Spike just diagnosed with Diabetes - my first week...

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Beth61

Beth61

Member Since 2015
Hello everyone,

I'm real appreciative of this Forum! Last Thursday I began Lantus for Spike, my 13-year old little skinny guy. Only 2 units / day. I give one shot at 5am, one at 5pm.

The reason I'm posting here is despite having read through some articles about diabetes, and BG testing, I'm feeling quite overwhelmed and afraid. Spike seems to be hanging on, not exactly lethargic, but sleeping most of the time, or sitting quietly. But not old self. It's a long story, going back to August/September of 2014 when he fell off or jumped off (?) my 2nd-balcony porch. He was not hurt, amazingly, but now I think he was starting to have eye problems and that's why he may have fallen.

His appetite is fairly good, eats mostly Fancy Feast classics and flaked, and Friskies pates (no gravies). He was occasionally eating dry food I'd leave out daytime, but not alot 'cuz he didn't seem to like it much. Last week I stopped the dry food completely.

I don't know what his BG was last week when the results came back. I just went by what the vet said. Luckily she is pretty good to work with.

My BIG PROBLEM IS THIS: due to some recent life challenges, I've had to use my credit card quite a bit and now have a big balance. I've had to put Spike's (and my other cat's and my car, etc.) fees onto the card. I am running out of money and I can't afford going back and forth to the vet!! But I'm so concerned about Spike needing to gain weight, figuring out his BG, etc etc etc. So stressed, not sleeping at all 'cuz if Spike wants to eat, I'll get up and feed him (few times a nights sometimes). I'm getting scared that he's hypoglycemic!! Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much everyone.
 
Are you home testing Beth? Getting a human glucometer and testing at home is much cheaper than vet bills as well as being more accurate since tests done at the vets can be influenced by stress and be much higher than they'd be at home.

Testing at home will also let you know exactly what's going on inside Spike's body and will help prevent any chances of hypo's....by keeping track at home, if he starts to go too low, you can intervene with some high carb food and keep him safe.

If you live in the US, most of us use the Relion Confirm or Micro meter from WalMart. It's about $15 and 100 strips are $35.88 (you can buy less if you need to)

We have all kinds of tips on how to test too, so if you're willing to go for it, I'm sure the people here will be happy to help you!

Just curious...how much does your kitty weigh? You say he's skinny, so it may be that 2 units is too high of a starting dose. The majority of cats here start at .5 to 1U every 12 hours
 
Hi Beth. As you can see I also have a Spike. Take a deep breath as you are in the right place.
If there was ever a site devoted to saving money taking care of our babies this is it. Just in needles alone this site saves me over $40 every time I need them vs buying them from the vet. I see a lot of other people use the human meters and test strips to monitor BG levels. I will have to make the switch to a human meter in the next few months and the information available here will save you hundreds of dollars. I consider myself lucky as my Spike was diagnosed around tax time so I stocked up on the must have supplies. Although I have not used Lantus I would look into buying it online. I have saw that many people do.
As far as the weight loss I had the same problem. Spike is still not back up to his full weight but cutting out the dry food has helped. I went to a natural pet store just this last week and bought a small container of the Primal goats milk. I believe it is helping and am noticing a difference. I would check with others to see what they think before buying it though because I am a long way from regulating my Spike.
 
Chris & China said:
Are you home testing Beth? Getting a human glucometer and testing at home is much cheaper than vet bills as well as being more accurate since tests done at the vets can be influenced by stress and be much higher than they'd be at home.

Testing at home will also let you know exactly what's going on inside Spike's body and will help prevent any chances of hypo's....by keeping track at home, if he starts to go too low, you can intervene with some high carb food and keep him safe.

If you live in the US, most of us use the Relion Confirm or Micro meter from WalMart. It's about $15 and 100 strips are $35.88 (you can buy less if you need to)

We have all kinds of tips on how to test too, so if you're willing to go for it, I'm sure the people here will be happy to help you!

