before I tackle May.

Here are the testing tips and videos: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

Many people do use the lancet device. Some lancet devices work better than others. None will hurt your cat or cause any permanent damage. Freehanding works well for lots of people. Try both ways to see which works best for you :smile: