Our Experience So Far

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H.M. Victor (GA)

H.M. Victor (GA)

Member Since 2018
Victor was diagnosed after my mom took him to the vet for increased thirst and urination. Our first few attempts at giving him his insulin shots were extremely stress-inducing as he wasn't being very cooperative. Since then it has gotten easier and he puts up little to no fight anymore, but when we took him in to the vet for his follow up, his blood glucose level had gone up from the upper 480's to 510, and we were instructed to increase his insulin dosage from 2 units to 3.

We don't currently have a meter to home-monitor his blood glucose levels, and we don't know if we could even afford it as we are on a very fixed income, and we have the same concern about being able to afford his insulin.

Is it a common thing for the insulin to not be effective after beginning treatment? I'm so afraid he's going to get worse because it's not working yet. I don't know if I'm not administering the injection properly or if it's due to something else...

I would really appreciate any advice/suggestions about anything and everything, as we are still in the early stages of trying to figure things out and need all the help we can get.
 
Are you located in the US? If so you can pick up a Relion Prime meter at Walmart for $9. The strips and lancets are also fairly cheap and will end up costing you less in the long run versus going to the vet tk be checked. I'm still fairly new to all of this but I know its super impw to be checking his BG at home, especially before his AM dose, before his PM dose and at least 3 hours after the PM dose because they tend to go lower during the night. Another thing I've learned is your cat is always going to test higher at the vet, and most vets seem to jump the dose based off these numbers which is the wrong approach because these numbers are very much stress induced. Diet is also a very important factor. You need to cut out ALL dry foods. They are way to high is carbs and not good for any cats, especially diabetic. You need to switch to an all low carb wet food and feed as often as they want it. First thing I suggest is getting the supplies to start home testing and setting up a spreadsheet to document your readings. You can themln attach them to your profile here where everyone will be able to take a look and help you out along the way.
 
Hi Heather,

It may take a bit as you find the right dose in order to bring his numbers down. Then Victor's body needs to adjust to these lower numbers which may cause some bouncing.

Home testing is important and is cheaper to do at home then to run to the vet for checks. Walmart has some very cheap options for people in the US.
 
I can sympathise with dealing with your cat diabetes on a fixed income, everything I do is a calculation of cost and trying to figure out what to cut to make it happen.

With that said,
  1. YOU REALLY NEED TO GET A HOME METER, I started with the Relion "Confirm" $15 from Walmart because it uses a smaller blood sample (.3 vs. .5) as the Relion "Prime" and in the beginning its harder to get blood. You should also get 100 "Confirm Test strips ($38) and Lancet (needles only no device) for $2.50 for 200 - Sorry but this is just about mandatory - I just changed to the "Prime" as my Princess is producing bigger blood samples now (as most due in time), So I got the Prime meter for $9 and 100 test strips for $17 (If you must you can start here but it will be more difficult to get a reading)
  2. I would stop the "Prescription Food" as they are generally high in Carbs (bad for cats) and I would switch to Friskies Pate (low carb) 50 cents a 5.5oz can or Fancy Feast "Classic" (low carb) 62 cents for 3oz can which is more expensive. PS: NO DRY FOOD - its terrible for carbs and therefor bad for diabetic cats.
  3. I have recently read here (but no expert) that the Humulin insulin is not good for your cat, Lantus/Basaglar/Levemir or Prozinc have a much much higher chance of Remissions (get rid of the diabetes) and you can get it much cheaper at a online Canada Pharmacy (than what Vetsulin costs me here in the states) - I am currently trying to switch to Basaglar (about $150 for a year supply from Canada)
My Princess also had/has dental issues, and she was overweight (16lbs) but down to 14lbs when diagnosed.

Did I mention you really need to get the meter and start testing regularly !!!! PLEASE FIGURE OUT HOW. The savings changing her food will pay for it alone.
 
