New member... Australia...Just diagnosed and starting first insulin dose tonight.

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GG66

Member Since 2020
I feel like I'm drowning already. Princess is an almost 12 yr old Siamese x. She has IBD and kidney necrosis both were being treated, but it was the Prednisolone that was being used to treat her IBD that brought on the diabetes. Her BCL today was 18. We now have to stop the Prednisolone so it doesn't further complicate things, but that will no doubt cause her to start pooping and vomiting blood again. Is there anyone else with kitties that also have these issues, and how do you manage/balance all three medical issues? I'm also looking for a printable diabetic chart that I can use please, where do I find it here please? I appreciate any help available, thanks in advance.
 

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My girl had GI issues, but her heart couldn't take prednisolone, so she went on budesonide instead. It's also a steroid, but acts primarily in the GI system. It took Neko's bowel inflammation down about 30%, plus it did not impact her blood sugars. We've had a number of kitties with IBD switch to budesonide successfully. The other thing that's important is diet. Many IBD kitties can be managed with diet - novel proteins and a good probiotic. Read here for more: http://www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org/start-here.html I fed a raw diet with was both low carb and novel protein, so works for both conditions. If you aren't into raw, there may be some canned products with lamb or venison you could try. Ziwipeak is one option available there. Neko also had chronic kidney disease, so that meant finding low phosphorus, low carb novel protein options. It's doable, but easier if you make your own. This post may give you some ideas for that: Home prepared diet for CKD cats
 
Princess is beautiful!
Are you able to tell us what type of insulin Princess is on and what dose she is being given please?
Has the vet suggested a low carb diet for her?
Did he mention home testing the blood glucose levels ?
It is a big learning curve in the beginning but you have taken the first steps by posting here. You will soon know lots about FD and will feel much more comfortable about it all.

I would ask the vet about using budesonide instead of the prednisolone as Wendy suggested. You will find there are lots of people with FD kitties who have other health issues. This is a very generous and supportive community.

Not quite sure what you mean by a printable diabetic chart...
Ask all the questions you need to, everyone is very happy to help.
Bron
 
Waving from Canada. Welcome.


Do you mean a spreadsheet to record the test numbers?
Specific to Australia foods:
Tagging a fellow Australian for you
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
plus
@Wendy&Neko

Hello, yes a sheet that I can record Princesses dates doses water intake etc... I've just started with a piece of paper which is the back of the info from the vets yesterday. If I have a proper chart I can print up, that would be way easier and less messy.
 
Hello, yes a sheet that I can record Princesses dates doses water intake etc... I've just started with a piece of paper which is the back of the info from the vets yesterday. If I have a proper chart I can print up, that would be way easier and less messy.
Our spreadsheet is the chart that will allow you to do this. If you have any trouble setting it up just let us know and someone will help you. If you could also set up your signature which only takes a couple of minutes and appears at the bottom of all your posts and tells us about Princess then your SS can go at the bottom of that.
Spreadsheet instructions
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Profile instructions within this link
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
 
Princess is beautiful!
Are you able to tell us what type of insulin Princess is on and what dose she is being given please?
Has the vet suggested a low carb diet for her?
Did he mention home testing the blood glucose levels ?
It is a big learning curve in the beginning but you have taken the first steps by posting here. You will soon know lots about FD and will feel much more comfortable about it all.

I would ask the vet about using budesonide instead of the prednisolone as Wendy suggested. You will find there are lots of people with FD kitties who have other health issues. This is a very generous and supportive community.

Not quite sure what you mean by a printable diabetic chart...
Ask all the questions you need to, everyone is very happy to help.
Bron

Hi Bron... It's a pen called Optisulin Solostar (insulin glargline rbe) just a starting dose at the first click which is 1. She's been on Hills prescription diet of ID dry and wet food in the sachets, that's all she has...with the exception of boiled chicken for treats or an alternative to the above mentioned food. She's had the stew version of the above too to change it up a bit and after a week or so of that she flatly refuses to eat it now. So at the moment she's having Royal Canin Gastrointestinal and we also have the ID sachets to alternate so she doesn't get bored. The vet said to get the dip sticks from the chemist to check her urine rather than blood pricking her, so I'm picking them up today. The other meds for IBD mentioned is something the vets brought up at one visit that could be an option, then decided to not use it at the next visit. I think the vet wants to see how Princess goes without it, and if needed we introduce that. She's concerned it may do the same as the Prednislone. The printable chart I'm talking about is for me to record everything in an easy and less messy way than on a piece of paper that I'm using at the moment. Thank you for helping me with this, her first dose last night she screamed but this morning with her head in a bowl of boiled chicken she just stopped for a second then continued eating without and screams...thank gawd


Princess is beautiful!
Are you able to tell us what type of insulin Princess is on and what dose she is being given please?
Has the vet suggested a low carb diet for her?
Did he mention home testing the blood glucose levels ?
It is a big learning curve in the beginning but you have taken the first steps by posting here. You will soon know lots about FD and will feel much more comfortable about it all.

