New Member Toby

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by tll222, Oct 7, 2015.

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  1. tll222

    tll222 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2015
    My 12 year old cat Toby was diagnosed with diabetes in July. We were able to get his blood sugar to a normal level within about 2 weeks but since then his blood sugar level has been consistently extremely high. I think my vet is at a loss and doesn't know what to think.

    Hoping for some help. Thanks.
     
  2. Brashworks

    Brashworks Member

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2015
    Hi. Sorry to hear Toby is having issues.

    I have no ideas to put forward but could you tell us a little about Toby?


    What food is he eating?
    What insulin and dose?
    Does he have any underlying conditions? Pancreatitis? Is he on any other medication?

    That would be a good start, I think, though I'm sure more experienced people will have other questions to help.

    Welcome, and I hope you can find some answers here.
     
  3. tll222

    tll222 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2015
    Toby is currently eating Prescription Diet Digestive Weight Management w/d food. 5.5 oz can--1/2 in the morning, 1/2 in the evening.

    His insulin is ProZinc and 5 units once a day (in the morning).

    He has no known underlying conditions and is on no other medications.

    Thanks for your response.
     
  4. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    Unfortunately, no insulin lasts 24 hours in the cat. This means that for roughly 12 hours of each day, his glucose is uncontrolled. It would be far better for him to split that 5 units and give it every 12 hours. We have some guidelines for using ProZinc effectively, posted here.

    Also, there are numerous over the counter, much less expensive, food options for your cat. I encourage you to do some reading at Dr Pierson's web site Cat Info. She specializes in feline nutrition and has extensive information on managing many chronic feline conditions. Have a look and see what you think. Before making any food changes, though, you need to be home testing the blood glucose as food changes may drop the glucose 100-200 mg/dL, which can drastically reduce the amount of insulin needed.
     
  5. tll222

    tll222 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2015
    Thank you so much for your response. I will look at your suggested readings and go from there.
     
  6. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Hi there, I want to link you a food chart for you to look up the food you are giving Toby. It is very important to keep his carbs 10% and below. Please take a look and if it is higher than 10 % you should switch to a more suitable one. foodchart

    Are you home testing Here, we all home test. 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. Another reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs before and after testing. There are many videos showing you how to test. Here 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

    The testing will be extremely important if you switch to a lower carb food as you can see as much as a 100 point drop in his BG which would mean your dose could be too high. Once you start we can help you even better because we will have data to go on about his Blood Glucose (BG)

    There are many 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 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 it. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro or Relion Prime, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. The Prime testing strips are ½ the price of the Micro.

    Please ask any questions you have, we are here to help. And Welcome.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2015
  7. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    When you have a moment, could you add a few tidbits to your signature? It will help us give you feedback.

    Editing your Signature

    In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

    Click on your ID.

    On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
    This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback. You are limited to 2 hard returns, so separate pieces by | or -.
    This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
    Add any other text, such as
    your name | cat's name | date of Dx (diagnosis) | insulin | meter
    general location (city and state/province)
    any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
    Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

    Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.
     
  8. Merlin

    Merlin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2014
    I hope you are already testing as 5 units seem like a lot of insulin. According to Prozinc protocol (BJM gave you the link), we typically start out with a small dose i.e. 0.5 or 1.0 units giving it every 12 hours. You do not want to send your kitty into a hypo situation (too much insulin). The only way you will know your numbers is to home test. You got lots of good advice above and you already have some homework. I am going to add to it with some more information in which some of it is duplication. It may seem like a lot but it will all fall into place before you know it. Please read and come back with questions. Again, most important is to start home testing and to set up your spreadsheet for data collection.

    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. 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. Another reason to home test is to keep your kitty safe. Find a place in your home where you will always perform the test and give lots of hugs 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 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 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 those lower numbers. Many use Walmart's brand, Relion Micro or Relion Confirm, because it only needs a tiny drop of blood. They cost around $15 and the strips are around 35 cents each.

    Lancets: These are used to poke the ear to get blood. There are many different sizes (gauges). It is recommended when you are first starting out to use a 26-28 gauge. 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.

    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.

    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. 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, 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 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.

    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.

    Treats: It is always nice to have treats available for your kitty. Some use it after they have tested to reward. 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. There is a link here somewhere that has a list of low carb treats but I don't have it right now.

    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

    Note: Please check your insulins as there are some (the harsher ones like Humulin, Novolin, Vetsulin, etc.) that would be best to allow some time after your kitty has eaten before you shoot.

    If you have any questions, please be sure to post in the Health Forum.
     
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