so my cats numbers arent going down....

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mirnta

mirnta

Member Since 2015
I was at 2units twice daily of vetsulin...they were in the 400s now in the 500s..is that normal? I'm supposed to up it to 3units and do a sucrose-something in a month..i am slowly transitioning to wet food hoping that'll help..feeling hopeless...any advice?
 
Or maybe it was a fructose-something....I'm quite wary of upping his dosage that much honestly..
 
Unfortunately thats how Hidey responded to the vetsulin. The vet wanted to keep upping it until I demanded prozinc. Once I switched Hidey's diet and started him on prozinc his numbers drastically improved and im happy to say he has now been diet controlled for 10 months. Check out my spreadsheet at the very beginning for the first month he was on vetsulin. You can see how his numbers jumped around like crazy.
 
Thank you! Is prozinc around the same price? I did suggest switching insulins they seemed to think vetsulin was fine, also I just blew $40 on this vial...i don't have money to keep buying more! But that gives me hope..i don't test at home yet, I'm afraid to.
 
Thanks..im an artist and I must say the thought of spreadsheets data numbers and all that is making my head go into orbit!!
 
To get you started using our grid to record your glucose tests, go to the instructions here.

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid:

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning pre-shot test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening pre-shot)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.
 
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It only looks intimidating at first. Very simple to use. It's just a grid for storing the numbers and tracking the BG readings and other notes you want to make on your kitty.

YESSSS! BJM posted her wonderful explanation on what the columns mean. I was going to look for that and copy it but now I don't have to. Thanks BJM!
 
Deb & Wink said:
There is a post, over in the Suggestions, Tech Support & Testing Area forum about how to use the google template and create a copy of your own and link it into your signature. Click below, on the blue text, to be taken to that post.
12/27/14 How to Create a SS and Link it in your Signature
Click to expand...
I get this error when clicking on the link
This webpage is not available


Reload
Hide details
Google Chrome cannot reach the website. This is typically caused by network issues, but can also be the result of a misconfigured firewall or proxy server.
Search on Google
Error code: ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE
 
Its subtle: it says 'here' at the end of the line near the top.
I'll have to make it bigger and bolder on my PC.
 
mirnta said:
Thank you! Is prozinc around the same price? I did suggest switching insulins they seemed to think vetsulin was fine, also I just blew $40 on this vial...i don't have money to keep buying more! But that gives me hope..i don't test at home yet, I'm afraid to.
Click to expand...

Yup, I did the same thing. My vet said she was putting him on prozinc, took him in for his first curve to get started and a week after insane numbers I finally looked at the vial and it was vetsulin....I was even charged for prozinc. If I recall correctly it was about $80? Maybe less, I can't recall....but it was worth it. The problem with vetsulin is it doesnt last long, it lasts about 8 hours. You need an insulin that lasts 12 hours. At the bottom of my posts you'll see "Hidey's SS" in blue. Click on that to view his spread sheet.

How is the switch to only wet going? The dry food can make a big difference.
 
Crimeny! Prozinc is alot...not even something I can attempt right now sadly...the wet food is going really well! He's really starting to love it..I think the switch will be doable! Hidey's ss was very informative thanks!
 
If you could manage to get your blood glucose test numbers recorded in a spreadsheet, people here could have a look and maybe suggest how you might best manage your cat's treatment while using Vetsulin.

BTW, the test the vet recommended is called a fructosamine test. It gives an indication of average blood glucose level over several weeks. :)
 
Got the meter now have to force myself to spill my own cat's blood....not sure how you guys do this everyday...i will try to do a spreadsheet..tho I'm more of a pencil and paper gal..so many changes!
 
I've always really disliked having to poke and prod my little one and I wish I never had to do it, but the alternative was losing her. Kinda puts things in perspective. I firmly believe she knows all the poking and prodding had something to do with helping her to feel better, even if she doesn't understand the 'why' of it. I still can't get over the fact that she purrs and gazes lovingly at me when I check her BG, even now that she's diet-controlled.
 
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After 2 months of poking my sweet Tuxie's ears we have both relaxed. The first few times I was so stressed and upset because it wasn't working well...no blood...not enough blood..Tuxie trying to run away. Now it is just a normal part of our day. I usually test about 4 times daily at minimum. I have a mat and a certain spot I do the ear pokes and insulin shots. I ALWAYS give him a treat after..some chicken or salmon or a bit of catfood. He actually will come up to the mat and wait for me to position him on there and then he lays down and waits. He is somewhat fussy..he only lets me do his left ear without causing a fuss...for the right one he tries to leave. So we have both "taught" each other what works... I am calm and he fets treats..works for both of us! When I look back to the first few tests I am totally amazed at how routine it now is. Just relax and it will get easier as you go along.
 
Man, I never dreamed this would be my life, but I guess you adjust to everything..thanks for all the input guys, I was wondering how many times I was supposed to do it so thanks..is it true you can use their paw pads too?
 
