Very New, Confused, Hopeful

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Caitlin M

Caitlin M

Member Since 2017
Hello,

I'm not even sure if I'm posting this in the correct place, but here goes. My name is Caitlin and I am a happy mom of 2 black and white, short haired brothers. They are about 10 years old-Brat is the bigger, more vocal, grabber of hands and mama's boy. Pita is the smaller (newly diagnosed), sweet baby who loves being held and will knock stuff over to wake me up. They were my first adoptees when I had my first apartment and living alone.
I just brought Pita to the vet yesterday and he had a urine and blood test taken. My vet (who has been my family's vet for 50+ years) said all signs point to Diabetes but we wait until Tuesday to be 100%. I've been a mixed bag of emotions since-crying and heartbroken, hopeful and ready. I have SO many questions but I should try to start with my biggest concerns right off the bat.
Pita is a horrible traveler-globs of drool hanging from his mouth, vomiting and diarrhea. My vet offered a shot for the trip home, but the drive back home is usually better for him. At any rate-she mentioned having to take him for a day to do what I believe she said is called 'Glucose Curve'. From my knowledge this far, I believe it is a steady checking (blood?) of his levels throughout the day to find out when he dips, rises, etc. Is this correct?! Now, my bill from yesterday was over $300 and I unfortunately am guessing that a full day stay is going to be much, much more. Can I ask to perform this curve test at home myself? Is it doable? Has anyone else done this? I'm thinking that besides the bill, I've read that glucose levels can be off due to a vet visit and considering how horribly he does, I'm guessing that will be true and want to try to reduce his stress.
This is really my first and biggest concern so far, before I have any other information from my vet. I've accepted the fact that this will be a lifelong journey for him and I can make it work financially overall. Please help? Thank you in advance!

~Caitlin
 
We've all been where you are - frightened, confused and wondering how we can possibly deal with this. Well, you can and we can help! Before long looking after Pita's diabetes will be just another part of your daily routine. Once you've practiced and become confident and proficient, all the blood glucose testing we advocate and the insulin injections might add up to 20 minutes or so a day.

I've already said that you can do a curve at home. We strongly recommend learning to test blood glucose at home so that you can start a routing of testing before each shot and at least one other time mid way between shots or at bedtime. Cats need two insulin injections a day because they metabolize it quickly. Once you know what insulin you'll be using and what dose to start post that info here.

Re food: a wet low carb diet is best for diabetics. Almost every dry food available including those sold as prescription food for diabetics is too high in carbs. Many of us feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates - not sauce/gravy types because they're too high in carbs.
 
Welcome!

Yes, almost all of us here hometest our cat's blood glucose, and use at-home curves (and tests at other times) to help guide dosing decisions, often in consultation with our vet. You can find the basic instructions and tips on hometesting in the "Health Links/FAQs" forum section just underneath this one. It's a very steep learning curve and can seem overwhelming at first, but believe it or not it becomes completely routine very quickly for both you and your cat. Some very-starting details I want to highlight from all that information to help get you started:

1) Glucometers. There are pet meters that several members use and vets often prefer us to use. They are awesome, but the strips are pricey and not easily obtained in last-minute situations, so most people here use human glucometers to monitor their cat's BG. If there is a Walmart near where you are, the Relion brand is popular and seems to work well, but there are lots of other options. The big differences to look for are cost of strips (it really adds up with the amount of testing most of us do!) and size of blood drop needed (smaller is better!). Being able to run out at 11pm on a Saturday night when your cat has decided to go really low and you need more strips is also a plus!

2) Lancets. Many glucometers come with sample lancets and a device, but when you are starting out we suggest a thicker lancet than the ones usually provided. You want a 26 or 28 gauge (usually marked as being for "alternate sites") when you are starting-- later on when the cat's ear "learns to bleed" by growing additional capillaries, the thinner 30 or 33 gauge will work. As for the device, some people like using it, others find it easier to control the poke if they just freehand the lancet itself-- you'll figure out what works for you and your cat.

3) Treats! Especially starting out, your cat gets a treat (or a cuddle, or whatever he prefers) as a reward every attempt, whether successful or not. You'll no doubt be nervous about the whole thing, your cat will pick up on that, treats go a long way getting him on board with the whole process. Eventually, most cats come running when it's test time, believe it or not!

4) Post-poke. A little light pressure on the poke spot with a tissue helps stop bleeding and prevent bruising. You can then dab on a little bit of neosporin or polysporin ointment (not cream) to help the healing, wiping off excess. Especially in the beginning, where you may need to poke multiple times in order to get a good blood sample, basic care like this really helps both the ears themselves and you the caregiver. It feels awful to see a red irritated ear where you've been poking; I never have since I started doing the pressure and ointment treatment.

You are in the right place to get help in caring for your sweet Pita. It really is an overwhelming amount of information at first, so just take it a bit at a time and let us know if you have questions!
 
