Don't have enough money to take her to the vet

A friend who is a vet tech just told me that if I don't have enough money to take my cat to the vet to get her evened out, i should just put her down because I will never do it on my own. I am beyond broke, just from buying her supplies, I can't even think about taking her to the vet. She is not eating as much as I'd like her to, but i don't know how much is enough. My cat and I live in a very confined space, so I don't think she needs many calories. I am having a very hard time testing her blood sugar, she hates it a lot. Plus, buying the test strips is a big obstacle, although I did get the free kit (thank you!) This cat is my life, I don't know what to do!!

 

Dear....please tell us your name...and your kitty's.
Please try not to get too ahead of yourself.
Many of us here were completely overwhelmed with the financial prospect.
Turns out you won't need your vet at all for 'evening out'
You do it yourself...and it's fun.
You have your insulin yet?
And how about telling me which meter I sent you and maybe I can dig up more strips for you.
Please post your name
your cat's test results so far...and if you can't get a test, how about the general area of where you live. You might like it if a member comes over and shows you everything first hand.
Let us know which insulin you have and if you are shooting it, how much?
and beyond all that....just breathe.
I promise you... I swear...it will get easier, it will be doable.
We have folks here with a lot of animals and near no money...some lost their homes and jobs in this sucky economy...yet they do it.
We will help you
Lori
and tomtom
sorry but your vet tech friend is just plain WRONG

 

Ok, lol. Breathing.
My name is Sarah.
My kitty's name is Baby.

She has insulin, i'm injecting her with 3u of humulin insulin twice a day after she eats. She has been diagnosed for a month and a half. You sent me a freestyle lite. I just got it and haven't used very many strips yet because i'm trying to save up.

When I tested her before she ate, she was 115 and 146 after, she tends to be between 240-290. (before i give her insulin) i have tested her after i gave her insulin and she is still pretty high (like 244) but I don't know what to do about it, if i should give her more insulin or what.

She has lost quite a bit of weight (seems like to me) and i have a hard time taking away her food after 1/2 hour like the vet told me to. I don't know how long i should leave it out, and how much she should be eating.

Oh, I live in Northern Minnesota.

Thank you so much for replying so fast, I was kind of panicking there a little bit.

Sarah
and Baby

 

Hello Sarah (and Baby)
Okay, one more deep breath.
Like Lori has said, this will be okay. And your vet tech friend should never tell anyone anything like that. IF she worked for me she'd be fired.
You CAN do this at home, by yourself, with help from all the great folks on this board.
Everyone of us has been in the same place you find yourself in right now. We all got through it and so will you.

First off. You'll be testing Baby twice a day, before each meal. So if you can manage to get blood the first try and only use one strip per test, they'll last a while. I think Lori said she can get you some more strips soon.

Food - what are you feeding Baby? Her food will not cost you any more than it did before she was diagnosed. Take that prescription crap the vet told you that you need (assuming they prescribed Hills Diet or something like that) right back to the vet, tell them your cat won't eat it, and get your money back. Most of us use Fancy Feast, Friskees or another easily available from your local grocery store canned food. There is a link here to a food list, if you haven't seen it already, listing the name brands and their carb/calorie content along with other stats. You'll want a low-carb wet food if you aren't feeding her that already.

Insulin - I know absolutely nothing about Humulin. I use PZI. But there are lots of people here that are familiar with what you are using, and I am sure one of them will be around soon to address that aspect. The only thing that strikes me is that 3u to start seems high, but again, I am not familiar at all with that type of insulin.

Calories - I have seen a formula posted here that says that a cat should get 20 calories per pound of body weight per day. For example, my kitty Bob weighs 14 lbs. I should give him 280 calories a day if I want him to maintain that weight. So how much does Baby weigh?

You do not have to leave her food out for only 1/2 an hour. As long as you are doing things in the right order which is test-feed-shoot, you can let her eat more than 30 minutes. You probably don't want her to eat anything after the insulin has reached "nadir" (peak effectiveness) which is when her BG bottoms out and her glucose numbers will start to increase. With PZI, that's about 6 hours after the shot. Humulin may be different. I feed Bob on a 12 hour schedule, so he doesn't eat from noon till dinner time at 6, or from midnight until 6am. Some people feed more often during the day, but give smaller portions. The best thing would be to visit the Humulin support group page and post questions there as well.

Take heart in the fact that you have found one of, if not THE best places you could have found with a diabetic cat. The people here do this around the clock, all year long. They care, and they've all "been there". They have been an enormous help to me and Bob, and they'll help you too.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Do a lot of reading when you can. And visit the Humulin page as soon as you can.

