Newly diagnosed, Been on Vetsulin about 2 wks...BS still quite high

S

Sapphire Skye

Member
Hello,
Newly diagnosed kitty here. She has been on Vetsulin for 2 wk. First week NOT ON SS was for 1 unit,x2 a day. I did not home test the first week bc I was still waiting on the supplies(Glucose monitor/urine strips) to come in. The SS reflects the 1.5 u increase per glucose curve done in late February. AM I being an idealist in expecting a decrease in BS so soon? I feel they are still crazy high, I also know the beginning can be quite frustrating as we figure things out. My vet gave me the blessing to do the Glucose curve at home. :)
She still drinks a lot and was ravenous this AM. I do give her ONE temptation treat at BS reading.


If I can have someone take a peek and give me some input. TIA. Oh yeah, I am thinking of backing off the Dr. Elseys Dry to a snack only, even though it "low carb" . I feel the dry may be keeping the readings high.
 
I agree Sapphire's BG is high and she really doesn't look like the insulin is moving her numbers much at all.
Regulating a cat is a marathon not a sprint and while with some cats, a good dose is found quickly, others take a while.
Did she receive a shot on the night cycle of March 1st? There is nothing on the sheet so I don't know if you just missed entering that data or no shot was given. If no shot was given, can you put NS (no shot) or skip in there so we know the shot was skipped. Just curious because the BGs on the 2nd are the lowest.
 
Did she receive a shot on the night cycle of March 1st?

I am pretty sure I did, I just missed that slot when putting in my units. :p I will see what the values were that night, they are written down at home.

She didnt get her insulin 2/28/19 bc I couldnt pick her up from the vet and i asked them not to administer since there was no overnight staff.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
I agree Sapphire's BG is high and she really doesn't look like the insulin is moving her numbers much at all.
Regulating a cat is a marathon not a sprint and while with some cats, a good dose is found quickly, others take a while.
Did she receive a shot on the night cycle of March 1st? There is nothing on the sheet so I don't know if you just missed entering that data or no shot was given. If no shot was given, can you put NS (no shot) or skip in there so we know the shot was skipped. Just curious because the BGs on the 2nd are the lowest.
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We broke 400 last night!! YES 399 but still its below 400 :D She was 413 this morning. I decided to leave her at home and not be a neurotic mom today. Looking at her numbers, I saw the BSs were lower on Saturday. I wonder if the stress of the commute and being at work even though its quiet environment,its still not home. I will see what this does and leave her at home the rest of the week. I made sure to leave plenty of wet food available and will check on her at lunch.
 
I was curious about the lower numbers that one day and the different environment may have had some effect on her numbers. I'm also curious as to what Sapphire's numbers looked like at the vet's office when diagnosed and while on the 1u dose of insulin. Were they higher than they are now? Sapphire's cycles seem very flat which is unusual with Vetsulin. BG taken at the vet's are often elevated due to vet stress so knowing if they are lower now may shed some light on what's going on with her.
 
The reading initially taken at the vets the week prior went into the low 500's. She is normally a pretty chill cat and was also in the show circuit too, now I am not saying she enjoyed it but she has had exposure to hustle and bustle situations. At the end of Feb. it was the first time she was ever away from me overnight and when I picked her up from the vet she had a raspy meow so i think she must have had a stressful night and may have been howling, poor baby :(

Also what do you mean by "cycles seem very flat " ?
 
