Newly Diagnosed in Australia

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Smookster

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Hi there.

My 13 year-old cat Smookie has just been diagnosed with Diabetes here in Australia. We have't got the insulin for her yet - the vet has given us a week to discuss what we want to do about treatment and, after reading through the posts on here, we have decided that we will go ahead with the insulin treatment. I really wanted to find out from any other members of the forum here in Aus what you use for blood glucose monitoring. My vet has advised that I can buy a human monitor from the chemist which will provide accurate monitoring of Smookie's BG but there are quite a few out there, and any recommendations would be great. Any other advice on how to handle this would be welcome - I'm quite scared about proceeding with the treatment as I am unsure how I will manage giving her jabs even though she is such a placid cat. The reason she was diagnosed was that I took her in for her shaving and the vets's noticed that she had lost weight - you couldn't tell while she was so fluffy!! She lets the vet shave her without any issues - she just sits and purrs, so I think she will handle the diabetes better than I will.

Thanks,
Allison
 
Welcome, Allison (and Smookie, too)!

You can start Smookie on low carb wet food right away, and that will lower his BG levels (some here have reported a drop of +100 just with a change in diet). Janet & Binky's food chart, located here http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm will give you a good list of various brands of canned cat food that are low in carbs and much more economical than the food available at the vet's office (and much better for the cat, too).

Home testing is encouraged, and human glucometers work just fine for cats. In the U.S. many people get their home testing supplies at Wal Mart or other large discount stores. Here is some information regarding home testing: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287 You can get what we call a Newbie Kit http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19528 to get started with some supplies.

Don't worry about jabbing Smookie...the needles on insulin syringes are very fine and most cats don't seem to experience any pain.

Once Smookie starts on insulin, you will need to be aware of the possibility of Smookie having a hypo incident. I would strongly suggest you read http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2354 and http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1122. Nobody ever wants one of our kitty's to have problems with a hypo, but it is better to be prepared.

As for the insulin, I'm not certain what is available in Australia. Did you vet mention any specific types?

You are going to have many, many questions...please do post them, and we will do our best to help you.
 
Hi Allison, I havent had a diabetic kitty in a long time but you HAVE found the right place for your kitty. The FAQ's section is a good place to start. There will be others along to welcome you and help answer questions better than I can.

Welcome to the best site on th planet!

jeanne
 
i've messaged a couple aussie members to ask.
but guessing some of these are probably available in australia:

bayer's Contour meter
OneTouchUltra or OneTouchUltra Mini
Accu-Chek Aviva

these are all decent meters. i have gotten wonderful deals on contour and OTU strips on eBay (about $30 per 100), tho i'm not sure who sells internationally.

around here, Wal-Mart's Relion meter is considered a good buy, especially if you need to get strips locally instead of waiting for shipping.

honestly, any glucometer you see at the drugstore that's on rebate will probably be quite decent. just check to see which have the cheapest test strips, because that's where they make their profit.
or if you have any diabetic friends you could ask them which they use.
 
Welcome to the FDMB Family... We all started out scared, and intimidated a bit by the road ahead. It is so easy, in a month, you'll actually laugh that you were scared. Charlie was 12 when diagnosed and 18 when I helped him leave, after a massive stroke...

You can do this... and we'll help...
 
Welcome! I'm so glad you found us.

I was scared to death when I arrived and about to put my kitty to sleep. Thank goodness I came here and got the real scoop on FD and the encouragement and support, not to mention walking me through getting started!

My Calliope was a very fractious kitty at the vet's office and she wasn't too keen on handling other than hugging and petting, even with me. A sweetheart unless you needed to pill her or give her meds. My vet honestly didn't think I could shoot or hometest her, but after coming here I was darned determined. I honestly don't think Calliope ever knew she got a shot. I'd give it while she was eating and I even gave one while she was napping. She didn't budge. Not a move, so with your sweet kitty, you'll probably have no trouble at all shooting or hometesting.

Once you learn the insulin and what needs to be done, this will all be second nature to you like brushing your teeth every morning. You'll test, feed and spot check when you're able and keep a record of the readings and dosing.

You've already gotten some wonderful suggestions. I used the Aviva Acu Chek and it worked just fine for me. It used little blood and I bought strips on ebay.

