Sophie - Elderly and newly diagnosed. Overwhelmed.

Hello everyone, my name is Celle.
My cat, Sophie, is 1/4 Blue Burmese and 3/4 farm cat. She's never been overweight, holding a weight around 5.2 Kg (just under 11.5 pounds) for the past 8 years.

She's 14.5 years old and was diagnosed with feline diabetes about 10 days ago.

Last year, while in a cattery, she lost a lot of weight, going from 5.2 Kg to 3.6 Kg in the space of a couple of weeks. The owner of the cattery is very experienced, having run the local SPCA cattery and kennels for several years. She took Sophie to the vets. They kept Sophie for 48 hours and ran a full battery of tests, including blood tests for kidneys, thyroid, and diabetes, and doing a CT scan.
Everything came up normal.

The cattery owner took Sophie into her own house, gave her lots of love and a different diet, and Sophie put back about half the weight she had lost.

When we got home, Sophie ate really well, and put back some more of her lost weight, but she never regained it all. I again had her checked out three months later and everything tested normal.

About a month ago, Sophie started eating ravenously again, but appeared to be losing weight. She was peeing lots, too.
We took her to the vets again, and her blood glucose tested high. A larger sample was sent away, and the report came back saying that her Fructosamine level was 534 (normal value 178-304). So she was confirmed to have diabetes.

Taking Sophie's age into account, my husband (John) and I debated whether to treat her, or to have her quietly put to sleep. She's such a sweet cat, she still seems happy, and she's been my shadow ever since we got her, so we decided to treat her for a while and see how it goes, deferring a final decision.

On Monday last week, Sophie was started on Lantus Glargine insulin, 2 units 12-hourly.
The vet asked us to test her blood sugar three times daily, at around 6 a.m., 12 mid-day and 6 p.m.


We've had a bad couple of days with Sophie. We haven't had any problem giving her the Insulin. She hardly notices the injection, and her behaviour is a little brighter.

But we've had problems with testing her blood sugars. First of all, Sophie started on Insulin on Monday, but the vet didn't have a measuring meter in stock, so had to order it. It should have arrived on Tuesday afternoon, but didn't arrive until Wednesday. So Sophie had been on Insulin for 2 days without a blood test.

I picked up the testing meter on Wednesday afternoon and discovered that only 10 testing strips were supplied with the starter kit. Totally insufficient when we've been asked to test Sophie 3 times daily and a long weekend is coming up. I ordered more testing strips, which will also take about 36 hours to arrive.

I tried testing Sophie on Wednesday evening. I failed miserably. Same again on Thursday morning. Cat and me both crying. No blood from her ear, but some from me - I pricked my own finger during one of my failed attempts.
Soon afterwards, Sophie vomited copiously - probably all the food she had eaten overnight.

I phoned the vet and asked if we could bring Sophie in, for someone to show us again how to do the ear prick. We had one of the vet nurses, who has a diabetic cat herself. She was really good, and most reassuring. However, Sophie's glucose was 17.1, about 6 hours after her Insulin injection, when her blood sugar should be at its lowest.

On Thursday evening (6 p.m.), I held Sophie on my knee while John tried to get an ear-prick sample. After two attempts, he succeeded. Sophie's level was 26.8, which was the highest reading we've ever had. (11 is top of the normal range) Not good! She also seems to be still losing weight.
John gave Sophie her Insulin while I held her.

At 6.30 this morning, after three attempts, with Sophie struggling, I finally managed to get a sample - 19.6. First attempt: no bleeding. Second attempt: the needle went right through her ear . Third attempt: success.
But I used up 2 of the precious testing strips. (I'll be able to pick up more on Saturday)

I'm wondering if we're really being kind putting her through this.

We have an appointment with the vet on Tuesday. I expect he'll increase Sophie's insulin dosage, as 2 units doesn't seem to be enough.

I bought some Royal Canin dried food for diabetic cats. It's supposed to be high protein and low carbohydrate. Both Sophie and Feydi (our other cat, a lilac Burmese) ate some of it. I've also bought tins of Fancy Feast Clsssic, but they don't like that very much. I also feed them Jimbos raw beef or veal, which they will eat.

The cats are grazers, and food put down for one will also be eaten by the other, so they will have to share the same diet.

