Newly Diagnosed, Over the Shock & Diving In!

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Katie & Mego (GA)

Katie & Mego (GA)

Member Since 2013
Hello everyone! I am now the proud owner of a newly diagnosed diabetic cat named Mego (Mee-go). He is a 15.5 year old male DSH and he's my baby. I have been feeding Mego dry food all his life (needless to say, no more). I had no idea how bad it is for them. He is now on Friskies pates and he loves it. I also mix in other protein as well like chicken chunks. His initial BG test at the vet came back as 457 mg/dl if I remember correctly. Since Mego hates the vet, they sent me home to try and get a urine sample and my goodness that was a challenge. I had to wait patiently for 10 hours and I thought my cat might explode! But patience paid off and I got what I needed. The urine test came back high as well, over 350. So that pretty much ruled out his normal physiological response to shoot up his BG while being stressed at the vet. As many of you already know, this has been a difficult time. However, I didn't just throw up my hands and give up despite being on a tight budget. Since Mego is in good health otherwise, putting him down just wasn't an option. After several nights of worrying about his symptoms, not sleeping well and having 1 good night of crying trying to figure out what I was going to do... I am happy to say that I found THIS AMAZING SITE and I could not have gotten through the last 3-4 days without you! Thanks to all of your message boards, tips and tricks, I had my very 1st successful home blood glucose test tonight! Using the ReliOn Mini, his first result came back at 357mg/dl which is still high, but I have already seen his excessive drinking/urinating decrease. Mego did very well, but I doubt it would have gone this well without all of your help. Even though my eyes are about to bug out of my head, or shrivel up from reading all the info here, it has been well worth it. Mego has an appointment on Monday for his 1st Lantus insulin shot. I haven't decided yet if taking him in is such a good idea - I don't want to stress him out more by going back. I may just go in for my initial training session. Since I'll be doing home testing, I would also like to avoid taking him in to get curves done. I am currently researching the best places to get the insulin for the best prices. I checked with Walgreens and CVS so far but they only come in 10ML vials. That seems too much to buy at once since they told me it has a shelf life of 28 days. Does this sound right? I believe they are planning on starting him on 1 unit twice daily. I think I will get the syringes from either Walmart or the ADW link on this site. I am also researching the most cost effective means of buying his food. I haven't read much as of yet on this topic - I guess I'll be doing that tomorrow.

Thanks again to all of you who have posted here. Your information, words of wisdom, general knowledge and pure willingness to help others out of the kindness of your hearts has meant the world to me and my Mego. I look forward to talking with some of you soon and hopefully in the future, I can pay it forward. I really feel like Mego and I are part of a great family here! :-D Katie & Mego
 
Welcome. You are on the right tract with home testing and not going to the vet for curves.
Most of use here purchases the 5 pack of disposable Lantus pens. Each pen contains 300 ml. You stick the syringe needed in the end when the pen needle usually goes and just draw out the insulin.
Although the pens cost more per ml than the 10 ml vials, you frequently can use up each pen before it goes bad. You can use the Lantus beyond the 28 days s long at it is clear (not clout or particles in it) and it still works as show by BG numbers.
 
Good Morning Kate and welcome to our family! You are being very proactive in managing his FD: that is the very first step and a most important one! Kudos to you dear. As for insulin pricing: I don't know where you live, but when Gobbles was dx'd, I called around and actually the cheapest price for a bottle of Lantus I found, was at the local mom & pop pharmacy, where I paid $136 for a vial--it was still good after 3 months! I don't know which insulin you need to purchase, but if it is Lantus, I would strongly suggest the pens; in fact, the best course of action would be to call around and try to find a pharmacy who is willing to sell you just one pen (about $51 here in NE Ohio) as it will last a long time and there is always a good chance that your boy will go into remission. I called around to find a store that would sell me just one pen and it was also a local mom & pop pharmacy who did so. I used the Lantus Solostar savings card and actually only paid $25. However, a lot of pharmacies will not honor the card, but it is worth a shot. If he is on Lantus, and you need a link, just reply to this post.

