How Much Does It Cost To Test A Cat For Diabetes

How Much Does It Cost To Test A Cat For Diabetes

Introduction

Diabetes is one of the most common, chronic diseases in cats. If your cat has diabetes, it means that their body doesn’t create enough insulin to use glucose from sweets and starches. Luckily, a diagnosis of diabetes early on can increase the lifespan of your cat by anywhere from months to years. So it’s important to know what the cost of testing for diabetes may be, as well as what you’ll have to do after a diagnosis.

Initial Visit

If you’ve never been to the vet before, you may be surprised by how much it costs. Although pet insurance can help offset some of these costs, many people still have to pay out of pocket.

The first step is an initial visit, where your vet will perform a physical exam and recommend further tests if necessary. The cost for this visit varies from one vet to another; however, many clinics offer discounts for new clients who sign up for their services that month. After the initial visit, there are two additional sets of tests that must be done in order to determine whether or not your cat has diabetes:

Blood Glucose Level

The blood glucose level is a measurement of the amount of sugar in your cat’s blood. To test for diabetes, you’ll need to collect a sample by pricking your pet’s paw with a small needle and collecting drops of blood on a test strip. The results will be printed out on the strip or read from an electronic monitor.

If your cat has diabetes, his/her glucose levels will be higher than normal when eating or drinking (postprandial). You may also notice signs such as excessive thirst and urination. Your vet can help you interpret these results and recommend what steps to take next.

Urine Tests

To test a cat’s urine, you’ll want to set up an appointment with your veterinarian or a veterinary technician and bring the cat in. The vet or technician will then draw blood from your cat’s tail vein.

Next, they’ll use a syringe to put some of this blood into tubes containing chemicals that help cure the glucose in the sample. Then, they’ll place these tubes in an instrument called a refractometer, which measures how much glucose is present using light waves. Finally, they’ll compare their results against those of healthy cats to determine whether or not your pet has diabetes mellitus (DM).

If you’re worried about your pet’s chances of developing DM because it has been overweight for several years or has recently gained weight after being on medication for another illness such as kidney disease or heart failure, please speak with your veterinarian about testing sooner rather than later as early detection will improve treatment outcomes significantly!

Additional Testing

Additional testing may be necessary if your cat has tested positive for diabetes. Your vet will want to run additional tests to determine exactly what type of diabetes your cat has and how best to manage it. A number of tests are available, including blood work and urine tests. Some cats may need additional visits to the clinic or even procedures performed in order to get their blood sugar levels under control, but these costs depend on the severity of their condition, so be sure you talk with your vet about them before making any decisions.

It costs about \$100 to test a cat for diabetes

The cost of testing a cat for diabetes includes the initial visit and blood glucose level test, as well as urine tests to check for ketones. Depending on the health of your cat, you may need to perform additional testing or take your pet to follow-up visits. Diabetes medication will also be needed if your cat’s initial blood glucose level is too high.

Here are some costs that you can expect when dealing with a diabetes diagnosis:

• Initial visit: $100 – $150 (This price includes checking for any underlying medical problems.)
• Blood glucose level test: $50 – $75 (Some clinics offer this at no cost upfront.)
• Urine tests: $50 – $75 (This price is per test; most clinics charge this fee whether or not they find something wrong.)

Conclusion

Diabetes is a serious illness and while it can be controlled with insulin, this requires ongoing treatment. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best way to treat your cat, whether that’s with diet or insulin injections. If you want to try treating your cat’s diabetes at home first then speak to your vet about what steps need taking before starting treatment.