AshleyDiamond said:
Are you located in the US? If so you can pick up a Relion Prime meter at Walmart for $9. The strips and lancets are also fairly cheap and will end up costing you less in the long run versus going to the vet tk be checked. I'm still fairly new to all of this but I know its super impw to be checking his BG at home, especially before his AM dose, before his PM dose and at least 3 hours after the PM dose because they tend to go lower during the night. Another thing I've learned is your cat is always going to test higher at the vet, and most vets seem to jump the dose based off these numbers which is the wrong approach because these numbers are very much stress induced. Diet is also a very important factor. You need to cut out ALL dry foods. They are way to high is carbs and not good for any cats, especially diabetic. You need to switch to an all low carb wet food and feed as often as they want it. First thing I suggest is getting the supplies to start home testing and setting up a spreadsheet to document your readings. You can themln attach them to your profile here where everyone will be able to take a look and help you out along the way.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am in the US. Do you think it would be wise to hold off on increasing the dose until we can get a home meter?
 
Like I said I am fairly new and still learning too, but I would say yes. And I would suggest you start testing ASAP. It can be very dangerous to shoot without testing first. It could lead to a hypo situation which could turn bad very quickly.
 
Thanks, @AshleyDiamond, I'm glad you mentioned that the numbers being higher at the vet is common, and that increasing the dose right of the bat isn't the best thing to do. Is there possibly any veterans around who could weigh in on holding off of increasing the dose until we can start home testing?
 
Bryan & Princess said:
I can sympathise with dealing with your cat diabetes on a fixed income, everything I do is a calculation of cost and trying to figure out what to cut to make it happen.

With that said,
  1. YOU REALLY NEED TO GET A HOME METER, I started with the Relion "Confirm" $15 from Walmart because it uses a smaller blood sample (.3 vs. .5) as the Relion "Prime" and in the beginning its harder to get blood. You should also get 100 "Confirm Test strips ($38) and Lancet (needles only no device) for $2.50 for 200 - Sorry but this is just about mandatory - I just changed to the "Prime" as my Princess is producing bigger blood samples now (as most due in time), So I got the Prime meter for $9 and 100 test strips for $17 (If you must you can start here but it will be more difficult to get a reading)
  2. I would stop the "Prescription Food" as they are generally high in Carbs (bad for cats) and I would switch to Friskies Pate (low carb) 50 cents a 5.5oz can or Fancy Feast "Classic" (low carb) 62 cents for 3oz can which is more expensive. PS: NO DRY FOOD - its terrible for carbs and therefor bad for diabetic cats.
  3. I have recently read here (but no expert) that the Humulin insulin is not good for your cat, Lantus/Basaglar/Levemir or Prozinc have a much much higher chance of Remissions (get rid of the diabetes) and you can get it much cheaper at a online Canada Pharmacy (than what Vetsulin costs me here in the states) - I am currently trying to switch to Basaglar (about $150 for a year supply from Canada)
My Princess also had/has dental issues, and she was overweight (16lbs) but down to 14lbs when diagnosed.

Did I mention you really need to get the meter and start testing regularly !!!! PLEASE FIGURE OUT HOW. The savings changing her food will pay for it alone.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your suggestions about the meters and other necessities, and the food, will definitely see what we can do as quickly as we can.

And yeah, I came across that too about the Humulin which is extremely concerning. Should we maybe take him to a different vet for a second opinion?
 
Any suggestions on how bring my mom around on the possibility that the vet might not know best? She's really hesitant to go against their instructions and everything. I kind of am too, to be honest, since we're taught that professionals are supposed to know best, but I definitely see the points that have been made on here and why they're worth taking to heart. Taking things into our own hands is just kind of scary.

And why is it that vets are so against home testing blood glucose levels? Asked our vet about it and she just said "they should be tested by veterinary professionals for accuracy and records." Do they not take into account the fact that the numbers could be higher there at the vet due to stress? Why would they give us a prescription dry food if it's high in carbs and not good for diabetic cats? And why would they prescribe an insulin that possibly isn't good for cats? God, trying to decide what is right/best is so stressful that I already feel like I'm about to fall apart.

