Newly Diagnosed in Toronto, Struggling with Decision

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Arroz

Member Since 2012
Hi Everyone,

My wife's cat Chubby just got diagnosed a couple days ago and we have been struggling with a decision. I say my wife's cat since she had him before we married, and to be frank I am not a "cat person" being allergic and a dog lover. The cost has been the major factor as we have a young child, single income but also the level of care required also has my wife worried. We have a 2 week trip planned next week and don't have anyone we feel comfortable asking to care for him. It's a little overwhelming. At a time when we are trying to simplify our lives and tighten or spending, pragmatically it seems prudent to put him down plus we plan on having another child in the near future which will tighten our budget even more.

Chubby I believe is 14+ years old. The vet wants to keep him for the day; "Curve Package" using Caninsulin. The total cost with urinary tract medicine is CAD $417 (not sure that includes tax 13%) Plus we've already spent over $300 for all the tests. $750 poof.

For our family I think it makes sense to let him go, and my wife is on the fence, leaning toward keeping him. I don't want to push her and if she decides to treat him I would support her, but at the same time I get the feeling she wants me to make the decision or at least weigh in. I know she would feel some guilt if we put him down. Both her parents said put the cat down. I am a little more mixed about it.

The way I see it is -- maybe $1000+/year I could put in my child's college fund or put toward a house we hope to buy. I am a animal lover, but I am also very pragmatic. I keep thinking that over a week a year of my pay and time away from home will be devoted to his care. Putting him down would mean less work (hair everywhere, no littlerbox, puking), save me pain/suffer (allergies) and the cat has had a good life span. The thing is, I am sure if this was a dog I had had for 10+ years and loved, I would probably say let's do the treatment and care, so I feel like I shouldn't weigh in. However, I don't think her bond with him is that strong, she rarely pets him, especially now that we have our human baby (15 months). I feel that the decision will be harder than actually living without him.

Where can you draw the line without feeling like a @sshole for saying it's not worth it?
 
Probably not the best forum to pose this question.....we are all cat lovers who consider our cats part of our family, no more a throw away item than our 2 legged children would be.

We can teach you ways to treat your diabetic economically; it is basically a home treated disease with testing done at home. In Canada, you can even get your insulin without a vet visit. But it will take some time and effort on your part to get started.

If you would change the diet to wet low carb food and get a human meter and strips and test your cat, it might be possible that he would go into remission, even without insulin.

It depends on your willingness to give this some time up front. If you can't do that, then the kindest thing would be to put the cat to sleep. Unregulated diabetics who are not given insulin slowly and painfully starve to death.

If you are willing to give him a chance, we will help you every step of the way.
 
Hi Arroz,
I know how daunting it can seem at the beginning. Our 12 year old cat was just diagnosed 2 weeks ago and we were completely lost - at first. But with the help from someone close to me who cared for a diabetic cat a few years ago and with the support of the people on this board, we're in a much better place now. When Fluffy was first diagnosed, I went through hell with our former vet. To make a long story short, he was not willing to collaborate with me in caring for Fluffy and admitted to not having time to keep up with advances in the scientific literature. He would only treat Fluffy if treatment consisted of Caninsulin and curves at the vet's office. I even brought him resources such as the AAHA guidelines and the 2009 Roomp and Rand study, but it was clear that had not read these resources, nor did he seem interested in reading them in the future. On the advice of a forum member here, I found a new vet who is wonderfully supportive and interested in keeping up-to-date with the new standard of care for feline diabetes. We used the resources on this forum to switch Fluffy's diet (and that of our other cats) to a diabetic friendly diet and we started Fluffy on 1u lantus twice daily. In the short time that he's been on treatment, we've followed the guidelines in the above-mentioned study and decreased him gradually to .5u twice daily and for the past 4 days his bg has been testing in the normal range. It has only been 2 weeks for us.

I'm not saying that your experience will mimic ours, but you're in a good place for a number of reasons. First, you've reached out to the people on this forum. This is an amazingly selfless group. There have been a few nights where forum members have stayed awake with me to give me guidance when I didn't know what to do and to make sure Fluffy was going to be ok. Related, there is a wealth of knoweldge here - not just anecdotal evidence but links to peer-reviewed scientific studies. This will help you to make informed decisions. Third, you're in Canada (we're in Toronto too). You can get good insulin and the appropriate syringes from a pharmacy without a prescription. It is a little expensive at the outset - I'm a grad student, so we're on a tight budget as well. I bought our bg meter at Walmart for $4. The strips are probably the biggest expense but if you have Shoppers Optimum points, that will help with that expense. The syringes and lancets are not too expensive. I'm not an expert so I'll let someone else weigh in on whether paying the vet to start your cat on Caninsulin and doing a curve is the right course of treatment - we elected not to do this.

