Newbie here!

I realize there's alot of newbie posts here so I'll try to be concise. My undiagnosed cat Sabrina age 8 is diabetic, I can tell this because of her weight loss (tho currently is holding her weight) and I tested her bg over the weekend (it was 390 1 hr after meal) Took me an extra 30 mins to get her to stop squirming and tossing her head lol. I swapped her to the high protein diet I was feeding my CRF cat before she passed away, in hopes this will bring her bg back down some. I have not taken her to a vet yet, am trying to hold out til the first of the mo, unless anyone has any assistance resources willing to help me. I'm low income and fixed income and my cat is an assistance animal that helps manage my stress levels. I have a monitor but I do need test strips and lancets as it took a few practice runs on me to figure out what to do with it For anyone willing to assist me, I live in Central GA (Macon area) I don't even have a regular vet either, my experience with the local vets has been unhelpful. When my CRF cat was diagnosed I had to fight to get the IV fluids and other things prescribed. I never was able to get the aransep or epogen prescribed because they presumed I couldn't afford it. Anyway, enough ranting.....TIA for any assistance anyone may provide.

Regards,
Tricia

 

The quicker Sabrina gets treatment the less this is likely to cost you in the long run. A cat can get a condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) if it goes untreated too long. DKA is extremely expensive to treat, and can be fatal.

I highly recommend getting Sabrina to a vet soon. Find a vet who takes care credit or some similar healthcare financing plan. You may not qualify, but it's worth a shot. You can find participating Care Credit vets through this search page. Wells Fargo has a similar plan.

I am not a vet, and I am not prescribing or even suggesting anything by this. But I do note that in Georgia, a script is not required for insulin syringes or "N" insulin.

 

I knew I didn't need a script for the syringes, I bought a bunch when my CRF cat was diagnosed last yr thinking she'd get the epogen or aransep to treat her anemia and had the CRF vet look at me and say know because she didn't think I could afford it. I have a friend who lost her diabetic cat recently, and is diabetic herself that I'm sure would help me adjust the insulin doseage til I can afford a vet in a few days.

 

I'm not suggesting or supporting beginning insulin before seeing a vet.

But I will say that testing blood glucose levels before each shot and during the 12-hour cycle is very important. Also, we normally recommend that people start low (like 1 unit) and go slow in raising doses. If one finds that 1 unit is sending a cat too low (like under 50 mg/dl at any point in its cycle), we normally recommend a dose decrease.

Good that you have a friend with experience with feline and human diabetes.

It could be that your cat has an inflammation or infection (oral, urinary, upper respiratory) that is giving it high BG levels. So a vet visit is VERY IMPORTANT to check those things out. The vet should take blood and urine samples.

Once you get to the vet, you don't need prescription food or a pet glucometer. If you have at least a few days' worth of BG tests, you shouldn't need a fructosamine test.

The insulins used here are primarily Lantus and Levemir (human insulins purchased at the human pharmacy or perhaps even donated by a diabetic friend) and ProZinc (a veterinary insulin purchased from your vet). You can research them by reading the stickies on the Insulin Support Groups and think about what type you would like to ask the vet to use with Sabrina. When calling around to find a vet, you might ask the person answering the phone whether the vet will prescribe the type of insulin you are interested in.

 

Just one little clarification - do not start at 1 unit with "R" insulin if you get your hands on that before seeing the vet. That insulin is given in like 0.1 to 0.25u to start off with.

Call around and see if there are vets in your area that may take a payment plan or use care credit. DKA is very serious, so it is important to get treatment before that becomes an issue.

 

How many bg tests should I need before taking her to the vet if I want to save myself some money? And how often should I test her? Despite what I think is high bg, she's still very active until the midafternoon heat hits with the heatwave we are experiencing and hides until after dark in my closet where it's cooler.

Tricia

 

I don't think any vet will give a script for insulin without doing bloodwork or checking urine, no matter how many hometests you do simply because it's the vet's license on the line.