Carl in SC

 

Carl has given you some excellent advise and I just want to add some more.

Humulin is a short acting insulin and it is very difficult to regulate a cat's diabetes on it. It has a very steep drop in lowering the BG levels and only last for a very short duration in a cat. Better choices of insulin are Lantus, PZI and Levemir. All three are long acting insulins and usually give better results than Humulin or Vetsulin.

Lantus and Levemir are human insulins. If your vet will change to one of these insulins, ask for the prescription for the pens or cartridges instead of a vial. Because both do have a limited shelf life of about 2-3 months, you will not use all of the insulin in a vial before it becomes ineffective. However, because the pens/cartridges are in smaller packaging and you get 5 in a prescription, you will be able to use almost every drop. One package of 5 vials should be enough insulin to last almost a year. There is also a $25 coupon in the Supply Closet good for your first prescription. The initial cost is about twice that of a single vial, but as I said, you may only need to purchase one package a year, so overall the cost is less than buying a new vial every couple months.

You may want to also consider changing meters because of the cost of strips. The Walmart Relion meters are very good. The strips are around $39 for a box of 100. I recommend either the Relion Confirm or Micro, they need less blood than the Ultima. But all of them are good meters. Also, if you are not already using them, consider switching to store brand syringes also. I use the Relion brand syringes and have been very pleased with them.

Food: Carl is right, if you feeding prescription food, you do not need to. Many of us feed our cats either Fancy Feast or Friskies. My cats also like the Walmart Special Kitty brand canned food and it does not seem to have any negative affects on Ricky's BG levels. I feed my cats twice a day and leave the bowls out if they do not finish all of it. Most of the time they do eat everything when I give them their food.

We have all been where you are and are here to help. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Lisa

 

Try applying for financial help from one of these places: http://www.felinediabetes.com/vetbills.htm

You may also get help from an organization a member here on this board runs called Diabetic Cats In Need: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=29083

Managing your cat's diabetes does not need to empty your bank account. Here are tips on how to save money: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/frugal.html

Test strips vary in price. I don't know how much the FreeStyle you are using cost but I know that the Wal Mart Relion test strips are only $20 for a bottle of 50 and they only work with the Relion brand of meters. Shop around for the best price on test strips, both online at at the local pharmacies. I think most generic pharmacy blood glucose meters work well for cats and the test strips are inexpensive compared to a big name brand. Test your cat's blood glucose levels is important so please test at least twice a day.

Humulin isn't the greatest insulin to use and 3 units in general is a huge dose for most cats. Diet can be one factor in why such a huge dose is needed. What is your cat eating? Dry food, even grain-free low carb ones, can keep blood glucose levels too high which means more insulin is needed to work on lower the levels.

Do you keep track of daily blood glucose levels? It would be very helpful if you can post them for us to look at :smile: One day's worth of numbers doesn't tell much.

Never ever give more insulin shortly after giving the usual dose, even if the random blood glucose level test you take shows a high number. You may OD your cat and cause the blood glucose levels to drop too too low which can be serious.

 

how did you arrive at giving 3 units?

Typically we tell people to start a low dose - such as 1/2 or even 1 unit and hold that amount for several days before making any changes. It is very possible that you skipped over the ideal dose for baby and can be experiencing rebound issues.

Also, if you can, I suggest you change insulin as humulin N is a challenging insulin to work with.

If you check out DCIN on here - diabetic cats in need - they have insulin available that they may be able to give to you.

That will help with your costs.

You can free feed your cat wet food - just add water to the food, mix and leave out. You can also take this and freeze it, then put out to thaw while you are not home. It will take a couple hours to thaw and by then the fresh food may be eaten and she will be ready for the frozen.

This really is manageable, you just have to get set up and understand that you don't need to do everything the vet may have told you. And as far as your friend is concerned, I'd find a new friend. No friend and especially one that is a vet tech, should ever tell you to put the cat down! Not unless there is no quality of life left and the cat is in physical pain.

Diabetes is a manageable disease and you have come to the right place for help and guidance.

 

First thing: shame a person, especially a vet tech, who says you can't afford it, will never be able to regulate her, and should just PTS. To me, that is NOT a friend.

Listen: there are so very many people here, who have been exactly where you are now, who can help you.

Trouble with testing? Explain the troubles you are experiencing and someone will have some tips for you.
Trouble with eating and amounts? Provide info on food being fed, how much and when, and others can give you plenty of foods and feeding advice. Quite often, people have a kitty who does not want to eat, or maybe is sick and won't eat much.... they will be able to help you.

