Cat Diabetes And Insulin
As the owner of a diabetic cat, you will soon become used to the twice daily insulin shots. Although many are intimidated by giving their cat shots, most cats tolerate it fairly well and you can get tips and guidance from vets and other diabetic cat owners until it becomes second nature to you.
Your vet will start your cat on a low level dose of
insulin, which you will give your cat twice daily via insulin shots.
The most common type of insulin used for cats is PZI, which is derived
from beef. This is a better choice than the human insulin NPH
which used to be given to cats.
Your veterinarian will demonstrate how to give the insulin shots to your cat. If your cat is relatively healthy, you will be able to take your cat home immediately and start with home care. Occasionally, the vet will want to monitor your cat and make sure he is stable before sending him home. In this case, hospitalization is advised.
Make sure that you are using the correct syringe for the insulin type you have. If you buy syringes at a pharmacy, take the insulin box with you so that the pharmacist can match the right syringe to your insulin.
Your cat should eat around the time of the insulin injection. Feed your cat around one hour before it is time for the cat's shot.
Monitor your cat. Your cat's blood glucose level should be monitored. Fortunately this is easy to do at home and you do not need to take your cat in for weekly check ups. One of the most accurate ways to test the blood glucose is to use a glucometer, the same ones that are used by humans. You can also use urine testing.
Don't rely exclusively on numbers. You can learn a lot about your cat's state by simply observing your cat. Keep note of how much your cat drinks, eats, and weighs, and if your cat starts behaving differently.