Trouble home testing and asking about resources

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Dds35day

Member Since 2019
Hi. I am returning because my precious kitty Biddy who was in remission is back otj due to steroids taken for IBD. I have tried to test her home but have not been able to draw much blood. Suggestions greatly appreciated.
Also if you have an IBD kitty who is otj I would be grateful to communicate with you.
Finally, I was recently forced into retirement and am struggling with the cost of the IBD testing and meds and now the diabetes insulin and supplies. Do you know of any resources to help with diabetes costs? I am not indigent but these expenses compete with my food etc budget. Thank you very much.
 

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Welcome! So sorry to hear that Biddy is out of remission, but hopefully we can help :cat:

Do you mind sharing what country you are in? That will help us to make some recommendations for you. What insulin is your kitty on, what meter are you using, and what is she eating?

My girl has IBD and is in remission, but her IBD is currently well controlled by diet so I haven’t had to use any steroids yet. Her food is quite expensive though :blackeye: I also had a very hard time getting any blood from her ears when I first started. It helps a lot if the ears are warm. You can rub them to help the blood flow or a lot of people use some warmed rice in a sock. Her ears should also start bleeding easier the more they get used to be being poked
 
I use rear paw pads for BGs and so far my guy doesn't mind. Hope your kitty feels better soon. Some people have gotten free glucometers - ADW and GoodRx.com were giving some away but you have to purchase the strips.
 
Sarah&Soph said:
Welcome! So sorry to hear that Biddy is out of remission, but hopefully we can help :cat:

Do you mind sharing what country you are in? That will help us to make some recommendations for you. What insulin is your kitty on, what meter are you using, and what is she eating?

My girl has IBD and is in remission, but her IBD is currently well controlled by diet so I haven’t had to use any steroids yet. Her food is quite expensive though :blackeye: I also had a very hard time getting any blood from her ears when I first started. It helps a lot if the ears are warm. You can rub them to help the blood flow or a lot of people use some warmed rice in a sock. Her ears should also start bleeding easier the more they get used to be being poked
Click to expand...
 

Thank you for your message. We are just outside Washington DC. Biddy is 16 year and I was diagnosed with diabetes around this time last year. I gave unit 2x day lantus. I took her off dry food and put her on fancy feast classic pate. She did well and went into remission mid+July
Very shortly after I noticed she had lost a huge amount of weight and she was then diagnosed with IBD. I tried to avoid steroids until last week. We had managed her symptoms but she has to be on budesonide now. The vet said some of her huge weight loss could be related to the diabetes. I think the needles that came with the bg test kit are too small. I was unable to draw blood. I will get bigger needle tomorrow. I confess I am very distressed with all this. She continues to lose weight and is getting skinny which breaks my heart. She hates getting shots and pilling is a nightmare... usually she spit them everywhere. Thank you for any guidance. I love her so much.
 
Dds35day said:
Is your kitty in remission from both IBD and diabetes? Wow
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Yes her diabetes is in remission and she doesn’t currently have any symptoms of IBD since the food switch. Is Bitty still eating the fancy feast? That is what my cat was eating previously and it caused IBD flare ups for her. I suspect she probably has an intolerance to chicken and beef which causes the flare ups. Some IBD cats do better on a novel protein, either canned or raw food. However most of them will be quite more expensive than the FF.

What meter are you using to test Bitty’s BG? In the US, the ReliOn prime from Walmart is by far the cheapest option, so using that meter if you are not already might help you save some money. And yes, bigger lancets will likely help with getting blood as well! 28 gauge worked well for me.

Where are you purchasing the lantus from? Many people on the board order from Canada because it is a lot cheaper than buying it in the US.
 