As for doing a curve: no way should you have it done at the vet--huge waste of money; the cost of the curve alone could easily buy your insulin! Here's a great link on how to do a curve: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Curve

As for syringes: buy the ones in half-unit increments (I buy mine from ADW through the link at the top of this page--FDMB gets a % of all sales if shopped through said link as well as Walmart purchases, through the link above). Just FYI: the lancets can be found for less than $2/box of 100 at ADW.

Have you purchased ketostix yet (and/or are you testing for ketones)?

Do you have your hypo kit ready ( http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15887? If you haven't already done so, I would strongly suggest printing it out and making sure you have all supplies needed, just in case :smile:

Believe me, this gets easier and you have a huge new family here to support and care for you, to guide you, and to educate you :-D
 
Thanks for the tip on the Lantus pens Larry. How do you store the unused pens until you're ready to use them - are they refrigerated? Do you purchase the pack from a local pharmacy or do you get them through the vets office?

Good morning to you Kat. Thank you as well for your tips. Can you please send me the link for the Lantus Pen savings card? So far I have a price of $71 from my local pharmacy for a single pen. I'll probably call around today and see if I can get more pricing information. Come to think of it, we have a vet school at the local university... I wonder if they offer lower prices? Got to love those light bulbs going off over your head when they do. Thanks for the links on the curve as well. I now have a bookmark folder just for feline diabetes info that I need to reference often.

I do have ketone strips as well. When his initial urine test came back I asked if any ketones were present and they surprisingly said no. I thought for sure there would be some present since he's lost some weight (about half a pound), I'm assuming from using up his fat stores. I'll talk to my vet about this more tomorrow as I haven't fully researched this topic yet. I am working on getting my hypo kit ready - so far I only have the karo syrup but have plans to get the rest together today.

Do you know how I can find another FDMB member in my area who is willing to share local purchasing information? I thought I saw somewhere on the message board where you could look up other members or something like it. Either that, or I'll just start a thread looking for someone in my area.

I just did my second BG this morning before he ate. It was at 383. It was a little more challenging this morning. I don't think I quite have a handle on using the lancet yet. I used the lancet pen that came with the kit but it forces me to poke straight down and this morning I went through his ear. Poor guy. I'm going to try taking the pen cover off so I can get more of an angle when I do the stick. The idea is to stick with it, keep calm and carry on, right? It's a learning curve for both of us. I plan to test throughout the day so I can take the pre-insulin log to the vet tomorrow and show her I can do this from home. Plus I think it's a more accurate reading since he's not stressed out at the vet.

Thanks again for your help, it is appreciated more than you know... or maybe you do. Katie & Mego
 
I'm sure we can round you up a member local to you to help out with everything, all you need to do is give us a general location (city, state) and we will see who we can find that is local enough to help out.

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
In case Larry doesn't get right back to you: Lantus pens can be stored out of the refrigerator; once they are opened, you put them in the refrigerator--not on the door because you don't want them getting jammed around; you can make a "nest" in paper towels and place in a container OR you can take a chance on one of the raffle prizes I donated to the FDMB Basket Raffle Fundraiser. I sell a product (Thirty-One Gifts) called a "Mini Zipper Thermal Pouch" and I donated one for the raffle, LOL; it keeps an insulin pen or vial cushioned and there is plenty of room for at least 10 syringes--I've got one in a different pattern and it is quite handy; I can take it out of the fridge for at least 1/2 hour and it keeps the insulin cool. Our raffle has a goal of $1,000 (to raise money for FDMB) and we've already sold $295 in raffle tickets. If you're curious (or know anyone who might like to buy a ticket or two), here's the link and the MZT Pouch is Prize #6: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=90614

Here's a link for the Savings Card; simply enter information, print it out and hand it to the pharmacist when you get there. If the pharmacy will accept it, the $71 pen will cost you only $25: http://www.lantus.com/sign-up/offers.aspx

I try to test Gobbles' urine for ketones at least 3x week. I wait for him to go to his LB and place the stick directly in his urine stream. I strongly suggest you start to test your boy asap.

