https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 27 May 2026 00:08:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894951 Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:37:20 +0000 littlejoy 2894951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: I'm realizing insulin really varies in price depending what pharmacy it comes from. I found a coupon that got us the 3 ml pen of Lantus for $77. I know I can find it for cheaper (with manufacturer coupons), but it's hard to get the pharmacy to take the coupons when it's for a cat vs. a human. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894690 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 20:23:17 +0000 wrkbrk 2894690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: It’s ok! It’s ok. I promise. Do not freak out. Two of my dogs had diabetes. And I had a complete panic attack when I found out about the first one, I was so overwhelmed. It’s doable. The one lived with it for six years and the second is still living with it - quite happily. Nothing changed other than twice daily injections. We get it from Walmart where it’s very affordable. A vial has never expired or if it has there have been no consequences. We don’t do monitoring beyond the annual appt. Feel free to message me with any questions. ❤️ Animals can survive very well with managed diabetes and we don’t even notice it now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894685 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:36:10 +0000 erinbaderin 2894685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cat pee is THE WORST and I can’t speak for everybody, but I am both team why get a pet if you’re not willing to manage medical problems and team older plus medical history plus peeing means euthanasia can at least be considered. Have you tried Feliway? If the cat’s peeing is not medical, that might help - it’s a pheromone plug-in that is supposed to chill them out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894683 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:18:03 +0000 caitcat 2894683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: Oh no! We had to learn to do fluids for our cat and I cried while figuring it out too. It's all so overwhelming, and definitely not something I felt prepared for. I'm so sorry that was your vet's reaction! We did really luck out with our vet. He has a huge heart for animals, but also really empathizes with the families who love them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894681 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:57:45 +0000 littlejoy 2894681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caitcat: Your vet sounds amazing! My vet shamed me for even mentioning euthanizing him ... and as I was crying before doing a test injection on him (because I've never administered a shot before), she said, "You know, someone who is willing to do this would probably take him off your hands.". Needless to say, if we end up moving forward with putting him down, we'll be having someone come to the house to do it, and not involving the vet in his end of life care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894675 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:24:37 +0000 caitcat 2894675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Aww, this is so hard. I'm so sorry you're going through this. </p> <p>We had an old cat who had chronic bladder issues his whole life...it had been more or less manageable with his prescription food and some medication until the last six months or so that he was alive. Then it went way downhill, and he began peeing in our basement on a daily basis. It was awful - I felt like I cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned some more and never got it clean enough. Only to start again the next day. I felt so conflicted because for much of that time, he was an otherwise happy and healthy cat. My husband and I were just starting to get into some of the hard conversations about where our line was with how much we could realistically do to keep up with it, when he had a bunch of other health issues come up and took a really sharp turn for the worst when treating them didn't work. We ended up putting him down at that point. I felt so sad, but also so relieved on many fronts. </p> <p>Before my cat's other issues came up, when I was talking to my vet about the basement peeing situation and what we could or couldn't do about it, I kept coming back to, "the cat has a pretty good quality of life otherwise." Our vet was quick to remind me that my quality of life mattered here too and that the "right" thing varies from family to family, and situation to situation. I really appreciated that perspective. </p> <p>Anyway, I wish I had something more helpful to suggest...but I know how hard it is to wrestle with this, and I hope that you are able to get to a place where you feel confident moving forward. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894674 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:16:35 +0000 Ajsmommy 2894674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: same experience </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894673 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:11:28 +0000 Ajsmommy 2894673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>SOUNDS exactly like my Sammy. :( He had bladder issues his whole life and was on prescription food. He was diagnosed with diabetes at 11 yo and I did the insulin injections, twice a day for 2+ years until he got mouth cancer and shortly passed away.</p> <p>The shots were not that bad for me, he was a very low key cat and it didn't seem to bother him at all. I would put down his food, inject him and that was it. I was able to find a vet that gave me the insulin and syringes for a decent price, I honestly can't remember the price.. but it wasn't OUTRAGEOUS in my opinion.