We made the decision to adopt Fluffy and he is a member of our family. I would never consider giving up on a family member because of a chronic condidtion that is completely manageable. Also, the chronicity of feline diabetes is not a certainty. 64% of the cats in the study I mentioned above went into remission with maintenance on a low carb diet. Of course, there are a number of factors that could have contributed to that high rate of remission, but my point is that it's not impossible.

I hope you and your wife take the time to read some of the resources here.
 
Arroz, I think that a lot of people face that difficult decision once we receive the diagnosis that our kitty is diabetic.

But, as Sue stated, everyone here made the choice to treat our cats. And, with the help of everyone here, it is far less daunting then it sounds in the beginning.

You are lucky being in Canada, because your supplies and insulin are much cheaper than here in the US. Actually, a lot of people order their insulin from Canada.

Just so you know, you don't need the vet to keep Chubby and do a curve. Once you learn how to home test, you can do that yourself and save the expense. Also, Caninsulin is an insulin made for canines and doesn't work well on cats due to different metabolisms. Most people here use Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc.

I know there are a bunch of Canadians on these boards, and they may be a able to recommend a vet near you in Toronto who is more knowledgeable about feline diabetes than your vet seems to be, and who also encourages home testing.

In the meantime, make sure Chubby is getting enough food and water. Right now he can't process the food very well, so giving him very high protein food is important. Before I started my Pumbaa on insulin, I took a week to wean him off of any dry food and concentrated on giving him very low carb, high protein foods in the hopes that he wouldn't need insulin. Friskies pate's are a good choice (no gravy foods), as are Fancy Feast classics (even lower in carbs than Friskies). For pure protein, you can give Chubby cooked chicken or sardines packed in water.

Good luck on your decision. Ask any questions you have about home testing, injecting, etc. People here are very willing to help as we are all kinda shell-shocked once we hear that diagnosis!

Suze
 
Hi,

I first want to say that we have all been where you are right now. Diabetes sounds complicated, it can be expensive, and it requires a bit of commitment. But then think of how many human diabetics live a full, normal life with diabetes day by day. Think about how you would feel if one of your children turned out to be diabetic. You wouldn't think twice about treating that, but you would euthanize another perhaps "lesser" member of your family over a completely manageable disease?

Since you are Canadian you do not need to do any of those things at the vet, and I advise you not to. Your vet is oldschool... outdated treatment plan, and the insulin they want to put your cat on is old and ineffective for cats. You would be throwing money down the drain and waste time and that will only make you feel more resentful about the whole situation.

Diabetes is not a death sentence. Pets are not toys and you do not throw them away when they are broken. All it takes is a few minutes a few times a day to manage diabetes. And there are financial assistance charities out there, for example, DCIN (Diabetic Cats in Need). DCIN helps me care for my cat. However, they will only offer financial assistance if you are willing to commit to a proper, studied, and safe treatment regime.

The 3 biggest keys in caring for diabetes are

1. A proper insulin. Lantus, Levemir, or PZI (Prozinc). You can get Lantus and Levemir in any normal human pharmacy without a prescription. Lantus is probably the most popular and most studied. You can get about a year out of a 5 pack of pen refill cartridges of Lantus, which costs just over $100 at Costco or Walmart's pharmacies. NO Caninsulin - it causes steep fast drops in the blood glucose and then wears off early. You can get syringes at the pharmacy without a prescription as well.

2. A low carb, canned diet. No dry food whatsoever as that is full of carbs and will make treating diabetes a nightmare. Some low carb foods include Fancy Feast pates, Friskies pates, Whiskas pates, Special Kitty and Special Kitty Select (Walmart), Grreat Choice (Petsmart), Wellness, Merricks, EVO, so on and so forth. There are lists of low carb foods out there, I am sure someone will link them. Pretty much any canned pate-style food that does not have gravy or rice, wheat gluten, soy flour, potatoes, etc. in the ingredients is low carb. You do not need expensive prescription food. Changing food alone may be enough to get your cat into remission where they do not need insulin or frequent testing.