Just curious...how much does your kitty weigh? You say he's skinny, so it may be that 2 units is too high of a starting dose. The majority of cats here start at .5 to 1U every 12 hours
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Thank you for writing. Spike is 7.2 lbs. only. I haven't begun home testing yet, I've only just started researching everything online when I have time. I work full-time, live alone, and have another cat, Gemma, who's also got health issues. She is 14.5 lbs and needs to LOSE weight! I'm going insane, actually. So stressful.

I'll go to WalMart and look for those items. I've seen 1 or 2 youtube videos for how to test BG in cats. Do you have a specific video to watch at all? On top of everything else, I'm not the most confident 'nurse' with either of my cats. Much more fearful than I want to be. It just seems like I'm hurting him, even when I give him eye medication, etc. It's been a hellacious month.

Thank you again for writing.
 
Spike's Mom said:
Hi Beth. As you can see I also have a Spike. Take a deep breath as you are in the right place.
If there was ever a site devoted to saving money taking care of our babies this is it. Just in needles alone this site saves me over $40 every time I need them vs buying them from the vet. I see a lot of other people use the human meters and test strips to monitor BG levels. I will have to make the switch to a human meter in the next few months and the information available here will save you hundreds of dollars. I consider myself lucky as my Spike was diagnosed around tax time so I stocked up on the must have supplies. Although I have not used Lantus I would look into buying it online. I have saw that many people do.
As far as the weight loss I had the same problem. Spike is still not back up to his full weight but cutting out the dry food has helped. I went to a natural pet store just this last week and bought a small container of the Primal goats milk. I believe it is helping and am noticing a difference. I would check with others to see what they think before buying it though because I am a long way from regulating my Spike.
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Thanks also to you, 'Spike's Mom'!!!! Yes, we found the BEST site for our cats. I adopted Spike from the Humane society over 12 years ago. We've been through thick and thin. Why are you giving your cat that goat milk? was it recommended? My guy is the fussiest eater in the world.
 
Spike had lost over half his body weight. When he woukd stand the skin would sag like an extreme weight loss person. Plus the pet shot owner said it contains a small amount of cinnamon and that is known to help bring down the bg levels. He didn't think my cat would like it. He loves it though. I only give 1oz a day though.
 
Here's one of the better videos I've seen

It's also important to make sure his 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

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 him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he 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 him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his 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!
 
Chris & China said:
Here's one of the better videos I've seen

It's also important to make sure his 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

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 him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he 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 him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his 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!
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THANK YOU so MUCH for writing. I will try singing because I can definitely sing. I HATE it that I'm not confident - still - with giving him his eye stuff (his right eye got infected but it is now healing nicely). Don't even mention pills. I feel so very defeated and yes you are right I'm sure he feels icky then too. It's been such a struggle but again, I am feeling slightly more confident with my challenge.

I will watch and study this video. I'm getting confused by the difference between what people here say vs. what my vet is saying re: 2 Units of Insulin/day. Was it you, or ? mentioned 2 units might be too much given how small Spike is, that maybe I should go down to .5 Unit/day to start.

On the positive side he doesn't appear to be losing any more weight, but holding his own. He eats, but only a little at a time, little bits. But he definitely has an appetite, which relieves me greatly. But not enough.

And as I said, his little sister, Gemma, needs to LOSE weight, and I am also dealing with implementing portion control for HER, as this whole 'crash course' in diabetes has me greatly concerned for Gemma's future health.
 
Spike's Mom said:
Spike had lost over half his body weight. When he woukd stand the skin would sag like an extreme weight loss person. Plus the pet shot owner said it contains a small amount of cinnamon and that is known to help bring down the bg levels. He didn't think my cat would like it. He loves it though. I only give 1oz a day though.
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Thank you for sharing. Poor Spike! How exactly do you give cinnamon to him?
 
Here are the ingredients
Raw Goat Milk, Dried Lactobacillus lactis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Inulin, Organic Turmeric (color), Organic Ginger, Organic Cinnamon.
 
