Quote:
Originally Posted by Kallima_butterf
Wasn't even offered to me. I was just told to bring him in in two weeks and we would see how he was doing.
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Right, they'll probably do a "spot check" (a single blood glucose check), which won't be enough to really gauge how he's doing overall (it's only a tiny snapshot of the bigger picture and should definitely not be the only basis for a dose adjustment).
Another option is what's called a fructosamine test, a blood test that shows the average glucose levels over a longer period of time (around 2 weeks). Problem with the fructosamine is that it doesn't show the highs and lows, so it can look perfectly normal when in fact the bg levels were wildly fluctuating (something called "Somogyi Rebound", from too much insulin). Dose adjustments should not be made based on fructosamine tests either. More info here:
http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Fructosamine
One way to monitor at home, if you don't feel up to trying bg testing yourself just yet, is to measure the amount of water he drinks every day. Pour the same volume into his water dish (say, 500ml) twice a day, then 12 hours later around the same time that you give him his shot, pour the remaining amount back into the measuring cup and subtract it from the total. Write down the number in a log book. Again, it isn't enough info to change an insulin dose, but can show trends in how he's doing overall.
A blood glucose curve is still the best way to monitor though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kallima_butterf
Ps the pharmacist at Walmart said if I bring in my insulin she can match it to human insulin and it would be the same and cheaper. Do u know anything about that route sugarcatmom?
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Not true, Caninsulin is pretty unique (porcine based) and there is no human equivalent. In the world of insulin, it's also one of the cheaper ones (unless your vet is overcharging, which happens a lot).
However, there are some great human insulins that can be used on cats with much better results than Caninsulin (which was originally developed for dogs and is suited more for their slower metabolism). Lantus or Levemir are longer lasting, and although they're more expensive than Caninsulin, they have higher rates of sending cats into remission because of tighter control over blood glucose levels.
There is also a feline-specific insulin called Prozinc that has been used successfully, but I don't know how easy it is to get in Canada. And I don't think it's cheap either.
A great resource for all things diabetes is the Feline Diabetes Message Board, if you haven't found it yet:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/?...1e8307b4ba2e3e