New to the boards.

Rusti is a 9 yr old who was diagnosed as a sugarcat Feb 27, 2010. She has been in good health except for losing her teeth (this may be the result of inbreeding of a feral colony - i've have had tooth issues with several of my cats and they are all related). Rusti has always been a huge water drinker which is one reason I didn't catch the problem.

She last saw her vet about 2 weeks ago when he discovered that the phamacy tech had given me the wrong directions for insulin dosage (long story - gist is that i was waay overdosing). He showed me the correct dosage markings. At present i'm having to feed her via syringe and giving her Ringers Solution, for her dehydration, about twice a day as well as giving her Methyl-12. Right now she is very lethargic and fairly unresponsive with a few muscle twitches. I gave her 1/4cc of B Complex sub Q in the hopes of pulling her out of this.

I am so afraid that i'm going to lose my tough little tortie girl. I'm also mad, frustrated and with several other emotions thrown in for good measure.

 

Welcome to the boards! You have one beautiful girl there. It also sounds like you have a lot of things going on with your kitty and you don't need pharmacy screw-ups complicating things! The help and support around here is great. I think I read for a week straight after I found the site. I was scared to death that we were leading up to a hypo and the site's help not only got us down from that high dose quickly, it got us off the juice.

 

I think you need to start hometesting ASAP. Right now lethargic and musle twitching may be hypoglycemia.

Here's a link explaining.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1122

What insulin is she on now? How many units does she get and when did she last get a shot?

 

She is on Humulin (Venita is sending some Lantus). I gave last shot at 10AM (432) and tested her again at 4:30PM (218). So she's not hypo.

BTW - Many thanks to Venita for walking me through the posting process.

 

did the vet say that here current state is due to the overdose of insulin? or was she like this before the insulin overdose?

 

Here's what I know about Margi's cat Rusti.

She's on Humulin N at 1.5U and running very high and very low numbers. For example, her Tuesday AMPS was 488 (1.5U) and PMPS 38 (no shot). Margi does hometest and these swings, from HI to 20, are common. She is not showing urinary ketones.

I have suggested to Margie that until she gets the Lantus, to cut the dose to .75 to 1U so that she can shoot BID (twice a day) and perhaps have less dramatic swings.

I am sending her Lantus today for delivery tomorrow. I also am sending her 3/10cc syringes with 1/2 unit markings (she has been using 1/2cc syringes). I have asked her to clear the Lantus use through her vet, but not requiring it because it is obvious that the N does not suit Rusti.

Rusti is in a very poor physical state. She is being syringe fed baby food, is laying on puppy pads, and urinating/defecating where she lays. I have suggested that Margie syringe feed A/D. She is in contact with Claudia, an FDMB member in her area.

Margie is very concerned that she is going to lose Rusti, and I am too. Hopefully, Rusti will start doing better on the Lantus. If you have any other ideas for getting Rusti better (or at least holding her over until the Lantus gets into her system), please post.

 

Rusti woke me up at 5 AM whisper meowing. I had her on the bed with me so that if anything did arrise I would wake up. Last night she was so very unresponsive that I honestly expected her to go to the Bridge so I was surprised that she seems to have a bit more energy and she has eaten some A/D from the syringe and had some water also via syringe. I dont know if this is just the "candle burning brightly at the end" or the shot of B-Complex helped. I'm afraid to be too optomistic but i'm hoping she will continue to keep fighting. She recognized another one of my cats and hissed at him when he got too close to her.

Her BG reading was again off the meter at HI and I gave her 0.5U.

 

I just want to offer big hugs to you and your kitty. I'll pray for both of you to get through this.

 

I am so sorry to hear Rusti was doing so poorly last night. It sounds hopeful that she is more alert this morning. How is she now? I'm praying for her and you.

Welcome to the boards.

 

I feel like such a broken record lately but with Tucker's low potassium and lethargy, I feel like I'm always telling folks to get the blood test and check for electrolytes, see if the potassium is too low or too high.

 

Margie,

Could you get Rusti in for a potassium test? Jennifer's Tucker was very very sick (lethargy), but addressing that problem perked him up within a week.

Venita

 

I wish I could offer some suggestions but I can't think of anything that might help...I'm sorry...I will keep thinking and keep checking back here...you are both in my thoughts

 

I cant believe how tough this little girl is. Rusti had a pretty good day compared to what she has been having. I got over 1/2 can of A/D in her (syringe) where I got nothing into her yesterday. Again though her readings were HI at 5:30am gave .5U, took anther reading 2 hours later and they were still showing HI so gave another .5U. By 4:00pm they had gone opposite and were reading LO. ARRGH!!! 5PM still LO, more karo. 6:15 pm yay 179. 10:45pm and it's 380 so i gave her .25U. My gray headfurs are going to be snow white soon.

 

Sending lots of snowflakes from across the sea.

Hope your lil furball keeps up the good fight.
You said kitty has had problems with her teeth? Sometimes this can be the source of high bg's.
The insulin has been kept at the right temperature (there's been problems with vetsulin in this regard which is why the company have told people to transition kity's to alternative insulins)

Realy hope the Lantus makes all the difference. Fingers and all crossed for you