We have members everywhere; let me know approximately where you are located who can probably help you locate a pharmacy. Iwill try to find you some help; he/she may even offer to train you to home test (which is extremely easy). You can try poking without the lancing device if you'd like; that's the way I do it and a lot of others do (however, I test him more on his back paw pad than his ear).

It is very important to try to keep calm; your cat can feel your stress and in fact, a lot of cats BG's go up due to stress.

With regard to your hypo kit: It is an extremely good idea to have several different flavors of HC ("high carb") on hand that have gravy in them; you don't want to get into a situation where you cat HAS to eat and just isn't "feelin'" the flavor(s) you have. Good work on getting your Kit together!

One other thing: I have two different glucometers; when I get a low number (or am ? a high one), I test the same drop of blood with the two different meters. Also, I have a fear of the glucometer going bad/dropping it/needs a battery. If you urgently need a BG level and it is the middle of the night, the only place you're going to find one is at Walmart so long as it is a 24 hour Walmart. Keep plenty of strips on hand; I would suggest at least 50 at any given time.

You're welcome for the thank you; and yes, I certainly do know it! I am extremely proud of you and thank you for taking your sugar-boy's care so seriously; we'd do the same thing if it was our child :razz:

Have a lovely day. If you have any ?, please post! And remember: the only dumb ? is the one you don't ask.

FD is a learning experience, and among many things, it will strengthen the bond between you and your sugar-boy. Keep up the good work!
 
I thought I posted my location, but it looks like it didn't work. We'll try that again. I am in rural southwest Virginia in Blacksburg. I'm about a 1/2 hour west of Roanoke and nearby towns/counties are Christiansburg, Radford, Floyd, Salem, Roanoke, Pulaski Co, Giles Co & Wytheville Co. The Virginia-Maryland Vet school is just down the road at the Virginia Tech University campus. Radford University is also nearby.

Thanks Kat for the info on the pen storage. When I was at CVS, they showed me the Lantus pen and it looked like it was only in whole single units. Can you get them with 1/2 unit dosage markings? I'm trying to think positively and hope he'll be an OTJ kitty. I'm trying to get as knowledgeable before the vet visit tomorrow so I can ask the right questions. I love the raffle idea - as soon as I get a little more settled, I'd like to participate to help the site as it has been beyond valuable to me thus far. I'm still so deep in research that I'm not thinking about much else. Thanks for the idea on having 2 meters; I didn't think of that. I'm using the ReliOn micro and since it's so inexpensive that shouldn't be a problem. I bought 100 test strips right away so I can monitor him closely in the initial weeks. I read some brief info regarding the accuracy of using human glucometers on cat's whole blood. Are the numbers far off? I read that the meter can be about 20-30 points below the actual number for cats. Does this sound right? I'd like to know more about this before the appt tomorrow. Thanks again for the Lantus pen savings card link. Anything is worth a try!
 
Katie & Mego said:
I thought I posted my location, but it looks like it didn't work. We'll try that again. I am in rural southwest Virginia in Blacksburg. I'm about a 1/2 hour west of Roanoke and nearby towns/counties are Christiansburg, Radford, Floyd, Salem, Roanoke, Pulaski Co, Giles Co & Wytheville Co. The Virginia-Maryland Vet school is just down the road at the Virginia Tech University campus. Radford University is also nearby.