Can you guys swear by the advice and knowledge here? I don't mean to sound rude or anything, so please don't take it that way, but going against the advice of the vet is just such a scary thing. I hope you guys understand where I'm coming from. Please give some words of wisdom. :(
 
Its sad to say but honestly most vets are all about the money than the well being of our fur babies. Why would they suggest you to test at home when they can tell you to bring them in and keep making money? You have to remember most vets/doctors have to study and know bits and pieces of medical stuff but that doesn't mean they specialize in it or keep up with the standards. As for the food, it's another way to make money. Prescription food is expensive and if they tell you you need it then your obligated to buy it. I know because I was that person. But you can click on my spreadsheet and look at my numbers and read my notes off to the left. You can see the days my boy was fed hard food, then transitioned to a medium carb wet food, and then finally to a all low carb wet food and you can see how much the numbers went down just by changing the diet alone. High carb diet isn't good for us, so why would it be good for them?
 
I am not a Pro, but when my Princess numbers spiked up the pros thought it was "Bouncing" - Bouncing is when your cat gets TOO MUCH Insulin, the cats gets close to HyperGlycemia (insulin overdose) and their body starts to produce Glucose to protect itself and to counter it, which spikes the numbers higher when the insulin wears off - I would at least wait until you get some reliable pro advice.
 
I would NOT increase until you are testing. We have had cats that have died on their first shot because the vet started them too high and the owner wasn't told to test at home.

The best thing you can do now is get rid of the high carb kibble and get a meter/strips so you can see what's truly going on inside your cat's body while they are home.

As far as food goes, there's a great website (written by a vet) that explains why we feed low carb canned food to our cats (and not just the diabetics!) It's called "Feeding your cat..Know the basics of Feline Nutrition"

H.M. Victor said:
And why is it that vets are so against home testing blood glucose levels?
Click to expand...

Money....hard to make money if you don't go in for curves once a week

H.M. Victor said:
Why would they give us a prescription dry food if it's high in carbs and not good for diabetic cats?
Click to expand...

Money...hard to make money selling food if people feed the better food at the grocery store. Also, vets are just now starting to get a few HOURS of education on nutrition in school (and even that is still being mostly paid for by the "prescription" pet food industry). Older vets got NONE, so when those high-pressure salesmen with their fancy charts and (mostly fake) reports show up in their office telling them about this "new and great" food they should sell, they buy it. To be fair, a working vet really doesn't have a lot of time to do their own research so it's easier to just believe what the pet food salesmen tells them.

H.M. Victor said:
And why would they prescribe an insulin that possibly isn't good for cats?
Click to expand...

Inexperience in treating diabetic cats. Vets only get 5 hours of formal education on diabetes in school and that covers all kinds of animals. After that, most vets see a lot more diabetic dogs than cats, so they tend to treat their diabetic cats like small dogs. Humulin is a decent insulin for dogs....just a lousy one for cats.
Unless they happen to have a special interest in feline diabetes, they just don't have the time to stay up to date on the latest treatments and protocols and again, since they see more dogs than cats, even if they get CE on diabetes, it's usually going to be about treatment in dogs.

A general vet has to know a little bit about a lot of diseases in more than one species of animal. They have to pick and choose what they stay up to date on and generally speaking, they're going to take CE classes in the areas they see the most or have the potential to make them the most money.

That's where the people here are invaluable. The people here deal with nothing but feline diabetes and the complications that tend to come with it. They have the time to research and stay up to date on the latest treatments. We have people here from all backgrounds, including vets, doctors, lab people, nurses ...you name it! The people here live and breathe this disease, 24/7/365 so they know what works and have already been where you are.

I absolutely swear by the people here. They share their experience freely and truly care about each kitty that comes here.
 
IMHO: Lay persons need to do a lot of our own research as Physicians, human and animal, can not and do not know everything about everything. That is why there are specialists in human and animal medicine. My personal experience with physicians has reinforced this. For exp: I had thyroid nodes: blood work, ultrasound and biopsy done. Called for results, no call back. After one month I called for my results and lo and behold the biopsy showed "high probability of thyroid cancer". Found a new doc and had surgery in 4 days. All is well.

