newbie here

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KekesMom

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I"m Kami from Maryland,my 10 year old baby was diagnosed with Type II yesterday :sad:

I am completely over-whelmed and very nervous. I gave him his first shot today (Lantus) and it was pretty easy. I'm worried about maintaining a consistant injection schedule as I work crazy hours.

I'm glad I found this board for support and info!
 
We were all overwhelmed at first. You are fortunate to have found this board early - there is a wealth of experience and information here. Although my cat was diagnosed nearly 6 months ago and I didn't find this resource until recently, I have still learned lots. The key is to read and ask questions. People are very kind and generous on here.
 
Lantus is a great insulin. Have you seen the Lantus Support group page? The stickies on the top will tell you alot about the insulin, how to store it, use it, etc. viewforum.php?f=9

As you read around the site, you will see that we have had great success using mild insulins, hometesting the kitties so we know it is safe to give insulin and to determine the right dosage and a diet of wet lo carb food.

Have you considered hometesting? Here is a good beginning site: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.htm and a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8 It is the best way to keep your kitty safe.
 
this is a great site .my boy was diagnosed in early Oct and i have learned so much from everyone.It is also nice to know you arn't alone..
Kathy and Jack
 
Welcome to the site.

Sue mentioned home testing and I think you will feel more in control when you see the numbers and know how the insulin is working or not working. It helps so much when you know what your cat's BG was when you gave the shot and then had to leave for work. The testing helps you know if you should adjust the dose or even if you should give a shot at all.

Many people work, I am gone Mon to Fri for most of the 12hrs between am and pm shots, and some have crazy work hours or shifts so I am sure some can help you with a plan that will work for you, your cat, and using Lantus. If you can reply with the hours that you are working or away, the others will be able to suggest a plan for you. For Lantus, we know it's best for shots to be every 12hours, but sometimes life has a way of happening, and we need to make adjustments. Don't worry about your schedule; where there's a will, there's a way. It CAN be done.

Lantus is a good insulin; I am sure you will see results in the way of improvements to your cat's ways soon. What dose did your vet advise to give?
Here are the links to the stickys in the Lantus group that will help you understand this insulin, how it works and the protocol followed by most others:
Tight Regulation Protocol
LANTUS & LEVEMIR – INSULIN DEPOT –AKA- STORAGE SHED
Lantus&Levemir – Data Ready to Shoot Low Numbers

Sometimes the numbers go very low, so it's good to know the signs and what to do about it for your cat:
List of Hypo symptoms
How to treat HYPOS – They can kill! Print this out!
Jojo’s HYPO TOOLKIT

I know it's alot to get thrown at you in the beginning, but in next to no time, you will have it all down pat, and you will be helping the other new guys to come along here.

If you have any questions at all, please ask. There is always someone around to help.
 
Keke seems to be acting fine-I'm the one thats a mess! gave him his 3rd dose of Lantus today and he wasn't even phased. he has been eating and drinking alot, but otherwise his behavior is normal. I go back to work tonight so I will be worried about leaving him.
 
I do have a question-the vet told me to get him MRX RC Feline Diabetic dry food, which I did. he's acclimated to it (I mixed it in with his other food and have been ratio=ing it accordingly to not upset his tummy) and is eating. But- alot of the info I've been reading (other than the Banfield websites say no dry food and switch to wet. The vet also told me no treats or meat and Keke has always enjoyed turkey, chicken, and tuna. once again, my online research says to give them meat for protein.
So confused!
 
If you're giving insulin, you need to be hometesting, else you run the risk of giving insulin when it isn't needed, and Keke having a hypoglycemic attack which could kill him.

Many of us use the WalMart ReliOn glucometer - inexpensive, readily available, store open 24 hours in most locations, testing strips reasonably priced.

Doing the testing requires patience most of all, as it is a new skill for you and the cat.

For food info pertinent to feline diabetes, try these sites:
http://catinfo.org
http://binkyspage.tripod.com links to page of canned food with % calories by content (carb, fat, protein)
Most of us are aiming for less than 10% carbohydrate, including treats (look for freeze-dried meat treats in the dog food aisle!)
And remember that the best food in the world is worthless if your cat won't eat it.
 
KekesMom said:
I do have a question-the vet told me to get him MRX RC Feline Diabetic dry food, which I did. he's acclimated to it (I mixed it in with his other food and have been ratio=ing it accordingly to not upset his tummy) and is eating. But- alot of the info I've been reading (other than the Banfield websites say no dry food and switch to wet. The vet also told me no treats or meat and Keke has always enjoyed turkey, chicken, and tuna. once again, my online research says to give them meat for protein.
So confused!
Click to expand...

If you can, switch to low carb wet food such as Wellness or Merrick. I'm a newbie myself but all my research suggests that this is the best course of action to take is a healthy diet change. A lot of vets are outdated with their diabetes information, and a lot of people(vets included) underestimate the power of a low carb diet. The site http://catinfo.org was really helpful to me. Check it out :) And good luck, the people here are great!
 
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