Yes, some people find that paw pad testing is easier for them. I'd guess that 95% of people here use the ear for getting that blood drop and maybe 5% do paw pad testing.

The paw pad testing is not something I ever tried with Wink, since his former owners front declawed him and he had such severe diabetic neuropathy that he was walking entirely on his hocks. I thought it would just be too painful for him.

Please, do not ever test on the lip of a cat. That is for dogs only but some vets mistakenly treat cats like small dogs and tell their clients to poke the lips. I can't imagine a quicker way to turn your cat off testing than poking them on their lips. Seems likely to cause issues with eating too, and we certainly don't want that to happen with our diabetic kitties on insulin.
 
@mirnta Yes, it may be taking a lot of your time now, but as you become more experienced, you will develop a routine and be able to take care of this diabetes in a few minutes a day. It got to the point where I wasn't taking up much more time than it took me to brush and floss my teeth twice a day.
 
mirnta said:
Man, I never dreamed this would be my life, but I guess you adjust to everything..thanks for all the input guys, I was wondering how many times I was supposed to do it so thanks..is it true you can use their paw pads too?
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I've been using Tonka's hind pads for his testing since shortly after he was diagnosed. I tried and tried with his ears at first, and just couldn't get it to work, and the little dude was getting increasingly irritated with the process. I had to "burrito-wrap" him the first couple times (my vet tech's words), since he didn't like his feet being messed with, but he quite quickly learned that this meant cuddle time and has come to accept it with no issue. I just pull him up onto my lap like he was sitting on a chair and get his feet out front. H's paws flinch a touch when he's poked, but his ears did the same, so I'm not sure how much more he feels it there. He seems more annoyed at my having to squeeze his pads to get the blood out than the actual poking. The biggest issue, I figure, with pad testing is that they're generally less clean that ears, and you want to be careful of poking into a dirty foot. But a quick wipe with a wash cloth should take care of that issue.
 
Blood sugar results are often affected by lack of regimentation. Doing blood sugars the same time every day is very important . In fact, all aspects of care need to be the same time every day. Standardizing blood sugar testing, feeding times, portion sizes of the food should be the same everyday. This approach will help to maintain a more uniform sugar. It gets her system regimented. Good luck...Jane and Stewey
 
Not sure that I agree with Jane and Stewey on the necessity of regimentation in caring for our extra sweet kitties. Some people have different work or social life schedules for different days of the week. You can certainly work around these variations and still give your diabetic cat good care. There are members here on the board that do what works for them. ECID doesn't only mean Every Cat is Different, but also means Every Caregiver is Different.

Some of the insulins are more flexible in the shot time, not exclusively restricted to 12 hour cycles. Prozinc has more flexibility in the shot times. Even some Lantus users have employed non-traditional cycles such as 13/11 or 14/10. Just ask Larry & Kitties.

Testing at slightly different times in the cycle can actually be very helpful in seeing how your cat is responding to the insulin. Yes, we always encourage those pre-shot tests to make sure your kitty isn't too low to give insulin in the first place. But after that, one day getting a +4 and a +5 and another day get a +6 and a +7 can help to fill in the spreadsheet and build up a better view of what the pattern is for your kitty.

There are some factors that are within our control and others that are not. For example we can't always get our cats to sleep the same amount each day or exercise the same amount each day. There will be variations in the amount of food your kitty eats at one sitting.

So while consistency is helpful, there will be times that other commitments in your life necessitate flexibility in the care of your diabetic cat.
 
Yea i am the least regimented human on earth probably, so this is a HUGE change for me, also I just can't always do it at the exact time. My cat seems to be doing a bit better tho, gaining weight and not as much pee in the box...so there's hope!
 
I use ProZinc precisely because the 12 hour shot times were difficult to do with Lantus. I can, with data, shoot what I see, that is, I can adjust my dose based on the pre-shot tests, knowing how Gracie responds with various doses.
 
@mirnta I'm a newbie here, but thought I'd offer this.... more experienced peeps might disagree but... my cat is also on Vetsulin and his numbers are still high. We are up to 7 units (actually, just tried 8 tonight). Vetsulin is our second try... we were using Novolin before that. I talked my vet into trying BCP PZI, which is a compounded bovine PZI. http://www.bcpvetpharm.com/products_bovine.htm They offer free samples for veterinarians. If your vet agrees, this may be an option for you at this financially pressed time.
 
Has your vet suggested or done any testing for agromegaly or insulin resistant antibodies?

Sometimes, too much insulin can cause those high numbers, just like not enough insulin can. So, you may want to do some tests at the vet if possible.
 
Thanks yall...no not yet..his numbers really vary through out the day so I'm very confused about it. Also I'm supposed to do a fructosamine and wondering is it really worth it?? Cuz its a lot of money...is there something better I can do?
 
Aside from testing your cat's blood glucose daily at pre-shots, and getting mid-cycle (between shot) tests on days off/weekends/overnight yourself. the fructosamine determines an average glucose value to see how well it has been controlled.

If you test at home as described, you don't really need a fructosamine.
 
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