Buddy Big Boy

Buddy is 9 years old. He has diabetes and possible permanent nerve damage. He walks with difficulty and is quite helpless. He will purr and enjoys affection. The vet bill thanks to care credit is almost maxed out. I dont know how i can continue his medical needs.

 

I am sorry to hear that your Buddy has diabetes, Lynelle. The walking issue is most likely neuropathy which many diabetic cats have. It can be helped with Methyl B12 and regulation. Here is some information:

http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Neuropathy

Can you share what you are feeding him and what insulin you use? We may be able to help. We have found that wet low carb food can be very helpful in reduction of Blood glucose levels. A vet explains why here: www.catinfo.org We also test our cat's levels at home. Since most cats are stressed at the vet and stress raises levels, we think numbers are home are more accurate (and cheaper to get) And you are then able to see how low the insulin is taking Buddy and how well the dose is working. We can teach you how. It is not expensive.

The diagnosis is definitely overwhelming and frightening. I found that, once I knew what was happening and why and what I could do to help, I felt much more confident. And my cat improved and eventually went into remission. We would love to help you help Buddy. Read on the site - the Health Links and FAQs have lots of valuable information. Let us know how we can help.

 

Hi Lynelle welcome to you and Buddy. I'm new here too and it can be quite overwhelming, but there are many people here that can help you find a way to help Buddy as cost effectively as possible. First is Buddy on insulin? If so what kind and how much? What are you feeding him? A vet prescription diet is expensive and unnecessary. Most of us feed Friskies, 9 Lives or Fancy Feast canned pates. Also, are you home testing his glucose? A human meter is all you need and is much cheaper than taking him to the vet for a curve. My cat has neuropathy too, and it's not permanent. Getting his glucose under control and a methyl B12 supplement can help. Please ask feel free to ask any questions you have.

 

Welcome to FDMB! You have come to the right place for support. There are a lot of caring and experience folks here. You will be given a whole lot of information and at first, it will seem very overwhelming however in a couple of weeks, things will start falling into place.


Good Reading: This is a must read. It is an excellent 18 page informative document that covers feline health and nutrition. Don't take short cuts and read it all. www.catinfo.org

Diabetic Neuropathy: Merlin had this condition and it was really severe. The symptoms are walking on their back hocks. Severe conditions may also include their front feet. Merlin could never go more than a couple of steps before sitting down. We had to put down rugs all over the place so he wouldn't slip on the tile. To help this condition is to regulate the diabetes and to give them methyl B12; Zobaline. If you go with another product, you must make sure that there are no sugars. It is a small pink pill and can be crushed and put in his food. Today, you can’t even tell Merlin had it. He can run, jump and walks on his tippy toes now. Here is a link for Zobaline: http://www.ilifelink.com/zobaline-for_diabetic_cats-3_mg_x_60_tablets.html

Home Testing: Here, we all home test. It is mandatory to understand how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and the dose. You will want to test before each shot and some additional test in between the 12 hour cycle. Another reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Here is a picture of where you test on your kitty. http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

Here is another good link on Home Testing:http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

Meters: There are many meters. There is a pet meter called the Alpha Trak2 and human meters. Some use the pet meter because it is what the vets use so the numbers will match up. The meter and strips are expensive though. Most use human meters that can be purchased at any pharmacy. It typically reads a little lower than the pet meter but we have ways of compensating it. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro or Relion Confirm, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each.

Lancets: These are used to poke the ear to get blood. There are many different sizes (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge. Also, it would be a good idea to pick up Neosporin WITH pain reliever to apply on the edge of the ears and don't forget to alternate ears.

Spreadsheets: Our spreadsheet instructions are here. If you look at the signatures of the members here, you will see a link to their kitty’s spreadsheets. We keep track of all our tests. This is basically a place to collect data and help you to determine patterns, doses, etc. It also aids those that may be helping you to better understand your kitty.

Food: There are many reasons why we are here but one is due to feeding dry cat food which is high in carbs. You will want to consider changing your food to wet, low carb food. It is recommended to feed food that is under 10% carbs. Here is a list of cat food to choose from.food chartyou will note that the food with fish are lower in carbs however it is recommended that you only give fish once a week due to its mercury content. Many use Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies, etc. This list can also be found inwww.catinfo.org If you are already giving insulin and you have not transitioned to wet, low carb cat food, be sure to test while you are transitioning. This is because by changing to low carb food, it could decrease your kitty’s number by 100 points or more.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin Forums are stickie’s labeled Hypo Links. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc.

Ketones: Diabetic cats are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is best to buy testing strips that will measure (if any) ketones in the urine. One brand is Ketostix which can be found at Walmart or any pharmacy. You will want to test periodically unless you continue to get high numbers, then it is suggested to test more frequently. Ketostix typically costs around $10.

Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty. Some use it after they have tested to reward. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredient is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cat likes it, then I would go to the dog section where it is cheaper than the cat package. It is bigger chunks but no problem in breaking it up. There is a link here somewhere that has a list of low carb treats but I don't have it right now.

Injections: Most folks here use one of these main insulins; Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. Then you will test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. The reason why you do not want your kitty to eat two hours prior to your test is because food elevates BG numbers. So you do not want to dose based on a food influenced number. Here is a link on how to give injections.http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm

Note: Please check your insulins as there are some (the harsher ones like Humulin, Novlin, Vetsulin, etc.) that would be best to allow some time after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.

If you have any questions, please be sure to post in the Health Forum.

 

Welcome to FDMB. There is a great deal of information here. Let us know what you need.

 

I replied from my email and realized its not posted here. So Lantus is the insulin Buddy takes and Hills Rx w/d weight digestive wet and dry food both my cats eat now however must supplement because of dry poop. Thanku for the reply and info. I will be checking that out. Right now i helped Buddy in my bed and we are going to snuggle. He needs some purrr time.☺thanku very much