Help - 95 BG this morning!?

So, we've moved Brandy up to 2 units morning and 2 units p.m. the last few days now.
Last night at 7:30 p.m. her BG was 252 This morning at 7:30 (she only let me poke her ear because I had help lol) it was only 95 !

I fed her her breakfast.

I know that is a good number to see and it's her FIRST time in the "green" but I didn't inject her because I was going to work and didn't know what to do. That is a huge drop overnight. This is stressful. My husband will probably be able to take her blood and inject her this morning, at around 9:15. Not sure at this early stage what to do

 

Her BG Just now at 9:15 a.m. was 166. Not sure how much to shoot ???

 

Brandy is still too low to shoot with a 166. We suggest that new insulin users do not shoot under 200. Looks like you will skip a shot this morning unless you can continue to stall however that will probably really mess up your schedule (especially since you stalled 2 hours). I would skip this morning and see what your PMPS numbers are tonight. Can you get some mid-cycle tests not just today but at night and during the day? With Prozinc, the dose you give is based on the pre-shot numbers and the nadir (mid cycle which is between +5-+7). You will probably want to reduce your dose tonight but will see what PMPS number Brandy gives you.

 

Ughhh. Thanks, but too late. Husb just told me he gave her 1 unit - not two. I hope she will be okay. He has to work and can't check her constantly.

 

When is the soonest you can test her after this shot?

 

I don't know. He is working. maybe a few hours. I work full time also

 

Can you leave out some regular food? If she drops too low, she may eat to being herself up.

 

Yeah, she found the other cats food - how I don't know lol but she found it

 

Without knowing her nadirs, I don't know how she is going to react to this dose, but I am afraid that she is going to go very low. Any chance he could test in a couple of hours? Do you have your hypo kit ready and is familiar what to do if she goes low?

 

Is anyone at home with her, or are you both out of the house for the next couple of hours? If you are both out, is there any way that one of you could be home?

 

He's home, but working. He might be able to check her in a couple hours. She already ate some of the other cats dry food though. I can not go home. I'm at work.

 

@smiley747 - Please post the BG# here when your hubby can manage another test*. Thanks. We're just wanting to make sure Brandy stays safe (not trying to alarm you).

*highly recommended, due to shooting at that low #.

 

I told him to check in an hour or two. I hope he will be able to. I understand. I appreciate the info!! She did eat the other cats dry food, so that should help I'm assuming

 

Grateful he's home! If he can't test right now, would it be possible for him to keep Brandy in the room with him? That way, he can watch her too and if he sees any signs of a hypo, he can test?

 

I will ask him. I think this whole thing is stressing him out too.

 

That should help some ... just now read your post to me in your "wight gain" thread re: how mush she's been resisting BG tests, so I understand how difficult it may be for your hubby to get one. So I guess I'd say, for future reference: Skip the shot if you don't get to 200 at preshot test time. As it's not the end of the world to skip a dose, and when monitoring @ mid-cycle is not doable, that's the safest course to take.

 

Awww! Please tell him I said, "Don't worry ... we have all 'been there' - and everybody here has made a little misstep now and then."

 

well, he is not too thrilled with the fact that I have to do all this in the first place and the expense. He worries it's stressing the family too much and it kinda is at times. In the future, I will skip a shot if under 200 like you said.

 

Sounds like a good plan!

 

It's always toughest at the beginning. But it gets easier. It becomes a routine. And the expense went down for me once I started testing regularly at home. I only went to the vet to pick up syringes or insulin until other health concerns arrived. The expense is more at the beginning, but home testing and learning your kitty's patterns will help. It gets to the point where you are not so stressed I promise!

Looking at Brandy's spreadsheet, I think your dose is too high. You've been getting some sporadically really good numbers. 2 units seems to throw you some low numbers.

Can I ask about the times you listed? It looks like your AMPS seems to vary from 7:30 to 9...is that because some days you are stalling due to low numbers? I noticed you don't have preshots listed for those days and I'm not sure if that was because you couldn't get a test or becuase you had to stall and retest giving you too many numbers to enter.