Trouble with costs of supplies? I think we all have that issue, so many can tell you how they are saving money.

Tell your "friend" that many cats are doing just fine, with a little care and some diet adjustments, and several have gone off insulin and become diet controlled!

I take my cats to the vet ONLY when they are sick.... and having diabetes is not what I call being sick.
You test and you give them insulin; that's not sick, that's just helping the body to function better.

 

Sarah,
You are in a wonderful place now, here, to help Baby.


- Finding FDMB
- © 2004 By Carol Notermann
- Alone I heard the words I’d feared, alone and terrified.
- Did no one know or understand, I cursed the tears I cried.
- I’ll beat this thing, I’ll prove them wrong for he is my best friend
- There has to be some help somewhere, this cannot be the end.
-
- The vet had been so cavalier, explaining choices to be made.
- I’d heard his words, but in my brain, too few of them had stayed.
- I ran to my computer, typed in the word I’d heard
- As I hit “search” I trembled, for I hated that darn word.
-
- The list popped up, and there I saw, that I was not alone.
- I clicked on one, and read the text, but those words too had flown.
- Then next I clicked, a message board, with others just like me.
- I typed the words, “I’m just so scared, I’m crying and can’t see.”
-
- Within a minute, maybe two, I was welcomed with a (hug).
- They said to simply take a breath, my heart, it felt a tug.
- For here were others just like me, they seemed to understand.
- no one said to PTS, they said they’d lend a hand.
-
- Thus guided by the “experts” that had no vet degree
- I learned about this thing I feared, they took each step with me.
- They told me of the blood tests, how to poke his little ears.
- learned of its importance, to shoot and have no fears.
-
- I learned to simply trust my “gut”, and that I knew my cat.
- I learned to treat a “hypo”, my testing spotted that.
- I’ve cried tears of joy with others, and also tears of pain.
- We are a world-wide family, we cheer each others gain.
-
- And now, just four months later, my guy is laying at my feet,
- Our lives are back to “normal”, and the path was not too steep.
- For with the help of all my friends here on FDMB
- I know that I am not alone, and that’s enough for me

 

whoa whoa WHOA!!!! did i see you get her before meal test at 115? then you shoot her 3UNITS Humulin????? Then she is 146 afterwards? did I read right?
You have to stop immediately with the shooting....until you either start posting or maybe calling one of us to find out wth that is....because THAT is NOT a shootable number.
Please call me asap if you have shot your kitty this morning ok.
look up above after closing my post and on the upper left in red i think it will say 1new...or more if other folks have pm'd (private message) you.
I only say this becuase THAT is a TREMENDOUS overdose if i read correctly which i hope i did not.
Lori
and tomtom

 

Lori: nonono I didn't shoot her until after she ate and it was 244 or higher.

Thank you so much everyone for your help! The biggest problem I'm having right now is that my kitty is hating to be tested. How can I make it easier for her, I tried petting her a lot and i tried doing it when she is relaxed in my lap but she tries to run as soon as she sees the meter come out.

Other problem i have right this second is i have to go to work NOW and she's not eating her food!! Now what???

 

honey, put some water on the food to keep it moist and just leave it out for her.

 

Oh, and the vet told me to go up to 3 units. she started me at 2 units.

Can you tell me more about the lantus insulin you were talking about? I need to know exactly what to ask my vet for.

 

Lori: what about shooting her?

 

if you have an ice pack...and it's really hot, you can put the bowl on top of the ice pack. she can eat all day if and when she wants.
and i would go to 1unit and we will start tracking her numbers so we will know what's going on.
she may go off the juice if we do it right.

 

hey, can i call you?

 

Thank you so much Lori. I have to go now but please help me figure out how to make her feel better about testing. Thank you all so much!!

 

whereabouts northern minn. are you...that is a pretty big space. eastern, western, maybe town name?

 

We will help you Sarah and Baby. You will be okay.

 

Welcome Sarah & Baby!

Okay now that the others have you breathing again....Please go slap your 'friend' the vet tech for me.....okay? That is just not something any friend should ever say to another friend, especially a vet tech. It is because of two wonderful vet techs that I have my two diabetic cats. Both of which were owner surrenders to be put to sleep, and it was the vet techs that stepped up, and got ahold of DCIN, who in turn got ahold of me, and helped them both get transported to me. Neither Maxwell or Musette have a vet guiding them and myself on this journey. Maxwell is already in remission and off insulin, and Musette is well on her way if not to remission to being very well regulated on a tiny dose. So not only CAN you do it yourself, I AM doing it myself. Not only am I caring for 2 sugarcats, I have 10 other cats, and a large dog, I'm a full time college student so we only have my husband's income to work with for the whole furry family and feed the humans too. So yep, I understand broke completely we live paycheck to paycheck.