How long does it take for one person to be able to do the ear-prick test without upsetting the cat? Where is the best place in the house to do it? Getting these blood samples is my biggest problem right now.

 

Welcome to FDMB Celle. I read through your posts and I just would like to tell you that feline diabetes is treatable and I am glad you made the decision to treat and help Sophie.
The problems you are encountering with testing are not unusual, please take comfort in that. Not many of us were masters at it at first. It takes practice and patience to get the blood samples you need for the tests. There are some things you can do to help get the blood sample, try putting about a 1/4 uncooked rice in a cotton sock, tie the opening and you can warm it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds (test on your wrist like a squirt from a baby bottle) then gently press on the ear edge surface, or around the ear edge. That will bring blood closer to the surface. Or, you can use an old pill bottle with warm water in it. The more you prick the ear, the more capillaries form and it gets much easier to get the blood drop.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
It doesn't often happen overnight, but it will happen. Make sure the "testing station" is comfortable for both of you with good lighting. And giving Sophie a low carb treat before and after every test, successful or not, might ease her anxiety and let her know this isn't all a bad thing after all.
I understand the frustration with not having enough strips, and advise you to keep a good supply in house. You never know when you might be using up quite a few if Sophie's BG drops and you need to know what's going on to help prevent a hypo.

The Royal Canin dry food is not actually good for diabetic cats. Dry food is just not ideal for any cat. It's too high in carbs and not as nutritional as she needs. We recommend a low carb wet diet, canned or homemade. www.catinfo.org is a wonderful site about feline nutrition.
We can make recommendations for a much better diet for Sophie if you would tell us where you live, generally. We have members from all over the world and supplies are different. Getting Sophie on a low carb wet diet is going to be reflected in her blood sugar levels, and it's best to be testing appropriately before slowly transitioning from dry to wet low carb.

Can you please make a signature with Sophie's information so we can see it right away whenever you post.
Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

There is a lot to learn at first, but take a few deep breaths and pat yourself on the back for already home testing, getting her on insulin and reaching out to learn what to do next.

We will help you learn the other steps along the way. Ask lots of questions, let us know what you need help with or don't understand.

 

Hi Celle and Sophie and welcome
Lou has given you great advice. It can be overwhelming in the beginning but it gets much easier I promise.
Sophie is beautiful. We have lots of 14 year old cats here on the forum so Sophie will be among friends. It is a very treatable disease ... and is much harder on the caregivers in the beginning than the cat! Soon it will just be routine for you.
Do as Lou suggested with getting the testing of the blood sugars into a routine. It gets much easier.... Sheba used to run to me when she heard me at the test strips as she knew she would get a treat. And the ears learn to bleed much more easily. Try giving a low carb treat while you test to distract Sophie.
The first couple of weeks is hard as you are learning a lot of new things and learning new skills. We are all in that position in the beginning. Ask lots of questions and lean on us for support. This is a great community and there are many people here who will help you get sorted with this.
ETA I would definitely NOT increase the insulin yet. 2 units is a lot to start with and when you increase you need to be only going up in 0.25 unit increments. Also Lantus is a depot insulin which means it takes up to a week for the depot to fill and the insulin to be at its most effective. I would recommend getting your blood sugar routine done first and see what BSLs ( blood sugar levels) you are getting. BSLs vary from day to day and cats can bounce up high after a low number so getting tests in ( when your strips arrive) at different times during the cycle will help tell up how the insulin is working. Most cats don’t respond much in the first week but ECID ( every cat is different). However always test the BSL before every insulin shot to make sure it is safe to give the shot.
Testing is the way you will be able to keep Sophie safe.
Bron

 

Thank you for your post, @Idjit's mom .
As an ex-nurse, I am familiar with diabetes in humans and I understand the metabolics of it, but the signs of hypoglycaemia are different. It's easier to prick a human finger to get a sample than it is to get a sample from a cat's ear.
I'll try the rice in a sock later today.

Mostly, I'll have to be testing Sophie's blood sugars in the kitchen. That's the only place where there's a bench at the right height, with everything at hand. I'm elderly, too, and I can't do things at floor level. When there are two of us testing, Sophie will probably be on my knee, while John does the ear-prick. I usually have a morsel of chicken or meat as a treat for her. What do you use as treats?

