Petco Foundation Grant--Smokey

Smokey--Two Hours to Live

“Smokey goes to the shelter in two hours! You have until 10 am to save him!” This was the gist of the email Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN) received in August from Smokey’s family.

What does "shelter" mean?

This ultimatum would have frightened most, but DCIN and its friends put on their capes and got to work! Instead of being dead, this morning Smokey woke up in a cozy bed surrounded by love and affection.

Smokey is a beautiful 8 year old smoke gray cat. He was found as a stray kitten and immediately staked claim to his human family. But in March 2013, Smokey’s health started declining—he was losing weight, extremely hungry, and feeling lousy. The family knew Smokey should see a veterinarian, but could not afford the visit. A local rescue paid for the visit. The diagnosis was diabetes, which is manageable but Smokey’s family could not afford the cost. And the family (except the two kids who dearly loved Smokey) had little interest in treating him. The local rescue did not know how to help with diabetes and turned to DCIN.

DCIN brought Smokey into its financial assistance program, paying for vetting, insulin, and diabetic testing supplies, and providing education. DCIN directed Smokey’s family to an Internet forum that provides support and advice for treating diabetic cats. But Smokey’s family did not commit to the effort needed to treat him. His health continued to decline and four months after being diagnosed, Smokey’s family announced it would to take him to a high-kill shelter where he likely would be destroyed upon intake.

But that turned out to be Smokey’s lucky day!

Working with a local woman who had been Smokey’s insulin dosing advisor on the Internet forum, DCIN immediately looked for a better solution for Smokey than death in a gas chamber.

I love you too, Mom!

DCIN has a large social networking group with contacts throughout the US. DCIN received many offers of donations for Smokey's care and thousands of “shares.” This was one of the most overwhelming shows of concern that DCIN has seen on its Facebook page. Within two days, Smokey had a potential adoptive family—one familiar with treating diabetic cats and willing to give Smokey the love and care he needed. There were other offers to shelter Smokey, but a family would be best for him!

DCIN raised a “trust fund” for Smokey and continues to help with his care. He will now live a full life, one without the complications resulting from under-treated diabetes. Smokey is now a member of two families: His adoptive family and the DCIN family.

DCIN helps diabetic cats whose owners are unable or unwilling to provide the necessary care—or who have abandoned them altogether—by finding them loving homes. We are proud of our many success stories, including Smokey's!

Petco Foundation Grant--Scooter

The Amazing Adventures of Scooter the Diabetic Cat

He felt terrible, starving but losing weight, peeing all the time … the vet diagnosed diabetes. He felt his human didn’t want him anymore. He wished he could go back to how things were when she adopted him just a couple months before. He needed help

Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN) received a call about Scooter in remote western Canada. The caregiver was ill equipped to provide appropriate care; DCIN could help. It provided education and paid for vet bills and insulin. It also donated supplies so the caregiver could test Scooter’s blood sugar, and encouraged her to join an on-line forum for feline diabetes.

My belly can be your playground.

For more than a year, DCIN stayed involved, both with financial aid and moral support. Once DCIN agrees to sponsor a cat, it stays involved as long as necessary. Scooter needed a dental (bad teeth can elevate blood sugar) but the caregiver never provided a cost estimate. Finally, in January 2013, the caregiver agreed to surrender Scooter and DCIN began the rehoming process.

He sensed change was coming, and his spirits rose! But the months wore on, and he began to lose hope. He dreamt of the moment he would meet his new humans, and planned what to say: “My name is Scooter. You have rescued me. Prepare to be loved!”, and he would purr and smile, thrusting his head into their hands.

The caregiver’s situation changed and it appeared Scooter would be abandoned or confined to a small bathroom; either way he was facing diminished quality of life or death. DCIN made Scooter’s rehoming a 911.

In June 2013 DCIN received an adoption inquiry from Maine. With the help of many individuals and organizations, DCIN planned his transport across the continent and the international border.

Is it you?

Scooter had vet visits for vaccines and the necessary health certificate. In August, volunteers drove Scooter towards Vancouver, then flew him to Toronto, where he spent a week being treated by a DCIN case manager.

Is it you, he wondered? “My name is Scooter. You have rescued me. Prepare to be loved!” Purr, smile, head-thrust.

But near a Canada/US border crossing, Scooter was handed off to a DCIN transport manager.

This must be it! “My name is Scooter. You have rescued me. Prepare to be loved!” Purr, smile, head-thrust.