 

It definitely is stressful at first but things seem to calm down and becomes routine after a while. Merlin is my daughter's cat. She was with him and took care of him for the first 4-5 months of his diagnosis. I really didn't want to get too involved at first. But then, she moved to Hawaii and guess what? So luckily, I decided that many people live with this successfully and there has got to be a place to find information; hence finding this place. I had no idea, no clue how much work it was going to be and it was so overwhelming. But then after about a week, I decided that I need to figure this out and know as much as I can to learn about Merlin and how it is affecting him. I found that the more that you can get involved, the quicker the stress goes away. I kind of looked at it as a quest. I knew that Alex, my daughter was going to move back to the mainland in 2-3 years, so I wanted Merlin to be around so he could be back with her. Anyway, just wanted to let you know it gets better...each day, each week. The positive note is that you are seeing some pretty good pre-shot numbers and a few blues. I just bet Brandy is trying to tell you something by sending you this green. Just need to figure it out.

 

that's because during the week i can do it at 7:30 and not on weekends. Sometimes I run out of time in the morning with a step daughter to take care of as well. I am not always able to test her in the morning due to time and how difficult she makes it too.

 

Thanks!!! Well, i think the sporadic good numbers are because her glucose was never that high to begin with - even not on insulin. She was usually 280 or so. I know that is too high, but I mean it wasn't super drastic high. I have other pets to take care of and a terminal pet in the house too so this is really becoming a lot, but we try.

 

Yea I hear ya. I sometimes think that I am running a hospital too. I have one cat that has Valley Fever, a horse that has cancer and glaucoma, a dog that has Pannes Disease and then, of course, Merlin who has Stage 3 kidney disease and diabetes. It seems that all that I am doing is treating, monitoring, cleaning up and nurturing here. Ok - so I have to run out for now but you have a lot of friends with you now. I have to go and take care of some raptors...when will this stop???? Anyway, keep a sense of humor and I will check in when I get back!

 

It's tough, I know! And having several other pets to care for can make it harder. In good news, it looks like Brandy's numbers are really good (280 not on insulin..and I assume that was at the vet? Wow!).

Do you know if your husband can grab another test sometime soon? If so, will you or he post the number and how many hours from the insulin shot it was? That'll help us to just be sure that she isn't going too low.

 

lol @ running a vet hospital. Yes, exactly!! Have a great day!!! thanks

 

No the 280 was at home. Last test at hospital was 343. I asked him too - we'll see. If he does, I will definitely post the numbers. Thanks

 

@Merlin Ok, I know I'm off-topic here, but ... raptors? In addition to everything else on your plate - WOW! I'm impressed, Cindi. (Good thing they aren't velociraptors, huh? )

 

Yeah, well that's still not bad - as we all know how much higher a kitty's BG # can spike while at a vet's office ...

 

Oh come on now Robin. Haven't you seen Jurassic World? Those velociraptors were great! They ended up being the heroes!

 

Okay so to recap: at 7:30 a.m. BG was 95 - She was 166 at 9:30 a.m. and was injected ONE unit at that time (2 hours late)


Just now at 12:30 (+3) she is 239 - so she is fine. Guess I'll have to see what her # is this evening to determine dose.

 

I won't be able to get any more testing done today until this evening before her food

 

If you want to try to post her number tonight, we'd be happy to help figure out a dose. Maybe post in the PZI forum? We're all experienced at using your insulin, so we can help you figure out what's going on.

 

Sounds like she's doing just fine - good job that your DH did, getting that test in!
What time zone are you in - and what time will that be that you're testing for PMPS?

 

Eastern time zone in Florida. well, her normal test time would be 7:30 p.m. but I guess I have to wait to inject until 9:30 since it was 2 hours late this morning.

 

question - IF a change insulin is going to happen, is it best to do it early in treatment?? The reason I ask is that I'm not sure that it's reasonable to keep buying prozinc with a terminally ill pet in the house and other things. I'm considering switching to Novolin because it's only $25 for 1000 units. (I was already advised it is not ideal, but I MIGHT have to)

 

