Jordan was on Vetsulin: Help please

Hello
Visited late last year. My cat Jordan, ( age approx. 7 & 1/2 yrs ) was first prescribed Novolin N ( 2 units 2x daily) Saw a new vet in November 2009 Jordan was switched to Vetsulin. He did much better at first. Then vet's office called to explain there had been a recall of Vetsulin & the new insulin ( no name given) would cost $81 dollars per bottle. They told me it was ok to finish using the new bottle of Vetsulin.
Now almost out of vetsulin so asked first vet what to do: he said to use up the Novolin N in the fridge. Said it was still good ( he prescribed it initially). Tried that for 3 terrible days. Jordan was throwing up & very ill. I stopped use of Novolin & back to vetsulin. Very little left in bottle...
One vet said NO WET FOOD other vet said NO DRY FOOD! I am running out of money and running out of choices for vets ( in my area). A 3rd vet I just called this a.m. said he does not treat cats with diabetes at all! AM snowed in and unable to get Jordan to any vet. Anyone have any advice or ideas please? Thank you. Jordan and mom, Von

 

Oh wow...ok, so first, where are you located? There's a chance one of us lives nearby and can help.

Second, how is Jordan now? Still ill?

Third, I like vet number 2 better (if this is the one who recommended the replacement of vetsulin and no dry food), is there a chance you can call?

Vetsulin has been recalled and PZI or lantus are much better options. THey are expensive to buy but you may need a lower dose and it can last longer, especially if you buy the lantus cartridges.

What I think you need to do if Jordan is acting ok is:
1. continue low dose of insulin twice a day
2. get ketostix from your pharmacy to test urine for ketones (stix are cheap)
3. get yourself a human glucometer like the truck track or relion and learn to test blood glucose levels so you have an on the spot ability to test
4. feed canned food - see www.catinfo.org for info from a vet on the subject of diet
5. Should be first on this list, but scroll up the list of posts and find the one about the FDMB faq and read it and print it off if you can

Jen

 

Please call your vet and ask for the name of the "unnamed $81 insulin. If it was ProZinc, you may be able to buy an already opened bottle from the folks here who have gone into remission recently.

 

The others gave you very good advice. I would add and re-emphasize:

-Test for ketones in his urine. Go to ANY pharmacy window and ask for ketosticks. You do NOT need a prescription. They cost about $14 for a bunch (50?) Stalk him in the litter box and try to wet a stick in the stream (fresh urine) count exactly 15 sec and compare the color on the bottle. Presence of ketones above 'trace' means stop everything right now and go to the vet. If he is obviously sick, this could be his problem, and it is an emergency.

PLEASE see our Health links at viewforum.php?f=14 . There is lots of great information here which WILL help you.

You don't mention home glucose testing. It will save you a lot of money if you test blood glucose at home. It is not hard and it is very important. It may give clues as to why he feels sick. Some meters require much less blood so it makes testing a lot easier. Possible meters you might want to consider would be:

- the Walmart brand Relion MICRO which uses a tiny bit of blood and the strips are very reasonable.

-Another even less expensive option, which I am now using is the Maxima which is available online through Hocks.com (see the green box link at the top of this page). It uses .5 microliters (and I think the Relion uses either .3 or .5) . I just bought meter and 100 strips for less than $40. Replacement strips are $16.50 / 50 strips.

-Print the hypo info now so you have it ready. Cats have gone into hypo by dropping the dry food without adjusting the insulin.

- start a BG spreadsheet so we can see exactly "what and when" in order to advise you. Go to the Tech forum to find directions to do this. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16 At the least post any BG data you have in your post. It helps if we know how many hours after the last injection the reading was taken.

At a pet store buy dehydrated 100% chicken breast treats to use as a reward for testing.

As soon as you get more comfortable testing, taper off the evil dry food. Yes, it makes a huge difference in BG. It is important to know how to test, so you can make sure kitty is safe using insulin when he stops getting the dry food. However, it is CRUCIAL that cats eat. DO NOT under any circumstances let him go without eating something.