I did read the article about suitable foods for diabetic cats in New Zealand and I bought the Fancy Feast tins the same day - but neither cat is very keen on eating it. Sophie (and my other cat, Phaedra - Feydi for short) have been eating Jimbos raw meat since last July, and they like it. They're grazers, so what one eats the other has to eat as well.
They've never had a diet of exclusively dry food. I've always put out fresh wet food twice a day, but left out a small bowl of dried food for in-between times. Where I live in NZ, you can't leave wet food out, because of flies. We only have about 2 frosts a year and it's not cold enough to kill off unwanted insects.

I used to feed them both on Whiskas wet food foil packets, with Purina One dried food in between meals. They also get small amounts of meat, chicken, fish, egg - whatever we're eating that day. I'm willing to try any other food suggestions, though.

There are always 2 bowls of fresh water out, one in the kitchen and one in the laundry (where we keep the litter box). They both drink water freely. They've been healthy girls, never had any urinary or other health problems or infections, and until now only saw the vet once a year, for booster immunisations.

The Royal Canin dry food for diabetic cats says it is high protein and low carb.
The analysis on the side of the packet says it is: Protein 46%, Fat 12%, Starch 18%, Fibre 3.6%. I think that will be OK as an adjunct to the rest of the foods the cats will have. It won't be their main food.

How do you manage when you go away for a few days? For longer holidays, we can book the girls into the cattery - and Andrea has experience, having had diabetic cats boarded with her before. She's willing to have Sophie. The problem is if we want to go away for a weekend or a few days. Until now, we've left the cats at home, with the cat flap open, and asked a neighbour to pop in and attend to the cats twice daily. But we live in a retirement village of elderly people and it's a bit much to ask one of them to also take on twice daily insulin injections. We have no family in town that we could ask.

Thank you for your post, too, Bron.

It's good to feel that we're not alone in trying to help Sophie.

 

Actually, we don't go away together. We don't really travel much, and we have been taking turns when we do go visit one of the kids. Idjit doesn't need insulin any more, he's diet controlled now so that's not an issue, but feeding and care still is. We also do not have anyone around to come in, feed, take care of LB and keep him company for a bit. I hope you can find a solution and can get away now and then. Or best case scenario, Sophie will also go into remission and not require the daily testing and shots. Wouldn't that be wonderful?!
I wish you good luck with the testing, you should have seen my husband and myself when we first began. The word "abysmal" comes to mind! It was awful, but it got better and now, even though we don't have to test as often as you do and his ears don't bleed as readily, we are actually successful every time.

There is another tool we use here to log the insulin and testing data we get. If you have been looking around on the board and have read the other members' signatures, there is a link for a spreadsheet. You can click on that link and see the insulin and testing data, and see the patterns and trends of the effects of the insulin. Then the experienced members can review her progress before offering suggestions or advice.
Here are links to the spreadsheet instructions and how to understand the spreadsheet.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/

 

Here's a chart of low carb foods as well as other supplies available in NZ and Australia

 

Thank you, @Chris & China (GA)
Actually, here in NZ, I've never heard of most of those cat supplies. Never seen them in the supermarkets, anyway.
What is the significance of Phosphorus? I thought I was looking for high protein, low carb.
It all gets very confusing and I have information overload - somuch info on this forum and I can't process it all, plus emotions keep jumping in, too.

 

Phosphorus is hard on kidneys so if your cat has CKD (chronic kidney disease), you want to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the food

We totally understand how you feel!! There's almost too much information here!! Just take it one step at a time and as you move forward, things will start to fall into place. Don't try to know everything in a few days because it's not possible!

First thing you should do is get the dry food out of the picture. It's not only high carb, it's hard on those kidneys (and kidneys are the weakest organ in ALL cats, but in diabetic cats, they're under even more strain)

Learn to home test and get our spreadsheet going to record your results.

Keep posting!! Everybody here is very generous with their time and want to help!!

 

Thank you, Lou, @Idjit's mom .
It will take me a while to understand the spreadsheet. Until then, I'm making my own record in an Excel file.
going to start that now.

 

You may have to look online or in "specialty" pet food stores. Not sure what all you have available there.