My 10 year old cat was brought in for general check up, no concerns. This was a new vet as they had a coupon for free visit. Vet said she needed SQ fluids Immediately based on result of one specific lab result (calcium). So gave fluid, back 4 days later for lab recheck. Calcium a smidge over normal. Doc showed me in her text book that this indicates Cancer. Vet told me to take my cat home and love her up for whatever time we had left since I stated I would not pursue more invasive testing or radiation or chemo or surgery.

Fast forward 6 years: Zoe is 16 years old, acts like a kitten, eats well and not a damn thing wrong with her!!

So in a nutshell: 1. Find a doctor you like that charges reasonable prices. 2. Do some homework/research. 3. Discuss options with the doc. 4. If doc is not receptive to your questions or LISTENING too you... find a new doc.

Fortunately, I found a low cost Veterinary Clinic with open minded and cost conscious docs. I asked about Fructosamine test and was told not necessary since I TEST AT HOME and do periodic mid day checks. Also no need for ANY glucose testing in Vets office due to my home testing.

Read ALL the YELLOW STICKIES on this forum as there is a tremendous amount of information.
 
My brother is an ER doctor, as well as an expert witness in many medical cases, you sure don't want to hear about all the DOCTOR mistakes I have been told about !!!!! LOL

I started doubting my vet when I did research myself the night I got home from finding my Princess had Diabetes, I read up like crazy from here, Facebook Pages, Vet Medical Advisories, etc. Fortunately my ER Doctor brother had input as he did animal diabetes research when he was a college professor, as well as previously had a diabetic cat.

My vet said not to bother to test from home for the first 10 days and she would do curve day at her office on day 10, she felt the added stress for me and my cat was too much, I quickly learned that testing myself saved me from giving my Princess a shot and sending her in HyperGlycemia (which she told me to be prepared for with honey and other high sugar stuff) Look at my first couple of weeks on my chart linked in my signature.

Then I learned that Vetsulin was OK but wore off in 5-8 hours not giving my baby a stable glucose all day, I am sure my VET was concerned about costs as I kept asking how much is this, oh crap how much is that, and the $60 Vetsulin was easier for me to swallow at the time vs. the $200 Lantus??? (I don't remember what the other choice was) - But when I realized that Vetsulin had a short shelf life and started averaging it all out, Basaglar or Lantus was much cheaper, and immensely cheaper if I ordered it from Canada, then I read that Basaglar/Lantus had a MUCH MUCH HIGHER REMISSIONS rate if used in first 6 months since diagnoses - that was it I was sold.

So I started gathering information on Lantus/Basaglar Vet resources (places she would study from) and sending them to my vet, she slowly caved in and decided I had something worth trying. (that happened today), she also is going to test a human meter next to her pet meter to see how they compare and started looking at my spreadsheet with human meter results. At least she is willing to learn and try new things.

Doctors, Vets, Police, Judges, etc they are all just people like ourselves, they are not gods, they don't know everything, they continue to learn, they make mistakes, some are lazy, some are greedy, etc. etc.
 
Bryan & Princess said:
I can sympathise with dealing with your cat diabetes on a fixed income, everything I do is a calculation of cost and trying to figure out what to cut to make it happen.

With that said,
  1. YOU REALLY NEED TO GET A HOME METER, I started with the Relion "Confirm" $15 from Walmart because it uses a smaller blood sample (.3 vs. .5) as the Relion "Prime" and in the beginning its harder to get blood. You should also get 100 "Confirm Test strips ($38) and Lancet (needles only no device) for $2.50 for 200 - Sorry but this is just about mandatory - I just changed to the "Prime" as my Princess is producing bigger blood samples now (as most due in time), So I got the Prime meter for $9 and 100 test strips for $17 (If you must you can start here but it will be more difficult to get a reading)
  2. I would stop the "Prescription Food" as they are generally high in Carbs (bad for cats) and I would switch to Friskies Pate (low carb) 50 cents a 5.5oz can or Fancy Feast "Classic" (low carb) 62 cents for 3oz can which is more expensive. PS: NO DRY FOOD - its terrible for carbs and therefor bad for diabetic cats.
  3. I have recently read here (but no expert) that the Humulin insulin is not good for your cat, Lantus/Basaglar/Levemir or Prozinc have a much much higher chance of Remissions (get rid of the diabetes) and you can get it much cheaper at a online Canada Pharmacy (than what Vetsulin costs me here in the states) - I am currently trying to switch to Basaglar (about $150 for a year supply from Canada)
My Princess also had/has dental issues, and she was overweight (16lbs) but down to 14lbs when diagnosed.