Vetsulin typically produces a cycle that if looked at on a graph, looks like a "V", high at the beginning of the cycle, a somewhat sharp drop to nadir or peak insulin action (lowest point) and a likewise sharp elevation back to higher BG at the end of the cycle. Sapphire's BG has hardly moved any day and even elevated when one would expect the drop to be underway during the night cycles you tested.
If Sapphire came home a little raspy likely from a lot of meowing, it certainly seems she may have been stressed out at the vet. She may be used to handling but a cat show environment would not have the same sounds and smells as a vet clinic. There could have been a dog or 2 howling/barking etc. upsetting her.
I have to seriously wonder if the 1.5u dose is too high.
Has Sapphire had ketones or a history of DKA? If not, I think it might be worth dropping the dose down to 1u again to see if that produces any change in her BG. It should be evident pretty quickly if the 1u dose is too low as I would expect the BG to go up higher overall. If BG drops, then it will be clear the 1.5u dose is too high.
We recommend making dose changes of 0.25u at a time so as not to miss the ideal dose. Too much insulin can look just like too little and the fact that her numbers are staying so flat makes me think less might be more in her case.
 
"There could have been a dog or 2 howling/barking etc. upsetting her"

I did not think about that, good point.

"Has Sapphire had ketones or a history of DKA?"

She had a UA done at the initial visit and it showed a trace (look at 2nd sheet) . I have been unable to catch her using the litter box for a UA until she had already gone :( Until the PU/PD incident she has not previous medical history just vaccines.
I looked online on treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis

Read more at: https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/diabetes-ketone-bodies


"Home Treatment If the affected cat is not displaying signs of sickness, at-home treatment may be sufficient. Insulin supplementation, careful feeding and constant access to water will be required. Owners and veterinarians will need to work closely together to monitor the cat’s overall health. For overweight cats, diet changes, and an exercise program may be recommended to encourage weight loss."

Thankfully, Sapphire is not currently exhibiting any of the symptoms mentioned of the website.



"We recommend making dose changes of 0.25u at a time so as not to miss the ideal dose. Too much insulin can look just like too little and the fact that her numbers are staying so flat makes me think less might be more in her case."


Thank you for the info on how Vetsulin works, give me an idea on how to evaluate the BS values.
 
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With ketones in the picture, and her high BG levels, it's really important to keep an eye on that aspect of Sapphire's health. Ketones can build up quickly and as you can see in that reference material, can lead to very serious and sometimes fatal condition called Diabetic ketoacidosis. There are glucometers that can measure blood ketones which offer a couple of advantages. First, ketones show up in the blood before they are excreted in the urine so you can catch them early and take action and secondly, it eliminates the need to sneak up on kitty doing their business which can be difficult with cats who relish their privacy.

Are you using the pen to inject Vetsulin or syringes with a vial? If syringes, do they have half unit markings? Syringes with half unit markings allow you to make small dose changes which would be helpful. U40 syringes with half unit markings are available but not usually supplied by vets. The other option is purchasing U100 syringes and using a conversion chart which gives you slightly finer dosing options.

In the meantime, is it possible to get any earlier tests during the day cycle between +2 and +5 hours post shot? This is when the drop in BG should have started and in some cats be nearing the peak action. Other than the 2 night tests you took at +3 post shot, most testing has been half way or later in the cycle and that is not showing much if any drop in BG at all.

It's difficult to see right now if Sapphire needs more or less insulin (those pink numbers on the 1st are still a bit of a mystery) and I would hesitate to drop the dose knowing ketones have been present at least until you can test for them and you get a bit more data to see if we just aren't seeing the drop due to when testing has been done.
 
"Are you using the pen to inject Vetsulin or syringes with a vial?"

Vetsulin Vial w/ u40 syringes and they do have a half marker

"In the meantime, is it possible to get any earlier tests during the day cycle between +2 and +5 hours post shot?"

Not until Friday, but will do so over the weekend. I will try to catch her at the litter box this evening :D and post results if I am successful.
 
So, I did a terrible thing and left her insulin out :( I did some research online on Merck and it stated as long as it was not a huge change in temp it should be fine. Do I administered the evening dose and the morning dose. BS spiked, I am sure it was to inactivated Insulin. I got a new vial from the vet and did a glucose curve last night.
and doing another this AM. I was shocked that i dipped all the way to 144!! So I am keeping a close eye and while the 144 is a good number is am concerned with the drastic dip. Has anyone experienced a huge drop in numbers like that before?
 
