Anyone's cat have Diabetes? Help!

[Anonymous]

My cat was diagnosed with early-stage Diabetes about 2 months ago and was given a special diet, which he initially responsed to--but this week he started vomiting and we brought him back to the vet, where it was determined that his glucose level is very high. He is a sick cat, no doubt about it. We have limited funds--two kids in preschool next year, one income, etc. and have already paid thousands of dollars to care for this cat, who has also had urinary tract issues.

Today the vet told me that our cat needs insulin, which some cats respond well to, others don't--there's no guarantee. He said that we will need to bring him in 5-10 times over a period of a few months to regulate his insulin levels. We can also bring him to a specialist, who might be able to expedite the regulation process. The vet knows our financial situation and told us that some people decide to put their cat down rather than pursue treatment due to the "hard road" of treatment, both financially but also emotionally--apparently some cats become very stressed by getting the insulin shots.

Has anyone been through this with their Diabetic cat? Has insulin been successful in managing the disease? Has it been a "hard road", as the doc said? And has it been expensive? I'm a bit confused as to what these 5-10 visits to regulate the insulin involve.

DH thinks we should put the cat down, and I'm hearbroken. My kids LOVE this cat, and so do I. If it were up to me, I would dip into some of our savings or just cut down in other areas to pay for treatment. The vet said we have a few weeks of wiggle room to make a decision before my cat will become very sick. I'm so sad.

Thanks for any input!!

[Anonymous]

bump

[Anonymous]

Our DC (dear cat ) was diagnosed with diabetes at the end of December. We live in Bethesda (where I think everything is overpriced...), so adjust for wherever you live.

Initial visit with blood workup to diagnosis, etc. was about $200. Then we started insulin. Insulin vial runs b/n $60-$120 (at least our experience). Needles are about $1 a piece (but can be reused for a few times to save $$). Some cats need insulin once a day, some twice and in different amounts...so that of course, would increase/decrease the costs. Our Vet told us most cats are ok with PZI (less expensive). From what I understand, if your cat is ok with the PZI, it would only be a very few visits to ensure the levels are back to close to normal (@$50 visit).

Unfortunately, we are probably the worst case scenario you would like to hear about to make your decision. It took 3 different types of insulin before we found a type that worked (ended up with human type) and she needs it twice a day at high doseages. But, she was pretty bad before we noticed and had peripheral neuropathy. In the end, I would estimate we have been approximately 7-10 visits. From what I understand from the vet, this is not standard.

HTH. If you have already spent the $$ to get the diagnosis, is there anyway you could try the most typical insulin (PZI) and spread out the re-visits to save $$. From what I read on the web, you should wait anyway...b/c it takes awhile for the insulin to start working and there can be rebound. Of course, I read this after shelling out $$$

[Anonymous]

PP again. I forgot to add....

For us, no stress on the cat. Cat doesn't seem to realize she is getting the shots. Purrs the whole time. And it has taken a few months to get it under control, so no trauma there. Numbers were really high (<400 for weeks).

[Anonymous]

OP here... thanks PP! Would you mind telling me the name of your vet? Mine seems to be a bit more expensive. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

OP again...PP, did you have to bring your cat to the vet for a "blood sugar curve" test, or something like that?
It seems that much of the expense for us would be bringing him in every 2 weeks to regulate his blood sugar. Apparently they increase the insulin dosage very slowly so the cat doesn't get hypoglycemic and I would need to bring him in for 12 hours of testing (at $150 a visit) every 2 weeks for a few months. But it sounds like your vet put your cat on insulin immediately and just periodically tested blood glucose?

[Anonymous]

Our cat had diabetes that was controlled with shots. We took her to a vet in Arlington near Pentagon Yard, that was very affordable (it's been a few years so I don't remember the exact amounts). She ended up needing 2 shots a day, which she never noticed. We just gave them to her while she was eating.

Same thing as the other poster - started insulin immediately at "x" amount and changed as needed based on periodic tests.