However, she immediately took him to a US vet for another health certificate and on Labor Day Monday delivered Scooter to the airport for a two-leg flight to Portland, Maine. But there were weather delays; Scooter couldn’t fly until Wednesday. The rest of the trip went smoothly; he arrived in Portland on schedule. Maine requires an import quarantine, which a diabetic-friendly shelter with which DCIN often partners provided.

Scooter with his new Mom!

Saturday morning, someone came to collect him.

“My name is Scooter. You have rescued me. Prepare to be loved!” Purr, smile, head-thrust.

Thanks to DCIN, and after traveling 3600 miles in 17 days, Scooter finally had the right human.

Petco Foundation Grant--Richard

Richard...A Story of Shelter-Rescue Cooperation

Sick Richard, showing his third eyelids.

Picked up as a stray just before Thanksgiving 2011, Richard was a sick old black cat—three strikes against him. But, the shelter in Maine knew this little old man was a true charmer. Still intact, Richard was calm, loving, and as sweet as they come. And sweeter than they expected when they found Richard was diabetic.

Through a local contact, the shelter’s director found her way to Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN). DCIN offered advice and free supplies to help get Richard healthy and adoptable. DCIN also offered its strong Internet presence to find Richard a home. Because the shelter was overcrowded and understaffed, the director was unsure how long she could house Richard.

 

Richard at the shelter.

The shelter started Richard on a grain free diet and borrowed insulin. DCIN helped the shelter obtain more insulin and sent blood sugar testing equipment and other necessary supplies.

Healing at the shelter.

With better diet and his diabetes regulated, Richard blossomed. He charmed all, including an experienced diabetic cat caregiver in Washington state. Although smitten with Richard when she saw DCIN’s posting, the potential adopter was concerned that she might be taking on a hospice case. Her fears were allayed when the excellent care he received at the shelter, facilitated by DCIN’s medical assistance, improved his body condition and helped him gain weight.

Even though Richard found his new home, winter weather became a transport problem. Richard left the shelter in mid-January 2012 and stayed with two DCIN-arranged temporary foster homes before boarding his flight in Boston. Richard was to fly to Houston and connect to a flight to Washington.

Unfortunately, a snag developed. The airport in Washington closed because of snow, cancelling Richard’s flight from Houston. The DCIN air transport coordinator arranged with a DCIN adopter near Tulsa to foster Richard until he could again fly. It is DCIN’s policy not to leave “stranded” insulin-dependent diabetic cats in airport veterinary boarding facilities overnight (or what in this case would have been several days). Richard boarded the last flight out of Houston to Tulsa that night. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, DCIN was able to pay for the second air cargo fee this re-rerouting required. Richard got to his new mom six days late, but he was healthy and safe when she finally was able to scoop him up.

Two diabetic cats +
One Papasan chair =
A Sugar Bowl

Richard is now looking forward to his second winter holiday season with his new Mom and his fur siblings, one of which also is diabetic. Mom says Richard is as sweet as she hoped. He is now off insulin because of his raw diet.

The shelter director thanked DCIN for caring for Richard and finding him a new home and transporting him there saying "I have not experienced such dedication and care from any rescue group as I have from DCIN. Richard's outcome would not have been as wonderful had DCIN not been so willing to help."

Petco Foundation Grant--Cricket

Cricket--From Honey Badger Back to Baby

Baby-Cricket at intake.
Sick, hostile, matted.

I saw a scraggly looking, tail-less tortie on Diabetic Cats in Need’s Facebook page in dire need of foster care because of her diabetes. An elderly widower found her in the summer abandoned at a campground and took her home, naming her Baby. His daughter contacted DCIN because he was unable to handle her when she became diabetic, causing her to go from sweet to hostile.

A widow myself and lover of special-needs cats, my heart went out to them. A DCIN volunteer helped transport Baby across Massachusetts to me. I renamed her Cricket because I already had a Baby of my own. Cricket was so ferocious I wondered how she’d ever come to be named Baby. Her blood sugar numbers were sky high so we began our fight to conquer them. "Fight" being the operative word. To test her sugar, I’d have to toss a towel over her and grab my growling, hissing little foster full of sugar and torti-tude, and try not to get bitten. Still, she sent me twice to the Emergency Room, so I nicknamed her Honey Badger.

