Vet Visit From Hell

[Judy & Fritz]

I am on Vet #3 after Fritz was diagnosed 7/23 with diabetes. This vet is at the same clinic where Fritz was diagnosed by Vet #1. My vet of over 20 years moved an hour away during last year’s madness. I had a chat with Vet #3 last week about doing home testing, which she said she fully supported, was having the office manager order an AlphaTrac for me, lots of encouraging things. Today, I had a wellness check for one of my other kitties, Rena. After waiting an hour with no explanation, in she waltzed. I had the techs take urine and blood for a complete panel, and apparently the vet examined her while she was getting the samples. When she came in, she said she couldn't get urine, but got the blood sample. Then she said if I wasn’t getting Rena vaccinated today, she couldn’t in good conscience sign off on today’s visit as a wellness exam for insurance purposes! Strange, since my receipt says “Wellness Exam.” I am not giving my cat an unnecessary vaccination for the sake of a vet’s ego, she gets antibody titer tests. She will be calling me with the blood test results tomorrow.

I had called yesterday to see if the AlphaTrac meter had come in, they said they would check and call me back. Never heard from them. Today, we got to the heart of the matter. This vet who was so willing to work with me on the phone had done a complete turnaround. She told me she doesn’t treat diabetic cats whose parents test them at home! I asked her why she told me she was supportive of it last week, even suggesting ordering a meter for me. She didn’t answer, just kept jabbering that people who do home testing don’t follow vet’s instructions and the only way she could see Fritz is if I stopped all home testing. I couldn’t believe it. I said, “Well, that’s not going to happen. I am definitely going to home test him.” I told her that I realized she doesn’t own the clinic and that new management might have that policy, but she could have called and let me know, since it was a complete departure from our previous conversation.

So now, I will be going back to Vet #2’s boss, to see what he is willing to do (still need a urinalysis for Rena). I have to get insulin from a vet. I called my insurance company, they assured me that all of Fritz’s expenses were covered, and it didn’t matter whether Vet #3 signed off on Rena’s wellness exam or not, it didn’t matter that I refuse to give her unnecessary vaccines every year, they actually prefer that I not do so for an indoor cat, and today’s costs are still applied against her yearly deductible. It also doesn’t matter how many vets I take them to, plus my pet insurance covers holistic vets if I could only find one. Fabulous pet insurance company! So here’s my question, should I NOT tell a vet I am home testing? I want a partnership, but that is beginning to look improbable. In the end, I could always drive for an hour each way with a loudly wailing Fritz in the car to my vet of many years, and be ready for the loony bin by the time we get back home. I am more appalled at the state of today’s veterinary medicine with each vet I see.

 

[Ann & Sister]

I am on Vet #3 after Fritz was diagnosed 7/23 with diabetes. This vet is at the same clinic where Fritz was diagnosed by Vet #1. My vet of over 20 years moved an hour away during last year’s madness.
So here’s my question, should I NOT tell a vet I am home testing? I want a partnership, but that is beginning to look improbable. In the end, I could always drive for an hour each way with a loudly wailing Fritz in the car to my vet of many years, and be ready for the loony bin by the time we get back home. I am more appalled at the state of today’s veterinary medicine with each vet I see.

Well, if you do not tell a vet about home testing, they will insist you keep bringing in your cat weekly to see if the dose is correct.
My "new" vet knows I am home testing. I provided her the last 3 curve numbers. After reading them, she attempted to frighten me with "concerns about somogyi." (The FDMB cleared that up for me.) She suggested I bring Sister in for a curve and to be weighed. I told her I just did a curve and she weighs 14.7 pds on my baby scale. Over the past 10 days, I have sent her Sister's curve. No response. Asked a question about a dental. No response. I think she is miffed. I thought we were building a partnership, too. Maybe not.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

You may want to create a post asking for vet recommendations in your area. We may have a member nearby who can recommend someone.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

I think this is a complete disgrace, it’s like one-size-fits-all, when we know that every cat is different. I want a vet who treats each of my cats as the unique individual he or she is. Today’s visit was just totally unacceptable, and I paid only $200 for the privilege since she couldn’t get urine. This should be quite the eye-opening journey. I am not only disappointed in this vet today, I am disappointed in the veterinary profession, period. What did you find out about the Somogyi Phenomenon? wish you luck, Ann,

You may want to create a post asking for vet recommendations in your area. We may have a member nearby who can recommend someone.

Excellent idea, thank you! What forum would I post that in?

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

You can post it in Health since it is health related.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Thanks, Lisa.

 

[Scdal]

I am on Vet #3 after Fritz was diagnosed 7/23 with diabetes. This vet is at the same clinic where Fritz was diagnosed by Vet #1. My vet of over 20 years moved an hour away during last year’s madness. I had a chat with Vet #3 last week about doing home testing, which she said she fully supported, was having the office manager order an AlphaTrac for me, lots of encouraging things. Today, I had a wellness check for one of my other kitties, Rena. After waiting an hour with no explanation, in she waltzed. I had the techs take urine and blood for a complete panel, and apparently the vet examined her while she was getting the samples. When she came in, she said she couldn't get urine, but got the blood sample. Then she said if I wasn’t getting Rena vaccinated today, she couldn’t in good conscience sign off on today’s visit as a wellness exam for insurance purposes! Strange, since my receipt says “Wellness Exam.” I am not giving my cat an unnecessary vaccination for the sake of a vet’s ego, she gets antibody titer tests. She will be calling me with the blood test results tomorrow.

