AJ diagnosed a couple weeks ago need help

Our cat AJ just recently turned 5 years old in july and got really sick. Was drinking a lot of water and peeing extreme amounts multiple times a day and avoiding the litter box. Was a 10lb cat and now is 6lbs. Used to be super strong, now really weak. Took him to the vet and his blood glucose first tested at 480. We were told it was diabetes and prescribed novolin N and started at a dose of 2 units twice a day every 12 hours. We take him to the vet to get his levels checked every 3 days. Have him on one cup of hill’s prescription diet digestive weight management dry food per day. First test at dr on 2 units showed improvement at 380 blood glucose. Upped it to 3 units and he tested at 420. Upped it again to 5 units and today he tested at his highest 630 blood glucose. He ate his food happily at first and now he refuses to eat again. The vet told us to up the dose to 7 units twice a day today which would be 14 total per day. What is a normal dosage for cats on novolin N? I’m half way worried that he is getting too much and the blood sugar is spiking to not go into hypo. But maybe the doctor is right and he needs a much higher dose than thought? I read on this forum somewhere that someone’s cat was on a dosage of 24 units a day but I don’t know if thats a special case or what. I’m worried for my cat. Please give any advice or input you have , thank you so much. Doctor also is thinking of switching to a different more expensive insulin $120/bottle but didnt give the name in the next few weeks. Its been really rough lately. My boyfriend lost his job and i only get 18 hours a week and this all just happened at once so being at 14 units a day on novolin N already would mean buying a bottle every week which would be $112 and then the food which is $24 and how much he goes through litter because of the pee and pee pads we have to buy to go around the box that we put where he pees and the vet visits every three days is costing us $200+/mo so even now we can barely eat trying to treat him. So im worried if we switch to the more expensive insulin and he ends up needing a higher dose even on that, we won’t be able to afford to care for him which is something i really dont want to think about but it may come to trying to give him to an organization that can care for him even though i wouldnt want to lose him But we are also having a wedding and trying to start a family so its really hard. Please let me know what you think.

 

Welcome! Diabetes can be a very shocking diagnosis at first and it can seem very expensive, but there’s lots of ways to make it much cheaper! I was VERY overwhelmed at first, but it gets better and there’s lots of good info here to help

I recommend also posting this on the main forum so more people can see and offer advice!

 

Thanks so much! I will post on main forum too