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Actually that is a good sign. She was drinking so much because she wasn't getting enojugh hydration from her food. Cats normally drink very little as long as they aren't eating a lot of dry food. They are originally desert dwellers and their bodies conserve water. When a cat becomes diabetic drinking lots of water is one of the first signs that something something is wrong. Dry food with starches and veggies is not normally on the menu.. Cats are obligate carnivores.. That means they are designed to eat almost no carbohydrates..
 
susan k rupel said:
...she likes the water on her food.is that ok to do it that way?
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Hi Susan, welcome to FDMB!

It's fine to add water to her food. I add about two tablespoons of water to my cats' food every time I feed them. Of my 4 cats I only ever see 2 of them drinking from their fountain or bowl, and even that is rare. Cats don't have a strong thirst drive because they are genetically predisposed to get most of their hydration from their food. :)
 
Jeanne & Dottie said:
Actually that is a good sign. She was drinking so much because she wasn't getting enojugh hydration from her food. Cats normally drink very little as long as they aren't eating a lot of dry food. They are originally desert dwellers and their bodies conserve water. When a cat becomes diabetic drinking lots of water is one of the first signs that something something is wrong. Dry food with starches and veggies is not normally on the menu.. Cats are obligate carnivores.. That means they are designed to eat almost no carbohydrates..
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i found out why she wasn't drinking i had to take her back to the vet because her bg was up to 410.
 
Ask in this forum, title your thread to give a general idea of the question. If it needs an immediate answer you can add a 911 prefux; you can also add a ? prefix.
 
Squalliesmom said:
Hi Susan, welcome to FDMB!

It's fine to add water to her food. I add about two tablespoons of water to my cats' food every time I feed them. Of my 4 cats I only ever see 2 of them drinking from their fountain or bowl, and even that is rare. Cats don't have a strong thirst drive because they are genetically predisposed to get most of their hydration from their food. :)
Click to expand...
well now she has to have a blood curve on monday.they just can't seem to get her regulated.if this keeps up i may have to have her put to sleep and i don't want to do that.please help me out here.
 
susan k rupel said:
well now she has to have a blood curve on monday.they just can't seem to get her regulated.if this keeps up i may have to have her put to sleep and i don't want to do that.please help me out here.
Click to expand...
It takes time to regulate--try not to stress... we have all been there and some of are still there. Diabetes didn't happen in a few days or weeks nor will it become regulated in a short time.... patience.... It is not painful and as long as she is not suffering with no hope she can turn the corner and become regulated before you know it. If you can do a curve at home there will be less stress and more accurate ....
 
Hi Susan,
Would you be willing to test precious's blood sugar levels at home? We all do it here and can help you learn. It is not hard and is much cheaper than getting it done at the vets.
You will just need to buy a monitor...not expensive...and some strips.
The blood sugar does not stay the same during the day and goes up and down as it responds to the insulin. By testing at home you will see how this is happening and we can tell you how to manage it.
What insulin is precious having at the moment and how much?
Try not to stress too much. We all understand it is scary in the beginning but you have come to the right place for help.
Please don't think of having precious put to sleep. Diabetes is a very treatable disease and cats can live for many years quite happily with it.:bighug:
 
I want to really encourage you to find the time or money or whatever and go ahead and get a human meter and strips so you can learn to test at home. It's really not hard at all, and believe it or not, most of our cats come when they see us getting the testing materials out.

Here's a great video on home testing that shows you how we do it

This is the area we're aiming for
sweet spot diagram.jpg


Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take her there as many times a day as you can and just give her ears a quick rub and then she gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking her to hurt her...you're testing her to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside her body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure her ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
 
jayla said:
It takes time to regulate--try not to stress... we have all been there and some of are still there. Diabetes didn't happen in a few days or weeks nor will it become regulated in a short time.... patience.... It is not painful and as long as she is not suffering with no hope she can turn the corner and become regulated before you know it. If you can do a curve at home there will be less stress and more accurate ....
Click to expand...
Iam going to find out if i can do it at home.
 
susan k rupel said:
iam going to call and find out saturday.what will i need to do the test?
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You absolutely can test at home and as Bron said we ALL do it--it has saved many of our babies lives-
Your vet may or may not be on board --All that matters is that you are on board:smuggrin:
Many of the people here use Relion human meter from Wal Mart- I think it is about 15$--I am sure others will drop by with more info on the human meters. The strips for human meters do not cost very much-
It would be good to have a hypo kit as well (which you probably already have at home) but in case you kitty needs it you know where it is.
I will let the more experienced people guide you with the curve as I am not qualified. You will get tons of support in this forum. I cannot begin to tell you how much everyone has helped me and my kitty, He will be 16 this year and without them we would be in a very different and sad position. He is doing great and hoping for remission!!
 
