Kitty 911 help/advice

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Troylikescats

Member Since 2018
Hi there. My car is currently having a hypoglycemic episode. For the first time ever. I’m not well versed in feline diabetes. But I do know up until right now, 3units of u-100 novolin has managed my cats diabetes. I’m the only one home and don’t have a license to take my cat anywhere so this is horrible timing. The local vet is closed and the ER vet is 40 miles away. I’ve gotten her out of the worst of it with some maple syrup, but she is still lethargic and refusing to eat. I’m not really sure what to do. As it seems she won’t eat her wet food, I may need to baby her through the night until the vet opens in 8 1/2 hours. Advice? Any would be extremely helpful

-Troy
 
You can rub syrup on the gums if you can't get him to "eat" it....you can also try things like ice cream or yogurt

Do you have a meter so you can check his glucose levels?
 
I do not have a meter to test her with. And what do you mean grey style food? I mean I just sorta know that she doesn’t seem drunk anymore. If I rouse her, her tail has a lively flick to it.
 
I meant gravy, not gray, sorry! Sometimes you can get them to lick up the gravy if you squeeze it out of the can; that's the part with the most carbs.
 
Yes, the syrup will only last about 20 minutes or so. You're about halfway through a 12 hr cycle, so you've still got a bit to go. Chris's suggestion about ice cream or yogurt is a good one; if you have any (as long as it's not chocolate) maybe she'd eat some of it?
 
I don’t think I have a way to get a meter at the moment. When she was first diagnosed we just worked closely with our vet and had her blood checked regularly, currently every six months. And it’s always been good, no problems. This is the first time I’ve seen her hypoglycemic to the extent it was earlier. When I first noticed it caught me so off guard my immediate thought was she was dying, not hypoglycemic or anything diabetes . I got some maple syrup on her gums and it perked her up a bit. I mean I’ll get one ASAP though. Now it Seems kinda dumb And irresponsible I didn’t have one the whole time. I’m gonna try the gravy to get carb base sugars In her. I will post again in the morning after I take her to the vet, or if I run into any more problems
 
No curve. I don’t even kno that is. Should my vet have done that or talked to me about that? When I talk to the vet, they would just say things like “her numbers are a little high, we should increase from 2 up to 3 units twice a day” or “her numbers are great, your doing good”
 
Troylikescats said:
No curve. I don’t even kno that is. Should my vet have done that or talked to me about that? When I talk to the vet, they would just say things like “her numbers are a little high, we should increase from 2 up to 3 units twice a day” or “her numbers are great, your doing good”
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It's vital to be able to test at home!
 
Troylikescats said:
No curve. I don’t even kno that is. Should my vet have done that or talked to me about that? When I talk to the vet, they would just say things like “her numbers are a little high, we should increase from 2 up to 3 units twice a day” or “her numbers are great, your doing good”
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A curve is when you take them into the vet and the vet tests them every 2 hours throughout an entire cycle to see how they're responding.

The problem with curves done at the vets office is they're really unreliable at best. The stress of being thrown in a carrier, driven to the vet's office, sitting in the lobby with barking dogs and yowling cats and then poked and prodded by a person they don't really like much anyway can raise the glucose up to 200 points. The vet see's those high numbers and thinks they need more insulin. You go home, kitty relaxes and you have the recipe for a tragedy

Unfortunately, most vets don't talk to people about home testing. Some are just very anti-home testing, but I think a lot of it has to do with the worry that people may just decide to euthanize instead of "going to all that trouble" (but I think if someone has decided to treat their cat, they should be given the information at least on home testing!!....let the owner make the decision!!)
 
Not knowing what the blood glucose levels are, I'd suggest pushing the carbs a bit longer tonight. Many cats do not show any signs of a hypo until it is too late. It is good that you caught it. You just saved your cat's life. The 3 unit dose is obviously too high.

Do keep in mind that tomorrow's numbers may likely be higher than usual. It is called a "bounce," and the vet should not base the dosing on that number. Dosing is based on how low the cat goes, not how high.

Feed the carbs.

  • Bouncing - Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).
 
I would also suggest a reduced dose in the morning. Don't want to give her the same dose that pushed her too low.
 
Also, @Chris & China, I think your right about the vets being anti-home testing. My vet said since her numbers looked ok and manageable with minimal effort that going through the ptontial trouble if the cat even letting me test it, maybe shaving a tiny square off the cat, etc wasn’t worth the trouble. Clearly it was worth the trouble
 
Troylikescats said:
Is there a specific range her bg should be in for her size or is it just standard levels?
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Normal levels for cats are 50-120 on a human meter.....below 50 is your "time to act" and feed some high carb food, karo/syrup/honey to get them back above 50

Troylikescats said:
I’m thinking I need a new vet
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Sure wouldn't hurt to call around!! First, Novolin isn't really a good insulin for cats in the first place. Some do OK on it, but there are better insulin's like Lantus, Levemir or ProZinc.

Novolin tends to "hit hard and fast" and then wear off before it's time to shoot again. The other insulins are longer lasting and more gentle.
 