There could be things like what Venita mentioned that could cause the high BG.

I know money is tight, but if you have a Walmart near you there's a good glucometer with strips that are more affordable. The Relion by Walmart.

Also get some ketone sticks to check the urine until you get to the vet. High BGs can cause Ketones which would be very costly and possibly fatal if not treated.

 

Tricia,

You really should take your kitty to the vet for a proper diagnosis. Try calling your local SPCA or Humane society - maybe even local rescue groups, and ask for a referral for lower-cost vet care. They would tell you the vets who charge a little less for services.

Best,
Pam & Layla

 

I called the places that I could find #'s for in the area, not a single one would answer me lol, all voicemails,and the humane society only had a webaddy, and no email, sheesh.

 

I took my Sabby to the vet today like everyone requested I do. I found a vet that was affordable and likes I'm a proactive cat mom. He tested her bg and it was 310, down from 390 on fri/sat when I tested her. Because I had swapped her to a canned meat diet and she had been on it for just over a week now he wanted to wait to start insulin in 2 weeks once we see where her norm values are on this food and after she has completed her antibiotics. She also has an upper resp infection that has her fever to 104. He's glad that I had already taken the steps to help her transition to a better diet and that I will test her at home, says that VERY important. He also likes that I will eventually transition her to wellness or wysong, or another quality brand cat food. Says she has a better chance of leading a good life with me willing to do what is needed for her.

Tricia

 

:thumbup :thumbup :thumbup Sounds great!! Did he mention which insulin he likes to use? The URI could be the infection that is causing the physical stress that is raising her BG levels. With antibiotics and a better diet, she may just turn out not to need insulin.

Sounds like you lucked into a good FD vet!!

 

He says he uses the Humalin R (sp) for cats since the cat/dog specific insulin was pulled off the market. Said that if I can afford the lantrus later on and want to try it I can, but he'd rather see me do the diet change and see what her levels are in 2 weeks and go from there. I was very amazed at the treatment I got, when I told him I tested her on my meter he started treating more more like an equal rather than "just another dumb pet owner". He wishes that I had brought in my CRF cat before she passed, he may have been able to save her. Funny part is, he's an old style country vet that services an economically depressed area. I mean I spent $53 for bloodwork, clavamox, and a shot for an antibiotic/fever reducer mix to help jump start her recovery. All in all taking into account her infection he said she was doing quite well and that with diet monitoring she has a good outlook. I mean she's bright eyed and alert and all about the cuddles, and you can see she feels droopy but not in pain like diabetes tends to do where you just huuuurt.

 

Do NOT let him give you Humulin R for your cat. It is not a suitable insulin for cats, will not help him get regulated and can be downright dangerous.

There are plenty of insulins well suited for cats but R is not one of them.

 

Yes, Agree with Deanie, Do NOT use humulin R. That is an emergency insulin that takes a cat down hard and fast. There is another, humulin N which is more suitable but we would much rather have you on Lantus, Levimere or PZI pro zinc. That way you could do all your research and testing and learning with all the peeps here on those insulins. Not to mention they are easier on your cat.
Keep us posted k?

 

Which insulin should I ask for? I think if I remember in my reading today that the R versions of insulin are for bringing glucose down quickly, which I know can be a bad thing. I cannot afford the more expensive insulin meds, it's simply impossible when my income is $684/mo. When I'm looking at $100/mo just for insulin that doesn't leave me with flex room for anything else, and I'm not on assistance other than my SS.

 

get the pzi pro zinc, i believe that's the cheapest and i think with a script you can buy it at 1-800 pet-meds for less. one bottle should last you a year.

 

also you don't need that expensive evo, etc. do you have a targets near you. i believe they are selling fancy feast at 35 cents a can.
if you look up janet and binky's food chart you will see even variety's of friskies and all canned food and their carb count. we like 10 carbs or less, i personally like 7 cars or less.

