Where to buy more syringes? And other newbie questions.

Hi and thanks everybody for the warm welcome yesterday. No meltdowns today (I had 3 yesterday), but I am still in overwhelm. I can see improvement in Squeaky's energy after these first four doses and that is a relief.

Immediate question: We're down to five syringes so I need to go buy some tomorrow, where do I go? It's Saturday.

Second question. I'm supposed to insert the syringe, then pull back to look for blood. Hmmm. Hard to see, the hair is in the way..... and he only gets one unit which is very close to the skin. Suggestions?

Third. He doesn't like the prick but he is really trying to cooperate with this. I love him for how much effort he gives in trying to get along. I think I will look for some catnip toys to use as a distraction. Any suggestions?

I applied for financial assistance today from DCIN and that helped me feel better. Their application form was not too hard to fill out. Whew.

Fourth. Is there a general guideline about how much and when to feed? He also has IBD and pancreatitis (and asthma, but food shouldn't matter). Unlimited feeding? Measured feeding? I understand he needs to eat right before getting the shots.

Fifth. He is still drinking quite a bit of water, not quite as much as before though.

I'm still not ready to tackle measuring the blood glucose levels every time, but we'll get there.

Thanks everyone for your sage advice.

Hugs from Jan and Purrs from Squeaky.

PS. Oh, and he came and purred on me today, which is a really good sign. He hadn't done that for a few days. )

 

Oh yes and I read some of the forum guidelines. What is the spreadsheet for? Thanks.

 

Let me work backwards.

That's for entering those blood glucose readings. That data helps us decide how to adjust the insulin dose, whether it's safe to give insulin, and whether we need to feed higher carb food because he's going low.

In general, with Lantus it's better to do more smaller meals rather that just feed at shot time. Some cats are grazers, and that's OK too. How much depends on whether Squeaky needs to gain weight, lose weight, or stay about the same, and his current weight. Your vet can help you determine what an ideal weight is. In the beginning, try not to feed in the two hours before your shot, otherwise the food will influence the number you test at shot time. You don't want that number to be influenced by food, so you know it's safe to give insulin.

Hometesting Links and Tips - includes numerous links, instructions, pictures, & videos

I don't think many people here do the look for blood thing. You can blow on his hair to separate it if the helps you see where you are injecting.

How did you get the first ones? Do you need a prescription in your state? I'm in Canada, it's just OTC for us. Can you get more where you got the first ones? Walmart's Relion syringes have half unit markings.

 

Thank you Wendy and Neko. All helpful thoughts and advice. The first 10 syringes were given to me by the vet. She gave me the package label so I would know what to get. Hmmm, I supposed I could google it.

 

Glad to hear you and Squeaky are doing a little better today!

Ooch uh. Well you can go to the Walmart pharmacy and pick up some there ... they might be open? I'm actually not sure, I know mine is closed Sunday. But you can get a box of 100 there for about $13. 3/10 CC 31 G 8mm Needle if they have them in stock. Sometimes they're out of 31 G and you have to get 30, that's fine. I think 29 G is fine too, smaller the better though. You should just be able to google your state and insulin syringe laws and see if yours is one that requires a prescription or not. Mine does not, I thiiiink the states that require one still allow you to get up to 10 without a prescription.

I never really did this. >.> I've heard other people don't either but I can't say 100%

To be fair - my kitty was very indifferent to testing. Could not care less what I was doing. However I did make a point to give her some cuddles and scritches before poking and that put her in a good mood, even if she was a little cranky.

To add to what Wendy already said, if Squeaky is underweight you don't want to limit food - but new diabetics often need double what their "normal" amount is. If Squeaky eats 5 ounces a day, let him have 10 if he feels the need, etc.

Baby steps! Focus on those tests before insulin (pre-shots) if you can, they're the most important. And if it's really hard at first, don't feel bad. It took me a few days before I could get a test successfully and without having a mini meltdown.

He knows your going above and beyond for him!

 

Oh great! It's Saturday tomorrow, not today, so I think Walmart will be good. I did google the syringes and $13 for 100 seems reasonable. Thank you, I am relieved.

Squeaky is not underweight, he used to be a skinny dude at about 10 lbs. He got up to 14.5 and in our last few days of crisis, went back down to 13.6. He has a big belly so he looks rounded. I have not been measuring his food for a loooong time, because it seemed if he had an empty stomach, he would get diarrhea. However, everything is topsy turvy right now. Now that I think about it, I suspect that if I leave him choose what he wants, he will do okay. This may need adjustment over time. Thank you for your thoughts.

Okay so I do have a human glucose monitor that I bought to try on myself and learned my blood sugar was fine. It was not cheap and neither were the strips. And it makes noise. So what is a really good alternative to use on the cat. Didn't I see someone say they just used lancets on their cats ears and it was easy? Got a drop of blood and that was good enough? (Note to self: don't get overwhelmed now.)

