Big Boy was diagnosed 3 weeks ago.he is on prozinc 3 units a day 2x a day. He only eats wet food. I have used the chart provided here. His weight has dropped from 20 to 10 pounds in less than 6 months. He lost 2 pounds over the last 3 weeks. His fructosamine was 605 yesterday. I am starting to test him daily. I have a feeling that he spikes because his actual blood sugar level at the vets was 120. I am clueless as this is my first cat with this disease.
Big Boy
- Thread starter Marybeth
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Kris & Teasel
Member Since 2016
Welcome! We can help.
This is a large dose for a newly diagnosed kitty. Did the vet prescribe it because Big Boy is a big boy?
Is it low carb wet food? Any of the sauce/gravy types tend to be too high in carbs. We recommend pates and many here feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates.
A fructosamine test is of limited use in knowing your kitty's blood glucose status. It merely gives an indication of what the average has been over the previous few weeks. Big Boy's shows his BG has been high. That BG of 120 at the vets is unusual. They tend to be higher there because of stress. Was the test repeated?
It would be very helpful if you could tell us:
- Big Boy's age
- exactly what food you feed him
- what blood glucose meter you use
- any other health issues/meds he has.
We all know how scary this is. We're here to help.
Big Boy had a beginning glucose of 480. He is a suspected acromegaly cat. I think he is a around 6 or 7.He was a stray that i fed and lived under my pine tree s.One day he strolled into the house and never left. I have only officially had him since october. We are waiting on the test from Michigan state to see if he is an acro cat. I am buying a blood meter today. What would you suggest?I am living with a bichon who has become an IMHA dog and is on expensive chemo. Both of the loves of my life with serious stuff. We are a little stressed!Welcome! We can help.
This is a large dose for a newly diagnosed kitty. Did the vet prescribe it because Big Boy is a big boy?
Is it low carb wet food? Any of the sauce/gravy types tend to be too high in carbs. We recommend pates and many here feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates.
A fructosamine test is of limited use in knowing your kitty's blood glucose status. It merely gives an indication of what the average has been over the previous few weeks. Big Boy's shows his BG has been high. That BG of 120 at the vets is unusual. They tend to be higher there because of stress. Was the test repeated?
It would be very helpful if you could tell us:
- Big Boy's age
- exactly what food you feed him
- what blood glucose meter you use
- any other health issues/meds he has.
We all know how scary this is. We're here to help.
Kris & Teasel
Member Since 2016
That will be good information to have. There are several people on the forum who have acro cats. I think almost every one of them uses Lantus or Levemir though. ProZinc would become prohibitively expensive at very high doses.
Vets usually want you to buy a pet meter like the AlphaTrak2. However, the cost over time is in the test strips and these are very expensive - about a dollar a strip in the US. Most people use a human meter and Walmart's house brand, ReliOn, is popular. They have a couple of models. It's best to get one that needs only a tiny blood drop. The ReliOn Prime has the cheapest strips but needs a larger blood drop.
Human meters will give you lower BG readings than a pet meter. The difference will be less at low BG numbers and more at higher numbers. There's no conversion factor - you learn what too high, too low and good ranges are over time. Advice givers here understand human meter readings.
We can help with a variety of money-saving tips.
The best way for us to offer advice is by looking at a spreadsheet of your BG test data. The one we use here is online and viewable by all members. Would you be willing to do that? There are techies here who will set it up for you if needed.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
Here's what we recommend as a testing routine:
- every AM and PM before feeding and giving insulin to see if the planned dose is appropriate - no food for at least two hours before these tests so they aren't food influenced
- at least one other test after each dose either near mid day or just before bed to see how low the dose is taking his BG.
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AlphaCat
Member Since 2017
Hi Marybeth- it must feel overwhelming right at this moment. I was there only a few weeks ago, and I most certainly had anxiety maxed out to an overwhelming level!
I too have the ReliOn confirm meter. On the ear there is a sweet spot to hit right near the edge. Have you seen some of the videos on the website for this? (If not I'll go link them for you!) They helped me the most actually get the blood.
After testing give Big Boy a treat (low to no carbs) even if you don't get enough to test the meter. It always makes my Fabby forget my mistake and I feel a little better! Because I treat with every attempt she associates the test with a treat and comes running if I pick up the testing case. I use Fancy Feast one ingredient Salmon treats. They are individually wrapped and I can keep a couple in her kit to further the association that the kit is a good thing. (You can use Big Boy's favorite no carb treat, I just like the convenience of the ones I get.)
I was a wreck the first few days of testing. But watching the videos, talking and reading tips from the people here... it helped, and I was an (almost) pro in a couple days!
Being able to know her numbers at home has been so helpful it trying to get Fabby to her best dose. (Still working on that myself.) So hang in there. It gets better for both of you!
I too have the ReliOn confirm meter. On the ear there is a sweet spot to hit right near the edge. Have you seen some of the videos on the website for this? (If not I'll go link them for you!) They helped me the most actually get the blood.
After testing give Big Boy a treat (low to no carbs) even if you don't get enough to test the meter. It always makes my Fabby forget my mistake and I feel a little better! Because I treat with every attempt she associates the test with a treat and comes running if I pick up the testing case. I use Fancy Feast one ingredient Salmon treats. They are individually wrapped and I can keep a couple in her kit to further the association that the kit is a good thing. (You can use Big Boy's favorite no carb treat, I just like the convenience of the ones I get.)
I was a wreck the first few days of testing. But watching the videos, talking and reading tips from the people here... it helped, and I was an (almost) pro in a couple days!
Being able to know her numbers at home has been so helpful it trying to get Fabby to her best dose. (Still working on that myself.) So hang in there. It gets better for both of you!
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