Ironically, the very day I got Cricket, my own elderly Baby became suddenly ill. Despite our best efforts at the hospital, she died. I will always believe that this new ‘Baby’ came to me for a special reason. My work to control her diabetes and make her well allowed me to save one of the Babys. I had no experience with diabetes and made a grave error on my first insulin administration, accidentally overdosing her. My DCIN caseworker talked me off the ledge as I sobbed over delivering yet another Baby to the emergency vet. Despite my mistake, Cricket took it in stride, as I guess any Honey Badger would, and DCIN insisted on paying the vet bill, assuring me that everyone makes mistakes.

A Cricket-Mom lovefest.

For three months I wrestled with insulin doses, doing frequent blood sugar tests, and following strict protocol from my advisor—low-carb wet food only and adherence to the dosing ranges she set. My DCIN caseworker and I became good friends as we discussed Cricket and she told me she “knew” Cricket would one day be insulin-free and sleeping on my bed. I told her she was delusional. In only three months, Cricket sank to normal numbers and into remission, and remains insulin free today, 18 months later.

I love my Mom's bed now.

Little Cricket will still smack down my much bigger boy cats, who accepted her as their fearless leader immediately. I wrote her former owner to assure him his ‘Baby’ was well now. I could not save my own Baby, but I saved his, and with an official adoption, she became mine. She now sleeps on the bed and gives me kisses, which I accept without fear because Honey Badger has become a Baby again.

DCIN helps diabetic cats whose owners are unable or unwilling to provide the necessary care—or who have abandoned them altogether—by finding them loving homes. I am proud of their many success stories, including Cricket!

HART of Maine- Julia

September 30, 2014-  HART got their wish! Julia is OTJ!  ~Lisa

January 10, 2014--Julia, HART is happy to say, is now only on 1/2 unit of insulin once each day! She was up to 1/2 unit BID but it was too much. HART is still hoping for remission for this sweet elder-kitty. She still loves her Wellness canned food watered down and at her age, HART is happy to oblige her!

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November 20, 2013--This pretty girl is a courtesy post for a diabetic friendly shelter group in Cumberland, Maine.

Miss Julia is a super senior and is about 13 years old. She was surrendered to us by a local vet as her owner didn't want to care for her anymore and she was in danger of euthanasia.

Julia is trying to get the hang of shelter life and isn't too keen on it (as one could imagine). She came to us with several bad teeth that were not attended to and was on an oral medication to treat her diabetes. Unfortunately, Miss Julia was also declawed, so she may be extra fearful around other kitties as she feels unable to defend herself.

HART took care of Julia's bad teeth and we are still trying to regulate her. She LOVES when her Wellness Grain Free food is watered down, so that is what we do for her. We just wish she'd eat a bit more at a sitting. Julia was started on 1 unit BID of Lantus, but that seems to be too much for her right now, so we reduced her to .5 units BID. If that proves to be too much we will reduce her again!

Stay tuned for more on Miss Julia. We believe she is an EXCELLENT candidate to come off insulin with the proper care and diet that she deserves. Please consider adopting this lovely lady who deserves a retirement HOME in her twilight years. She easily purrs when petted but still enjoys the safety of a show cage where she can watch the other residents of the Diet Controlled Room interact.

Don't hesitate to contact HART to inquire about adopting this sweet older girl! To contact HART, here is the link to our website: http://www.hartofme.com/. For a blank adoption application, click on this link: http://www.hartofme.com/documents/HARTadoptionapplication.pdf.

HART of Maine - Jackie

November 13, 2014- Jackie is now on just one quarter unit of insulin twice a day (BID)! ~Lisa

January 10, 2014--Jackie, HART's happy-go-lucky, Meezer girl, is doing very well and is on 1 unit Lantus BID right now. Her appetite is good and she is just such a good natured kitty! Nothing seems to really ruffle her fur! She has gotten along with her roommates since the first day. She really would be an ideal kitty in almost any household.

To contact HART, here is the link to its website: http://www.hartofme.com/. For a blank adoption application, click on this link: http://www.hartofme.com/documents/HARTadoptionapplication.pdf.

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November 20, 2013-- This stunning little lady is a courtesy post for a diabetic friendly shelter group in Cumberland, Maine.

Jackie, one of our newest diabetic residents, is a pretty Siamese lady and is about 8 or 9 years old. She came to HART because she was diabetic and her mom was working 2 jobs and unable to properly care for Jackie's diabetes due to her time from home.

She was eating M/D wet and dry food and was previously on ProZinc insulin, but at HART we feed our diabetics Grain Free, so we changed her to Wellness Grain Free and switched her to Lantus insulin so she can be switched to our protocols. She wasn't too sure how she felt about all these new changes and we had to convince her that the food was for her own good.