I think others have asked but not sure I saw and answer...What is Baby eating? The gang here all eat what the sugars do...Walmart's Special Kitty pate style canned food, they were eating Friskies until 1) Friskies decided to raise the price to 50 cents a can, & 2) Most of mine stopped liking it and getting sick on it. At least around here Walmart sells a 4 pack of Special Kitty for $1.34 which works out to 33 cents per can, and on average a normal 7-10lb cat eats about 1 can per day. Even my bigger 15-17lb fur-kids only eat a can & a half of a 5.5 oz can per day. So if Baby is an average sized girl we are talking $2.31 a week to feed her.

The Freestyle Lite is a great meter, but if you really need to cut costs, Walmart has an excellent meter called the Relion Micro, 50 strips for it runs $20, and I have a Relion meter that is Maxwell's but since I now test him so infrequently I would be happy to send it to you and then all you would have to worry about is buying the strips for it, and you could save the Freestyle as a backup meter. If you would like that meter just let me know, and I will get it in the mail to you. 50 strips if you only test the bare min, of twice a day before each shot, since you are working with Humilin N that means 50 strips will last you 25 days, or 80 cents per day on strips.

Now syringes run online about $25 per box of 100. Now since you use 2 a day, a box of 100 lasts you 50 days. The breakdown on that is 50 cents per day.

So lets see what we have so far here:

Food: 33 cents/per day
Syringes: 50 cents/per day
Test strips: 80 cents/per day (if using a Relion)
----------------------------------------------------------
Total $1.63/per day

The only other thing would be her insulin. Now like other have said N isn't a great insulin for cats, but it is doable, but if you could just get your vet to prescribe one of the other insulins mentioned we have lots of ways to make it cheaper to obtain. DCIN helps supply insulin to kitties in financial tight spots, They just need for you to have a current script for the type of insulin (legat reasons) and normally ask for you to cover shipping, but even that can be waived if money is really tight. But even with shipping and I'm using my own figures here as to what it costs me to have them ship overnight to Nebraska. we are talking $65 as opposed to $230 for a 5pk of Lantus solostar pens. Now don't faint at the price tag of $230 that is for 5 pens and one pen can last you a couple of months if handled with care. So those 5 pens could be enough insulin for a year.

Then there it the other things like dosing advice, love and support, and cyber hugs....FREE from everyone here.

Having Baby healthy and happy in your life for a good long time to come.....PRICELESS! cat_pet_icon

And really with the numbers you are already getting, with a few tweaks here and there that we can help you make, it wouldn't surprise me at all if she would go into remission and off insulin pretty quickly. She is already very close.

Let us know what problems you are having with testing and I bet we have all kinds of tips and tricks to make it pleasant for you both. I just adopted Musette a month ago, we had no life long bond of love and trust like you have with Baby. Musette already comes running for her ear pokies...and she crawls in my lap purring the whole time. Now if I can do it with a kitty that didn't know me from Adam when we started...I bet we can get you there with Baby, who already loves and trusts you.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

Hi Sarah,
I just scanned through all the posts here. Where in northern Minnesota are you - Park Rapids, Bemidji? These are great people and will help you a lot. Hang in there, you can do this.

The other thing is - if you go to the Walmart relion meter, a single pack of 50 is approx $20, but if you get it in the 100 pack, it is only $36 - you do save some money.

Pattie
St. Louis Park MN

 

Sorry Lisa, I just saw where you had already posted about the cost of the Relion.

Pattie

 

IF Humulin is a u40 insulin...and IF you stay using it, then I have about 100 syringes I can send you for free.

 

Lori, as far as I know, ALL human insulins in the USA are U-100.

 

hmmmm, want to send her ...something!

 

I have a free box of U100 ReliOn syringes with the 1/2 unit marks waiting for me to pick up at WalMart. I will gladly send those on to you, if you want them. Please PM me with your address if you are interested. They're the same syringes I use for Levimir. I could also send you my ReliOn meter and pick up a box of 100 ReliOn test strips and send those to you too.

 

See Sara the troops are already rallying to your aid. Everyone here is just the bestest! And we all LOVE our sugarcats, we can and will get you and Baby through it all. My bet is in a couple of months when you are either playing with or cuddling Baby you will look back on this first post and wonder "What was I so worried about." And you will be one of us that are on here, holding the hands and paws of the next generation of newbies.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

Humulin N is U100, NOT U40....I DO know that now. I don't yet truly understand the difference but I WILL when all this info you all are shoving in my brain files itself in the right places.