2 units is a pretty big starting dose for such a small kitty, which just makes it that much more important that you try your best to get tests in since the last thing we'd want to happen is for him to have a serious hypoglycemic incident.

Vets really don't have a lot of experience with diabetic cats. They see a lot more diabetic dogs than cats, and they just don't have the time to keep up to date on the latest treatments for every disease in every type of animal they see. The great thing about this message board is that the people here do nothing BUT deal with feline diabetes and the problems that tend to come with it, so they have lots of 24/7 experience with what works best
 
Beth,
I just started doing the blood glucose testing as well myself as my Tiggy was newly diagnosed recently. I definitely agree Chris & China's tip regarding the "low/carb" treat as this has really worked wonders for me in testing Tiggy and when I give him his injections.
When Tigz was initially diagnosed I just didn't think I was going to be able to give Tiggy his meds or do the BG testing as Tiggy is pretty jumpy and I was extremely nervous!
But, with all the great info from everyone here, I've learned great tips regarding how I could give Tiggy his shots as well as do his blood glucose testing. He actually now jumps up on this special wicker stool that I use when I give him his insulin injections and for his blood glucose testing. In fact, my other cat, who is not diabetic is a bit jealous. Although he doesn't get a blood draw or insulin shots, he insists on being allowed his time on the special wicker stool, in addition to a "low/carb" treat!... Lol
 
Welcome Beth,
It's all scary and overwhelming at first but it will get better. It took me about 3 weeks to get over feeling shaky and nauseous every time I tested Mitz. Now, it's no big deal. Follow Chris' suggestions and there's a page of hometesting tips on the forum too. I'll try to find the link. You're doing great.

Joan
 
Thank you all SO much...it practically brings tears to my eyes this morning, reading all your posts and feeling that you all care alot.

I'm going to Walmart today and look for the suggested Blood Glucose meter above. Spike is getting 1 unit of Lantus every 12 hours. This morning, at 5am, I had the 'fun' experience of a clogged Lantus pen. I stick the needle into it as I always do, same amount of pressure, etc., and it bent!! Like the pen is getting clogged or something. This damn pen cost me $87!!!! I just feel like every time I try to find a solution (for Spike, and then for dealing with my overweight younger cat, Gemma), a create another set of problems. Gemma is young and healthy but weighs 14 lbs.
The thing is, a vet is the person who recommended Nutro / Max Cat for Spike 2 years ago. He had a sensitive gut. Then during my 'crash course on diabetes' I learned that dry food is awful for cats. And now I feel awful. Gotta keep plugging away, and being patient, right? *sigh*... i'm very impatient person.
 
Hi Beth!

Just wanted to send a hug from even ANOTHER 'Spike' - luckily he's not our diabetic kitty.

SpikeNewBed3Dec14.jpg
 
BJM, yes I meant 'syringe' when I typed 'needle' in my post above.

The syringe bent because the tip of the Lantus pen from which I draw the insulin appears to be hardening a bit.

Squeaky and KT - thanks for the 'hi'! Mitzelpik's Mom - yes I am going to go to the page now.

And guess what? My home desktop computer just took a dump. I can't use it. I'm at the library now near my apt. I'm REALLY done with the streak of bad luck I've been having.

On the plus side, my health is holding up despite not sleeping well at all lately, and my little girl Gemma is over her infection and bouncy as ever!
 
We've all had that happen!!

The needles on the syringes are made of such thin metal (which is a lot of the reason they're so sharp) that they bend incredibly easily. All you can really do is try as best you can to stick the needle straight into the stopper .....but in the early morning hours, I'm lucky if I can find the stopper....LOL
 
I know, right? ! ? !

I think that's what happened - I was quite grumpy, having to get up and give Spike the shot. Sounds so terrible, doesn't it?! It's just that I'm struggling with insomnia for the past 2 - 3 months, had alot of stressful events in this time. Thx for sharing!!!
 
Oh Beth...you sound like me. I've been here about a little over a week and a half, moaning, shaking, crying while writing and feeling like a huge heel for sticking, poking and pricking my cat, Morrigan. It seems so harsh, doesn't it...especially, when they flinch, jump, growl, run, hiss etc..

