Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help!

Hello My name is Christie and the most amazing cat in the whole world is named Gambit. He is nine and until last week , was having the time of his life. On Sunday, he had labored breathing and I brought him to a vet. They said he seemed fine and ran blood tests and sent me home. They called me Tuesday with the results,everything looks great except Gambit is diabetic. His glucose was at 330. They basically wrote me a script for Lantus and told me to inject him in the fold of his neck 2x a day at 3iu. Tuesday he was acting very lethargic. I thought he was just angry from the vets . Then he let out a meow and began projectile vomiting. He fell on his side and continued to vomit bright yellow and began urinating on himself. I rushed him back to the same vet who said he needed fluid and hospitalization asap. The vet has now taken all my money (1000) and they call me Tuesday night ti come get him, not even holding him 24 hours . He comes home and wont eat, wont drink and wont move. He Just lays there in a catatonic state looking miserable . He then moved under the bed and refused to come out. I called the vet who just advised to keep an eye on him and call if he did not improve in 4 days. I began looking online and realize he has symptoms of DKA. I called the vet again to ask is there were ketones in his urine when they tested him during his hospitilizaatinm and they said they didn't testy his urine because I didn't ask them to. At this point IO realize that I made a horrible choice in Vets and now I have no money to help him. I found Banfield in a Petsmart and they offer a free exam. They took one look at him and look at me and say you have a very ill cat here. They are aware of my lack of finances and say that he needs immediate hospitalization and fluid therapy or he will die and they know I cannot afford it. They basically tell me that the best thing is to put him down. I lost it. I couldn't believe that last week I was chasing Gambit around the house and 5 days later I am being asked about to chose an urn for his ashes. By some grace of god, the vet took pity on me. She runs his blood and urine and confirms he has some ketones in his urine. I told her I had 200 dollars to my name. She figures out a way to get me discounts enough so that I can get him into the kitty ER and start a full day of IV and flushing. No guarantees she says. He is also walking on his hinds. I am just looking for some advice. the reports of DKAin cats online are very grim . There has to be success stories, tips and tricks to improve his recovery ...ANYTHING would be much appreciated. Gambit has been fighting his little heart out all week and it's clear he has no intention of giving up . PLEASE HELP!!! Thank you .

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Yes! There are many DKA survivors on this board! The important thing is fluids and food, insulin, and antibiotics to kill whatever infection he may have that's causing this. My cat, Mikey, has never had DKA but many others have been through it and hopefully they'll start chiming in.

You can also check out Diabetic Cats in Need to see if they may be able to help or point you in the right direction financially. I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone and we'll be able to help you!

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

My cat was treated at Banfield too! Just so you know...the vet I had was great. Don't be put off because they are in a pet store.

My Gypsy never went DKA but she had eating problems. There ARE many DKA survivors. Don't give up! I'd contact DCIN like KPassa suggested. See if they can help. We CAN help.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Christie.....

I don't have any experience with DKA but just want to send healing vines to Gambit and hugs to you from me and RumpelT. :YMHUG:

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

J.D. is a DKA survivor. He had the same symptoms. He was critical when I took him to the ER.
He was hospitalized and came home with a feeding tube because he would not eat at the hospital. He was at a University School of Veterinary Medicine.
I had a line of credit account and was able to pay it off in about 6 months. The cost for his hospitalization was nothing compared to a human's bills in the same situation. That was 2005. If your cat is a fighter, keep thinking possitive thoughts. I was able to visit J.D. everyday. He went from barely holding up his head the first day, to laying with his head up the next, to bathing himself the third day and sitting up a little bit, and then on the 4th day crawling into my lap with tubes attached to each leg.
I have seen lots of cats make it from DKA in the years that I have been on this board. Food, Insulin, Fluids, and veterinary hospitalization if at all possible. Keep praying hard. I will keep Gambit and you in my prayers, too. Keep fighting Gambit.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

My kitty is a DKA survivor. When she was first diagnosed, she had DKA, hepatic lipisosis, and pancreatitis. She was hospitalized on an ICU for 3 days. I had 2 vets tell me to be prepared for Gabby not pulling through. That was in May of 2009 and she is very much alive.

The good news is you know how to home test. That's important. You can buy Ketostix to test for urinary ketones at home. NovaMax makes a meter for testing blood ketones if that's easier for you.

Ketones develop when a cat isn't eating, isn't getting enough insulin and there's an infection present. What they will most likely be doing while Gambit is in the hospital is giving him fluids via an IV. (You can give subcutaneous fluids at home but that's the next step.) They are likely keeping him on a shorter acting insulin (e.g., Humulin R or Humulin N -- they also go by the name Novolin) so don't be surprised if they haven't been giving Lantus. The vets can administer a bolus of insulin to bring the numbers down in a hurry. They will also be checking Gambit's blood to make sure the electrolyte values are coming back to normal. If you ask about the electrolyte levels, if they say that they are stabilizing, it's a good sing. They are likely administering electrolytes in the IV if those values were off. Honestly, there's not much you can do other than visit with Gambit while he's in the hospital.

If his appetite isn't great at the hospital, you'll want to ask about an appetite stimulant when you bring Gambit home. Most folks here use either cyproheptadine or mirtazepine. They are prescription drugs. There's a good chance you'll need to continue giving Gambit an antibiotic. You may also want to ask if an anti-nausea medication is needed. Typically, ondansatron or Cerenia are used for nausea. You may also need to assist feed (i.e., syringe feed) if Gambit isn't wanting to eat. Food is absolutely critical. You may want to ask about a high calorie food or people here can make suggestions. You'll want a canned food. If you had been feeding dry food, donate it to a shelter. Dry food and diabetes don't work together. Fluids are also important. Add as much water to Gambit's food as he'll tolerate. Fluid helps to flush ketones out of his system.

