Newly diagnosed, help!

I was told after my 8 year old, Toad, was diagnosed that this sight is amazing! I received the ProZinc on Friday, gave his first dose 3u with food that night and he ate just fine, Acting a bit tired. Saturday, same thing, in the evening he refused to eat but I still gave insulin. Sunday morning I have insulin, with food, refusing to eat. I have tried wetting it down, putting some shredded beef from our roast, still nothing! Do I give him insulin with him refusing to eat? Should I skip it and call the vet in the morning? He's just not the kind of cat who passes up food so I'm very concerned! Help!
Krista

 

Hi and welcome. 3 units is a lot of insulin to start with. Do you know what toad's blood sugar was at the vets?
Has he any other health issues?
What is his weight?
Are you home testing blood sugars? If not I would highly recommend it.
I am going to tag a couple of experienced people to help you. I am not sure if they are online at the moment but they will be soon.
@Elizabeth and Bertie
@BJM
It may be wise to wait before giving the insulin, especially if he is not eating. Better to be a bit high for a day then unsafe with low numbers and if you are not testing you will not know until they are very low. The experienced people will help you decide what is best to do
Also have you tested for ketones? You can get a bottle of strips at the chemist and test his urine. If you have none I would go and buy some today
This is an amazing site and there are some very experienced people to help
ETA : @rhiannon and shadow
@Marje and Gracie @Chris & China

 

His number at the vet was 660, they said his average was 540. He's gone down in weight, 19 lbs down to 12. I have no clue what I'm doing or what to get other then the instructions i received at the vets office! I feel so helpless, I will make sure to get the supplies you suggested! Thank you for the info!

 

I have tagged some more people so hopeful someone will be here soon. Give your cat lots of fluids. Add the fluid to the food and make it souply. Is he eating now?
Someone will tell you the best monitor to use to test the blood sugar. I live in Australia so don't know what you would use in your country.
Could you add some information to your signature so we can see what insulin Toad is on and any medications he is on. Thanks, it makes it easier for people to see and help.
You are doing a great job keeping him safe and coming onto this forum for help.

 

@Jill & Alex (GA) are you able to help here. I just noticed you were online. Thanks

 

No he's still not eating, I put water and mixed it into his food, no luck. I am trying to give him some wet food that he loves, no luck. He's alert but lethargic, no interest in drinking or eating. I think I'll hold of on the insulin tonight since it's been 24 hours since he's eaten. I'm going to get him into the vet when they open in the morning!

 

Hi Krista and Toad (love his name!).

Did the vet mention anything about Toad having ketones when he was diagnosed? If there's been no mention of ketones and Toad is not lethargic, I'd be tempted to skip the shot tonight and focus on getting him to eat. I'd also call the vet in the morning. A dose of 3u bid is a pretty high starting dose.

If there has been mention of ketones, I would call your vet or an ER tonight and explain the situation.

Here's some tips and tricks to help: Suggestions on How to Stimulate Kitty's Appetite

We strongly encourage members to learn to test their kitty's blood sugar at home: Hometesting Links and Tips

If Toad gets any worse during the night you should call your vet and or take him to the nearest ER vet.

 

Hi Krista, thanks for adding that info to your signature line
Toad has certainly lost some weight.. You don't have to just feed prescription food to Toad. Fancy feast CLASSIC canned food is low in carbs and he might eat that for you. Make sure you get the classic food. Many people here on the forum feed fancy feast canned food
There is a great list of suitable foods here. I will go look for it and copy and paste it for you.
ETA : I see Jill is helping you, that is great

 

If it is 24 hours since he has eaten he does need to eat something. Do you have a syringe you could use to syringe feed him some very sloppy food. It is not good for cats to go for any length of time without food. What time is it where you are? Can you get to the chemist to get the ketone sticks tonight?
With him not eating for 24 hours and lethargic does indicate he is not well.

 

Unfortunately, I have company and can't stay online.
However, there are others available to help. I'll check back later.

 

It's 9 PM in Minnesota, i'm trying a few different options of food right now, still no interest. I'm so grateful that there is a place like this for help because it's after hours and a weekend so my vet is unavailable! I'm not sure about the ketones, but I will definitely be asking tomorrow about that! Thanks for the links!

 

If you try syringing, make sure you direct it to the side of the mouth, not the back.
Ketones can be dangerous, so if you are concerned he is getting worse, you would be wise to go to the ER or at least ring them for advice. What does his breath smell of?
Ketones develop when there is not enough insulin, not enough food and fluids and a possible infection. When he is not eating his body will start to break down the fat and ketones will develop.
You need to be aware ketones can develop quickly and the cat can get very sick. The fact he is lethargic and not eating is a concern. Jill said if there was no mention of ketones and he was not lethargic you could skip the dose and concentrate on the eating. But the fact he is lethargic is the added concern. Please keep us posted.

 

Please check for dehydration as follows:
1) gently pull up the fur at the scruff of the neck and release.

Does it stay pulled up? That suggests moderate to severe dehydration.
Does it go back s l o w l y? That suggests moderate dehydration.
Does it snap right back in place? That means go to step 2.​

2) Lift the lip and press your finger firmly on the gums, then release.

Do the gums blanch (whiten) then quickly pink up? And the gums feel moist? Good, probably not dehydrated.
Do the gums blanch and slowly pink back up and the gums feel a little sticky? Could be mildly dehydrated.
Do the gums blanch and stay blanched, and the gums feel very sticky? Very likely dehydrated.​

Please check breath odor (not foolproof).
Do you smell anything like vinegar or fruit?

If yes, that suggests ketones.
If no, it does not rule out ketones, as 1 type cannot be detected by smell.​

If moderately to severely dehydrated, lethargic, and not eating, I'd go to the vet. Something clearly is going on, and if it is ketones, waiting makes it worse.

If there is a WalMart nearby, pop in and see if you can purchase a glucometer and matching test strips. The ReliOn Confirm or Confirm Micro take the smallest blood droplet. Also pick up lancets for alternate site testing (25-28 gauge) as these improve your chance of a successful blood test starting out. We'll coach you through getting a test.
If WalMart isn't around, go to any other 24 hour pharmacy, pick up any meter that doesn't say Tru, True, or Free on it, strips, and lancets.

(I'll check back in after I've made a cat food run.)

 

He had very normal kitty breath, I did manage to get a small amount of food into his mouth. I'll keep trying!

 

It is also possible that the insulin has enabled some glucose to be used, so he just isn't as hungry.