A large drop in BG is not unusual with Vetsulin however that big a drop at +1 post shot is a bit early. I assume Sapphire ate before her shot and is not having any appetite issues? I'd give Sapphire some more food, a bit higher in carbs if you have it and check her again a half hour after she has eaten that snack. You can steer her and keep her from dropping so fast. She is still quite safe but Vetsulin doesn't usually peak until at least +3 and usually not till +4 to +6 so you may be needing to steer her and monitor closely for a few hours today.

Interesting that her reaction was that different with the new vial of Vetsulin. Leaving it out overnight shouldn't render if inactive to that degree but anything is possible as you never know how the insulin was handled before you received it.

Chances are good that Sapphire's BG will rise substantially later in this cycle due to that very quick and substantial drop. Not to worry....it's a normal phenomenon.
 
Well look at Sapphire. Either you plied her with lots of carbs, or she is bouncing very quickly from that lower blue BG or it was a bad strip. Next time you get a lower than expected number, retest immediately to make sure it wasn't a bad strip.

I'd suggest you test her again in a couple of hours (+4 post shot) to make sure she hasn't dropped again and if her BG by any chance goes down to 100 or anything below, post on the Health forum with the "911" prefix to get immediate attention and assistance. I have to go out soon and won't be available much longer.:)
 
"Either you plied her with lots of carbs, or she is bouncing very quickly from that lower blue BG or it was a bad strip."

Probably one of the last two. She is on a low carb diet and mostly canned :) I am testing her hourly.
 
You don't need to test her hourly when she is that high. Save her ears for when you really need to test frequently. A test around +4 will be more than sufficient. Of course it's entirely up to you but even if doing a curve, we only test every 2 hours. ;)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
You don't need to test her hourly when she is that high. Save her ears for when you really need to test frequently. A test around +4 will be more than sufficient. Of course it's entirely up to you but even if doing a curve, we only test every 2 hours. ;)
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Good to know, Just did one. She is such a good sport. She comes willingly, such a sweetheart. I feel like her numbers are all over the place and I was trying to see if there if a pattern but this feels so random.
 
Sapphire Skye said:
Hello,
Newly diagnosed kitty here. She has been on Vetsulin for 2 wk. First week NOT ON SS was for 1 unit,x2 a day. I did not home test the first week bc I was still waiting on the supplies(Glucose monitor/urine strips) to come in. The SS reflects the 1.5 u increase per glucose curve done in late February. AM I being an idealist in expecting a decrease in BS so soon? I feel they are still crazy high, I also know the beginning can be quite frustrating as we figure things out. My vet gave me the blessing to do the Glucose curve at home. :)
She still drinks a lot and was ravenous this AM. I do give her ONE temptation treat at BS reading.


If I can have someone take a peek and give me some input. TIA. Oh yeah, I am thinking of backing off the Dr. Elseys Dry to a snack only, even though it "low carb" . I feel the dry may be keeping the readings high.
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I didn't even see a number below 300 for 2.5 months when I first started. It's a marathon.
 
JanetNJ said:
I'd move to 2 units at this point and see if it helps.
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I thought about that but I am hesitant to administer 2 units at this pt bc of the one time I checked her BS and it was 144! I didn't think to check it again in the event it was a bad test strip, there is that possibility. I did call the vets office yesterday and I provided the BS numbers and waiting to see what he says. I did 1.25 this PM to account for DLS.
 
