Newbie question

[Tena and Curry(GA)]

Evening y'all,

Curry was dx Friday (yesterday) w/diabetes. She also has dx feline asthma and uses an inhaled steriod Flovent bid. Never had to use the oral steroid w/her. Jumped on the Aerokat mask bandwagon about 1 1/2 years ago when she was initially diagnosed.

I took her into to Vet for her annual exam and her glucose came back at 500. She doesn't have any of the typical sx so far. Perhaps we caught it early in the game. Time will tell.

So my Vet prescribed Landus, 1 unit bid. We started this morning and I gave her the second shot tonight. She kinda yelps when I'm giving it to her. Her fur is so dense that I can't tell how close I'm getting to her skin so I think I'm jabbing it a bit. All in all, the shot along w/her two puffs of Flovent are going well. I must videotape our morning treatment regimen sometime. Curry is a trooper.

I'm switching her diet to canned EVO. She loves it...thank goodness. I'm going a bit slow w/introducing the canned food so as to not upset her GI system.

So the shot and the food change seems to be going well.....day one.

I'm aware that home glucose testing is a must. I think I would go nuts if I'm blindly giving her the insulin. So today, I played around w/using a lancet to poke poor Curry's ear. I used a 33 gauge w/a pen......no pain, but no blood either. I used the lanet free hand and Curry yelped when I poked the ear.....she wasn't pleased with me....but she continued to let me experiment. I finally stopped.

What size lancet do y'all use? I went and bought a 30 gauge lancet this afternoon and will try it again tomorrow. Will also heat up a sock w/rice to warm her ear more before attempting to pierce it. Thanks in advance for the advise and support.

 

[Kathy and Kitty]

Just saying hello, Tena, and welcome to Lantus Land! I'm not sure what to say about the shots -- maybe others can help. But I did find the warm sock helped a lot, so good luck with that. I would hold the sock to the ear a few seconds, then test it (usually with a kiss!) to make sure the ear wasn't too hot, and massaging it. It will help you get blood. Also, if you're using a pen rather than freestyle, you can press the pen down a bit for a couple of seconds. the blood seems to pool under it, which helps.

Curry is beautiful! I'm glad you've found this website and that you're committed to testing. You are in the right place to help Curry.

 

[Tena and Curry(GA)]

Thanks Kathy. Any your Kitty is just beautiful.

The tip of keeping the pen down a short period is a good one. Hadn't heard that one before...thanks!!!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I use a 31 gauge lancet and I free hand. You might do better with a wider gauge lancet in the beginning. After poking for a while, the ears bleed more easily. In addition, one ear usually seems to bleed better.

 

[Cyn and Cosmo]

Hello Tena!
you've found a terrific resource to help Curry!!

1) You can ask vet to shave a bit of fur off so you can see where you're shooting. You tent, then poke, right?

2) As for upset tummy, you can ask vet for fortiflora packets or buy some from Amazon.com. Or, get some plain (not diet, no flavor) yogurt and let Curry lick some off a spoon. Probiotics will help any tummy issues.

PS. Head on over to the TECH forum to learn how to set up a Spreadsheet and Profile. You should also read, re-read, and re-read all the stickies at the top of the Lantus forum. Someone here will be glad to answer any questions!

 

[Tena and Curry(GA)]

Thanks Cynthia,

1) Yes, tent and poke. I think ( I know) that I'm a bit nervous doing it....so I'm probably jabbing w/out realizing it. I'll think calm thoughts tomorrow morning before giving Curry her next shot. I'm sure that over time I'll feel more confident.

2) She hasn't had any GI problems yet.....I just didn't know if it was OD to go cold turkey transitioning from the dry (unfortunately high carb) to the canned EVO...since the EVO was so rich. I do have the probiotic powder to add to her food if needed. Curry loves Greek yogurt (only non-fat plain yogurt).

I've been reading everyone's profiles to get an idea of how one tracks the glucose readings. Man, what a balancing act.

Thanks again!!!

 

[Cyn and Cosmo]

Thanks Cynthia,

1) Yes, tent and poke. I think ( I know) that I'm a bit nervous doing it....so I'm probably jabbing w/out realizing it. I'll think calm thoughts tomorrow morning before giving Curry her next shot. I'm sure that over time I'll feel more confident.

You'll get to be a pro real quick. I gave Cosmo treats after every poke (thank goodness I found a low carb treat he liked! bonito flakes). He actually MISSED all the spot checks when he went OTJ (off the juice). When I did grab the meter, he would start meowing and purring. So, it will get easier!

