10 units in the morning and 5 units in the morning.

My mittins just got diagnosed with feline diabetes a month ago and she is an inside cat. Her first level was over 500 and the vet had her on 3 units twice a day for the first week and took her back to get her levels tested and come to find out that it raised above 600 so we were advised to give her 10 units in the morning and 5 units in the evening. Now 4 days later we took her back in to check her levels and it was in the 500s but now she is throwing up bile with blood in it. We did switch her to dry and wet diabetic food and the insulin that the vet gave her is prozink. The vet said she is suffering and the vet said her body is rejecting the insulin. She is only 9yrs old!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

 

I’m hoping someone can answer this? 10 units seems awfully high - do you have a blood glucose meter at home? If not - need to get one Walmart has a ton of em pretty inexpensive...looks like everyone recommends RELION MICRO METER, or Bayer CONTOUR or ONE TOUCH

Need to know what Mittens glucose is at home without stress and before any insulin shots

 

Also I would pick up some canned cat wet foods FANCY FEAST classics pate like “ Chicken Feast “ classic. Also Salmon Feast Classic etc

 

Please consult with a different vet. I've never used Prozinc, but she was started on a high dose and then raised to an extremly high dose! That doesn't sound good at all for kitty.

 

We do not have a home meter considering how new this is but we will get one. She was started on wet and and dry diabetic food three weeks ago...

 

Understand - what is the carb content of those? Is she eating the wet food at all???

I suggested the foods that I use that produced great results in my cat - and I know what the carbs are - there’s a list here http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

And another http://www.biggervet.com/cat/lowcarb/

It sounds kinda dangerous the level of insulin - you are using without knowing what her at home numbers are. REALLY REALLY important to know before a shot what her glucose is ALSO she must eat

 

Holy cow! You need a new vet TODAY. Please don't give your cat 5 or 10 units.... You are very likely to put your cat in grave danger! The recommended starting dose is 1 unit!!!!
When an increase is needed, the dose should be raised by no more than 0.25-0.5 units at a time so I am seriously concerned for your cat.

 

She had a very healthy eating attitude but here in the past couple days she is eating very little but her belly feels like a football.

 

I agree, that is an insanely high dose, especially given how it was arrived at!

Step back, take a breath. Home testing is an excellent idea and you should start as soon as possible, but it sounds like there are some immediate health crises going on that also need to be addressed.

Question 1: are you familiar with the signs of hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar) and how to deal with it? HERE is a link to some crucial information about hypos, including symptoms. If you think that's what you might be seeing, we need to address it now.
Question 2: did your vet test for ketones, and/or has your cat been diagnosed with ketones or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)?
Question 3: have you noticed if she is using the litterbox regularly, or might she be constipated?

 

I would get a copy of her most recent labs and go to a different vet.

 

Your cat will not die from high blood sugar quickly BUT IT WILL from plunging low blood sugar from over insulin

Please please I beg you to run down to Walmart and pick up a meter to test before anymore shots clearly that overage is making things much much worse

 

That's usually a sign of constipation or gas. The perscription food may not be agreeing with her.... Plus it's unnecessary. Most of us feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods.

Do you have a Walmart nearby? Can you pick up a meter if I give you a shopping list?

 

Until i find a new vet tomorrow what would be the recommended dose of prozink for the night considering what we have been giving her from our current vet?

 

Should we skip a dose of insulin tonight? Or lower it?

 

My suggestion is to get a meter or monitor first because it’s impossible to tell what dose she needs without overdoing it.

She COULD be at 87 and even 1 unit could wipe her out- which is why knowing what her blood sugar is at home in her nice safe environment is so crucial

If you can’t get a meter tonight I would not give a shot - your CAT sounds severally constipated like mine was. I would suggest no dry foods and wet food with a little water - hydration is critical here

 

Definitely

 

It wouldn't hurt to skip, but if you can get a meter today you may be able to shoot tonight. Here's what you need


1. Relion micro or confirm meter (or some other brand that requires a 0.3 size sample)

2. Box of 100 extra test strips

3. Box of 26 or 28 gauge lancets as the ones that come with the meter are 31 gauge which is too thin for testing a cat

4. Cotton cosmetic rounds to go behind the ear

5. Neosporin ointment with pain relief

6. Good idea to pick up some ketone urine test strips.... They sell them in the pharmacy section.

7. Fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods

Get a few cans of gravy lovers food too just in case you ever need to steer her numbers up.

8. If you suspect that the cat is constipated, pick up some plain canned pumpkin or Miralax.

9. A treat for yourself.



I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home. I started testing her six weeks after diagnosis when my vet suggested raising her dose from 1 unit to 2 units and I was nervous she would hypo.

 

Nan, what do you think about 1/4t of miralax for constipation and water water water

 

She was just at the vet today and we gave her fluids because she was dehydrated . She hasn't really eaten to much today..came home found out she vomited blood. Just tried to feed her again and she is laying in her carrier which she hates

 

Janet, what do you think a 1/4t of miralax

 

The problem with your vet basing the increase one one reading is that there is a good chance the number is high because she's bouncing.

Basically what that means is the dose is too high, the cats body panics and sends out stored glucose to protect itself from crashing and going into hypoglycemia. So the number goes sky high. This causes too much insulin to look like not enough when just getting random high readings.

 

1/8-1/4 teaspoon along with extra water.

 

So based on everyones opinion: skip the dose or lessen the dose...

 

When you say blood, that makes me nervous. Like just tinged pink, or really noticeable? If it's really noticeable i am inclined to suggest you take her to an emergency vet.