I had called yesterday to see if the AlphaTrac meter had come in, they said they would check and call me back. Never heard from them. Today, we got to the heart of the matter. This vet who was so willing to work with me on the phone had done a complete turnaround. She told me she doesn’t treat diabetic cats whose parents test them at home! I asked her why she told me she was supportive of it last week, even suggesting ordering a meter for me. She didn’t answer, just kept jabbering that people who do home testing don’t follow vet’s instructions and the only way she could see Fritz is if I stopped all home testing. I couldn’t believe it. I said, “Well, that’s not going to happen. I am definitely going to home test him.” I told her that I realized she doesn’t own the clinic and that new management might have that policy, but she could have called and let me know, since it was a complete departure from our previous conversation.

So now, I will be going back to Vet #2’s boss, to see what he is willing to do (still need a urinalysis for Rena). I have to get insulin from a vet. I called my insurance company, they assured me that all of Fritz’s expenses were covered, and it didn’t matter whether Vet #3 signed off on Rena’s wellness exam or not, it didn’t matter that I refuse to give her unnecessary vaccines every year, they actually prefer that I not do so for an indoor cat, and today’s costs are still applied against her yearly deductible. It also doesn’t matter how many vets I take them to, plus my pet insurance covers holistic vets if I could only find one. Fabulous pet insurance company! So here’s my question, should I NOT tell a vet I am home testing? I want a partnership, but that is beginning to look improbable. In the end, I could always drive for an hour each way with a loudly wailing Fritz in the car to my vet of many years, and be ready for the loony bin by the time we get back home. I am more appalled at the state of today’s veterinary medicine with each vet I see.

I would drive an hour to your old vet if you were happy with him. My vet of 30 years retired 3 years ago. It took me 2 years to find a good vet. I even took Phoenix to a vet in the area that had one of these cable TV shows that will remain nameless. Not only did I get charged $6,000, I came out with a cat a lot sicker than when he went in. They sedated Phoenix and the vet damaged his throat with the intubation tube. Then he developed pneumonia. He was diagnosed with pancreatititis and they didn't even prescribe pain medication. I went to 3 vet clinics until I found a good one.

I now have a fantastic vet but he is one and a half hours away from me. The clinic even has a vet on call 24 hours. You don't have to use an emergency clinic. Even if my vet is not on call, any of the vets call pull up all of my cat's records online. It is worth the long drive. A lot of howling and yowling is just letting you know how he feels about going to the vet. Mine puts up a fuss as well but only at the vet's office. He is quiet in the car but once I let him out of his carrier, he will try to bite me every time. I am prepared to stay out of his way for several hours until he calms down.

 

[JanetNJ]

You don't need the vet to order you a meter. You can buy one at a pharmacy or order an Alphatrak online.

 

[StarburstMom]

You could just meet any vet to get the initial prescription for insulin as long as the BG is high.

We started with the ER vet because I couldn't get my girl into my vet. They gave me ProZinc/syringes and told me to start with 1 unit 2x a day and followup with my vet. My vet wanted to do curves with the Libre (I'm hearing this is becoming more common) at home.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

I would drive an hour to your old vet if you were happy with him. My vet of 30 years retired 3 years ago. It took me 2 years to find a good vet. I even took Phoenix to a vet in the area that had one of these cable TV shows that will remain nameless. Not only did I get charged $6,000, I came out with a cat a lot sicker than when he went in. They sedated Phoenix and the vet damaged his throat with the intubation tube. Then he developed pneumonia. He was diagnosed with pancreatititis and they didn't even prescribe pain medication. I went to 3 vet clinics until I found a good one.

I now have a fantastic vet but he is one and a half hours away from me. The clinic even has a vet on call 24 hours. You don't have to use an emergency clinic. Even if my vet is not on call, any of the vets call pull up all of my cat's records online. It is worth the long drive. A lot of howling and yowling is just letting you know how he feels about going to the vet. Mine puts up a fuss as well but only at the vet's office. He is quiet in the car but once I let him out of his carrier, he will try to bite me every time. I am prepared to stay out of his way for several hours until he calms down.

Fritz is the exact opposite - so good at the vet’s office, a terror in the car. I was very happy with my old vet, planning to call him on Monday. It sounds like you found a wonderful clinic. I’ve only been to two clinics so far - the one my old vet sold and the one I adopted Fritz from. I may end up driving him to my former vet, depending on what he says when we talk. We truly did have a partnership.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

You don't need the vet to order you a meter. You can buy one at a pharmacy or order an Alphatrak online.