2) She hasn't had any GI problems yet.....I just didn't know if it was OD to go cold turkey transitioning from the dry (unfortunately high carb) to the canned EVO...since the EVO was so rich. I do have the probiotic powder to add to her food if needed. Curry loves Greek yogurt (only non-fat plain yogurt).

You can give the probiotic as a prophylactic. My vet told me it is the same as yogurt for us. We can't really overdose.

Believe me, you'll be a pro at the spot checks in no time!
welcome to LL!

 

[kryskat]

Hi and welcome!

Gorgeous pic of your gorgeous kitty!

What size needle are you using? I started out with the 31 gauge short needle syringes but switched to 1/2" 29 gauge needles because Kasha has such a thick, dense undercoat, I couldn't tell if I was getting the needle in her. It's easier with the longer needle, but it was a learning process. Kasha yelped a few times in the beginning - no doubt due to my fantastic technique. I haven't heard a peep out of her for some time now, so either I've gotten better at it, or she's just incredibly tolerant (not sure which option is the least likely!).

Someone mentioned to me to practice with your syringe on an orange to get the feel of giving the injection. I just practiced on Kasha, but it's probably a lot kinder to start with the orange

 

[Tena and Curry(GA)]

It looks like you have furball of a kitty too.

Size needle....31 gauge x 5/16". My lancet for pricking her ear is 30 gauge....they didn't have anything else at Walgreens other than the 27 gauge. I've tried that one before and it hurts me. Yes, I'm poking myself to see what it feels like...just w/the lancet and not w/the insulin needle.

When I gave Curry her shot this morning...she only yelped when I tented her fur to give the shot and not when I gave it. Curry might just be complaining since its something new we do now before I give her the Flovent treatment.

I had been giving Curry the greenies as a treat. Just one after her Flovent in AM and PM. Someone mentioned bonito flakes and where do you buy them...Petsmart or Petco?

One more question for the ole pros out there. The vet gave me the larger insulin vial thats "good" for the 6 months...maybe. If I get the 5 smaller pen vials...do I need a prescription for them? I know that prices are different everywhere....My vet charged me $150 for the vial......ouch.....what is the approx. cost of the 5 smaller ones?

Thanks you all for the wonderful feedback and guidance as I begin this new journey with Curry.

 

[Jezebel]

Tena & Curry

The folks here are great! They give spot on advice and were what made the difference with Jezebel going OTJ!

Good luck on your Journey!

Debie & Jezebel :mrgreen:

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

Here's a link to what tenting looks like: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Injecting_insulin

As for the insulin. They are sold in the vial (which you got) as well as in pen form. Typically there are 5 pens to the pack. While the cost is higher than the vial, you will actually get more use and save money by using the pens - here's why - we use a small amount of insulin compared to humans, that once a container is opened the clock starts ticking on when it could lose potency, go bad, etc.

You will use more of a pen than a vial before it could go bad, hence the reason we recommend getting pens. Unopened insulin is good until the expiration date on the container. Opened insulin can last anywhere from 1 month to maybe 2 or 3, but sometimes not. It all depends.

The cheapest place I found to purchase insulin is Costco pharmacy (and no you don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy). There is also Canada Drugs that is online and cheaper as well. It's usually best to call your local pharmacies and ask them how much they sell each version for.

Some pharmacies may even be willing to sell you one pen at a time and that can help you with costs.

 

[Ronnie & Luna]

I had been giving Curry the greenies as a treat. Just one after her Flovent in AM and PM. Someone mentioned bonito flakes and where do you buy them...Petsmart or Petco?

Hi there! Beautiful kitty!

A little about treats - I believe the greenies may be a bit higher than usual for carbs, they do work well for pilling for some kitties...here is a link of low carb kitty treats alternatives:

Low Carb Kitty Treats

Most of these can be found at major pet stores, independent pet stores and Walmart too.
These freeze dried treats are flaky too, so you can top of their regular food with "chicken dust" as we like to call it - helps to entice eating too.


Feel free to begin a new thread for the day when you are ready - one thread per day per kitty.
Welocme to LL! Hope to see you post often!

 

[Lydia--(Rosie & Basil) GA]

Hi and welcome!

I found that Basil would sometimes give me a dirty look when I tented his skin for the shot but never react at the actual shot. I think he was just complaining that I was bothering him in that silly way humans have.

