Hi! New member and devastated

I've had kitties for 28 years... and have never had a cat with diabetes. I have a 7 year old "orange kitty" who gained weight 2 years ago--19 pounds. Was told he was healthy-- but to cut down on the cat treats and give him more exercise. Well... this past summer.. I completely cut him off the cat treats and he lost weight--- actually ALOT of weight. Started to get worried though because the past 2-3 weeks, he has been acting like he's starving... I bought more cat treats and started giving them to him because he's been begging left and right.. but NOT gaining weight. He weighs 12 pounds-- not bad. Took him to the Vet's to be checked out and found out yesterday-- as they were closing, that he has diabetes and was going to have to start on Lantus every 12 hours. I picked up the prescription--270 dollars WITH a discount at CVS!! ( for 20 days). I can't start it until I take him back into the Vet tomorrow for teaching. ( I'm a RN-- I have no problem with SUbQ injections... but I'm really upset about having to do a " balancing" act with my cat's life. I work full time, and take care of my mother with dementia in my home full time.). The cost of the Lantus is going to kill me in itself... and I'm pretty sure I'll be having a nervous breakdown if I lose my kitty.

 

I am going to add that I feed Tiger-- that's his name and my other cat Bob-- who is 8 and healthy-- they r not related but both were " thrown out kittens" that I and my son took in off the streets. (Tiger has 2 brothers and I have already alerted my friend about Tiger's diagnosis). I have fed the cats Purina Complete-- in blue bag-- dry food. Will be going to pick up Fancy Feast Classics-- wet food. How much do I give and when??? I never had cats on canned food... and my first 2 kitties lived to be 19+ years old on the dried variety. I'm picking up the wet food because I skimmed across your forum about it. Also... what do I do when Tiger is begging for goodies??? He is nonstop. I will be taking him in tomorrow to see Vet re: dose of Lantus.

 

Welcome to you and your handsome boy, Tiger. Every one of us on this forum remembers that awful feeling when the vet tells us we have a diabetic kitty. Before I get to some specifics, I can tell you that this is manageable even when you work full time. You'll develop a routine around Tiger's diabetes home treatment that will end up taking very little time in your day.

Lantus is a very good insulin for cats and there are tons of people here with a lot of experience in using it. Yes, it's very expensive in the US which is why many American members order it from a reputable Canadian pharmacy, Marks Marine Pharmacy. Those people can give you details about that.

We can help you look after him!

Vets often recommend expensive prescription wet food but there are grocery store brands that many of us feed our kitties. Friskies and Fancy Feast pates are fine, just make sure they're the pates and not the high carb sauce/gravy types. Almost every dry kibble is too high in carbs for a diabetic cat.

They're always hungry when their diabetes is unregulated. That improves after blood glucose levels are better controlled with insulin. Many cats need more food fed in more frequent meals throughout the day. Vets often advise feeding only twice a day just before insulin but most/many of us don't follow that.

The recommended starting dose for Lantus is 1 unit twice a day. Some vets start kitties off on too high a dose. We strongly recommend learning to test BG at home and we can help with tips and tricks for that. Many people use human blood glucose meters because the test strips are much cheaper than for pet meters. Walmart has a few very popular ReliOn types.

It would be very helpful if you would repost on the main health forum where more people will see your message. Ask any/all questions you have.

 

Welcome!

Thanks for the introduction to your family. Kris did a great job with all of the technical stuff that we will need to know -- I just wanted to say Hi and encourage you to read as much as you can here, and soak it all up.

I hear what you are saying about losing your boy, it is a common initial reaction, but please be assured that this is not a death sentence for him. Far from it. My first diabetic boy had diabetes on and off with multiple periods of remission from the age of 12 to his death at age 17 (NOT from diabetes). He was healthy and very happy the whole time. I know it is overwhelming right now, but once the initial shock is over, this is just something to tackle and your nursing background will kick in and carry you and your baby through.

Best,
Sandi&Whisper.

 

Many here use Marks Marine Pharmacy in Canada for their Lantus, much cheaper than CVS & will ship to the US.

 

Hello and welcome. A vial of Lantus can last 5-6 months, depending on kitty's insulin dose. Keep it in the fridge at an even temperature. Our Lantus/Levemir forum has some good information on handling and storage of Lantus.

For treats, pick up some freeze dried pure meat treats. PureBites freeze dried chicken is a hit. Sometimes we call it kitty crack. If you look in the dog section of the pet food store, you'll find bigger packages that are more cost effective.

Good luck with converting Tiger to an all wet food diet. Some kitties dive into it, some not so much. There are some tips for converting the more stubborn cats on http://www.catinfo.org/ which is also a great web site on feline nutrition.

 

Diabetic Cats in Need has a Compassionate Assistance Program. http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/p/compassionate-assistance-program.html
They helped with start up meter, insulin, needles and strips. My kitty Cricket is 1.5 years old and diagnosed November 30, 2016. It is very overwhelming at first but it settles down a bit. The people here are extremely helpful. I don't think I could have made it through the first few weeks without them.

I know that cats who have Diabetes should not have dry food at all but I have heard and seen great things with ZeroCarb by Young Again. I was referred to them by a friend whose cat went into remission on it. I called them and they sent me a free sample and Cricket, who is a crunchy addict, loves it.

I think the hardest part, other than seeing the ones we love not feeling well, is getting the right food. It seems like there are so many foods/treats with bad ingredients. You have a wonderful support group here. Good luck.