3. Home testing. Just like diabetic humans poke their fingers, we poke our cat's ears to test their blood glucose. We use glucometers meant for humans. You don't need any kind of pet calibrated one. This is probably the most expensive aspect of diabetic care, as testing strips can be expensive. But there are tons of resources to order testing strips and supplies online. I have 2 Canadian Bayer Contour USB meter kits to give away if you would like one. It comes with the glucometer which connects via USB, lancing device, lancets, and 50 strips. DCIN could continue to send you strips for that meter. Home testing will let you know how the treatment is going and will enable you to be in full control of your cat's diabetes.

It takes a few minutes a day to care for diabetes. Testing takes about 3-5 minutes and you need to do it about 4 times a day, occasionally more. Doing shots take about as long and those are twice a day. It is really just an everyday routine kind of thing. You don't have to give your life away or put big money in it. The only thing you have to do is invest a little bit of time. This is not a "set it and forget it" thing, meaning you won't be able to just set down a bowl of dry food once a day and clean the litter box every now and then. But the flip side of this is you will develop a further bond with your cat that you don't have right now.

There are a few rare side complications of diabetes such as DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis), pancreatitis, and hypoglycemia. They are all emergency situation needing hospitalization and that can get expensive. These situations may arise but if you contact DCIN they may be able to help with related vet bills. Blood panels and other tests may need to be done occasionally but again financial assistance is out there.

I adopted my cat Scooter as a diabetic - I didn't know at the time, but I could tell within days of bringing him home that he was very sick. We had no bond, he was peeing excessively and making things tense with my landlord, and I was struggling financially at the time. I considered surrendering him to a shelter where they would euthanize him, but I just couldn't do that to a cat that had so much of his life ahead of him. When I adopted him, I committed to taking care of him and it was my responsibility to do so. So I contacted DCIN, and they helped me with the financial part of things, because I knew I could do it if I could afford it. 6 months later he is happy, healthy, and regulated on just 0.5u of Lantus and he is my second shadow. :-D
 
Hi, here's my two cents:

First of all, my cat went for a couple of weeks without treatment after his diagnosis because the vet didn't know how to write the kind of prescription for the insulin that I could get filled for a reasonable amount of money. (I'm in the U.S.) Long story, and I'm sure some on this board might be disappointed that I would say this: but, for me, if it meant the difference between putting your cat down and allowing him to live with a perfectly treatable disease, I'd go on vacation, and wait until you are back to treat him.

Just make sure whomever feeds him gives him as much food as he can possibly eat, and tons of water, and will take him to the vet if he stops eating or looks sick. Make sure you are able to communicate with the caregiver (or vet) about what the vet should do if he does get very sick. Go in and sign a treatment sheet at the emergency vet authorizing the caretaker to bring the cat in and give them a credit card imprint. No one would blame you if your cat got ketoacidosis, and you just couldn't spend $2,000 to save him.

Now, here's a married mother's perspective on your (the husband's) situation, and considering your reluctance to make this decision for your wife, I suggest that you do Not make this decision for your wife. Please note, that a fourteen year old cat owned by a woman who was childless for 12 1/2 years of the cat's life is that woman's child. The fact that she doesn't pet him much any longer doesn't mean anything. It is easy to ignore a cat when you have child to care for as cats are so independent, but if he were gone, and she put him down unnecessarily, she would miss him, and feel guilty, I know.

For all involved, you, her and the cat, she needs to make this decision, but it must be an informed decision. Your vet isn't giving you the whole story, but the people on this board will. I think vets just don't realize that treating diabetes at home is as easy as it is for most cats. If your cat responds well to insulin, it will not be much of a problem. If not, you can always come back to this decision later -- unless you put the cat down now.

You do not need the vet to do curves, (and, this is too much information for now, but most people on this board think vet curves are a complete waste of money as they cannot be accurate. This is due to the stress of the cat being outside its normal environment and being poked and prodded is the only contact it has with the vet techs. Your blood glucose would go up too if you were in a similar situation.)

I'm in the same position you are -- with a one year old and a desire to have another child. If my husband "helped" me make the decision to end my cat's life because the cat had a treatable disease that was going to cost us some money, I think I would come to resent him. Although that isn't fair, especially if I nudged him to help me make the decision, I think that is the way it would turn out. At least consider treating him until you can adopt him out to someone who makes it her mission to care for diabetic cats that would otherwise be put down. I think your wife will feel better about that.