Once this crisis is over, you may want to let people know what city you're in. We may be able to recommend a vet if you don't want to stick with the Banfield vets.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

My cat Patches is a DKA Survivor. The vet kept her 2 nights and honestly from the surprise I have seen at their office since her recovery I don't think they thought she was going to make it long after coming home. They did warn us that she was in gaurded only condition but they had done all they could without it being a couple of thousand dollars. I just didn't have that. She could barely walk without stopping and resting. She couldn't even jump up on the couch. She wouldn't eat we had to syringe feed her and she even got so weak once that she peed on the bed cause she didn't have the energy to climb down. The first couple of weeks I wasn't sure if she would make it myself her numbers were always 500 and even too high for the monitor to register. Basically I was doing all I could to help her but preparing myself that it might not be enough. But slowly she has gotten better she has gained 2lbs and is back to her old self. She even plays more now that she did before. I don't think her brothers enjoy that she is strong enough to whoop up on them though. :lol: Her numbers aren't ideal yet but they are a far cry from what they were a few weeks ago. This is all since December 4th. A couple of hints if you have to syringe feed I can tell you that Friskies does not go through a 20 ml syringe. It clogs and makes a mess. Thank goodness my vet sent home some wet food from there that was smoother. She does get friskies, fancy feast and 9 lives now though. Read the stickies and ask questions on here cause these are a great group of people.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

{{hugs}}

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Christie, my heart goes out to you and your best buddy Gambit

You might want to ask the vet clinic where he's at now if they take Care Credit. You need to make sure you can afford to pay them back within the 6 months (I understand the interest can be pretty high after that) but it's an option you might want to look into so you aren't forced into a decision based on finances alone.

DCIN is definitely worth getting in touch with. Lots of people here are willing to help when we know there's a kitty in crisis.

Here's the link to Care Credit for you to check out.

Our prayers are with you

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

i don't have personal experience with DKA but there are many people here who do. Be encouraged! Cats can survive it!

when you get Gambit home we can give you help to learn how to manage his diabetes so it doesn't happen again. most of us posting here are on the Lantus Tight Regulation insulin support group. There is a ton of experience here with every aspect of feline diabetes. If you have any questions come up, just ask.

You're not alone, Christie. :YMHUG:

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Thank you so much for your replies! I would like to first say that Banfield is AMAZING! If not for their caring team , Gambit would have been put down that night . He stayed 2 days at Banfield getting the IV treatments and such. I have him home now. They told me that all his numbers were at critical levels the first day they got him and they have no idea why he was still alive. He is eating and drinking and using the kitty box, but other than that he is just laying down and not moving . Is this normal? He already seems to be walking on his hind legs less, but again, he is barely walking. Today , he suddenly has a horrible cold, sneezing uncontrollably . I feel so sad for him. I need to get a different meter because the one I got requires way too much blood, but I am so broke after this week. 1500 dollars spent ...money loaned from my grandparents and all I had in the bank.Unfortunately I cannot qualify for the Care Credit . The vet said I need to focus on getting his insulin regulated first and foremost . How often am I supposed to test his blood and when ? are there any human meters that are inexpensive and do not require a huge blood drop to read? Is his lethargy normal ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. OHH....we live in Costa Mesa, California. And we thank you again for the support. I haven't slept in a week and I just stare at him all day...I have no idea what to do and I'm terrified I am going to overlook symptoms again and hurt him further (.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Praying for little Gambit and you... :YMHUG: Hang in there little fella.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I am down in OC, too! Whereabouts are you at in CM? I'd be willing to stop by one of these nights to help you with testing or anything else you may need. PM me if you'd like.

As to meters, the ReliOn brand from Walmart is a favorite around here because the strips are so cheap. The ReliOn Primes are the cheapest but do require a bit more blood than the ReliOn Micro/Confirm that requires the least amount of blood. I usually go to the Walmart Neighboorhood Grocery on Beach and Atlanta for my feline diabetic needs. They sell the insulin I use (Lantus) one pen at a time and they honor the Lantus savings card (works out to $25 a pen up to 5 pens; 15mLs for $125).

I also shop at Centinela pets because they're the only place that sells the Friskies Special Diet in bulk around here. And they're local. ;-)

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Gambit is still just sitting and looking miserable . I don't know what to do, starting to REALLY freak out . Is this "normal" for cats coming out of DKA ? They have me giving Novolin 4iu 2 times. I know Lantus is what is suggested, but it is 250 and I cannot afford it . From what I have been reading , Novolin is a bad choice for kitties coming out of DKA .Was able to get a blood reading with the last strip on my cheap meter at 141. Did I mention I'm totally FREAKING OUT? And I'm quite certain Gambit wants me to get the @4#% out of his face, he's been glaring at me like I've never seen from him . I was worried he would begin hating me from all the poking and prodding and such . This is so much more complicated than I had anticipated.
nailbite_smile nailbite_smile nailbite_smile nailbite_smile

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

If you need financial assistance, you can contact Diabetic Cats in Need - they may be able to help you


If you are willing, which is sounds like you are to follow their rules, then apply and they may be able to help you.

http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/p/education.html

DCIN provides diabetes-related financial assistance to shelters and rescues (and their foster homes) and low-income individuals caring for diabetic cats. The nature and amount of assistance depends on the caregivers' needs and Diabetic Cats in Need's resources. To apply for the program, you must email the requested information to Jennifer@dcin.info or Venita@dcin.info. Individual caregivers are usually brought into the program on a probationary basis. DCIN may adjust assistance levels at any time. Non-compliance with program requirements will result in a caregiver's termination from the program.


See also this page for links to other financial assistance sites.

To qualify for financial assistance, a home-based caregiver must be willing to appropriately treat the cat's diabetes. Appropriate treatment includes:

- Blood glucose hometesting--preshots (before every insulin shot), frequent mid-cycle spot checks, and occasional full cycle curves--and, if Internet access is available, public posting of those blood glucose readings.
- Low-carbohydrate wet or raw food--unless other medical conditions require a different diet.
Insulin injections.
- Veterinary attention to infections or other situations that cause physical stress.
- If Internet access is available, active membership on the Feline Diabetes Message Board or the Forums on Diabetic Cat Help or Diabetic Cat Care.

The five bullets above are DCIN's primary requirements for its Financial Assistance Program. If you are not willing to comply with those requirements, you and the Financial Assistance Program will not be a good fit and you should not apply. Your application should discuss whether you are willing to comply with those requirements, and include your user name if you are registered for one of the Internet groups for diabetic cat caregivers.

