We are going through the process of getting Monty's glucose levels regulated. We have achieved positive signs that his urine has leveled off and he isn't drinking a lot of water. A problem that we are having though is that he was at a good level but the last two times he has been really stressed when we took him to the vet and his levels were higher than the one really good time even though we had increased his insulin level and as I said his urine production and water levels seemed under control. He also is relatively calm at home other than when there are loud noises and he tenses up or when I try to hold him too long.
We wonder whether testing him at home might be a better option but when I asked the vet how much the supplies cost, they said $185. We are concerned about the added costs of home testing as it only costs us $43 to get it done at the vet. We have already spent over $1,000 in the past three months and although we were aware of some of the costs, are concerned about how we are going to need to get insulin quicker as his levels go up and even the food issue we will discuss later. Other questions, if we do test at home what is the testing cycle? Every 2-3 or 3-4 weeks like out vet? Daily, like a human being? Are there places where we can get cheaper supplies, rebates, or coupons for testing supplies.
Another issue is that we have read that we are still feeding Monty dry food but mainly because he is allergic to most other foods. It has been suggested that we get Fancy Feast Classic which Monty has handled in limited amount but we do have another cat and it has been financially helpful to feed both of them the same food. Also we have developed a system with feeding him and giving him shots in a cycle and am not sure how switching to canned food would work with this schedule. Also are there any places to get coupons or ways of saving on canned food if we go that way? Also how much do people feed their cats per day if they do feed canned food.
I know that it seems like this email is financially focused but we were worried about whether we were going to keep him initially after his diagnosis due to having three other animals two of whom are older and have health issues of their own. I guess the key now is trying to get Monty's glucose regulated, figuring out whether to home test or vet test and whether stress, his food or other issues are causing his still slightly elevated glucose levels.
Has anyone run into any of these same issues and what suggestions do you have? Thanks for any help that you can provide us.
Regards,
Mark, Holly and Monty
We wonder whether testing him at home might be a better option but when I asked the vet how much the supplies cost, they said $185. We are concerned about the added costs of home testing as it only costs us $43 to get it done at the vet. We have already spent over $1,000 in the past three months and although we were aware of some of the costs, are concerned about how we are going to need to get insulin quicker as his levels go up and even the food issue we will discuss later. Other questions, if we do test at home what is the testing cycle? Every 2-3 or 3-4 weeks like out vet? Daily, like a human being? Are there places where we can get cheaper supplies, rebates, or coupons for testing supplies.
Another issue is that we have read that we are still feeding Monty dry food but mainly because he is allergic to most other foods. It has been suggested that we get Fancy Feast Classic which Monty has handled in limited amount but we do have another cat and it has been financially helpful to feed both of them the same food. Also we have developed a system with feeding him and giving him shots in a cycle and am not sure how switching to canned food would work with this schedule. Also are there any places to get coupons or ways of saving on canned food if we go that way? Also how much do people feed their cats per day if they do feed canned food.
I know that it seems like this email is financially focused but we were worried about whether we were going to keep him initially after his diagnosis due to having three other animals two of whom are older and have health issues of their own. I guess the key now is trying to get Monty's glucose regulated, figuring out whether to home test or vet test and whether stress, his food or other issues are causing his still slightly elevated glucose levels.
Has anyone run into any of these same issues and what suggestions do you have? Thanks for any help that you can provide us.
Regards,
Mark, Holly and Monty
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