im new here and just heard my cat is diabetic

hi,im katie. i have a 13 yr old cat named vixen. i noticed she was drinking and urinating alot so the vet gave me these strips to put in the litterbox (glucotest) and i just saw that she has diabetes. i dont know what to do. i heard that insulin and treatment for them can be expensive. im on disability and have little money. other than this she is really great for her age! still plays and fights with my 2yr old cat. i love her so much,but i wonder if i can afford this. can someone tell me more about what i might have to face with this?

 

If you spend money on only one thing get a fructosamine test. Those strips are not enough for a definite diagnosis. Another thing you can do is switch to a low carb wet food. I am betting you feed dry food. Initial costs are the most but there are ways to get costs down to affordable. Home testing with a human glucometer is one. YOu do not need curves from the vet. Using pen cartridges of lantus or levemir spread the intial cost of insulin over months bringing that cost down to less than 30$ a month (depending on dose). Many cats do not even need to stay on insulin long if you switch to low carb foods. There are lots of options here. More will chime in but I wanted to get this out there right away. This does NOT have to be enormously expensive.But you do have to know if this is really diabetes or if she just has an infection that may have pushed her blood sugars up. For that you need a few tests. Will your vet work with you?

 

Hi Katie - welcome. I just wanted to quickly post and let you know that I am sure more peeps (people) will be checking in. Check out the entry "new to the neighborhood" - there was a great response in there to someone else whose cat was just diagnosed.

 

i hope that my vet is knowledgable in this and will work with me. i am also going out tomorrow and getting the low carb wet food ( yes theyve been eating dry) hopefully that will help some till i can see the vet. thank u 4 getting back to me. i just found out tonight when she peed on the strips and it was on the bad side ive been freaking out.

 

My 10-year old cat Sam was diagnosed several months ago. I was very freaked out at first about shots, glucose testing, etc. It hasn't been so bad, really. The best trick I discovered for giving shots to a skittish cat is baby food - he loves both the beef gravy and turkey gravy flavors. A little of that smeared on a plate for him to lick and he has NO idea that I've just given him his shot.

We do glucose curves at home and fax to my vet who is overseeing treatment this way (rather than having us bring him in, which totally traumatized everyone). I bought a glucometer recommended by many folks on this site (from WalMart - I can't remember the name now but it was only $12 and strips fairly cheap).

Anyway, just cross the bridges one at a time - and good luck.

 

i took the glucotest and the reading was pretty high,but i havent seen the vet yet. so there has been no insulin yet. i was wondering should i go out and get the lowcarb wet food and see what happens till i see the vet ? i know she likes wet food she used to eat it when she was younger

 

Do you have a Walmart? No time like the present to learn to test blood glucose. Less pressure when they are not yet on insulin. You can check the charts for some low carb wet foods. It sounds like you don't have immediate plans to put her on insulin so going low carb is nothing but helpful (does she like wet?) and learning to test without insulin is too. (Maybe you even know someone with a spare meter and strips?)

 

i do know someone, my dad is diabetic! what should her numbers be? and of coarse i want to get her on insulin if she needs it,but its the weekend and i dont know when ill get to see the vet (have to get some money together). i just wondered since people said that once u start insulin to be careful changing food,if it would be wise to change the food first before starting that?

 

If you learn to test, absolutely you can change food before you get on insulin. Normal range is 70-120 or so, but don't freak out about higher numbers. If she is diabetic, they will be higher. Think of getting her blood sugar numbers like gathering data. It will help you decide what to do. Here is our link with videos and tips to show you how to test. If you say your city and state we might even have someone near who can help you learn.

Testing help:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287


Food charts (look for carbs that are 10 and under:

http://felinediabetes.com/diet.htm

 

thank u sooo much! ill get her new food tomorow! i hope to see the vet within the next 3-4 days.