Bron and Sheba said:
Hi Susan,
Would you be willing to test precious's blood sugar levels at home? We all do it here and can help you learn. It is not hard and is much cheaper than getting it done at the vets.
You will just need to buy a monitor...not expensive...and some strips.
The blood sugar does not stay the same during the day and goes up and down as it responds to the insulin. By testing at home you will see how this is happening and we can tell you how to manage it.
What insulin is precious having at the moment and how much?
Try not to stress too much. We all understand it is scary in the beginning but you have come to the right place for help.
Please don't think of having precious put to sleep. Diabetes is a very treatable disease and cats can live for many years quite happily with it.:bighug:
Click to expand...
shei s on novolin n humulin she take 2.5 units twice a day.I think iam gonna do it.
 
jayla said:
You absolutely can test at home and as Bron said we ALL do it--it has saved many of our babies lives-
Your vet may or may not be on board --All that matters is that you are on board:smuggrin:
Many of the people here use Relion human meter from Wal Mart- I think it is about 15$--I am sure others will drop by with more info on the human meters. The strips for human meters do not cost very much-
It would be good to have a hypo kit as well (which you probably already have at home) but in case you kitty needs it you know where it is.
I will let the more experienced people guide you with the curve as I am not qualified. You will get tons of support in this forum. I cannot begin to tell you how much everyone has helped me and my kitty, He will be 16 this year and without them we would be in a very different and sad position. He is doing great and hoping for remission!!
Click to expand...
thank you jayla.
 
Here's a Getting Started Shopping List

1. Blood glucose meter. The Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro. (about $15) These are the best choice until the ears "learn to bleed"...then the Relion Prime is the cheapest one for replacement strips. The Confirm and Micro take the smallest sample size...the Prime take a little bigger sample.

If you are in Canada, and can get to a WalMart regularly (or have friends/family that can ship you supplies if you need them), the Relion meters are great. I think the Bayer Contour or One Touch are other favorites of the Canadians in the group

2. Matching strips (about $19 for 50, $36 for 100) Prime strips are $9 for 50. Will vary depending on what meter you end up using. Using the Contour or One Touch, check Amazon/Ebay for better prices

3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool. (about $8 for lancets, $5 for lancing tool ...not required if you can freehand poke)

4. Cotton balls/cosmetic pads to stem the blood

5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment with pain relief to heal the wound (ointment ONLY...no cream)

6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against

7. Ketone urine test strips..ketostix (urine only) or ketodiastix (test urine and blood but more expensive and unnecessary if you're already testing BG) - Important to check ketones when blood is high

8. Sharps container - to dispose of wasted syringes and lancets.

9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken

10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

12. Syringes (If using a U100 insulin like Lantus or Levemir or willing to use a conversion chart with U40 insulin like ProZinc)

IMPORTANT that you get syringes with half unit markings! 30 or 31 gauge, 3/10cc insulin syringes....All the WalMart Relion 3/10cc syringes have half unit markings
 
susan k rupel said:
what is a hypo kit?
Click to expand...

On line 10 and 11 above state...A hypo kit should contain Karo Syrup/Honey/Maple syrup, as well as several cans of "Gravy Lovers" types of foods since the "gravy" is where most of the carbs are. A lot of us also keep an extra box of at least 50 strips in with our "hypo supplies"
 
Chris & China said:
Here's a Getting Started Shopping List

1. Blood glucose meter. The Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro. (about $15) These are the best choice until the ears "learn to bleed"...then the Relion Prime is the cheapest one for replacement strips. The Confirm and Micro take the smallest sample size...the Prime take a little bigger sample.

