New to the group

Hello all my name is Julia my fur baby is magellan he was just diagnosed. He will be starting treatment and I'm felling a bit overwhelmed and scared. Will learn what insulin he will be taking and getting testing supplies any advise is very welcome and wanted.

 

Welcome to FDMB, the best place you never wanted to be.

There are 4 things you'll need to manage your kitty's diabetes:
- You - without your commitment, the following won't work.
- Low carb over the counter canned or raw diet, such as many Friskies pates. See Cat Info for more info. If already on insulin, you must be home testing before changing the diet.
- A long-lasting insulin such as ProZinc, Lantus, BCP PZI, or Levemir.
- And home blood glucose monitoring with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart Relion Confirm or Target Up and Up (the pet ones will break your budget!).

 

Thank you for your quick response, the insulin he being started on is novalin n . Magellans sugars where 550, I have no idea what novalin n is if it is long lasting or what. Thank you for your info on using a human meter.

 

Novalin N is a poor choice for cats since it only lasts 8-10 hours,

 

Really important note: insulin doses are adjusted by the nadir, the lowest glucose post shot. This is when you want to closely monitor for going too low, especially with a harsh insulin like Novalin. Test about 3-4 hours after the shot. Many vets start the dose too high. More than 1 unit when not yet home testing is potentially risky for your cat.
If you must use Novalin, you may find that giving insulin about every 8 hours will control the glucose better.

 

Ok thanks for the responses Magellan is home from a day at the vet and the dosage the vet wants me to use seems crazy high to me,, 3 units am and 3 pm. I am also looking for a less expensive place to get the meds at a dollar a unit i almost freaked, I am a low income disabled cat slave. any and all advise is welcome I will also be contacting vet in the am about finding a less expensive med, Any and all advice is welcome and wanted
Julia and Magellan

 

Check out BCP PZI insulin. Your vet calls in the Rx and you can make arrangements directly with them.

What meds? We do not recommend oral diabetes meds for cats as they limit the chances of getting to a diet controlled state.

Many folks purchase Lantus or Levemir from Canada which can halve the cost. If getting the 5 pack of pens is still too steep, you can try local chain pharmacies and see if they would sell you 1 pen at a time (3 mL or 300 units).

 

Magellan is on insulin novalin n...will look into it thanks much and will see if the vet will talk to the people. transferring this to the main blog page as i dont wish to break rules.