(Returning) New Member - April 7, 2022

[Deb&Tiki]

Hi there,

It's been about 20 years since Jake and I were frequent contributors on this message board and, as kind and helpful as this community is, I wish I didn't need to return. Jake's honeymoon lasted over 10 years before he crossed Rainbow Bridge and now I am back with my 18+ year old, Tiki. Tiki has had some on and off struggles with bladder stones but was doing pretty well until January when we suspect she had pancreatitis and then a nasty URI. Since then, she has behaved much like herself but has been losing weight. Blood and urine tests show that she has diabetes so we will begin our diabetic journey together tomorrow.

Any advice or suggestions to ask the vet tomorrow would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Deb and Tiki

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome back to the forum Deb and Tiki. I’m sure you wish you didn’t have to come back. Wow, 10 years is a wonderful honeymoon.

I would ask the vet to prescribe either Lantus or Prozinc. They are the two insulins recommended. Lantus does have some biosimilar ones such Semglee which is cheaper than Lantus. Also thee is Levemir which is similar to Lantus. Don’t let the vet prescribe Novolin N or Vetsulin or Caninsulin……..there are much better insulins for cats now.
Lantus can be bought from Canada for a much cheaper price.
Link to BUYING INSULIN FROM CANADA

If you don’t have a test meter already, I would suggest a ReliOn Prime meter from Walmart.
They are $9 and the test strips ae $17.99 for 100. You will also need the lancets size 26 or 26 gauge.
There are pet meters available now and the vet may suggest you get one of those. But they are very expensive to run and as our dosing methods are based on the human meter, I would recommend you stick with those.

Do you need any help with the low carb food? Here is a food chart
FOOD CHART

The starting dose is usually 0.5 to 1 unit depending if you are feeding a low carb diet or dry food. Once you find out the type of insulin you are going to use we can give you the link to using it.
I would ask the vet if he tested for ketones in the urine. I would also buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test for them yourself until Tiki is regulated.
Not sure if I have covered everything. We are very happy to answer any questions.
Bron

 

[Deb&Tiki]

Thank you so much for your recommendations! I am taking notes to our vet appointment tonight.

Do you know of a connection between pancreatitis and diabetes? Tiki's pancreatitis in January seemed to be the start of her weight loss. Just wondering if/how they are connected given that they both involved the pancreas?

Thanks!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Now in the US you can get glargine insulin less expensive that the original glargine (Lantus) from Canada. Presently there are 3 or four glargines available in the USA. They are the branded Lantus (glargine) and Semglee Glargine) and the generic glargine with the latter being the least expensive. See GoodRx for the best place to get it
https://www.goodrx.com/semglee

 

[Deb&Tiki]

We're in Canada and we got Lantus. We're hoping to start tomorrow as there was some confusion about the syringes so my vet wants to see what the pharmacist gave me before I give Tiki her first dose. I couldn't find the ReliOn Prime meter at my Walmart so I'll see if I can get it somewhere online.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

The syringes you need for the Lantus insulin are U100 3/10 30 or 31 gauge 6 or 8 mm insulin syringes with 1/2 unit markings. They have an orange cap.
What dose has the vet prescribed?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Pancreatitis can be linked to diabetes since it's the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. I hope the pancreatitis has cleared since it's incredibly painful. It's not uncommon for a cat with pancreatitis to not want to eat. They are in considerable discomfort. I'm linking our Primer on Pancreatitis in case you need more information.

This is also a link on how you can help us to help you. It includes information on setting up your signature and spreadsheet.

I would monitor carefully. Any infection or inflammation can cause a rise in blood glucose (BG) numbers. As the UTI and pancreatitis clear, you may see numbers come back down. If the antibiotics have run their course, it may be helpful to get the vet to run another urinalysis to make sure the infection is gone. UTIs can turn into kidney infections which are stubborn. Did the vet do a sterile urine draw? (A cystocentesis -- using a needle into the bladder to get the sample)