 

http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html

this is the food chart

 

pzi pro zinc: I'll look into that.

On the expensive cat foods.....I tried the whiskas and the FF stuffs in the past and my cats didn't do well on the stuff. I've been using by nature canned foods for a yr now with my CRF cat, it was the only thing I found that she'd eat other than food I cooked after her CRF diagnosis and I have been pleased with it. Sabrina has lost weight through her back and hips over the last 8 months and I'd rather feed her a high cal protein food that fills her tummy (we are currently eating 2 6.5oz cans of food/day) and she needs to weigh around 10-11lbs and she's about 7-8lbs now. Question I do have tho, I've been told by a vet that goes to a chatroom I frequent that I should not be breaking Sabrina's meals into smaller portions fed over the course of the day. Knowing ppl type friends that are diabetic and reading through this site and others, isn't smaller more frequent meals better for managing glucose? I mean, about every 2 hrs she's eating for more food and as soon as I give the snack she's happy and goes about her way, she tends to do this from the time I'm awake(is my alarm clock now) til I go to bed, eating a slightly bigger portion @ bedtime.

I also should mention she isn't the only cat in the house, and her buddy Shadow needs to eat too! Shadow is a true garbage gut, will eat anything that is or is not guarded, so I'm going to be looking for food I can feed both of them, one solution I did find was evo does make a dry food I can leave out for free feeding that is suitable for a diabetic cat. and would do nicely for Shadow as well. Might be pricey, but it would be good in addition to canned food for Sabrina.

 

Glad you were able to get to the vet.

R would be very dangerous to use as your insulin; if the vet suggested that then that's not a good indicator of expericence with FD. You could try Levemir. It is a very durable insulin and I have often used a single pen or vial to the last drop -- over a period of 5+ months. A pen costs $25 if bought from Canada, but the thing is you have to buy a pack of five ($115 plus $10 shipping, 2 week delivery). That's a steep initial cost but you may be able to buy a single pen once your . Based on my experience of refrigerated Lev reliably lasting 5 months, it only costs me $5 a month for insulin. Syringes cost $12 for a hundred at Walmart.

You can get large cans (like 13 oz) of Friskies pate' food for 84 cents at Walmart. This is good for your diabetic and your other cats too. Much better for them than dry. Dry Evo is supposed to be low carb but it can definitely raise a cat's BG; unfortunately my Danny turned out to be one of those cats. Others have had the same experience. So think carefully before spending the money on dry Evo. The cats don't need it. They will do perfectly well on canned. You can mix with water and leave it out for free feeding during the day. Some freeze it to keep it fresher, but I haven't had any problem.

laur

 

By Nature is a fine food, provided it is one of their low carb varieties. I am one of those who (along with my diabetic cat) believes in better blood glucose management with small frequent meals.

 

I have gone through so many cat foods in the past yr trying to find something at the time all 3 cats I had would eat and would work with Patch's CRF; unfortunately the by nature brand canned cat foods is too expensive for me to feed both cats. I was/am on Nutro dry cat food for Shadow (Sabby won't touch it now that she canned food) And once Shadow is finished with it I'll look into different food for her. The biggest problem I've found is on less expensive foods, canned or dry Shadow and Sabrina have always lost weight, gotten a dull coat/missed patches of fur, etc. I had found that solid gold, recommended by my mother in law worked well for her cats and she always sent me home with some for mine on visits, she's a big fan of feeding raw meat too. But finding solid gold in my area is impossible, I mail ordered it til all the cats said no more, it's too bland. Tried blue buffalo too, that's when Sabby started drinking alot and peeing alot. After alot of trial and error I found that Shadow needs a high calorie food to run that tiny body of hers. And I plan on doing a cat adoption again once hubby returns to work, 2 cats in the house is too quiet and kittens would be fun lol.