DCIN's Financial Assistance Program does not finance past costs, and it usually does not cover veterinary costs. It especially does not pay veterinary costs for glucose curves (which caregivers usually can perform at home) or fructosamine tests except in unusual situations. It does not pay for a cat's food or litter. The costs it normally covers are for insulin (which must be prescribed by a veterinarian) and hometesting equipment. And depending on a client's financial situation, DCIN may only cover a portion of those costs and may ask a client to reimburse part or all of the postage for shipping supplies.

All caregivers requesting financial assistance must provide complete contact information and appropriate information about why they have a financial need. Appropriate information about financial need may be a narrative explanation or a financial report of estimated and actual income and expenses. DCIN does not require significant detail; it is trying to get a general idea of need to determine how to best place its limited resources. The caregiver also must explain her/his attempts to obtain financial assistance for treatment costs elsewhere, with the results. (**See Coordination with Other Charity Groups below.)

In addition, a 501(c)(3) organization must provide evidence of its tax-exempt status and a copy of its latest annual filing with the Internal Revenue Service (Form 990 series). A municipal shelter/animal control facility must provide a copy of its appropriated budget for the current fiscal year.

For the application, DCIN also needs:

Complete contact information for the cat's diagnosing or treating veterinarian if requesting assistance with vetting or insulin costs. We also need a copy of a current (written within the last year) script for insulin.
A statement of the cat's condition--including how it was diagnosed with diabetes, any other known or suspected acute or chronic conditions, and all current treatment protocols for diabetes and other medical and behavioral conditions. This statement should include a copy of the results of the cat's most recent blood work, urinalysis, and other lab or imaging procedures done within the past six months, and vaccination and FIV/FeLV status.
The name of the Internet caregiver group you have chosen and your user name.
A current full body and facial picture of the cat.
Your agreement that DCIN can post the nature of its assistance for the cat on its blog, Yahoo group, Facebook page, and other Internet sites used for DCIN fundraising. If an individual caregiver (not a rescue/shelter) is uneasy about this requirement, DCIN can keep the real names and location of the caregiver and cat confidential by the use of pseudonyms.

Please email the requested information to Venita@DCIN.info or Jennifer@DCIN.info.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Thank you for the information DKIN. I intend to apply ASAP, I am just scared for Gambit now. Since he was totally healthy the past 9 years and suddenly on deaths door last week, I'm terrified it will happen again. He looks miserable. I just feel so bad, sad and mad. This sucks. And it just started....I just know that him laying on the floor for the past 2 days like this cannot be good and the Vet can't do anything without testing which costs money . Thanks again for all the help . I am going to get started on the DKIN application right now.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

While you apply to DCIN, here are some things you can do now.

Home testing with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart ReliOn Confirm. The test strips are very reasonable and require a tiny drop of blood. If you don't like WalMart, the Arkray Glucocard 01 is the same thing and may be purchased at American Diabetes Warehouse online.

In my signature links are some Secondary Monitoring Tools. These will help you asses how he is doing. Testing urine for ketones, observing eating, drinking, peeing, poohing, weight, and dehydration are some of the important ones.

N type insulins such as Novolin last about 6 to 8 hours in the cat. Always feed before you shoot so there is food on board for the insulin to work with. When the dose wears off, the glucose tends to skyrocket. Either a) pick up the food 6 hours after the shot or b) you may get better control shooting every 8 hours (TID). To do this, you take the total daily dose, divide by 3, and give 1/3 of that total every 8 hours. With the current dose of 8 units per day and rounding down, that would be 2.5 units every 8 hours.
Here is a primer on Humulin/Novolin N insulin.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

THANK YOU SOO MUCH !!!!!
So, he's got some major head cold...sneezing wet snot everywhere (mostly in my face) it's drippin out of his nose and his eyes are perma tears. I am staring at the lil man and he looks soooo miserable and sad. So skinny and with all the shaved patches from the Hospital. Now, his snot and tears.... I find myself uncontrollably laughing one minute then crying the next. I lost it at the Vets office today as well. Went to pick up Clavamox for the latest ailment (which CLEARLY says Amoxicillin on the package) and it was 60 bucks for a 2 week supply! I screamed an onslaught of expletives in the Middle of PetsMart. AMOXIcILLIN is 4 bucks for 30 !!!!!! As thankful as I am to Benfield , i AM STARTING TO RESENT Vets. Can they charge ANYMORE money to us in our time of Crisis!!!SHHEESSH.

Took his blood twice today once around 10am after his snack 108. Then , just now after a nap and a nibble 189. Did a Ketostick and it was negative.

How do I know if I am giving too much insulin? Vets had me doing 4 2x a day and he has been lethargic. This morning , I only did 2 and he was much more alive and vocal. I also asked my vet for the Lantus Pen Script . Waiting for the final word .

Thaanks again EVERYONE

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I am just so happy that his ketone test was negative. You didn't hear the big sigh from me. That's a big step.

I hope you find a way to get the testing supplies. You can get test strips for about 0.18 cents each. One of the ReliOns has 50 strips for $9.00 and I use the Arkray Vital from ADW which are also 0.18 cents each (and I think they have a discount for your first time), their shipping is cheap and your order comes quickly.

