Newly diagnosed - ?????s

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analiese42

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My 11 siamese has been diagnosed with diabetes. I went to the vet today for consultation for glucose monitoring and injection giving. Very intense and scary, but I feel I have to DO THIS for my friend Thai.
My Dh is not on board with me taking care of my cat this way "let nature take its course," he says. This would mean my cat starving to death. So I am bravely taking on the challenge alone of home treating Thai's condition.
Questions that I am sure others here have tackled.
1. I also have a 1 year old and 6 year cat, how do I keep their food away from Thai? I can't think of anything he cannot get onto where I could put their regular food.
2. I bought Purina D/M at the vet. Are there brands similar in quality to this reccomended food, I can buy elsewhere like PEtco or Superpets?
3. He has very tiny veins in his dark ears, and pricking today for blood was hard. Does anyone else get blood another way for glucose monitoring?

I am sure I will have othe questions, but I am starting with the ones I thought of AFTER the vet visit.
Thanks
analiese
 
Welcome Analiese,

It is scary to get the diagnosis, but great for you to step up to help your kitty. We'd love to help you on this journey.

Wet lo carb food is best for all cats, not just diabetics. You can switch everybody over and have healthier cats. See this vet's website: http://www.catinfo.org. If money is an issue, lots of us feed Friskies and Fancy Feast.

Poking the ear is usually the easiest, once you get the hang of it. We all have tips that helped us. Mine is to heat the ear with a rice sack to get the blood moving. Take a thinnish sock, fill with raw rice, knot and heat in microwave until very warm but not hot. Hold it next to your cat's ear for 30 seconds or so until it is nice and warm.

You can do this - we'll help!
 
Hi Analiese,

first let me say taking care of thai will not be all that hard. it will become pretty easy pretty quickly.

for your questions.

1. I also have a 1 year old and 6 year cat, how do I keep their food away from Thai? I can't think of anything he cannot get onto where I could put their regular food.

all of your cats will benefit from the very same food a diabetic kitty should eat. it is actually the food they were meant to eat and the other stuff is not.


2. I bought Purina D/M at the vet. Are there brands similar in quality to this reccomended food, I can buy elsewhere like PEtco or Superpets?

it is best to stay away from any and all dry foods and you do not need to buy the food at the vets. we have comprised a list of every canned variety and it's carb count...we like to stay under 7-10 carbs. here is the link


3. He has very tiny veins in his dark ears, and pricking today for blood was hard. Does anyone else get blood another way for glucose monitoring?

some folks use a paw but i think if you stick with it you will find the ear gets better. it actually 'learns' to bleed ' and if you have trouble doing the pokie let me know..there is a video i will also link. i have to get both links and i'll be back k?
 
Hi and welcome to the group. While this is scary at first, it does get easier and you will be able to handle. We are here to help. So let's answer your questions:

The good thing with diabetes is that you can feed all your cats the same food. Now, the negative thing is that the prescription is not the best choice of food to use. On the positive - you can return it for a refund. just tell them your cat doesn't like it.

ALL cats, and especially those with diabetes, do best on a species appropriate diet that is high in protein and low in carbs. Dry food DOES NOT fit that bill and DM food, even canned, just really isn't that great as far as quality. Most here on FDMB feed low carb/high protein canned, raw bought from a pet store or they make there own.

Here great links, one is to a food chart put together by one of our board members that breaks down the carb % and protein % of most of the commercial brand foods. You want to keep the carb % below 10% and around 7% is great. The other link is to a site by a vet "Dr. Lisa DVM" ... who also posts on this board from time to time ... there is in-depth info. there about many things, including nutrition and how to make raw food.
Nutrition/food info

The good thing with feeding your diabetic cat this way, is that it is ALSO good for any non-diabetic cat too. All your cats can safely eat the same food without worry and it may save you some costs and headaches of having to do separate feedings and keeping track of what they are eating.


If you look at Maui's pic, she black ears and it's almost impossible to see. My trick is I have a handheld flashlight that I put it my mouth and use as a spot light, to allow me to see where I poke and the blood (or lack of blood). What I try to do is aim for the spot close to the edge of the ear and no I can never see where the vein is, so I just guess to avoid it. If you do hit the vein, you will get a lot of blood, just pinch and hold and eventually it will stop.

So, what insulin was prescribed and how much?

There are several types of insulin available. Many people, myself included use Lantus or Levimer both of which are great insulins. They are gentle insulin and given twice (BID) per day in 12 hour increments. Or you could also choose PZI or the new version called Prozinc.