As it turns out, she just didn't like life in a cage! Now that she is free to move about our Diet Controlled Room at HART, she enjoys moving from platter to platter sampling the different flavors of Wellness available to her!

She has been non-confrontational with ALL of the other kitties right from the start. We believe she would do FABULOUS in any multi cat household. She hasn't bonded with any of the other kitties but is figuring out who are the friendlier ones that she can associate with. Nor has she shown interest in any toys yet, but will watch several other residents go nuts chasing the elusive red dot. I think it might be "below her station" to chase toys! She is Princess Jackie after all!

Jackie enjoys attention and will allow you to brush her. She has the typical Meezer Meow but is not super vocal unless she's waiting for a meal.

So far, Jackie is doing very well on 1 unit of Lantus BID. We hope, over time, that she may lose the need for insulin and we will continue monitoring her progress. Don't hesitate to contact HART if you are interested in adopting Jackie as transport may be available!

To contact HART, here is the link to our website: http://www.hartofme.com/. For a blank adoption application, click on this link: http://www.hartofme.com/documents/HARTadoptionapplication.pdf.

Petco Foundation Grant--Chubby

Was I Ever Diabetic?

I’m Chubby, and was a happy innie/outie living with my Dad in rural New England. I’ve been on insulin for some years because my Dad decided I was diabetic. Dad never took me to a vet, but I was OK until Dad got hurt and couldn’t give me food or insulin anymore. Our neighbor lady helped when she could, but not every day and she was going to be gone all summer.

I'm Chubby, and my name suits me.

Dad said it was best to find me a new home. The neighbor lady found Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN). The DCIN ladies weren’t sure I was diabetic. They said I could have high blood sugar because I was being given insulin—if my body didn’t need that insulin, my body would raise my blood sugar to keep me safe. The neighbor lady couldn’t take me to the vet and there were no mobile vets.

A lady a thousand miles away told DCIN she would be my Mom. A DCIN friend a couple hours away came to take me to a local vet. The vet said I was healthy and my blood sugar was high. That lady came back for me so she could be my foster Mom for awhile. I was sad to leave my Dad but excited to meet my new Mom.

I have slimmed down some.

I stayed with my foster Mom for a week. I saw another vet because I needed a paper to fly to my new Mom. The vet said I was a flea factory despite the flea medicine the first vet gave me. My foster Mom flea combed me everyday, and started testing my blood sugar. She gave me insulin, but much less than I was getting before.

DCIN flew me to my new Mom. My foster Mom was sad to see me go; she said I was an excellent boy. I never showed any upset about having new experiences although I would have liked some outside time.

My new Mom has other diabetic kitties and wonderful inside and outside places for kitties. We go into the backyard enclosure through a door from the garage. I need some help with that because I’m still a bit chubby for the opening.

I'm Chubby and he's Piggy.

And best of all, I don’t get insulin anymore. Mom changed my diet to low-carbohydrate canned food, tested my blood sugar a few times a day, and only gave me three shots of insulin before my sugar was back to normal. I love my Mom for taking care of me and DCIN for rescuing me. I didn’t tell you before, but my Dad was going to have to put me to sleep if no one took me. I am glad he didn’t have to do that because that would have broken his heart.

DCIN helps diabetic cats whose owners are unable or unwilling to provide the necessary care—or who have abandoned them altogether—by finding them loving homes. They are proud of their many success stories, including mine!

Petco Foundation Grant--Charbonneau

From Straggly Stray to Elegant Charbonneau

In August 2012, a kind lady south of Portland, Oregon, was surprised when a tiny, timid, very thin stranger cautiously eased through her cat door. The stranger was emaciated, her fur was ragged, and she moved stiffly and with a limp. A collar scar around her neck showed that she had once been someone's pet, but it was obvious that she had fallen on hard times and was now barely surviving.

Stray Kitty came in to ask for help.

A local rescue informed the lady that, in addition to other health problems, Stray Kitty was diabetic and a senior—so together they reached out to Diabetic Cats In Need (DCIN), an organization that specializes in assisting diabetic cats find homes, and assisting owners of diabetic cats with their care. Because diabetic cats often have additional medical problems, DCIN also offers education about diabetes care and a financial assistance program for owners in need.

