Insulin costs for a cat?
Discussion
Just checked with Mrs.F7 (VN)...
Depends on how many units of insulin your cat will need per day. Could be between 1 unit or 10 twice a day. Cat will also need regular blood tests until the condition is stabilised, then every 3 months afterwards. Occasionally they can go into remission after a period of time. Also, your cat should be on a diet to help with the problem.
Insurance will depend on your policy conditions, some have lifetime cover, but some only have cover for a year.
HTH and best wishes to puss
Depends on how many units of insulin your cat will need per day. Could be between 1 unit or 10 twice a day. Cat will also need regular blood tests until the condition is stabilised, then every 3 months afterwards. Occasionally they can go into remission after a period of time. Also, your cat should be on a diet to help with the problem.
Insurance will depend on your policy conditions, some have lifetime cover, but some only have cover for a year.
HTH and best wishes to puss
Fake7 said:
Just checked with Mrs.F7 (VN)...
Depends on how many units of insulin your cat will need per day. Could be between 1 unit or 10 twice a day. Cat will also need regular blood tests until the condition is stabilised, then every 3 months afterwards. Occasionally they can go into remission after a period of time. Also, your cat should be on a diet to help with the problem.
Insurance will depend on your policy conditions, some have lifetime cover, but some only have cover for a year.
HTH and best wishes to puss
All brand new to us but she's on 0.025mm twice a day (1 unit). Giving it is straightforward enough and she needs to go back on Weds for more blood tests.Depends on how many units of insulin your cat will need per day. Could be between 1 unit or 10 twice a day. Cat will also need regular blood tests until the condition is stabilised, then every 3 months afterwards. Occasionally they can go into remission after a period of time. Also, your cat should be on a diet to help with the problem.
Insurance will depend on your policy conditions, some have lifetime cover, but some only have cover for a year.
HTH and best wishes to puss
Hopefully it will settle down and we can keep it that way. She already has Keppra tds so hey what's one more. But she seems happy enough - we didn't see any change in her and she was at the vets for a quick check of something else entirely.
Friends of ours have to regularly give insulin injections to their cat daily, they have been for quite some time, no issues with the routine at all. It's quite manageable. Sorry I can't help with exact price info, I have asked my wife who is a vet, but does not work in routine day practice now, so no current costs for her clinic. At most, circa 5 units daily for newly diagnosed large cat, approx £35/month for insulin, then blood test every 2 to 3 months, HTH. As always, speak to your vet.
DKL said:
Mobile Chicane said:
Hate to say it, but you'll be having to manhandle your cat and give her injections every day (something which she's going to love). Would it be kinder to just say goodbye?
Would you say that if I said my child was diabetic? Thought not so there's your answer.Obviously you've made your decision and are happy with it, but if I had to do the same I'd say goodbye.
I don't want my cat to be afraid of me because he knows that I'm sneaking up on him with a needle. I don't want to subject him to the stress of vet visits which he hates.
My views may make me unpopular on here (like I care), but I have to wonder whether modern veterinary interventions such as this are for the owner's benefit and not that of the animal.
In my view, the animal's needs should be paramount.
ETA: Try and manage the condition with diet alone, obviously.
Edited by Mobile Chicane on Wednesday 10th December 23:19
Mobile Chicane said:
Hate to say it, but you'll be having to manhandle your cat and give her injections every day (something which she's going to love). Would it be kinder to just say goodbye?
Don't listen to this idiot.My cat has been diabetic for at least 10 years and has put up with twice daily injections ever since. It's fine. He doesn't care.
They are sub cutaneous, not intravenous. I.e. Just under the skin. No pain, and no fuss.
You'll need to control the cat's diet, so will be feeding her only twice a day, with 12 hour intervals, and she will be starving. Put her food down, and she'll tuck in to it. Grab the scruff of her neck like her mum would have when she was a kitten, and stab the loose skin with the needle and dispense the drug in one deft and confident move. I'm complete non sneaky about it with mine. The cat knows but he's got food so he's perfectly happy.
As far as cost. It mounts up if your paying for insulin, needles, sharps bins, prescription food and vet bills. I hope you have insurance. Then you'll only be paying the £170 or so excess every year.
One important thing. Keep some dairy ice cream in the freezer. If the cat does go into spontaneous remission, or if she throws her food up shortly after eating then she'll overdose on insulin and may go into a coma. At low doses it's fairly obvious if it's about to happen. Trying to feed an ODing cat glucose is a non starter but she'll go straight for the ice cream and all will be well. Too little insulin won't kill her but too much will, so you always want to be just under 'excellent' control level that you'd go for in a human.