 

I'm back again, it's been a rough few mons in the world of WK...Sabrina has been diet treated for her diabetes these last few mons. I've been homeless too. One of the rescue groups locally is sending her to the vet this am for a checkup and to see where we stand with her diabetes. I will very much need long term assistance with her management if the vet sees that she still has hope. I'm just getting back on my feet....kinda. I feel so overwhelmed today, it's not funny.

 

You might check out UAN's list of financial resources to assist with vet bills.

UAN links to grants and other assistance.

 

Thank you for the link, however, they do not offer grants for long term care animals such as diabetics. NPH is as pricey in my area as lantus...this is what the vet prescribed her today in addition to amoxicillin.

 

The vet did not do a test to see how her sugar goes over the day. They did recommend If I was going this alone that I need a monitor and a spreadsheet to document her daily highs and lows. I'm on my own here. they offered nothing but good luck. Will y'all jump in and guide me? Btw her BG was over 500 this morning, and she has a bladder infection. Was prescribed 3 units of NPH daily.

 

we will definitely help if you post numbers

Quickly though, that dose is too high for starters, even if there is a UTI complicating things What food are you giving her? I know you won't have a lot of options in the food department but that can affect what dose she needs.

Sending good thoughts that your housing 'situation' improves quickly!

Jen

 

You can get a free newbie kit here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=19541 It will have a meter, lancets, strips and a rice sack = everything you need to start hometesting.

 

She's on 2 cans of Frikes turkey and giblets daily, however the other 2 cats are free feeders and one is 20 and eating meow mix kitten, so I put my scarfer cat on it too. I know she's getting into the dry food as well but I can't stop it either as one of the 3 cats is owned by the roomie. If 3 units daily is too high, where is a good starting point? I haven't started the insulin yet...haven't even filled it, I'll do her glucose curve tomorrow .

 

If she's not eating a ton of dry, I'd start on 1 unit because 3 is a hefty dose that you'd only want to work up to in 0.5 unit doses. And there is no point in doing a curve until she's been on a dose of 3-5 days as a dose needs to 'settle' before you can really see its full effect.

 

There is some free Lantus in supply closet. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31213

 

HUMULIN N 101

NOTE: Although this was originally written as a primer for N insulin, much of this is a GENERAL HUMULIN PRIMER with advice and experience that pertains to any of the ‘human’ insulins, including Lantus which I have found works very much like Humulin U.

There are four kinds of Humulin Insulin: R, N (NPH), L (Lente) and U (UltraLente). Novolin is the same as Humulin N, just a different manufacturer.

R most often is used at the vet hospital when a cat’s bg levels are very high and other health issues make it imperative to the numbers down fast. Occasionally it is used in small doses in combination with a longer acting insulin such as U but more often with the animal based insulins. Personally, I would never suggest this protocol to a novice. I would NEVER recommend R as an “only” insulin as it’s drop is very fast (some cats it takes only 15-20 minutes), very steep and it’s duration is often less than four hours.

In cats, N tends to be the faster acting, often with rapid onset and little duration.

N is not the easiest insulin to regulate on. However, there are several cats on this board who have been regulated on it. Bunny was regulated on Humulin N for just short of 5 years. Bunny, unlike most cats, got 12 hours duration out of the N.

L tends to have a gentler drop and longer duration. Many cats that have a reaction to the N do better on the L because of the slower drop and the fact it stays in their system longer. (This insulin has been discontinued by the manufacturer.)

U tends to have an even slower drop and longer duration than the L. Again, many cats adapt well to this insulin that have experienced a roller coaster ride on the N. (This insulin has been discontinued by the manufacturer.)

Every Cat is Different, and not every cat will react the same to any given protocol or dosage. It is VITAL that all changes be discussed with your veterinarian who can talk about these options with you so that TOGETHER you can find what is best for your cat.

There are some very important issues/points to remember when using N, most of these are pertinent for the other insulins as well.