Those BG tests you got are decent numbers. The recipe for DKA is not enough insulin and not enough food and an infection of some sort. It is important that he gets the insulin he needs, and more food than he normally eats, and those antibiotics to stop that infection. To give him the insulin he needs, you will need to test him, to make sure he doesn't go too low.
I wish you The Best Of Luck. Like I said earlier J.D. was very lethargic after his DKA. Keep trying, and keep praying hard. I've been in your shoes. ((((Hugs and support))) I hope you get that Lantus prescription and get that pen for $25.00 using the coupon. A pen of Lantus can last you 2 to 3 months, if taken care of properly.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Just want to send healing vines for your baby! And a hug for you! :YMHUG:

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

OH NO...took his blood 3 hrs ago 189 he just got up about 30 mins ago and puked twice...blood at 80. Gave him honey , tried to force him food and milk but he wont have it. He has a URI right now too! This IS a recipe for DKA again!!!! I took his blood after the honey and stuff 149...what should I do ? Do I skip his next Insulin?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

hi,

80 isn't a crisis - but it's fine that you gave him the honey to pull his blood sugar up. 50 and below is where we begin to get concerned.

don't give him milk. that's not good for cats and can upset their stomachs.

do you have more test strips so you can continue to monitor him tonight? if you measure a below-50, you give a couple of drops of honey, wait 15=20 minutes and retest. if he's under 50 do it again. if he's over 50, wait 30 minutes and retest again. you want to keep repeating this process and keep him over 50.

if you've gotten him to 149, he's doing ok for the moment. you want to test him again anyway in 30ish minutes to make sure he stays up.

giving him food is a good idea, but you don't need to forcefeed him. you can tempt him with lunchmeat (no onion or garlic), rotisserie chicken, sprinkle parmesan cheese on his food, heat it a little so it's a bit smelly.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Thank you so much for replying. On my way to rite aide to get strips. He won't eat right now because his lil nose is filled to the brim with snot bubbles...I don't think he can smell or taste much .

How long do I have to keep testing him tonight ? He literally wants me to jump off a cliff right now....all I do is poke him , shove food and pills down his mouth, stare at him 23 hours out of the day ....sigh. Good Times.


I really do thank you for all the help and how quickly you replied tonight, it is a lifesaver...this site and all the members rule.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Did you give him a shot tonight? If not and he's over 100 when you test again, he should be fine. Just leave some of his regular food out for him to eat overnight while you're asleep.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

His next shot is not due until 5 this morning. His last test was 159 about an hour ago. Thank you for all the help :0).

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

It's tough right now isn't it? Keep your head up! I don't have any words of wisdom that you haven't heard but I wanted to send healing vines your way! Also, get some sleep when you can. I know it's hard but rest will help you stay calm and be able to handle everything. You're doing great!

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

He seems to be reverting. He isn't eating or drinking again and He is back under my bed. I had to force feed him again today so I could give him his shot and his URI Medicine. He is just getting angrier with me it seems. His blood this morning before his shot was 258...high. Did I go through all the money and effort just to give him a life he is going to hate and be miserable with or is this normal? I feel so horrible right now.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

First, you skipped the shot last night, so 258 is not a bad number to have after a skipped shot.

Second, you're using Lantus now, right? If so, it can take about 5-7 days after initially starting to see the full impact of the shot.

4u is much too high a starting dose for most cats so I'm glad to see that you thought so as well and cut the dose in half to 2u to start with. That being said, considering that you've already had to skip a shot, I would drop the dose to 1u if he is over 200 tonight.

Finally, I didn't see that anyone had shared this with you yet, but now that you're home-testing, we use this fantastic spreadsheet to help us keep track of the numbers and spot patterns. Here's some help on filling out the spreadsheet:

The first two weeks are tough. You've just learned your kitty is sick with a chronic and potentially life-threatening illness. You're learning a lot of new information from having to give shots to home-testing to feline nutrition and endocrinology to technical stuff (i.e. google spreadsheets, how to use a forum, etc...) and on and on and on. You're both learning new routines. You're stressed; Gambit is stressed. Take a moment and realize everything that's been thrown at the both of you over the past week and then pat yourself on the back for having made it this far! :thumbup I'd tell you it does get easier but you probably won't believe me till you experience it for yourself. ;-) :lol:

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Thank you so much . Last night he did not skip his shot. He gets his ***** at 5am/pm. The episode happened at 10pm or so . Still on Novoiin. My vet does not want me switching to Lantus until he is stable. I just spoke with her and said that 4 seems too high. I am doing 2 iu of Novolin twice a day . I just took his blood and it was 114. I will download the sheet and study up on the Jargon you gave me ....thank you ).

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Hi,

You say you are using Novolin N right now, not Lantus. Correct?

Novolin is very difficult to regulate kitties on. It usually does not last more than 8 hours or so.

Since we all live in different time zones, I'm not sure what time your 5 am/5pm is in relationship to my time.

For that reason, we express the times in a + hour format.
The morning test is called the AMPS, or morning pre-shot test.
The evening test is called the PMPS,or evening pre-shot test.
Subsequent tests are given in number of hours since the pre-shot test.So for example, 2 hours = +2, 4 hours = +4, 6 hours = +6, etc.

So, how many hours has it been since your morning pre-shot test (AMPS)?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Ah, okay. I missed that you did give him a shot last night (5 hours earlier). One of the reasons the spreadsheet comes in handy. ;-) So, the 114 at noon was +7 hours after his shot this morning?

I agree with Deb; Novolin is great for bringing down numbers fast (like in a DKA situation) but once they're out of DKA (ketones still negative, right?) it can be a nightmare trying to get kitties regulated on it. At the very least, it's a lot more work so the sooner you can get him on Lantus, the better for everyone. :thumbup

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

OK...sorry for the confusion. His morning shot was at 5 pacific time . his AMP test was 258. His test at noon today was 114. Just talked to my vet again about Lantus and she still wants to wait for some stability before Lantus. He has an URI. Started meds yesterday. Is there anything I can give him to help the runny nose? It's causing him not to eat. I also have to give him potassium supplement gel 2x a day . I just gave it to him and he suddenly had tons of foamy saliva all over. I wiped it off and it's not continuing...is this bad ? Or a reaction to the stress of having a syringe of gel shoved down his throat? He is now refusing to look at me...he blatantly turned and sat back towards me and is growling when I try to touch him

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I also brought up the fact that Novolin N wears off around 8 hours and mentioned I was going to start 3 times a day , she ADAMANTLY advised not to do this . she said only 2 x a day ?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I am going against what the vet said. Just tested Gambit 3pm pacific time and he is at 260. Trace Ketons...maybe....the color is BETWEEN the Negative and Trace. I just had him eat a little and gave him 2u shot of the Novalin N. Like clockwork, it does wear off between 608 hours and he skyrockets.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Tina,

He is your cat. I don`t know anything about the Novolin but I am sending prayers for you. You might ask for help regarding the trace ketones, my cat never was DKA. I do know they can go down pretty quick so keep testing him. If you need help post a 911.