Not necessarily ... I'd recommend checking Brandy @ 8:30 pm your local time, too - as there's a fair enough chance she could show you a BG of 200 by then. If so, I think you might be okay to go ahead & feed, then shoot (by then, you'd probably only be dosing her about 45 minutes early) - HOWEVER, even if you elect to wait until 9:30 (which again, may not be necessary) I would highly recommend you reduce the dose tonight: If Brandy were mine, I'd go for 1.5U (a reduction of a 1/2 unit). As that low AMPS you got today means she was hanging onto that 2.0 dose too long; a pretty clear indicator that a reduction is warranted. Your goal is to have two shootable numbers: both AMPS & PMPS. Would also highly recommend you get a mid-cycle BG check in tonight (ugh, I know it's a drag setting an alarm when you have to get up & work in the a.m.). But that might help ease your mind a bit - to know where she ends up around nadir time after a dose of 1.5U. And in any event, I'd not increase that dose tomorrow morning, even if she spikes you a higher AMPS. Often by holding that reduced dose for several cycles, you'll see your kitty even out.

Sorry about all the stress this has caused you and your hubby today. (It WILL get better for you, I know it will.)

 

That's another "not necessarily" answer I have for you. I would assume you're not anywhere near being out of ProZinc just yet, are you?

 

Thanks! We had decided to try her on 1.5 units also! We have not yet tried that dose. Maybe 2 units is too much and 1 is not enough, so that sounds like a good plan! thanks

 

no about a 1/2 bottle left but I'd rather switch her now than later IF it would be better for her than keep on the prozinc another month or whatever

 

If she was mine, I would stick with ProZinc for now. Since you still have half a bottle, I'd keep going with it (after all you already paid for it). With luck, maybe she can get OTJ on that since she already has low numbers. And if not, hopefully at least you get her regulated. When you are low on insulin is a good time to decide if you want to switch.

I'd also recommend waiting since that way you can read up about Novolin. It's true that it is a much harsher insulin that ProZinc or the L insulins. I believe it lasts roughly 8 to 10 hours in cats, so you may have to dose 3 times a day (every 8 hours) if you switch to ensure that you keep her regulated. I don't have any experience with N (most people here don't) so you may want to do a search or start a thread to get input so you can be fully informed on how to dose and what to do if you do switch ahead of time.

 

I had to look up that one...you all sure know your dinosaurs.

So glad to hear Brandy is ok. Sorry for the four alarm but it looks like she went the opposite route of going high than rather go low. I am so happy and am so glad your husband was able to check on her. Well looking forward to her numbers tonight.

 

Here's the link for the sticky we have on that type of insulin (Humulin N is the same stuff - Novolin is just the other brand name for it):
Humulin N Primer

 

Yes i know Its not great. But i have had two vets locally say they only use it..i guess lack of info but One said most of his clients can't afford anything else. Pros n con's i guess

 

Ok so her pm # was 318..

 

Which is actually lower than the PMPS you got 2 nights back after you'd shot 1.0U that morning. So will be interesting to see how that 1.5U works out after several cycles ... (Good job!)

 

Ye

Thanks. Well maybe 1.5 is her magic dose lol we shall see. Thanks for all your help

 

Annd. Bonus. She didn't scratch my face off yet she did look at me like reaaallly wtf againn?!

 

Ha! That's really good news!
(I got a whole bunch of those "oh no - not again!" looks from Bat-Bat today because I had to do a mini-curve.)

 

Heres a pic of her just now playing with the kittens toy! She stayed lying down but that's ok lol she playing like a kitten earlier too

 

Oh she is so beautiful. How neat to have them feeling good. I think that is a good dose too and nice to stay on schedule for you all.

 

Glad to hear your face is safe!! Robin and I can tell you some stories about our kitties...sounds like all three of us could swap war stories!

 

So this morning after 1.5 units last night - it was the complete opposite of the spectrum - 333 !?

 

Hi! Am looking back over Brandy's SS now - will post shortly.

 

A question: On your SS, where we see blanks in the preshot cells before some doses, were there no preshot tests before those doses? Just checking before I compose my next post.

 

no there were no pre shot tests before those doses. I know that makes it hard for people reading the sheet. I can't always do it in the mornings when I'm trying to get out to work.

 

and on the weekend when I'm trying to actually sleep LOL

 

You might want to post a question on Main Health to get some input from others here who work outside the home. They may have some great tips on how to manage those morning AMPS tests ... maybe start a thread something like "How do you get AMPS test before leaving for work?"