Janet, I’m perfectly happy with the ReliOn Prime meter. This vet suggested ordering the Alphatrak and that was fine with me because I could use a backup meter anyway. I was looking at the NovaMax Plus since it reads ketones as well. Which would you get if you were me, Alphatrak, or NovaMax or both? I have extra batteries for my current meter but want to be on the safe side.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

You could just meet any vet to get the initial prescription for insulin as long as the BG is high.

We started with the ER vet because I couldn't get my girl into my vet. They gave me ProZinc/syringes and told me to start with 1 unit 2x a day and followup with my vet. My vet wanted to do curves with the Libre (I'm hearing this is becoming more common) at home.

Yes, that’s true, but I would prefer to have a good relationship with a vet, on an ongoing basis. I have Fritz’s Prozinc, he’s been on it since 8/4. I changed his diet and then began the insulin, all under vet supervision. The more I read on this board, the more impressed I am with the vast amount of knowledge here. It helps so much just knowing you all are here.

 

[tiffmaxee]

You will save a lot of money if you get a human meter. My vet is boarded in internal medicine and had never used a human meter until me. He’s not at all big headed and is a partner with his clients. He showed my spreadsheet to his third year students.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

You will save a lot of money if you get a human meter. My vet is boarded in internal medicine and had never used a human meter until me. He’s not at all big headed and is a partner with his clients. He showed my spreadsheet to his third year students.

I have a human meter (ReliOn Prime), that’s all I’ve been using and I’m very happy with it. I was willing to get the Alpha Trak because I assumed that’s what the clinic uses and it might come in handy. I need a backup meter anyway. Your vet sounds awesome. I come from a medical family. It’s shameful when ego gets in the way of providing good care.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

I mentioned Fritz not eating well one night, and the vet today said not to give him his regular low carb pate or a higher carb food with gravy, but to give fiber. The entire visit was a nightmare. This visit was Rena’s visit, but she made it all about Fritz. Moving on…..

 

[tiffmaxee]

I am sorry you are having trouble finding a good vet. I worry all tge time about what I will do when my vet retires. He and his partners sold the practice to VCA and are on contract. His closest partner has retired and I know he won’t stay forever. I grill him every time I see him. For now he’s not going anywhere he promised me. He’s rare in that he’s still willing to learn and try new things.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

M sorry you are having trouble finding a good vet. I worry all tge time about what I will do when my vet retires. He and his partners sold the practice to VCA and are on contract. His closest partner has retired and I know he won’t stay forever. I grill him every time I see him. For now he’s not going anywhere he promised me. He’s rare in that he’s still willing to learn and try new things.

Sounds just like my former vet. Judging by what I’ve seen so far, I will be driving an hour. My daughter and I were talking tonight about our former vet saying he isn’t going to retire. So I know you worry about what you’ll do when yours does. When you have a vet you truly trust, it’s a very important relationship. I love your kitty’s name, it’s my husband’s name, lol.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

My two favourite vets retired at the same time and I felt really lost. I wasn’t all that happy with the vets that took over the practice.
I don’t have any diabetic cats at the moment so it wasn’t urgent that I find another vet but it was always in the back of my mind.
Finally I chose a new vet and am very happy with her. Not sure how we would go with a diabetic cat though.
My old vet was so good and was happy for me to test and adjust the dose. And he was always asking me things about FD and was willing to learn new things about it.
I think having a good doctor, dentist and vet are really important in one’s life!

 

[Judy & Fritz]

My two favourite vets retired at the same time and I felt really lost. I wasn’t all that happy with the vets that took over the practice.
I don’t have any diabetic cats at the moment so it wasn’t urgent that I find another vet but it was always in the back of my mind.
Finally I chose a new vet and am very happy with her. Not sure how we would go with a diabetic cat though.
My old vet was so good and was happy for me to test and adjust the dose. And he was always asking me things about FD and was willing to learn new things about it.
I think having a good doctor, dentist and vet are really important in one’s life!

SO important! My oncologist is family to me. I was his first patient in this area when he moved here from Texas. I was misdiagnosed for 14 months, so when I first saw him, I had Stage 4 metastatic BC. Prognosis was pretty bleak, 18 months. That was 20 years ago, apparently God had other plans. My doc and I made a pretty good team and fought one heck of a battle. We beat it. I learned a lot about alternative medicine after all the chemicals, and he supports me in that 100% as long as I see him twice a year and have my tumor marker tests and bloodwork done. He is the most brilliant, yet humble man. If I ask him a question and he doesn’t know the answer, he says exactly that. My former vet is much like that as well, always willing to try something outside the box while keeping my babies safe. Maggie was the one failure, and I truly think he believed the home testing would be too much for me because of my health at that time. He was trying to protect me rather than my girl. However, I have surpassed any health goals I set for myself and am more than up to this task. I plan to talk to him on Monday. When you have a healthcare provider you trust and respect, that is worth its weight in gold. You don’t currently have a diabetic kitty, yet here you are night after night (US time) blessing countless terrified cat parents with your knowledge and wisdom. You are one amazing person, Bron. I know your old vet learned so much from you!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

the vet today said not to give him his regular low carb pate or a higher carb food with gravy, but to give fiber.