Edited by londonbabe on Monday 1st December 23:59
Edited by londonbabe on Tuesday 2nd December 00:02
Thanks LB, about what I expected.
Certainly she didn't flinch at my hamfisted delivery this morning!
Should be ok I hope.
Vets suggest honey but anything easily digested and full of sugar I imagine.
How long after you give the insulin do you feel he's ok to be left to his own devices?
Certainly she didn't flinch at my hamfisted delivery this morning!
Should be ok I hope.
Vets suggest honey but anything easily digested and full of sugar I imagine.
How long after you give the insulin do you feel he's ok to be left to his own devices?
Edited by DKL on Tuesday 2nd December 09:40
I was a bit wary at first when we were working out the doses, but you're starting with such a low dose that I wouldn't worry.
The food will spike the blood sugar, and the insulin shot will drop it, so the idea is that by giving the jab at breakfast and dinner time they cancel each other out and keep it level all day. You should be able to give her the insulin and then just leave her.
Honey works. Basically something your cat likes so much that even if she's feeling ill she will wolf it down. Mine goes nuts for ice cream.
You'll know if she's overdosing because she will be more than usually listless and inactive, and will have difficulty standing or walking in a straight line. She may start sniffing her way around the edges of the room and making odd noises, because her eyesight is packing up and she can't see. If this happens get the ice cream out and let her have her fill. It doesn't matter about her having too much, it's a lot safer than too little. If there's no really obvious cause (like she threw up her food) then it's worth getting her down the vets for a glucosamine test or a curve.
The food will spike the blood sugar, and the insulin shot will drop it, so the idea is that by giving the jab at breakfast and dinner time they cancel each other out and keep it level all day. You should be able to give her the insulin and then just leave her.
Honey works. Basically something your cat likes so much that even if she's feeling ill she will wolf it down. Mine goes nuts for ice cream.
You'll know if she's overdosing because she will be more than usually listless and inactive, and will have difficulty standing or walking in a straight line. She may start sniffing her way around the edges of the room and making odd noises, because her eyesight is packing up and she can't see. If this happens get the ice cream out and let her have her fill. It doesn't matter about her having too much, it's a lot safer than too little. If there's no really obvious cause (like she threw up her food) then it's worth getting her down the vets for a glucosamine test or a curve.
I've nothing to add to the above except never assume your cat won't adapt to being treated for diabetes. If the cost is do able give it a try. Even the tetchy cats cope! It is rare to need to say kinder to euthanase based on the cat not coping with the injections. A good vet wouldn't advise it if they thought a cat to aggressive to be treated anyway.
Btw- thanks for the ice cream tip. Never thought of that one before
Btw- thanks for the ice cream tip. Never thought of that one before
I will add to this - just to demonstrate that there are other ways. Ours was diagnosed back in Feb 2013 and we took some time over making the decision as to whether to treat with insulin. In the end, because he was such a skittish cat (he was known to jump at his own shadow) we decided not to treat him with insulin. He wouldn't have survived the visits to the vet imo, that's how bad he was, and stress doesn't help in trying to stabilise a diabetic cat.
Instead we decided to continue feeding him small and regular meals throughout the day (using an automatic feeder) and making sure that all food was devoid of carbs. We appreciated that he would be on borrowed time but were happy to take this approach until such time as he might start to become very clearly unhappy. He was 11yrs old when diagnosed and we'd heard enough stories from people that had no success with insulin treatment. We even took the advice of his former vet (we'd only recently moved) and he was even more frank about such decisions.
Roll on to now and the old furball is still going. His character appears to have changed (no longer scared of anything it seems) and he's become affectionate to visitors. He's also dropped from over 6kg to about 4kg, but he's still mocching about happy as Larry. The main difference is you have to be careful when eating in range of him as he will get in your face and try to mug you!
Ultimately, what's right for one household is not for another. You just make what you feel is the right choice at the time and be happy with it.
Instead we decided to continue feeding him small and regular meals throughout the day (using an automatic feeder) and making sure that all food was devoid of carbs. We appreciated that he would be on borrowed time but were happy to take this approach until such time as he might start to become very clearly unhappy. He was 11yrs old when diagnosed and we'd heard enough stories from people that had no success with insulin treatment. We even took the advice of his former vet (we'd only recently moved) and he was even more frank about such decisions.
Roll on to now and the old furball is still going. His character appears to have changed (no longer scared of anything it seems) and he's become affectionate to visitors. He's also dropped from over 6kg to about 4kg, but he's still mocching about happy as Larry. The main difference is you have to be careful when eating in range of him as he will get in your face and try to mug you!