Dds35day said:
Hi. I am returning because my precious kitty Biddy who was in remission is back otj due to steroids taken for IBD. I have tried to test her home but have not been able to draw much blood. Suggestions greatly appreciated.
Also if you have an IBD kitty who is otj I would be grateful to communicate with you.
Finally, I was recently forced into retirement and am struggling with the cost of the IBD testing and meds and now the diabetes insulin and supplies. Do you know of any resources to help with diabetes costs? I am not indigent but these expenses compete with my food etc budget. Thank you very much.
Click to expand...
Hi take a look in the supply closet , free and for sale,better if you private message the person, hope this helps
 
Dds35day said:
Thank you very much. You sound like you have a cooperative kitty.
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Definitely not at first...he's one to bite usually- hates meds and stuff.
I started cradling him in my lap and placing turkey breast on his stomach/chest while I was checking BGs on his rear paw pads. Then, I other times I would get him set up, but not test and give him the turkey. Now, he is so busy looking for and waiting on the lunch meat that I can grab my test then give it to him afterwards...it took some time but it's easier now. Although today he did grab my arm thinking I was holding some turkey and sure enough I smeared my blood sample and got an error message :/

(Also, I have the Lantus Solostar pen and it was $75 instead of $103 at Walmart with a coupon I found online )
 
Si am cat mom said:
Definitely not at first...he's one to bite usually- hates meds and stuff.
I started cradling him in my lap and placing turkey breast on his stomach/chest while I was checking BGs on his rear paw pads. Then, I other times I would get him set up, but not test and give him the turkey. Now, he is so busy looking for and waiting on the lunch meat that I can grab my test then give it to him afterwards...it took some time but it's easier now. Although today he did grab my arm thinking I was holding some turkey and sure enough I smeared my blood sample and got an error message :/

(Also, I have the Lantus Solostar pen and it was $75 instead of $103 at Walmart with a coupon I found online )
Click to expand...

Thank you. That is genius. Could help with giving injections too.
 
Sarah&Soph said:
Yesin remission and she doesn’t currently have any symptoms of IBD since the food switch. Is Bitty still eating the fancy feast? That is. my cat was eating previously and it caused IBD flare ups for her. I suspect she probably has an intolerance to chicken and beef which causes the flare ups. Some IBD cats do better on a novel protein, either canned or raw food. However most of them will be quite more expensive than the FF.

What meter are you using to test Bitty’s BG? In the US, the ReliOn prime from Walmart is by far the cheapest option, so using that meter if you are not already might help you save some money. And yes, bigger lancets will likely help with getting blood as well! 28 gauge worked well for me.

Where are you purchasing the lantus from? Many people on the board order from Canada because it is a lot cheaper than buying it in the US.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for your reply. I am amazed you have managed both so well. This is hopeful. I have an alpha trak, and I get that insulin at Target. They give me coupon so it costs $90.00
I have an unused vial and a box of syringes. If I can learn how to test at home that will save a lot of money from vet appointments. So tomorrow I will get the bigger lancets and we will work on it. I can't use evil carb treats but used to use a few pieces of shredded cheddar cheese. I am sorry to feel overwhelmed. The IBD diagnosis was.very costly but she had mirfortunately.Today she had mirtazapine, two shots and budesonide. I will strive to get her in remission.The IBD symptoms are better, it is the weight loss that is so worrying. I can't think enough for your kindness God bless.
 
If the insulin goes back up to $300 I will look into getting it from Canada. Do
they deliver cold to the United States?
Thank you very much.
 
I loved the AlphaTrak but it was just too dang expensive. Strips are nearly $1 each, whereas they are only $0.17 for the ReliOn prime! Plus the meter itself is only $9.

As for treats, most people use freeze dried because they are no carb. My girl loves Purebites and Vital Essentials. You can also give some plain cooked chicken or well, or continue with the cheese if she likes that!

And yes they do! Most people use Marks Marine Pharmacy in Canada. I believe they recommend ordering the box of 5 pens instead of the vial because they will last much much longer. You just send them a copy of your prescription :cat: Here’s a link to info on that

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/buying-insulin-from-canada.203498/

It is definitely overwhelming, especially trying to manage two conditions, but hopefully we can help you feel a little less stressed :cat:
 
Switching to a human meter will lower your costs. Walmart's Relion meter is one that many people hear use. The strips are among the least expensive available.

I have an IBD kitty -- he's not diabetic. You might want to consider a novel protein, raw food diet. Gizmo gets either lamp or pork. I also use a pre-mix which supplies all of the supplements to make the raw diet nutritionally complete. I use a pre-mix from FoodFurLife. The link is to the product information and you can purchase on the same website.

Have you tried crushing the pill and putting it in Biddy's food?
 
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