If you are in Canada, and can get to a WalMart regularly (or have friends/family that can ship you supplies if you need them), the Relion meters are great. I think the Bayer Contour or One Touch are other favorites of the Canadians in the group

2. Matching strips (about $19 for 50, $36 for 100) Prime strips are $9 for 50. Will vary depending on what meter you end up using. Using the Contour or One Touch, check Amazon/Ebay for better prices

3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool. (about $8 for lancets, $5 for lancing tool ...not required if you can freehand poke)

4. Cotton balls/cosmetic pads to stem the blood

5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment with pain relief to heal the wound (ointment ONLY...no cream)

6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against

7. Ketone urine test strips..ketostix (urine only) or ketodiastix (test urine and blood but more expensive and unnecessary if you're already testing BG) - Important to check ketones when blood is high

8. Sharps container - to dispose of wasted syringes and lancets.

9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken

10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

12. Syringes (If using a U100 insulin like Lantus or Levemir or willing to use a conversion chart with U40 insulin like ProZinc)

IMPORTANT that you get syringes with half unit markings! 30 or 31 gauge, 3/10cc insulin syringes....All the WalMart Relion 3/10cc syringes have half unit markings
Click to expand...
Chris & China said:
Here's a Getting Started Shopping List

1. Blood glucose meter. The Walmart Relion Confirm or Micro. (about $15) These are the best choice until the ears "learn to bleed"...then the Relion Prime is the cheapest one for replacement strips. The Confirm and Micro take the smallest sample size...the Prime take a little bigger sample.

If you are in Canada, and can get to a WalMart regularly (or have friends/family that can ship you supplies if you need them), the Relion meters are great. I think the Bayer Contour or One Touch are other favorites of the Canadians in the group

2. Matching strips (about $19 for 50, $36 for 100) Prime strips are $9 for 50. Will vary depending on what meter you end up using. Using the Contour or One Touch, check Amazon/Ebay for better prices

3. Lancets - little sticks to poke the ear to get blood . new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed. Optional - lancing tool. (about $8 for lancets, $5 for lancing tool ...not required if you can freehand poke)

4. Cotton balls/cosmetic pads to stem the blood

5. Neosporin or Polysporin ointment with pain relief to heal the wound (ointment ONLY...no cream)

6. Mini flashlight (optional) - useful to help see the ear veins in dark cats, and to press against

7. Ketone urine test strips..ketostix (urine only) or ketodiastix (test urine and blood but more expensive and unnecessary if you're already testing BG) - Important to check ketones when blood is high

8. Sharps container - to dispose of wasted syringes and lancets.

9. Treats for the cat - like freeze dried chicken

10. Karo syrup/corn syrup or honey if you dont have it at home - for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

11. A couple of cans of fancy feast gravy lovers or other high carb gravy food- for hypo emergencies to bring blood sugar up fast

12. Syringes (If using a U100 insulin like Lantus or Levemir or willing to use a conversion chart with U40 insulin like ProZinc)

IMPORTANT that you get syringes with half unit markings! 30 or 31 gauge, 3/10cc insulin syringes....All the WalMart Relion 3/10cc syringes have half unit markings
Click to expand...
 
Chris & China said:
On line 10 and 11 above state...A hypo kit should contain Karo Syrup/Honey/Maple syrup, as well as several cans of "Gravy Lovers" types of foods since the "gravy" is where most of the carbs are. A lot of us also keep an extra box of at least 50 strips in with our "hypo supplies"
Click to expand...
got that.
 
You can do this. It's just scary beecause you haven't ever done it. And isn't it worth it to be able to have your little friend? If I can do it you will be able, too. Every one of us is here to help you.
 
susan k rupel said:
shei s on novolin n humulin she take 2.5 units twice a day.I think iam gonna do it.
Click to expand...
This a a harsh insulin which acts quickly and does not last as long as some other insulins which are more suitable.
Lantus or Levemir are two long acting insulins which a lot of the cats here are given. Prozinc is another insulin which is suitable. Can you ask your vet if you can swap to one of these insulins? Precious will do much better on one of these new insulins? They are all given twice a day 12 hours apart.

It is so long since I have had a blood sugar done at the vet I can't tell you how much it costs. But you could buy the monitor and some strips for probably less than the cost of the curve.
 
o_OI've not had a curve done at the vets. He was not terribly helpful about anything except to hand me syringes and insulin. He spoke vaguely about 'having a curve done' in the future, but other than that I was sent home with very little information.

I was fortunate to find this site before having my vet do one, because they do cost. (Not sure of the price as I've not had one done by the vet.).. I found this website, armed myself with meter, syringes, testing strips and other pertinent materials, and did my own curve, which is simply testing every two hours for a twenty-four hour period, to find out how the insulin affects your cat, and where the 'nadir' is. That's the point at which your injected insulin stops working, and the blood sugar levels start to rise again.

Home testing is not hard..just prepare yourself with an alarm app or device to wake you up during the night, so you can test every two hours when you do a curve. After you get the curve established, you won't need to test as often as every two hours.