I'd be happy to set up your spreadsheet for you if you like! It only takes about 30 seconds but I'll need some information from you first. We really depend on our spreadsheet to give you the best advice. If you'd like me to do it, just send me a private message by clicking on my name and choosing "start conversation"

 

I would take up @Chris & China (GA) offer of setting up a spreadsheet for you. She can do it in no time.... I took forever and still needed help
We look at the SS most times we help someone and all you will have to do is add numbers.
It is information overload in the beginning. I’d just take it slowly. It is fabulous you have started posting and testing. And looking into the best foods. Lucky. Sophie.
This is a very supportive community and everyone is happy to help.
If you want to go away for just a few days wouldn’t the cattery take her?
Waving to you from Sydney Australia

 

I appreciate the offer. However, the numbers on the spreadsheet don't mean anything to me at the moment, because we calculate the blood sugars in mmol/L, not mg/dl. Maybe later?

 

There's a "world" spreadsheet that we use for anybody not in the US.....you enter the numbers in mmol/L and it automatically converts them to mg/dl for those of us in the US

 

We use mmol/l in Australia as well. You just use the mmol chart and the US people can check the US chart. Does that make sense.

 

Hi Celle, waving to you from the UK! We all know exactly how you feel so take heart, you are in the best possible place for help and support with managing Sophie's FD. You are clearly a very caring owner and I think you'll be just fine - there does seem a lot to take on board at first but it soon falls into place and becomes part of your routine.

I can't add much to what the others have said but I will add to their reassurance that testing is the part of the routine that most of us have trouble with to start with. In fact it really is just a "knack" and once you've practised it and mastered the process, you hardly think about it and your cat will accept it. I'd say two things - try to approach it calmly, as cats pick up on our anxiety, so try singing a cheerful tune and it might help to relax both of you; and be sure to give a little treat every time, so the cat associates the process with a nice reward.

As far as going away is concerned, some of us find a friendly local vet nurse who is prepared to come in and test/shoot twice a day, but until the situation is a little more established you might be better boarding Sophie with an experienced caregiver who can keep a close eye on her. It can take a while to find the "right" insulin dose and while that is still going, you'll want to be sure that she is safe.

Best of luck! We're all rooting for you and Sophie!

 

There's definitly a learning curve to testing, and the first few weeks can be difficult until the capillaries start to grow. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home. BTW to save money on alphatrak strips I often use freestyle insulinx strips for half the pric

 

Thank you @JanetNJ .
It still takes two of us to test Sophie's BG. Even then, we seem to fail at least once. I failed again early this morning. Three ear pricks and insufficient blood to test. I stopped after that, as Sophie was getting very distressed. I hate this! I need 2 hands to hold her ear while I'm pricking it, as well as two hands to hold her. I don't have any spare hands to give her treats.

My husband is still dead to the world until after eight in the morning. He'd be a grumpy zombie if I woke him earlier. The cats wake me before six, so I have to do the first test of the day without help.

 

Here's something I wrote up for others for testing...maybe it'll help you too! (substitute "her" for "him"...LOL)

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.

Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat.Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

 

Thank you.
I've been using the kitchen bench, but it's also the place where I've put cats in the past, to give them worm tablets or put flea-control on them. So Sophie is already a bit tense when I put her there.
I don't want to use places like sitting on my knee or on the chair beside my laptop, as they are where she has a fuss made of her. I don't want to spoil those places for her. I'll make sure to handle her ears while she's on those places, so she gets used to it.
I can give her insulin while she's on the floor, as that's a quick job, but my old knees won't let me kneel on the floor to do the BG testing.

Sophie's pretty fed up with me this morning and she's walking away from me every time she sees me.

 

Had a bad day today. I couldn't get a BG reading this morning. I tried to gave Sophie her insulin but I didn't feel the button depress when I pushed it and the dial on the pen didn't revert to zero, so I thought she hadn't had a dose and I had another try, this time successfully.

John and I managed to get a BG reading at 12:45 and it was only 9.6. The BG at the same time the previous day was 20.4, so I think I had given Sophie a double dose of insulin (4 units, instead of 2).

We again failed at getting a BG reading at 18:30, so we tried again at 20:30. The BG was 18.3, but Sophie had eaten before it. I gave Sophie her insulin at 18:40.
The poor girl hid in the cupboard in between testings.

This afternoon, Sophie sat on the chair beside my laptop and I stroked her a lot. She didn't seem to mind me stroking her ears, but she jumped off the chair when I showed her the rice sock.