Terri

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

In our "lingo," that would be displayed as follows:
AMPS 258
+7 114
PMPS XXX
+5 XXX
etc...

It sounds like she might still be worried about the DKA coming back and/or for Gambit to finish recovering from the DKA (probably until after he's finished with the potassium supplement). See if you can get a specific ETA from her on when you are to start the Lantus and don't accept "when he's better regulated" because that's meaningless gibberish. I've been at this a year and a half with Mikey and by some standards, he's still not considered "regulated." Ask when, i.e. a day, a week. And make sure you keep testing his urine for ketones every day till he's out of the woods.

Does she know that you're home-testing? Maybe she's worried that you might send him too low since it does require a bit more intensive monitoring to get the Novolin to work to its fullest and keep BGs the most even with the least amount of spikes (the three times a day dosing). For BID (twice a day dosing), you can also pick up food after he "peaks" on the Novolin (usually around 5-7 hours after the shot) so his numbers don't continue to climb once the insulin wears off and before the next shot time.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Ok, so here are the numbers you got today on the Novolin. I've put these in our + hour format.

AMPS 258 2U +7 114 +10 260 give additional 2U

So, it's very likely that there was an even lower number between the AMPS and your +7 test.

With the limited amount of test data you have, plus the low numbers you did get at +7, I don't think you are ready for more than 2x a day dosing. Also, your kitty may be one of the lucky ones where the Novolin lasts more than the usual 8 hours. I'm with your vet. Too soon to think about 3x a day dosing. You don't have the data to support that.

The nadir, or lowest point of the insulin cycle, must also be taken into consideration when dosing insulin. With Novolin, that nadir is usually somewhere between +3 and +5. You'll need to test your kitty, to find out how low he is going. ECID, Every Cat is Different and some cats nadir earlier and some nadir later. The testing is all about finding out how your cat reacts.

You may want to read this primer on using Novolin. Humulin N and Novolin N are the same insulin, NPH types, just manufactured by different companies. Humulin N Primer You might want to even print out a copy to refer to.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

To help fight off the ketones, he needs more water in his diet. Do you add water to the food you are feeding?

I would not have given another dose of the Novolin so soon. You really do not know how your cat will react yet.

I suggest that you test at +2, +3, +4, +5.

Do you have your hypo toolkit on hand, in case Gambit goes too low?

"High numbers do damage slowly, low numbers kill quickly." Better to be too high for a day, than too low for a moment.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Try grabbing a test in a couple of hours to make sure he isn't falling too far and too fast. If you're going to attempt the TID dosing with Novolin, you're going to have to test a lot more. ;-)

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

The nadir for N type insulins (Novolin N and Humulin N) is about +3 to +4 hours after a shot.

The nadir is the primary way to adjust the dose. You want the glucose to remain above 50 mg/dL for safety.

Because his glucose levels are not extreme on 2 units BID, you may hold off on TID. Alternatively, you might shoot just 1 unit every 8 hours if you see the insulin rises after 8 hours and want to do it.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Try talking to him and telling him you're doing all this to help him. The poking and the meds. will get better. He will get used to the poking and testing especially if he likes the treats that come after. I hope you are able to get some food into him tonight.

Sending vines that all these new things and new procedures gets easier for you and Gambit very soon. Prayers for you both.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Thanks everyone. I got him to eat , he drank a little water.His numbers are just all over the place. I guess his PMS would be the one given at 3pm pacific (he was 258 then )
PMS 260
+2 116
+3 90
+5 238
+7 154

Did I do that right ? So, it seems to be the general opinion that I just give 2u 2x a day for now VS 3x, correct? To get back on regimen, should I wait until tomorrow morning for his next shot?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I'll leave that up to people with more experience using Novolin, but if they don't answer, I say wait till tomorrow morning to be on the safe side since kitties often drop lower overnight and you probably want to get some sleep. ;-)

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Yes, looks like you did the numbers correctly in our + hour format. Thank you for doing it that way.

Yes, for now just the 2u, 2 times a day.

Yes, please wait until Thursday AM to give another shot of the Novolin. Sorry, but I'm on the opposite coast from you, east coast and did not see your post until this morning.

Your kitty went from 260 to 90 in 3 hours, so that's a pretty good drop in the BG numbers.

The numbers will be all over the place for some time, impossible to say how long. It takes time to regulate a cat. The diabetes did not happen in a day or a week or a month. It happened over time. It will take time to get your cat feeling better. We often say "This is a marathon, not a sprint".

Would you be willing to put a little bit of information in your signature for us? It will help us to help you better. Something like this:
Christie & Gambit (male,9)
DX date 01/xx/14 (put in correct date)
Novolin N, meter name you use for testing
DKA survivor, neuropathy, any other complicating health conditions

It goes in the User Control Panel, Profile tab, Edit Signature free form text box. While you are there, if you also select the Edit Profile section under the Profile tab and add your location, something like: USA, CA, closest city that would be helpful also.

Would you be willing to do that for us please?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Please wait about 30 min after testing and feeding to give the shot. Novolin hits quickly and that will help buffer the drop.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Good luck sweetie. Remember not to give insulin if he's not eating. I hope he's ready to bounce back for you asap. I know you are ready. Hugs for you and him.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Hi all. So, I thought Gambit did some miracle recovery because he was super consistent and stable on his 2 shots. Then , Last Wed, I noticed he was walking on his legs again instead of his paws and his blood is again all over and he is acting like he did before diagnosis...drinking tons of water, eating tons, sitting like a meatloaf and hiding under the bed. What do I do ? I really think he needs the Lantus but my vet is still not approving it ? Why did he do so well and suddenly turn like this ?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I am also confused on what I should be feeding him, how often and how much . My vet said no wet just dry and let him graze. This is CLEARLY not right ? He will literally eat all day and his blood shoots up when he eats the dry . And all these forums say wet, no dry???

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

You want to feed low carb, preferably canned or raw food. See Cat Info for a vet-written website on feline nutrition.