A lot of vets still believe that a diabetic cat should eat a high fiber diet...that's why so many of them are sold a bag or can of W/D. What they don't tell the client is that the reason it's high in fiber is due to the "powdered cellulose"....which is basically a fancy word for sawdust....so yeah, it's high fiber!

With China, I ended up with vet #5 who was an hour away on a 2 lane road with lots of hills and blind curves and no shoulder (oh yeah, and a lot of Amish families with their horse and buggy). China was part Siamese so when she was singing the song of her people, you could hear it outside the car and I got some funny looks like I was kidnapping a child or something. Eventually though, with a lot of experimenting and conditioning, I got her used to riding in the car so I could take my mom to Branson for the Christmas shows (I didn't trust anybody to take care of China as well as I could so she had to come too). I found she did much better when she wasn't crated so she wore a harness and leash that was tied into the seatbelt in the back. I put a blanket over the back seat and a litterbox on the floorboard and she did very well!

A lot of people with "problem" cats also use a small dose of gabapentin which can really make a huge difference.

When you find that one prince in a pond full of frogs, you do what you have to do! Hope your old vet continues to work with you for a long time!

 

[Judy & Fritz]

A lot of vets still believe that a diabetic cat should eat a high fiber diet...that's why so many of them are sold a bag or can of W/D. What they don't tell the client is that the reason it's high in fiber is due to the "powdered cellulose"....which is basically a fancy word for sawdust....so yeah, it's high fiber!

With China, I ended up with vet #5 who was an hour away on a 2 lane road with lots of hills and blind curves and no shoulder (oh yeah, and a lot of Amish families with their horse and buggy). China was part Siamese so when she was singing the song of her people, you could hear it outside the car and I got some funny looks like I was kidnapping a child or something. Eventually though, with a lot of experimenting and conditioning, I got her used to riding in the car so I could take my mom to Branson for the Christmas shows (I didn't trust anybody to take care of China as well as I could so she had to come too). I found she did much better when she wasn't crated so she wore a harness and leash that was tied into the seatbelt in the back. I put a blanket over the back seat and a litterbox on the floorboard and she did very well!

A lot of people with "problem" cats also use a small dose of gabapentin which can really make a huge difference.

When you find that one prince in a pond full of frogs, you do what you have to do! Hope your old vet continues to work with you for a long time!

Omg, I am whooping with laughter, thinking of you driving along that awful road with China “singing the song of her people” while swerving past Amish families, horses and buggies. LOLOL. Both my old vet and Vet#1 who diagnosed him walked in, took one look at Fritz, and said, “He’s got a lot of Siamese in him.” Maybe THAT’S why he yowls in the car, maybe they are his people too. You just blow me away. I have no problem picturing China in the back of the car in her little harness and leash, complete with litterbox, on her way to the Christmas shows in Branson. What wonderful memories, Chris!

The thing about Fritz is, while he’s super loud and relentless in the car, once he’s at the vet’s, he is one cool customer, very chill. All the vet techs talk about how good and how calm he is. Five minutes prior to their remarks, I pulled into the parking lot gritting my teeth, with every nerve shot and my hair standing on end. So he doesn’t need anything for the actual vet visit itself, just for the time spent in the car. The car can be sitting still, it can be turned off. If he’s in the car, he’s gonna yell his head off. Hey, if you could take China to Branson, I can figure this out.

Yep, the second the word “fiber” came out of that woman’s mouth, I knew it was about yet another crummy veterinary prescription food and immediately tuned her out. Definitely a frog. Gotta call my prince on Monday, if he knows I am already doing this, I’m pretty sure he will be supportive.

Thanks for the laughs, you are hilarious! I now have this visual…….

 

[JanetNJ]

Janet, I’m perfectly happy with the ReliOn Prime meter. This vet suggested ordering the Alphatrak and that was fine with me because I could use a backup meter anyway. I was looking at the NovaMax Plus since it reads ketones as well. Which would you get if you were me, Alphatrak, or NovaMax or both? I have extra batteries for my current meter but want to be on the safe side.

It's always good to have a ketone meter. I would get that and use the relion if you like it.


I used a ketone meter as a backup and used a couple alphatraks as my reg meter.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

You're not really shocked at getting bad service are you? The day is coming when an Uber drone flies through a window to neuter your cat and ends up snipping one of the grandchildren. Please hold, your call is important to us.
The Wellness test is about as vague as it gets, it's like hearing a NASA engineer say "ya, that seems about right". It's different at every vet I've ever been to based on what they think constitutes "well". That's why you end up going back for some more tests the following week.
I have two great vets but they both work alone, they can't tolerate incompetent techs and sweaty palmed new doctors. The tech that misplaced Noah's ashes was let go, would you like fries with that? I'm waiting for one or both to just drop one day from being overworked. If you have a vet you love start baking and let them know.

