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Anyone here with experience with a diabetic cat?
Her cat is 14 and has had seizures for years —- takes med (think phenobarbital) and they are pretty well controlled
Now she had blood in her urine and vet visit said glucose was very high—probably caused bladder infection
So will start taking some form of insulin via injection
Sounds expensive
Any suggestions for drug that might be good choice and where to get the med
I know you can use Good RX for pet meds if you pay for upgrade—we did that for several months after we had to take our son’s cat that needed eye drops that were $$$
The Good RX saved us enough that it was worth paying for an upgrade
I don’t know what med the vet is going to RX
Apparently it will be fairly small amount and easy enough to dispense but will require syringe which is another expense
I almost suggested having the cat put to sleep
I know that sounds heartless to some people but I have dealt with two cats and two dogs with long term lingering illness that required special food/med and often expensive vet bills
It can be a BIG expense and our daughter and her husband don’t have lot of discretionary income
Plus the cat is 14–not like a juvenile…
So any suggestions much appreciated if you have experience with diabetic cat—
Insulin treatment for cats isn't all that expensive, "expensive" being relative of course. But is there a lot of lab work required? Frequent blood level testing? I don't know a lot about diabetes maintenance. I had a cat who took phenobarbital all his life. The pills were cheap but his annual blood work did add a lot of cost to managing his condition. It wasn't just the superchem and CBC, it was checking the phenobarbital levels, that was a separate, very expensive test.
Now, if I were to end up with a cat with diabetes, I would first turn to diet change, rather than insulin. If the vet wasn't willing to help me go that route, I'd find another vet. Being the anti-kibble fanatic I am, I just have to put that out there.
Insulin treatment for cats isn't all that expensive, "expensive" being relative of course. But is there a lot of lab work required? Frequent blood level testing? I don't know a lot about diabetes maintenance. I had a cat who took phenobarbital all his life. The pills were cheap but his annual blood work did add a lot of cost to managing his condition. It wasn't just the superchem and CBC, it was checking the phenobarbital levels, that was a separate, very expensive test.
Now, if I were to end up with a cat with diabetes, I would first turn to diet change, rather than insulin. If the vet wasn't willing to help me go that route, I'd find another vet. Being the anti-kibble fanatic I am, I just have to put that out there.
Now, if I were to end up with a cat with diabetes, I would first turn to diet change, rather than insulin. If the vet wasn't willing to help me go that route, I'd find another vet. Being the anti-kibble fanatic I am, I just have to put that out there.
To answer your original question, check the prices at Costco or Sam's Club. Legally, you don't need to be a member to use their phamacies. I've called Costco (both for ped meds and human meds) and their prices are far lower IME. If you're a member, you get a discount off that price on top of it.
Another option is to check with a Canadian pharmacy. (There is a shipping delay of about 10 days, so you may need to purchase something locally if you need it now.) I've been using Northwest Phamacy for about 18 months for myself, (insurance won't cover one of my meds anymore) and have been very happy with both the price and the customer service.
To answer your original question, check the prices at Costco or Sam's Club. Legally, you don't need to be a member to use their phamacies. I've called Costco (both for ped meds and human meds) and their prices are far lower IME. If you're a member, you get a discount off that price on top of it.
Another option is to check with a Canadian pharmacy. (There is a shipping delay of about 10 days, so you may need to purchase something locally if you need it now.) I've been using Northwest Phamacy for about 18 months for myself, (insurance won't cover one of my meds anymore) and have been very happy with both the price and the customer service.
I had a coworker with a diabetic cat. I don't remember where they got the insulin. Their vet had the cat on (you guessed it) Hills "metabolic" "prescription" kibble. 31.6 % carbohydrates on a dry matter basis.
For a diabetic cat. Yep.
That's about 30% too high for any cat, let alone a diabetic.
No, it doesn't sound heartless to put a pet to sleep. That was the norm until very recently. It can come down to a careful decision based on logic. Google says the expected lifespan of a cat is 10-15 years.
No, it doesn't sound heartless to put a pet to sleep. That was the norm until very recently. It can come down to a careful decision based on logic. Google says the expected lifespan of a cat is 10-15 years.
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