One inexpensive product is Friskies, most of the pates. You can leave the food out for grazing for 10 hours after the shot.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Hi again Christie!

First of all, you must get rid of all dry foods. They're too high in carbs and you'll never get Gambit controlled if you continue feeding it. Since you're already giving insulin, it's important that you wean him off the dry gradually and make sure you're home testing because as the carb level goes down, the need for insulin does too. Here's a list of pretty much any food you can buy..we want him eating wet foods that are less than 10% carbs. Dr. Pierson's Food Chart

I strongly urge you to consider finding another vet who's willing to give you the Lantus or Levemir or ProZinc...these are the only insulins recommended for cats. The Novolin is fine for bringing down the numbers for cats in DKA, but it's just not good for home use except in very specific conditions, and even then, it's usually use along WITH Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc.

The other thing I suggest (in a big way) is to get yourself a spreadsheet going like the rest of us use. Even if you're still using the Novolin, it will help a LOT to have the numbers on the spreadsheet so we can really tell how he's doing. Here's the link to How to set up your spreadsheet. It's really not hard, and once set up, you can put the link in your signature so we can see how he's doing.

Hope you're able to find someone who's willing to work with you on the Lantus. Best of luck to you and your dear kitty, Gambit! (I love that name)

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Print this out and give it to your vet, who is out of date: The American Animal Hospital Association published diabetes treatment guidelines in 2010

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Thank you all again. Do any of you happen to know what it is that brings out the neuropathy? He had almost zero signs of it while he stabilized for almost 2 weeks and now, it seems worse than it was when he was DKA? And I am testing his urine, still no Ketones. How did everyone here learn all of this stuff? One thing I have been noticing is hat Vets don't seem to know much about Diabetes in Cats.....you all seem much more knowledgeable . Is it from experience or endless web searches on feline diabetes?

Thank you Chris ! He is named after my favorite X-Man I love his name too! His sister is named Jubilee. The two I had before these(who live full time with my Ex ( ) were named Storm and Phoenix.

download/file.php?mode=view&id=11765

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I'm glad there are no ketones. Keep up the testing for them.
I agree, it's time to find a vet that will work with you. My J.D. was diagnosed in 2005, and we struggled to find a vet that knew very much about diabetes. I never have found one. But, I did find a vet that will work with me.
I would keep trying to get the Lantus. And keep feeding all wet low carb food.
Some of us are very experienced and have been helping people with diabetic cats for a long time.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Everyone here has learned with their respective cats, online searches, good vets, and more, then shared what was learned.

Since we deal with it 24/7, we can immerse ourselves in it. Vets see 2 or more species with the entire gamut of conditions and are expected to stay up to date on everything. That said, vets should be open to updating their knowledge when it has been a while since studying a particular area.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

We have learned through personal experience and the day to day management of our diabetic kitties, what a difference a low carb food can make. Unfortunately, some vets still believe that dry foods such as Hill's W/d or M/d are appropriate for diabetic cats when in fact they are too high in carbs. It has been the experience of many of us here, that vets take the word of the vet food sales reps as to what foods are good for cats to eat and the vets do not keep them selves educated on nutrition.

The reason we strongly suggest wet food only, is there are very few dry foods that are low enough in carbs to make a difference in helping to control the BG levels for a diabetic cat. So it's not really wet food versus dry food. It's a matter of low carb versus high carb. We look for foods that are under 10% carb, with some cats doing better with even lower levels of carb content.

Grazing is fine. We do suggest you take the food up 2 hours before a BG test before your shot, so that BG number is not inflated by the food. Other times of day, food before a test is ok.

We only have to specialize in one thing, diabetes. Plus, we live with diabetic cats on a daily basis and have learned from others what does and does not work.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I had to laugh at this 'cos I have the same issue with my vet - we agreed long ago to disagree. The dry food Rep actually convinced everyone that the 28% carbs in their dry food was PERFECT for diabetics because it was the...READY?...

"The SCIENCE behind it...just the right amount of COMPLEX carbs...." Trouble is, cat's can't USE complex carbs - that was just so much poop to sell their food!

Boy I LIKE the discussions and your ideas - you got it goin' on already!!! WOOT WOOT!

BIG HUGS!

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Let me know if you want the information for my vet. He's in CM and my family has been going there for over 30 years. He's not as experienced in diabetes as the folks on this forum, but he's open to home-testing and willing to learn (and also prescribes Lantus in pen form). Mikey only visits him about once a year for an annual check-up, other than that, he has the link to Mikey's BG spreadsheet. Only downside is that he likes to push the prescription foods, but it's a rare vet you'll find who doesn't. :YMSIGH: At least he's not obnoxious about it and I just have to say, "no thanks" and they leave it at that.

Here's a letter I wrote to my vet way back when I first started this FD journey and he asked me for more information and links to all that I was learning.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

YES! May I please have your Vets info? i start a new job next week and won't be around to monitor Gambit so I have to get him on the Long Acting Insulin ASAP. He is just not regulating on the Novolin.

May I ask why no one uses Levemire (spelling) ? I went on a mission for affordable resources today and Novo Nordisk has an amazing offer now for ALL products at only 25 per fill for 2 years and a free box of needles. I have also seen a lot about the combo Insulin of Long Acting and Fast acting ....like 70/30 blends which look as though they may be the most effective at regulation . Is anyone familiar with these? I have included some links below for the resources I found to save tons of money. The first 3 are for Monitor kits at ridiculously low prices and all come with 100 strips. The rest are sources for cheap Insulin, etc.

http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.co ... 10_123.htm

http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.co ... 06_123.htm

http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.co ... 00_121.htm

http://www.needymeds.org/coupons.taf?_f ... t&letter=A

http://www.cornerstones4care.com/welcom ... d=46b21f37

http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-dia ... tance.html

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Many people here use Levemir. It's fairly "new" in being used for cats and there is no "official" established protocol (like there is for Lantus), so that is why it's not as common (yet) as Lantus is. I'm actually planning on bringing Michelangelo back into the vet within the next couple of months and convincing them to let me switch him to Levemir and be their first "guinea pig" with the Levemir. He was hesitant prescribing it over the phone because he'd never heard of it until I mentioned it; I can understand that and Mikey is due for an annual checkup soon, anyway.