Eating is another story too for me with Morrigan. She is a "kibble addict" so, it's become a slow go with switching over to canned foods. She still gets the m/d kibble and I try to give her canned foods first. Then, if she absolutely won't eat the canned foods, I put a bit of the m/d out. Little by little, she is starting to up the amounts of canned foods but, there's still a way to go. And, like you...while I don't worry about Morrigan's weight too much as she is overweight at 14 lbs or so, I am concerned about her not getting enough calories and liver issues. She dropped from 15.8 lbs to 14.4 lbs in less than 4 months. I'm happy if she holds steady and then, loses a bit slowly and healthfully so, I know what you are facing.

And, please...don't be so hard on yourself. You don't need to become a veterinarian in a week or two and learn everything. That's the pressure that I was putting onto myself out of fear and seeing others being able to do it while I couldn't. I felt like a "bad cat mommy" for not being able to do it. Even now, I'm only getting 1 to 2 tests done each day but, that's a HUGE improvement over the 0 that I was getting the first few days. And, it's all thanks to the patience and caring concern of the members in this forum. I cannot thank them enough nor can I recommend this forum enough.

But, please know that it all takes time for both you and Spike to adjust to it all. Just as much as he has to learn and tolerate it all, you need that chance too. (Don't worry, I have to keep reminding myself of that as well so, you're not alone in it all).

You're not going to be "perfect" at it right now, nor are you going to know everything. It's far too overwhelming to learn it all at once. The main things seem to be, learning to calm yourself and Spike, TRY to get a reading *if you can*, and get him eating what he will eat. (I have a hiding cat who doesn't want to come out in case I poke/prod her but, she's getting a bit better as the days go on...today is Day 11 of Lantus shots for us).

And, yes....2 units does seem high as a starting point. Our vet wanted to start there as well. I did some calculations and figured that it was too high a dose so, the vet reconsidered and went to 1 unit as a start. You might want to ask your vet what Spike's number was from him/her and see how the insulin is doing on him with your own home testing??? That's what I'm doing with Morrigan. If I can only get one test in a day, I try for the morning shot number. The next day, I'll try a mid-cycle (5 to 7 hour post injection) sample/test. And, the day after, I'll try the night version. If I can get 2 in a day...I do that. (You'll also learn how to set up a spread sheet to track Spike's numbers but, first, just get used to doing it and mark down on a sheet of paper the day, time, units of insulin given and any notes that you wish to make note of. If you look at an;y of our signatures, you'll see a blue "SS" link to look at people's spreadsheets. Since your computer is broken, you can just use paper for now. Works the same way but, is hard for members to see the numbers. You can always copy them down by typing them into a post (the most current readings *IF* needed).

Most of all, as everyone here has been so kind to continue to remind me...get calm and Spike will be calmer. Lighten up a bit on the learning quite so quickly and just relax a bit with it all. It all comes with time and patience and experience. No one here "got it all" overnight. And, when in doubt, ask here or if you can't get to a computer, call your vet and ask questions. Very often a vet tech will have answers as well if the vet can't get to the phone.

Breathe and realize that we need to sleep and eat and get out too. Our health has to come first....kind of like putting an oxygen mask on yourself first before you can put them on others. (By the way, my blood pressure, anxiety, eating habits and even taking showers all went out of whack the first week or so and I'm still a bit of a mess but, it's becoming more routine as the days go by.)

Sending you a friendly Sugar Kitty Mama Hug! :)
 
Good evening Louellen,

You've just made my day! Thank you so very much for your detailed post. It's what I needed. Thank you. Helping me feel that what I'm going through, others here have also gone through.... the self-doubt, feeling overwhelmed, fumbling and struggling with their little soulmate. Spike has been like a soldier his whole life, never complaining, always tolerating my ups and downs, moves, etc. He's a genteel little chap, whose presence in my life has been a huge source of comfort and solace.

