Hi and welcome to the board!
My vet gave him Humulin N U-100. 1.5 units twice a day after meals of purina dm wet food.
I was so hoping you'd say "Lantus, Levemir, or Prozinc" as those seem to be the best choices of insulin for cats. The Purina DM is okay, it is a low carb canned food, which is exactly what you need to be feeding Landry. There are only a couple of issues with it, which might not apply in Landry's case. One is that it's pretty pricey, and you can feed "store brand" food that is just as good and save yourself some money. The other is that some kitties seem to burn out on the taste after a few days, and it only comes in one flavor, I think? If you do notice that he decides he's not a big fan of the DM, there are lots of other good choices available.
I went ahead and got the glucometer, test strips, lancet device and lancets today. Gonna practice on me so I know how it feels to him.
Awesome that you went and got a meter and strips! Which kind did you get? Home testing is absolutely the best thing you can do as far as managing diabetes safely. The other bonus is that if you are testing at home, there won't be a need to bring him in for curves at the vet. You can just email your vet the numbers you get at home. One thing to keep in mind.... there are a lot more nerve endings in your fingertip than Landry has on the edges of his ears. You'll find it doesn't really hurt you much at all, and he'll feel it even less.
I made sure it was the 100u needles the pharmacy gave to match the 100u insulin. Vet said - #1 rule - no food, no insulin!
A good rule to follow. And because of the way that Humulin works, it's even more important. The other three insulin types I mentioned are more gentle and last longer than Humulin does. Because Humulin works more quickly, you want to make sure he eats well before giving a shot. Food and insulin "fight each other" in the effect that they have on blood glucose. Having food in place provides a balance and stops the insulin from dropping the BG too far and too quickly.
Starting the treatment process is overwhelming to almost everyone. It was to me. :smile: That mostly because it's something brand new, and hey, you're going to be poking your kitty with sharp things a few times a day :lol: , so your fears are totally "normal". And there's so much you haven't learned. Yet. ;-)
But that's why many of us are "here". We've all been in your shoes, and the terrific people here helped each of us as we joined the board. I don't think you will find a greater resource in the world for FD management. I've only been around a little over a year, and in that time, not a day has gone by when I have not been completely awed at the outpouring of support, caring, and knowledge by the members of FDMB. Welcome to the "family".
Carl
Carl
