Suggestions on how to proceed

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Mrs Kelly

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My 19 year old cat Boo, YES 19, was diagnosed this past week with diabetes. Her BG was 550 and she only weighs 6 lbs. I am feeling very overwhelmed with information, costs and guilt! The vet wants her on insulin and I know she needs to be treated. However money is very tight and as I'm adding up all of the expenses associated with treating her, I'm worried. Between the meter, test strips, insulin, special food, and trips to the vet for more testing my head is spinning! I'm looking for some feedback on how I can handle this. I don't want to put her down, just because she's diabetic, but I also don't want her to suffer. Unfortunately, I don't have hundreds of dollars to treat her either. My vet has been great! She's been very helpful, understanding and supportive. How would you proceed if you were in my shoes?
 
Mrs Kelly said:
My 19 year old cat Boo, YES 19, was diagnosed this past week with diabetes. Her BG was 550 and she only weighs 6 lbs. I am feeling very overwhelmed with information, costs and guilt! The vet wants her on insulin and I know she needs to be treated. However money is very tight and as I'm adding up all of the expenses associated with treating her, I'm worried. Between the meter, test strips, insulin, special food, and trips to the vet for more testing my head is spinning! I'm looking for some feedback on how I can handle this. I don't want to put her down, just because she's diabetic, but I also don't want her to suffer. Unfortunately, I don't have hundreds of dollars to treat her either. My vet has been great! She's been very helpful, understanding and supportive. How would you proceed if you were in my shoes?
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Many people can give you tips to save money, like getting a Relion test meter because they have the most economical test strips... that way you don't have to keep going back to the vet for expensive visits. You can also feed store bought foods because you do NOT need to feed expensive vet foods.
What insulin is the vet suggesting? Lantus or Levemir would be good and you would have better chances of getting her to remission.

I would say to start giving insulin, and listen to the people here on ways to save money.

Gayle
 
Hi there and welcome to the board

As Gayle said we can keep your costs down. The first thing though is to confirm for 100% that its diabetes so call and ask your vet how it was diagnosed - did she test the urine sugar and did she do a fructosamine test? At that time also find out what insulin she is recommending.. we want Lantus, Levemir or Prozinc as those are the best for cats.

You dont need prescription food - a low carb canned wet food is key for controlling the cats blood sugar and even getting to remission - ie Fancy feast classic pates or Friskies pates are great if you are in North America. But the food change should come before starting insulin unless you are testing the blood.

So where do you live? We can make recommendations on cheaper meters etc if we know your country and state

Thanks
Wendy
 
Blood glucose levels may jump 100 - 180 mg/dL at the vet.


If you've not using insulin yet, switching to a low carb, canned or raw diet for your cat may drop the glucose level 100 mg/dL or more. Friskies pates (in the US) are one of the least expensive, low carbohydrate canned foods available (< 10% calories from carbohydrates).
 
Thank you all for replying! It's great to know that compassionate people are out there. We live in North Carolina, in the US. She has been on Friskies Classic for several months already, but she's also a dry food addict, so that's been the tough part. I've been trying her on EVO canned too. As far as my vet goes, I'm not sure what test they did, but they drew blood and sent it to the lab. The vet wants her on Lantis, but because of her small size there's concern about getting the dosage small enough.

Despite all of this info, I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow morning to see what we should do next. She hasn't eaten in 24 hours hasn't been drinking much or using her litter box. She cries a lot and just doesn't seem well. I'm not sure if any of the treatments suggested by you kind folks or the vet are going to help at this point. I will let you know what the vet says. Please keep my "little old lady" Boo and our family in your thought and prayers. It could be too little too late. I'm preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
 
Not eating and drinking can become dangerous; I hope it isn't diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

If necessary to get her eat, resume the dry food she was eating previously. You also might pick up a small bag of low carb dry food to gradually replace the dry you've been using. Wellness Core Original, Evo Cat and Kitten, and Young Again 0 carb (5% calories from carbohydrates and internet only) are some dry food options that may help get her switched to better dry, as it sounds like it may be a long process with her.

You may need to assist feed if she won't eat. This is taking an oral syringe, mashing up some canned food with water so it will go through the syringe, and giving small amounts frequently to get some nutrition in.
 