I've PM'd you my vet's information. Let me know how it goes! :thumbup

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

These sound like porcine zinc/NPH style insulins and these are generally NOT recommended for cats because cats have a faster metabolism and they end up being too fast-acting for cats and wear off too quick. The only three insulins recommended for cats are Lantus, Levemir, and PZI/ProZinc.

It's not the cost of the monitor that is expensive, but the on-going cost of the test strips. The cheapest in the US are the Arkray Glucocard or the Relion Micro/Confirm (the Arkrary rebranded for Walmart) and the ReliOn Prime (this one does require a bigger blood drop).

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

HI,
I have used Levemir with two cats. Both are now OTJ. Both used ProZinc originally, but we switched to Levemir when we encountered shortage of ProZinc. I like both insulin. Actually, I like the Levemir flexpens a lot because of their cost effectiveness.

Best of luck to you and your sweet kitty,
Sophie

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

The Lantus savings card will also get you each pen for $25 for the first 6, I believe. The info is here: http://www.lantus.com/sign-up/offers

The cost of the strips is essential to consider. We used a Relion Confirm and bought the generic Arkray strips from ADW. If you want to try to get your cat off of insulin, the Tight Regulation Protocol is the way to go. The goal with Tight Regulation is to try to get the cat's blood sugar into normal numbers (50-120) so that the pancreas can heal and begin producing insulin again. Cats are unique in that ability - dogs and people usually are not able to have their pancreas heal and go off insulin in the same way that cats can. Following the TRP requires a minimum of 4 tests a day - both preshots and a mid-cycle test. Sometimes you end up testing more. It's an investment of time, for certain, but the study has had great success rates at getting cats regulated and off of insulin. That protocol is used with both Lantus and Levemir - people here use both.

You need a different prescription for pens versus a vial. You probably want to try to get just 1 pen - you'll have to call around to pharmacies to find someone who will break up a box and just sell one pen. pharmacies who provide to nursing homes and hospitals often will do that. There's no rhyme or reason - one chain pharmacy will break them up, another won't. but it's worth the phone calls.

This site has been around since 2009 - you'll see quite a few members who all joined in December 2009 when it began. But it existed on another site prior to that, and i believe before that it was a listserve. There is already a lot of knowledge gathered here and people look up research to keep up to date on the latest on feline diabetes and the medical conditions that often appear concurrent with FD. The experienced people teach others. It's a pass it on thing. Once you've lived and breathed FD you understand it. Having taken care of a diabetic cat you learn how the insulin works in their little bodies - what works and doesn't work. Although cats do vary, there are some things that really important - low carb canned food being one of those things. So we've learned and we teach others.

Keep asking questions!

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

The Lantus savings card is only good for the first 3 prescriptions now. :cry:

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Christie, i hadn't opened the links to ADW you provided before. Just did that. Some of the meters with TRUE in their name are not as accurate as the rest. I see the first link is to True Track, the second to True Balance, the third to Vertex UltraTrack (i've never heard of that one.) I don't know specifically about those, but here is a set of links here on the "New to the Group" page at the top of the Tight Regulation insulin support group page that have reports on glucose meters.

I would stick with one of the known to be accurate ones. Don't get a Freestyle, though - we started with one and i loved it, but it doesn't measure the highs with cats blood. Not helpful.

Given that you're on a tight budget, i'd recommend one of the Relion meters and then purchasing the strips and other supplies through ADW. If you go first to http://www.mrrebates.com you can register there and you'll get a rebate every so often on the amount you've bought at ADW.

As far as the neuropathy, that is something that can really improve. People give their cats Zobaline for it - it's available via Amazon, maybe in your local pet store, i don't know. But that particular one is safe for diabetic cats. When you are able to start Gambit on it, you should see improvement.

I hope you can get switched to Lantus or Lev. If you can, I'd invite you to post in the Lantus/Lev Tight Regulation Insulin Support Group. There is a lot of traffic there and people will help you understand what you need to know to help Gambit get healthy again. Not every cat goes off of insulin, but Gambit can get regulated so he's as healthy as possible.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Hi Christie,
I was just reading your posts and you say you are still trying to get Lantus for your kitty? In your initial post you mentioned your first vet gave you a script for Lantus...do you still have that script?

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

In case you missed this earlier in the thread, this is the Walmart I go to. ;-)

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

This link I had included with the others ------> http://www.cornerstones4care.com/welcom ... d=46b21f37 , was for a Lev Savings Card , but I realize it didn't link directly to the Savings Card registration...apologies.
This link ------> http://www.cornerstones4care.com/AboutD ... px?index=1 is to the diresct sign up page
and the savings card allows for almost any of their Insulin products at 25$ a fill for 2 years. It also offers a free box of needles / syringes with the firs purchase. The Lantus card was initially only for 6 months, however, it has been reduced to 3 as someone previously posited. That is why I am leaning towards Lev VS Lantus. For now, I am getting the Lantus Pen tonight.( I convinced my Vet to call in the RX)


Step one: Get Gambit's Blood Glucose regulated
Step Two: Discover the magical cure for Feline Diabetes and pretty much save the world!!!!

Baby Steps )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncFCdCjBqcE&authuser=2

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

The first Vet who gave me a Lantus Script wrote it for the Vile and refused to give me one for the Pen, which is what the coupon is good for and in turn, the pharmacy refused to fill it for the pen because it was written for the vile. Long story short, that RX was ripped up and thrown on the floor of my local Rite Aide amidst a slurry of very loud profanities. Clearly, not my proudest moment.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

All right, first step is done: getting a Lantus pen prescription (but you haven't bought the Lantus yet, right?). Print out a Lantus Savings Card so when you fulfill your prescription, you only have to pay $25.