Please read up on the insulins available, here is a link to the Insulin Support Groups:

Insulin Support Groups

However, one caveat and again this shows how these three things are inter-related:

If you are feeding dry food or even a high carb food, BEFORE removing these foods, please make sure of your insulin dose as it will most likely need to be reduced, so as to avoid a possible hypoglycemic situation due to the removal of the dry/high carb foods that will lower the BG’s and reduce the amount of insulin required. Again, another reason why home testing is important.

hopefully this will help to get you started, please let us know where you are located. as we may have people near you who can provide in person support, training, etc.
 
analiese42 said:
My 11 siamese has been diagnosed with diabetes. I went to the vet today for consultation for glucose monitoring and injection giving. Very intense and scary, but I feel I have to DO THIS for my friend Thai.

My Dh is not on board with me taking care of my cat this way "let nature take its course," he says. This would mean my cat starving to death. So I am bravely taking on the challenge alone of home treating Thai's condition.
Click to expand...

Welcome :smile: Diabetes is very manageable :thumbup It's scary at first but you get used to the injections and blood glucose testing. Lots of people see the diabetes as a bonding experience with their cat.


analiese42 said:
Questions that I am sure others here have tackled.
1. I also have a 1 year old and 6 year cat, how do I keep their food away from Thai? I can't think of anything he cannot get onto where I could put their regular food.
Click to expand...

Easy: feed all the cats one diet :smile: Low carb canned food or raw is best for all cats as explained at http://www.catinfo.org Dry food is one reason why cats end up diabetic. The Catinfo.org site has tips on how to transition cats from dry food to canned or raw food. It may take a lot of patience for really stubborn dry food addicts to accept canned or raw food but don't give up.

There are people here with multiple cats including one (or more) diabetics. Some do have to feed some dry food. In those cases, they feed a grain-free low carb dry food such as Wellness CORE, Innova EVO, or Nature's Variety Instinct. If the diabetic sneaks a bite of the dry food, the blood glucose levels won't be affected as much as it would if it was junky dry food like Science Diet or something.

analiese42 said:
2. I bought Purina D/M at the vet. Are there brands similar in quality to this reccomended food, I can buy elsewhere like PEtco or Superpets?
Click to expand...

Plenty :smile: Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, Special Kitty, Merrick, etc are all good commerical brands to feed. Use the canned food charts: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html Look at the column for carbs and choose foods that have a number 10 or less. These are "low carb". Feed your cat whatever brand he likes to eat and you can find in the stores.

Stay away from gravy based foods because they tend to be too high in carbs. But do keep a few cans in the house to use in case your cat's blood glucose levels drops too low (hypogycemia). The high carbs will raise blood glucose levels.

Limit seafood to an occasional meal. It's too high in phosphorus to be fed every day.

You can return the prescription junk to the vet for a refund. Just say your cat won't eat it.

analiese42 said:
3. He has very tiny veins in his dark ears, and pricking today for blood was hard. Does anyone else get blood another way for glucose monitoring?
Click to expand...

Try pricking from the inside non-furry part of the ear. Sometimes it's easier to see the vein that way. Or you can try a paw pad.

You're aiming for between the vein that runs along the side of the ear and the very edge of the ear: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m267 ... etspot.jpg

Did your vet prescribe an insulin yet? If yes, which one and what is the dose?
 
WOW! Thank you. So much info in a matter of a few posts.

The vet prescribed Lantus - 1 unit two times per day. I specifically asked if I could uses something I can pick up at a pharmacy for cost and convenience. This was a blessing. I don't know what it will cost yet or the needles. I will do that today.

She emphasized to not allow Thai to eat other cats food, so I am happy to see after posting I can give all of them the same. That seems easier :-D I thought lock thai in a room to eat, then hide the others food. :sad: This will be interesting to go from 12 years pet ownership of having dry food in a dish all the time to wet , BUT if helps Thai and it saves my other cats from developing this I am willing to do it.

She recommended the Alpha trac monitor- I will search for that today for monitoring. I will try the flashlight and the warm compress for drawing blood. Good ideas.

I will check out the list of foods.
Thanks everyone ! I greatly appreciate it.
 
If money is important, you might look at buying a human glucometer instead of the AlphaTrak. It is more expensive up front, the strips are more expensive and they are usually only available from the vet. We use a human glucometer and then can rush to the drug store in an emergency to get more strips if needed. The favorite one here is the ReliOn from Walmart. It is the least expensive as are the strips. Any meter that sips and takes a tiny sample will work. The meters are often cheap or free; it's the strips that cost more. The ReliOn has the cheapest strips. but you can buy any other brand strips on Ebay for less than half the price in stores.

We have a forum for Lantus users and they have some great information on the stickies at the top of the page. One is how to buy the insulin: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151 But the forum in general has great information: viewforum.php?f=9

Welcome to the group. Do the reading, ask the questions. We will love to help you and your kitty.
 
