Confused by Vet vs Reading

jason bellamy

jason bellamy

Member
Sorry completely new to all this, cat recently hospitalized for ketoacidosis. stable now but from what i am reading Prozinc is a 2x a day insulin, my vet is having us give our cat 6 units. once a day at 8am. pre shot blood glucose is around 600-700 the shot brings him into the low to mid 300 range by mid day but then continues to rise through the night. is Prozinc something that is only 2x a day or is it also a 1x a day thing? I am trying to get the cat to switch to wet food but after 14 years of dry food its not an easy process. vet switched him to a rx diet for kidneys but starting to run low. bought some blue buffalo because it had a higher protein content than even the rx. testing with an alphatrak2 meter at home although ordering strips takes forever so last 3 days only had a pre shot test, but finally got multiple test today. any advice would be appreciated.
 
Welcome! ProZinc is supposed to be dosed 2 times a day, once every 12 hours. It is not long lasting enough to be given just once ever 24 hours. Here's the product information sheet: http://www.prozinc.us/content/dam/internet/ah/prozinc/us_EN/documents/ProZinc_Product_Info.pdf

It would be very helpful if you could add a signature to give us basic info like when your cat was diagnosed, what type of insulin you are giving and what type of meter you are using. Then, the info will be available on every post you make so you do not have to repeat it. You will also want to grab a copy of the spreadsheet we use here to track test results and doses given. It is a wonderful tool for managing all of this. Here are links about those things:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/

6 units is a huge dose. You did not mention when your cat was diagnosed or whether you have worked up to that dose or if the vet just started you there. I am so glad you are testing so you can keep your baby safe. We will be better able to help you with dosing advice once your spreadsheet is available.

Switching to low-carb wet food is an important component of getting the diabetes under control. A lot of us here had cats who were fed dry food for their entire lives, so we feel your pain in regards to the transition, but be patient and persistent, and it will happen. If you have not been there yet, I recommend you check out catinfo.org for a crash course in feline nutrition. I have a l ink in my signature to the cat food database that comes from that site. It allows you to filter by your desired parameters, and it is very helpful in finding foods to try. The Dr who created it recommends, "start with protein minimum of 40, fat maximum of 50, carb max of 10, and for cats with kidney issues....phos less than 300." (Most of us find it necessary to go lower in the carbs. 5% or less might be a good goal.)

I get my AlphaTrak strips from Amazon. I'm a Prime member, so two day shipping is included. I always make sure I have an unopened vial of strips in addition to the open one I am using. When I finish the open one and need to start the other one, I put in my order. That way, I never risk running low. If strip cost is an issue for you, there are people here who use other types of strips with the meters (freestyle?). There are several posts here about that topic, if you care to search for them.
 
Yes, typically Prozinc is given twice a day. Maybe your vet is doing this because of the kidney issue?? Many here know much more than I, hopefully they will chime in.

Well there you go^^^^
 
Thanks alot. the diagnosis was just prior to christmas. the 19th or 20th i think i do not have my records on hand right now as im at work. i tried an alternative version of the strips and did a side by side test with the alphatrak and petsure and had a difference of almost 200BG so i think ill stick with the alphatrak strips. ordered them on amazon prime but it still took 8 days before they were delivered. somehow amazon marked it delivered before it even assigned a tracking number and shipped. maybe just a one time flaw i hope. with the ketoacidosis the vet had him for 3 days and was using a short acting insulin to get him stabalized at first then switched to the prozinc mid day 2. on day 3 when he was released we were told 5 units in am then because of spikes she changed it to 6 units in am a few days later. ive been trying to do research as i think 2x a day will work better but as someone stated maybe it has something to do with kidney. idk. somewhere on here i did see someone mention something about when BG has significant drop like we are giving him it causes a rebound spike so im beginning to wonder if i should continue vet orders or take things into my own hands at this point.
 
I agree that rebound sounds pretty likely. We've had folks come here on 1x day shots, but they always end up switching to twice. Prozinc usually lasts around 12-14 hours in a cat, so after that, the BG has no help to stay low. Then it keeps going up and up and up until the next insulin shot...then it goes down but the same thing happens. Giving shots twice a day helps to keep it stable in lower numbers and should help get BG into a much better place. With a recent DKA in the picture...I'd really encourage you to consider 2x a day. Maybe ask your vet why they suggested once a day when you've read that twice a day is proper? If you DO decide to go to twice a day, please let us know. We can help you determine a good dose to give (usually we just cut the current dose in half and give half AM and half PM).

Please ask all the questions you have! We're here to help and we're more than happy to offer any advice we have!
 
Hi there, and welcome! Everyone has already given you great advice, so I'll just say hi....well, that and add that you might want to consider using a human meter. It's easier to get the test strips and much much cheaper. Our protocol is written for human meters, so they work just fine around here, and might make your life easier.
 
Everyone is very welcoming. I guess the vet went with 1x because she thought it would be easier on us but said we may ultimately need 2x . I did not know this. Unfortunately his mother and I pretty much work opposite schedules so we typically both don't get to attend the vet visits, but its good i guess because someone is always with him. I'm going to look into the SS and try to get that started, im having to teach her as i learn also.
 
jason bellamy said:
Sorry completely new to all this, cat recently hospitalized for ketoacidosis. stable now but from what i am reading Prozinc is a 2x a day insulin, my vet is having us give our cat 6 units. once a day at 8am. pre shot blood glucose is around 600-700 the shot brings him into the low to mid 300 range by mid day but then continues to rise through the night. is Prozinc something that is only 2x a day or is it also a 1x a day thing? I am trying to get the cat to switch to wet food but after 14 years of dry food its not an easy process. vet switched him to a rx diet for kidneys but starting to run low. bought some blue buffalo because it had a higher protein content than even the rx. testing with an alphatrak2 meter at home although ordering strips takes forever so last 3 days only had a pre shot test, but finally got multiple test today. any advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Unless he is stage 4 kidney failure, the perscription kidney food is a terrible choice. It is very low in protien and super high in carb. No doubt it's why you're having trouble regulating. Best choice for both kidney and diabetes is a low carb, low phosphorus food. My favorite for this is weruva canned food or Tikicat. My cat loves the Tiki cat After Dark line.... She is also a former dry food addict.

I use the Alphatrak... If the alternative strips you tried were Pet Sure, people have not found them reliable. One alternative I have found that has shown to be accurate is Freestyle Insulinx strips. They are on amazon for about $38 for 100 strips. I'll attach my comparison using code 38.
0918204A-B643-4191-A2D3-229563C47615.png
 
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