Vet is saying cat is diabetic, survival not good..

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Anyone else have a cat who has developed diabetes??

I've just found out today that my cat has high blood sugar and fatty deposits in her blood stream affecting her liver.

The vet has said I can try insulin, injecting the cat twice a day, but she cannot garuntee that this will help my cat.

I intend going for this option, I was just wondering what the costs are so I can start budgeting for it.

Also, if anyone can offer help and advice, that would be most appreciated.

I am totally devestated by this news. The cat seems so not that ill. She is my baby. I have no children, so you can probably imagine how I feel right now, (at least those of you who view your pets in that way will appreciate my feelings).

Sola

My DH had a diabetic cat - she had injections twice daily and she lasted a good few years more. A friend currently has a diabetic cat who has injections and tablets daily, and he was diagnosed 3 years ago (is 15 now and going strong). I'm not sure of costs - maybe £30-50/month?

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Thank you, much appreciated.

My cat is rather old now actually. She is about 14. I still rekon she has life left whatever the vet says.

Sola

I'd say go for it; 14 isn't terribly old. I would if any of ours was diagnosed as diabetic. One thing you need to watch out for is hypos while you're assessing the correct level of insulin - they're like a minifit where the cat stares, licks its lips repeatedly and sometimes wets itself. It's alarming when it first happens, so phone the vet for advice and keep a diary of any symptoms including visible weightloss/gain.

They soon get used to the injections; my friend does hers into the cat's side while he's eating, but I find it easier to do him in the scruff of the neck if I'm looking after him. The bottle of liquid is kept in the fridge and the needle changed regularly. He also has a tablet of some kind in the evening which is crushed between two teaspoons and mixed into his food.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Again thank you!

I need to take a water sample to the Vets tomorrow morning. I suppose I'll find out more then.

I'm totally confused. The vet has told me nothing but bad news, which obviously isn't helping matters.

shoperholicnot

hi
sorry to hear about your cat.
my cat was 12 when she was diagnosed with Diabetes.
they said basically she might live for 2 years, she was on 6 units twice a day.
that was four years ago and i have got her down eventually to no insulin at all! it is possible for a cat to live with diabetes but it takes a lot of commitment. a private vet will charge £40-£45 for a bottle of insulin, you are meant to buy one every month, but i found 2 months was fine.
the most inportant thing is to keep the bottle sterile with alcohol wipes. the syringes can be bought cheaply on the internet.

it is also very important to keep plenty of water available. i use a massive dogs bowl.

shoperholicnot

i also used to use a blood sugar testing kit on my cat daily to keep a record of sugar levels. you can buy these cheaply from Boots. they are quite simple to use.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Oh thank you so much. It has given me some hope.

I am attending a private vets at the moment. However, I may need to look into other options if needs be.

It is reassuring to know that things don't have to be bleak. I do hope the vet is more encouraging tomorrow.

spookylukey

I don't have any experience myself with diabetic cats but I know a few people on a cat forum (http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/) that have and their cats have a really good quality of life as do the owners - medicating the cats isn't hard or time consuming.

With regards the medication the cat will need, when my cat was on long term daily meds I used to buy them from an online pet pharmacy. If it's a prescription only drug then ask your vet for a prescription, by law they must give you one and they are not allowed to charge for it. You can then purchase from an online pharmacy for a fraction of the cost. I use www.vetuk.co.uk and I have also used www.bestpetpharmacy.co.uk they both offer free fast delivery but vetuk were slightly cheaper for my cats particular meds, the vet charged over £42 for 100 tablets whereas at vetuk they were just £25.

Found this on the Purrs cat forum... "Money wise, 30 caninsulin needles can be bought for around £7.99(VetUK) and a small vial of caninsulin (from our vet) costs £13.30. The caninsulin seems to last a few months on the dosage we use.(6 units.)"

Here's a few other links for you:

http://www.sugarpet.net/index.html

http://www.felinediabetes.com/

the_devil_made_me_do_it

The vet has initially started my cat on 3 units twice a day. I have to take her back to the vets on Friday so they can check her blood sugar. The vet said it may take a few weeks to get the dosage right. Once the doseage is right and the cat shows signs of improvement, I will certainly look into buying insulin ect off the internet.

It is certainly going to take some getting used to, both for the cat and myself. No more cat biscuits or whiskas cat milk for her anymore However, the vet has said it's good to give her small portions of fresh meat, so I guess that's a bonus for the cat at least.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Cost me £28 for 2.5ml vial of insulin and 30 needles from the vets.

How much cheaper on the net will it be??

I'm unsure of how long one vial will last?