Hi I am new here

Hi our cat Acorn was diagnosed with diabetes on Monday. I am upset, crying, and the expense is unbelievable. Acorn has lost 4 pounds and is very skinny. I do not want to have to go to the vet every week. We would like to monitor alot of this at home. Not sure what to do. We are getting all the necessary equipment to do this at home. He has been prescribed insulin, but first we have to find something he can eat and likes before I even think of going back to the vet. He is a very picky eater and then we want to start the insulin. I am scared and feel hopeless. We have already spent $900.00...Please help me.

 

Welcome! It’s scary and overwhelming at first, but it will get easier. Here’s a food chart with carb content. Look for a food with less than 10 carbs. Most of us feed Fancy Feast and Friskies Pates, not gravy flavors. https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
I’m glad you’re going to home test. Not only will it save you money, it will keep Acorn safe and tell you how well the insulin is working. Here is some info on how to test. Check it out then come to the Main Health Forum and tell us more about Acorn and ask any questions you have. We have lots of tips to help you save money and still give your kitty the best treatment possible!
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

Welcome! You will not have to go to the vet regularly if you are going to do glucose testing at home. It's overwhelming at first but will get better.. really. Post your specific questions on the main health forum, and you will get a lot of support and advice.

 

Welcome. I'm so glad you found this site. No need for weekly trips to the vet. Once I started testing at home my cat didnt go back to the vet for a year. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home. Many here feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods. No gravy or dry.

 

Welcome to the board, I'm sorry you are so upset with Acorn's diagnosis. I will tell you that what Sharon14 and FurBabiesMama replied is entirely correct. We too were upset and appalled at what seemed an exorbitant cost that first week, we didn't know about how to save money on insulin, syringes, testing supplies..any of it. The members here have figured that out, as well as good treatment plans and protocols for feline diabetes. Start by reading the Getting Started information on the Home Page, if you haven't already. Then move on to the Education section. It's going to seem like there's more information than you can absorb, but you will find that you can ask questions, get advice and support. I don't know what would have happened if this message board with all the information and advice had not been available to us. Take a breath, and know that what you need is here.

 

Thank you Sharon. I wish he liked fish as his brother Basil eats the Fancy Feast fish and shrimp dinner. He has tons of energy and chases squirrels. While Acorn is just not himself....we need all the help we can get. Sending you much love!

 

I’m glad Basil is feeling so good! We will help you get Acorn to feeling better too!

 

Thank you so much Janet! You are all making me feel better about this!

 

Thank you so much for all the support! Acorn is only 5 years old. I want him to live a long life!

 

Thank you so much Idjit's Mom! I am so happy I found this place. You are all so kind and helpfull.

 

Basil could stand to lose about 2 pounds...but he is very active. So the very first thing we did was get rid of all the dry cat food, and the treats. They are never getting them again!