By this I'm assuming you mean in contrast to yesterday's AMPS of 95. Let's look at this more closely: Brandy got half of the previous night's dose of 2U, down to 1 unit 2 hours late @ BG of 168, after that unshootable 95 AMPS; then got 1.5U 90 minutes early that night - so the pink preshot this morning is really no big surprise. With ProZinc, you try to keep it - as best you can - to dosing about 12 hrs. apart. Especially early in treatment, when you're still trying to figure out what the dose should be ...

I'm assuming you only started home-testing Brandy's BG's on the night of 9/28 (am I correct here?), and between then and now there have been days & nights without BG checks before shooting the insulin, and not much in the way of mid-cycle numbers (particularly at night) in the SS. Please understand that not I'm bringing this up to beat you up in any way; rather, I'm only trying to make it clear to you that without consistent testing at AMPS/PMPS plus mid-cycle testing, it makes it virtually impossible to really know how Brandy is processing the insulin and whether or not the dose should be adjusted.

I really do feel for you: Having other pets at home to deal with, including one who has a terminal illness - I realize this is very stressful. All of us here know how hard it is to set an alarm and drag yourself out of bed to do a middle-of-the-night mid-cycle test. But if you can somehow manage to get in some more mid-cycle tests (and please - find a way to always test before shooting insulin, at the very least*) you will actually find that it will make treating your kitty's diabetes much less stressful for you and your family in the long run. Because knowledge is power, especially as relates to treating feline diabetes: The more data you have in your SS, the better you'll understand your Brandy's patterns, and this will guide you in dosing so that you can get Brandy well-regulated and possibly into full remission. This does not mean you need to do full-curves, or anything like that, day in and day out. But the pre-shot testing is essential for keeping your kitty safe*; knowing what she's doing mid-cycle at a certain dose will help you determine what dose is too high and what dose is too low.

*Re: Any vets who think testing BG's before giving a kitty a shot of insulin is "unnecessary": I can guarantee those vets that NO human's doctor would ever advise a human patient to shoot himself/herself with insulin without getting a pre-shot BG# first. Why should our kitties be any less safe???

 

Yeah, I kinda figured the info is limited. I am not going to get up in the middle of the night to poke her ear. Just have to be honest about that. I need my rest and once woken up, I will not be able to go back to sleep and she HATES it. I have to think of her quality of life too if I'm always stabbing her ear, but I get what you're saying. Thanks for trying anyway. The spreadsheet says 9/28 because that's when she started insulin and I didn't have one before that. She was not on insulin. We were trying to get her controlled through diet. Her average numbers without insulin are 250-280 but she was ruining the litter box and was hungry.

 

Renal threshold is estimated at between 250-300 (depending on the cat); that's the point at which glucose starts spilling into the urine stream. Hence, ruining of the litter box/ extreme hunger you'd mentioned - two classic hallmarks of uncontrolled diabetes.

I understand your position. My best wishes for Brandy's health and success in getting her DM regulated.

 

yeah, she's doing MUCH better on the hunger thing. she takes her time eating and actually LEAVES some in the bowl! - for her that is really something! She stopped the excessive water drinking months ago when switched to canned food only when I got her. I am not quite sure about the litter box thing yet because I'm not around all the time, but I know hers are the biggest "scoops" and hopefully that will get better also. I know it is hard to give advice with limited info. I appreciate your efforts and your time!! thanks for the good wishes

 

Sorry i know i don't have enough data but tonight her BG is only 70!!! It was 300 plus this morning. I don't get it

 

I just fed her but of course did not inject

 

Wow, Brandy and Bubba must have gotten together, he threw me a 72 PMPS. I did not shoot either. Looks like we will both be reducing our dose tomorrow AM assuming they give us numbers that we can shoot.

 

Was the right thing to do - good job!

Take heart! What this is telling you is ... her body wants you to lower the dose. (Yay!)
So that's good news, right? (And therein lies the true value of always testing before you shoot the insulin.)

 

Bobbie has been through plenty of the "both ends of the spectrum" stuff. @Bobbie And Bubba - Right, Bobbie?

 

You can say that again!!

