Anyone's cat have Diabetes? Help!

[Anonymous]

PP with cat that goes to Alpine in Bethesda. We have not traveled since the diagnosis, but I agree with PP that you either would need a cat sitter that can administer the insulin or board.

We previously would board our other cat when we travel (other medical issues). It isn't a big deal, just a bit expensive.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I just found out that our cat sitter will do twice daily insulin shots for $50 per day. Although I guess it gets tricky with the food regulation, etc. I must admit I'm completely overwhelmed. I have my hands full with two small kids and caring for a cat with Diabetes seems like a full-time job that will drastically affect our lifestyle. I'm trying to figure out places that we can cut back financially but it will definitely be a strain. DH thinks it's best to put him down but I bawled for hours last night at the thought. I set up a consultation with my vet for Monday to discuss in detail what will be involved in caring for my cat and go from there. If we had no/older kids, it would probably feel more manageable. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP with cat that goes to Alpine in Bethesda. We have not traveled since the diagnosis, but I agree with PP that you either would need a cat sitter that can administer the insulin or board.

We previously would board our other cat when we travel (other medical issues). It isn't a big deal, just a bit expensive.

PP, did your doc tell you to limit dry food and do mostly wet food, or anything like that?

[Anonymous]

20:49 here-I was just messing around. No need to get catty.PS-I'm an animal lover and I don't hate anyone or thing except boredom and lack of good humor. Also love music-favorite song "Feline Makin' Love" by Bad Company.

[Anonymous]

I had a diabetic cat for years. There was some fuss and expense at the outset - like others have said, it took us three different brands of insulin before settling on one that worked. But once you settle on a brand and dosage that works for your cat, it's really not a hassle. My cat adjusted to the shots so quickly. I loaded up a syringe, pinched his fur, shot, done. He hardly blinked.

One option you can explore is buying a insulin monitor and checking his sugar at home. One day each month, you test his sugar in the morning, afternoon and evening. Call the vet the next day and give them the numbers. I'd call and they'd have me adjust his dose a little up or down. And you'll start to get a sense of it after a while too. They pushed back a little when I suggesting home testing, but it really worked out fine.

I won't lie, it's no walk in the park, but it was still easier on him than an all-day, sometimes overnight stay at the vet's. The stress of being at the vet's can skew their numbers and make it hard to get an accurate reading. Plus, those glucose curves aren't cheap.

Our cat was put on Purina Diabetes Management, and we bought one of those automatic feeders so there was no question about how much and how often he was eating.

Oh, and in terms of cat sitting - ask the staff at the vet's! My last two cat sitters worked in the vet's office. So it was great, they knew the cat and the shots weren't an issue.

I wrote a novel! But I hope it helps...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a diabetic cat for years. There was some fuss and expense at the outset - like others have said, it took us three different brands of insulin before settling on one that worked. But once you settle on a brand and dosage that works for your cat, it's really not a hassle. My cat adjusted to the shots so quickly. I loaded up a syringe, pinched his fur, shot, done. He hardly blinked.

One option you can explore is buying a insulin monitor and checking his sugar at home. One day each month, you test his sugar in the morning, afternoon and evening. Call the vet the next day and give them the numbers. I'd call and they'd have me adjust his dose a little up or down. And you'll start to get a sense of it after a while too. They pushed back a little when I suggesting home testing, but it really worked out fine.

I won't lie, it's no walk in the park, but it was still easier on him than an all-day, sometimes overnight stay at the vet's. The stress of being at the vet's can skew their numbers and make it hard to get an accurate reading. Plus, those glucose curves aren't cheap.

Our cat was put on Purina Diabetes Management, and we bought one of those automatic feeders so there was no question about how much and how often he was eating.

Oh, and in terms of cat sitting - ask the staff at the vet's! My last two cat sitters worked in the vet's office. So it was great, they knew the cat and the shots weren't an issue.

I wrote a novel! But I hope it helps...

OP here... yes, it does help!! Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

OP, it is worth the time to find and drive to a vet further away from the DC area - - I saved a ton when I had my rescue neutered and declawed by going to Winchester, VA to have it done. I know they charged HALF what the metro places were charging and their overnight fee was like $8. That is also what they charge for boarding him, and they don't have that ridiculous extra fee to "pet him" that all the kennels around here charge. I think the kennels by my house all charge around $20/nt plus extra to let him out and play with/ pet him daily.

If you live in VA, the place we go to in Winchester is Plaza Pet and the number is [phone]. It's about 50 mins from Dulles airport and a very easy drive. Good luck with your cat - - I think you can cut your costs in half at least by going outside the metro area.

[Anonymous]

OP - your 04/15/2009 21:23 novelist again. Feel free to email me at [e-mail] if you want to chat more about it. Like I said, we went around and around with this for years. (And the cat's still fine, actually - just went to live with my aunt post-baby because he'd gotten too cranky in his old age to tolerate a little one. He hardly tolerated my husband.)