Need HELP ASAP My Squeakers was Diagnosed with Diabetes on Saturday

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Mary E. Beavers

Mary E. Beavers

Member Since 2018
Hi All
I am new to a diabetic cat. I have rescued many cats over the years and I currently have 25...I also have 2 large dogs. Here is my delema...I am on SSDI so my i come is very low and I spend all my money on my Fur Babies so when the Vet said I was to use Prozinc at $125 I was unable to get it. He did not offer me anything else... he just gave me a script for it. This was Monday Memorial day...My Squeakers needed something so I went to Wal-Mart and bought Novilin N...Yesterday I started the insulin after testing and feeding....I had no idea how much I should use so I started out with 2 units and that was way way way too much for after 6 hours I tested again and his level dropped to 26 from 576. I immediately fed him and kept a close eye on him...he was acting normal to my surprise. After another 6 hours I tested again and the levels were 112 so no more insulin...gave him a little more food for the night and this morning at 7am tested and levels were 317 fed and gave .5 units insulin. Tested at 9am level was 169. 11 am test shows 41 again too low
 
Get some Kato syrup, honey or maple syrup on his gums. If you have any high carb wet food give him the gravy, or teaspoon of food. Keep testing!
 
It can take 20 minutes for the karo to go from the tummy to the blood stream. I would wait 20 minutes after your kitty ate it before testing again.

Do you have high carb food around? What is his normal food?
 
No Karo it has what looked like mold on top....forced him to eat about a tablespoon of canned food and I put a pinch of sugar in his mouth....Just saw he doesn't have on if his top K-9 that is why he was having hard time picking up the dry food. He won't eat the Purina dry any longer. I tried calling the vet but he won't help since I am not using the prescribed insulin
 
Maybe some tuna water on the canned food? Got to get some carbs in small amounts into him. Keep testing every 20 minutes
 
Mary E. Beavers said:
OMG !!! It is now 30 I put a teaspoon of maple syrup in his mouth. I do not know what else to do ???
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Any symptoms of hypoglycemia? If not, take a breath and test again 20 minutes after you gave the syrup.

If your vet won't help over the phone, you may just have to take him in. They should see you on an emergency basis.

Here is the page on treating hypoglycemia - read it over and print it out for future reference.
 
Thanks Everyone !!!
Unfortunately I can not get to the vet....the vet we went to refused to help because I used a different insulin the he prescribed. He is still acting normal and I was eating a piece of cheese and he climbed up my leg to get to it so I gave him some...still ate it like he is starving bit refuses to eat his canned food...will test when another 20 min has passed and will repost
 
Mary E. Beavers said:
Thanks Everyone !!!
Unfortunately I can not get to the vet....the vet we went to refused to help because I used a different insulin the he prescribed. He is still acting normal and I was eating a piece of cheese and he climbed up my leg to get to it so I gave him some...still ate it like he is starving bit refuses to eat his canned food...will test when another 20 min has passed and will repost
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Keep feeding and testing and posting every 20 minutes until you get to safe levels.
 
Just retested now went too high...gave him too much syrup. Jumped from 30 to 239 now after 20 mins of teaspoon of maple syrup. I am at my wits end
 
Mary E. Beavers said:
Just retested now went too high...gave him too much syrup. Jumped from 30 to 239 now after 20 mins of teaspoon of maple syrup. I am at my wits end
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You're doing fine!! Don't worry about having given "too much" syrup. In that situation, you give what you need to get the numbers up. Also, the effects of syrup are short - it's important to keep testing and see if you can get him to eat some food.

I would test again 30 minutes after your last test.
 
Janine & Floyd said:
You're doing fine!! Don'tworry about having given "too much" syrup. In that situation, you give what you need to get the numbers up. Also, the effects of syrup are short - it's important to keep testing and see if you can get him to eat some food.

I would test again 30 minutes after your last test.
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Okay he was due for a test at 1pm so I will wait until then to retest and post the results. Thanks
 
Kris & Teasel said:
That spike might not last long. Let him be for another 20 minutes and retest. It's better to overcarb in a situation like this and stop the action of the insulin almost completely.
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Thanks ! I was in tears because I said here I am killing him with this cheap insulin because I am too poor to buy the better stuff for him
 
Novolin is likely to peak in its action 4 to 6 hours after you gave it so you might at that point now. Let us know what time zone you're in. I was basing that on where I am - EST. This is a violent reaction to what you said was a dose of 0.5 units at 7 AM. Please let us know:
  • whether the diabetes diagnosis was made on the basis of one single blood glucose test at the clinic or from the results of a fructosamine test (gives an indication of average BG over the previous couple of weeks)
  • whether your vet sold you/gave you U40 syringes expecting you to use ProZinc and you're using these for Novolin (Novolin needs U100 syringes - really important!!!)
  • if you're unsure in any way how to read the markings on the syringes you're using - we can help.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Please don't beat yourself up. There are ways to make Novolin work better for your kitty and we can help.
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Thanks...I can't believe he dropped that low on .5 units...Yesterday I gave him 2 units and I didn't test that often just after 6 hours and he had dropped to 26....I wonder how low he actually got...scary !!! Can I give below .5 units ???
 