[Anonymous]

My cat is going blind and needs a seeing-eye cat-any recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My cat is going blind and needs a seeing-eye cat-any recommendations?

WTF? New poster here...is this supposed to be social commentary? You suck.

[Anonymous]

Op - Ignore 20:49. It's the typical animal-hater that has not assert their ignorant opinions.

Look, we are a family that treats our pets as family members and if we have the money we spend it on them when we need it. We just feel that it was our decision to care for them. That is just our opinion.

If you agree, call around. ALL VETS DO NOT CHARGE THE SAME. I've learned that the hard way, often accepting an estimate to later find out someone else does it for less. Ask your vet about discounted rates. Ask for a payment plan.

If you can't swing it, that is a hard situation. I'm sorry you have to face that choice. But, honestly, it is the rare person who will adopt a cat with health problems (if you were to try to adopt it out). Euthanasia is probably the most compassionate thing you could do then. But, like you, that would absolutely devastate me.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, that should be "that has TO assert their ignorant opinions." And, yes, it is ignorant and wholly lacking in compassion.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP with the Vet in Bethesda. We use Alpine on MacArthur Blvd. Doctors are very kind and I find them reasonably priced.

Our cat had the 12 hour test during the intial diagnosis. After that, they immediately put her on glucose. Their strategy was to provide a dose of insulin and re-check periodically. We started with 1 time per week checks, then went to once every 2 weeks and now every 4 weeks. The way Alpine does the checks is we take our cat in the morning, they take a reading and we bring the cat home. Then we take her back in early evening and they take another reading and we meet with Vet to discuss. It is about $40-$50 a visit/day (both readings in the day and the Doctor discussion). Their goal is to only do the 12 hour test twice. Once at initial diagnosis and again when everyone is reasonably sure that we have settled on valid doses.

I believe this could be accelerated if the cat responds quickly to the glucose and thus negate the need for repeated re-checks.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Anonymous]

My sister's cat did. She went through a bit of a rough patch getting him adjusted to the medicine, but then things were fine and the cat thrived. I don't remember all the details but I do know it just because routine after a while, and the cat didn't mind the insulin shots.

I did have a cat with kidney disease and hyperthyroidism for the last few years of his life. I only bring this up to let you know that I ordered my supplies (needles, medicine, lactaid ringer fluids) from KV Vets at a fraction of the cost of purchasing it from the vet. Our last kitty needed subcutaneous fluids (150 ccs) 3 times a week, so we went through a fair number of needles. You just need to get a prescription from the doctor and then you send it to KV Vets You will need a script for the needles as well as the medicine. Our cat lived to the ripe old age of 21!

BTW, if you want another vet recommendation, we love Dr. Adam Jaffe at Montgomery Animal Hospital in Rockville (corner of Rockville Pike and Randolph Rd). His partner is also great, Dr. Parrish, but we specifically followed him to MAH when he left Benson's Animal Hospital in Bethesda. Dr. Jaffe is great with animals (we only brought him cats but we saw him with others), and is very down to earth about treatment options and, genuinely seems to have the animal's best interest at heart. His prices were lower than Benson's. http://www.montgomeryanimal.com/

Good luck to you and your cat. I know this is a hard decision.

[Anonymous]

OP here.... thanks so much again for the feedback. I've been a bit overwhelmed reading all of the information about feline Diabetes. For the poster who tested twice a day... were you able to go away on vacation or even for an overnight? My family isn't local and we'll want to visit them. I imagine I'll have to hire a cat sitter to come twice per day? Yikes!

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear the news. Our cat was diagnosed with diabetes a few days after my youngest child was born. It was very taxing on all of us. You will definitely need to find a sitter that is knowledgeable about administering insulin shots in the correct amount and in dealing with diabetic cats (special diet, plenty of water, litter box changed several times a day). Your vet may be able to recommend someone. Another option (that would not work for us) is to board the cat at the vets. The shots need to be adminstered at the same time each day, in order to regulate the insulin.