 

don't worry or shove - we will help you make sense of it all. one step at a time. once you get the basics down, you will sit back and wonder wow, this is eazy peazy what was I all worked up over.

So, give yourself a break, there is a learning curve with this. but lucky for you, we are all here to help - and remember, we all were once where you are today. So we walk the walk and talk the talk! and provide the help.

 

Hi Sarah,

I am new to this too, and like you, I am financially strapped as well. Everyone here has been very helpful and supportive. I haven't had enough expercience to give a lot of advice, but I can share what I have learned.

Casey, my DC, has not really liked being tested either, but it is getting better. I give her lots of attention and treats, and try to be consistent about the routine. I make sure Casey know that the testing = treats (and attention). She still doesn't really like it yet, but she tolerates it. I am sure that once we are both used to it, it will no longer be the big deal that it started out to be. I am confident this will be the same for you and Baby!

Welcome aboard, you both are in good hands,

Roberta
and Casey

 

A vial of insulin is a combination of insulin hormone and a sterile liquid, called the diluent. The concentration of the insulin to the diluent determines its strength.

Though U-100 insulin is the most common, insulin may be ordered in a variety of strengths, such as U-40. The "U" value of insulin indicates its strength - the number reflects the number of active insulin units in each mL of liquid. You could think of 100 "units" as 100 tiny pieces of insulin floating in each mL of diluent.

U-100 will have 100 units per mL, and U-40 has 40 units per mL. This means that U-100 has 2.5 times the amount of active insulin per mL, therefore 2.5 times as strong.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/insulin-conversions.htm

Lantus (aka glargine) is a good insulin choice to use for diabetic cats. Here is some info you can share with your vet:
http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/docs/diabetesinfo/link4.pdf
http://www.tillydiabetes.net/en_6_protocol2.htm

You buy Lantus from the Human pharmacy with a prescription. Your vet can write you one. If you do decide to use Lantus, ask your vet to write the prescription for the SoloStar pens not the 10 ml bottle. The reason being is that the 10 m bottle often loses potency in as a little as a month (some people have been able to use it for longer) and with the bottle costing $115+ or so, few people want to spend much every month or so. And with most cats only needing a few units of insulin a day, there's no way you can use up 1000 units (the amount in a 10 ml bottle) before it loses potency. The SoloStar pens are more economic. A box containing five 3 ml pens costs $150 or so which is $30 per pen. Most people use a new pen each month. So the box is basically at least a 5 month supply. You do not need the pen needles in order to use the pen. That is for Human diabetics. For cats, you use the pen like a bottle. The end of the pen has a rubber stopper, just like a bottle, and you just stick a the needle of a regular insulin syringe into it. See picture here of how to use an insulin syringe with a SoloStar pen

Lantus is a U100 insulin so use only U100 insulin syringes. The preferred ones to use are 3/10 cc with half unit markings.

 

Some here use each SoloStar pen to the very last drop--it just depends upon your dose.
Most cats regulate at 1-2 units 2/day.

Each pen contains 300 units of insulin.

So at 1 unit 2x / day, 300 units would last 5 months.
... at 2 unit 2x / day, 300 units would last 2.5 months.

It's doable to get 2.5 months out of a pen, but maybe not 5 months (loses potency).

Proper storage and handling is critical, read here:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

Some hospital pharmacies will sell one pen at a time.

 

OK, let's see if i can remember to answer all the questions you guys are asking. I live in Bemidji, right in the middle of northern minnesota .

The problem I am having with Baby not liking testing is every time she sees the strips she runs away, so i have to hold her down and she hates it. Because of that, I haven't been testing her very much at all.

I have Baby eating Fancy Feast Classic right now, but I will switch to the Walmart brand that was suggested. Thank you for that suggestion.

I would also like the ReliOn tester that MommaOfMuse is talking about. lol I see that Dyana offered one as well, so you two will have to fight it out as to who wants to send me one I will PM you my address, thank you so much!! I can afford to pay $20 for a box of test strips. I can't afford $50 or $100 for a box of strips.

I am using Easy Touch Syringes, which i found for $15 for 100 count. LOL i can't tell you where I found that price though! Probably on Amazon.

Alright, now let me think of other questions I have....

If I need to take away her food at nadir, how do I do that when I am at work?

