Willie

I posted this on Thursday 5/4

Hi everyone. My name is Susan and I own a cat that is 11 years old and just diagnosed with diabetes. A little history on Willie:

Too much anesthesia at neuter, so he is like a cerebral palsy patient. He cannot jump up and I fear he will fall if he does. He does not land on his feet if he does fall. He has had many mishaps during his years, but he is a wonderful little guy. He had high doses of steroids after his anesthesia event to help his brain.

He has consistently had an issue with throwing up after meals, so I switch it up quite often. He gets a lot of cooked meats (loves raw) and dry kibble. I have always fed him higher quality dry to get the most vitamins and minerals out of the amount that he eats. No corn or fillers if I can help it.

To the vet he went today to find out his glucose level was 490. They confirmed with a urine test. Bun elevated but creatinine is okay. No urinary infection.

He was given his first dose of Prozinc 2 units at the vets office but they had to force feed him prior.

Brought him home and he still does not want to eat. He has not eaten since 5/2. Needless to say, I am a bit worried about the 2 units of insulin and another in the morning if he won't eat. His weight is only 8.02 lbs. today. Yes, he is a small cat because of the initial event, but he is a bit thin right now.
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I returned to the vet on the 5th because Willie still wasn't eating. He had no insulin in the morning of the 5th, but alas when we started syringe feeding him in the evening, he started eating.

His BG was at 395 and they administered 2 units. They also gave him a shot of B12 and some anti-nausea.

Since then, Willie is doing great! He is bright eyed, acting much more normal and eating 1-3 cans of FF Pate a day. No kibble at all.

Because of the worry over the weekend of him going into hypo, I decided to cut the 2 units 2x/day to 1-1/2 2x/day. Steady as she goes and he is really doing great. I also realized that I changed his diet to low card and phosphorus as well and that needed to be taken into account. I think my decision to lower the does on my own was the right one.

I talked to the vets office today and they want me to wait the 2 weeks to do the curve test, which I would rather not. Instead, I would like to bring him in after work and have a quick BG test. In the meantime I am doing the 1-1/2 units 2x/day.

I am also letting him eat as much as he want up to 2-3 hours before injection time.

Just looking for any thought you all might have on this. I do realize that I need to start testing his levels myself, and it will come. In the meantime, do you think the dose I am giving is a safe one at this time?

 

Maybe you could change title of your post to say something like "Willie-need help with dosing."I would also post on the prozinc forum to get more eyes on your post. Is anyone able to help Susan and Willie out? I'll tag a few people for you. @Kris & Teasel, @Rachel, @JanetNJ[/USER, @WendyandNeko, can you help?

 

Thank you Lisa and Smokey

 

I agree with your reducing the dose. ProZinc is typically started at 1 unit and raised slowly if needed. I personally would reduce to 1 unit until you start testing.

 

Hey there Susan! Welcome to FDMB!

It definitely sounds like lowering the dose was a good choice. We have a lot of members who need the dose to be lowered when they switch to a low carb food...it can lower BG a lot!

It's hard to tell you for sure what a good dose is without being able to see any tests. Home testing really is a lot easier than you think, and it will give you good control over Willie (and save you money at the vet's office!). Is your plan to bring him to the vet every day for a BG test? I would caution you that tests at the vet are often inflated due to stress...they can be much lower at home. For that reason, I think I'd reduce to 1 unit if it was me. You can always go back up if needed, but you just want to be sure he is safe.

I think if it was me, I'd keep an eye out for the signs of a hypo...lethargy, glassy eyed, stumbling, etc. If you see that, I'd take him to a vet to get a test in and see where he's at. NOT saying this will happen at all, but it's good to know what to look for just in case. In the meantime, I'd work on home testing. Is there anything we can do to help you get started with that?

Let us know what other questions we have! We're here to help and we're happy to answer any and all questions!!!

 

I like Janet's suggestion of 1 u. The sooner you start testing the safer he'll be and less stressed you'll be.

 

I am going to do some more researching and watching videos tonight and prepare for the home testing. Probably pick up the meter this weekend and get started. The unknowing of his number is killing me! He is doing great from what I see, but I am so unsure of what is coming. Better to know on a daily basis I see. This is so new to me, but up until now I am letting him tell me how he feels. He has cerebral palsy like symptoms since being a baby, but I can spot any change within hours. I have always watched him like a hawk. His water intake tells so much!

 

Click my link in my signature to watch me test my cat.

 

Your video is great Janet. I may have to watch it many times to set my anxiety to rest. Thank you!

 

and vet visits stress out many kitties causing higher BG #s when they get tested there, another reason home testing is crucial.

 

Here's another member's video testing her kitty:


Test Shop List
A lot of us use a human glucometer from Walmart, ReliOn Confirm or Micro (Only difference is meter size).
1. Meter ($15)
2. Test strips ($35.88 / 100)
3. 26 or 28 gauge lancets ($4)
4. Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment ($3)
5. Ketone test strips
6. A treat for yourself

I'd also drop down to the 1.0U since you changed his diet and have not started home testing yet. We'll help you in any way we can! Do you still have the Spreadsheet link? I'm pretty sure I gave it to you but I have a bad memory http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
If you need help setting it up, just ask.
And I'll give this (again possibly): http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

 

Yes, Yong you did give me a link to the spreadsheet.

I will have just 1 ear to test on Willie, but that will be fine as long as I get used to being left handed He had a mishap with a raccoon a few years ago and lost the edge of his right ear to the fight. It's quite sensitive and I can't even touch it.

With all the positive signs that I am seeing with him the last couple of days, I will transition him down to 1 unit over the next 2 days. Any changes with him and I will know it. Easier to go up a bit instead of risking a crash.

 

Finally did it. It took me this long to do because he just wouldn't let me touch his ears. Well, after 3 hours dinner and insulin of 1 unit he is at 71.

This morning he fooled me with drinking tons of water and not wanting to eat, so I gave him his 1 unit. Boy, do I really need to test for him often.

 

71 is very low for a +3 with still having 4 hours to drop. Please do a curve on him. I would lower that dose even further especially until you can test regularly. Please keep an eye on him!

Always try to get a preshot reading and as often as you can, mid cycle numbers. ProZinc peeks about 6-7 hours after shot.

 

I agree on lowering the dose and getting a curve done, which I can't do until the weekend, unfortunately. I may see if the vet can do it for me tomorrow. Without an extra set of hands, his testing is fairly difficult.
I am glad that the new diet is working!