I agree with Janet that it appears Sapphire needs an increase in her dose. An increase of 0.25u would be fine too taking her dose to 1.75u. A random low shot as you witnessed the other day is scary but it also was still a totally safe number. It's all those other readings in the pinks and reds we really need to be dealing with right now.
Curiosity.......what is "DLS"? I'm not clear as to why you reduced the insulin dose tonight.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
I agree with Janet that it appears Sapphire needs an increase in her dose. An increase of 0.25u would be fine too taking her dose to 1.75u. A random low shot as you witnessed the other day is scary but it also was still a totally safe number. It's all those other readings in the pinks and reds we really need to be dealing with right now.
Curiosity.......what is "DLS"? I'm not clear as to why you reduced the insulin dose tonight.
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Day Light Saving - it took an hour away and I was home an hour later than I should've been so I tweaked the dose just a little, It would have been okay since I got a call from the vet this AM to up her dose anyway. :) He said to try this for the next 2 wks and so another Curve at that time to see where we were at.
 
Numbers going down slowly like molasses in the Russian Tundra. Like you said marathon not a sprint. I decided to stop worrying over it and just ride it out and do the glucose curves every 2 wks until we find a "sweet spot". I was being a neurotic mom, losing sleep and hovering over her every move. I will say she "knows" when is time for glucose/insulin shot and let me know. :)
 
Sounds like Sapphire is a very co-operative little girl! :D

A couple of suggestions. Our kitties are tiny creatures and even small dose increases of 0.25u can make a big difference in BG. Making increases of more than 0.25u puts you at risk of possibly missing the ideal dose for Sapphire.

In order to really see how Sapphire is doing, it would be helpful to get some mid cycle tests whenever possible. Tests done between +3 and +7 post shot will catch her nadir (lowest point in the cycle) and make it easier to determine dose requirements. I know this is impossible to do if you are working full time, but if that's the case if you can get some mid cycle tests on the weekend it really does help and if you can get another test before leaving in the morning or grab one when you get home it really does provide more pieces of the puzzle. The other thing we recommend is making it a habit to take a reading before you turn in for the night every night. It helps to fill in the picture and many cats go lower at night.

Curves are fine but they only show what happened on one day out of many whereas random testing everyday would give you a broader picture of how Sapphire is doing. Think of a curve as still picture whereas random testing provides a little movie.

I also wouldn't hold doses too long. Glucose toxicity can set in making it harder to get BG down.
Let's see what the curve looks like on the 21st.
 
"Tests done between +3 and +7 post shot will catch her nadir (lowest point in the cycle) and make it easier to determine dose requirements."

Was not aware of exact time post insulin were, will make note of this.

"if you can get another test before leaving in the morning or grab one when you get home it really does provide more pieces of the puzzle."

I do the glucose/insulin @ 7am and am out the door by 8:15 and get home just in time for 7pm BS ck/insulin

"The other thing we recommend is making it a habit to take a reading before you turn in for the night every night."

That would be a wild card but will give it a try.

I really appreciate the input :)

I will ask the vet about doing the curves weekly at least until we get the BS down and mention glucose toxicity. I was wondering about that.
 
Since you are still home an hour after Sapphire's shot in the morning, catching a test before you leave for work periodically would be helpful. Vetsulin starts working early so even an hour in you may see a bit of movement in her numbers. Any tests you can get fill in the picture and help you figure out what Sapphire is up to. :)
 
I did a curve on her this weekend and numbers seem to be going up instead of down. Taking her to work is unpleasant because now that she is on wet food her bowel movements are very potent and contaminate the environment. :( I don't want to put my coworkers thru that unpleasant experience again. Her appetite is very ravenous. I am keeping her at a can on Purina ONE chicken Grainfree in the AM and PM and whatever she picks off the other two. The are on low carb wet cat food also (has some rice flour). Not sure what else to do I wonder if she needs an increase in dose which is why I ran a curve now instead of waiting until next week. Anyone have the cats BS increase before starting to move down? This has been quite frustrating, I wish I could feed her mid way thru the day instead of only 2 times a day. Any pointers are appreciated.
 