As far as keeping the cat, this disease is very treatable, and even if you don't do a perfect job of treating it, you will help the cat and your wife. There will come a time when the cat is ready to go, and taking extraordinary measures to save it would not be kind to the cat, but this really is not the time, in my opinion. (However, if you were to keep the cat, but not treat the diabetes, I agree with Sue completely -- it would be kinder to put the cat to sleep.)

I struggle with treating my cat and managing the baby, (my cat's diabetes is not an easy case, unfortunately) but I'm learning, and quite frankly it's bringing me closer to my cat. I spend more time with him rather than less. It's also helping me draw the line as to how much attention my baby needs or how much is good for my baby. It's kind of like having another child around to counteract the "only child syndrome." The baby's realizing that mommy can't respond immediately to every desire, want or even need, and it's okay -- it doesn't mean she's unloved or neglected, it's just life.

Good luck with your decision, and do contact DCIN. Just to see what they say.

Yours,
 
I agree with everything Dale said, including the "wait until after vacation" advice.
Just one or two points I want to add...
DO CONTACT DCIN. They can help you, and they can probably set you up with what you need to start including a much better insulin than can insulin.
DON'T make or influence the decision. It's a no-win situation for you. I really respect that you came to a cat-lovers' mecca and were so forthright about how you feel. But she needs to make the call, and afterwards, you need to be supportive of it.

My cat, Bob, was my wife's cat. I brought him to the vet, who assured me that it could be treated. Bob needed 3 days in ER care, and initially it was going to be costly. But the day-to-day cost once he came home was about a dollar a day above what it cost to have cats in house that weren't diabetic. When I came home to talk to my wife, her decision was to put him down. I was shocked. I said "No. I will pay for it out of my savings, and I will manage his care myself".
Yeah, I know. That conflicts with what I advised you to do. :-). But there was no way I could just give up on a cat we'd bottle fed when he came to us as a newborn kitten eleven years prior, just because he was going to need a couple shots a day for the rest of his life. So, that's what I did.
Today, my wife and I are in the process of getting divorced. Not because of this, we had already decided that before Bob got sick. Bob is now "my cat" and not because I am getting divorced. He became "my cat" the day I began treating his diabetes. Before that, he had no use for Dad. But the bonding experience of feline diabetes can't begin to make sense to you until you experience it yourself. So now I belong to Bob.
Deciding to spare his life and do this was the best decision I have made in my adult life. It has been literally life changing for me.
Bob needed insulin for ten weeks. Today he is a healthy diet-controlled diabetic cat who could be with me for many more years, God willing.
Carl
 
I have a slightly different twist than those you have heard from so far...Up until May 31st I had 3 diabetic cats, I lost one of my girls but to something completely unrelated to her being diabetic except for the fact that by being a diabetic she was immune compromised. But here is the thing I adopted all 3 after they were alreayd diabetic, because their previous owners either couldn't or wouldn't treat their diabetes. Maxwell my first adopted boy has been diet controlled for nearly 2 years now, Musette is the one I lost after having her for a year, and she is greatly missed and lastly there is Autumn who owner left her untreated for 10+ months before I adopted her, she is responding wonderfully to treatment and I really expect her somewhere down the line to also become diet controlled as well.

Oh by the way I also have 11 healthy and happy cats before adopting the diabetics, if this was either an expensive or difficult disease to treat then I certainly would have never adopted 3 of them. But my life would have been much poor for it, my diabetics are my best buddies, we have a terrific bond actually I think stronger than I have with my other cats and some of them I have raised since they were kittens.

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
Contact DCIN (venita@dcin.info) and they'll be able to help you either with supplies so you can keep him or to help find him a new home. They have a network of fosters and have found homes for a lot of diabetic cats.
 
I don't know where in Toronto you live but please look into switching your vet and try the Kingston Road Animal Hospital out at Kingston and Victoria Park. Dr Mitleman is amazing and has helped me a great deal so far.

Caninsulin should never be prescribed for cats.

Diabetes is not a death sentance. You can still help your cat live a healthy life. This board is an EXCELLENT resource into caring for your diabetic cat, as well as how to keep costs down.