</p> <p>For the years he had diabetes he was fine in all other areas. His quality of life didn't take a hit or anything. </p> <p>When he got mouth cancer though that was a game changer, he couldn't eat, he drooled and it was a matter of weeks and he passed. :(</p> <p>hugs to you.. sorry you are dealing with this.</p> <p>ETA: I did not take him in every 2 weeks as I was told to.. I couldn't do it with my work schedule.. so I only did it every 4-6 mos.. technically his diabetes was never actually under control (numbers wise) but I was givin him the insulin and he was doing well... sooo I basically just told my vet I couldn't do the regular monitoring.. they can't force you to...... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894671 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:53:00 +0000 littlejoy 2894671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894670 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:52:01 +0000 catgirl 2894670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: Of course you have limits! And those limits don't have to only be about money. There is nothing wrong with having limits that you and your DH are comfortable with, even if they are different from others. And unless people have experience with cat pee, they don't understand how bad it can be. It is much worse than dog pee. My mom put one of her cats down a few years ago in large part because of his constant peeing, he was 15 or 16 and had always occasionally peed around the house. She tried all sorts of meds, feliway diffusers around the house, and the vet was constantly running tests. Nothing was wrong with him, he just peed everywhere. But it wasn't frequently or in large amounts until the last year or so. But by the end my mother couldn't do it anymore and thankfully her vet supported the choice. </p> <p>All that to say - you are dealing with (in my mind) two distinct issues, the peeing and the diabetes. The diabetes while costly is treatable. The peeing is not necessarily treatable. And only you can decide what you are willing to do long term. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894668 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:41:03 +0000 littlejoy 2894668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: I'm so grateful for your perspective. That's the thing, the pee has always been a thing, and I have a feeling it won't go away. The vet (and other people who have dealt with the specific pee + diabetes issue) have said the full bladder unloading pee should stop. I don't know ... and there are always people who will be like, "Do everything you can, no matter what.", but we have limits! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894666 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:24:50 +0000 catgirl 2894666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a cat with diabetes growing up. We did not have to take him in extra but that was because we used a glucometer at home to check his glucose levels. My dad was always the one to do it at first but eventually he taught me. But I know not everyone would be comfortable taking a blood sample. Our cat started with insulin twice a day and that continued for a few years, though eventually he went to three times a day. I know we used expired insulin but only for a specific period of time (maybe 4 weeks?) or until we noticed an issue with his numbers. </p> <p>That said, with the pee issues I am not sure how I would proceed. Cat pee is horrible to deal with and if it is not related to the diabetes it could go on forever. DH and I have discussed when we would draw the line on care for our cat. It's in part a money related thing and in part a quality of life thing - and quality of life applies to our cat and us. I'm sorry you are dealing with this. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894665 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:08:50 +0000 graceandjoy 2894665@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: Yes, so don't knock yourself down for being conflicted; I think it's totally normal and most pet owners have to face these issues at one point or another. My dog had cancer and we were lucky that I was single at the time and my parents chipped in AND that it was removable by surgery (no chemo) needed. Otherwise she probably wouldn't have been with us today.... </p> <p>And also yeah I don't think people who don't own pets can really understand the frustration.. I can imagine how horrible you feel that your basement constantly smells like pee and that you have to keep cleaning it up :meh:</p> <p>I have totally yelled at my dog for peeing on the floor, running inside from outside without wiping her paws (she usually knows to sit there to wait for me to wipe them). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894664 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:06:06 +0000 littlejoy 2894664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@graceandjoy: I appreciate you sharing this so much. That's exactly where we are. We've said, "We'll never be those people who give their cat insulin to keep it alive.", and now I'm scouring the internet for coupons to make it less expensive. It's so tough. Hugs to you!! It's HARD!