Two Cats with Diabetes and Glucose Numbers

[karol]

Hi everyone,

I have two cats with diabetes. I have one who is on 2 units/2xday Prozinc who I tested at glucose level 178 this morning, before insulin. His name is Sunny. I'm going to do a complete glucose curve today, if possible. He and Haven run and hide now that they know I'm going to prick their ears!

The other is on Novolin N 2 units/2xday. Her name is Haven and I rescued her from an animal center, where they didn't have the resources to treat her. I've since taken her to a vet. Yesterday morning Haven's glucose levels 114 at 8 am and 30 at 10 am (I gave her insulin after the 114 reading). I am wondering if I should adjust her dosage. I would also like to test her every two hours but I'm having trouble getting enough blood out of the ear pricks--and the instrument is set to 3!

I know glucose levels are often lower in the mornings and higher in the afternoons and evenings. Has anyone used Keo-Diastix urine strips? My vet gave me an RX for them. Any advice about the glucose levels and getting cats to be okay with ear-pricking?

Also, my cats are on low-carb diets but after the #30 glucose yesterday I gave Haven a little carbs!

Thanks!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

The Keto-Diatix measure the glucose and ketones in urine. Glucose will spill over into the urine when BG is higher that between 180-260 or so, There is no good one value. You do not want to see ketones in the urine especially higher than trace.
Since urine measurements are an average over the time the cat last urinated, it is hard to get good BG regulation since if there is no glucose in the urine you do not know the BG and it could be too low.

Your were right to not give N with a preshot of 114. N only lasts 8-10 hours in most cats so getting a 114 after 12 hours since last shot may mean that Haven no longer needs insulin, especially 2 units.

I also start a new cat with the maximum depth setting on the lancet pen and then reduce as necessary. Make sure the ear is warm and backup the ear with the lancet will pierce. I use a cotton cosmetic pad, better than a cotton ball.

I would also consider switching Haven to ProZinc or other long lasting insulin rather than continue with the N.

 

[Callie & Patches]

Most of us don't give a shot if the preshot numbers are under 200 unless you know how your cat reacts to insulin. It takes a while to know how they react.

Haven had a very low number. At 30, she could have gone into hypoglycemia. She could have died! We have a saying here "Better days too high then a minute too low. You did right in giving her some high carb food. We usually rub some honey or Karo syrup on their gums and then give them the high carb food. You need to test every 20-30 minutes until you are sure they're safe. You can find videos on U tube that show how to test. I like the kitty burrito when my Callie is resistant to ear pokes.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Your were right to not give N with a preshot of 114

I think she did give the insulin....that's how I read it

"Haven's glucose levels 114 at 8 am and 30 at 10 am (I gave her insulin after the 114 reading)."

30's are dangerously low....we don't recommend giving N at all when the BG is under 200, but I would recommend you use the ProZinc instead since you're already using it with Sunny. N isn't a great insulin for cats.....ProZinc is a much better insulin for cats.

Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too! (substitute "her" for "him"....LOL)

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

Here's a pretty good video on testing...there are quite a few of them on YouTube!

 

[karol]

You guys are great! Yes, I now realize I shouldn't have given a shot when she was at 114 and I won't do it when her number is below 200. I do think ProZinc works pretty good and it's too bad it costs so darn much. I didn't know about the "learning to bleed" thing...good to know! I'll take a look at the videos later and will keep testing. I also think I might need to find a vet who specializes in diabetes care...if there is such a thing!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I also think I might need to find a vet who specializes in diabetes care

No such thing unfortunately.....now there are some that stay more up to date than others, and a few that are willing to admit they don't know everything about it, but mostly, the people here who deal with it 24/7/365 know more than the vast majority of vets.

If you can find one that will work WITH you, that's about as good as it gets

Another option you might consider is Lantus....it's a human insulin that works very well in cats and is long lasting. Most of us are buying it from Canada now because it's 1/3rd the price compared to the US

A 5 pack of Lantus pens is $149.95 plus $25 shipping.....and that's enough to last most cats 1-2 years so it ends up costing only about $8-$15/month