Nicole Z
Member Since 2017
Hello Everyone
My name is Nicole and my newly diagnosed diabetic kitty is Aurora. I adopted Aurora and another kitty from the same shelter a year and a half ago in Feb 2016.
Aurora is a Long Hair Calico Tortie and is aprox 9.5 years old and weighs aprox 14 lbs.
Aurora was diagnosed in March 2017 as diabetic after taking her in for a routine annual wellness exam
Vet did a urine dip stick test to confirm after the blood work was showing high glucose. I don’t know her exact number but she was in the 400 range on day we did urine test
Vet immediately started her on 2 units 2x per day of Lantus
After 10 days we went back to the vet for a curve test and her insulin was increased to 3 units 2x per day since she was still in the 300 range. 10 days following that we went back for another curve test and vet is
Happy with the results she said she was down around 130. Her comment was that the number was almost too good and to just keep a watch on her for anything hypo in nature.
FOOD: Currently trying to wean her off dry, was free feeding the Nulo Medal Series Grain Free – Trout & Duck Recipe but now only give a small amout of dry in AM and PM
Also feeding canned wet variety of Weruva, Tiki Cat, and Natures Instinct
I work full time so she is fed at 615am and then given her insulin and then again 12 hours later at 6:15pm and given insulin after she eats
- I am currently NOT home testing. My vet insists that I purchase the pet meter however I have been trying to learn on various groups and see that using a human meter is acceptable. Vet does not want me home testing yet until we go back in about 3 weeks which will put us around week of May 15th for final curve test and fructosamine test. They will train me at that time on how to test at home. I plan to purchase the Relion Micro human meter and matching strips and will also purchase the Tumero 25 guage needles.
- The only complications observed prior to diagnosis were excessive drinking which I totally missed, just thought she liked to drink water, lots of pee’s in litter box, greasy coat and dandruff ( though the greasy coat and dandruff have been since I adopted her and her initial blood work came back completely normal so she was not diabetic at the time )
- Vet said nothing about ketosis or any other issues noted
Aurora is currently not taking any other supplments or medications
I have noted that Aurora will lick and pull at her fur and rip pieces out. That seemed to stop for a short time when we started the insulin however I have noticed now that she is doing this again after increasing to the 3 units of lantus 2x per day.
Afew side observations about Aurora include that she seems hungry for food when I get home from work however I have to make her wait until 615pm for dinner, sometimes she just sniffs, takes a bite or two and walks away. She will eat her nulo dry kibble and sometimes I have to give that to her to get her to eat so I can give her insulin. She’s a kibble junkie – she could eat kibble all day long if I let her.
Vet really keeps pushing the RX diebetic food but I’m not a fan after researching this option plus Aurora is a fussy Tortie and I find myself trying all sorts of wet food options to keep her interested in eating – no way will she stick with a diabetic food. Vet also keeps pushing me to get her to drop about 2 lbs of weight – she insists that the wet foods might be too high in fat content but I don’t know what to do, I need her to eat and she’s already fussy so I’m doing the best I can. I did have her on the Rad Cat raw for awhile however I have the 2nd kitty Mulan who has severe allergies and is on Atopica which is an immune suppressant and the raw food according to te dermo puts her at risk for toxoplasma. I feed both side by side and it’s too hard to separate them and prevent Mulan from eating the raw so I had to go back to canned food for both.
Stupid question – I can download the tracker spreadsheet but I don’t necessarily have to do the download to have it attached to my profile right? I’ll have to figure out how to do that later…but I’m currently not home testing but do want to get my ducks in a row so I’m ready to go when we start at home.
What is the best human meter/strips/lancet or needle to use? I read that needles are better for home testing? Which guage?
Thanks Everyone!
I’m happy to be part of the group and excited to learn!
~ Nicole from Chicago
My name is Nicole and my newly diagnosed diabetic kitty is Aurora. I adopted Aurora and another kitty from the same shelter a year and a half ago in Feb 2016.
Aurora is a Long Hair Calico Tortie and is aprox 9.5 years old and weighs aprox 14 lbs.
Aurora was diagnosed in March 2017 as diabetic after taking her in for a routine annual wellness exam
Vet did a urine dip stick test to confirm after the blood work was showing high glucose. I don’t know her exact number but she was in the 400 range on day we did urine test
Vet immediately started her on 2 units 2x per day of Lantus
After 10 days we went back to the vet for a curve test and her insulin was increased to 3 units 2x per day since she was still in the 300 range. 10 days following that we went back for another curve test and vet is
Happy with the results she said she was down around 130. Her comment was that the number was almost too good and to just keep a watch on her for anything hypo in nature.
FOOD: Currently trying to wean her off dry, was free feeding the Nulo Medal Series Grain Free – Trout & Duck Recipe but now only give a small amout of dry in AM and PM
Also feeding canned wet variety of Weruva, Tiki Cat, and Natures Instinct
I work full time so she is fed at 615am and then given her insulin and then again 12 hours later at 6:15pm and given insulin after she eats
- I am currently NOT home testing. My vet insists that I purchase the pet meter however I have been trying to learn on various groups and see that using a human meter is acceptable. Vet does not want me home testing yet until we go back in about 3 weeks which will put us around week of May 15th for final curve test and fructosamine test. They will train me at that time on how to test at home. I plan to purchase the Relion Micro human meter and matching strips and will also purchase the Tumero 25 guage needles.
- The only complications observed prior to diagnosis were excessive drinking which I totally missed, just thought she liked to drink water, lots of pee’s in litter box, greasy coat and dandruff ( though the greasy coat and dandruff have been since I adopted her and her initial blood work came back completely normal so she was not diabetic at the time )
- Vet said nothing about ketosis or any other issues noted
Aurora is currently not taking any other supplments or medications
I have noted that Aurora will lick and pull at her fur and rip pieces out. That seemed to stop for a short time when we started the insulin however I have noticed now that she is doing this again after increasing to the 3 units of lantus 2x per day.
Afew side observations about Aurora include that she seems hungry for food when I get home from work however I have to make her wait until 615pm for dinner, sometimes she just sniffs, takes a bite or two and walks away. She will eat her nulo dry kibble and sometimes I have to give that to her to get her to eat so I can give her insulin. She’s a kibble junkie – she could eat kibble all day long if I let her.
Vet really keeps pushing the RX diebetic food but I’m not a fan after researching this option plus Aurora is a fussy Tortie and I find myself trying all sorts of wet food options to keep her interested in eating – no way will she stick with a diabetic food. Vet also keeps pushing me to get her to drop about 2 lbs of weight – she insists that the wet foods might be too high in fat content but I don’t know what to do, I need her to eat and she’s already fussy so I’m doing the best I can. I did have her on the Rad Cat raw for awhile however I have the 2nd kitty Mulan who has severe allergies and is on Atopica which is an immune suppressant and the raw food according to te dermo puts her at risk for toxoplasma. I feed both side by side and it’s too hard to separate them and prevent Mulan from eating the raw so I had to go back to canned food for both.
Stupid question – I can download the tracker spreadsheet but I don’t necessarily have to do the download to have it attached to my profile right? I’ll have to figure out how to do that later…but I’m currently not home testing but do want to get my ducks in a row so I’m ready to go when we start at home.
What is the best human meter/strips/lancet or needle to use? I read that needles are better for home testing? Which guage?
Thanks Everyone!
I’m happy to be part of the group and excited to learn!
~ Nicole from Chicago
^^^ Nicole, there's the gauge it you use needles instead of lancets. I heartily salute anyone that does it that way too!
. These are the Spreadsheet instructions: 