Wow! This is quite the trial-by-fire you are having in your introduction to FD! Good job keeping calm through all this-- you're doing great!

I'm really impressed that you took matters into your own hands with the Novalin N, after realizing that the Prozinc was too expensive. That shows that you have Squeaker's care as a high priority-- lots of folks would have just given up at that point. Kris is right, we can help make the Novalin work for you and Squeaker.

Mary E. Beavers said:
Yesterday I gave him 2 units and I didn't test that often just after 6 hours and he had dropped to 26....I wonder how low he actually got...scary !!! Can I give below .5 units ???
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I'm thinking that that may be part of the reason he's so sensitive to the 0.5U today. It happens sometimes after they go hypo-- they get a lot more sensitive to insulin.

Did you just switch over to the canned food he isn't eating? Does he have another food he is more familiar with?
 
Mary E. Beavers said:
Squeakers is giving off a moan every few minutes should I be concerned...he had a little diarrhea earlier
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He may be feeling yucky from either the unfamiliar food (maple syrup) upsetting his tummy, or just the rapid rebounding of the BG numbers, but I'd go ahead and test BG now (if it's close to time) just to make sure there's nothing going on there.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Novolin is likely to peak in its action 4 to 6 hours after you gave it so you might at that point now. Let us know what time zone you're in. I was basing that on where I am - EST. This is a violent reaction to what you said was a dose of 0.5 units at 7 AM. Please let us know:
  • whether the diabetes diagnosis was made on the basis of one single blood glucose test at the clinic or from the results of a fructosamine test (gives an indication of average BG over the previous couple of weeks)
  • whether your vet sold you/gave you U40 syringes expecting you to use ProZinc and you're using these for Novolin (Novolin needs U100 syringes - really important!!!)
  • if you're unsure in any way how to read the markings on the syringes you're using - we can help.
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I am not sure what test they did...I took him in on Saturday because he is just skin and bone. They took blood and about 45 mins later the Vet told me his glucose levels were in the 500 range but all his other tests were negative which was a good sign. The kept him until Monday trying to lower the levels and they too were getting him to drop way low using prozinc only once per day. I bought the other needles for the 100....so not using the 40's that were for the prozinc.
Going to retest now and will relost
 
Nan & Amber said:
Wow! This is quite the trial-by-fire you are having in your introduction to FD! Good job keeping calm through all this-- you're doing great!

I'm really impressed that you took matters into your own hands with the Novalin N, after realizing that the Prozinc was too expensive. That shows that you have Squeaker's care as a high priority-- lots of folks would have just given up at that point. Kris is right, we can help make the Novalin work for you and Squeaker.



I'm thinking that that may be part of the reason he's so sensitive to the 0.5U today. It happens sometimes after they go hypo-- they get a lot more sensitive to insulin.

Did you just switch over to the canned food he isn't eating? Does he have another food he is more familiar with?
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No he is used to getting this food on occasion and I had started feeding him mostly this canned food about 2 weeks before is initial test
 
Should I give more syrup ???
Do you think there is something wrong with my Reli on tester ? I just bought everthing on Monday
 
Mary E. Beavers said:
No he is used to getting this food on occasion and I had started feeding him mostly this canned food about 2 weeks before is initial test
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Nan I want to thank you for the nice comments you made about me. I do not have much but all I have goes to taking care of my babies...I eat Romen Noodles way too often so my babies can have food. I lost my oldest male Tigger 3 years ago to CKD but I treated him with info. I got of websites and gave him another 2 years. My Molly McGee had Pancreatitis and Fatty Liver and I had to force feed her for 2 months before she started to eat again and that was 2 years ago she is going strong. I will do what it takes to get my Squeakers stable.
 
Nan & Amber said:
Still acting fine?

20 is pretty low, especially on 0.5U. I agree with Kris, I'm starting to wonder about the diagnosis. But that question can wait until he's back out of the danger zone. Up, Squeakers, up!!!!
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Yes he is acting Normal. Just layed down by me an wanted some loving and is purring away....hates the maple syrup though...but he has been a trooper through all this.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
He should be getting past the insulin's peak action time. However, a dose that's too high can have longer duration so he'll be keeping you busy for a little while. Hang in there ... :bighug:
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Who would have thought that .5U would be too much ??? That is the smallest this Syringe has ?????? Makes me wonder
 
Do your syringes have an orange top or a red top?
u-40-and-u-100-syringes.png


Can you tell us, using the black marks on the syringe, how much you used? (do not count the lowest black mark which is the zero mark)

Edit: If your syringe has half unit marks, count each mark and divide by 2.
 
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