I'm a bit obsessive about supplies. In the beginning especially, I stocked more than twice the supplies I need, especially test strips, so I wouldn't run out at the worst time possible. I live in snow country, and getting out to the store isn't always easy.

In the beginning you'll be nervous and a few tests won't go through the meter properly.:confused:. You'll get an error message when that happens, and all you do is just retest, using a fresh test strip and lancet...or if you haven't wiped your cat's test site yet, you can get another test from the same poke.

:cat:There really will come a time when everything suddenly makes sense. You'll understand how fast a measured dose of insulin works on your kitty, and be able to project ahead, and know almost instinctively when they might need help with extra carbs, to catch a HYPO..(that's when your kitty's Blood sugar goes so low they need you to attend to them immediately and fix it. But routine testing is a sure-fire way to do this so I always test at least a few times a day.... just before each shot, and a few times in between, to make sure nothing strange is going on.

:DLike I said... You'll get the hang of it. :bookworm: We have a spreadsheet available, where you can record and track your kitty's daily progress. We recommend that you use it, because in the long run it will make your life so much easier. You will be able to notice trends in how your cat's body uses the insulin you give..and when they get sick from something else, you will be able to predict how you handle giving insulin...whether you need moreinsulin to support their ill health, or not. Using the spreadsheet also means that, if you post it in a link in your Signature, other members will be able to look at that spreadsheet and give you advice.

You'll be an Old Pro in no time flat!:cat:
 
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Susan, welcome. We all understand the part about being scared, but you can do this. Home testing isn't hard once you and your cat get the hang of it. It gets easier and easier. My vet had me buy a Vet Trak kit from her ($70) and then I found out the strips were over $1 each and you go through a lot. Money is a big issue for me so I went with the WalMart Relion Prime. The strips are only about 18 cents each, the meter costs about $17, though there was a roll back last week to $9. Not sure if it is still on. The regular size lancets were also rolled back to $1.50 a box of 100 (reg, $3.50).
I agree with the other poster about switching the insulin to either Lantus or Levemir. I use Lantus. It comes in a pen and you draw up the insulin using an insulin syringe from that. When I got my first pen, the pharmacist had me buy the pen needle tips ($45 a box), then I got the advice here to use insulin syringes, which are way cheaper. I also paid $85 for my pen at CVS, but you can check on the supplies thread and see if someone has it cheaper, or get a script and buy it from a pharmacy in Canada that many people on this board use.
I also found buying syringes online much cheaper than locally. Make sure you buy the right syringe for the insulin you are using.
I so hope you have a good vet that is knowledgeable about feline diabetes and is supportive of home testing.
Read as much as you can on this site and you will learn a lot very quickly. When you need help, don't hesitate to ask. There are many fine and experienced people on this board. I am a newbie too (1/16/2016).
Big hugs! Pepper
 
susan k rupel said:
jean do you know how much a blood curve test costs by any chance?
Click to expand...
They are not cheap. Like human hospitals vet's mark up items. At mine they charge $9 per test (at least that's what they charge when Fern was in the ICU after he first diagnosed and had ketones). I would guess $50-$100 at least but it likely varies. I do take mine to a vet located in a higher income community so it might be more than normal.
 
Susan,
Take it from someone who was overdosing her kitties on insulin, home testing is a life saver! The curve is very informative. With the insulin you're using (I was using Novolin) it is so very important to home test!

You can do this! If your vet discourages you, you can still do this! The information you get with home testing will be invaluable to your vet. My vet was not cooperative at all but I still home tested and found the correct dosage from the wonderful people on this board. After I became better informed and read tons of information from this links on this site, I decided to find a vet that supported home testing.

A single BG test at my old vet was $12!
 
My old vet charged $6 for a BG test. I've never had one done at my new vet's - he knows I am very capable of testing at home and that Squallie's BG reading at his office would not be accurate, anyway (I love my new vet!)

I don't know how much a curve at the vet's would cost, but I have to believe it would be fairly expensive. You CAN test and do curves at home, it may seem daunting at first but you will get the hang of it, believe me, and it will definitely save you some much-needed $$! Please don't give up on your sweet kitty, you've got this, Susan, you can do it!!!

As @jayla said, it does take time to get your kitty regulated. Insulin is a powerful hormone and sometimes it takes a while to find the perfect dose for your kitty. It also depends on the cat and, as everyone here can tell you, every cat is different (ECID!). Please don't get too stressed, or despair, it will happen, it just takes time. And love, and you've already got that covered. ;):)

Lucy
 
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