Hi I am new to the site

Hi everyone and thank you for all the information and support that is offered here.
I am Mary and my cat is honey girl.
She is a large all white female
Maine coon and she has been living with diabeties for about three years now.
She is eating the DM wet food and gets novalin n twice a day.
She has had a couple of hypo episodes when I have not been able to afford her prescription food but I have always been able to pull her out of it with honey and then food .
Right now I can't pull her out of it and it's been a few days .
I tried to get a blood sample from both ears but could not get enough to fill the strip .
I have not given her insulin because I don't think that I am supposed to. Am I ?
I am do scared , I feel awful.
I am waiting everyday for my paycheck to come In the mail and pray it will arrive today. Then I can take her to the vet.
She is eating and drinking a little bit when she wakes up but all she wants to do is tuck her head against me and sleep.
Any help or thoughts would be so wonderful . Thank you

 

Welcome to FDMB.

You don't need prescription food; you need low carb food. Fortunately, you can get that over the counter. Friskies pates are low carb and except for the Mixed Grill, are under 10 % calories (not weight) from carbohydrate. For more great info, go to Cat Info.

What city and state (if in the USA) are you in? Someone nearby may be able to help.

 

I am in Sacramento, California .
And thank you for the quick reply .

 

If you go to the top of this thread, you can edit your post - maybe add in the Sacremento, CA part.
What are you using to test her? Many of us use an inexpensive human glucometer such as the Target Up and Up, or the WalMart ReliOn Confirm (also sold online, unbranded, as the Glucocard 01)

 

I have a one touch ultra and I bought the reli- on lancing device .
I just saw the picture of the sweet spot and I hope to get a successful sample this time .
I have never home tested before and
when I asked my vet about it , he said she was doing well with 1 unit of novalin n twice a day . That was many months ago and I think I figured out what might have spiked her bg recently.
I just offered her some tuna which she
woke up out of a deep sleep to eat .

 

Novalin NPH lasts about 6-8 hours in most cats. If you tested when it was wearing off and she ate as it was wearing off, it would likely have been high.

 

Hi Mary,
How old is Honey Girl? If her behavior and eating habits have changed recently, a blood test might be in order to see if there's something going on besides the diabetes.

Good for you for trying home testing! Many vets don't seem to think home testing is necessary, but it will save you a lot of money and stress if you can do it! If you do change from the prescription food to low-carb, go slow and definitely monitor at home since the change in diet will effect your kitty's insulin needs.

Keep us posted,

Joan

 

Hi everyone and Thank you all so much for the kind and helpful words.
I brought Honey Girl to the vet and we had her blood and urine done and
the results point to fatty liver and (possibly) no more diabetes.
She is jaundiced and has lost 3 lbs in about a week and a half,but because she
has been eating and drinking all along,I am able to treat her fatty liver
issue at home . If not, she might have been hospitalized with a feeding tube.
The Dr. sent us home with an appetite stimulant ,Clavamox and milk-thistle.
He also gave me a few cans of Hills A/D,which she gobbled up when we first got home.
So I will keep updating the board and look forward to hearing more from fellow members.
>^. .^<
ps- Sorry I forgot to mention Honeys age is about 13 years old and she was diagnosed with diabetes
in August of 2013 after a huge increase in urination, water intake and weakness in the back legs.

 

When there aren't enough calories going in, or there isn't enough insulin to use the glucose from them, the body breaks down fat for calories. The fat goes to the liver for processing. Too much fat in the liver causes it to swell up and impairs how it works. A fatty liver, or hepatic lipidosis, can be fatal.

Humulin/Novolin NPH, or N, insulin lasts only 6-8 hours in most cats. The lowest glucose, or nadir, happens about +3 to +4 hours after the shot. We suggest you always test before you shoot, and test during the nadir period. To show that the NPH isn't lasting long enough, get tests in the +8 to +12 hour range.

If testing shows she really skyrockets when the N wears off, you can either give insulin every 8 hours, or get the vet to prescribe a longer acting insulin such as BCP PZI (the vet can get a free sample with this form), ProZinc, Lantus, or Levemir. The last 2 are human insulins and the upfront cost is quite steep in the US. If you order from Canada, it is much less expensive. Many folks have found Mark's Marine pharmacy to be good for these. You can also check Craigslist.