New Member Jerry

My cat Jerry was diagnosed in March with diabetes We are still working on getting him regulated. He is 12years old. He was started on Novlin by one Vet.She has to stay home now because of Covid and being pregnant. The second Vet changed to ProZinc We are up to 5 units I am home testing as I write this and his numbers are still high. I just want to say thanks for this great forum and hopefully let everyone know he’s doing well as we get this under control

 

Welcome to FDMB We are so glad you found us! 5 Units is an awful high dose! is that twice a day? I cant give dosing advice so hang on for more replies. They are sure to come
You have just joined our family WELCOME.
jeanne

 

Welcome to FDMB!

I'm linking a post that we recommend to new members as a way to get you started. It covers many of the elements we consider essential -- being prepared if your cat winds up in low numbers, home testing and a spreadsheet to keep track of your data, and setting up your signature. What are you feeding your cat? We recommend a low carbohydrate, canned food diet.

Could you say a little more about how Jerry's dose was increased? Some cats do need larger doses of insulin than others. We have found, though, that some vets increase doses far more aggressively than we do. It's also hard to know how well the dose is working if you're not home testing.

 

Thank you Sienne

 

Yes that’s twice a day I tested his BG today every two hours and his readings are still HI Jerry received his insulin at 5:55am 1st test 7:55 read HI 2nd 9:58 415, 3rd 11:55 683, 4th 1:54 725, 5th 3:53 735, and 6th 5:54 697 Now time for insulin I’m upset my results don’t seem to be getting any better

 

He has been tested every two weeks since March going up a unit at a time Then chan

. Jerry has been tested every two weeks at the Vet raising it a unit at a time. Also switched from Novolin to Prozinc The process is taking very long Today I tested him instead of bringing him to the Vet tomorrow I will email her my results and see what she says Thank You

 

So thats 10 units a day. Uhhhhh
@Deb & Wink

 

I know some cats need a lot of insulin but I worry that your vet might have missed the perfect dose by upping a whole unit each dose, each time. just getting more eyes on this hold on.
@Nan & Amber (GA)

 

Home testing blood glucose numbers can prevent this you can find that info here:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

Pardon me I reread and see you do home test.

 

@Deb & Wink Hopefully she will see this.

 

Hmmm... I agree with Sienne and Jeanne. It's a big dose, hard to say whether or not it's appropriate for Jerry right now. Going up a unit at a time, it's very possible to skip the right dose, although as Sienne says, there are definitely high dose conditions that can require that much, or even more, insulin.

It's great that you are home testing! That's the absolute best way to not only keep Jerry safe, but to be sure you are giving him the right dose of insulin. We can definitely help with that, after we are able to pore over the BG data you have been able to collect (and the data you'll be collecting in the future). In the link Sienne gave you, there should be instructions for setting up a share-able spreadsheet (we use a common template) where you can input the numbers you have. Once we see those numbers, we will have a better idea of what is going on with Jerry, and whether this dose is too much or (ulp!) not enough.

Out of curiosity, did most of the increases happen when he was on Novalin, or did you switch to Prozinc relatively early?

 

Thanks again Nan!

 

Please let us know what food you are feeding your cat Jerry.

Thank you.

 

I’d also like to know what insulin syringes you’re using. Can you list the details that are on the box or package please? (i.e., 3/10cc, u-40, etc.)

 

Most increases were on Novlin I just did a spot check His BG is 511 after giving 6units of ProZinc at 5:45am I did test at 8:30

 

@Deborah Breen-Fattorini

We really need to see more information in your User Id Signature, to help you better.
Also, a spreadsheet where you record the insulin doses and test results is super helpful to us.

There are instructions on how to do that setup here>>>>>> Simply click on the blue highlighted text and it will take you to the introductory thread.
Sticky New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

 

It's a very high dose. Can you slowly go back to 4 units, even 3 ? You need to hold a dose for a few days before changing it to see if it works so the body can get used to it.

 

you want to find the lowest peak time for Prozinc...Bee is +5 after giving insulin. Pie is at +6. So yes Jerry's BG will still be high if you test 2 hours after because Prozinc take time to bring the numbers down. And don't feed him 2 hours before testing.

 

1/2 a cup of w/d wet

 

Ummmmm. The W/d wet food is rather high in carbs. 26% carbs and you are looking to feed a diabetic cat (or even a non-diabetic cat for that matter) a food that is 10% carbs or less.

Does Jerry need to lose weight? That Hill's W/d is a weight loss food, is why I'm asking.

But you want to get the hang of BG testing and create our standardized SS (spreadsheet) before you switch to a lower carb food. Lowering the carb content of the food can cause a dramatic decrease in the BG (blood glucose) levels. 100 points or more is not unheard of.

Without that SS, it's really hard for us to see what is going on with Jerry and his BG levels. So it's very hard to know if the dose is a good one or not.

 

Hi I want to Thank You for all of your help I am still trying to figure this web site out I will look for spreadsheets I am not very good with technology I have read a Lot of people feed Fancy Feast classics Jerry is about 12lbs I don’t feel he needs to lose weight He has lost about a pound. Also I almost feel like I need to start over His peeing is much better though and he’s not craving and meowing for food as much.

 

We have a standardized spreadsheet, with instructions on how to set it up.
See if you can follow the directions here>>>>>>> FDMB Spreadsheet Instructions

What it means is here Understanding the Spreadsheet/Grid

If you have problems, send a PM to Chris.
Tagging @Chris & China (GA) to give you a hand with the SS setup.

 

I'd be happy to set one up for you....just click on my name and choose "start a conversation" so I can get some information!

 

Thanks Chris, our spreadsheet setup guru!