Thanks Kat for the info on the pen storage. When I was at CVS, they showed me the Lantus pen and it looked like it was only in whole single units. Can you get them with 1/2 unit dosage markings? I'm trying to think positively and hope he'll be an OTJ kitty. I'm trying to get as knowledgeable before the vet visit tomorrow so I can ask the right questions. I love the raffle idea - as soon as I get a little more settled, I'd like to participate to help the site as it has been beyond valuable to me thus far. I'm still so deep in research that I'm not thinking about much else. Thanks for the idea on having 2 meters; I didn't think of that. I'm using the ReliOn micro and since it's so inexpensive that shouldn't be a problem. I bought 100 test strips right away so I can monitor him closely in the initial weeks. I read some brief info regarding the accuracy of using human glucometers on cat's whole blood. Are the numbers far off? I read that the meter can be about 20-30 points below the actual number for cats. Does this sound right? I'd like to know more about this before the appt tomorrow. Thanks again for the Lantus pen savings card link. Anything is worth a try!
Click to expand...
I'll get right on trying to find member close to you :-D The pens can be "clicked" up to different doses--we do NOT use the needle tips nor turn the dosing. What we do, and you will have to do as the dose clicking is not accurate, is to draw the insulin from the end opposite where the numbers are (the same as you would be doing when drawing insulin from a vial) and measuring dose with the syringe. Do NOT let them sell you the tips as you can't use them; my pharmacy tried to and when I told them how I was drawing the insulin from the end of the pen, they told me "oh, you won't be able to do it that way"...well, we all do it that way! If you are thinking about a second glucometer, ADW sells a brand called "Arkray" which is actually the ReliOn brand (ReliOn is exclusive to Walmart). There are several different models; I recently purchased the http://www.americandiabeteswholesal...al-blood-glucose-monitoring-kit-pink_4020.htmwhich is actually the same as the ReliOn Ultima, was only $11.99 and included a case, lancing device, 10 strips and 10 lancets, along with http://www.americandiabeteswholesal...d-safety-seal-lancets-30g-box-of-100_1221.htmfor $1.25 box/100 30g lancets and http://www.americandiabeteswholesal...e-insulin-syringes_1316.htm?source=SiteSearchwhich are the U100 31g 3/10cc short 5/16" half-unit syringes for only $13.99!!! You can also buy strips there for the ReliOn you are currently using, which are branded as Arkray. Further, you can buy ketostix there as well.

Are you putting triple antibiotic ointment with pain relief on the ear (or foot) that you are testing from? I assume you probably are, but thought I should add it to the post, in case you aren't.

By law, any glucometers can have no more than a 20% variance (not 20 points) either way. So say for example if the meter reads 100, the actual BG is between 80 and 120. That doesn't mean you should always assume the low end of the spectrum, but it partly accounts for the variance.

Most of us here use human glucometers and I'm happy to hear your bought the ReliOn (ReliOn strips can only be purchased at Walmart or walmart.com or generic Arkray strips from ADW). If you hear tale of the AlphaTrak glucometer--save your money if you are thinking of buying one or if the vet's office suggests it--they are expensive and the test strips are very expensive and they are no more accurate than a human glucometer. Besides they DO read differently than a human glucometer (about 30 points higher).

Hope this helps. I've included a lot of things that I wished I would of know from day one. Can you let us know his numbers today? Post something like this:

3/17 Felix AMPS 300 (PS means "pre shot" so if you aren't giving insulin, it would read AMBG)
+2 325
+4 260
+6 225
PMPS 250

(date, cat's name, BG immediately before shot, BG 2 hours later, 4 hours later, etc...)

I'm not implying to test all those hours; just an example :) Oh, another thing: Put his food up 2 hours prior to his AM & PM shot; that way when you test him immediately before you shoot, you will have a non "food-influenced" BG.

I hope I haven't overwhelmed you too much :lol: I'm just racking my brain about all the stuff I wish I would have known the day he was dx'd!
 
I believe both Larry & Kitties and Diana & Merlin (GA) are in Virginia just not sure how close either one would be.

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
hello and welcome to the board.. You are making some great progress and have made a great start..

1. Lantus lasts up to six months when kept in the fridge (not the door) whether its the pens or vials. Just make sure its clear (not cloudy) and has no flakes or floaties.