LOL Lori, you don't need to send me anything, just tell me how to get her not to hate testing


Once again, thank you ALL SO MUCH!!!!! you have really given me hope for the first time since all of this started. I can shrug off everyone who has said that I should PTS and know that she will get through this and be a happy and healthy kitty for a long long time!!

 

If we can get you a pen of lantus...would you try to get the prescription for it.
I only ask becuase as far as insulins go it is miles ahead of the Humulin.
I think I can get you a pen for the cost of shipping...5 or 6 bucks.
What say you?

 

OK so someone (the previously mentioned vet tech) just told me that Fancy Feast and Special Kitty are like junk food for cats and i should be feeding her Purina. Any opinions??

 

THANK YOU! Got this one filed away now. I felt really dumb going in to buy the first bottle of insulin. They couldn't read vet's writing and asked if it was U100. Duh.....I dunno....then he wrote U100 syringes - they handed me the 100's. I looked at them, asked them to show me where the 3 unit line was - they went back and got me the 3/10 cc. At least I can SEE the NOW 2 unit mark.

 

...and her reason for thinking that is?.....I'd have to ask.

 

Using some of the Neosporin plus anesthetic ointment (not cream) on the ear a few minutes before testing will reduce or eliminate any discomfort she feels from the ear testing, plus help blood bead up for testing.

Warming the ear with massage or a lightly microwaved rice sock (take clean, thin cotton sock, fill partway with uncooked rice. for use, microwave so that it is warm, not hot - usually less than a minute. test on your inner forearm for temperature comfort.) Warm ear with sock before testing to increase circulation.

Use low carb treats (someone will post their favs) and praise to reward desired behavior. ex. Comes into bathroom for testing = reward. lets you massage ear = reward. lets you warm ear = reward test is successful = reward. test is unsuccessfull = reward. Basically, you want her to associate the process with something positive.

 

OK that is really funny; I would suggest that you 'junk' that 'vet tech'.
That food, fancy feast, has done a pretty good job of getting many cats healthier. The ingredients are just fine, better than the vet rx foods that the 'vet tech' claims is better.
Please refer to Binky's list to see the carbs for the fancy feast and many other foods. I can't recall, but I think some of the rx foods and purina are on the lists..... I am not at home so can't post the link to the list.

I feed mine friskies pates which is a bit cheaper than fancy feast but I consider it also to be better for my cats than purina or any rx foods.
You can get some freeze dried chicken as many cats like it for a treat.

 

ok last thing for right now... we tested my kitty and her BS was 378. don't know when the last time she ate was because i had to leave the food out when i left for work. Should I inject her?? she's not due for food again until 11pm.

 

Here's the problem - 3 units of Humulin N may have taken her down so low that her liver went into stress mode and started releasing glucagon to break down into glucose, thus bumping her test level pretty high. The consensus here is that the dose may be way too high for her, so dropping back down to 1 unit allows you to check how that works. You want to stay on a schedule with the Humulin insulin (and feeding), generally every 12 hours. It takes several days to get a rhythym going with insulin ... and patience, and gritting your teeth (something at which I do NOT do well!) while riding out the fluctuations.

The situation of being at work during the day and managing feeding may be handled by freezing half of the day's food so that it can't be eaten quickly, thus letting her eat some of it later, after you've left for work.

 

Okay question back...Is 11pm her next shot time normally? Since you said that is when she is due for food again I'm assuming that is also when you normally would give her the next shot...if it is, then no don't shoot now. Wait until 1/2 hour before her next shot time, feed wait 1/2 hour then give her the normal shot at it's normal time.

With Humilin N you want to feed her 1/2 hr before her shot so it helps cushion the insulin. N hits hard and food on her tummy will help cushion that hit. Much better to skip a shot than to double dose, especially with NPH so close together.

Sarah I'm going to share with you a couple of pictures since sometimes pictures speak louder than words. The first one is of my Maxwell the day he arrived at my house, diabetic, being fed junk food (dry) and a walking rack of bones.



This next picture is of the very same cat who is now in remission, after being feed a diet of Friskies and Special Kitty for the last 8 months. Does he look like he is suffering from eating a 'junk food' diet..lol.



I only wish you could touch him in person, that you will just have to take my word for, he is like petting silk. He is so soft and silky. Oh yeah he is 12 years old and plays like a kitten, flying threw the air after his favorite toy, an old feather boa. And his best friend in the world is an approx. 9 month old kitten named Lady Jane Grey.