Besides learning how to test him, my BIG CONCERN is for him to gain weight, and for my little girl Gemma to LOSE weight! He has a good appetite, thank goodness, but when he eats, it's a small amount only. Then I'll wait 5 - 10 minutes, he usually comes back for some more licks/bitefuls, another few minutes, some more eating, then he's done. Maybe his stomach has shrunken? He was never a big guy. I don't think he's lost more weight, but I'm just focused on getting him to eat.

What's been happening is Spikey will wake me up periodically through the night - every couple or 3 hours, to eat. And I've been getting up to give him food because at least he's eating! But I can't go on like this, not sleeping. So what I have TRIED to do, unsuccessfully so far, is CLOSE MY BEDROOM DOOR, keep Spike with me in the bedroom, and keep Gemma in the living room/rest of my apt.

But Gemma, being very determined and a big girl, starts pawing at the door, and it gets so loud I give up after 15 minutes, unable to go to sleep!

What do you recommend, if anything? Also, you said 1 unit might be good instead of 2 units? To clarify, you actually mean .5 unit in the morning, and .5 unit in the evening?
 
I will check that out RIGHT NOW.

And I am so glad my computer is apparently back to normal! I'll take the little gifts life sends my way.....
 
Ok, I see the auto-feeder at amazon, skimmed the ad .... but how will this prevent Gemma from trying to horn in on Spike's eating? She's that aggressive... ! acts like she hasn't eaten since last December or something!
 
It won't keep one cat out of the other's food, but it will give you the option of offering a snack overnight so you can get some sleep and don't have to worry about replacing the carpet
 
When we got the diabetes diagnosis, my other 2 cats were quite a bit overweight (oh heck...they were just plain FAT)....since I switched everyone over to low carb canned food, the fat cats have lost weight and are looking great

China had gone from a "good weight" of about 13lbs to under 7lbs....getting her on insulin and time was all it took to get her to gain it back...plus some (she's now a little "too fluffy"...lol)
 
Sorry to "horn-in"on the convo, although my putty tats, are nowhere near the tiny range, while my diabetic Tiggy is required to be on his insulin and the low/carb canned cat food, to make it easier (for me and my two cats), they both eat the same diet.
I am, however, going to invest in two of the auto-feeder dishes so they can each have one dish as they each have their own non-automatic dishes currently.

I'm assuming it may take some time getting them used to this though.
 
I'm planning on using the automatic feeders for the middle of the day and at night in order to help space out their food, assuming this should help even out the blood sugar spikes (along with the insulin).. Yes?
 
TigzMom said:
I'm assuming it may take some time getting them used to this though
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Yes it can, but start out by just using it as a regular cat bowl so they know good things come from it

TigzMom said:
I'm planning on using the automatic feeders for the middle of the day and at night in order to help space out their food, assuming this should help even out the blood sugar spikes (along with the insulin).. Yes?
Click to expand...

Yes....feeding several small meals a day is actually better since it doesn't stress out the pancreas by trying to deal with 2 large meals. Most of us feed mini-meals several times a day
 
That makes sense. I never really thought about it previously when I used to feed both my cats dry food, (which I used to leave out for free-grazing day and night), along with canned in the AM and PM.
Since Tigz diabetes dx, I've gotten rid of the dry altogether and only feed the canned. If I'm home during the day, I can take the time to spread out their food (rather than just feed both cats
twice a day). Guess I'm a "bad mommy", But at night, I have difficulty getting up multiple times in order to spread out their meals. They both seem to cope much better than I do!
I think the auto-feeder will def help.
 
I absolutely DETEST mornings, so when we first started, I figured I'd just test/feed/shoot China at 11/11...that way I didn't have to get up early, and since I'm much more of a night owl, it wouldn't be any problem shooting at 11 at night

Then she started responding and we spent a few nights up until 5 or 6am testing....that got old fast, so I changed her shooting schedule to 6am/6pm....I can get up and test/feed/shoot and almost always go back to bed if I want to...and by shooting at 6pm, I can feed her several times in the evening and then usually one more snack at midnight and we're good for the night

I still hate mornings, but that's worked well for both the shots and the mini-meals for her!