Did your vet give you blood glucose numbers?? If so what were they??

You can manage this from the comfort of your own home with home testing, and a change of diet. There are people here that can walk you through everything.
 
For the immediate vacation plans, here are 3 options

1) pet sitter who can, or will learn, to test and give shots per instructions
2) vet tech who can test and give shots per instructions
3) boarding at facility that will test, give shots, AND follow instructions
 
I want to thank everyone who responding to my post. Sorry for the delayed response. I thought I would get an email when a reply was posted. Thanks webmaster for the PM. I understand you are all committed cat lover's and wouldn't be in favor of putting Chubby down. We actually live in Brampton, near Dixie and Queen.

I have a few questions.
  • How do you determine what the BG should be for your cat? Is there a fomula, like by weight?
  • Where can I find instructions on testing blood?
  • What is the best type of syringe to get?
  • If we postpone treatment until after the trip, would it be a good idea to start him on the low carb/high protein diet now and then start insulin when we get back?
  • Our cat is very finicky about his food, if we switch to wet will he eventually eat it before he starves? Is there a good trick to switching? Is there a dry food that is nearly as good as wet?

Sounds like Lantus is the way to go. Any recommendations on meters, or are they all about the same?
 
Sounds like you are considering doing this - Fantastic! We will help in any way we can.

You can set it up in your control panel so you are notified when people respond to your thread.

1. If you decide on Lantus, there is a protocol which helps you dose. Check out the starred topics on the top of this page: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewforum.php?f=9

2. There is lots of good testing info here: Basic BG testing info and here:http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287

3. Yes, start the diet now. Pick a food he will eat that you can afford from this chart: Janet and Binky’s chart We feed wet catfood, under the 8-10% carb range.

4. A vet has great transition tips here: www.catinfo.org
 
There isn't a formula for BG, just that the range considered "normal" for cats is 40-120 on a human glucometer.

If you go to YouTube and search for "feline diabetes testing" you can watch lots of videos that show how to test their blood and how to inject insulin.

Carl
 
Yes, I checked out youtube. There is a lot of videos.

I just got off the phone with the VET and when I told him that I heard that a curve at vet was not a good idea he was like, "yeah, that's true", okay, then why was that the treatment suggested??? I mentioned buying regular wet food he discouraged it saying the prescription is more consistent and better blah blah blah.

I think we'll go pick up some Fancy Feast Classic and start the transition, OMG I can't wait. I am thinking 2 cans a day? He has been free feeding on dry. So maybe a little hunger will encourage him to try something new? I promise I won't starve him.

I pray the diet change makes a big difference and we can avoid on that insulin BS.
 
How much does Chubby weigh? FF Classics is a great choice, that's what Bob was switched to and still eats.
Carl
 
Arroz said:
I just got off the phone with the VET and when I told him that I heard that a curve at vet was not a good idea he was like, "yeah, that's true", okay, then why was that the treatment suggested???
Click to expand...

I think that most vets assume that people will not be committed to home testing. My vet suggested the same thing, even though she knew how agitated Pumbaa was at the vet's office.


Arroz said:
I mentioned buying regular wet food he discouraged it saying the prescription is more consistent and better blah blah blah.
Click to expand...

Blah, blah. Exactly. *LOL*

Arroz said:
I think we'll go pick up some Fancy Feast Classic and start the transition, OMG I can't wait. I am thinking 2 cans a day? He has been free feeding on dry. So maybe a little hunger will encourage him to try something new? I promise I won't starve him.

I pray the diet change makes a big difference and we can avoid on that insulin BS.
Click to expand...

I spent the first week after Pumbaa's diagnosis switching him to all canned food, hoping that he could be controlled through diet alone. Plan on more than 2 cans a day initially, because your kitty can't process/absorb the nutrients right now. Initially, Pumbaa ate like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dirt. If your kitty doesn't take to the canned food initially, try sprinkling a little bit of parmesan cheese on it. Pumbaa can't resist the parmesan and it's easier to obtain that FortiFlora. There are some fish flakes, too, that people recommend that you can get at a pet food store. Bonita, I think?

So glad that you're going to keep Chubby and work with him!

Suze
 
They don't use the name Fancy Feast Classics in Canada. Look for Fancy Feast Pate varieties, such as Turkey and Giblets Feast (green label), Tender Liver and Chicken Feast (yellow label), and Chicken Feast (red label).