You and Baby will be fine, now that you have found us. And hey, we come with the added benefit, of we never close, not for weekends, holidays, vacations, we have no office hours as we have members literally around the world. There is always someone here to answer questions, hold your hand, or let you vent too. We will throw an extra pot of coffee on if there is a problem like a hypo to stay with you and walk you through it. We will call you to wake you up for a test if you ask us too. And from the first day you post here, you become family. We start that very first day worrying about your Baby like she was one of our own.

So again, Welcome to the Family!

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang.

 

Binky's Page

There are pages for both new and older lists of canned food there.

 

I just want to add in mocha eats her special kitty and doesn't seem any worse for wear .. plus it's only $1.34 for a 4 pack of 5.5oz can's at wal mart .. much easier on our budget then FF (at least for the amount mocha eats!) She just loves the meaty turkey and giblets, plus I believe it's only 3% carbs .. We'll do everything we can to help you and baby!

 

My cat started running from me when I kept testing a HUGE painful bruise on his ear and didn't notice. I switched spots/ears, tried to be more cognisant of sore spots, and gave him extra loves, and he started coming running for testing again.

 

Wow. Where to even start with that.
First off, Purina only makes dry food, correct? That should tell you right off, even after your limited time here, that she has no idea how "bad" dry food is for cats, especially diabetic ones. Dry food can be a good source of protein, but the protein in dry food is derived mainly from vegetable matter, not meat. Cats are carnivores, not vegetarians. The protein needs to come from meat, not plants.
Point two- dry food is higher in carb content than wet food, even crappy wet food. Carbs are poisen to diabetic cats. So she is suggesting that the best thing you can do for baby (other than PTS) is to feed her high carb poison that will drive her BG sky high.

Sarah, you vet tech friend knows little to nothing about feline diabetes. And that isn't a crime. Many vets don't know a ton about it either. It isn't like they have to deal with it every day. They have to know a little about everything, and about many different species of animals. They don't have the luxury of time to specialize in a single field like FDB. I would suggest to the vet tech that she do the cat world a huge favor and continue her education by getting a doctorate in Feline Diabetes. Not only would she learn a great deal, but she might be able to have a positive veterinary impact on a disease that needs experts in her field.

In your place, I would ask her a few questions:
1 - what causes the BG value of a diabetic cat to rise? (eating food does. so does the stress of visiting a vet clinic).
2 - what do carbs do to the blood glucose numbers? (the higher the carbs, the bigger the increase)
3 - what lowers the BG numbers? (besides injecting insulin) (a low carb diet would probably be a good guess).
4 - what is the carb content of Purina, and why would that be a good diet choice for Baby?
5 - what cat foods contain fewer carbs that Purina or any of the vet prescribed diet foods they want you to use? (pick a couple dozen off of Binky's list that you can find at the grocery store or at wal-mart)

I'm afraid that your vet tech believes that it is more important to be "right" than it is to be "correct". She's letting the fact that she has gotten a job as a tech make her believe that she knows more than you do about one tiny facet of her world. Has she ever had a sugarcat? Has she ever treated one that survived using the methods she's recommending? I bet the answer to both is "no".

I am normally a big defender of vets, but that is most likely due to the fact that I have a great relationship with mine, and her techs, and I have nothing but respect and gratefullness for everything that they have done for me and Bob since he was diagnosed. And it doesn't sound like it's your vet that is the issue, but rather this tech person. If I were you, I'd print out some of what you have learned here and bring it to your vet. Make her understand that this is what you think you want to try, and see if you can convince her to hop on the wagon and ride with you. I'd just stop discussing this with the tech friend. Wait until you have achieved your goals of a happy and healthy Baby. Then you can show her the results, explain how you and Baby did it, and hopefully it will be a lesson to her. If she continues on her path (which I imagine is to one day be a vet herself) with her current attitude, she's never going to be a sucessful vet. Nobody knows it all.
"The person who think he knows everything has learned nothing".

Stick to your guns!
Carl

 

Dang, don't I feel stupid!
I just saw in another thread that Purina make Fancy Feast! I've been buying it for weeks, and just now saw the little Purina logo on the can. Duh. But I'm assuming the tech didn't know that either since she said said FF was junk food and you should only feed Purina. I'm guessing she meant Purina Crack Chow.
Carl

 

Time to read Dr. Lisa's article on feline nutrition:

http://catinfo.org/

 

Purina makes both fancy feast and friskies - these are the commercially and less expensive products, then purchasing the prescription purina foods.

If you check the food labels in the store, you will find purina is one of the largest manufacturers of cat foods.