1. FOOD. Always make sure kitty eats about an hour before his/her shot. This will insure that kitty has food on her stomach to counteract the typical fast drop of the bg's caused by N (some cats do not drop fast on it, which is, again, why hometesting is so important!).

Feeding an hour ahead also leaves you relatively sure the cat is going to keep the food down. Warning: We are dealing with cats here, which means nothing is guaranteed. Bunny vomited at peak, while we were asleep, and that is how we had our first hypo in over 5 years of treating diabetes.

NOTE: Bunny free fed and seemed to know when he needed to eat, so we did not have to worry about his eating before hand. However, kitties getting timed feedings should be fed as stated.

2. DO A CURVE/HOMETEST. This is a must with all insulins, but can really save you from hypo on N. You need to know when the insulin peaks because you need to know just how low the bg's are dropping. N, in my experience, can peak at anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. Before Bunny got sick, his peak was at around 5 (depending on exercise and food consumption) and after his cancer dx and subsequent hypo, we dropped down to two hours after shot. Needless to say, we have switched insulins.

The importance of your peak/nadir/low number is two fold: A) You do not want to hypo your cat. High blood glucose @#$%& slow, low blood glucose KILLS FAST. B ) You cannot adjust a dosage on preshot alone. Preshot numbers can be deceiving in that if you are going too low at peak, you will have high numbers at preshot. It is kitty's body's way of saving it from overdose. Consistently high preshots without knowledge of your nadir number could mean rebound, at which point you don't need to increase your dosage you need to DECREASE.

HORROR STORY: When we were newbies and our vet was learning this right along with us, we kept increasing Bunny's dose based on high preshots and vet visit readings. He was up to FIFTEEN UNITS OF N BID!!! Makes my stomach flip flop thinking about it now! Posted on this board that I was at my whit’s end because I could not get nice preshots. The posts I received back said, "That is WAY too much N! Start over and check your peak numbers!" He was going down to 26 at peak! YIKES! If not for the fact that Bunny free feeds, and can thus bring his numbers back up by eating, he would have died. ALWAYS FIND OUT WHEN YOUR PEAK IS AND CHECK THOSE NUMBERS BEFORE ANY INCREASE!

When curving on N for the *first time*, in my opinion, it is good to check bg's at +2, +3, +4, +5 and again at +6. This will tell you exactly where your peak is. After the numbers start to rise, you can go back to every two hour checks. This is not the only way to do a curve; it is just my opinion on how to do your first with a new insulin, especially one as fast acting as N.

Until you have a chance to curve, I do not recommend giving the shot at bg’s under 300 simply because you do not know yet how much of a drop you are going to get. I have sat up all night on hypo watch with several folks who were new and thus had not curved yet, only to find out their cat dropped 200 on a single unit…not good when preshots was 250.

Hometesting Links:
[www.gorbzilla.com]
[groups.msn.com]

3. SETTLE TIME/ONE CHANGE AT A TIME. Speaking of increases, just like any other insulin, allow at least two weeks between changes/increases for the change to settle/body to adjust. This includes food changes. If kitty is starting a low carb diet, do not increase insulin until the cat's body can adjust to the change. Too many changes too close together will leave you wondering which change you made gave you the result you wanted. The only exception to this rule is a decrease in dosage. If kitty is going too low (I don't like Bunny to be anywhere under 100 and I, personally, do not “shoot” under 250), definitely decrease your dose.

4. LOOK AT THE WHOLE CAT. Many folks on this board have lovely regulation numbers that are consistently between 100-200. Some cats will not regulate that way. Bunny was mid 300's preshot (never any ketones) and low/mid 200's at peak when he was regulated. Any other change took him too low (lowest I could take him without a rebound was 180ish). He was flat on his hocks with neuropathy at dx. Once we regulated him, he started walking normal, decreased water intake and peeing and started to put some weight back on. The vet said that even though his numbers were higher than the ideal, it was obviously what worked for him. His annual FULL blood work ups, until the cancer, always showed normal.

