Karen & Lily

Lily is a 5 yr old kitty diagnosed in November 2015 with diabetes. Her only obvious symptom that something was wrong was her ravenous appetite. She has not lost any weight although she could stand to lose a pound or two. Anyway my vet has prescribed ProZinc 4 units in the am, and 3 units in the pm. Someone on the feline diabetes Facebook page suggested lowering her dose to 3 units am & pm and see if her numbers level out. She is on a raw diet with the occasional can of Fancy Feast classic or Tiki Cat chicken. And yes I am home testing using the human meter ReliOn Prime.

 

Welcome.
ProZinc is a good insulin and yo were right in reducing does but even three units may be too much.
Are you using U40 suringes? Those have a red needle cap or are you using human U100 syringes (orange needle cap)? If U100 syringes then 3 unitis of the U40 ProZinc is up to 7 1/2 unit markings.
It is good that y are home testing. Most of use here test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...te-a-ss-and-link-it-in-your-signature.130337/
If you create and fill out a spreadsheet we can review it and give use our suggestions.
What raw diet are you feeding?

 

Welcome Karen and Lily to the boards. Sounds like you are on the right path for your kitty.

 

Welcome Karen and Lilly to FDMB! You have come to the right place for support. There are a lot of caring and experience folks here. You will be given a whole lot of information and at first, it will seem very overwhelming however in a couple of weeks, things will start falling into place. Below is general information and it will also help you start your shopping lists. Sounds like you already got a good start with purchasing the Relion meter to home test....yeah! Congratulations for finding this place and for seeking more information on feline diabetes.

I am with Larry that 3.0 units of Prozinc seems too much to start off with. Typically we start off with 1 unit or maybe even 0.5 units. With Prozinc, it is important to know what the "preshot" test number is and the "nadir" number which is mid-cycle (+5-+7). It seems a little complex at first but it is not. Please read the Prozinc protocol and it should give you a good explanation. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/protocol-for-prozinc-pzi.109077/

Good Reading: This is a must read. It is an excellent 18 page informative document that covers feline health and nutrition. Don't take short cuts and read it all. www.catinfo.org Also read other postings and their spreadsheets. You will learn a lot more from others.

Home Testing: Here, we all home test and congratulations to you for wanting to home test too. It is mandatory to understand how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and the dose. You will want to test before each shot and some additional test in between the 12 hour cycle when you can. The main reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe and to find an effective dose. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs and treats before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Hometesting Links and TipsHere is a picture of where you test on your kitty. http://s106.photobucket.com/user/chupie_2006/media/testingear/sweetspot.jpg.html

Here is another good link on Home Testing:http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-home-test.htm

Meters: There are many different meters. There is a pet meter called the Alpha Trak2 and human meters. Some use the pet meter because it is what the vets use so the numbers will match up. The meter and strips are expensive though. Most folks buy AT strips from ADW. Most use human meters that can be purchased at any pharmacy. It typically reads a little lower than the pet meter but we have ways of compensating for those lower numbers. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro, Relion Prime or Relion Confirm. The Micro and Confirm only needs a tiny drop of blood but the strips are a little more expensive than the Prime which needs a little bigger drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each. The AT strips are usually around $1 each at the vet’s office.

Lancets: Lancets are used to poke the ear to get blood for the meters. There are many different sizes lancets (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge because it is a larger size and will make a bigger hole, hence easier to draw blood. Also, it would be a good idea to pick up Neosporin WITH pain reliever to apply on the edge of the ears and don't forget to alternate ears. It is a bit scary at first to start poking the ear, but eventually it will become easier for both you and your kitty. Some people even draw blood from the paw pad.

Spreadsheets: Our spreadsheet instructions are here. If you look at the signatures of the members here, you will see a link to their kitty’s spreadsheets. We keep track of all our tests. This is basically a place to collect data and help you to determine patterns, doses, etc. It also aids those that may be helping you to better understand your kitty. To further my knowledge on diabetes, I would make it a habit to read other kitty’s postings and spreadsheets. Even though they are all different and will be different than your kitty, it was still invaluable information.

Food: There are many reasons why we are here but one is due to feeding dry cat food which is high in carbs. You will want to consider changing your food to wet, low carb food. It is recommended to feed food that is under 10% carbs and I found with Merlin that right around 4-5% worked for him. Here is a list of cat food to choose from food chartyou will note that the food with fish are lower in carbs however it is recommended that you only give fish once a week due to its mercury content. Many use Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies, Wellness, Werurva etc. This list can also be found in www.catinfo.org If you are already giving insulin and you have not transitioned to wet, low carb cat food, be sure to test while you are transitioning. This is because by changing to low carb food, it could decrease your kitty’s number by 100 points or more. One last thing, many of us add water to the wet food so your kitty is getting plenty of water to flush out the toxins and to keep them hydrated.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events (low blood sugar) which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin forums are stickie’s labeled Hypo Links. Here is one: How to Handle a Hypo. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc. Hopefully you will never need it but probably at some point in time, you will need to deter from going too low.

Ketones: Diabetic cats are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is best to buy testing strips that will measure (if any) ketones in the urine. One brand is Ketostix which can be found at Walmart or any pharmacy. You will want to test periodically unless you continue to get high numbers, then it is suggested to test more frequently. Ketostix typically costs around $10 for 100.

Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty especially when testing or when they decide not to eat. I like using Pure Bites. I have found it at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is freeze dried and the only ingredient is the meat i.e. chicken, duck, etc. If your cat likes it, then I would go to the dog section where it is cheaper than the cat package. It is bigger chunks but no problem in breaking it up. Another option is to use Bonita Flakes where you can find at your local Asian market. There is a link here somewhere in this site that has a list of low carb treats.

Injections: Most folks here use one of these main insulins; Lantus, Levemir and Prozinc. Two hours prior to your insulin shot, you will not want your kitty to eat. Then you will test and then feed. It is best for your kitty to eat a little before your shoot. I shoot while he is eating. The reason why you do not want your kitty to eat two hours prior to your test is because food elevates BG numbers. So you do not want to dose based on a food influenced number. Here is a link on how to give injections.http://www.felinediabetes.com/injections.htm

If you have any questions, just holler.

 

I am using the U 40 syringes. Lily's raw diet consists of homemade raw-chicken thighs, chicken hearts, chicken liver, I also change her protein to pork or beef occasionally. She also likes to eat the commercial brand Rad Cat lamb or turkey. Most mornings her preshot # is in the 400s. When she was at the vet's for a curve in November, my vet started at 2 units then increased it to 4 because her #s were not coming down much.

 

Can anyone help me getting a spreadsheet onto this message board? I was able to download it and I do have a copy on my computer but for some reason it did not get saved here.

 

Hello Karen. Welcome to the board!
Now that you've introduced yourself and Lily, Feline Health - (The Main Forum) is the best place to ask questions and share your concerns. I noticed you've already opened a thread on Health: Lily & ProZinc.

It looks like Sue and Oliver has answered your question: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/lily-prozinc.150640/#post-1605354. Please take her up on her offer to help if you have any trouble.

Hope to see you posting often!

 

Thanks Jill!