New Diabetic Cat Parents - Worried about highs

Our Panda has been diagnosed with Diabetes a week ago, but he is also suffering from Pancreatitis and a serious infection in his back legs. He has spent the most of this last week at the vet, as she was trying to get his diabetes under control with the complications the other two illnesses add. We have him home starting yesterday (Friday) and have been monitoring. Yesterday and most of today his was doing well testing in the upper 100s to 250s, but tonight he has tested high. Right before dinner and his second injection he test 349 and then tonight he went up to 394. His insulin is BCP PZI Bovin 3units at 7am and again at 7pm. He is also on Orbax and Doxycyline for his infection that he takes in the morning. He then takes Gabapentin for pain - his legs are causing him lots of pain, he can barely stand and can't walk. I am curious if I need to be worrying about these highs or if they are just part of the complications from Pancreatitis and the infection? I wasn't really worried until the 394. We know our Panda is pretty sick right now. Our wonderful vet made it clear that if the back legs don't clear up in the next 2-3 weeks then it is probably something not fixable and we will have to have a more in-depth discussion. I would normally call our vet but she isn't open on the weekends and I really don't trust the emergency clinic here.

 

Panda has a lot going on. It is fantastic that you are home testing.

I'm not overly familiar with PZI. Hopefully, someone knowledgeable will chime in soon.

Did the vet say anything about ketones in the urine? Are you testing for ketones?

What are you feeding Panda? And how long after the 2nd injection was the 349?

 

We are feeding him Fancy Feast and we have him on the ones that are 0-1% carbs (Fish and Shrimp Flaked, Ocean Whitefish Classic, and Cod,Sole, and Shrimp Classic). The vet wasn't that worried about ketones so we have not tested for that yet. The 349 was about 11 hours after his morning injection, but the 394 was only 2 hours after his evening injection.

 

Numbers in the 300's and 400's are not uncommon for an unregulated diabetic. It's more common them not actually.
My cat didnt even have a number under 300 the first two months on insulin!

The leg thing.... Are you sure it's an INFECTION and not diabetic neuropathy? If it's neuropathy it's usually reversible and will resolve itself once the bg numbers are down and with the help of vitamin b 12 methylcobalamin supplements such as zobaline.

 

The vet is positive it is not neuropathy. If it isn't an infection then it is something not fixable. We have had some long conversations about his condition - we have all decided to do what we can for Panda for 3 weeks, but if there is no improvement in his legs in that time then we need to consider what us beat for Panda.

 

Listen it can't hurt to do the vitamin b 12 methylcobalamin... You can get it on amazon. I give a bit too all my cats a few times a week. It also can't hurt to do adequan shots in case arthritis is a factor in delayinghealing . If it's an infection then a strong antibiotics would solve it.

 

At the very least get a second opinion from a different vet. Did they do any ultrasound or x-rays? Was the white blood cell count high? Did he test potassium levels?

 

My experience confirms what Janet is saying. The reason my cat was diagnosed with diabetes was because she was wobbling when trying to walk. It turned out to be diabetes. When I asked the Vet about the possibility of diabetic neuropathy she said that No it wasn't DNeuropathy. BUT as my cat's diabetes came under control and supplementing with the V B-12 Methylcobalamin she has regained muscle strength and tone. It does take time and getting the diabetes under control is the first thing that has to happen. I'm not saying to not listen to your Vet I'm just saying that diabetes is a very complicated disease.

 

This cat in the video has diabetic neuropathy altho' not bad yet. Just to give you an idea of what it looks like...



HUGS!