Thank you so much. Time for bed. I hope you sleep well, too. Hugs from me and purrs from Squeaky.

 

Yes, take your time!
Well since you're going to be headed to Walmart tomorrow, you can pick up a ReliOn Prime meter and strips! It is the cheapest one in the US, the meter is about $9, strips are $18 for 100.

You can get their lancets too - get the 26 gauge, they'll be easier to start with. Cost about $1-2 for a box of 100. You can poke freehand (I think most people do) OR you can also purchase a lancet device which is about $5. I used one because I didn't like freehand poking - I poked too hard and she jerked and I snagged her ear and felt horrible. D:
They'll all be on the shelf together.

Also while you're there you can get some neosporin ointment + pain relief (ointment only, NOT the cream version), and a travel-size tub of vaseline. Some people like to buy cotton pads for backing + holding ear after poke but I preferred to use a rice sock for warming the ear + backing and hold the ear with my fingers or a tissue. It's purely preference.

ReliOn Prime meter
ReliOn Prime test strips
Neosporin Ointment + Pain Relief
Vaseline
ReliOn Lancets 26 G (or 28 if out)
ReliOn Lancet Device/Pen (optional)
Cotton Pads OR homemade rice sock

Good night, Jan and Squeaky!

 

Thank you, Panic, for the shopping list. I will buy everything despite my apprehension about the pain.

Hey, Squeaky has had 5 doses of insulin so far. Hopefully I have given them correctly, I'm not sure. His energy was better this evening; he played more than in the last week or so. But he's still drinking quite a lot of water, and this has me worried. Also he's been hiding for a short while after eating, which also has me worried. My last question is, I've been feeding him pork, but giving him some little samples of beef and some little samples of beef treats. Do you think I can start giving him beef instead of pork? Given a choice, he wants the beef. Thanks again!!!!!

 

Oh, Elizabeth and Panic. As I start to become more saavy about using this forum. I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for helping us. Hugs, Jan and Purrs, Squeaky

 

If you mean apprehension about the pain of the pokes, if done right Squeaky shouldn't feel a thing. Luckily the ear doesn't have many nerves, but the neosporin helps prevent bruising that can result.

Hmm what kind of beef is it? Honestly I believe most kitties are better off eating poultry and sometimes beef - I don't think I've ever seen someone here use pork, but maybe that's just a lack of pork-based treats. I would give ground beef as a treat though! A popular treat is freeze-dried PureBites (chicken or turkey), or just some homemade unseasoned baked chicken pulled apart in bite-sized pieces.

Let me reassure you you're doing very well for Squeaky right now! He is on a good diet and the BEST insulin a kitty can be on, and an appropriate low dose to start (great job setting up your spreadsheet!). Lantus is a depot insulin, which means it builds a "pool" of insulin under the skin with which to draw from. Cats do extremely well on it. When first starting though, the depot needs to "fill", so it will be 5-7 days before it shows it's full effect, so you're just about there! Will be curious to see how he is doing once you start testing!

Thank you both very much.

 

If you're also dealing with IBD, you want to be feeding your cat novel proteins. I have an IBD cat who was raised on turkey and chicken. When he was diagnosed, I switched his food to a combination of a raw and some canned food (the canned because I couldn't get a variety of proteins in raw) that consisted of raw pork, venison, and a lamb and rabbit combo. I also avoid canned foods that contain gums or carrageenan. All of the proteins I give my kitty are ones he had never eaten.

Please make sure you don't need a prescription for syringes. In many states, you need the Rx. I also ordered syringes online from ADW. You will need a prescription for purchasing from them, as well.

 

Hi There, thank you, your reply was timely Elizabeth. Okay good to hear he won't feel anything/much.

He's allergic to poultry. I'm going to start going back between pork and beef. About the whole IBD and novel protein thing, we've been through this several times before. He can't have poultry, rabbit or fish. Doesn't seem to like lamb much. Was enjoying pork but now he seems to be favoring beef samples so I will try more of that.

Elizabeth. Okay so last night Squeaky started drinking heavily (sounds like an alcoholic) again, showing lack of interest in food, and got lethargic. This morning the same, not so great. After talking to someone from the DCIN website on the phone this morning, I decided to skip his insulin shot this morning, and he bounced back quite well.

I have purchased all of the supplies from Wal-Mart that were recommended. Except I could only find 50 gauge instead of 30 gauge syringes, which the pharmacist assured me had the same needle size and length, just it holds more fluid. I suspect it's not a big deal.

So I have to be somewhere by 7 pm tonight. In the meantime, I need to wash the dishes, try to stay calm (I've already had one meltdown today plus the upset when he was doing so poorly yet again this morning), and line up all the things I purchased somewhere and get ready for the next step, which I suspect is testing his blood glucose.