Within days DCIN posted Stray Kitty, newly dubbed "Charbonneau," on its blog and Facebook page. DCIN rehomes cats from across the continental US and Canada without distance barriers thanks to a dedicated network of volunteers. Like many of the cats that DCIN rehomes, Charbonneau was traumatized by her abandonment and her multiple health problems, so DCIN also offered assistance to integrate her into her new home, including assistance from an animal behaviorist if needed and financial assistance in providing necessary medical and dental care.

Dangerously underweight and in need of care.

DCIN quickly received an application to adopt Charbonneau from a family in Colorado. Charbonneau's health was too fragile to allow for normal methods of long-distance transportation; she would have to be escorted in an airplane cabin. One of DCIN’s many friends stepped up to donate the air fare for Charbonneau and her companion, and four days later, Charbonneau flew home.

Her new family's vet pronounced her dangerously underweight and badly in need of dental work and other care. Her diabetes was out of control, and she had a heart murmur, arthritis, and peripheral neuropathy. DCIN offered financial assistance immediately. After being put on a carefully managed insulin regimen, a special diet, and vitamins, Charbonneau had six teeth removed.

A year after her adoption, Charbonneau is a plump, happy little cat. With proper nutrition and regulation of her diabetes, her heart murmur has almost disappeared, her fur is soft and sleek, and her gait is no longer painful and halting.

Thanks to DCIN's suggestions for integration into Charbonneau’s new family, there were never any issues with acceptance by the resident cats.

New brother Onyx grooms Char.

It took almost a year for Charbonneau to completely regain her confidence, but she now sleeps in her owners' bed every night, actively seeks their attention, asks to be picked up and petted, and is loving, self-assured, and comfortable in her surroundings.

Char helps Mom in her home office.

DCIN helps diabetic cats whose owners are unable or unwilling to provide the necessary care—or who have abandoned them altogether—by finding them loving homes. We are proud of our many success stories, including Charbonneau!

Petco Foundation Grant--Boo

Boo Wants a Home for the Holidays!

Black. Strike one.
Diabetic. Strike two.
FIV+. Strike three.

Poor Boo. By all counts, it looked like he was out.

Boo is a loving black beauty surrendered to be put down in late 2012 due to diabetes. The Midwestern vet could tell there was something special about him and decided to save him. As they began caring for him, they discovered he is FIV+. In an instant, his chances for finding a loving, compassionate home became very slim.

 

Boo is a sweet soul!

One of the clinic volunteers reached out to Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN) about Boo. We at DCIN fell in love with Boo's personality and helped transition him to Lantus insulin. We worked with the vet techs to get him on a low carbohydrate wet food diet to better control his blood sugar. Unfortunately, Boo was stressed by the venous blood draws and it was difficult to find the proper insulin dosage to keep his diabetes regulated.

DCIN publicized Boo's story all over the web, even as we worked behind the scenes to improve his health. We blogged about him, complete with videos of his sweet, shining personality and shared him on Facebook. After weeks of posting, a DCIN friend stepped forward to take Boo into foster care.

It took a few weeks to get Boo from the vet's office to his foster mom. They wanted to make sure he was stable before leaving, but the stress of being in the vet's office was interfering with regulating his diabetes.

We managed to get him released so he could fly to his new home in Virginia and made travel arrangements. An experienced DCIN foster family in Chicago cared for him overnight.

Boo with his kitty friends at his foster home.

According to Boo's foster mom, he is “seriously the easiest cat that ever existed.” From the moment he came home, he has been anything but finicky. He quickly adjusted to (and even seemed to enjoy!) his raw food diet. He integrated with the household cats almost immediately with no problems. And best of all, since leaving the vet’s office, he has not needed any insulin!

Boo--The easiest cat that ever existed.

Now Boo enjoys a few hours a day in an enclosed outdoor kitty play area with his new brothers and sisters. He had been excessively grooming to the point of losing fur, and now he has a thick, lush, shining coat. As FIV is a disease spread by biting, his foster mom watched him closely for several weeks. However, he turned out to be quite the lover boy and has been no problem at all.

At DCIN, we are proud to help cats like Boo find loving homes. He is the poster child for many disabled and sick animals: sweet, affectionate, easy going, and easy to love. We will continue to work hard to make sure special cats like Boo find good homes. Diabetes and the conditions that sometimes accompany the disease don’t mean a death sentence.



Boo wants a forever home. He would love to be home for the holidays!

Petco Foundation Grant--Bella and Julius

Bella and Julius--A New Home and New Names

Last year diabetic cats Bella and Julius both faced death. Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN) found their forever home and moved them there. They live together now, and receive their life-saving diabetes treatments with some help from DCIN.