Sorry for the late reply. I've had a chance to check out Sapphire's SS and I'm concerned that one of 2 things is going on. There may be some glucose toxicity which would require increasing the dose BUT it also looks like her readings were slightly better at 2u than they are at 3 units. Without knowing how low the dose is taking Sapphire it's really difficult to say what is going on based on a one day curve. It's quite possible you have skipped right past a good dose for Sapphire by increasing by a full unit from 2 to 3. I find it interesting that her pre-shot was lower the AM after a missed shot the night before.

Have you been able to check Sapphire for ketones? It's really important with her running in those high numbers to keep a check on this aspect of her health.

I'd suggest dropping her back to 2.5u for a couple of days (4 cycles) to see if that improves her numbers at all and most importantly, please check her for ketones ASAP . Those high black readings at pre-shot along with sitting in the reds all day put her at risk for some dehydration and ketones.

As for feeding Sapphire, there is no reason you can't feed her mid way thru the cycle in fact we'd recommend you do. I'm guessing your vet told you to feed Sapphire twice daily with shots. Most cats do better if their food intake is spreadout so they are eating a bit thru the cycle rather than all in two sittings. SOme of us feed 4 times daily, some six. Feed a larger portion at shot times and give the rest divided out into snacks. It may help to settle any bouncing she may be doing.
 
"Have you been able to check Sapphire for ketones?" These were last checked on 3/30/2019 and showed "Trace"

"I'm guessing your vet told you to feed Sapphire twice daily with shots." No feeding instructions were given. When I do work from home (once a wk) /weekends I do spread out her food.


The vet just called me to advise he was going to bump her up to 4 units and change her to an RX diet to Purina ONE Pro Plan DM pate (1.818% carb). If this plan does not work he will refer her to a specialist. Based on what you are telling me I am hesitant in bumping up the dose. I am currently feeding her Purina ONE Grain free chicken pate (5% carb).

Feeding her throughout the day is currently not possible. Mainly bc now that she is on canned food her poop is really potent and after a couple of unpleasant smelly incidents at the office I didn't want to "get talked to" about it. :( I assume the smell is due to diet change and will take a few wks to resolve before it stops being so potent.

I will bring her dose down to 2.5u as suggested above for the next 2 wks along with the diet change and see what happens, I already have an appt set up for 4/27 with a vet that specializes in cats and that has a diabetic cat herself. I feel so bad for my Sapphire, she is a starvin marvin. Her begging for food just breaks my heart.

I am using an app called CarbCalc that says the carb content based on guaranteed analysis percentages.
 
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Please keep an eye on the ketones. Anything above a trace warrants at the very least, a call to the vet. Ketones can quickly overwhelm the body and cause serious and sometimes fatal DKA so it's very important to test Sapphire as often as you can, preferably daily until her BG numbers come down. This can happen quite quickly so simply observing her will not tell you if the ketones are worsening.

Sapphire Skye said:
change her to an RX diet to Purina ONE Pro Plan DM pate (1.818% carb).
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This is an expensive switch which will only increase the carb%. That food is actually 6% carbs....not 1.18%. Not sure where that carb % came from but if your vet is anything like mine, they don't know how to calculate carbs properly and simply rely on the food manufacturers who peddle their veterinary so called Rx diets. DM is "dietetic" food.... not "diabetic" and there is absolutely nothing in the food that is special or better than what you are already feeding Sapphire. Check the ingredients out on the Purina website for yourself.

HERE is a document showing how to properly calculate the carb % of any food.

Sapphire Skye said:
I will bring her dose down to 2.5u as suggested above for the next 2 wks along with the diet change and see what happens,
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I suggested lowering for a couple of days NOT 2 weeks not knowing ketones were in the picture. With the ketones being at trace level I suggest you do NOT decrease the insulin at this time.

Sapphire Skye said:
The vet just called me to advise he was going to bump her up to 4 units
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Given the ketones, I agree with your vet you should try an increase of insulin HOWEVER an increase of 1u is huge for a cat and I would suggest you increase by no more than 0.5u at most and preferably by 0.25u and try that for 2 or 3 days before raising any further.
 