 

On top of my cat passing a few weeks ago..my brother was forced to put his dog to sleep today. Her name was Angel. Her mouth was bleeding. They thought it was a tooth issue. She was put under anesthesia. The doc said she had a huge tumor in her mouth and throat and had days or weeks to live. So he went to say goodbye. When he dropped her off this morning he didn't think he would never see her again. Doc said she would suffer though. She was a sweet dog loved by the whole family she was 14. Anyway ..stressful sad day ..again

 

And again, and again, and again, and ... how many pairs of patience pants have you worn out? But just think: Maybe we'll be able to change Bubba's nickname from "Bubba-Trubba" to "Hubba-Bubba!!!

 

@smiley747 - Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! My condolences to your family.

 

Always sad when we lose one of our 4 legged babies......

 

My patience pants having patches on the patches......

 

So sorry to hear about your brother's dog! It's hard, but it sounds like he did the right thing. I hope he can find some peace in that.

 

Yes, so glad you didn't skip the preshot test tonight, could have been a disaster.

 

303 just now at 1130 pm. I gave her .5 unit but Its 4 hours late. In this scenario is it best to skip it completely ? I didn't want her to go too high overnight but didn't want to mess up her sched either Im wiped

 

Sorry, just got back from a BD party. I'm not understanding what you're saying here; I thought you skipped the dose tonight? You just now gave 0.5U?

 

If this what you did: Dosed 0.5U four hours into the cycle? You really should avoid dosing any insulin that late. It does not matter that she went higher mid-cycle after a skipped dose (we would fully expect that); ProZinc is dosed twice per day on a 12-hour schedule. When you skip a dose at AMPS or PMPS, you skip the dose for that entire cycle, period.

While trying to get a diabetic kitty regulated, we can expect some high #s - and cats' bodies can actually handle those high numbers from time to time much more easily than they can handle too-low BG#s - generally speaking, it's only when they are running extremely high BG#s for extended periods of time that this poses a real danger. (We have a saying around here, as relates to the hazards posed by a hypoglycemic event: "Better too high for a day than too low for a moment.")

The only time you dose a little late is generally within that first hour directly after getting a too-low pre-shot number and if - after stalling and withholding food and retesting the BG every 15-20 minutes - you get a shootable number at that time (200 or more).

Shooting any insulin too far into in a 12-hour cycle - regardless of a higher number you may be seeing at any point later in the cycle - means that whatever amount was dosed late will end up overlapping into the next cycle at preshot time. So we will now need to consider that additional amount you shot when deciding on her dose in the morning, as ProZinc can last anywhere from 10 to 12 hours after an injection. (Sometimes even longer, which is often indicated by a too-low-to-shoot preshot BG# - something you had just experience at tonight's AMPS time.)

Dosing insulin too many hours into the current cycle can also put your kitty at risk for dropping too low at nadir during the next cycle after she gets her shot of insulin at her normal pre-shot time. And here's what often happens after a too-low* nadir (*meaning a more than 50% drop in BG from the pre-shot BG#): A bounce, where the very next pre-shot BG# goes really high.

Keep in mind that you were already going to need to reduce her dose in the morning, even though you will likely see a higher-than-usual AMPS. So can you now see how dosing some insulin late in a cycle can complicate matters further? (I didn't realize you somehow got the idea that it's okay to dose this much later. You might want to read through the ProZinc protocols again.)

Sorry for the lengthy explanation, but I hope this clarifies it some for you. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of this; it's all a learning process (believe me, we've all been through it).

 

In the long run Novolin is NOT cheaper. You buy more of it, more often because it is only 40 unit insulin. The ProZinc I just got was only $95 and will last 6 months.
You think you're stressed out now,...the Novolin threw me a curve the very first dose. I HALVED what the vet Rx ed and still hypo ed my cat. Cat slept all the time and lethargic. No fun. Plus the insulin does not ever last very long. It will keep you busier than you ever want to be.
My opinion on why some vets "only use it".. Because they have very little experience with regulated cats if that is all they are using. I imagine they also are the ones who strictly prescribe prescription DRY CAT FOOD too.
Just my 2 cents.

All the best.
-Brenda

 

yes. I thought I was supposed to skip the dose completely, but since her numbers were so high my husband thought it wouldnt hurt her to give her a little insulin and he didnt want her to get too high over night so we only gave 1/2 unit.

 

Oh okay. I understand now. Thank you for the information!

 

Were you able to get a test in on her at AMPS time this morning?