Ultimately, what's right for one household is not for another. You just make what you feel is the right choice at the time and be happy with it.
Edited by Swervin_Mervin on Wednesday 3rd December 15:11
Mobile Chicane said:
DKL said:
Mobile Chicane said:
Hate to say it, but you'll be having to manhandle your cat and give her injections every day (something which she's going to love). Would it be kinder to just say goodbye?
Would you say that if I said my child was diabetic? Thought not so there's your answer.Obviously you've made your decision and are happy with it, but if I had to do the same I'd say goodbye.
I don't want my cat to be afraid of me because he knows that I'm sneaking up on him with a needle. I don't want to subject him to the stress of vet visits which he hates.
My views may make me unpopular on here (like I care), but I have to wonder whether modern veterinary interventions such as this are for the owner's benefit and not that of the animal.
In my view, the animal's needs should be paramount.
you know NOTHING The very moment Bob gets sick you'll be at the Vet, begging for their modern veterinary interventions to help him, that or you really are the cold hearted, unfeeling person you show yourself up to be
We use animals to test drugs are suitable for humans, so why shouldn't we use those same drugs to help them live long & happy lives?
Or should we stop developing drugs & as it's not just pets that are stressed & scared by the needle! Are life prolonging drugs for the benefit of the person concerned or for their loved ones?
Our moggie was diagnosed with Diabetes about 18 months ago. He's jabbed twice a day with the vet pen and has 2.5 units each jab.
He waits by his bowl to be jabbed then chows down
Unfortunately we don't have insurance so all the costs are met by me and the most expensive thing for me are the needles, a box of 100 is around £30 iirc (I don't get receipts as ignorance is bliss) with the insulin vial costing around £10. He has Royal Canin diabetic biscuits for breakfast and Coley Fillets (high in protein) for dinner with a tin of tuna once a week to mix it up a bit. He's happy and is healthy apart from his diabetes, his weight has increased slightly so we're monitoring that.
I'd also disagree that it's a miserable life for them, if anything he eats better now than he did and doesn't flinch at all when he's being jabbed, he's a big boy (weighs a stone) and would most definitely let me know if he didn't like anything I was doing.
He waits by his bowl to be jabbed then chows down
Unfortunately we don't have insurance so all the costs are met by me and the most expensive thing for me are the needles, a box of 100 is around £30 iirc (I don't get receipts as ignorance is bliss) with the insulin vial costing around £10. He has Royal Canin diabetic biscuits for breakfast and Coley Fillets (high in protein) for dinner with a tin of tuna once a week to mix it up a bit. He's happy and is healthy apart from his diabetes, his weight has increased slightly so we're monitoring that. I'd also disagree that it's a miserable life for them, if anything he eats better now than he did and doesn't flinch at all when he's being jabbed, he's a big boy (weighs a stone) and would most definitely let me know if he didn't like anything I was doing.
All going ok for now. She was very sleepy last week but not actually unresponsive and she's never been the most active of cats! Vet felt her temperature was a little high so she may have had a bug on top of the rest. Certainly she is a bit more active this week.
She had another glucose curve done on Monday and that was under 10 rather than the 20 it was before. I'm assuming the acceptable figures for cats are the same as for people so single figures is ok, 20 is not.
Injections are a doddle frankly. They are less traumatic than her oral keppra. She squeaks maybe 50% of the time but probably less
She likes the Hills diabetic biscuits (so do the other 3)but is less keen on the paté. She has lost 800g since august so is now at 5kg which is probably a better weight for here anyway.
So I think she'll be ok but boy does she do it the hard way.
She had another glucose curve done on Monday and that was under 10 rather than the 20 it was before. I'm assuming the acceptable figures for cats are the same as for people so single figures is ok, 20 is not.
Injections are a doddle frankly. They are less traumatic than her oral keppra. She squeaks maybe 50% of the time but probably less
She likes the Hills diabetic biscuits (so do the other 3)but is less keen on the paté. She has lost 800g since august so is now at 5kg which is probably a better weight for here anyway.
So I think she'll be ok but boy does she do it the hard way.
One of the partners at our vets is very old school and agreed with what I was thinking regarding Glucose curves, they will never give a true representation of the cat's health because they are stressed at going to the vets so the readings will always be out.
He suggested the best way to test glucose levels was a urine sample which is also a lot cheaper.
He suggested the best way to test glucose levels was a urine sample which is also a lot cheaper.
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