So I understand people probably come here all the time because it’s their only option. But for me personally, If I wasn’t willing to do the work I wouldn’t have posted here desperately asking for help and information to increase my understanding. I got my cat eating finally at 7am, she was looking like she was half way through her food when I decided she would probably eat all of it so I gave her 1.5 units of u-100 novolin. (Will look into getting/ finding a different kind later today) checked her with new handy dandy meter. And it was at 183. Took her to the vet. They took some blood and said that since her number was a bit high but overall ok would call me in a couple hours when they had more extensive results. They said keep checking her cause the bg can fluctuate a bunch in these situations til we get it under wraps. I’m definitely interested in more help, although i stayed up all night with my cat and I work in 4 hours. So I’m taking s much needed nap now. I’m interested in this spreadsheet business and tracking my cat closely. So I will definitely hop back on after my nap
 
Troylikescats said:
So I understand people probably come here all the time because it’s their only option. But for me personally, If I wasn’t willing to do the work I wouldn’t have posted here desperately asking for help and information to increase my understanding. I got my cat eating finally at 7am, she was looking like she was half way through her food when I decided she would probably eat all of it so I gave her 1.5 units of u-100 novolin. (Will look into getting/ finding a different kind later today) checked her with new handy dandy meter. And it was at 183. Took her to the vet. They took some blood and said that since her number was a bit high but overall ok would call me in a couple hours when they had more extensive results. They said keep checking her cause the bg can fluctuate a bunch in these situations til we get it under wraps. I’m definitely interested in more help, although i stayed up all night with my cat and I work in 4 hours. So I’m taking s much needed nap now. I’m interested in this spreadsheet business and tracking my cat closely. So I will definitely hop back on after my nap
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Very glad to read this. Congrats on getting a blood test done with your new meter! :smuggrin:
 
Alright folks. I got a pen and paper handy, and am ready to absorb all sorts off knowledge. First question. What does a curve do for me and how do I start one, or keep detailed information in a handy format or whatever. The vet said give it until she is back to a sufficiently stable place and then start the curve thing. so I want gonna get a head start. Looked into a different kind of insulin, the vet said he would have to order it and that it would take a special/different kind of syringe. Does that make sense?
 
Also, I forgot what the vet called the insulin. But it was only 2 or 3 letters long and it had an the letter “i” in it? I should have written it down, but I don’t know where to find Somethjng else so I just went along with it
 
Then, as to what a curve will do for you: it will help you map your cat's response to the insulin it was given. In particular, it will help you see how low the insulin dose the cat is getting will take his BG (blood glucose). You want to find an insulin dose that takes your cat's BG low enough (to counteract the diabetes) but not so low that the cat will risk hypoglycemia (which you've already encountered).

There are various methods and protocols to help fine-tune the dose of insulin you're giving. These methods will vary depending on the insulin you're giving, and also your availability for testing and follow-up, etc.

Three letters and an "i" -- could it be PZI?
 
Troylikescats said:
Thank you for the links. Yes it was PZI
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One type of PZI is called ProZinc. Yes, do go over to the ProZinc/PZI forum. I suggest you start by reading the yellow info stickies at the top of that forum's main page because they'll answer a lot of your basic questions. Post any other questions you have over there or anything from the stickies that you don't understand and so on. :)
 
Quick question. I know there are threads asking similar questions but no one seems to know for sure. Zoe’s tummy is normally quite distended normally, I think from the diabetes, but it seems to me that today it’s just ridiculous. It’s very hard and misshapen. Does, or can, issues stemming from diabetes like hypoglycemia cause constipation, gas, or more bloating than normal?
 
Not that I've heard but I haven't been around all that long :-/ -- hope somebody more knowledgeable can chime in!
Or could it be a consequence of the hypoglycemic episode?
 
Troylikescats said:
Quick question. I know there are threads asking similar questions but no one seems to know for sure. Zoe’s tummy is normally quite distended normally, I think from the diabetes, but it seems to me that today it’s just ridiculous. It’s very hard and misshapen. Does, or can, issues stemming from diabetes like hypoglycemia cause constipation, gas, or more bloating than normal?
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I think it's usually more a matter of a GI issue like a food intolerance, etc.
 
Hey everyone. I just wanted to give an update. I’ve been working with the vet over the last few days and as it turns Zoe’s diabetes has gone into remission and she doesn’t need to take insulin anymore. However there was a larger issue at play. The stomach issue I asked about has turned out to be growths that are affecting the way she eats and absorbs food. I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on diagnostics, and certainly not treatment but the vet feels very confident that it’s lymphoma. As of this moment, she hasn’t eaten much of the way of gravy and whole milk for the past few days, so I’m about an hour she’s going to the vet to get some anti-nausea and steroids to see if that can help get to the point where she wants to eat. Because she’s hungry, and lets you know, but won’t eat anything. No tuna oil or anything you would think to entice the cat, even those bonito flake things, will bring her to eat. Feels a little like I just got slapped in the face. But I’m glad you were all here to help me and Zoe in our time of need
 
Yes I am. We’ve been pals since high school. Well I got her right out of high school, she came with me to college, been through it all. It may be selfish but I really hope these meds get her eating so I can spend a little quality time with her before her health declined further and have to end our time together. I appreciate everything you guys do
 
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