 

[Mocha's_mom]

You don't need the vet to order you a meter. You can buy one at a pharmacy or order an Alphatrak online.

Agreed. The vet will upcharge you (and take their cut) because they can get it at a discount. You can find them on Amazon.

 

[Ann & Sister]

What did you find out about the Somogyi Phenomenon?

From one of the moderators:
"I also want to caution you about Somogyi. This is a concept that was introduced in 1938 by an MD based on a small number of human observations. The original study data could never be replicated. In other words, it is at best, very dated and likely poor research. Further, it's not been replicated in cats and certainly not been replicated in cats that have been prescribed Lantus or any other long acting insulin. Roomp & Rand published a study not all that long ago that disputed the presence of Somogyi in cats using Lantus. Despite the research literature, and frankly, much to my amazement, there are vets who seem to be wed to a concept that is more urban legend than backed up by science."
Nuff said. My vet was wrong, and I now think, trying to scare me back into the clinic.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Both of my vets are willing to learn new things. When I boarded Noah I told the vet he was a bouncer and showed him some literature about Somogyi in cats.
Noah was never a bouncer, it was me misinterpreting data and looking for drama that wasn't there.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

It's always good to have a ketone meter. I would get that and use the relion if you like it.


I used a ketone meter as a backup and used a couple alphatraks as my reg meter.

Just bought the Nuvo max on their website. Free meter with purchase of two boxes of ketone strips, also bought the glucose strips. Thank you!

 

[Judy & Fritz]

You're not really shocked at getting bad service are you? The day is coming when an Uber drone flies through a window to neuter your cat and ends up snipping one of the grandchildren. Please hold, your call is important to us.
The Wellness test is about as vague as it gets, it's like hearing a NASA engineer say "ya, that seems about right". It's different at every vet I've ever been to based on what they think constitutes "well". That's why you end up going back for some more tests the following week.
I have two great vets but they both work alone, they can't tolerate incompetent techs and sweaty palmed new doctors. The tech that misplaced Noah's ashes was let go, would you like fries with that? I'm waiting for one or both to just drop one day from being overworked. If you have a vet you love start baking and let them know.

Since my much-loved former vet hired all the vets at his clinic, yes I was a bit surprised. I suppose that was naive. Once he sold that amazing clinic to two of his younger doctors, he left because of the way they wanted to practice, everything by the book. I just found that out today. However, as disappointing as yesterday was, today’s news has been great. Little Rena’s blood work came back perfect! Since she was also on the weight loss Rx food that I am positive gave Fritz diabetes, I was terrified that she would be next, but thank God she is NOT diabetic, Also, a friend told me about an excellent vet hospital about 3 minutes from me that is known for working with diabetic cats! I spoke to a staff member this morning who described what they do, get numbers from the home testing of pet parents. Fritz has an appointment there on Thursday to get his urinalysis redone. That needs to happen anyway, and that way we can all get acquainted and go from there. I am planning on doing his curve myself. Curious what the response to that will be. Your posts always make me LOL, but PLEASE tell me that Noah’s ashes were recovered.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Agreed. The vet will upcharge you (and take their cut) because they can get it at a discount. You can find them on Amazon.

Yes, I knew they were on Amazon, but if the vet gets it, my insurance pays for 90% of it.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

From one of the moderators:
"I also want to caution you about Somogyi. This is a concept that was introduced in 1938 by an MD based on a small number of human observations. The original study data could never be replicated. In other words, it is at best, very dated and likely poor research. Further, it's not been replicated in cats and certainly not been replicated in cats that have been prescribed Lantus or any other long acting insulin. Roomp & Rand published a study not all that long ago that disputed the presence of Somogyi in cats using Lantus. Despite the research literature, and frankly, much to my amazement, there are vets who seem to be wed to a concept that is more urban legend than backed up by science."
Nuff said. My vet was wrong, and I now think, trying to scare me back into the clinic.

I found that and read it last night. Either she was hoping to scare you, or is hopeless at research. Is this similar to Dawn Phenomenon?

 

[Mocha's_mom]

Yes, I knew they were on Amazon, but if the vet gets it, my insurance pays for 90% of it.

Gotcha. Makes sense!

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

This is a sad story but I'm over it and Judy asked, I'll make this quick.
Noah died at home, he was scheduled to go in the next morning. In we go holding Noah in a towel and crying and two new techs thought they needed permission to put us in either one of the exam rooms. There was no one else in the building, make an executive decision nitwit! Then they tried to upsell us on Noah's "funeral". No, we always get the cedar box, #3 on the menu. First they lost the ashes, then found them, then we got the wrong box. I made a minor stink and a week later the most incompetent tech was gone. That wasn't my intent but two years in junior college taught her nothing.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

This is a sad story but I'm over it and Judy asked, I'll make this quick.
Noah died at home, he was scheduled to go in the next morning. In we go holding Noah in a towel and crying and two new techs thought they needed permission to put us in either one of the exam rooms. There was no one else in the building, make an executive decision nitwit! Then they tried to upsell us on Noah's "funeral". No, we always get the cedar box, #3 on the menu. First they lost the ashes, then found them, then we got the wrong box. I made a minor stink and a week later the most incompetent tech was gone. That wasn't my intent but two years in junior college taught her nothing.

