I previouly posted in Feb that my cat had diabetes, I changed all my cats over to a combination of canned food/ raw and she improved greatly over the period of about a month and had been seeming to be fine. Then recently she seemed to go downhill fairly quickly and with a visit to the vet yesterday is now on insulin. But I am just reading more of the info and am afraid the vet has done her a diservice. She put her on Humulin N and I am reading that she has a better chance with a couple of others. But approaching the vet is very hard. She already is looking at me strange for wanting to test at home and is trying to discourage that just a bit. Do I approach her on this? How? Baby has been started on 1 unit twice a day, I have the testing supplies but as yet I haven't given that a try. Just doing the injection was a biggy for me, but I intend to start trying today about 4 to 6 hr after she had her shot.
Was doing fine with food change, now on insulin
- Thread starter Lynncat
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paige
Very Active Member
I know it can be very intimidating to approach your vet. But if you read and learn as much as you can here you will gain confidence and knowledge. Knowledge is power when it comes to Feline Diabetes. I am not sure what other insulin you are thinking of trying, but I would suggest you read up on each one. There are several Insulin Support Groups on this message board. At the top of each group there are "stickies" - posts that you cannot reply to but are articles and informative information about the types of insulin.
When my Webber was first diagnosed I came home and posted here about what people thought of different insulins. I did some research on the internet and actually decided that I wanted to go with Lantus. My vet only had one other client that she prescribed that too. That person does not home test. I think most vets are so used to clients NOT hometesting that they don't grasp the importance of it. You can just not tell you vet that you are hometesting....why do they really need to know anyway? Okay maybe that didn't come out the way I wanted it to :roll:
The hometesting can be quite scary too at first. It took me a couple of days to get the hang of it. I first tried with his paws, but he hated that and I had to squeeze too much to get a drop. But withing a few days it will get much better. AND when I had to give my first injection I was shaking so much I thought I would shoot myself :lol: Believe me we have all been in your shoes!!!
Hang in there, read, ask questions, read some more, take some deep breaths......things will get better.
BTW - when you say your cat went downhill fast---what exactly happened? Is she okay now?
When my Webber was first diagnosed I came home and posted here about what people thought of different insulins. I did some research on the internet and actually decided that I wanted to go with Lantus. My vet only had one other client that she prescribed that too. That person does not home test. I think most vets are so used to clients NOT hometesting that they don't grasp the importance of it. You can just not tell you vet that you are hometesting....why do they really need to know anyway? Okay maybe that didn't come out the way I wanted it to :roll:
The hometesting can be quite scary too at first. It took me a couple of days to get the hang of it. I first tried with his paws, but he hated that and I had to squeeze too much to get a drop. But withing a few days it will get much better. AND when I had to give my first injection I was shaking so much I thought I would shoot myself :lol: Believe me we have all been in your shoes!!!
Hang in there, read, ask questions, read some more, take some deep breaths......things will get better.
BTW - when you say your cat went downhill fast---what exactly happened? Is she okay now?
Pandasmom
Active Member
Good luck with your first hometests... remember that it will get easier!
I don't know enough about Humulin to give any advice there. Many seem to recommend Lantus or Levemir, but it seems that others have done well on other types too. My Odie has been on Lantus from the start.
Odiesmom
I don't know enough about Humulin to give any advice there. Many seem to recommend Lantus or Levemir, but it seems that others have done well on other types too. My Odie has been on Lantus from the start.
Odiesmom
Hope + (((Baby)))GA
Very Active Member
Just remember that N is fast acting and short duration and that food needs to be fed at least a 1/2 hr. before shooting. So test, feed, wait a 1/2 hr and then shoot the N insulin. Remember also that you are the client and you are paying her and if you want to try another insulin, she should be willing to work with you, not discourage you.
She had lost some weight when I switched her to canned food and her coat improved greatly, she acted like a young cat again, the constipation went away and the litter box became normal again. She did fantastic then suddenly she lost too much weight, became constipated again and looked like she felt terrible. I just can't bring myself to try testing again, but I know I need to. I was reading posts that Lantus could possibly allow her to get off insuline at some point, either for a period or for good. I'd like her to have that chance.
My vet said that the reason they don't feel testing is needed is that people eat all different foods but that cats don't, same diet all the time, means no variance. That made a certain amount of sense I guess.
Lately we have had problems with her wetting on our bed. I think I finally have the reason, at least partly, I'm blaming the desease partly as I think she needs to pee more. But I think she is having problem with her sight. The litter box is a long trip from the bedroom and she always sleeps with us. Last night I got up and took her in there and she couldn't get in and pee fast enough, so I'm going to put a box in our master bath and hope that does the trick.
I'm very grateful for this forum, otherwise I'd be totally lost. I am not a nurse type, far from it. I think I'm doing ok with the shots tho.
My vet said that the reason they don't feel testing is needed is that people eat all different foods but that cats don't, same diet all the time, means no variance. That made a certain amount of sense I guess.
Lately we have had problems with her wetting on our bed. I think I finally have the reason, at least partly, I'm blaming the desease partly as I think she needs to pee more. But I think she is having problem with her sight. The litter box is a long trip from the bedroom and she always sleeps with us. Last night I got up and took her in there and she couldn't get in and pee fast enough, so I'm going to put a box in our master bath and hope that does the trick.
I'm very grateful for this forum, otherwise I'd be totally lost. I am not a nurse type, far from it. I think I'm doing ok with the shots tho.
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