Will you save me?

Why was this kitty, always formally attired in black and white, named Bad Kitty (BK)? Her owners divorced. Her original Mom moved out, leaving BK behind and asking DCIN to find her a new home. BK’s Dad had little compassion for her or her diabetes. After two months, the couple set a week’s deadline or BK would be destroyed.

A ginger boy came into a high-kill shelter as a stray. Because of his many physical problems, including a missing eye, the shelter named him Cyclops. He wasn’t feeling well or eating, and the shelter’s outside vet diagnosed diabetes, which in that shelter (like many) is a death sentence. We later found that Cyclops had been owned and was diabetic since 2010.

When DCIN learned BK had a death sentence, we made her a 911 priority. Within a day, a former registered veterinary technician who adopts special needs cats stepped up. Within two weeks, DCIN flew BK 1600 miles home to her new Mom and she became Bella.

Julius after overdose, in foster care.

Three months later, on the day DCIN first posted him for adoption, Bella’s Mom applied to adopt Cyclops. DCIN worked with a local, diabetic-friendly rescue to pull him from the shelter. But, unimaginably, the shelter’s vet overdosed Cyclops’ insulin on his first injection, causing seizures and other life-threatening problems. The only information DCIN and the local rescue received for a few days was that Cyclops might die. As soon as it appeared Cyclops might survive, the local rescue insisted he be transferred to it, but that took several more days, very anxious days.

Cyclops moved to a foster home, and was happy to receive the additional medical and emotional care. He rehabbed for four months, and his foster Mom taught personable, 12+ year old Cyclops to play. His new Mom asked his foster Mom to start using his new name. No more monster’s name for Julius.

Thank you DCIN...

Julius would have flown the 1500 miles to his new home a month earlier, but Bella had a medical issue. Because she needed a high insulin dose that was occasionally ineffective, Bella’s Mom had her tested for Acromegaly and she tested positive. Acromegaly is a rare condition that causes an adult cat’s body to overproduce growth hormones, leading to enlarged internal organs and external features (giantism) and extreme insulin resistance. DCIN shared its knowledge of Acromegaly with Bella’s Mom, who took her to a vet university hospital for four days of treatment to kill the benign tumor on her pituitary gland.

...for bringing us home.

DCIN helps diabetic cats whose owners are unable or unwilling to provide the necessary care—or who have abandoned them altogether—by finding them loving homes. We are proud of our many success stories, including Bella and Julius!

Naffle for London

November 14, 2013--London is brand new to DCIN's financial assistance program. Her Mom makes jewelry and has offered a pair of Thanksgiving earrings to naffle to help DCIN with the cost of London's insulin and testing supplies.

London in repose.

This is a "flash" naffle--for only a few days so that the earrings will get in the hands and on the ears of the winner by Thanksgiving Day. Therefore, we are holding this naffle only through Sunday, November 17, 2013.

What is a naffle? It is "not a raffle," and is explained on this page.

This is a PayPal button so that you can choose the number of donations you want to make for these earrings. You will get one chance for each donation, which are $5 each (and $13 for three). We hope to raise $50 for London's DCIN account through this naffle.

Donation for London--Pumpkin Pie Earrings

One $5.00 USD Two $10.00 USD Three $13.00 USD

Welcome Home Missy

Missy at the vet's office.

January 7, 2014--Missy's foster Mom made it official and announced that Missy is forever home. ~Venita


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November 13, 2013--Missy is a 5 year old domestic longhaired spayed female. Her owner couldn't afford diabetes treatment and elected to euthanize, but the vet took Missy as a surrender. However, the vet also elected not to treat Missy and announced a PTS date. Two days before she was to die, Missy was rescued by a foster Mom in Oklahoma.

Contact Adoption@dcin.info

Missy at her foster home.

Missy's foster Mom says she has no interest in dry food, eats only small amounts of wet food and eats that slowly, is drinking a lot of water (she likes running water and wet bathtubs), and has blood glucose levels staying in the mid to high 200s. Missy has thick fur (with mats on her tummy that Mom is working on), has an easy going personality, and likes to sleep on the bed near the pillow (but she is not a lap cat). Missy has no interest in going outside even though she has an outdoor enclosure available. Right now Missy seems depressed about losing her family.

This would be a private adoption with the foster Mom, but DCIN will help to coordinate and finance Missy's transport to her new home. Email Adoption@dcin.info. ~JennF

Avon Holiday Collection Naffle

November 10, 2013--HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! Hi, this is Mikey, the DCIN FUNdraising Spokescat. Auntie Amy Sikes, DCIN's Avon representative and loving foster Mom to Jibbet and Sunshine, has put together a holiday collection of Avon products for a naffle for DCIN.

