Cost of a diabetic cat?

[Xanti]

If a cat has to be on injections for the rest of his life (and a different diet?), does anyone know what the average cost per month would be for the meds?

I have an auntie in Canada who has already spent $2k on him as he nearly died before diabetes was confirmed. She is not well off, but will do anything for her kittie.

I said I'd ask here as I am sure someone will know how expensive the upkeep would be.

Thanks.

[doodlebug]

I believe part of it depends on the insulin type and dosage. I have a friend who's had 2 diabetic cats and the first one was very insulin resistant and had to be on an insulin that wasn't what is typically prescribed...and of course more expensive. I don't know what her costs were, I remember her saying the bottle of insulin was ~$90, but I don't know how long it lasted for her. If no one comes up with any numbers I can ask my friend.

Diet recommendation would be grain free canned food. Wellness, EVO, Merrick has some low glycemic flavors etc.

[Xanti]

Thanks DB, hopefully someone might know

[laurief]

As doodlebug said, costs for management of diabetes can vary widely depending on the insulin prescirbed, the diet fed, and whether or not the owner does at-home blood glucose testing on the cat (highly recommended). Also, the ongoing monitoring done by the vet will significantly impact cost.

The good news is that many, many cats go into complete remission from diabetes with proper diet and management, requiring no insulin if and when they achieve remission. This should be your aunt's ultimate goal for her cat. To that end, I strongly recommend that your aunt read through the following website ... or that you print it out and mail it to her ... so that she'll understand how best to treat her cat's diabetes:

http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com

All the best,

Laurie

[Xanti]

Thanks Laurie, that is really helpful

[Jenyfyr]

Our old kitty was diagnosed with diabetes and required twice daily insulin shots. Originally our vet told us it would cost about $35 a month for the insulin and needles, but once his diagnosis was confirmed it turned out the insulin he recommended was closer to $70 at Walmart for a small jar (I want to say it was a 10 mL vial but I can't remember; sorry, I don't recall the brand either). The vial did last a while, about two months, and needles are pretty cheap. It was totally worth it - within a week or so of starting insulin his coat improved and he was back to his old vivacious self. He always ate a diet of wet and dry (and he was an outdoor cat so god only knows what he was killing on his own and eating from the neighbours!) so we took him off the dry and just kept him on wet food. He lived for two years after being diagnosed, to the age of 18. Keep in mind, you don't have to buy the insulin at the vet. Had we bought ours from the vet, it would have been $120 a vial compared to $70 at Walmart, so tell your aunt to call around for insulin prices! (we're in Canada too)

[Xanti]

Thanks! That's not too bad, I think she was worried that the cost would be in the hundreds