Did I mention you really need to get the meter and start testing regularly !!!! PLEASE FIGURE OUT HOW. The savings changing her food will pay for it alone.
Click to expand...
Just checked on Walmart's website and want to make sure I'm looking for the right stuff. Is it the Relion Confirm/Micro Blood Glucose Test Strips (100 ct) and the Relion 30 Gauge Ultra Thin Lancets (200 ct.) that are correct for the Relion Confirm meter? Would appreciate a swift response if possible.
 
H.M. Victor said:
Just checked on Walmart's website and want to make sure I'm looking for the right stuff. Is it the Relion Confirm/Micro Blood Glucose Test Strips (100 ct) and the Relion 30 Gauge Ultra Thin Lancets (200 ct.) that are correct for the Relion Confirm meter? Would appreciate a swift response if possible.
Click to expand...
Hi,
you can use any kind of Lancets - and Relion 30 Gauge Ultra Thin Lancets (200 ct.) will do just fine.
But you can try gauge 28 instead to start with and then move to gauge 30 - 31 later on.

I use Relion Micro meter - no complaints whatsoever for over a year.
The strips are $36/ 100 ct at my local Walmart.

You don't have to order online - every Walmart caries it.

Do not forget Neosporin w/ Pain relief - ointment is better then cream, also at Walmart and cosmetic cotton rounds.
@H.M. Victor
 
Tanya and Ducia said:
Hi,
you can use any kind of Lancets - and Relion 30 Gauge Ultra Thin Lancets (200 ct.) will do just fine.
But you can try gauge 28 instead to start with and then move to gauge 30 - 31 later on.

I use Relion Micro meter - no complaints whatsoever for over a year.
The strips are $36/ 100 ct at my local Walmart.

You don't have to order online - every Walmart caries it.

Do not forget Neosporin w/ Pain relief - ointment is better then cream, also at Walmart and cosmetic cotton rounds.
@H.M. Victor
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for the response. Are the Relion Confirm meter and the Relion Micro the same thing?
 
H.M. Victor said:
Thanks so much for the response. Are the Relion Confirm meter and the Relion Micro the same thing?
Click to expand...
they are different models however the strips are interchangeable - the same strips fit either.
There is no code or a testing solution for these meters - just turn it on and it's ready to go.
I use Micro - very nice little thing, and reliable. I dropped it a few times - nothing happened.
@H.M. Victor
 
If you go to Walmart you can get the Relion Prime which is cheaper than the Confirm and Micro. The test trips are more affordable too, about $18 for 100 of them. I use the Prime and have had no issues. I get the 26 guage lancet. Its better to start out with the lower number lancet because its a little bigger needle and will be easier for you to get blood.
 
I chose the Relion Confirm to use instead of the AlphaTrak2 I had purchased because of the cost of strips.
Both take very small blood drops (about the size of the head of a pin), and Idjit wasn't always forthcoming with bigger drops. The Relion Prime needs a bigger drop, but it's also a good meter. The important thing is to test, and as you go along the capillaries in the ears increase which means it's easier to get the blood drop.
 
AshleyDiamond said:
If you go to Walmart you can get the Relion Prime which is cheaper than the Confirm and Micro. The test trips are more affordable too, about $18 for 100 of them. I use the Prime and have had no issues. I get the 26 guage lancet. Its better to start out with the lower number lancet because its a little bigger needle and will be easier for you to get blood.
Click to expand...
The cheaper price would be better, but my only concern with the Prime meter is that it uses a bigger blood sample according to @Bryan & Princess and it might be more difficult for beginners because of that. And thanks for the tip about the lower number lancets.
 