The problem with the prescription food that it seems your friend is pushing is:

1) it is VERY Expensive
2) it is actually higher in carbs than fancy feast classics and friskies pates
3) DRY FOOD - if she is pushing that - well you've been told about dry food
4) many cats start off eating the prescription then in a very short time decide the no longer like it, so then owners feel they are stuck with the product - WRONG - return it to vet for a refund - it's guaranteed and they have to take it back.

Also, call purina and ask for coupons - they will be happy to send them to you the loyal customer - call every month and they will send coupons!

While fancy feast and friskies may not be of the highest quality food to feed ( because it contains by products) it is an affordable food that many owners feed their cats - one can afford 40-50 cents a can vs. $2-4 a can for higher end foods. Maybe when you have more money and can afford to do it, experiment with the more expensive options (we'll tell you which are the ones good for diabetes) and see. But for now, fancy feast, friskies and special kitty are all good enough to give the cat.

Another way to think about it - can you afford to purchase one pound of steak for yourself or can you use that money and buy one pound of hamburger? While the steak is yummy, it's only one or two meals tops, whereas you can make the hamburger last for a week. The quality of the hamburger may not be as good, you know if they add the fat and what not to the meat, but you can afford it and it is tasty.


Hope this helps.

 

I would just like to point out that when drawn properly, 300U of insulin is not going to provide 300 1U doses because you MUST overdraw each time to correctly measure the insulin and also you should not shoot excess back in to the pen with Lantus.

I gave Gandalf approximately 1.25U of Levemir for a long time - 1 300U pen always lasted us about 3 months. So that was about 230 doses.

I know it's a nitpicky point, but I don't want anyone to have too high of expectations on how long a pen's worth of insulin is going to last. They will last to the "last drop," but even that is inaccurate because you can't draw the last drop out no matter how hard you try :lol:

 

Sarah, 7 units ago I was as freaked out as you. Punkin, my girl was diagnosed less than a week ago. I found this wonderful site and all these wonderful people. Listen to them, they are way smart, they are the best. My girl is my special girl too so it's hard, but gets better. I read ALL the post, I read ALL the stories, ALL the journals, I read everything. The freak-out level has greatly diminished for me, and being notoriously weak, I owe that to this board. Things will get better and all will be OK

 

Hello Sarah! I know exactly how you feel. Please don't give up!!! You are still in a state of 'shock' caused from the overwhelm of the situation. This feeling WILL disappear. With all of the support from this thread, you should already be feeling the fog lift. Next week will be easier, and the one following next will be even easier, and by then Baby should be getting better and the results will begin to give you more strength to continue and KNOW your continued care of Baby is and will continue to be the right thing to do. :mrgreen:

Do not solicit advise from that particular vet tech. They probably thought they were saying the right thing. No judgement here. I heard the same such advise from family who love and care for me (and know the love I have for my two kitties). The vet tech is simply unaware. My vet tech was aware, and solicited for 20 free syringes on my behalf, and when I went to pay my bill...a mysterious donor had left $250 to cover my over $1500 in climbing expenses. Since joining this board my expenses stopped. Literally. I now have the supplies I need to do all of the tests they were charging me an arm and a leg for. If you read my story, you would know I had a terrible time trying to get blood from Stella's ear. Be gentle, and keep trying.

Here is my advice on getting the BG test done....
I do it as a ritual. I spread a dark blue blanket in my living room (it is then taken up afterwards as a signal it is all over for the moment...no need to run and hide :lol: ). I bring out all of the supplies and lay them out like a picnic. I get everything ready on the blanket, meter, teststrip ready to push in, neosporin, lancet, cotton square, etc. I then go in and heat the wet washcloth for 25 seconds and put it into a ziplock to heat Stella's ear. I also prepare her lantus syringe if that is due at the time. I grab the 'heating device' pick up my Stella and sit on the blanket with the items surrounding me. I sit on my rear end with my legs stretched out in front of me, and place Stella in between my legs facing the same direction I am facing (the back of her head is to me and she is looking forward too). I then proceed to use the lancet, get the blood, get the reading. Then if it is time, give her the Lantus injection. Then we get up and give her her treat...sometimes she wants love and affection before the treat. And then I clean everything up so she knows our ritual is over. Somehow she likes being place in between my legs instead of me overpowering her and hovering over her in dominance. Maybe that dominance is scaring Baby. You will find what works for you...

Hang in there!!!

 

Good point. And you can't shoot insulin back into the pen after you've over-drawn the dose.

But it's still a lot better than throwing away a whole lot of a 10ml (1000 unit) vial.

 

nm

 

Yes, but *I* meant that some here report using each pen for up to 3 months.