You mentioned in your first post that you gave a urinary tract medicine. What sort of medication was it? Is Chubby still taking it?
 
Arroz said:
Yes, I checked out youtube. There is a lot of videos.

I just got off the phone with the VET and when I told him that I heard that a curve at vet was not a good idea he was like, "yeah, that's true", okay, then why was that the treatment suggested??? I mentioned buying regular wet food he discouraged it saying the prescription is more consistent and better blah blah blah.

I think we'll go pick up some Fancy Feast Classic and start the transition, OMG I can't wait. I am thinking 2 cans a day? He has been free feeding on dry. So maybe a little hunger will encourage him to try something new? I promise I won't starve him.

I pray the diet change makes a big difference and we can avoid on that insulin BS.
Click to expand...

Switching to low carb wet food, like fancy feast pates or even Friskies or Special Kitty pates are just fine and economical, and oh so much BETTER for a diabetic.... I really wonder what most vets truly know about diabetes in animals.... a vet saying to use caninsulin tells me that vet doesn't know much as it's a lousy insulin.... it doesn't last the full 12hrs, so what's your cat going to be between the time the insulin runs out and the next shot? High BG again!

Testing at the vet, for a curve is a total waste of money because none of the numbers are true.
One of my cats always tested higher at the vet and the other often tested much lower. When I got them home, they would both return to real numbers.

If you don't have a Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum card, get one.... I got all my supplies at those stores because the points I made on all purchases of syringes and test strips and insulin really added up. A couple times a year, I would be able to get my Levemir insulin just on points.

Since you can't get Relion meters in Canada, you can go with the Bayer meters or maybe OneTouch, but stay clear of all the meters with TRU in the name and definitely avoid the FreeStyle meters with the butterfly strips; they do not read correctly for cats we have found.

Quite a few cats show up here on lousy food, and once they switch to a decent low carb, home testing will show a great deal of improvement in the BG numbers.... many cats are found to be diet controlled.

I first took my cats to Downtown Animal Hospital on Church St just south of Bloor, but switched to Kingston Road emergency as they were more current and recommended the use of Lantus, never Caninsulin. I am sure others in Ontario, around Toronto/Mississauga/Brampton will have some vet suggestions if you ever decide to change.

There are so very many ways to save money in treatment of a diabetic animal, and in the long run, the food choice will likely lessen other health issues and help with keeping your cat's teeth in better shape than eating any dry foods and treats.
 
Arroz said:
He weighs about 10 lbs
Click to expand...
If he wasn't diabetic, two cans would probably be about right. But since a diabetic cat can't metabolize food as effeciently, three cans per day (assuming they are 3oz. cans) would probably be a good starting point. And it can be spaced out during the day or night too, not just fed in two meals at shot times.
Carl
 
Yay! Happy to see a positive reply.

Sounds like you need an action plan. I would do something like

1. Try to switch Chubby over to canned food. A full switch would be ideal but unfortunately there are so many addicting ingredients in dry that sometimes it is hard. On the other hand, there are cats like my Scooter that take to the wet immediately and never look back! You want to make sure he is eating most importantly, but you also want to be persistent with the canned food. I went away for a weekend shortly after Scooter was diagnosed too, and I had my landlord come down and put out a 5.5oz can of Friskies for him twice a day. I also left a small bowl of dry out in case he got hungry or refused to eat the wet. I came home to find he hadn't even touched the dry food once :lol:

2. Order a glucometer from DCIN, FDMB (the link at the top of the page), or I can send you a coupon for a free Contour USB + 50 strips. That way, depending on how long you're going away for, it gives it some time to ship. Then when you get the meter, do a few tests on Chubby to see where his blood glucose is at after the diet change. OR if you'd rather, buy one when you get home from your vacation.

3. Get your Lantus or whatever insulin you'd like from your pharmacy. We highly recommend the Lantus Solostar pen refill cartridges, they are basically 5 small vials (3ml) of Lantus. Since our cats use smaller doses than humans, they can't use a whole vial (10ml) up before it goes bad, and it is less devastating to contaminate, break, etc. a small cartridge than a whole vial. The 5-pack is $105-ish at my pharmacy. You don't need a prescription which is the best part. Ask them for some syringes to go with that, you want 30 or 31 gauge (needle size), 8mm (needle length), u100 syringes for Lantus. You also want to make sure they have half unit markings to make smaller kitty doses easier to measure. If you can't find them it's not the end of the world, but you might be in for some fun if you don't have good eyesight :lol: The BD Ultrafine II's are the easiest to find, but unfortunately they are really expensive, like $33-43 per box of 100 I've found. I'm looking into ordering syringes online but haven't gotten to it yet.

