Newly Diagnosed

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askaboutcoins

askaboutcoins

Member Since 2012
Hi All,

Rex was just diagnosed with diabetes today. I will be starting him on insulin as soon as his prescription is ready. That should be later today or Friday. My pharmacy is not opened tomorrow (Thanksgiving day). I am also owned by an epileptic collie named Jesse that gets medications twice daily, so I guess that I'll get used to giving Rex his meds fairly quickly.

I guess I'm a little bummed out by the whole thing but I suppose that many of you went through the same feelings when your feline friends were first diagnosed.

Anyway, I'll be reading through as much of this forum as I can. Thanks for being here!

Bill O'
 
Hi Bill. Welcome to the group. I think you could best describe my feeling shortly after Hobbs was diagnosed as "flipping the heck out." To put it mildly. LOL Lots of good information and support here.
 
Hi,

Thanks for the response.

So far, I am just trying to wrap my brain around the whole idea. Then I have to wrap my brain around the cost of the meds. I am not feeling sorry for myself, but this was the last thing Rex and I needed. I love him so no matter what it means, He'll get the best care:-)but Boy, the timing is for the birds.

Thanks,
Bill
 
Did they put him on insulin? Hobbs was put on Lantus which the pharmacist said lasts a month for humans, but since cats get so low a dose she didn't know what to tell me. If you keep it in the fridge and don't shake it, it can last up to 6 months. So the $100 vial goes a lot farther. Not sure about other insulins though. Hobbs has been OTJ since a month after his dx though, so that's certainly a cost savings!!
 
Hi,

Yes, It is the Lantus. I was just reading that it can be used for up to six months so that gives me some hope that we can weather the financial side of his diabetes. When my pharmacist told me the cost for the Lantus and I thought that it would only last a month, my heart skipped a few beats. Again, This is not a pity party but I am on a fixed income and it is tough to squeeze out the extra cost. Although I am disabled, I still work but I can only do so much.

Anyway, once I get over the initial feelings, I am sure that it will all work out somehow.

Thanks for your information on the Lantus.

Bill
 
Welcome Bill and Rex. Pepe just got diagnosed last week. It's overwhelming at first but gets easier. The insulin shots are easy and I'm getting better at the blood glucose testing. I got a new ReliOn meter and I really like it. It uses less blood so it's fast. I had an Accu Chek but it seemed to take a gallon of blood! :lol: This is a great site and everyone is very helpful.

Good luck

Sharon and Pepe
 
Sorry. :) OTJ = Off The Juice, meaning he no longer needs insulin. Cats have the remarkable ability to go into remission and be entirely diet controlled even after needing insulin for awhile. Doesn't always happen, but it is possible. Folks here recommend switching to a low carb wet food (I do too!) and there's some threads on what that might be (and it doesn't have to be expensive, a lot of folks feed Fancy Feast). Also, home testing with a human meter is a good idea b/c then you know where your cat's blood sugar is at. Hopefully some folks with better knowledge than me can poke their heads in and point you in the right direction. :)
 
Hi,

No need to apologize:-) Off the Juice...I Like that:-)

As far as a meter, Thanks for the thoughts on that. I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm supposed to treat Rex for a week and then have the vet check him. I know it all sounds and seems complicated at the beginning. I suspect I'll get used to it. At first I thought it would be near impossible to give my collie his meds but it was easy right from the beginning. I'm just anxious about all this but I suppose that's normal.

Bill
 
Welcome to the club, Bill! They say this is the best place you never wanted to be! We've all been where you are - it all seems so overwhelming and quite daunting at first, but YOU CAN DO THIS!

I would start by getting Rex (and Jasper too) on a low carb canned only diet (I will try to find a link to the food charts for you - sorry, I'm at work atm - shhh! Don't tell!). You want a food that's less than 8% carbs per calorie. Many people feed Fancy Feast Classics or Friskies Pates and there are even some less expensive foods than those. Also, some foods come in the larger sized cans, so you can save some money there. With some kitties the food change alone can bring their sugar levels down significantly. Do you know what Rex's sugar levels were from the initial testing? Cats tend to stress out at the vet which will raise their numbers. This is yet one more reason we recommend hometesting. You can get much more accurate numbers which allows you to make much safer decisions.

On the meters - most folks use teh ReliOn meters from Walmart. The trick is in the test strips. The meters don't cost much, but the strips is where they can get expensive. I didn't pay attention and originally got a OneTouch Ultra - the test strips were over $100! :evil: Now I use the ReliOn Prime and the strips are $9 for 50. At the top of the page you can click on the little picture and have a free testing kit sent to you, too!

I think you will find this to be a very caring and knowledgeable community! Try to absorb as much information as you can - there's a lot to learn. Ask questions until you're comfortable - we're here to help!!
 
One more thing....don't let the vet talk you into the prescription diets. They are expensive and not necessary! My cat, Buster, had struvite crystals at one point so I be sure to add water to the food. He doesn't even go to the water bowl anymore, as he gets all his water from the food!! I think I found a link to the food charts: http://catinfo.org/docs/Food Chart Public 9-22-12.pdf
 
Lantus can last several months if cared for properly.
Never roll, nor shake the vial or pen.
Keep refrigerated on a shelf, not the door (because the door moves and jars).
 
askaboutcoins said:
Hi,

Yes, It is the Lantus. I was just reading that it can be used for up to six months so that gives me some hope that we can weather the financial side of his diabetes. When my pharmacist told me the cost for the Lantus and I thought that it would only last a month, my heart skipped a few beats. Again, This is not a pity party but I am on a fixed income and it is tough to squeeze out the extra cost. Although I am disabled, I still work but I can only do so much
Click to expand...


Buy the Lantus SoloStar pens instead of the 10 ml bottle. The SoloStar pens are 3 ml each and comes in a box of five. The box of pens will last you at least 5 months (at least 1 month per pen) while the 10 ml bottle may last as little as a month. The price for the box of SoloStar pens is around $225 or so. Some pharmacies may sell you a single SoloStar pen.

Here's an explanation why Lantus is worth its cost in gold: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=83241&p=895713&view=show#p895713

Here is a $25 off coupon for the Lantus SoloStar pens: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=36964

You can use insulin syringes with the SoloStar pens, despite what the pharmacist may say. The end of an uncapped pen has a rubber stopper just like a bottle and you stick the insulin syringe needle into that. Here are pictures: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

How%20to%20use%20an%20%20insulin%20pen%20for%20cats2.jpg


You can save some money on Lantus with a pet prescription card: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=53397

Check approximate prices of Lantus at your local pharmacy: https://www.goodrx.com/

Frugal Feline Diabetes tips: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/frugal.html

This may be of interest to you: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=83554 A board oldtimer is offering to buy Lantus when he travels to Canada sometime soon. Lantus costs less in Canada than it does in the US.
 
Hi All,

Wow, you sure do treat newbies well. I worked out the meds and the cost with my pharmacist today. I'm getting a five month supply for a good cost.

As far as the food that was mentioned Tara, I'm gonna add some Fancy feast to the mix but I guess I'm lucky in that Rex and Jasper have been eating the Friskies pates for a long time. They like them all.

Are there any of the ones better than the others as far as the Friskies. They like the Country Buffet and the Mariner's Catch (I think it's called) the best. but they are all eagerly eaten.

I am a church musician and I had a service to do tonight. Having my mind on the music helped me calm down a little bit. Seeing the support here has really helped a great deal as well. I can already see that this is an excellent forum for folks in my shoes.

Thanks and Have a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving day!

Bill
 
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