I would think so, littlek. I know from nothing about needles, but I use the same lancet for weeks at a time, subject only to the ouch factor.
Howdy, Montana.
Hey there sweet stuff! Happy New Year :-D
Montana - Happy 2006 to you too!
Roger, my other diabetic friend says he uses a needle like 4-5 times. You're saying it hurts more and more as it dulls?
It eventually begins to hurt, but doesn't seem to be a set pattern, or length of time. It makes a difference where you stick it, too. The pad of the finger is really sensitive, but the sides (between the pad and the nail) have very few nerves. I realize this isn't going to help Screech at all. Those toes are just too small a target. The inside of the forearm is fairly insensitive, too, but I've never been able to get a big enough sample for a valid test.
I'll stick (no pun intended) with his scruff, thanks!
Un huh. That kind of immobilizes them anyway.
Eeeyep.
Screech barely even stops eating when I shoot him now. There have been no ups and downs, no pancreatic episodes (knocking furiously on wood). We had plenty of hairballs and a house-escape, though.
Congratulations, k!
You've done a fantastic job looking after Screech so well, all this time!
Diabetes wise, I have. Thanks MsOlga. But, I am worried because I've neglected his regular check ups. He's due to have his teeth cleaned and some pulled (diabetes!).
Gosh, k, you can't be 100% perfect, ya know!
But I suspect your "neglect" is due to cost, yes? This has been so expensive for you!
Yep, it's the expense. Next pet will be insured.
I knew that had to be the reason, k. How you manage the medical & other expenses of your 2 critters I honestly can't imagine. I know you're not rich, so it's obviously a huge commitment on your part. Your next pet is going to be
healthy! That's my wish for you!
Ha! I will go for as long as I can stand without a pet. Then I'll get another cat, healthy or no. At that time I may take in another diabetic cat with an owner in Thistle's shoes. We'll see.
My cat is not doing great. I'm thinking he needs more insulin, we'll find out soon enough. He has lost weight while still eating his usual amount. I finally found the urine glucose reading strips - gluc is high. Tomorrow he has a fructosamine check. Later next week he goes in for teeth cleaning (his first time ever) and they will check to see if they can figure out why he is sneezing (hopefully a gumline absess and not a nasal tumor!). Geez....... I was hoping for a longer stretch out of the vet's office.
I'm sorry to hear that, k.
Good luck, I hope the results of your vet visit are good. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
About the sneezing:there could possibly be a less serious cause than an abscess or tumor. Is there a reason you think it could be so serious?
I hope the best for you and your cat. My last cat was diabetic and I had to give her insulin daily also. I would use the same needle twice. She is gone now and I still miss her extremely. It has been 6 years this September.
I have her with me and she will be buried with me. I know I gave her the most loving home. I also know how expensive everything was. So, I hope all goes well for you and your cat does well. I will be thinking of both of you.
Me too. I don't use insulin, but I use the same lancet till it starts getting painful, and that takes a long time. So far, no infected fingertips.
My cat was always so good about the shots. She never even acted like she knew I was injecting her. I accidentally stuck the needle in my finger on more than one occasion. That did hurt. I was surprised how much. I know it does not hurt the cat. I was just taken back that it hurt me.
When using the needle more than once I used rubbing alcohol if I remember correctly to clean it. My cat never had an infection.
Well, the vet visit left us just as confused. A few days ago, as I said above, I checked his urine with glucose sensitive strips. It showed high glucose. Eating well and losing weight are signs that the insulin is too low - lots of sugar in the blood, but the insulin isn't there to help the body use it up. So, I expected high glucose in his blood when he got his blood tested. They did two tests. One was a snap shot of the moment they took the blood - straight forward blood glucose rate - it was pretty damn low - too low. I've been feeding him treats since I've been back. He didn't eat any food last night, so that is probably why it was so low (hoping that's all it was). The second test also checks the blood glucose, but it takes a long-term look. I dunno how they do it, but it's supposed to show how the blood-gluc was over the last month or two. The results will be in on monday. If he's going way high and way low on any given day, that is bad - very hard to regulate.
TTH - sorry to hear about your cat. Sounds like you loved (still do) very much.
Thanks for the feedback on how the needles/lancets feel roger.
