Mum of Newly-diagnosed Kitty -- Needs Help!

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Canuck-in-DC

Canuck-in-DC

Member Since 2017
Hello All! I'm Barb, and my kitty is Nuckie (rhymes with lucky). Nuckie is 16 and was diagnosed three weeks ago. In the last five days, I've had two horrible episodes with hypoglycemia, where I was pretty sure Nuckie would die before I could get him to the vet. The second episode happened half an hour after I picked him up from the vet where he was being curved -- so I'm at a loss.

Here are the particulars. I haven't seen the curve, but he was 610 when he was first tested. He had a urinary infection and received Baytrul (sp?). For most of his adult life, he ate Royal Canin SO dry (for urinary blockage), so we stopped that, and the vet recommended Hills W/D, which Nuckie sometimes gobbles and other times ignores. Human tuna or chicken is my go-to when I need him to eat, but he's a nibbler. . .grazes all day and all night, which I understand is a problem.

The vet started him on two units of ProSinc once a day. That was for the first four days. I went out of town and left Nuckie with the vet, who did the curve, and increased the units to 3 once daily. That seemed fine until five days later, he seized at 2p (10.30a insulin of three units, almost a full can of wet food eaten between 10 and 2, blood sugar 39 when tested at emergency vet at 3p). I was able to take Nuckie home the next morning, no insulin that day. The next day only one unit. Then back to the vet, where they curved him, presumably gave him three units, and I picked him up and he become hypoglycemic on the way home. I ran him back to the vet when I realized what was happening. (Only the vet tech was there, so while waiting for the doctor, we rubbed syrup on his gums for 45 minutes before he became responsive again -- it was heart-breaking to watch it happen, but at least he didn't seize this time.) So, what's going on here? Is the vet aiming for a BG that is too low? I've been reading up on acceptable levels. What is a good range? I've ordered the Alpha TRAK. Do I need urine test strips? I want to get Nuckie on the lowest carb food I can find. Weirdly, that's looking like Fancy Feast. I'm a mess right now. Any advice would be a great help.
 
Welcome Barb and Nuckie!
You are definitely in the right place to help you and your kitty!
I'm very new but just from reading what happened, it seems to me that Nuckie is very stressed at the Vet which causes his BG levels to stay higher. If you read through some of the threads, I think the stress can cause a difference of over 100. Home testing is one of the best tools so you can do his curves at home where they're more likely to be more accurate.
There are some charts for low carb wet food and most here use Fancy Feast pate or Friskies pate's. Here's a list with FF and Friskies that are 8% or lower: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/shortcut-shopping-list-all-8-or-less-updated.117688/
Hopefully one of the more experienced members will provide you with more information :cat:
 
Thanks, Yong! I did see in other threads about anxiety at the vet raising the BG levels. I'm not looking forward to the at-home testing, but I think it's going to make all the difference. So, your Maury grazes between meals? Is DM dry food?
 
Welcome Barb and Nuckie! I'm so glad you are going to home test. That's the best way to keep Nuckie safe from further hypoglycemic episodes. As far as switching to a lower carb food, that's great, but don't do it until you are testing! The switch could lower Nuckies BG by as much as 100 points. Prozinc is a good insulin, but it does not last 24 hours and thus should be dosed every 12 hours. Obviously 3 units is too much, even 2 u was too high a starting dose. We usually start at 1unit twice a day, and go up in small increments, .25-.5 at a time. Come over to the Prozinc Forum and read the yellow stickies at the top of the page. Then ask any questions you have on either that forum or the Main Health Forum.
 
You can get a lot of help with using ProZinc from the folks on that forum. Key points:
  1. start at 1 unit dosed twice a day (12 hours apart)
  2. increase in 0.25 u increments sloely and carefully
  3. test blood glucose at home to know how it's affecting kitty
  4. feed low carb wet food only.
 
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Yong said:
Yeah, I've cut it back to 1\4 cup each cycle and am trying to leave a frozen 1\3 friskies because he is still hungry with high BGs. Plan to swap out the DM for Epigen 90 or Young Again Zero soon.
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Young Again looks amazing. I'll have to figure out where to buy it. : )
 
Yong said:
Yeah, didn't know what else to do lol
Click to expand...

Received my sample of Young Again (quick delivery). Nuckie seemed to like it, so I ordered a bag.

Amazing news -- Nuckie is apparently in remission. I got scared after he was hospitalized for hypoglycemia, so I stopped the insulin and switched vets on the recommendation of a friend. I took Nuckie to the new vet, where they did a complete exam and blood. His BG was 69 after nibbling all day -- low or no carb only for about 10 days. I'm completely shocked, a little confused, but oh so grateful and relieved.

Thanks to all the folks who created this forum and website: your low-carb advice was priceless (and not to be found easily elsewhere). Thank you!
 
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