Hope to see you around often. Ask whatever you like. The first few weeks require some learning, but you'll pick it up just fine.

Take a deep breath and let all the stress out. This is a very manageable disease and both you and your kitty can live happy lives when you get the treatment underway.
 
Thanks so much for you responses. I feel a bit more confident going into this (you just need that bit of motivation).

She is already on diabetic food (Science Diet) as recommended by the vet, so hopefully that should start to help. She's not too happy about the minimal amount she's getting though!

I will post back again next week when she has been back & got her insulin and let you all know how we are travelling.

Thanks again for your support.

Allison & Smookie.
 
We bought Optium Exceed from the chemist. I also helped "Joan & Oscar" buy an Optium Exceed and posted it to inland SA - Joan is on a sheep station and wasn't easily able to pop out to buy a monitor. Oscar is very placid too and he didn't mind being blood tested. Oscar has done so well on a dietary change along with Lantus - but is off insulin now within a few weeks. Joan and I keep in touch by email and I am sure I speak for Joan in saying we can offer you private advice and support. Little Boy has been on treatment since early June. It's not scary at all when it comes to doing it. Just a bit uptight for the first couple of times with both BG testing and injections. I hope you will request Lantus for your cat as it's a very gentle and safe insulin. My vet *claims* LB won't have a hypo episode on it. Interesting that he's not had one even though he's been very low at times. (2.1)

I am in Melbourne. Our cat is a very big cat (Maine Coon) and can be obstinate re cooperating but he seems to understand that the daily routine is a necessity and he doesn't seem to notice the injections. The bg testing is getting a bit painful now as we are going over the same spot often and he lets out a little meow each time but it doesn't put him off for next time. He even goes to the chair at the times of day that we normally bg test. The monitor is very easy to use. Shop around for prices. We found the test stripes cheaper in some places and the monitor cheaper in others. Optium Exceed is about $65 and test stripes about $55. Also need lancets. I use a different brand but can't remember what they are.

Diet is very important. No cat biccies any more. They are the worst for pushing up numbers. Once Oscar came off them he improved incredibly quickly. Little Boy hasn't done as well but he looks very healthy these days - he may be a cat that stays on insulin for the rest of his life.

best for now
Marilyn
ps our vet is very interested in our approach to LB's diabetes (says we doing all his work for him) - we send him the url of the spread sheet before we visit him each time. At first we were under suspicious for cruelty to animals.. :o
 
Please check Janet and Binky's food charts for the Science Diet. If you mean the dry, it is 20-30% carbs. The wet is from 18-33% http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html We try to feed 8-10% carbs. Have you seen Dr. Lisa's website: http://www.catinfo.org She explains why wet lo carb is best for any cat, but particularly diabetics.

And you can feed her more. Unregulated diabetics are literally starving as their bodies are not processing the food well.

Please do lots of reading and ask questions. I am concerned about your vet's advice on food.
 
Sue I posted Allison privately too. I hope she keeps reading - not all vets get the importance of diet - if a company says cat biscuits for *diabetic cats* the vet imagines they are ok. My vet is very supportive and well read but his job covers such a wide range of conditions and diseases that I know I can't expect him to know all the nuances of every disease that comes into his surgery. Vet prescribed Metacam pain relief last week (for itching prob) but a quick read on this site told me that it would be the last medication I would give LB. Cure worse than the disease! I never mind hearing from you - am happy to share what little knowledge I have with a fellow Aussie!

Marilyn
 
Glad you are making contact with her! We seem to have a few Australian newbies and it's great to have someone who knows the food, meters and insulin brands/types.
 
All I wanted to add is that my 2 cats SLEEP through my poking their ears to test them. If they move, it's more like flicking their to get rid of a fly or something.
And their shots - while they are eating or even sleeping, shots in the scruff aren't even noticed.

I think many cats remind their owners that it's time to test or shoot! I know that it seems my Shadoe has some weird internal clock - she wakes me in the morn when it's time to test and shoot. She also seems to show up from who knows where to be tested quite often.

I think they learn quickly that the test and shots result in their feeling better, so if you know you will feel better after a shot, you look forward to it!
 
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