 

Hmmm well the Walmart Relion Novolin N brand is 100 U so it's 1000 units, not 40. http://www.relion.com/products/relionnovolin-human-insulin-n-inj and its' only $24.00 so I thought would last even longer because the prozinc is only 40 unit and $95.00 I appreciate the personal experience insight though!! It comes down to money also sometimes, especially with caring for another pet who is terminal in the house. I do appreciate your 2 cents

 

No. I barely slept last night so I woke up late. My husband is going to take it shortly.

 

Please tell him not to shoot any insulin until you let us know what the # is, ok?

ETA: Not trying to appear bossy or anything; just want to help you make sure Brandy stays safe.

 

yes I told him specifically not to do anything without a BG. I'm making the poor guy a nervous wreck and he already is. It's his long time companion cat that has terminal cancer. Ugh. Thanks

 

well - correction. He didn't listen to what I said (he's a man. shocking) The BG is 357 and he already injected - one unit.

 

Oh, I understand what a heartbreaker that is ... we lost our last 2 dogs to liver cancer. And when you wrote about your brother's Angel-dog yesterday, I knew all too well what that felt like, as we'd taken our "Little Dog" in for what we thought was a cold (she'd suddenly started sneezing/coughing), but it turned out that she had metastisized cancer in her lungs - the secondary site; it had started in her liver. She was totally without symptoms until that day! And within the week, we had to let her go when she began sneezing blood. Terrible for our fuzzy friends, and so hard to have to lose them in that way. So I really feel for you & your hubby about your other kitty.

 

yes it's really heartbreaking. OMG That is so awful that you had to go through that! It sure is tough when they go. My brother text me this morning and I asked if he was okay and he said "not really. I'm heart broken" Anyway, Brandy I dont know ...this insulin stuff is tricky

 

I really wish he hadn't done that, as she still has that half-unit that was shot 4 hours into last night's cycle circulating in her system. I'm sorry, as I know he's already stressed but ... You must make it clear to him that he NEEDS to test her by +4 to make sure she doesn't drop too low. Even though he saw a 357 this morning, her dose should have been reduced (even had you guys not shot her with 0.5 after that +4 test last night). Even with a (late) AMPS result of 357 today, I would have told you to have him shoot only 0.5, as that's the reduction that was called for (based solely on her low PMPS last night).

 

I told him already. I don't know if we can keep this kind of thing up every day. It's too much worrying if she's too high or too low all the time. We have a daughter and many other things to think about too. I know everyone here understands. Anyway, I told him what you said. Thanks

 

Well ... as keeping up with home-testing is a essential part of keeping a diabetic kitty safe & getting her diabetes well under control, and it seems pretty clear that treating Brandy is just adding more stress to the mix when your family is already stressed out by the heartbreak of having a kitty with terminal cancer, the only other option I can suggest to you is to seriously consider finding a new home for Brandy. While I know this is probably not what you want to hear, looking at it realistically:

1) This situation is too stressful for you & your family, as you already have so much on your plate.
2) Insulin is a powerful hormone; it requires being able to stick to the protocol for whichever insulin you're using, and regardless of which insulin that is, it also requires consistent testing at the normal AMPS/PMPS times - as well as some mid-cycle tests - so that kitty remains safe and to guide you in dosing the correct amount of insulin.
3) It is really not best for a diabetic kitty to be placed at risk for hypoglycemic events (and that risk does exist without consistent testing when dosing insulin) - as a severe hypoglycemic event can kill quickly. (And even if it doesn't, if a cat ends up in an emergency vet clinic for treatment of severe hypoglycemia, this is a very expensive "fix" for such a problem.)

So all in all, I'd have to say it's probably time for you and your hubby to do some soul-searching about what's best for you and the diabetic kitty you adopted. Believe it or not, there are people out there who would be willing to take her off your hands, even though she has an active case of diabetes.
Again, I know all this is both stressful and hard for you, and you have my sympathies in being in a place where you have to make some difficult choices.
With all sincerity, Robin

 

Yes. I am aware of all of this.... As i've mentioned before, I have had Brandy only since June. I adopted her from the Humane Society not knowing she is chronically ill. I found out 3 days after adopting her. The option they gave me??? Bring her back and we will put her down, they said. Had they known she was ill, she would not be alive today.

