Hello! New here & want to start off on the right foot!

Hi! I have been lurking and reading some of the helpful information on this site for about a week. We learned last week that our 12 year old male cat Jack has diabetes. His blood glucose was elevated and then the vet confirmed this through a urine test. His blood sugar was 411. Between hearing that news and going back to the vet today for a consultation on next steps, the reading I did suggested that switching him to a wet food was a good first step, so I started giving him FF classic 2x daily. He's been a huge fan of that switch (we have been feeding dry Purina One for years). The vet gave me 2 cans of Purina DM and says he needs to have a higher fiber diet. She didn't tell me how much to give him, just to feed him twice daily.

The vet prescribed 1 unit of NPH (Novolin) twice daily, and wants to retest his blood glucose after 1 week. My reading suggested that some cats can go into remission after several months of treatment so I asked about that possibility, and she said that its only possible with a more costly form of insulin (Lantus?). She doesn't usually prescribe it because at the nonprofit clinic most of her patients' families cannot afford it. I'd prefer to try it even if it is more costly in hopes that he might achieve remission. She said that we can start with Lantus and switch to Novolin later if want, but that it is not effective the other way around (starting with Novolin and switching to Lantus in hopes of remission). I would love to hear your thoughts and experience on which one we should start with!

I am getting the message that most users here find that home BG monitoring is essential! The vet seemed to feel that this isn't necessary and that I should use urine test strips. I'm thinking that I wouldn't give insulin to a human without testing BG so it stands to reason that I should test the cat at home. My husband is reluctant, he sees it as an added expense that the vet didn't suggest. Thoughts on urine testing vs. blood?

I am overwhelmed and trying to learn but there is SO much information out there and some of it seems somewhat contradictory to what my vet is recommending. Any simple, first step advice would be wonderful! Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

 

Welcome! You are doing a wonderful job so far reading and learning.

And you have excellent instincts. It is better to get started with Lantus if possible. The thinking here is that there is a limited window for remission, so the better the insulin, the more likely the chances. N tends to be a harsher insulin in most cats, dropping early in the cycle and not lasting a full 12 hours.

And yes, home testing is the way to keep Jack safe, just like you would your 2 legged children. Actually it costs less than vet curves. You can get a human or pet meter (pet meters are more expensive as are the strips, but some people like having a meter that matches their vet's. Human meters tend to read lower than pet meters, but there are ways to compensate for that. If you choose a ReliOn from Walmart (it is the cheapest) you can get meter, strips and lancets for under $50 or so. Here is a great thread on home testing with lots of videos and links:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Purina DM wet is not an awful food, just expensive with no better ingredients than pet store brands. And as it is liver based, most cats tire of the taste. A vet has developed a food chart here:

http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

We try to stay under 8-10% carbs.

You might check out the forum here for Lantus to get a feel for it.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-glargine-levemir-detemir.9/

Some more research or perhaps you have already seen the links. Regardless, let us know how we can help.

IMHO, You are Jack's best advocate and you can feed him what you think is best and test him at home if you want. And certainly pick the insulin that you think will work the best.

 

Thank you for your response! I just called the vet to ask for a Lantus script and will get the ReliOn meter, that is not a bad price at all. Thanks again for taking the time!

 

Welcome to FDMB, although I'm really sorry you have to be here.

Our vet was not very knowledgeable about feline diabetes. He started us out on Humulin (equivalent to Novolin) and high-carb dry food...and never mentioned home testing. I stumbled upon FDMB, started home testing, switched vets, and made the move to Lantus. Just a few months later, Jersey (my cat) went into remission. She has been a diet-controlled diabetic since April 2014.

I know it's scary getting started. Just make sure you ask questions whenever you have them. We've all been in your shoes and remember how frustrating and overwhelming it all is in the beginning.

Shelly

 

Welcome to FDMB. Here is some more great reading www.catinfo.org We all live by this document.

 

Hi Katie. Welcome to you and Jack.

With regard to your vet and home testing vs. urine testing. click on the link below. On the destination page there is a link to a document entitled Management of Diabetic Cats with Long-acting Insulin. It gives details of the published study by Roomp & Rand and contains details of the Tight Regulation Protocol for using long-acting insulins to treat feline diabetes. It also puts an effective, evidence-based case for the benefits of home testing. Perhaps you might find it a useful basis for discussions with your vet.


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