 

Never give an insulin dose twice. If what happens again just leave it. It can happen to anyone so don’t worry.
I’m sorry you have had a bad day.

 

Yes, I've learned my lesson now.
I managed the ear prick by myself this morning. Sophie's BG was 14.7 mmol/L at +9 from yesterday evening.

 

Well done doing the testing on your own. In the beginning I had to learn on my own too as my husband was not up early enough to help with the tests. Once I got myself organised I surprised myself and managed ok. It’s just practice.

 

Thanks, Bron. I need to practice more, but I'm getting discouraged. I couldn't get a blood test first thing this morning. Sophie ran away as soon as she saw me at the kitchen bench. She had been snuggling sweetly with me in bed before we got up, but she was wary of me as soon as I was out of bed. I pricked her ear once and got no blood. By that time, she was struggling and panicked. I let her go, as there was no point in continuing.

I gave her insulin to her about an hour later, when she came and sat on the chair beside my laptop.

Yesterday's BG readings have come down a bit - all between 14 and 15 mmol/L.
She's still eating well, still appears hungry and is still peeing ++. She's eating the FF now, as long as I mix some water with it.

Her behaviour is a bit closer to normal. She does seem to be feeling a bit better.

 

Hi Celle
Just keep trying and it will happen eventually. Try not to get too discouraged. If you can’t get a result don’t get upset.... just think you are one test closer to victory! then try again during the cycle.
Are you feeding her a yummy treat as you test to distract her?
Do you have honey and high carb food in the house in case of a low number?
I think you are doing really well. It is hard for most people in the beginning and being older can have its drawbacks as well. But one of the good things about being older is we don’t have to rush out to work and can be home a lot of the time which I found a real positive.

 

Bron, I get a treat out for her, but she won't look at it. We give it to her afterwards, whether the test is a success, or not. Once she's escaped from us and settled down, she will eat the treat.
Yes, we have honey and I still have some Purina One dried food (high carb) that she loves.

With two of us (John holding and me testing) the +6 test was done quickly, only one needle stick. She does feel it, though, and she cried. Wish it was as quick and easy with just me! Sophie is the eighth cat we've had and I feel as though I should be able to manage this more easily. Our other cat, Phaedra (Feydi) is 6 weeks younger than Sophie, but still aged 14.5. I may test her this afternoon, partly for practice, but also since she's a Burmese and they're supposed to be prone to feline diabetes.

 

The high carb dry food is not really a good option for when they drop low as it takes longer to be absorbed. Next time you go to the shops have a look for some canned cat food that has gravy, rice or other starches in it. Make sure you mark it with a texta as high carb so you don’t feed it inadvertently
Are you feeding your Burmese cat a low carb diet as well?
I’m glad you can get the test done with both of you. I think you are progressing well. Sophie is a lucky girl to have you both.

 

I just remembered - I have some foil packets of Whiskas wet food with gravy or jelly that Sophie likes, so we're OK for some emergency high-carb.

Since both our cats are grazers, whatever one eats, the other has to eat as well. Feydi started on the high protein, low carb food at the same time as Sophie did.

The vet said that, since Sophie is on Lantus (Gargline) insulin, it is OK to continue to allow grazing, as the Lantus is long-acting and food timing isn't as essential.

I just tested Feydi - 5.6 mmol/L, so not diabetic.

 

Well done getting a test in with your other kitty.
Have a look at the ingredients the back of the Whiskas. Jelly and gravy are not always high carb.
Yes grazing is fine as long as she eats some food before the insulin.

 

Yesterday, after I couldn't test Sophie first thing in the morning, we both did the test at +6. Sophie had been asleep on the settee, so we tested her there, with no problems. The evening test went well, but Sophie hadn't eaten, so I deferred giving her insulin. She went outside and disappeared for two hours. That is her usual behaviour, but I worried about her because of the diabetes. She came back at 9 p.m. and I gave her the insulin then.

This morning, because Sophie had her last insulin late, I deferred testing until 7:45 (usually done around 6 a.m.). I tested her on the chair beside my laptop and I managed to get a sample - 17.0 mmol/L, which was higher than I expected. I gave her the insulin and then a piece of cooked chicken.