I’m just thrilled his ashes were found! One of my girlfriends had her ex-husband’s new ashes in her car. She and their two sons intended to scatter them the next day. The car was carjacked, and never found. Wonder what the thieves thought about their stolen property?

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

We have some of Cynthia's dad's ashes upstairs. Her sister is a control freak so we went a day early and scooped half the ashes into a container. He wanted them spread at the Kentucky Derby finish line but the sister thought God would punish the family.
I e-mailed the track, "this is not a joke...", turns out they do it all the time.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Dawn Phenomenon is not the same as Somogyi. Dawn phenomenon is based on our normal variation in daily hormone cycles. (If you're old enough ro remember biorhythms it's sort of the same idea.) Our bodies produce corticosteroids (aka "stress hormones"). Over the course of the day, there's a natural waxing and waning in those levels. Generally, over the course of the night, those levels begin to ramp up in order to prepare us (or our cats) for the stress of the day. The increase in hormone levels also causes a natural rise in BG levels. Since this occurs in the early morning, it's called dawn phenomenon.

What vets confuse with Somogyi (and I'm the moderators who wrote the quote above), is what we label a "bounce." (No one else calls it that to if you reference it that way to your vet, s/he'll look at you cross-eyed.) When a cat's numbers drop low, drop fast, or simply drop into a range they haven't recently been spending time in, their liver and pancreas overreact and start pumping out a stored form of glucose along with counterregulatory hormones which cause numbers to spike upward. It's very annoying to caregivers but it's a protective mechanism that will usually begin to quiet down once your cat gets used to being in more normal numbers.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

Dawn Phenomenon is not the same as Somogyi. Dawn phenomenon is based on our normal variation in daily hormone cycles. (If you're old enough ro remember biorhythms it's sort of the same idea.) Our bodies produce corticosteroids (aka "stress hormones"). Over the course of the day, there's a natural waxing and waning in those levels. Generally, over the course of the night, those levels begin to ramp up in order to prepare us (or our cats) for the stress of the day. The increase in hormone levels also causes a natural rise in BG levels. Since this occurs in the early morning, it's called dawn phenomenon.

What vets confuse with Somogyi (and I'm the moderators who wrote the quote above), is what we label a "bounce." (No one else calls it that to if you reference it that way to your vet, s/he'll look at you cross-eyed.) When a cat's numbers drop low, drop fast, or simply drop into a range they haven't recently been spending time in, their liver and pancreas overreact and start pumping out a stored form of glucose along with counterregulatory hormones which cause numbers to spike upward. It's very annoying to caregivers but it's a protective mechanism that will usually begin to quiet down once your cat gets used to being in more normal numbers.

Got it! I’ve already experienced that on two AMPS’s, was shocked when I saw the first one.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

What I mistook for a bounce. Noah's dose kept climbing until he was getting 4 units Caninsulin AM and PM. It was like throwing gas on a fire. It was someone here who urged me to cut back and so I did. He immediately settled into 1 or 1 1/4 units. That poor vet who boarded Noah is probably still scratching his head over the literature I gave him about Somogyi. And yes, thanks again to FDMB.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

What I mistook for a bounce. Noah's dose kept climbing until he was getting 4 units Caninsulin AM and PM. It was like throwing gas on a fire. It was someone here who urged me to cut back and so I did. He immediately settled into 1 or 1 1/4 units. That poor vet who boarded Noah is probably still scratching his head over the literature I gave him about Somogyi. And yes, thanks again to FDMB.

The information on here has already become invaluable to me. So thankful I found you all.

 

[Allison K]

A lot of vets still believe that a diabetic cat should eat a high fiber diet...that's why so many of them are sold a bag or can of W/D. What they don't tell the client is that the reason it's high in fiber is due to the "powdered cellulose"....which is basically a fancy word for sawdust....so yeah, it's high fiber!

With China, I ended up with vet #5 who was an hour away on a 2 lane road with lots of hills and blind curves and no shoulder (oh yeah, and a lot of Amish families with their horse and buggy). China was part Siamese so when she was singing the song of her people, you could hear it outside the car and I got some funny looks like I was kidnapping a child or something. Eventually though, with a lot of experimenting and conditioning, I got her used to riding in the car so I could take my mom to Branson for the Christmas shows (I didn't trust anybody to take care of China as well as I could so she had to come too). I found she did much better when she wasn't crated so she wore a harness and leash that was tied into the seatbelt in the back. I put a blanket over the back seat and a litterbox on the floorboard and she did very well!

A lot of people with "problem" cats also use a small dose of gabapentin which can really make a huge difference.

When you find that one prince in a pond full of frogs, you do what you have to do! Hope your old vet continues to work with you for a long time!

