Quote:
Originally Posted by psw9368
I
1. I don't think Oz has ever had a curve done. I am also of am limited on funds to bring him into the vet often.
|
I hear ya, vet care can be super expensive. That's why home-testing is so great. Just as an example, for one single blood glucose test at my vet clinic, it costs $24. If I do it at home myself, it's 6 cents for the lancet and 67 cents for the test strip (depends on what brands you use). A full curve (bg test every couple of hours) at the clinic is over $100, not to mention the huge amount of stress my cat goes through, which makes the accuracy of the results questionable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by psw9368
2. As far as testing at home, are you talking blood glucose test? I think I could manage that since my oldest son was a diabetic. I will check out the link you sent.
|
Yup, you even use the same glucometers that humans use. The most common place to test from is the cat's ears. There is a little vein that runs along the outside edge and when the ears are warmed up enough, you can get a nice drop of blood with no pain to the cat. The biggest hurdle is getting some cats used to having their ears handled. You could even start gently playing with his ears right now, and give him treats when you do so that he associates it with good things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by psw9368
3. I think that the pre-packaged raw food is pricey. Right?
|
It can be, yes, although they might actually eat less of it than other commercial foods because it's more digestible. But we can cross that bridge later. For now, try the Wellness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by psw9368
I had mentioned that both cats were slimmer at their hips and had that hanging belly fat. Is that a worry or is that because I one point they were overweight?
|
It's probably just excess flab from having lost weight, many house cats have that. What would be worrisome is if they were getting bony over their backs and hips and you could feel their vertebrae. If that was the case, having them weighed at the vets might be a good idea (and it should be free).