Looking at Sophie's chart, it appears that she had 2 days when her BG was in the yellow range and then bumped up into the pink this morning. What range am I aiming for? The blue? The vet said to watch for hypo any time Sophie's BG went down to 5 or below.

 

I promise you the testing gets easier and easier.. I was on this forum seriously in tears about testing just a couple months ago.

I won't be able to help with dosing or reading Sophie's #s, I'm far too new to this, myself but a couple things have helped me: 1) post dosing related questions on the sub-forum for the type of insulin Sophie is on. 2) create a new thread every time you need help with a new question. Sometimes we see that a thread has 10+ responses and we figure the person has gotten enough responses to move forward.

Also, we love blue numbers and dark greens around here. Light greens can be a bit scary as your cat could be hypo. I believe dark green is the optimal range, with lower blue numbers a close second. Don't be put off by the numbers you're currently getting though. It will take Sophie a while to regulate. You're in yellow/the cusp of yellow now so Sophie is on her way there!

Try to get some tests at +3 or +4 to see just how low the insulin takes her during the day and/or night. I know right now tests aren't easy but the more data the better, to understand what the insulin is doing. It's a process, believe me... but great job on the shots and testing. You've made some serious strides for Sophie make sure you're giving yourself a pat on the back

 

Thank you for that tip. I'm used to a forum where each person has just one thread, so that you can see a continuous story.

We saw the vet this afternoon and he is very happy with Sophie. He says to continue the same dose of insulin, but we can stop testing her blood sugars 3 times a day. Just to do a test 6 hours after the morning insulin one day and before the evening Editing to ad a word.insulin the following day. We have to email him once a week, with the results and comments on how Sophie is doing. If all goes well, we may be able to drop back to testing on alternate days.
He will let us know if he wants us to alter the insulin dose. He says that with Lantus Glargine insulin, you don't have to maintain a strict range of glucose levels, but remain within a certain range and observe the cat's behaviour. That can give her (and us) a better quality of life.

Phaedra, the Burmese, has a gum infection, but no apparent tooth decay. She was given a shot of long-acting antibiotic and I have to report back if she doesn't improve.

 

Hi Celle
How are things going?
I have to disagree with your vet as far as testing goes. I would test before every insulin dose to make sure it is safe to shoot. And I would also get a middle of the am cycle and a before going to bed test to see Sophie isn’t going to drop too low overnight. I also disagree with only testing in alternate days. With practice you will get much more relaxed about it. Sophie too.
I agree that you don’t have to have her tightly regulated if you choose not to but I really do think that it is far safer for Sophie if you test when suggested.
Of course Sophie is your kitty and it is all your choice. We won’t judge you, we can only tell you from our experience what is safest and then it is up to you what you decide to do. Whatever you choose we hope you will continue to post here for support.
Poor Phaedra with a gum infection. I hope the antibiotics help it.
I meant to comment on Sophie’s photo... she is beautiful. I would love to see a photo of Phaedra too.
Bron

 

It's OK to disagree, Bron. Actually, he disagreed with the advice given to us by the first vet we saw.
However, he's a very experienced vet and he's been doing this for a long time. He has been using Lantus Glargine insulin on cats for many years. It's a long-acting insulin that apparently doesn't cause sudden hypos.

We decided to follow his advice because it's also about quality of life for Sophie and she was getting fearful of us and not enjoying life at all. She turned from a friendly, sociable cat to a scared cat who ran away whenever she saw anyone. Because we have family scattered around the country and also a daughter who lives in England, we do travel. We have to have a cat that someone else apart from us can take care of. The cattery we use will look after Sophie, if they aren't full, but Andrea, who owns it, prefers to test less frequently - also on advice from a vet.

We decided to give Sophie a trial of treating her diabetes, with a view to prolonging her life, but we cannot keep a cat who needs attention 24/7. We're both elderly ourselves and our time for visiting grandchildren is probably limited, too. When it comes to a choice between grandchildren and Sophie, the grandchildren come first. It would break my heart to put Sophie to sleep, but if her diabetes can't be controlled without super-close supervision, that may be what has to happen.

This is Phaedra, with Sophie, on one of their favourite chairs:

 

Of course you must do what you think is best for your situation.
Praedra is gorgeous. I have an Australian Mist who is a very similar colour to her. He is 1/2 Burmese.