Wonder if gabapentin world help my boy when I have to transport ... he usually pees on me

 

[Mocha's_mom]

Wonder if gabapentin world help my boy when I have to transport ... he usually pees on me

My mom's cat has to take gabapentin to get his claws cut. He's the sweetest calmest cat normally, but you take out those clippers and he's got Herculean strength! Gabapentin totally knocks him out!

 

[Allison K]

I might have to ask the vet about it next time I need to take him in .... I already have the dog taking it (pancreatitis) and hell even I take it (migraine prevention)

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Gabapentin? Try general anaesthetic. Nigel was the ideal first diabetic, I'd thump the kitchen table and he'd jump up, "I'm ready to have holes poked in me". He would also follow me out to the car and leap in. Trying to clip his nails was like poking a tiger with a stick, not going to happen.
On his first dental I reminded the vet repeatedly to clip all four. There's a 2X4 stud in the basement reduced to a toothpick, I don't have the heart to replace it.

migraine prevention

Imitrex inhalers worked great for me, now I take Rizatriptan. Migraines aren't like the TV commercials, they never show someone hunched over a toilet.

 

[Olive & Paula]

Janet, I’m perfectly happy with the ReliOn Prime meter. This vet suggested ordering the Alphatrak and that was fine with me because I could use a backup meter anyway. I was looking at the NovaMax Plus since it reads ketones as well. Which would you get if you were me, Alphatrak, or NovaMax or both? I have extra batteries for my current meter but want to be on the safe side.

I know I'm a bit late here. I had Alpha trac, Nova Max, and Relion Micro. Started with alpha as vet recommended, easy to use, pricey strips, results matched the labs Dr would draw (I would my bring meter, test the sample vet drew to send out, and the vet meter) we would compare the 3 when labs came back. For us it was only 5-10 points off each time.I

Nova Max I had for ketones only. It's temperamental.

Relion Micro (discontinued now) is my favorite. It is small to use, strips are reasonable. Love it.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

I know I'm a bit late here. I had Alpha trac, Nova Max, and Relion Micro. Started with alpha as vet recommended, easy to use, pricey strips, results matched the labs Dr would draw (I would my bring meter, test the sample vet drew to send out, and the vet meter) we would compare the 3 when labs came back. For us it was only 5-10 points off each time.I

Nova Max I had for ketones only. It's temperamental.

Relion Micro (discontinued now) is my favorite. It is small to use, strips are reasonable. Love it.

The Nova Max I intend to use basically for detecting ketones, have been happy with Ketostix for urine, but figured a meter wouldn’t hurt. So it’s temperamental? If the vet wants me to buy an Alpha trac for the reasons you mentioned above, I’ll be happy to. I have the ReliOn Prime, and I love that little meter!

 

[Olive & Paula]

The Nova Max I intend to use basically for detecting ketones, have been happy with Ketostix for urine, but figured a meter wouldn’t hurt. So it’s temperamental? If the vet wants me to buy an Alpha trac for the reasons you mentioned above, I’ll be happy to. I have the ReliOn Prime, and I love that little meter!

Nova can be temperamental. Can't push strip in to hard or fast. Have to get a good size drop in it just right. Ketones show up in blood before urine. You will know sooner if there is a problem.

Alpha Trac (I didn't know about using human meter at the time) I think is very accurate, like blood draw. Very pricey and you have to make sure you always have enough strips at home since you can not purchase in a store. My 1st diabetic always knew when strips arrived. He would then take a dive and we would go through a bottle of strips the next day. When tested by blood draw at vets, with alpha Trac he would test at 155 that's with stress at being at vet and having blood drawn. Labs would be back in 2 days and read glucose 153.

If you think about it. Does human or pet meter really matter. There is no switch on meter to change for pet or humsn. Glucose in blood is glucose, that is what the meter detects. What is important is the normal range for the species being tested. Pet range isn't that much different than human range, it's only a few points.

I used alpha Trac if I got a very unusual number with my micro and still checked it again with the nova. I preferred my micro meter.

And you don't have to tell vet right away your using human meter. Let them see the ss and readings your getting speak for themselves.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

I was wondering if I have to tell the vet I’m going up to .75 rather than 1 unit. Or just agree with what she says, but follow the FDMB protocol. I’m doing SLGS with Fritz. Due to my vet of 20 years relocating, this will be Vet#4 including the vet who diagnosed him. The others were unwilling to see a diabetic cat being home tested. One went so far as to say that unless I promised NOT to do home testing, she wouldn’t see him. Needless to say, I told her I intended to home test and will be having the files of all five cats sent to their new vet. I wouldn’t trust this one to trim his claws! New vet apparently likes for pet parents to home test, she has a great reputation and is convenient. Former vet is an hour away, but if I have to switch back I will, it was only that long a drive stressing wailing Fritz out that has kept me from going to his new practice.