I am using an app called CarbCalc to get my carb percentages. When I glanced at the process to calculate carbs...I was very overwhelmed. Its insane what one must go thru. :banghead: I am aware the “D” means dietic, I also looked at the ingredients and I agree that they dont look much better than what I am currently feeding. I wondered if maybe it just had some magic undisclosed ingredient. I did feed her one can but will return the rest of the case and just say she didnt like it. It IS expensive. I just dont know what info to trust anymore and getting more confused as this wears on. I will try to test ketones daily...that is if I can catch her at the litter box. If it were up to me I would do it daily. I will have to get on my pc and sit down to study the carb quadratic equation and see how the numbers on the app compare to CarbCalc. On my way to give her another unit since I only gave 2.5u. Thank you so much for your help I will keep you posted.
 

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There is a listing of foods done by a vet, Dr. Lisa Pierson, who has taken it upon herself to get the necessary info from the manufacturers of a monumental selection of cat foods HERE. You can search for food appropriate for Sapphire. Anything under 10% is fine with under 6% being optimal and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.

I have the utmost respect for vets and think their profession has to be one of, if not, the hardest on the planet. Your vet is a good vet. They however generally have only a few diabetic cats in their practice. Vets tend to go with what they were taught in vet school and suggest diets that are introduced to them by the pet food manufacturers. Your vet looks after multiple species and can't be a specialist in all of them for every condition.

We are simply a group of lay people who live and breath diabetic cat 24/7. The amount of experience here surpasses what any vet will ever have and dealing with diabetes is very hands on which most vets don't want to admit or promote because all too often a diagnosis of diabetes is met with their human client wanting to put the cat down.

It's entirely up to you how you want to proceed, but if you are willing to take more control, we can help you get Sapphire on a path to better health. It is not my intention to confuse you or try to take over from your vet but the more control you take of this situation, the more likely you are to get Sapphire regulated and on the path to better health. :bighug::bighug:

My cat has a high dose condition. My vet tried to convince me not to bother testing for what I suspected because it was so rare. Had I gone along with my vet, my cat would not be in remission today. I learned what I needed to test for and then what to do here on this forum. I worship the ground my vet walks on but I don't expect her to be an expert in everything and I trust her with all my heart to look after my trio for everything else.
 
"It's entirely up to you how you want to proceed, but if you are willing to take more control, we can help you get Sapphire on a path to better health. It is not my intention to confuse you or try to take over from your vet but the more control you take of this situation, the more likely you are to get Sapphire regulated and on the path to better health. :bighug::bighug:"

I really appreciate this, I didn't mean to sound as if you guys on this forum were confusing me. This forum had given me a lot of valuable information. I am taking an active role I feel. I make sure she gets her BS tested and her insulin is received promptly every 12 hrs. Maybe I am just overthinking things. I just wants what is best for her and its especially hard bc she is so young and it makes even harder knowing that bc its Type 1 there is no chance of remission. One reason I stay away from pure bred is to avoid any genetic diseases and complications that come. I adopted Sapphire as a 2 month old feral kitten born is a barn and have taken care of her, make sure she was never overfed, to make sure she had a long healthy life and avoid visits to the vet aside from annual vaccines. I decided to share her with the world and took her the show ring where she was doing quite well... then this. I never imagined it would be so expensive, time consuming and life altering for me. At least with cat shows you can hold off until is more financially feasible. This is not optional, as a responsible pet parent I am well aware just never imagined it would happen so soon. I have a 17 yo Siamese that I adopted as an obese 13 yo, that ate unlimited amount of Meow Mix all her life. She is now of normal weight ,healthy and no signs of slowing down. What are the odds of picking a Type 1 baby to fall hopelessly in love with? Yeah, It makes me very sad. Sorry for the rant. It just seems unfair. Thank you again for taking the time to read my rant.
 

