Any tips are appreciated

I've had a diabetic dog but on a cat drawing the blood isn't easy. The vet said to prick the ear but that's going to get raw real fast. Any suggestions on where to draw the blood is very much appreciated.
Also, I'm starting off with Vetsulin. It didn't work for my dog. I'm curious what other felines are using.

 

Welcome to the forum. Kudos to you for undertaking this new challenge to get your cat healthy.

We generally request people to put health questions in the "Feline Health" subforum. And you're in luck. There is a new thread there about this exact topic!
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/where-do-you-draw-the-blood.188252/

Let us know if you have other diabetic or kitteh health questions.

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome! Best place ever for help and support.

 

Welcome to you both.

Other insulin options for feline diabetes treatment include:

• Lantus
• Levemir
• Prozinc
• PZI
• Novolin N

Lantus (insulin glargine) and Levemir (insulin detemir) have the longest duration in feline diabetics and typically their BG lowering effect tends to be gentler. Scientific studies have pointed to significantly better chance of achieving diabetic remission for cats fed a low carb wet diet and treated with a long-acting insulin within the first 6 months after initial diagnosis.

For general info, sometimes vets don't suggest Lantus or Lev in the US because of cost. Many members here order their 'L' insulins from Marks Marine Pharmacy in Canada where these insulins are w-a-y cheaper.

From the main FDMB index board you'll see a list of sub-boards for the various Insulin Support Groups. If you check out these sub-boards you'll find 'sticky' posts at the top of each board containing educational materials which you can read to learn more about the different insulin types.


Mogs
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Prozinc was formulated just for cats. I pay $130 per vial that lasts more than 3 months. That's $43/month. So you see, if one insulin doesn't work, there are others to try. Just be sure to give them plenty of time to do it's thing. You will get lots of help here.

 

Don't worry about the ear getting raw. I was worried at first about harming the ear too. I test Mogee at least 5 times a day, sometimes more. For over two months now. He just saw the vet last Tuesday and she said she couldn't even tell and that his ears look great.

Just make sure you are doing it in the right spot, applying pressure afterwards to help with bruising, and are using ointment when finished. There are many here that can help with home testing.

@JanetNJ has a video of her testing her cat that can give you some pointers too!

 

I use vetsulin as well. The first week of testing is hard, but it gets much easier. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC.