Hello, my name is Danielle and I have 4 cats.. Dwhite, Monster, TT and Liberty. I now have one on Vetsulin 1unit twice daily. I am a RN but I am extremely nervous about giving my cat insulin. I am unsure of how much is enough when it comes to eating..as well as HOW to get my guy to eat. He has lost weight (about 25% of his body weight) over the last month and he was never was obese to begin with . We believe it was brought on by a steroid injection. I will welcome any suggestions and appreciate any help. I do not monitor his bs at home. This makes me extremely nervous...I was taught never give insulin without knowing the bs! I would like suggestions on a meter to purchase...I have spent a ton of $ lately on vet bills and was wondering if you can purchase used ones. I want to be hopeful about his outcome, I do much better with people than I do animals. This has been very upsetting for me and I want to do what is best for him.
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Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
Welcome Danielle!! (Which kitty is your sugarcat?)
Being a nurse that knows about human diabetes will help with your sugarcat.
Just like humans, we need to feed a low carb diet to our cats, not any of those "prescription" foods or kibble. Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground. It's important to keep the carbs to under 10%
Here's a Food Chart with a lot of brands/varieties of canned foods. Canned foods are the best because they mimic the natural diet of cats, especially the moisture!
Home testing is the ONLY way and we highly recommend it! (although a lot of vets won't mention it or will even discourage it!) If you live in the US, you can get a Relion Confirm or Micro meter from any WalMart. They take the tiniest sample size and the strips are affordable ($35.88/100)
Vetsulin isn't a great insulin for cats, but some do OK on it. Better ones are Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc because they generally last longer and are gentler. Vetsulin tends to drop them fast and then wear off before the next cycle.
We know you have lots of questions, so please come over to the Health Forum and ask anything you can think of! Everyone here understands how scary it is when you first get this diagnosis and are happy to share our experience with you!!
Being a nurse that knows about human diabetes will help with your sugarcat.
Just like humans, we need to feed a low carb diet to our cats, not any of those "prescription" foods or kibble. Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground. It's important to keep the carbs to under 10%
Here's a Food Chart with a lot of brands/varieties of canned foods. Canned foods are the best because they mimic the natural diet of cats, especially the moisture!
Home testing is the ONLY way and we highly recommend it! (although a lot of vets won't mention it or will even discourage it!) If you live in the US, you can get a Relion Confirm or Micro meter from any WalMart. They take the tiniest sample size and the strips are affordable ($35.88/100)
Vetsulin isn't a great insulin for cats, but some do OK on it. Better ones are Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc because they generally last longer and are gentler. Vetsulin tends to drop them fast and then wear off before the next cycle.
We know you have lots of questions, so please come over to the Health Forum and ask anything you can think of! Everyone here understands how scary it is when you first get this diagnosis and are happy to share our experience with you!!
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JanetNJ
Member Since 2016
Hi, welcome! Your instincts are right, home testing is the best way to keep your cat safe and find the ideal dose.
The least expensive meter that many people have here is the relion. Head to Walmart and pick up
1. Relion micro or confirm (not Prime as it takes too large of a sample) $17
2. Box of 100 extra test strips $36
3. Box of 100 28 gauge lancets (31 gauge that comes with it is usually too thin to get a sample in cats especially in the beginning) $5
4. Cotton cosmetic rounds $3
5. Neosporin ointment with pain relief $5
6. A treat for you because your awesome and can do this!
I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC.
Welcome, and we are here for you if you need us!
Once your testing ditch all dry (even perscription)and go to wet low carb. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods.
The least expensive meter that many people have here is the relion. Head to Walmart and pick up
1. Relion micro or confirm (not Prime as it takes too large of a sample) $17
2. Box of 100 extra test strips $36
3. Box of 100 28 gauge lancets (31 gauge that comes with it is usually too thin to get a sample in cats especially in the beginning) $5
4. Cotton cosmetic rounds $3
5. Neosporin ointment with pain relief $5
6. A treat for you because your awesome and can do this!
I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC.
Welcome, and we are here for you if you need us!
Once your testing ditch all dry (even perscription)and go to wet low carb. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods.
FurBabiesMama
Member Since 2017
The others have already given you good info. So, I'll just say welcome and be sure to post your questions on the Main Health Forum where they will get more attention.
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