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Dawn Ullmann

Dawn Ullmann

Member Since 2015
Its been almost a month since we found out my cat has diabetes. He always acts like he his starving and wanting more food. He gets around 3 to 4oz. Sometime.es 5oz, 3 times a day and 1 unit of Vetsulin twice daily. We have started just doing home testing and tonight before we fed him it was 546 and 1 hour after his shot it was 426. I have already had some suggestions on what to try but more would be appreciated. I am so overwhelmed I want to scream. We go back into the vet in a week to see how his doing and talk about a curve whatever that is so much to learn and remember.
 
Just checked his level at midnight 3 hours after insulin shot and it was 275 so what does that mean? Calling vet tomorrow I think.
 
Hi Dawn, It'll be OK!! A lot of good advice from this forum...
I can suggest this spreadsheet to start using, and then you can add it to your signature and you'll get some input form the people here...it's also just easy for yourself and your vet to see what's going on...just plug the numbers in..

Here's a link on how to download it and attach to your "signature" http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...te-a-ss-and-link-it-in-your-signature.130337/

I think things seem ok, but I'm sure someone else will post w/ their input..

:)
 
Dawn,
Calling your vet tomorrow is a good idea. Find out what he thinks about the numbers tonight.

It isn't much to go on, but I think it shows that the Vetsulin is definitely having an effect on Kitty's blood glucose. That's a pretty good drop in numbers in three hours.

Acting like he's starving is fairly normal for a diabetic cat. Because their system is kind of out of whack, it takes "more" food to function than with a nondiabetic. The more controlled his BG gets, the more you'll see a return to a normal appetite. Did he lose a lot of weight pre-diagnosis? Is he underweight now?
Carl
 
The peak of the Vetsulin (Caninsulin) action is about 4 to 5 hours after injection so testing around then will give you an idea how low your kitty goes on the dose. When Neko was on Caninsulin (now rebranded as Vetsulin) I found that it was wearing off after about 8 to 9 hours so she was high and starving for 3-4 hours before her meal and shot times. Getting the curve done will tell you how well Vetsulin is working for Kitty.
 
If his numbers are going down that's a good thing! Just keep testing throughout the day, if you can..i usually do it before shots and at +6 when I can cuz that's usually when his number is the lowest, to see how far he's dropped. I'm pretty new too, but my cat appetite is definitely decreasing along with the constant drinking and peeing. You'll get the hang of it, try not to worry too much..:)
 
You also may want to ask your vet about switching insulins. Vetsulin only last for a few hour and that is why your cat acts like she is starving. Longer acting insulins that work well with cats are Lantus, Levemir, Prozinc and PZI. The first two are human insulins, if your vet prescribes either of these, ask for the prescription for the pens instead of vial. In the long run it saves you money over a year since you are able to use almost every drop. The vials become ineffective long before you can use it all and you end up throwing a lot of insulin away. Prozinc and PZI are pet insulins. All of these are long acting insulins. I am not sure what your current dose is, but if you switch insulins, you want to start over at a low dose such as 1 unit twice a day.
 
Hi,
I use lantus, and I only need to give my diabetic cat a half unit twice a day. A vial lasts for over a year for me, and it never "went bad". My cat was diagnosed almost 2 years ago this May. Lantus is super expensive, but "the best". Long lasting effect, slow up and down.
 
I recommend going with Levimer -- and here is why

Lantus - works in similar fashion to Levimer - yet the formula in Levimer seems to work better for cats than Lantus. Many people who could not get the BG's down enough and long enough who were on Lantus switched to Levimer with much better results.

Prozinc - while it's an easier to use insulin - most similar to what you are using - meaning it doesn't build up in the system - it's a use it and done insulin, it needs to be rolled/mixed each time and it's very possible that you may not roll it enough to make sure you get consistent dose each time.

So, if you are looking for a new insulin - ask for a scrip for Levimer pens - you want to get it in pen form - as it is more cost efficient. You will still use insulin syringes to insert into the mini vial, so do not get the needles that are sold with the pens.
 

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Usually uncontrolled hunger speaks to unstable diabetes. My cat was first started on Novulin and it did not work for her. She is now on Lantus twice daily with far better results. I do not feed her large amounts of food 2 or 3 times daily. Instead, I feed her smaller feedings 5 times daily. Small frequent feedings can help to keep the blood sugar in a more stable range. Stress and too large of portions can really throw the blood sugar off. God luck from Jane and Stewey
 
Dawn Ullmann said:
What insulin does everyone else use?
Click to expand...
Hi Dawn,

We have a saying here that "The best insulin is the one that works best for your cat"; but unfortunately nobody knows in advance which insulin is going to work best...

There is a consensus here that the longer lasting insulins, Lantus, Levemir and PZI/Prozinc are easier to work with than shorter acting insulins. If an insulin has a longer duration then the kitty has insulin in it's system for more of the time.

Most folks here find that Lantus works best if the shots are given 12 hours apart. If you don't have a work/life schedule that can accomodate that then it may be useful to know that Prozinc and PZI insulins are more forgiving of variable shooting schedules. But what you choose really is your choice.
However, you don't have to do anything immediately. It's OK to slow down and to take time to breathe (in fact, I really recommend breathing....;))

Meanwhile, you may be interested to read through the Vestulin/Caninsulin User Guide here, to give you a few pointers on the insulin you're currently using. (These are guidelines only):
Vetsulin/Caninsulin user guide

I know there seems to be a lot to take in at the moment. But everyone here understands how you feel and is cheering you on from the sidelines. And it does get easier. Honestly. :cat:

Eliz
 
Dawn Ullmann said:
We have started just doing home testing and tonight before we fed him it was 546 and 1 hour after his shot it was 426.
Click to expand...

That's a decent drop after just one hour. Some cats metabolise insulin a little faster and may hit their nadir earlier. Over the next few days, I'd suggest getting in as many tests as you can around the +2, +3, and +4 marks, and maybe one at +7. In the early part of testing, safety is the focus. Establishing whether your little one has an early onset and nadir is key to knowing when to start monitoring him more closely to keep him safe. Look for 'upticks' in 'I want food' behaviour to give you as a guide to when the the onset is happening. The first nadir may occur not long after.
 
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