5. GET A FULL BLOOD WORKUP AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR. This is all insulin’s. Because diabetes affects so many other organs, it is very important to know the kidney, liver etc are functioning properly. This test lets you and your vet get a better picture of what is going on with kitty. It also helps catch other diseases when they may still be in their early stages and thus easier to treat.

6. SYRUP. This is just too important! If kitty is catatonic, non-responsive or having seizures, IMMEDIATELY give karo syrup, maple syrup or honey. You can rub it on their gums or the inside of their cheek.

Even if you are on your way to the ER, the sugar spike could save your cat's life or some of the organs that are damaged during such an episode. Do not worry about getting syrup everywhere, it will wash up later. Do not worry about taking kitty's bg's too high--high sugar @#$%& slow, low sugar @#$%& fast. If possible, have someone drive while you continue to apply the syrup on the way to the doctor. It could save your cat's life!

High carb foods such as dry food or the semi-moists like Tender Vittles are good to keep on hand as well. Why? Because if kitty is conscious/with it enough to eat, then the this will help Keep the Bg’s up longer. Syrup is a temp fix and does not maintain the needed rise.

7. SEMI-MOIST FOOD/TREATS. Tender Vittles and other semi-moist foods/treats, milk and carrots can also cause a major spike in the bg numbers, because they all contain SUGAR. I am not saying kitty can never have these again. Quality of life is very important. Bunny has always been allowed one or two a couple times a week. I am just saying to abstain from these treats until you achieve regulation.

8. KNOW YOUR CAT. There may come a time when kitty does not want to eat what s/he is supposed to. It is important to know what foods you can give to entice eating, as it is crucial for the cat to eat while on insulin! Also, if you are curving and kitty’s numbers start dropping too low before and/or during peak, it is lifesaving to know what to give in order to start increasing numbers. Things that have worked for myself and others: vanilla ice cream, gravy, white bread, Catsip (the milk that is made for cats, not the stuff you put on hotdogs), donuts, popcorn, dry cat food or dry cat food with tuna water dumped on it, semi-moist cat treats. You will want to know beforehand what high carb foods your cat loves, and will readily eat, so that should you find yourself in a situation where your kitty's numbers are going too low, you already have a supply on hand, and won't waste precious moments experimenting with different foods.

9. START LOW GO SLOW. If you start too high, you could “miss” your ideal dosage. Many people have found that ½ a unit BID or 1 unit BID ends up being the perfect dosage to keep kitty in the 100-300 range.

10. BID (TWICE PER DAY) dosing: In all the years of being on and off the FD Boards (since 10/97) I have not come across a cat that got any more than 12 hours duration on N. It is NOT a single dose per day insulin by any stretch. Increasing dosage does not make the insulin last longer, it only makes the cat’s number see-saw more, dropping them lower which causes their glucose to go higher. If your vet wants SID (one dose per day) please explain this to him/her and if they refuse to listen, PLEASE INSIST that you do twice per day dosing.
Even on slower acting insulins like L and U, MOST cats need insulin twice per day.

11. EVEN AFTER YOU REACH REGULATION IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO PS TEST AND/OR DO PERIODIC CURVES. Insulin needs change. Throughout the six years I treated Bunny his insulin had to be adjusted. Just because 2 units BID worked for the past 6 months, you are treating a CAT, and cats change their minds all the time! His dosage varied from 7 to 5 units over the first 5 years because his body’s needs changed. Without periodic curves, I wouldn’t have known to adjust his dosage and could have easily hypo’d him.

 

Well I dropped off the script @ Walmart hoping to pick up the insulin and run within the the hour, 1. They do not carry NPH, 2. They would not fill their generic Humilin N brand insulin in place of the scripted NPH, so I'm left waiting for the vet and Walmart to come to terms with what I'm supposed to have for insulin. So yay for me.

 

Sue mentioned there is some free Lantus - it's a longer lasting insulin and you may get better results from it than N.
Just a suggestion.