I feel like we've done a lot more (though no perfectly) than a lot of people would have even considered or attempted, money and time wise for a cat they just got. I appreciate your info, but I feel like you're pushing and over stepping because believe me, I am PAINFULLY aware of everything you pointed out already. I didn't want to abandon Brandy. I did call around. No one wants her with diabetes. I chose not to put her down and give her a chance. There are many people I know of that do not constantly home test and their cats are fine. I commend the efforts here, completely. It's just harder for some people. Thank you for all of your help.

 

I am sorry you felt that I was pushing and overstepping; truly that was not my intent.

At FDMB, our intent is always to do our best to help you keep a diabetic kitty as safe as humanly possible while treating with insulin. My best wishes for you and Brandy.

 

People here really do have the best of intentions--and I know how overwhelming diabetes can be when you're first learning the ropes. When Bandit was diagnosed 6 years ago, I was an absolute wreck. He fought every test I tried to give him. But, in a few weeks I was able to figure it out. I would wrap him in a blanket and test him in the same spot every time, giving him a treat after each test. I used a higher gauge Lancet (26g) and warmed his ear before each test to make the test go quicker and easier to get the drop of blood. After a while he totally chilled out and now he comes running when he hears the meter beep on and sits patiently while we do his tests. The tests don't hurt them--cats have very few nerve endings in their ears (less than people have in their fingertips when they test themselves). They just need it to become part of their routine. I'm sure you'll fall into a routine with Brandy that works for you...once you stop being nervous around the cat with the tests, and start making it a fact of life for them, even the most fractious ones calm right down after a little while and accept them.

Have you checked out the hometesting tips and tricks? They sure helped me out a ton! http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

While it's true cats can survive for some time without hometesting, or on a dry, high carb diet, or on an insulin like Novolin, what we really advocate here at FDMB is for treatment that will help your cat get better. When you test 3 times a day (before each shot, and once mid-cycle), you have the information you need to accurately dose your cat and maintain good control over her blood sugar. Not only are you keeping the cat safe, good control over blood sugar is what leads to remission. The large majority of cats whose owners test at least 3 times a day, feed a low carb, canned diet, and use one of the cat appropriate insulins (Prozinc, Lantus, or Levemir) go into remission. And a cat in remission is FAR easier to care for than one on insulin, and I can personally vouch for that! I have a very busy schedule, I work well over 40 hours a week, and I am very relieved that Bandit is currently going back into remission so that I soon don't have to worry about buying insulin, giving shots, or testing every day. Of the 6 years since he was diagnosed, he's only actually been on insulin about a year and a half of that time. And for the most part, he's been healthier than most cats his age.

But, if you don't feel ready to go that far yet because you're tired and overwhelmed, I think your best option is to just keep doing the best you can currently do with her (and I would include keeping her on Prozinc--Novolin is NOT a good insulin for cats and you won't see her diabetes improve on it like you will with Prozinc, and progress IS future money that you don't have to spend on insulin, period, if you can get her into remission.) When you're more comfortable with your routine, and more confident with testing her (and she's not fighting you as much), then maybe you can come back and see how getting better control over her BG could benefit you, Brandy, and your family? It seems hard at first, but you'd be surprised how easy it gets with a little time.

 

come back? You mean come back to the message board when I'm more comfortable?

 

Of course not! I phrased that wrong. I meant, come back to learn more about what you can do to help you manage her diabetes when you're more comfortable. You can always get advice here regardless of what you choose to do, but you may keep hearing the same or similar advice in regards to home testing, food, and insulin choice. Some treatments have been proven to be more safe and effective than others, and those are what are advocated here.

 

@smiley747 , it seems like the hometesting seems to be the biggest stress for you right now, so that's why I suggested that honing your skills at that would be a good place for you to start. And once you get that down, then you can take a better look at the other factors that might help you with Brandy's treatment (like testing more frequently, changing diets, adjusting doses, etc). At your pace, of course! As someone who was once similarly overhwhelmed (I was working a full time job with a 2 hour commute, a part time job, and going to grad school when Bandit was first diagnosed in 2009), taking the different aspects of treatment one step at a time as I could handle them was what worked for me and allowed me to reduce the stress and cope. I started with diet, then with testing, and then learned more about the insulin he's on and how it's properly dosed.