The posts above have said it all, but I wanted to say welcome and that we are here for you and will help you every step of the way!!!! Funny names!!!! Lol
 
Lucky you Caitlin, for once someone has a vet they can depend on. Hopefully the first $300 covered testing for a few other possibilities so your vet could be sure what you had to deal with. A full day for a curve should not be nearly as much $$ and not nearly the cost of an overnight stay. You're in the right place, yes you can do curves at home, this will at get easier. Your boys are only 10, don't worry about crying and a broken for maybe another 10 years! Welcome to the Club.
 
Caitlin M said:
Hello,

I'm not even sure if I'm posting this in the correct place, but here goes. My name is Caitlin and I am a happy mom of 2 black and white, short haired brothers. They are about 10 years old-Brat is the bigger, more vocal, grabber of hands and mama's boy. Pita is the smaller (newly diagnosed), sweet baby who loves being held and will knock stuff over to wake me up. They were my first adoptees when I had my first apartment and living alone.
I just brought Pita to the vet yesterday and he had a urine and blood test taken. My vet (who has been my family's vet for 50+ years) said all signs point to Diabetes but we wait until Tuesday to be 100%. I've been a mixed bag of emotions since-crying and heartbroken, hopeful and ready. I have SO many questions but I should try to start with my biggest concerns right off the bat.
Pita is a horrible traveler-globs of drool hanging from his mouth, vomiting and diarrhea. My vet offered a shot for the trip home, but the drive back home is usually better for him. At any rate-she mentioned having to take him for a day to do what I believe she said is called 'Glucose Curve'. From my knowledge this far, I believe it is a steady checking (blood?) of his levels throughout the day to find out when he dips, rises, etc. Is this correct?! Now, my bill from yesterday was over $300 and I unfortunately am guessing that a full day stay is going to be much, much more. Can I ask to perform this curve test at home myself? Is it doable? Has anyone else done this? I'm thinking that besides the bill, I've read that glucose levels can be off due to a vet visit and considering how horribly he does, I'm guessing that will be true and want to try to reduce his stress.
This is really my first and biggest concern so far, before I have any other information from my vet. I've accepted the fact that this will be a lifelong journey for him and I can make it work financially overall. Please help? Thank you in advance!

~Caitlin
Click to expand...
I wanted to add that although not a guarantee, many of us have cats that have gone into remission. Remission can last a few months or even years.
 
Hi again!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I received my call from the vet about Pita's blood work and she said that it is indeed Diabetes but everything else looks fine- so yay! I am bringing him in on Wednesday and we are starting PZI injections twice a day. She said after 10-14 days I would bring him back and she would then do a Glucose Curve at the office. I have read that G.C. can be affected by stress to the vet and he is a VERY bad traveler. Should I ask/insist on doing it at home or just hope for the best?
The thing I am SO confused about, is the Glucometer and at home testing. I asked about it and said said he did NOT NEED to be tested at home and she thinks it puts a lot of stress on the parent and cat. Ok. From everything I have read on this website as well as dozens of others, this is the first time I had heard of a vet saying NOT to do at home blood testing. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated so when I go in on Wednesday I can really discuss this. Thank you all.
 
Sorry, that wasn't very helpful was it? It must be incredibly hard going into your vet's office and telling him/her that a bunch of strangers on the inter-web-net-thing say "No that's all wrong." You'll have to have faith in us, some of the members here are lifers, I'm just a baby whose only had 2 diabetic cats. There's no way around it, giving insulin means testing. We can help, there's no question that can possibly sound too stupid. We all started somewhere, please trust us.
 
I think the Vet that said No to you home testing just wants more money. First Vet had me take him in 2 weeks after starting insulin as well but second vet told me to do the curve at home and test him myself because it's less stressful on kitty. I should ask a Vet, who says no to home testing, if they had a family member who was insulin dependent, would they just give injections without ever testing their glucose levels? :p I'm still new to testing but it was more stressful and worrying when I wasn't able to test him and just giving him insulin blindly for the first few weeks. There are tons of members here that can help and helpful links/threads like the one I used to learn: Testing and Shooting Tips
:cat:
 
To be fair, I don't think it's always all about money with vets. In this kind of situation, I always try to keep in mind the fact that so many pet owners choose to euthanize when they get a diabetes diagnosis. I do think that part of what is going on with discouraging home testing is that vets are trying to make things easier (albeit more expensive) because they are afraid that if they load on a bunch of new responsibilities, the pet owners will be even more likely to choose euthanization. :(
 
I totally understand that thought process-I will admit that it ran through my mind for a micro second until I realized that this is not a death sentence and it is my duty to give it everything I can. I'm thankful that everything else is healthy and functioning for him, so this will not defeat us! :)
 
What would someone visually impaired do? You'd hope for an adoption but if you lived in a town of 200 people that might not happen. I could see how people might think euthanasia was the kinder thing to do to a 15 year old cat. In the shelters here we get a lot of surrenders, especially the elderly who just don't have the money. That's really sad.
 
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