For today try and entice her to eat and drink - here are suggestions:

Enticing your cat to eat
Here are some things you can do do entice your cat to eat:
sometimes in order to get a cat to eat you even have to resort to dry it is more important that they eat. there are a couple low carb / grain free brands -- EVO and wellness core.
making a buffet to give him choices
heating food
Sprinkle food with :
FortiFlora -- a probiotic you can get at vets or online. is very smelly and cats love the taste of it.
parmesan cheese, other cheeses
smashed crumbles of dry food
bonito/tuna flakes (Asian markets or Asian food section in grocery stores)
Freeze dried treats (Halo, pure bites) -- crumble into dust over food. Chicken or liver flavours.
pour a little water from tuna in water over food (I use low sodium/no sodium added as other kinds in water has veg. broth in it and I assume that means onions, which are toxic to cats and it shouldn't contain soy -- check labels)
powdered oregano. yep sounds weird . but some cats like it and it will entice them to eat.
Small amounts of buttery cookies, white cake, butter, mayonnaise, cheesy poof chips (any forbidden food that they love)
Olives/olives juice
Other ideas of foods to offer your kitty to stim appy:
trader joe tuna for cats
baby food -- beechnut or Gerber Stage 2 -- you want a baby food that is only a protein + broth (although the Gerber contains cornstarch). It should have no onions or other additives. some babyfoods have onions . please read labels if you can't find beechnut.
kentucky fried chicken KFC
deli meats ie turkey /chicken
plain cooked (boiled or baked) chicken breast (or beef, ham, turkey, pork, steak, bacon)
Raw - whole meats, rinsed well or partially baked
canned chicken for people (watch the label that their are no onions)
chicken broth -- low sodium
olive oil/ warm milk (sparingly), kitty milk, cream, ice cream
Selection of canned foods (buy a can of everything!)

If enticements don't work, you should consider:
assist feeding ( syringe or make little meatballs and place in mouth)
and/or talking to your vet about appetite stimulants ( mirtazapine or cyproheptidine)
 
Once again, I would like to thank you all so much for your love and support. Sadly, my Boo when on the kitty heaven, while lying in my arms, this morning. We had an early morning vet appointment, but she was already gone by the time we arrived. The vet said it sounded like kidney failure, based on what I told her. Needless to say, I'm heartbroken! But I wanted to let you all know what happened. Thanks again
 
:YMHUG: My sympathies to you and may you be reunited with Boo at rainbow bridge. rb_icon
 
Oh little Boo, you left too soon. Your mommabean is missing you so much right now. Please send her a sign that you made it to the Rainbow Bridge and are now frolicking with all our other kitties that have gone ahead. You will be sorely missed. Your mommabean will keep all those memories of you close to her heart and cherish them forever.

Fly free little Boo, you have earned your wings. wings_cat

I ring of candles, lit in memory and honor of your cat Boo.

{{{{{{{{{{hugs }}}}}}}}}}

If you feel up to it, please share some of your memories of Boo with us.
 

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Hello again. Once more, thank you folks for the outpouring of love. It has been a very difficult few days. Just not seeing her roaming around the house, trying to climb into the fridge, greeting me as I exit the shower, all things that are making the adjustments hard.

Here is one of my favorite stories of Boo. First of all (in case I can't get my photo to post) she was a beautiful long haired solid black cat. She was born to a feral cat on a friends back porch back in 1994. I got her when my son was 6 years old. So needless to say, she had to learn some defensive skills pretty quickly. That wasn't a problem for her. She was very good at letting you know when she wasn't happy with whatever was going on, which often resulted in blood being drawn. She was always an indoor cat, but not by choice. She longed for the outdoors. We used to let her roam in the yard so she could chase bugs & lizards and feel like a wild tiger. As soon as we called her name she would come running inside (most of the time). So that leads me to a funny story. We lived on a public golf course for several years and one of her favorite things to do was wander out on the gold course, as if it were her own big back yard. The laughs came in when she would CHASE the gold balls that came down the fairway! No kidding! Like a dog. The golfer were shocked to see this black cat flying across the gold course to chase down their ball. She had no interest in claiming the ball, she would just chase it, maybe smack it once or twice then move on to her next adventure. It was really funny!

I could tell you a dozen stories about her, but suffice to say she was a stubborn, funny, wild, sweet old lady and there will never be another like my Boo Kitty.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151601957351843&l=4a4db25150
 
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What a wonderful long life Boo lived. She was just beautiful and you have my deepest sympathy. Hard on you but she passed away in your arms of love.
 
Lisa,

Thank you so much for sharing a picture link and that wonderful story of your beloved Boo.

We can tell how much you loved her and how much you miss her. Hold all those amazing memories of Boo close to your heart. She will be sorely missed.
 

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That story was so sweet. My deepest condolences to you and your family. I am so sorry for your loss. :YMHUG:
 
I am so sorry for your loss of sweet Boo. Thank you for sharing that funny story and her beautiful picture. She was so blessed to have been rescued by you and your family. Boo knows how much she was loved and she will always be with you in spirit.

((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))
 
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