 

Hey there, what Julia is saying makes a lot of sense to help reduce your stress. Even if all the test you can do is 3 a day, before each shots (realllllly important as you saw On days off you can try to get more test in. To take a possible overdose of insulin off the table will be a huge stress reliever right there. The members here can help you with dosing. Each time you get your test number, just post and there will be someone to guide you. That will take a lot of the unknown away and help you not to feel so along with all this. We are truly here to help you and keep Brandy safe

 

The following is posted on the FDMB main home page under "Newly Diagnosed" :
and it is was helpful for me then on my first day here ... and now.


Do you think treatment is too difficult?
A post from the Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB) by Allie and Myrtle may be helpful to you. This post was made way back in 2006 and you just can't believe how much progress has been made in treating diabetes in cats since then! These 5 year old words still ring true.

When we humans are diagnosed with an illness we head for the internet, and I'm sure it the same for many cat owners who hesitate about treating their cats. Let's say they put off the decision to put their cat to sleep until they have found out what treatment involves. Let's say they come here, and see the dedicated treatment given by everyone here – shots, home-testing, blood curves, ketone testing, spot checks, discussions about dosages of 1.2 units or 1.75 units, U40 insulins, gauges of needles. I'll call it the 5 star treatment (or even 5+ stars for those who do tight regulation – but let's not get into any controversy about that!!)

I'm not here concerned with those who KNOW they will treat their cat – these introduce themselves, they receive a lot of help and kindness and reassurance, and sooner or later they are on their way to becoming experts themselves. It's the ones who really aren't committed to treating that concern me here. How many of these people come to the FDMB and think ..... OMG !!!!!!!!!! and presume that it has to be “all” (represented by the treatment described here) or “nothing”. Maybe they go away because they are just not up for all that, and get the cat put to sleep (PTS).

People who are not sure they want to treat their cat have a variety of reasons (No more holidays? No more lie-ins? Cost? Work schedules? Pressure by other family and friends to PTS? Half-wild cat?) I'm not going to call any of those things selfish – it's not for me to judge. I just want to say to them (1) I also hesitated about treatment, not because I was unwilling/unable to devote time and money, but because I didn't think I stood a snowball's chance in hell of getting Myrtle to accept injections, let alone anything else. And (2) – it is NOT “all or nothing”. There are “degrees” of treatment. I myself do a sort of 3 star treatment, without home blood glucose testing! And I also believe some people just are not up for a total dedication and commitment right from the beginning, but may very well work their way up to it as they go along, once they have found out in a practical way what it might involve, and that it is not as difficult, time-consuming, costly, etc as they imagined.

Although everyone here is very kind and helpful to newbies who want to treat and who introduce themselves, the really wavering types usually never post at all, and one or two brave souls who are honest enough to say they are thinking of putting to sleep get pelted with bricks. Please, let's not drive them away unnecessarily, for their cat's sake.

I'm a believer in the expression “a spoonful of honey catches more flies than a barrelful of vinegar”. I want to say to the hesitant “Just try it! Give it a go, before you make a final decision!” I'm sure the reason why many vets start cats off on once a day dosing (SID to those unfamiliar with jargon who might read this) is just for this very reason – that even this is better than nothing to get someone on the insulin road (once it's clear that it's needed). I recall my own vet did this, and I was hugely relieved! I thought I'd be lucky to even do that! But he did say it would probably need to be twice a day soon ... within 3 weeks it was me who asked to switch from SID to BID (2 x a day).

I recall what he said to me when Myrtle was first diagnosed and I asked “What if I leave her untreated?” He did not say “She will starve to death” or put any such guilt trip on me; he said she would be more vulnerable to infections, especially urinary tract infections, and probably other things I don't remember. The thing that clinched it for me was when he said “I think if you at least just try it, you will feel better about yourself”. How true! I knew I personally would not have forgiven myself if I hadn't tried. And even though Myrtle doesn't get the 5 star treatment, she is so well and happy, and behaving like a much younger cat, that I can't help but thank God I DID give it a go!

It's NOT all or nothing – you can start with SID dosing if you can't manage more (yet). You can urine test if you or your cat can't or won't do the ear pricks and blood tests (yet). And be sure that this is a very treatable disease, and most rewarding for those who do start out on the “insulin road”. You may even have your cat go into remission! But you won't know unless you try!