Just a note about hubbies

We've seen a lot of descriptions of hubbies who are unwilling to go against vets orders, hubbies who are not willing to be involved with the treatment, hubbies who feel like yours that nature should take its course, etc. Often it is not that the hubby doesn't care, its that they don't get that treatment isn't painful, that it is something we owe our pets, and that steriotypically at least, us 'moms' are research nuts and will do what is needed. Please, explain to your hubby that it is not right to let our pets die of something so treatable, and to 'let nature take its course' is incredibly cruel. Of course, this is something that you both need to come to an agreement upon..some people absolutely do not wish to spend time or money on pets once they are sick. But My Squeak is testament to the value of treating FD...coming up in a few weeks he will have been off of isulin since 2003 after just a few months of diet change, insulin, and hometesting. Thanks to this board.

Please let us know how we can help

Jen
 
analiese42 said:
WOW! Thank you. So much info in a matter of a few posts.

The vet prescribed Lantus - 1 unit two times per day. I specifically asked if I could uses something I can pick up at a pharmacy for cost and convenience. This was a blessing. I don't know what it will cost yet or the needles. I will do that today.

She emphasized to not allow Thai to eat other cats food, so I am happy to see after posting I can give all of them the same. That seems easier :-D I thought lock thai in a room to eat, then hide the others food. :sad: This will be interesting to go from 12 years pet ownership of having dry food in a dish all the time to wet , BUT if helps Thai and it saves my other cats from developing this I am willing to do it.

She recommended the Alpha trac monitor- I will search for that today for monitoring. I will try the flashlight and the warm compress for drawing blood. Good ideas.

I will check out the list of foods.
Thanks everyone ! I greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...


Get your vet to prescribe the Lantus in the form of the cartridges or pens...not the 10ml vial.

You will get sticker shock at the cost. But 5 Lantus cartridge/pens should last you 5-10 months. A 10ml vial will
only last you about 2 months, since once opened, it goes 'bad' before you can use it all.

With the cartridge/pens, you only open one 3ml cartridge at a time, and can often use it to the very last drop...
big savings over time.

You still will need insulin syringes.... we recommend the 3/10 cc capacity, 31ga, 5/8" needle length, with
1/2 unit marks. Some pharmacists will insist that no such thing exists (1/2-unit marks), and will try
to sell you syringes of 1/2 cc capacity instead. INSIST on seeing the words "1/2-unit marks" (or to that effect),
on the box of syringes you are buying.

Please see the informational notes in the Lantus Insulin Support Group here on the FDMB for important
stuff on the handling and storage of Lantus.

Link here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

Link to the Lantus Forum is here....lots of good info: viewforum.php?f=9
 
Hiya! Congrats on having found this place... My Willie was diagnosed 2 months ago, and this place has been a godsend! Couple things I'll throw in to the conversation...

1. The AlphaTrak. I started with this meter at my vet's insistence. The others are right... the meter is expensive, as are the strips. You can get both online, but unless you have access to a 24 hour vet that sells them, you may find yourself in a situation where you need strips and can't get them. Plus, if you are participating in the boards here, almost everyone uses a human meter, so you have to remind people that your numbers are different. I retired my AT and now use a human meter.

If you choose to go with the AT, I found that the cheapest source for the monitor was amazon, and the cheapest source for the strips was americandiabeteswholesale.com. They often have coupon codes, and if you link through mrrebates.com, you will get 8% cashback on every order. Their shipping is very prompt as well, though I did have one order that got lost and I had to call and track it down. If you go with the AT, I strongly recommend having a human meter as a backup. The Relion Confirm and Micro can be found at Walmart for $9, and strips are 20 for $12 or 50 for $20. Target also has an inexpensive house brand meter.

2. For your Lantus, I also recommend the pens. If you have a Costco nearby, they may be willing to sell the pens to you individually, rather than in a set of 5. The set of 5 will cost $205, but last several months. A single pen is $41 and will last at least a month, likely more. Local hospitals are another potential source of individual pens.

3. Ear pokes. When just starting out, the rice sock and poking on the inside of the ear definitely help. Also, make sure you are using a larger gauge lancet. The higher the number, the thinner the needle. I would start with a 26 to 28. As your kitty's ears "learn" to bleed, you can move to a thinner lancet.

I look forward to hearing more about you guys over in Lantus Land once you are settled in! Best wishes!!
 
If you live in the US, you can buy insulin syringes online with no prescription :smile: It's usually cheaper that way, even with shipping costs added in. Hocks.com is one place. AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com is another place. There are several brands of U100 3/10 cc insulin syringes with half unit markings you can buy, from the inexpensive to the expensive and there's really no difference between any of them. Use whatever brand you can afford and have few issues with (stuboorn air bubbles, etc). This old thread has members' preferred brands of 3/10 cc insulin syringes with half unit markings: http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... 22,1959486
 
I just saw a commercial that accucheck aviva is selling box of 50 strips for $15 with prescription - that makes this one of the cheapest meters around.
 
oh oh oh...I need those accu-check strips for my newbie collection...what kind of prescription do I need? I have 4 meters and no strips. Just checked..more like 7 meters!
 
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