Here's what's in this collection:

• Travel clock in pink faux leather case
• Sparkling reindeer necklace
• Festive Charms bracelet - mittens
• Until they all have a home bracelet (from the Animal Rescue Site, not Avon)
• Peppermint potpourri
• Set of holiday lip balms (4)
• Red clutch/jewelry holder
• Sparkling red circle necklace
• Interchangeable earrings - pearl and rhinestone
• Coletta cocktail set in red (ring in size 8, necklace, & earrings)
• Set of holiday earrings
• Majestic Snowflake Flameless Candle in silver
• Digital mini camera keychain
• Set of makeup bags in white and blue(3)
• Set of portable shopping bags (3)
• Snowflake and Snowmen hanging door ornament
• Conair personal humidifier
• Embellished Case Watch in red

That's almost $200 retail value of products, and this collection could be yours for joining this naffle. If you won this naffle, you would have a big bunch of stocking stuffers for Christmas.

Auntie Amy can mail this collection anywhere in the world, but we can't guarantee delivery before Christmas except in the US and Canada.

What is a Naffle? It's Not a Raffle; read this page. With a Naffle, you can enter to win the prize without donating. However, I am asking for donations, and for each donation of $7, you will get an additional chance at winning this giveaway. (3 for $19.)

This is a PayPal button so that you can donate to enter the Naffle. Choose the number of donations you want to make before you hit the "donate" button. (If you don't plan to donate but wish to enter this Naffle, send an email to Venita@dcin.info.)

Donation for Diabetic Cats

One $7.00 USD Two $14.00 USD Three $19.00 USD

Later in November, I will spin the random number generator to find out which person entering the Naffle gets the Avon Holiday Collection. Auntie Venita will put the winner in touch with Auntie Amy to ship the collection to you. And you won't have to pay for shipping. DCIN will cover that. Cool? Yessh it is!! ~MIKEY!

How do I get Lantus Insulin Less Expensively?

November 2, 2013--

How do I get Lantus Insulin Less Expensively?

DCIN receives this question a few times a week from US caregivers of diabetic cats. I am often amazed by the question because of the “good” insulins for diabetic cats, Lantus can be the least expensive per unit. The problem often lies in knowing how to find the insulin inexpensively. (The hints I give also apply to Levemir, another human insulin often used by diabetic cats.)

Your vet gave you a prescription that probably read “U100 Glargine/Lantus 10ml vial.”

• Lantus is the brand name for the generic insulin Glargine. Lantus is an insulin for humans and is only available from a human pharmacy (although some vets do hold some in stock). The company Sanofi makes Lantus, and no other companies currently make a generic Glargine because Sanofi still has an international patent on the insulin. That may change in 2014, and by then Sanofi may have developed a “second-generation” Lantus that is patent protected.
• Lantus is a U100 insulin, which describes the concentration of the insulin in the liquid suspension.
• A 10ml vial is the insulin’s containment device. It is a small glass bottle with a rubber stopper at the end that you pierce with a syringe.

At a US retail pharmacy, a 10ml vial of Lantus can cost about $180 to $200. WOWZA! That does seem cause for sticker shock. A 10ml vial of U100 insulin holds 1000 units of insulin. At $200/vial, that is a price of $.20/unit. If your cat gets 2 units of insulin twice a day, that is $.80/day for its insulin (if you could completely use a vial of Lantus insulin). It would cost less each day to give your cat its life-saving medicine that to buy a soda from a vending machine.

However, the problem with buying Lantus in a 10ml vial is that, properly handled, Lantus (once opened) is usually only effective for 2-3 months and cats on a normally low dose of insulin don’t use 1000 units of insulin in 3 months. Some people say they get up to six months effectiveness from opened Lantus. Good for them! Some people (and some vets and pharmacists) say the opened insulin only lasts 28 days. That is because of information that comes with the insulin saying that it should be discarded after 28 days. The reason for the 28-day rule is that when Sanofi applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for Lantus approval as a human insulin, it only applied for 28 days of effectiveness. Sanofi isn’t allowed under US law to tell you that if you handle the insulin properly, it will be effective much longer.