 

Please have your vet write a script for Lantus before you accept it from another member here. Your vet should be responsible/legally liable for the insulin that you use on your cat.

Also, Amoxicillin is on the $4 generic list at Target.com.

 

They do, however, list OTHER LINKS for assistance.

 

Been a few mons since I posted: Sabby is still hanging in there and kicking it. As of today the vet (same one I dealt with last time) prescribed lantus today (praise the gods) Sabby and Shadow went in with pink eye today and the vet saw a need to get her on a curve on the 23rd and start the lantus then. She wants me to wait until then before I start the meds. However a friend gave me a partial flexpen of levemir last week for my cat. Should I attempt to start her on it or wait? 10 days seems a long time to wait for a curve, but the vet wanted the pinkeye cleared up before she came back. Other than the diabetes and pinkeye the vet thought she was in good shape for an uncontrolled diabetic. I did my own curve monday on Sabby, her avg bg was 278. I'm taking this a day at a time.

 

It might be wise to wait until the infection clears before you do a curve, because infections can raise bg levels and the numbers could reflect that. But, we would, of course, urge you to do the curve at home. Stress raises bg levels and few cats are free from stress at the vet. The numbers you get at home will be more accurate. Getting a number before each shot and mid cycle is still important; you can adjust the insulin taking in consideration the infection, and always be sure the dose you are planning to give is safe.

I would start the Lantus. I am not clear whether you did try Humulin or if she is off insulin now. But I would start with Lantus today - it is a nice mild insulin that will help her numbers immensely. You want her pancreas to have the most time to heal, so I wouldn't wait. Go over to the Lantus forum and read through the stickies so you have a clear picture of how the insulin works, what dose to start with and how to best use/care for it. viewforum.php?f=9 You can also post there and ask for Newbie advice.

 

so wait...your going to start her on the lev pen you recieved then move over to lantus?
and can i understand...are you curving at home?

 

I did a curve Monday (how accurate it was, no clue) The vet wrote the script for lantus by the vial...not the flexpens, I'm going to go Monday and ask the script be changed to the pens. I'm asking for advice. The vet does not trust me to check her sugar checks or adjust the dosage up or down, but I feel confident in doing this with directions.

 

Ok,as far as the vet 'trusting' you to do a curve....?????....
If you can draw blood---you can do a curve. It is EASY.
As for dose adjusting, well, that is where the lantus support group comes in.
Frankly we rarely see a vet who understands the doseing as well as we (the collective we) do.
Just the sad way it is.
So, with or without your vet permission I would suggest you curve and test daily you own kitty, start telling the lantus folks now about your kitty.
and take it from there.
IMHO
Lori
and tomtom

 

Personally, dearest Tricia, and, of course, you too, sweet Sabby?

I think you're both rock stars!

I have just read through the months of your post and am floored...

You give new meaning to everything. Thank you, beyond measure...

Much love and countless hopeful, encouraging hugs for you both,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who taught me everything is possible...

 

Sabby is our Sabrina. it's our nickname for her and she responds to both names. We religiously feed her the Friskies canned turkey classic pate up to 3 times a day, even though she gets into the meow mix dry kitten as well that is for the 20 year old cat. Today the lab in the house Dante had his food swapped, he went from Ol Roy to Blue Buffalo large dog formula to see if that helps his sensitive tummy issues. Secs after I put the new food in his bowl Sabby was stealing it to a very dismayed Dante. She only got a piece or 2 but it was almost laughable that a tiny cat stared down a lab as she gobbled a couple of chunks. She just wanted to know that he got good stuff too I guess. It's nice to see my timid kitty showing spunk.

 

Dearest Tricia, and, of course, you too, sweet Sabrina/Sabby,

Sabby is still your cat. She's just extra sweet now.

Love and big hugs for you, Sabby, and Dante's tummy, who's food is being checked out,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who I loved so dearly, she taught me to be a better person...