Hello!

Hi everyone!

New here. I will try to make this short.

My cat, Pip,is 10 and was diagnosed 10 months ago. The vet said 2 units vetsulin twice a day and switch to DM food. He wanted to follow up in 2 weeks. After researching and talking to a friend with a diabetic cat I opted out of the DM and got low carb ( less than 6 closet to 3 usually) wet food. Since this vet was an hour away I checked with him and he referred me to a closer vet for follow up and glucose curve.

On the day of the glucose curve I went to pick her up and they said she didn’t eat, they gave her the two units, and she went “dangerously” low. He did say to go down to 1 unit twice a day. But a huge red flag was they gave her insulin without her eating, I also had to go in back and get her because she was so terrified and peed on herself. The vet was insistent I switch to dry DM food. Needless to say I will not be going back to them.

I am looking for vet recommendations in the Chicagoland area. Any and all other advice is always welcome too. This little kitty is my baby and I’d do anything to help her out!

 

Pip is so cute!!!! We have a few members in Chicago. One is @Carol & Murphy

 

Welcome! Sounds like neither vet knows how to dose. :/. Skip the dm food... Waste of money. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods.

You can also pretty much skip vet visits if you are willing to learn how to home test. I didn't bring my cat back to the vet for a year after I started home testing.... Just emailed them a link to my cat's spreadsheet (see the signature below).

In the meantime drop that dose.

 

OH dear, Kelley - you do need a good vet. Chicagoland is a very big place so not knowing where exactly you are, one of the best feline vet practices in the country is where I go - Cat Hosptial of Chicago. They are on Irving Park Road - not far from the Kennedy.
Where exactly are you located?

 

Welcome! Pip is a cutie. I hope you find a vet with some sense.

 

maybe Carol knows someone good?
@Carol in Chicago

 

I am down to 1 unit 2x a day. Do you think I should go lower. I am only starting home testing this weekend, as both vets said it wasn't something I need to do. After joining this site though I feel differently.

 

Hi Janet!

I am in the Arlington Heights area.

 

I'm in the western suburbs (Kane). Let me know if you need a referral in this area.

Janet made a great point above re: home testing. Especially if Pip has no other health problems. Don't get me wrong, having a great vet as a partner is important, but I would suggest getting started with home testing and setting up your spreadsheet first. I see no value in doing a curve a the vet office. In many cases (including my Rose) readings in the vet office will be artificially high due anxiety (or what we call in humans 'white coat syndrome').

 

1 is generally a safe starting dose.

 

Hi Kelley
I'm a city girl but did look up where Arlington Heights is (I"ve heard of it) - Here's the recommendation for the very best feline practice in the area (the owner is the immediate past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners) www.cathospitalofchicago.com- everything is state of the art, and the vets are all excellent - and well versed in feline diabetes It may not be that far to come down on the Kennedy (exit Irving Park) depending on traffic. @jayla-n-Drevon lives in general area - maybe she would have a recommendation

 

Hi Kelley!
Welcome-
I am in the Oakbrook area and know where Arlington Heights is.....that being said I am sorry I don't have a great recommendation for a FD vet.
I think @Carol & Murphy has 1 of the best, My vet admitted at the start he was not a expert and much of what I learned was on my own and thru this forum. I was given DM - vetsulin and told "I can't imagine he would need less than 2 units 2x a day
Luckily I started researching and started with 1 unit --2 units would have taken him to very dangerous low numbers.

My boy was VERY depressed on vetsulin and he is all over the map with his BG. We have been on vetsulin-pro zinc-lantus and he is on lev now and we like it very much as it allows me to slow a steep drop by steering with food.

Those of us on the forum tend to get worked up about home testing... please be assured it is out of concern. If I had not been testing my boy may not be here. He can start at 400 and drop to 40 on any given day. In the early days I tested like crazy just to get acclimated with his pattern which has helped so much. For instance on lev if he is 400 pre shot and begins to drop under 300 in less than 3 hours I know he is dropping too fast and can offer some medium carb food. His nadir is usually +9/10 hours.

I have sought out "specialists" and spent thousands of dollars in the early days of the dx. I am happy you have found your way to the forum as there is tons of experience and wisdom available to you.