Step 2: testing times and testing supplies. First, you want to test at minimum 3-4 times a day -- Every pre-shot, a mid-cycle test (when possible), and a before-bed test. That equals out to about 35-40 strips a week with bad test strips and additional testing you might do. Two weeks' time, you'll be out of those 100 test strips and having to purchase more or switch to a different meter. This is why we recommend the ReliOn/Arkray brand because the test strips are $36 for a 100 (Confirm/Micro/Glucocard01) or $18 for a 100 (Prime, which requires a bit more blood).

Both the First and Second step can be accomplished at Walmart.

Third step: you switched to low carb, wet food this week. This means Gambit's numbers have probably dropped already. You're also only feeding 2 meals a day. Start feeding him smaller more frequent meals and add water to the food (if you're not already). What food are you feeding him now?

You are having some difficulty testing. Are you giving him plenty of treats during test time? We recommend using freeze-dried pure protein treats. Most cats go berzerk over them and it helps with the testing process. You can get some Simply Nourish brand freeze-dried chicken dog treats for ridiculously cheap at the PetSmart (or is it PetCo?) over between the Michael's and TJ's on 17th street.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I have been alternating between Friskies and Fancy Feast for his Wet Food. And, I am being super honest in saying that there is no way that the testing will be done as often and regimented as it should be. It's just a nightmare. I would almost be easier to train him to do the tests himself , than it is for me right now! Not even slices of Filet Mignon would detour him from the poking and trying to get blood. I use his paws, not the Ear, but it's hard to get the drop out....I have to squeeze his paw pretty tightly and for quite a while to get the little drop and it's one shot. If it doesn't work the first time, it's over.

The Lantus starts today as he had already had one of his Novolin shots yesterday and I didn't want to chance anything.

Regarding the treats, I buy the freeze dried Turkey and duck ones you are talking abut from Petsmart. Last week , they were all 96 cents VS 5 bucks a bag and the cashier said they were being discontinued (

I really appreciate all the help and the Vet info and rescheduling....truly. Do you know if your Vet does the all day Pet Testing / Monitoring and Blood Curve? That's what he is scheduled to have for the upcoming Vet visit and I want this done as well since I am not having much success doing it myself at home.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

I was feeling just like you. Ears were hard, switched to paws and that was harder, switched back to ears and it got easier. It really did. I had to work really hard to keep *myself calm* and that probably helped my cat. Testing is much easier for us if she is face planted in a bowl of breakfast. And be sure to not short cut the warming step.

Hang in there. Little by little it should get easier.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Since you are having a lot of trouble blood testing, you want to start with a low dose on the Lantus like 0.5 to 1.0 units.

Also, take a look at my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools. Monitoring water consumption, urine glucose, and urine ketones can be used to very slowly guide dosing decisions when you can't blood test. It is a much older protocol, but better than nothing.

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Hi Christie!

Everyone who comes here says almost the exact same thing about testing! (although I think you're the first one I've ever seen to suggest it'd be easier to teach the cat to test themselves...What an idea!!! :lol: :lol: )

What most cats react to isn't really the poking. It's that you're touching their ears. They seem to hate it, so the "trick" is to get them used to having their ears fooled with. Decide on one place that works best for you to test and take Gambit there as often as possible, and just give his ears a quick rub and then give him a yummy treat. Freeze dried chicken, boiled chicken, deli meats (no sugar or salt) are all good choices, but there are many other Low Carb Treats you can try. As he gets more used to having his ears touched, and gets rewarded for letting you do it, he'll soon learn to associate that "testing spot" with the yummy treats, and won't pay any attention to what you're doing with his ears. Another thing I've suggested to people is to sing to yourself. It occupies your brain so you tend to relax. Cats feed off our emotions, so if you approach them already scared and worried, that's what they're going to pick up on. I promise you it really works, and it gets much easier!!

As for the all day Pet testing/monitoring at your vets office, that's called a glucose curve, and besides costing a lot of money to pay a vet to do it, it's not going to really give you much in the way of useful information. When a cat is under stress, like at the vets office, their blood glucose readings can go up as much as 200 points. The vet see's these artificially inflated numbers and assumes the cat isn't getting enough insulin and tells you to increase. You return home, Gambit calms down and you're overdosing him...which can lead to tragic consequences.

Give the desensitization a try for a few days and see if he starts to relax when he's on his "testing spot". If you can get to the point where you can test him without problems, you can do a curve at home to get a really accurate view of how the insulin is working.

I promise if you took the time to go back to everyone's first few days here, you'd hear the exact same story about testing. Almost without fail, within a week or so, they're all telling someone else new that it IS possible, their cats don't hate them, and a lot of the times, the cat starts going to their special spot on their own to remind us it's time to test!!

 

Re: Newly Diagnosed Kitty fighting for his life. Please help

Chris is right - all of us hated testing at first. cats too. i remember people telling me their cats came to a "testing spot" when they shook the little bottle of test strips. i never thought that would be us - and it wasn't! the first couple of weeks i had to pull punkin out from under furniture, hoping i didn't dislocate his little arms. then i took a giant beach towel and wrapped him up so tightly in it he couldn't move. that freed my hands.

then i tested. he was a little bundle of tied up shrimp-like kitty burrito, stuck and immobile on my lap while i fumbled around. i had everything ready, of course, but still. it was just plain hard.

but i was Committed with a capital C. I wasn't going to fail at this because i didn't want my cat to die from hypoglycemia.

then day 4, i realized that it was already easier.

by 2 weeks, he gave up fighting and i stopped burrito-wrapping him. while he never came running when it was time, he did tolerate it. Then launched himself away from me the second i was done. He had to make statement. And i always gave him a treat. Freeze dried treats weren't even mentioned here when i started - i simmered plain chicken breasts and gave him a piece after every treat. sometimes i gave him a pinch of lunchmeat cuz he liked it so much - it has sugar in it, so not much, but hey, i liked to make him happy.

what is super important to know is that Gambit's ears will grow more capillaries as they are poked. so NOBODY gets blood every time the first couple of weeks. but after regular poking for 2 weeks, the capillaries have grown and you'll begin to get blood every time.

it gets infinitely easier. really. all of us here are testaments to that - none of us started out any differently than you are. it is a discouraging thing to start with, but we can all promise you that it gets better.