Treats: we love dehydrated shicken or turkey. Well, WE don't since I am a vegetarian but the kitties and the dog do.

Insulin: I used the bottle and kept it wrapped in a thin layer of foam in the fridge with a little opening running the length of the bottle so I could see if it got cloudy. We handled it carefully, put it right back in the fridge when we were done and it lasted from October-March. It might have gone on longer, but Basil went OTJ then!

Testing: The rice sock was a godsend, as was looking at the picture on this site of the "sweet spot" on the ear. I would massage his ear gently with the sock and that worked really well, plus he loved it. When I was finished with the sock on his hear, I would tuck it between his paws against his chest and he loved that too.

Was the Lantus prescribed based on just the one blood test? I know when Basil was diagnosed, we repeated the BG test along with fructosamine test (think that was the name) before the diagnosis was official.

Good luck with all of this. It seems overwhelmeing at first, but it gets easier each day.

 

[dd & savannah]

Hi,

I am new to Lantus Land too!

Savannah has been a diabetic kitty for 4 years now. We've been home testing for a little over three. I never thought I'd get the hang of it, it def. takes practice and once the ear gets used to it it seems easier to draw blood. I use a 31 gauge lancet and a lancing pen. I don't use a rice sock but I massage the lower part of the ear (by the fold) between my thumb pointer finger for about 10 seconds. When placing the pen you have to really make sure you are lining it up with the ear, sometimes you can miss the ear. Also I place a folded paper towel underneath the other side of the ear and apply pressure while I release the lancing device. When I first started doing it I assumed that the pen would just "do the job" but I actually tried it on myself and realized you have to apply some bottom pressure. You may want to try it on yourself to see how it feels and get the hang of it. I also have a setting on my lancing pen which is on 5.

Oh and to try and find a spot to shoot with all of that fur...
I usually try to separate the fur apart until I find a line of skin, I then use an alcohol swab to mat down the hair a bit and clean the area. Then I pinch a small amount up (I think some ppl call it tenting) and shoot directly into that.
This sounds mean... but next time you are at the vet you could have them shave a few small patches so that you know for sure that you are injecting the insulin.

I purchased the vial too.. but at CVS they accept AAA cards and gave me a discount so I only paid $105. Do you have a triple A card?

Good luck!!

 

[Tena and Curry(GA)]

Thank you all for the wonderful support.

Curry's one blood test was 500 on Tuesday....So Dr. Moss ran the frucosamine level and it averaged 300+ for the 3 month period. Since she hasn't had the wt loss, increase in thrist and urinating, we may have caught it at the beginning. That's why I'm geared to getting the glucose testing going so I can see what her BG is actually doing with the insulin injections. My "worries" about not knowing the BG values is overriding my "worries" about pricking her ear.

And I do have a AAA card. Cool.

Thanks bunches for such a warm welcome.

 

[Lisa and Do Lou (GA)]

Just want to welcome you to LL looks like you are already getting great advice the more you test the better you will get at it although I use paw pads instead of ears since my cat Do Lou has always had ear allergies and just hates his ears being touched I did try ears in the early days but that was a no go and I am thankful I saw the option to use his feet and its worked out great for us. I would prefer ears if I could though just because of the LB thing I am always worried about his feet getting infected or something but so far we have done well I do use neosporin creme on them every day as well.

 

[Cyn and Cosmo]

I
I had been giving Curry the greenies as a treat. Just one after her Flovent in AM and PM. Someone mentioned bonito flakes and where do you buy them...Petsmart or Petco?

If I were you, I'd buy one small tub of bonito flakes (available at Petco or smaller independantly owned pet stores. Cat Man Doo makes two sizes of tubs.

anyway. if Curry likes em, you can find them at the asian grocer for much cheaper. MUCH. The big tub of Cat Man Doo bonito flakes runs almost. well. i don't remember. I was buying them online from asianfoodgrocer.com for about $6 per bag. And, each bag is the same as about 3-4 big tubs of Cat Man Doo.

Good luck!

 

[Amanda]

I am another one who uses paw pads-- I also apply neosporin a couple times a week. I figure it can't hurt for helping with the risk of infection...but more than that it helps keep her paw pads soft and healthy looking. I never could get the hang of ears, I just kept bruising her up. She happily comes to be flipped over in my lap and spreads her toes when I rub her pad to get the blood flowing so I think it must feel good! LOL

Curry is gorgeous!