 

[Chuckington]

I am on Vet #3 after Fritz was diagnosed 7/23 with diabetes. This vet is at the same clinic where Fritz was diagnosed by Vet #1. My vet of over 20 years moved an hour away during last year’s madness. I had a chat with Vet #3 last week about doing home testing, which she said she fully supported, was having the office manager order an AlphaTrac for me, lots of encouraging things. Today, I had a wellness check for one of my other kitties, Rena. After waiting an hour with no explanation, in she waltzed. I had the techs take urine and blood for a complete panel, and apparently the vet examined her while she was getting the samples. When she came in, she said she couldn't get urine, but got the blood sample. Then she said if I wasn’t getting Rena vaccinated today, she couldn’t in good conscience sign off on today’s visit as a wellness exam for insurance purposes! Strange, since my receipt says “Wellness Exam.” I am not giving my cat an unnecessary vaccination for the sake of a vet’s ego, she gets antibody titer tests. She will be calling me with the blood test results tomorrow.

I had called yesterday to see if the AlphaTrac meter had come in, they said they would check and call me back. Never heard from them. Today, we got to the heart of the matter. This vet who was so willing to work with me on the phone had done a complete turnaround. She told me she doesn’t treat diabetic cats whose parents test them at home! I asked her why she told me she was supportive of it last week, even suggesting ordering a meter for me. She didn’t answer, just kept jabbering that people who do home testing don’t follow vet’s instructions and the only way she could see Fritz is if I stopped all home testing. I couldn’t believe it. I said, “Well, that’s not going to happen. I am definitely going to home test him.” I told her that I realized she doesn’t own the clinic and that new management might have that policy, but she could have called and let me know, since it was a complete departure from our previous conversation.

So now, I will be going back to Vet #2’s boss, to see what he is willing to do (still need a urinalysis for Rena). I have to get insulin from a vet. I called my insurance company, they assured me that all of Fritz’s expenses were covered, and it didn’t matter whether Vet #3 signed off on Rena’s wellness exam or not, it didn’t matter that I refuse to give her unnecessary vaccines every year, they actually prefer that I not do so for an indoor cat, and today’s costs are still applied against her yearly deductible. It also doesn’t matter how many vets I take them to, plus my pet insurance covers holistic vets if I could only find one. Fabulous pet insurance company! So here’s my question, should I NOT tell a vet I am home testing? I want a partnership, but that is beginning to look improbable. In the end, I could always drive for an hour each way with a loudly wailing Fritz in the car to my vet of many years, and be ready for the loony bin by the time we get back home. I am more appalled at the state of today’s veterinary medicine with each vet I see.

A bit off-topic -- who do you use for pet insurance?

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

I wouldn’t trust this one

Our primary vet is smart, competent and a close personal friend but she could not board Noah two years ago. Our alternate vet could board him and when I told him I home tested he put his hand on my shoulder and told me he was proud of me. He has clients who just won't listen or don't want to hear it.

pet insurance

Dig deep into the fine print. The "pre-existing condition" clause covers whatever they say it does unless you're hit by a train on a Tuesday wearing green socks. There are good companies, I just can't think of one.

 

[Pattylynne and Tigger]

@sienne and Gabby

Could you sent me a link to this info, Tigger seems to be doing this and would like to read more about this. Thanks

Dawn Phenomenon is not the same as Somogyi. Dawn phenomenon is based on our normal variation in daily hormone cycles. (If you're old enough ro remember biorhythms it's sort of the same idea.) Our bodies produce corticosteroids (aka "stress hormones"). Over the course of the day, there's a natural waxing and waning in those levels. Generally, over the course of the night, those levels begin to ramp up in order to prepare us (or our cats) for the stress of the day. The increase in hormone levels also causes a natural rise in BG levels. Since this occurs in the early morning, it's called dawn phenomenon.
What vets confuse with Somogyi (and I'm the moderators who wrote the quote above), is what we label a "bounce." (No one else calls it that to if you reference it that way to your vet, s/he'll look at you cross-eyed.) When a cat's numbers drop low, drop fast, or simply drop into a range they haven't recently been spending time in, their liver and pancreas overreact and start pumping out a stored form of glucose along with counterregulatory hormones which cause numbers to spike upward. It's very annoying to caregivers but it's a protective mechanism that will usually begin to quiet down once your cat gets used to being in more normal numbers.

 

[Judy & Fritz]

A bit off-topic -- who do you use for pet insurance?

I use Pet Plan. They may be in the middle of changing their name to Fetch, but Pet Plan has been awesome and I have used them for years. Their customer service reps are awesome, it is easy to file a claim, and they pay directly to my bank debit card. I had several claims when my meth-house rescue had stomatitis and then several dental surgeries, they paid without one question. They could have claimed her background (rescued from active meth lab during police raid) constituted a preexisting condition, it was certainly in the vet notes, but they paid immediately without one question. My particular plan has a $250 deductible per year per cat, it includes naturopathic vets and many other things you wouldn’t think would be covered, pays 90% of my vet costs and has a yearly payout of $15,000. It’s more expensive now that Fritz is ten, about $50 per month premium. You can choose your own deductible, percentage paid to you and yearly ceiling, so essentially you can tailor your plan to suit your budget. They even have a plan that has no annual ceiling, it’s unlimited.