ALSO - I have been getting coupons in my boxes of BD Ultrafine II's lately - it is a coupon for a FREE Bayer Contour USB meter, lancing device, lancets, and 50 strips, shipped to your doorstep. While you might not get one in your box, it means that I have TWO of the kits to give away. One I have in physical form, one I have in coupon form. If you'd like the coupon code from me, let me know. From there you just enter it on your site and they send you the meter free of charge. It's a great meter, I still use it to this day for Scooter, and the better part is that if you choose to go through DCIN for financial assistance, they will send you strips for it. If not, the downside is the strips are fairly expensive, around $76 for 100. But that is not much more expensive than most meters in Canada. Unfortunately we don't have any cheap meter options in-store, at least that I'm aware of. I will PM you to discuss the meter affair. :)
 
I'm pretty sure everyone on here has already said everything you need to know. Diabetes isnt as scary as it seems. There is financial assistance. You can test her sugars and ketones at home, so as not to wrack up vet bills and being in Canada, everything is cheaper.

Now, please excuse me if this comes off as rude, but to me, its to the point. When my cat was diagnosed, FIRST thing out of my dads mouth was 'that is an extremely daunting task, get rid of her'. Also, I must note that my dad himself is diabetic. Now I am only 20, and my cat 6. But she was my first 'official' pet that I had to take care of myself. She's my baby. She knows I'm her mom, and I'd take a bullet for her. I am an obvious animal lover, maybe more touchy feely than necessary (road kill hurts my heart) but please, look at your child. If your CHILD was diagnosed with say cancer, kidney infection, downs sydrome, would you 'GIVE' them away because of cost, or burden? Most likely not. A cat is essentially the same as a child. Has the same feelings, and emotions, and can be your best friend until the end. Your cat has, yes, hopefully lived a very long and fulfilling life, but why would you take that life away when it isnt even the cats fault?

I'm just going to leave it at this.
 
victoriamamie said:
Now, please excuse me if this comes off as rude, but to me, its to the point. When my cat was diagnosed, FIRST thing out of my dads mouth was 'that is an extremely daunting task, get rid of her'. Also, I must note that my dad himself is diabetic. Now I am only 20, and my cat 6. But she was my first 'official' pet that I had to take care of myself. She's my baby. She knows I'm her mom, and I'd take a bullet for her.
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This is me exactly. Even down to being 20 years old and my cat being 6. That's almost funny. I was 19 when Scooter got diagnosed with diabetes. Just moved out on my own and wanted my own cat... thought I'd do a nice thing and adopt an adult cat and wham, I got this. My mom and boyfriend told me to give him away, my sister said just put him down, and I said no.... I took Scooter's care as my responsibility when I adopted him. I couldn't just throw him away because he was "broken" like his last owners did. So I got a credit card, contacted DCIN, signed up for FDMB, did all the research I could, and took care of him like I promised I would when I adopted him. It was rough in the beginning, being an unemployed teenager with no money and no nothing. But I made it through. And now I wouldn't change it even if I could. Scooter is like my child. He was in a sad state when I adopted him and now he is happy and healthy again, running around and enjoying life like a kitten. Sharing such a deep bond with him and seeing the improvement in him has made everything more than worth it. :-D
 
Just want to say welcome! Glad that you are thinking of going ahead with managing the diabetes.

I found the idea very daunting at the beginning but i was so glad I took control. You found the best place to get advice and support.
 
Update:

My wife got some dry food (Hill's M/D) from the vet and stopped free feeding Chubby. He is now on 1/2 cup morning and 1/2 cup evening feedings as prescribed by the vet. When we get back from vacation we'll start migrating him to wet food. Just didn't want to start the process and then leave. He is urinating less, but still seem sluggish, but that could be the heat. He is drinking less too.
 
Urinating and drinking less are good things. Wishing your vet, if he had to prescribe a dry food, had picked Purina DM instead of the hill's, just because the DM is significantly lower in carbs. When you get back home, though, that can all be fixed.

Carl
 
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