For me it honestly doesn't require that much blood. I know they say that but it is still a really small amount that you need. I had never tested before and its the one I bought and I literally got blood right away. The key for me was to warm the ear. I used a rice sock. And also a little Vaseline which helps the blood fork into a nice little bubble. If you buy the Prime the lancet device comes separately but that was also really cheap.
 
AshleyDiamond said:
For me it honestly doesn't require that much blood. I know they say that but it is still a really small amount that you need. I had never tested before and its the one I bought and I literally got blood right away. The key for me was to warm the ear. I used a rice sock. And also a little Vaseline which helps the blood fork into a nice little bubble. If you buy the Prime the lancet device comes separately but that was also really cheap.
Click to expand...
When do you apply the Vaseline? Also, are there any other methods to warm the ear? We don't have any rice here and I'm not sure how much we can afford to get at the same time.
 
I put the Vaseline on before and after. Just a tint amount, not thick. You can use an empty pill bottle filled with warm water.
 
My Princess did not want to give up her Blood, so I started with the Relion Confirm ($15) which uses .3 vs. .5 drop of blood, then after about 1 month she was giving up more blood so I switched to the Relion Prime ($9) which needs more blood but the test strips are 1/2 the price $17 per 100 for Prime meter vs. $35 per 100 for Confirm meter, I could not decide which to start with at the time and someone said it helps to have a spare so I went the way I did knowing I would have both eventually. Glucose testing was and still is the most stressful part of Diabetes for Princess, in the beginning I would poke her ear, squeeze, poke again, it was a disaster.... eventually I was poking and pushing towards the hole, then I tried a small sock of rice heated in micro (she hated it), then I started rubbing her ear, but she knows whats coming and I try to keep her grab and poke as quick possible to lesson her stress..... I got it down pretty good now. Grab cut cube turkey treats, Lights On to see, Glasses On, pull the end off the lance needle, have tissue or alcohol swab ready to wipe blood left on ear, put the strip partially in the meter, grab put her between me and loveseat arm (a place she never cared about - I was told to do it away from normal places for her, rub her ear, push the strip in meter and make sure its ready, poke her ear between edge and vein (can see with a light), get blood drop showing, grab meter and hit with bottom thin edge to wick up (not smear on box), take kleenex and wipe blood from ear, release and give Princess her treats, push lancet cover on needle, start chanting number so I remember until I get to spreadsheet to enter it. If feeding time I get her syringe ready not pushing any air/insulin back into vial/pen, feed her Fancy Feast "Classic" or Friskies Pate and a couple of minutes into eating I give her shot (make sure not to fur shot or push needle into her skin on other side of the tent as you pull up)
 
Instead of rice you can use rolled oats in a sock. Perhaps looking at some videos and tips would help. Here is a link to home testing how to and tips: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
I know from experience that home testing is very important, our Vet had not given us good instructions on giving insulin or testing regularly. Idjit was experiencing low blood sugar, a hypo. I just happened to test, caught it and the members here walked me through the process of helping him. From then on, I was testing before every injection and at other times, so I knew he was safe.
 
H.M. Victor said:
Any suggestions on how bring my mom around on the possibility that the vet might not know best? She's really hesitant to go against their instructions and everything. I kind of am too, to be honest, since we're taught that professionals are supposed to know best, but I definitely see the points that have been made on here and why they're worth taking to heart. Taking things into our own hands is just kind of scary.

And why is it that vets are so against home testing blood glucose levels? Asked our vet about it and she just said "they should be tested by veterinary professionals for accuracy and records." Do they not take into account the fact that the numbers could be higher there at the vet due to stress? Why would they give us a prescription dry food if it's high in carbs and not good for diabetic cats? And why would they prescribe an insulin that possibly isn't good for cats? God, trying to decide what is right/best is so stressful that I already feel like I'm about to fall apart.