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Thank you for the pic of Sapphire as a kitten. She was stunningly beautiful as a baby and has grown into an absolutely gorgeous adult.:joyful:

I certainly didn't mean to imply you were not taking an active role in Sapphire's care. Quite the contrary. If that were the case you wouldn't be here and wouldn't be home testing. By more control, I'm suggesting that instead of relying on curves to determine dosing especially for a kitty that it seems may be hard to regulate, that more mid cycle testing along with the pre-shot checks would give you more control and a better indication of how any particular dose is working for Sapphire. I also don't think holding doses for extended periods (2 weeks) at this point is optimal. The sooner you can get Sapphire's BG down, the better. Curves give you one day of data and may not be indicative of what is happening any other day. Kitty could be having a very good or bad day when you do a curve. By getting mid cycles tests whenever you can and always getting a test in before going to bed at night, you will gather more of an overview and fill in pieces of the puzzle that is diabetes.

Dosing is based on a pre-shot test to ensure it is safe to give insulin and mid cycle tests to see how low a particular dose is taking BG. Without both tests, it's difficult to determine if high readings at pre-shots are from bouncing or because the insulin dose is too low or too high. Vets don't usually aim to get kitty into remission. They aim to get kitty's BG down to a level that is low enough to prevent any secondary organ damage. Vets offer a solution that works for the majority of their clients because they don't think their human clients will do more than the bare minimum. Your vet it appears did advocate testing which is great but he/she is also relying on periodic curves to make dosing decisions and that often results in either too much insulin being prescribed or too little. This is why we don't recommend changing doses by a full unit but rather in smaller increments so the best dose is not inadvertently missed.

Did your vet run tests to determine Sapphire was a Type 1 diabetic? While that may be the case, most cats are Type 2 so I am curious how the vet drew that conclusion.

And no apologies needed. I know only too well how frustrating it is to keep working away and not seeing progress with a kitty you worship. Rant all you want. We are happy to provide virtual "ears and shoulders" for our human friends who are the most important component of their kittie's care. :bighug::bighug:
 
I do agree with everything you are saying.

"Did your vet run tests to determine Sapphire was a Type 1 diabetic?
While that may be the case, most cats are Type 2 so I am curious how
the vet drew that conclusion."

He drew to this conclusion due to Safie's age (just turned 2) and not being overweight. I did
ask the cat specialized vet I will be transferring care to if there is a test that can be done to
determine the type and she said their is no test for this. This is based on medical history.


My biggest concern, more that the care part, is the financial part. (Food and supplies) I dont know
how much longer I can feasibly do it without sacrificing my own financial stability and that part scare me so much. I cant stand thought of
rehoming my princess and her not getting the care and LOVE only i can give her. :(
 
Deep breathes. You can do this without sacrificing your financial stability and you are not going to have to rehome Sapphire. This doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. We can help you keep your costs down.

Sticking with locally available retail food brands rather than vet prescription diets can save you a lot. Many folks here feed their cats either Fancy Feast Classic or Friskies pates. Both are perfectly good food choices for our diabetics and both, while already reasonably priced, are often on sale so you can stock up and save even more.

The other major expense is the strips for the Alpha Trak 2 meter and since the strips are the major expense involved with this condition, most folks here use a human meter. I have used both and a human meter is a perfectly good alternative. There are meters available that have very economical strips. You may want to consider making that change to help keep the costs down. The other advantages to the human meter are that the strips are readily available locally and the majority of folks here are more familiar with human meter readings that the AT2 meter. Your vet may suggest that the human meter will read too low. While the human meter does read lower than the AT2 meter, we know what BG readings are normal and too low for a cat on a human meter. When it comes to numbers too high, it really doesn't matter what meter you are using. The most popular meters used here are those from Walmart called Relion.

I'm assuming right now you are getting the insulin from your vet and it's quite possible the vet is charging you a markup. Vetsulin can be ordered through Chewy.com at a cost of $56 for a 10ml vial. Not sure how that compares to what you've been paying but perhaps that is another savings.