A cat on 2 units of Lantus twice/day uses less than 400 units in 3 months. That means that you would throw away more than half of each 10ml vial of insulin because it went “flat” before it could be entirely used. A solution to that is the Lantus Solostar pens. The pen is a 3ml insulin delivery device that holds only 300 units of Lantus. A cat on 2 units twice/day would completely use a pen before the end of the three-month “effectiveness” period. Most US pharmacies only sell the Lantus pens in boxes of five, which is 15ml (or 1500 units) of insulin. The cost for a box of five Lantus pens is usually about $225-$240. That makes the insulin cost about $.16/unit. Because of the smaller delivery device, you can use more of the insulin before it goes “flat.” There is less to throw away.

Some vets will tell you that you can’t use the Lantus pen because you have to use the pen needle. WRONG. This video shows you how to draw insulin with a syringe from both a vial and a pen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4KtK_skpmQ&sns=em.

Some people can’t afford an entire box of Lantus pens at one time, especially at the beginning when they have just spent hundred of dollars getting their cats diagnosed. We have heard that some pharmacies, such as those at Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, and Costco, will split a box and sell a single pen. (You don’t need to be a member at Sam’s Club or Costco to use those pharmacies). You also can often find someone on one of the Internet message boards for diabetic cat caregivers to split a box with you.

Other Ways to Reduce Lantus Costs

• You can buy Lantus pens or vials from a Canadian mail order pharmacy. The current price, including shipping, is about $135 (which is about $.09/unit). It can take 4-6 weeks for the insulin to get to you, so you need to plan ahead. The insulin is shipped from the manufacturing facility in Turkey, so don’t freak out when you see unfamiliar looking boxes with labeling in a foreign language. The insulin is shipped in weather-resistant containers, but it is still best (because of the long shipping time) not to order insulin when the weather in the Northern hemisphere is severely hot or cold. Some Canadian mail-order pharmacies do not list the Lantus pens on their on-line sites even though they sell them, so a phone call might be in order. (Canadian mail order pharmacies that we have seen people buy insulin from are RXCanada4Less at http://www.rxcanada4less.com/search.php and 77 Canada Pharmacy at http://www.77canadapharmacy.com/. A brick-and-mortar Canadian pharmacy we have heard that someone orders from is Marks Marine Pharmacy at www.canshipinsulin.com.)
• Although infrequent, some brick and mortar pharmacies in the US will sell individual pens of Lantus and Levemir. We have heard of this happening at Costco, BJs, and Target. (One does not have to be a member of Costco or BJ's to use their pharmacy.) There also is an online US pharmacy that presently sells individual Lantus pens --  VetRxDirect.com at http://www.vetrxdirect.com/product/view/lantus/variation-11865. This option is not necessarily less expensive but it may be more affordable for those who cannot afford a full box of pens at one time. It also may be possible to use the Lantus Savings Card at these pharmacies.
• You can look for Lantus on Craigslist. CL does not allow the sale of prescription drugs, but for some reason some states’ CLs allow the listing of insulin for sale. DCIN often finds insulin for sale on the CL sites in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas. DCIN has a document about buying insulin from CL sellers at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qTANyTw3SRZp9azAxSum2DAVyxZudMsj8dSovcRPFag/edit?usp=sharing. When DCIN buys Lantus from a CL seller, we try not to pay more than $50/box (which is about $.03/unit).
• You may have other “free” or “cheap” Internet sites (such as FreeCycle) in your area on which people will list insulin or on which you can post for insulin. You may need to send a message to the site administrators asking them if it is OK that you seek insulin for a diabetic cat on the site. I have gotten special dispensation for making such posts because the insulin was for a cat.
• You can seek out friends or family who use Lantus or have friends who use Lantus who may have extra pens that they may occasionally share with a diabetic cat. When my Ennis was insulin dependent, I had a friend who was on the same insulin. Because of my friend’s dosage, she would often leave 10-20 units unused in a pen. Each month, she would give me five to six “leftover” pens, and that would satisfy Ennis’s insulin needs for the month.
• You can watch the DCIN Facebook site for offers of Lantus. Often people who have a cat no longer needing insulin (diabetic remission or death) will post trying to find a new home for the insulin.
• We have been told that one can use the Lantus Savings Card when filling a script for a diabetic cat. When you sign up for the card, we have been told you need to indicate that the beneficiary (the cat) is over 18 years old. The Internet site for the savings card is at http://www.lantus.com/sign-up/offers.aspx. Warning: We have also been told that people have had bad experiences when attempting to use this card for purchasing insulin for cats, so please be aware of this if you try to use it.

~Venita