I hope that you or someone will be around to coach me through this.

You know, when he's not doing well, I get thrown totally off balance. And we've been on a roller coaster/merry go round like this for about 4 years already. Since I am alone besides for Squeaky, I have been relying on him to help me feel better when I'm down. He comes and purrs on me, and then the whole world is better. But he's not doing that consistently any more, and it is throwing me into emotional chaos. I'm exhausted. Even if we could have, like a month of him feeling better, I could be doing much better. What a lesson I have to learn here. Seems impossible. Thanks for listening.

 

Thanks, we don't need an Rx. Good advice on the proteins. We are experienced! Cheers and thanks.

 

Grrrrr....WalMart pharmacists don't know what they're talking about most of the time. You needed to get 3/10ml, 30 or 31 gauge, 6 or 8mm insulin syringes because they are the only ones that come with half unit markings. You need syringes with half unit marks because cats only need tiny changes in dose ( .25 to .5 unit increments). It's almost impossible to do the .5 unit doses with those syringes and .25 unit is even more impossible. They usually won't let you return them either because they're a "blood product" but if the same pharmacist is working, they MAY let you.

These are the ones you want. The first are the 6mm needle length


These are the 8mm needle length (and they'll have one or the other but not both)


And they'll also probably tell you that even the 3/10ml syringes don't have half unit marks....Don't listen because they DO.

 

Oh well, Walmart didn't have them, they sent me to Walgreens and it was their pharmacist that sold me the 50 gauge.

Yes he said I couldn't return them.

So where am I supposed to find them? Like, tomorrow.

 

@Panic check out these wild boar treats. Many cats love it!

If Squeaky can handle beef, he might like venison as well.

 

I almost want to suggest you call and ask again. I've gone to the store and could see them on the shelf and had them tell me they didn't have them. (really, the people they hire at Walmart just drive me crazy ...they should know their own products!!)

If they truly don't have any in stock right now, they usually get new shipments often. Maybe ask them to contact you when they come in (which they probably will agree to and then forget to do it)

I even had the actual pharmacist tell me he could sell me the exact same insulin as Lantus for only $25. He was trying to convince me that their Relion N insulin was the same thing! It's actually just their own brand of Novolin N which is a terrible insulin for cats and doesn't work even close to the same way as Lantus

What do you call the pharmacist that graduated last in his class? A WalMart pharmacist!

 

I will look into venison. And he loves Orijen Boar treats! His favorite! We're currently trying the beef ones.

 

Ahh shoot, well at least you know what you're doing with his proteins. Must be hard finding any sort of canned food without fish/poultry!

I'm glad you spoke with someone from DCIN, I imagine they thought he was running a little low? They really are charming ladies, I spoke with Jillian a few months ago on the phone for about an hour, and Jenna the Executive Director very briefly when Panic died. Wonderful people.

Did you try to test his BG tonight? Once you do let us know what number you get! I'm rooting for you!

He'll feel better soon, promise! Poor Panic took three vet visits before we found out what was wrong ... by then she was 4 (!!) lbs. She looked okay with her long hair covering her but picking her up felt like a bag of bones. My mom didn't want to handle her because it freaked her out and my dad repeatedly asked if the kinder thing to do wasn't to put her to sleep. I had to remind him that it'd take some time but she was getting better, and she did. You are doing really good by Squeaky so hang in there!

 

Ooh! First pork treat I've seen! Is pork generally a good protein for kitties?

 

China LOVED her Orijen Wild Boar treats!! Was the only freeze dried treat she liked! (which was good because I was tired of cooking chicken for her every week!)

 

I second this!

 

Well, Squeaky likes it.

 

Thanks to help from this board, I found some at a closer Walgreens and got two boxes. So that is resolved for several months.

 

Oh, we don't eat canned food. At all. Thank you for your story about Panic! It is heartwarming and encouraging. Talk to you soon, Elizabeth.

 

Have you checked Amazon? If you have friends with prime membership- you can get them the next day.

thanks

 

Thanks great tip! I'll keep that in mind!

 

Lúnasa has had a sensitive GI tract for years, Elizabeth. I finally found a food that agreed with her: Virbac Digestive Support (dry, alas, but cat's gotta eat). For a dry food it's relatively low in carbs (c. 16%) and the main protein is pork.


Mogs
.

 

The burning question from me is : Just how/why do cats develop IBD or sensitive digestive tracks??? Inquiring minds dontcha know.
ETA...Let me guess, because they are CATS

 

In Squeaky's case, it was stress. His brother died, after 6 months I brought in a kitten, and they didn't get along. Not on Squeaky's part, he kept trying to lick Caboodle, but Cabu wouldn't have it and kept attacking him. When Squeaky started vomiting, I re-homed Cabu and Squeaky has never recovered. So sad.

 

Cats and stress sigh I know we handle stress better, but it sure dont feel that way.