Interesting that the vet thinks Sapphire is Type 1 due to her age. If it's any consolation, my girl was diagnosed at 4 yrs old (still very young) and wasn't overweight by more than half a pound so Sapphire may still be Type 2.

Just a few things for you to think about.:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Thank you so much for the support and kind word. Another reason to changing vets is that the current vet only price matched "close" to chewy prices and does not approve any request for refills (food or meds) from chewy. :eek: I understand they have a business to run but I also want to keep my cat in good health with minimal cost. They are charging me $60, that is their price match.

Do human glucose meters need to be calibrated to feline measurements or are no changes required?

I had a couple of meltdowns today when a coworker asked me how things were going. :blackeye: We talked about the high cost of rx food and how I knew it was not the best way to go economically. She mentioned feeding raw, homemade at that. Something I had not considered but once i watched a couple of videos
on my lunch break it seemed very doable and I am very optimistic. Check out the video below. Reading the comments it looks like a 3/4 hp grinder is the way to go. I have some a long way into this to give up and I feel I see a silver lining. Yeah I have have to drop another $100 - $150 on a grinder but I will know what is in their food. I am hoping my little one is a Type 2 in my heart of heart.

I had reached out to Dr. Elsey's website last night and they replied this morning with the Ash content since it was not disclosed on the website. Expensive yes but a good alternative to have around.

 
Sapphire Skye said:
Do human glucose meters need to be calibrated to feline measurements or are no changes required?
Click to expand...

No calibration or changes required. You simply use the human meter and record those numbers. And human meters do not need the code set either. The scale will be lower but if you did a curve using both meters for example and graphed them, they would look very similar shape wise. You really only need to know what the normal range is and what your low BG warning number to take action to prevent a Hypo is. We have all that here with years of experience attached to it. The interesting thing is that pet meters are actually a relatively new tool. Prior to their inception, vets used human meters and some still do.

Many vets will tell you not to use a human meter (they will tell you it is not accurate which is not true because no meter is spot on.....its just different) but my response to the vet would be to tell them directly that the AT2 is too expensive to use and a human meter works fine and is certainly better than none.
Sapphire Skye said:
Another reason to changing vets is that the current vet only price matched "close" to chewy prices and does not approve any request for refills (food or meds) from chewy. :eek: I understand they have a business to run but I also want to keep my cat in good health with minimal cost. They are charging me $60, that is their price match.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you are switching vets. Sounds like your current vet is padding his pocket by refusing to provide you with the ability to price shop. I know they are running a business but that should not include holding you hostage to paying more than you need to. I believe he is obligated to provide you with a written RX if you ask for one as long as he has seen the cat to write the prescription....at least that is the case in most states. The interesting part is that he won't prescribe refills I take it without seeing Sapphire again too (more pocket padding) which strikes me as bordering on potential animal abuse for a cat he has suggested is a Type 1 diabetic. Vets get away with this stuff because people don't know better and don't argue with them. Their mission should be to provide you with the ability to optimally look after Sapphire at the most reasonable costs possible and certainly not to hold you hostage to having to pay his inflated costs.

A raw diet is certainly another good option for Sapphire and it too would be considerably less expensive than those prescription diets and possibly even many of the retail varieties appropriate for our extra sweet fur kids. :)
 
Small Victory today, looks like Sapphire tested negative for ketones, but the protein seems high :( See attached photos from today. I have been trying to get a daily UA from her after work.
Check uder LABS tab on SS
 
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Great to see the negative ketones. As for the Protein in the urine I'm not sure. It could simply be from the high protein diet but I have no idea what readings would be indicative of the high protein diet vs some other issue. Kidney issues can also result in protein in the urine but we know Sapphire's BG has been up and that no doubt is putting some extra pressure on her kidneys right now. I'd certainly speak to the specialist about it at your upcoming appt.
 
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