Looking for Vet Recommendations

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and Willie, my adorable 6 year old cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. I live in Deer Park, NY which is located in Suffolk County, Long Island.

A number of weeks ago, he was in ketoacidosis and was hospitalized overnight. During the first week, he was given 2 units of insulin 2x a day. They recommended that I come back for follow up visits to "spot check him" during the first month. When he came home, he was a bag of bones but suddenly got better and better as the days went by.

At the last visit, his numbers were still high (over 300) and was prescribed 2.5 units of insulin 2x a day. He has recently got up to a normal weight and is doing great. However, I am not satisfied with the vet. When I asked her questions about home testing, she said it wasn't necessary and inaccurate.

If any of you out there who can recommend a better vet who is well read about feline diabetic care and supports home testing, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to FDMB.
To be honest, many of us use our vets for the routine stuff, then follow the diabetes monitoring protocols here, tracking them on a color-coded grid using Google Sheets, so you can share a view-only display of the numbers and get feedback and ideas from others here.
That said, see my signature link Vet Interview Topics for things to check with candidate vets.
A Google search for "veterinarian near []", replacing the brackets with your address, will show vets in your area.

 

What insulin are you using?
Most insulin doses are adjusted based on the nadir, the lowest glucose post-shot. That time varies for each insulin type:
+3 to +4 hours post shot for Humulin NPH or Novolin NPH, Vetsulin/Caninsulin
+5 to +7 hours for ProZinc, PZI, Lantus, and Levemir - though Levemir may nadir as late as the next pre-shot glucose test.
The nadir can and does vary with the cat, meals, stressors, activity and so on, so home glucose testing is key.

 

He was prescribed Lantus. Will need to find another vet. My current one does not support home blood glucose testing and says the results are inaccurate and supports "spot checking" at the vet, which can get very expensive. I was hoping that someone here can recommend a vet other than a google search. He is currently with Deer Park Animal Hospital and I chose this one due to high google ratings.

 

To be honest, many of us use our vets for the routine stuff, then follow the diabetes monitoring protocols here, tracking them on a color-coded grid using Google.

 

Go up to your 1st post. At the title, to the right, is a small drop down box. Click on that and edit the subject to include your city and state. You may get a better respons.
A Google search may bring up some reviews, too.

 

If your vet will still prescribe Lantus and y are otherwise satisfied then I would stay with the vet and do your own dosing based on input from this board. One of my vet practice support home testing but do not push it at all.The other really does not support home testing but allows me to do dosing.

 

Spot checking and glucose curves at the vet aren't necessary. My vet kept insisting on doing these till I showed him CJ's BG logs. A lot of vets simply aren't aware of home testing. Mine didn't even know it could be done.

See Glucometer Notes in BJM's signature above. It's a good guide for you and you can show it to your vet.

If your vet is still reluctant, call around, using BJM's Vet Inteview Topics. You are off to a good start with the Lantus.

 

WHAT???? The vet didn't know it could be done? Really??

 

Yep. He's very old school. When a tech showed him how to do it, he said, "Oh, so that's how it's done".

 

Hi Songbirder and Willie.

Below you'll find attached the published scientific study by Kirsten Roomp and Dr Jacqui Rand (the latter of University of Queensland) on the management of diabetic cats using long-acting insulins, one of which is Lantus.

The document goes into detail on how to safely monitor tightly-regulated cats using glucometers calibrated for human diabetics as well as veterinary glucometers. Due to species differences in plasma concentration of blood glucose human meters give lower readings than veterinary ones, but they are safe to use with the evidence-based, 'cat-adjusted' range of reference numbers in the Roomp-Rand Tight Regulation Protocol. You may find it very helpful when discussing Willie's insulin therapy and home BG testing with your vet. It more than adequately addresses the 'inaccurate home testing' issue. It also contains detailed dosing guidelines; also very helpful to both you and your vet.


Mogs
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