 

this sounds hypo to me... (TOO LOW BLOOD SUGAR)

I THINK the gravy lovers that Janet suggested is something you need right away at least...

ALSO when going to Walmart I would pick up this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fleet-Pedia-Lax-Liquid-Glycerin-Suppositories-6-Each/671863718
NOTE it is glycerin... NOT SALINE! for babies...very tiny...instant relief (in 20 minutes) worked for Maji...and she had a hard basketball round gut before...

 

I would skip unless you have a meter to show what numbers are.

 

SKIP unless you can get a monitor (meter) and see where she is at to make sure she is out of danger...

 

yea...it does sound like an emergency...! my cat would not go near her carrier (which she also hates) because it means vet-time

 

I'm with Janet. If there was noticeable blood in the vomit, I'd think seriously of taking her to an ER vet tonight. You need a second opinion asap, in any case.

You're getting a lot of opinions here-- we are mostly all saying the same thing, but it's a lot of voices. Plus, we are not vets and are not examining the cat directly. I'm concerned that there might be some serious issues going on that your vet has missed (and your vet, frankly, has no idea how to treat feline diabetes). If you can, I'd find a good ER in your area and take her in.

 

Agreed. And please ignore the suggestion to change kitty's food to a low carb diet until you're testing kitty's blood sugar at home. At this point, feeding higher carb foods may have kept this from becoming a tragedy.

 

I agree with the advice to get her to a vet ASAP. No insulin until this is sorted out. I'm shocked at the dose she's on.

 

I also agree. Please find an ER vet post haste. This is an EXTREMELY high dose of insulin.

 

Vomiting blood ... Belly that feels like a football ... Dehydrated ... Not eating well ... History of rapidly going to 5-10 u of Prozinc in less than a month (holy crap that's CRAZY DANGEROUS ... like driving a race car blindfolded on a track you've never seen) ... I don't want to sound like an echo chamber, but I would head to the ER. Something isn't right.

And to emphasize what Jill posted, do NOT change to a low carb food until this is sorted out. Higher carb food tends to keep blood glucose higher and that might be the only thing keeping the kitty alive.

What insulin syringes are you using? Do they say U-40 or U-100?

 

Please keep us posted on Mittins

 

Any news about your kitty?

 

I am following this thread as I am so concerned about the vomiting of blood. Definitely not just a certain colour of cat food? If it's bright red, it seems like a perforation higher up in the digestive tract maybe. Fresh, new blood. If it was lower down it would come up as darker, older black blood. I think.

Bloating but not eating much...hmmm.

3 units up to 10!?!?!?!?!? NO WAY!

A vet is required ASAP for a THOROUGH examination. Blood glucose, ketones, pancreatitis, gastric ulcer, constipation, liver and other values. Everything.

Weirdly, my Dweezil was moderately constipated almost all his life until he got Diabetes. Then it literally instantly vanished. Except towards the last 6 months, his poop was pale / clay or orange-pale brown and soft all the time. We don't know why. I googled and liver and bile duct stuff came up, which would make sense as his BG was mostly high, but no one seemed overly concerned about it. Sigh.

 

Checking in for an update . . .

 

Thank you so much for all inquiries for mittins... Last night she did not eat and we skipped her insulin, this morning we got up like we have for the past month since being diagnosed for diabetes at 5:30 am and put her wet food out for her and she gobbled up the half can of wet diabetes food. Gave her 4 units of insulin rather then 10 as to what the vet recommended and she drank alot of water so tonight we are going to do the same with giving her 4 units after she eats her wet food and tomorrow we are going to walmart to buy the tester and strips. Prayers and advice...

 

Oh my god THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REPLYING!

Honest to god because she is doing so much better I would not do ANY MORE insulin until you can find out where she is at blood glucose wise - please one night without it and wait till you test just to make sure!!!

I worried about you guys all night long..,

K

 

how’s her belly? Has she had a BM?

Has she stopped throwing up completely?

Hugs to MITTINS. Such a cute name!!!

 

Thank you so much for updating, we all have been very worried

 

Hi there! Thank you for the update. We worry.

If you haven't fed and given insulin could you hold off to give us a chance to chat?

I'll be honest, not knowing what is wrong... not knowing what made Mittins vomit blood... there's no way to know if withholding insulin is a good idea or not. What I do know is 4 units is still considered an awful large dose unless the dose was increased gradually to get to that point.

Considering the circumstances, it would seem to me a better idea would be to give only 1 unit of insulin tonight and then again tomorrow morning... if you want to give any. That would still get some insulin into Mittens until you can pick up a blood glucose meter and begin testing Mittins blood glucose at home.

What do you think?


About vomiting blood...
have you called/talked to your vet about it?

 

I’m so glad she’s doing better. 4 units is still a high starting dose, we usually start with 1 unit. When you go to Walmart to pick up a meter, also get some ketone test strips.

 

What a tremendously compassionate group here! But is Mitten's owner getting the message? I was also super worried about this cat.

 

If or when they check the board... same as everyone else. The FDMB is a peer reviewed message board. As such, we like to keep all advice/suggestions on the board for all to assess. The board software also allows members the option of receiving email notifications when someone posts on their thread or a thread they're watching.

@Laura Conti
Did you have something in mind that would help?

 

Sorry I didn't mean that, I was just hoping that all the sage advice that was being given was sinking in and being followed as soon as possible! It seems so critical that was all.

 

Shoot. I think many of us share some of the very same concerns. I was hoping you had an idea that we hadn't thought of yet!

 

Any update on Mittens?