2. Testing - here are some tips. If you are having issues with the device, you might find it easier to freehand the lancet. Take your meter with you tomorrow and they can test it against theirs so you can see the difference. Every meter and brand is different so you can expect a difference but i wouldnt get hung up on it.Most differences are at high BG and not the low ones where it matters. I would just trust your meter. https://docs.google.com/document/d/13c_CPZVKz27fD_6aVbsguadJKvjSrSAkD7flgPPhEag/pub

3 - there are a variety of syringes you can get with 1/2 unit markings. These are pretty important as many cats need fractional doses being so small compared to humans. for example: Relion 3/10cc 30 & 31 gauge short, BD Ultra fine 3/10cc short, Terumo Thinpro Insulin Syringe 31G 3/10cc

4. Since you are testing it would be useful to you, (and us!) if you set up a spreadsheet - heres how : http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

Wendy
 
Kat, thanks for the info on the Arkray kit & strips from AWD - that will definitely help save a little. I spent about $65 getting the ReliOn supplies from Walmart just to get me started. I didn't want to have to do these things after his shot tomorrow - I will just want to watch him and test him, nothing else. I just found out about the ointment so I'll need to get that as well. I assume I put it on after I lance him, yes?

I have a written log (plan to download electronic template later) to track his tests and I will take it to the vet tomorrow. I hope it will be a good pre-insulin & stress free baseline so I can see what progress is being made post-insulin.

Here are his numbers so far today:
3/17 Mego AMBG 383 @ 7:20AM (this was 10 min before his morning meal)
+3 320

I think he got a little stressed for his first test this morning as it took me quite a while to get him to bleed. I am doing testing today every 3 hours and will hopefully test him in the morning before the vet visit. That will give me 8 tests total by morning.

I assume when you say "put his food up" you mean take it away, yes? I do not free feed Mego when he was on dry food but I am also trying to figure out how much of the wet food he'll eat at one sitting. It appears that 2.25oz is too much for him as he doesn't finish it. I am going to try adjusting it to 1/3 of a 5.5oz can and see how he does on that. Thanks for the tip though.

Overwhelmed??? Of course I'm overwhelmed! But that can't be an excuse. I'm just doing the best I can with all of the info I'm getting here. If it wern't for FDMB, I'd probably still be crying under my pillow.
 
Wendy, thanks for the info and the links for the BGSS. Since I just started testing last night, I have been doing a diabetic pet home care notebook written chart. It has all the same info on the SS. This will help tremendously to have an electronic version rather than having to write it all down. Thanks for the vote of confidence as I'm feeling so much better about things than I did a few days ago. Thanks for the tip about taking the meter to the vets office to do a comparison, I wouldn't have thought of that.
 
Yup, just put some one each time you lance him :-D Great that you're keeping a log! And yes, you did right with the numbers. I do mean to take his food away. The only time my cats don't have food down is 2 hours before Gobbles' AM & PM tests (though I admit that once in a great while I forget to put the food up...) If it was me, I'd leave food down for him all the time, other than the 2 hours before test time. You are doing great--we do what we can and we do the best that we can and are the best at what we can do...LOL I cried for a few weeks...then it lessened...then I cried a little less....And I do occasionally get overwhelmed...I admit it :lol:
 
BTW, I've contacted a member who I believe may be just an hour away, to see if we can send help. I will PM you as soon as i hear back, or you may hear back directly from that member :mrgreen:
 
Hi Katie! I live in Athens, WV, about an hour & a half from Blacksburg. Cass has been diabetic for 19 months. He spent some time in the vet hospital with ketoacidosis but is doing pretty well now. We use prozinc, so I can't help with lantus info, but I'm willing to help with testing and general info
 
Human Glucometer vs Pet-specific

1) there are pet-specific reference numbers for using a human glucometer with a cat
ex http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/docs/diabetesinfo/link3.pdf

Blood glucose concentrations measured using a whole blood glucose meter calibrated for human blood may measure 30-40% lower at the low end of the range than glucose concentrations measured using a serum chemistry analyser or a plasma-equivalent meters calibrated for feline use (AlphaTRAK Abbott).
Click to expand...
- Its conceptually like reading a thermometer in Celsius vs Fahrenheit.
- Dr Rand is an international expert in feline diabetes.

2) the FDA allows meters to read + or - 20% from the 'true' lab value for the species being tested.

3) if all your numbers are between 40-120 (roughly 70 - 150 on a pet-specific meter), without insulin, for 2 or more weeks, you have achieved diet-controlled status.
 
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