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894663 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:05:47 +0000 graceandjoy 2894663@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Btw, do they sell at diapers/underwear? My dog drips a little after she pees (we let her pee inside overnight if she needs to), and we were saying if/once it gets worse we'd put a diaper on her lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894662 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:04:33 +0000 graceandjoy 2894662@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: I don't have a cat and my dog doesn't have this issue, BUT I just wanted to offer sympathies with dealing with it. My dog is 13, and has had her fair share of (expensive) medical issues. We already pay a lot for her special medicated food, and I totally understand the sheer frustration at the messes esp when you have kids (and we're expecting our 3rd!). We often talked about where we'd have to draw the line too; I think we have to suck up the inconveniences b/c when I got my dog, I basically promise to take care of her for better or for worse so even though my life is SO full, and I do get really annoyed at her sometimes, I know it's not her fault. </p> <p>But re: money, there is DEF a line drawn somewhere because we just don't have unlimited funds. It's just so hard and I try not to think about it unless I have to cross that line! So I just want to send you some hugs :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894661 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:01:27 +0000 littlejoy 2894661@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: He's lost 3.5 pounds in 5 months ... we didn't notice (he was 17 pounds, so it's not like he's emaciated now). I feel bad!! The vet said he's healthy otherwise. But I'm sitting here like, "We cannot have a cat pissing all over the house! That's not healthy!!", and the vet just dismissed it. I'm afraid that the peeing won't stop, and we will have paid $1,000 to get his diabetes under control ... and I don't feel like I can just put him down for peeing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894660 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:59:31 +0000 littlejoy 2894660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: That's our issue too ... the pee has been an issue forever. But it was usually if we left a towel on the ground. Now, he's unloading his entire bladder in the middle of the basement floor. The worst. </p> <p>Thank you for the encouragement and sharing what your parents went through. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894658 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:32:07 +0000 erinbaderin 2894658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents' cat had diabetes for years, and while at first it seemed like a nightmare it was actually very easy to manage. They DEFINITELY did not take him in every two weeks for monitoring - I think honestly they just got his levels checked at his annual visit or if something was noticeably changing. Giving him the shots was really easy, they just did it while he was eating and it didn't phase him in the slightest. The biggest hassle is if you go away you have to get somebody in 2x a day. He also was a pee-er, but I don't think that was related to his diabetes, it was mostly a rage thing, so while it didn't stop with management of the diabetes I'm pretty sure it was unrelated.</p> <p>And yeah, I would say 99% of the insulin he got was expired and it never mattered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894657 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:18:54 +0000 gotkimchi 2894657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: yah the commitment to manage diabetes is a lot both in time and money and I’m sure it’s contributing to the peeing but if he’s also had issues before who knows if this will fix it 100%. How is he doing otherwise? We recently put a cat down who was diabetic, around the same age but also had lost weight, her fur was falling out etc and the vet really sort of said listen you can do this now or watch her really deteriorate </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894654 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:01:02 +0000 littlejoy 2894654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: He's 13.5. I was just reading an amazingly thorough document about this, and it says that monitoring levels will tell you if the insulin is truly expired. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894653 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 11:49:59 +0000 gotkimchi 2894653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use expired insulin on animals and they generally seem to do fine. How old is he? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/feline-diabetes#post-2894651 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 11:40:58 +0000 littlejoy 2894651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our elderly cat was just diagnosed with diabetes ... we are so overwhelmed by all of this. He's had life-long bladder issues (mostly controlled by prescription food and diligent litter box cleanings), and over the last few weeks, he's been peeing all over our basement ... it's disgusting and frustrating. While at the vet, they did full bloodwork and a urinalysis: everything else is fine with his bladder, so the vet assumes the peeing is a side effect of the diabetes. </p> <p>We're now facing twice daily injections + the high cost of insulin &amp; monitoring. Re-homing isn't on our radar, because he's a "problem cat". The peeing issue is truly awful, and if it was just diabetes, we'd absolutely be up for this new chapter. I feel guilty for considering euthanasia, but unless you'd had a male cat peeing all over your house, you can't fathom how horrible it can be. </p> <p>Soooo, while we weigh our options, I'm curious about those of you who have been through this. Is at-home monitoring possible? What equipment do you use? Our vet is saying we have to bring him in every 2 weeks until the diabetes is controlled for glucose monitoring ($150+ each visit). We absolutely cannot afford that, on top of the equipment and medication costs. </p> <p>I've found the insulin (Glargine/Lantus), but it looks like it'll expire before we use the entire vial - does that matter? </p> <p>I appreciate advice and solidarity from those of you who have been through this before!! </p>