Some cats can do fine with food after +6, but usually we don't want them eating later in cycle since after about mid-way, the insulin is starting to wear off anyway and adding food then can put the brakes on the insulin, so if you can split your cats meals into several small meals and feed at PS, +2, +4, +6, that might be a good schedule for you to try (and if you can get them using the feeder, that'll be a LOT easier on you!)
 
Thanks for writing you guys. My kitties are both on wet food (fancy feast and some friskies); I've been lucky that they both really love it.

To clarify about food intake and insulin relationship -- some questions:

1) By 'cycle' you mean the 12-hour cycle between 'shootings'?

2) So it's better to give Spike more food earlier in the cycle, rather than later (like 2 hours before his next shot?)

3) I was told by the vet tech to feed him first, then give him his shot. Which I do at 5:00am / 5:00pm. Is that correct - to have him eat his main meals first, then 'shoot' him with insulin?
 
A cycle is the 12 hours between shots

We test, feed, and shoot within 15 minutes.

Mini-meals of 2 or 3 smaller meals in the 1st half of the cycle (ex at shot, +3, +6), as the insulin is taking effect, provide glucose with which the insulin can work and reduce the load on any pancreatic function. As the insulin is wearing off, feeding may ramp up the glucose by the next pre-shot test, though that depends on the cat.
 
Don't give up on your Lantus pen vial yet! The rubber stopper is very tiny compared to a normal vial and there is plastic under the edges so the open spot for smooth needle penetration is actually smaller than the rubber you see. This old R.N. has bent a couple of needles hitting the plastic at the edges too (I blamed old eyeballs!):( so make sure you get the needle right in the middle of the rubber stopper. If that doesn't help, and the rubber really has become tough, take the vial back to the pharmacy and complain because the rubber should not get hard in such a short period of time.
 
Thanks MrWorfMen's Mom and BJM, for the info re: testing and the pen.

Ok, now I have a question re: the Blood Glucose testing utensil, 'Relion Confirm'. I went to Walmart and saw 3 variations. 1) 'Confirm' 2) 'Micro' 3) 'Prime'. Do most people here use the 'confirm'? That's what I'm thinking. Also it said on the package ''Tiny .3 uL' not sure what that means. Is this correct one to use?

Does 'Confirm' have its own Test Strips? Because I saw 'Prime' test strips for $9.00.

What a racket but it is definitely CHEAPER than the vet.
 
And BJM, if I buy that electronic pet feeder, I can control Spike's meals more thoroughly obviously.

To understand you correctly, an insulin shot works best in conjunction with food within the first 6 hours of a shot, but not the 2nd 6 hours. But herein lies my dilemma - how can I get Spike to gain weight, if I decrease his food the 2nd part of the cycle?
 
Chris & China said:
When we got the diabetes diagnosis, my other 2 cats were quite a bit overweight (oh heck...they were just plain FAT)....since I switched everyone over to low carb canned food, the fat cats have lost weight and are looking great

China had gone from a "good weight" of about 13lbs to under 7lbs....getting her on insulin and time was all it took to get her to gain it back...plus some (she's now a little "too fluffy"...lol)
Click to expand...

How long did it take for your cats to lose weight? I've heard that cats lose weight (ideally) fairly slowly, over a period of months.
 
Get either the Confirm or the Confirm micro; they use a smaller droplet of blood than the Prime.
You get the test strips that match the meter. The same meter, unbranded, is available from ADW as the Glucocard 01 or 01 Mini.

Some folks will feed in the 2nd 6 hours - you just need to make it small and frequent as the insulin is wearing off then. But if you're feeding what he needs in the 1st 6 hours, he may be fine.

Canned food is about 70% water; it fills up, without fattening up as easily. Your overweight cats may lose weight without even trying. Mine did, when I switched all of them.
 
It took about 6-9 months but that's the way they should lose weight...slowly (and they had a LOT of weight to lose too...little porkers....LOL)
 
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