I'm guessing (because of the price) your vet #2 is suggesting Prozinc which is a new FDA approved insulin for cats. This is a safe option and it should stay good until empty. You can learn about it at http://www.prozinc.us. Lantus is another good choice

Welcome and please keep checking us out. Many here can help you!

 

Thanks to each of you for your helpful & informative answers. Two vets with different opinions had me confused Thurs but am taking him to Vet# 2 this afternoon, the new insulin is called ProZinc . A dear friend is able to help me pay for this today. I have a lot of syringes U 100 Ultra Comfort ones, will I be able to use these with Prozinc?
BTW: Both vets have seen Jordan.
At 2 units every 12 hrs which I believe is what vet will recommend how long will Prozinc last?
I do not do home testing. I am not home often. Both vets agree there is no need to home-test (?) Both said it would be inaccurate.
Vet #1 says wet food only and was going to prescribe Lantus. Expensive. Also the vet is farther away. He treats more canines & equines than felines.
Vet # 2 is 30 miles away, but still closer. He says Dry Food & wet but only one flavor. Jordan has an insatiable appetite, begs for food ( even after injections) drinks a large quantity of water. Diagnosed June of '09. He prefers wet food ( FF) now. I must care for an elderly relative who's gravely ill I have little time at home & less money than 9 months ago.
Jordan urinates excessively & have tried almost every litter on market, problem is his back paws are coated ( like cement) with litter. Have had zero success in removing clumps frm paws. He may be urinating on them, also refuses or is unable to cover BM's in box. What type litter is best? I have another cat, she is not diabetic. I have 2 litter boxes I clean at least 2x daily. Thanks again to all who replied.

 

Dont have much time now but:
1) home testing is NOT INACCURATE; and will save you a lot of money. Hundreds of us on this board do it daily. You do not need your vet's permission, and if you mail him results he may let you postpone those expensive frequent check ups. =SAved money.

PLEASE visit health links forum for more info and tips on this. viewforum.php?f=14
At a minimum you are home 2x/day to give the shots. You could test everyday before the food and shot. No human diabetic would shoot without testing their blood first. There is no difference for a cat.

2) If he is still peeing a lot he may not be getting adequate insulin, but you will ONLY KNOW this if you test everyday, at home , where he is not stressed out by the vet and the car trip.

3) Prozinc is a good insulin and will last until the last drop if you keep it protected from light and refrigerated between 36-46 Please go see the web site for videos about it. It is a U40 insulin and uses U40 syringes. There is a conversion chart to use your U100 syringes with u40 insulin on this site somewhere, perhaps others can provide a link. JUST BE VERY CAREFUL reading it correctly.

4) as for the litter I use a clumping litter, unscented is best for all cats (who do have very sensitive noses). The real problem is probably the unregulated diabetes. (YOU NEED TO HOME TEST TO SOLVE THAT) He is drinking a lot of water in an attempt to flush the high blood sugar out of his system.

5) do not feed dry DM or any other dry food. Canned Friskies or fancy feast is fine but you need to make it available a minimum of 4 x/day or free fed. ALL dry food is loaded with carbs and non animal based protein, which will elevate blood sugar. With unregulated diabetes he is literally starving because the food he eats can't get into the cells that need it. (you need to home test) It sounds like maybe you need to increase the amount of canned food you are offering. How much do you feed and how big is he? :?: :?:

 

This is the least expensive testing deal I have seen and it works great. You get 100 strips and the meter , mailed to you for less than $40. Maxima meter

Buy it through Hocks.com, green box link above on this page.

http://hocks.com/hocks-healthcare/hocks ... FM-14.html

 

You can also request a starter newbie kit through FDMB. This would be a used, donated meter. You pay about $5 shipping if possible.
here's the link for that:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6