? Confused Newb

Hello. So happy to have found this forum as my boy, Hemi, was just diagnosed and my country vet is nowhere near as concerned as I am about it. Hemi's clinic BG test was 464.

The vet gave me a prescription for NPH (nothing specific otherwise, other than to give Hemi 4 units 2x a day) and syringes (nothing specific there as far as size, etc.) He sent us home with a box of urine test strips, telling me, Hemi won't like me for long if I continually puncture his ears for BG testing and urine testing a few times a wk would be fine. ("Don't become obsessive about it" were his words.)

I am an insulin dependant diabetic myself and having spent pretty much the past two days here, I know I have some additional decisions ahead of me.

I plan to use an extra meter I have exclusively for Hemi and my own test strip prescription so at least I have that covered.

I already bought (vet recommended) Royal Canin glycobalance "dry" food and already feed Hemi and our other two boys fancy feast once per day. I plan to try to wean all three off of the dry so I can better manage their food intake overall.

My main concern right now, is with the NPH (NOVOLIN?) and if I do start him off on that (@ 1 unit 2x a day) if I can switch him to another insulin like prozinc without issues, if I find he doesn't tolerate the novolin?

 

Welcome!

Yes you can switch insulins. ProZinc is a better insulin than Novolin because it lasts A lot longer. If you can I'd START with the ProZinc.


I am confused.... You said in the beginning 4 units then later 1 unit. Please don't give each a newly diagnosed cat 4 units!!!! The recommended starting dose is 1 unit twice a day.


Forget the glycobalance food. Terrible stuff and too high in carbs. Feed all the cats only fancy feast classic.

I'm glad you're planning on home testing. I have a video in my signature showing how I test my cat CC at home.

 

Thank you!! I am also weighing cost factors. The novolin is less expensive as far as I can tell and I can get it locally. No special shipping charges. The cost of feeding three cats a wet food diet (my plan since learning here that dry food is crap) is another expense and being I'm a diabetic too, my own insulin and supplies are near breaking the bank as is. I'm hoping my financials improve soon though, so I can afford the prozinc.

That said, I'm a little frightened about the novolin and the chance of Hemi's BG going to low. *sigh*

No, I won't. My vet prescribed 4 x2 but I had already decided to do 1 x2 after reading so many comments about it here.

Thank you for your video. I actually watched it yesterday and it helped tremendously!

 

Chewy.com sells ProZinc for $90 free shipping and a vial will probably last you 4 months. It's really not that bad.

So glad you are going to start with 1 unit. 4 is crazy and many cats never need anything close to that.

 

Friskies pate foods are cheaper per ounce than fancy feast since cost is a concern. I feed 12 cats a day.... 6 inside and 6 in our TNR colony. I know it gets pricy. My inside guys get fancy feast and the outside guys get Friskies.

 

I was over at chewy checking it out. I'm wondering if you've ever had a bottle of prozinc go bad before you used it up? Also, I thought I read somewhere here in the forums, that most of the insulin only last 30 days or so. If it would last up to four months, it definately could work financially.

 

Oh my! My husband complains (lightheartedly) about us having THREE! I can't even imagine taking care of 6 or 12. My husband would probably move out. lol

I just read your post on the NPH/vetsulin forum about CC and her remission. Is she back on insulin again?

 

Try doubling that number and add a dog.

 

The large 13 oz cans of Friskies at Chewy aren't bad. You can get lids really cheap there also and refrigerate what you don't feed at once.

 

Thank you for sharing that info.

 

I'm glad you know not to start with that huge dose. What is wrong with these vets?! As was already mentioned, that glycobalance food is too high in carbs. There was someone here who started out feeding it to his cat; when he decided to change to low-carb wet food, his cat's insulin dose could be cut in half. So, if you can do all wet food, it will help a lot with getting his glucose regulated. Can you return that dry food?? You could spend that money on something else.

If you can, I agree with Janet that you should START with a better insulin. You could use ProZinc or even Levemir or Lantus.

 

Thanks for the video, @JanetNJ . I'm still struggling a bit. *Sigh* We'll get there.

 

If it's kept in a refrigerator they last at least three months sometimes up to 5 or six months. All of them last longer than a month despite the labels.

 

Yes unfortunately. She was in remission for a year now is our of remission for the past 11 months. This time has proven much more difficult.

 

There's definitly a learning curve to testing. It gets easier after the first week or two because the capillaries start to grow.

 

I'm so sorry to hear that. Is CC the beauty in your video? She seemed so calm and patient with you, as you tested her BG. I am hoping Hemi behaves similarly. He's a cuddler and really doesn't fuss much with anything I do. Gave him pain pills over the past few days by mouth. No issues at all. Actually, much easier than I anticipated. Of course he isn't feeling well right now either. Guess I'll soon find out.

 

Yep that's her. . You'll get the hang of testing in no time.

 

I am a bit frustrated with Hemi's doc but I know his heart is in the right place. I will try to educate him as time goes on.

Great point about the food! I definitely plan to try to return it. Thank you!

 

Responding to this, I have used the larger cans of Friskies, but I don't store the food in the can after opening it any more. Idjit would happily eat the first couple of meals from the can, then refuse his food. And Idjit is a garbage can! So, now I store the food in a plastic container and he is happy. I have also been mixing a 5 oz can of Friskies with a 3 oz can of Fancy Feast, and storing the leftover in a plastic container. He likes the FF better than the Friskies and started to "hold out" for the favorite. So, he gets both now at once. I augment with chicken breast chunks, chicken bone broth and he gets a thawed raw chicken gizzard once or twice a week to hopefully help clean the teeth. Now that is a sight to see, he really likes it.

 

Great suggestions!

I hadn't thought too much about teeth cleaning and I love the idea of giving a chicken gizzard. Do you chop it up at all or just give the whole thing?

 

I give him the whole thing. I tried a chicken wing, but got way too nervous about the bone splintering and causing problems. Idjit loved the raw chicken wing and just gnawed off an entire end and to the middle of the bone, but I worried too much. (Bok bok)
So, I found a package of gizzards and hearts, thawed it just enough to pry all the pieces apart and refroze flat, so I could store in a Zip Loc bag and can take out what I want. Idjit just pounces, licks, chews and gnaws that gizzard. I hope he chews long enough to do some good, before he swallows the meat. He just pretty much swallows the hearts.

 

That is just so funny. I'm a worrier too so no chicken wings for Hemi but gizzards/hearts? Heck yeah!