Can you guys swear by the advice and knowledge here? I don't mean to sound rude or anything, so please don't take it that way, but going against the advice of the vet is just such a scary thing. I hope you guys understand where I'm coming from. Please give some words of wisdom. :(
Click to expand...
I have owned cats for over 30 yrs now & have dealt with several different vets due to moving & 1 because I no longer trusted him, he did tests without my permission & almost killed my Olivher. I also worked at an animal ER & Specialty hospital & saw what the vets put clients thru. They would always discourage owners from doing care & treatments at home unless you were an employee-they knew we would fight them. This is where I learned to administer sub q fluids, check BP's etc. Where I worked many of the vets earned commissions in addition to their regular pay so the more they billed the more they made (I did the payroll). You have to learn to stand your ground & realize they know more than you but don't know everything. When Houston was hypo 2 weeks ago, my local vet never even thought about the fact he
was on Lantus & that was why he wasn't responding quickly. We even had the euthanasia conversation. If it hadn't been for the people here Houston would be ashes in a wooden box. Houston has been off insulin 2 weeks now & I test him 3x daily. He no longer gets dry food & I check the carb count in everything I feed him. His reading 30 min ago was 75. I must mention that I did order the Purina DM & did feed it to him & his # shot up into the 300's as the food has a high carb count. Save your money & buy Friskies or Fancy Feast classic pate. Friskies is $0.44 per can @ Walmart. Look on coupons.com for coupons. I use the ReliOn Confirm because it requires a very small amount of blood. The meter was $14.95, 100 test strips $35.88, antibiotic w/pain relief $3.98 at Walmart.
Everyone here is speaking from experience so consider what we have to say, the final decision is yours. I can say I have learned a lot since I joined 2 months ago. If you aren't sure about what you read, research it. Best of luck.
 
Mags920 said:
I have owned cats for over 30 yrs now & have dealt with several different vets due to moving & 1 because I no longer trusted him, he did tests without my permission & almost killed my Olivher. I also worked at an animal ER & Specialty hospital & saw what the vets put clients thru. They would always discourage owners from doing care & treatments at home unless you were an employee-they knew we would fight them. This is where I learned to administer sub q fluids, check BP's etc. Where I worked many of the vets earned commissions in addition to their regular pay so the more they billed the more they made (I did the payroll). You have to learn to stand your ground & realize they know more than you but don't know everything. When Houston was hypo 2 weeks ago, my local vet never even thought about the fact he
was on Lantus & that was why he wasn't responding quickly. We even had the euthanasia conversation. If it hadn't been for the people here Houston would be ashes in a wooden box. Houston has been off insulin 2 weeks now & I test him 3x daily. He no longer gets dry food & I check the carb count in everything I feed him. His reading 30 min ago was 75. I must mention that I did order the Purina DM & did feed it to him & his # shot up into the 300's as the food has a high carb count. Save your money & buy Friskies or Fancy Feast classic pate. Friskies is $0.44 per can @ Walmart. Look on coupons.com for coupons. I use the ReliOn Confirm because it requires a very small amount of blood. The meter was $14.95, 100 test strips $35.88, antibiotic w/pain relief $3.98 at Walmart.
Everyone here is speaking from experience so consider what we have to say, the final decision is yours. I can say I have learned a lot since I joined 2 months ago. If you aren't sure about what you read, research it. Best of luck.
Click to expand...
 
Hi - I would highly recommend u familiarize with home testing BEFORE changing his diet. It’s a detox process, this can drastically bring down his bg and if not monitored, could result in hypo if you continue current dose.
Here’s some background reading. I experienced this with dee dee last year, 2 days off dry food n he is off insulin.

Unfortunately he had dental n ear infection in May, the doc gave steroids without thinkg n he relapsed, slowly working towards remission now .....agreed that vets are not well informed n we have to be careful when taking their advice.

https://diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Detox.htm
 
Also I learnt from experience, not all wet food r low carbo, watch out for those with gravy - high carbo...

My kitty currently eats fussie cat - tuna with salmon.
Currently testing young again mature zero carbo kibbles.
Coz the wet food only diet is destroying his teeth...
 
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