Cessan has gone back on insulin HELP

Hello, Some of you may remember me, Bonnie from Sweden, I was very active here until October 2007 when I got really ill and spent the next several months in bed. Now I spend most of my time either trying to get 5 rooms dusted and vac'd and sleep.
My precious Cessan is 17 and in November of 2006 she was diagnosed with diabetes. I went through 5 vets since then and have some that said they know nothing about diabetes in cats and none of them have ever treated a cat with insulin and said I can tell them what I need and they will let me run her care. better than the first vet who said he was very good with diabetic cats and found out he knew less that my hamster did.
The day I found this group in Feb of 2007 I changed her food and she never had an insulin shot again. She has been at 4.7 which is 85 since then.
When I got her she was about 9 months old and had been abandoned in a woods in Feb and I found her starving and almost dead in July. She was used to being out. Over the years she stayed in the yard on a leash and halter. Then we moved to the country and she began to sometimes get out of her halter. Last summer she simply never stayed in the halter and she just was out before I could turn around. I kept her in the house and she urinated in my hubbies shoes, we got a screen door put in the kitchen so she couldn't get to the other part of the house or run out if we had the door open. Then she would beg to go out and when told no she would urinate on the floors. I finally accepted that she would either go out or be put down. I can't have the entire house wet and she had no urinary infections. :cry: So she became in in and out cat. She has been so good coming in every little while to tell me she was ok etc. Today she came into the living room just howling. I saw she was panting very hard and making groaning sounds. I took her BS and it was 200 I called the vet who only answers the phone for an hour in the morning so I had to call an on call vet who agreed to give me caninsulin. I went to town and got it and gave her 3.1/2 units. Within 5 minutes she stopped the heavy panting but at 8 (2 hours after her shot) her BS was 12.2 or 220.
she was sort of acting like she would throw up but never did and that has stopped. She has somewhat labored breathing, dry dry nose, cold ears and has not eaten or drank anything at home since mid morning. I put water in her canned food and she usualy doesn't drink often. I am afraid she got into some dry food as there are lots and lots of cats who run wild here many are simply outside cats.

In the beginning she had high BS all the time and sometimes around 300 and never panted and acted like she is tonight.
I need your help. I have had a terrible problem with my memory and I don't remember what to do! I have always free fed her as she panics if there isn't food around all the time. I can't change it as she is to old to force to change and she just has it in her mind that she was starving and she won't get over it.
I know to only give her the right canned food which is a kind made only in Sweden and was approved here before.
I know to always test in the morning and evening. If the BS is below 160 to not give insulin and to test 2 hours later and decide then. What I don't remember what do do with her now. Do I give her more insulin? That information is gone from my head. can you please tell me what to do with her now.
it will soon be 10 it is taking me forever to get things going here. Borrowed a pc since mine is in the pc hospital. Couldn't find you even though I used the right link etc. pc doesn't like me. Thanking you so very much I will be sitting here reading the posts and info and waiting for help. Bonnie nailbite_smile

 

Bonnie, I'm sorry things are so tough. But we cannot diagnose over the computer. The panting could be ketones or it could be many other things. All I know is that it sounds like she needs a thorough exam and blood work...

please let us know how things go, ok?

Jen

 

I can't think of an explanation for the panting either.

The Caninsulin should have dropped her bg-have you tested her again since? 3 1/2 units for an intial shot sounds too much, especially if she was only 200.
Can you get ketodiastix from pharmacy? Check for keytones?

If this is o.k, I'd consider dropping back to 1u and see how she responds.

Like Jen I think a vet visit to check everything else is ok would be an idea.

Good luck

 

I agree with Kate and Jen. A vet visit is in order. Her bg levels are not terribly high. It is possible that something else is wrong. I know after Oliver had been off insulin for a year, his bg levels were elevated. It turned out that he was not diabetic again but had a heart condition.