New to the group---introduction

Hi,
My name is Erica and Mädel is my just-turned-4-year-old DSH female who was dx'd 2 and a half months ago. I left the country for 3 weeks not long after so I am just starting to educate myself and make a plan. I'm not sure if my vet is very informed or not. She answers my questions and is willing to work with me but I'm pretty disheartened that at the very beginning she discouraged home-testing because it doesn't usually work.

Mädel probably has been diabetic for a while....maybe even a year or two! I'm obviously blind! I thought she had a water fetish like my old cat but she was actually thirsty! She was "sick" at the time of dx....significant weight loss, loss of appetite, etc. but that might have been because of the liver numbers.

Vet put her ASAP on two units of Lantus twice per day. Also, put her onto Purina DM and/or Science Diet m/d. She didn't tell me to feed her only one so I have alternated to get her to eat it more. She weighs 9.6 pounds now and eats 5.5 ounces at breakfast and at dinner!

Vet had hoped 3 weeks on Lantus and proper food might put her in remission but it didn't. Numbers were better but she kept her on the two units/twice per day. Then I was gone for 3 weeks. And while I was gone she only got two units once per day. Now that's she has had several more weeks on two units TWICE per day, I'm supposed to take her back for a test.

BUT NOW I FIND from y'all that I can test her myself!!! Thought it was bizarre this throwing of insulin at her like spaghetti at a wall (I grew up watching my dad test himself many times a day as he had Type 1 diabetes pretty bad). But I trusted my vet and besides I was in too much chaos to do much besides follow her directions.

SO my question for right now: I want to buy a meter and take it with me to the vet and have them test the meter and their method at the same time.

Money is an issue. My husband is not on-board for many medical expenses so I have to scrimp and save where I can. If I can get a cheaper meter and cheaper strips, that would be a big savings in the long run which he would like.
I read the Meter Information page (sorry, I am really not tech-savvy with this group stuff) but it was last updated quite a few years ago.

Please just tell me what meter to buy.

Thank you so much! You are awesome people and I am so thankful to have found you. This is so overwhelming. If I did something wrong, please tell me that, too.

 

Welcome! I see that you already made your way to the main health forum.

 

Welcome Erica, there is a wealth of information here on the board so that you can learn more about Feline Diabetes and how to take care of Madel. You have received a response in the Main Forum regarding choosing a home testing meter. I'm so glad you will be testing, this is one of the first most helpful things you can learn to keep kitty safe. I suggest you create a signature, this is information about your cat that is attached to your posts and displays pertinent information about Madel. See the lighter gray text below my response to you, and FurBabiesMama's response? To make the signature, select your user name: ArmyFrau in the upper right corner of the page, then Signature from the list. The information can be changed or updated at any time.

When you have a few minutes, take a look at the Index in the Health Links/FAQs about Feline Diabetes Forum. There is a list of links to information here that you will most likely appreciate as you learn more. I studied the Home Testing information and it really helped me figure out the process.