I would ask the vet about using budesonide instead of the prednisolone as Wendy suggested. You will find there are lots of people with FD kitties who have other health issues. This is a very generous and supportive community.

Not quite sure what you mean by a printable diabetic chart...
Ask all the questions you need to, everyone is very happy to help.
Bron
 
My girl had GI issues, but her heart couldn't take prednisolone, so she went on budesonide instead. It's also a steroid, but acts primarily in the GI system. It took Neko's bowel inflammation down about 30%, plus it did not impact her blood sugars. We've had a number of kitties with IBD switch to budesonide successfully. The other thing that's important is diet. Many IBD kitties can be managed with diet - novel proteins and a good probiotic. Read here for more: http://www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org/start-here.html I fed a raw diet with was both low carb and novel protein, so works for both conditions. If you aren't into raw, there may be some canned products with lamb or venison you could try. Ziwipeak is one option available there. Neko also had chronic kidney disease, so that meant finding low phosphorus, low carb novel protein options. It's doable, but easier if you make your own. This post may give you some ideas for that: Home prepared diet for CKD cats
 
Hi Wendy, thanks for your reply. The other med you've mentioned is what the vets has brought up with US. But I think she wants to see how Princess goes without any IBD meds for now. We've got to keep an eye on her bowel habits to see if she's pooping blood, if so, then she'll have to start on that new med. She's eating Hills prescription diet ID dry and Royal canin gastrointestinal... And switching it up with the ID wet and boiled chicken. She loves the boiled chicken so using that as her treat to eat before and after injection now...it worked really well this morning, last night she screamed without a distraction I just hope I didn't do it wrong.
 
Hi Bron... It's a pen called Optisulin Solostar (insulin glargline rbe) just a starting dose at the first click which is 1. She's been on Hills prescription diet of ID dry and wet food in the sachets, that's all she has...with the exception of boiled chicken for treats or an alternative to the above mentioned food. She's had the stew version of the above too to change it up a bit and after a week or so of that she flatly refuses to eat it now. So at the moment she's having Royal Canin Gastrointestinal and we also have the ID sachets to alternate so she doesn't get bored. The vet said to get the dip sticks from the chemist to check her urine rather than blood pricking her, so I'm picking them up today. The other meds for IBD mentioned is something the vets brought up at one visit that could be an option, then decided to not use it at the next visit. I think the vet wants to see how Princess goes without it, and if needed we introduce that. She's concerned it may do the same as the Prednislone. The printable chart I'm talking about is for me to record everything in an easy and less messy way than on a piece of paper that I'm using at the moment. Thank you for helping me with this, her first dose last night she screamed but this morning with her head in a bowl of boiled chicken she just stopped for a second then continued eating without and screams...thank gawd

The Solostar pen will only let you go up or down in 1 unit doses. I would strongly advise you to look at swapping over to an insulin syringe, you will find information about suitable syringes in the link I sent you above for Aussie caregivers. We don’t have 1/2 unit syringes here in Australia but they can be bought easily from the UK and get here in about a week to 10 days. Otherwise the 1 unit syringes can be used but are not quite as easy to use.
We recommend going up and down in dose in 1/4 unit increments so as not to go past the best dose and it’s also much safer for the cat than increasing in 1 unit increments which most vets do. So if you were to increase the dose from 1 unit, you would go to 1.25 units for example.

We also recommend home testing the blood glucose levels to keep your kitty safe. Just doing curves at the vet or using urine strips does not give an accurate up to the minute picture of what is happening. Cats get stressed at the vet and the BG numbers are frequently inflated there. With the urine testing, the result is what has been happening since the cat did the last pee, which could have been 12 to 24 hours before. With home testing it is up to the minute. Vets often don’t think home testing is necessary but I can tell you from experience that there have been many many cats saved from having hypos because of testing and many cats arrived here after not monitoring the BGs and having a hypo.
Testing sounds scary but it’s not at all and your kitty will get used to it very quickly. My Sheba used to come running when she heard me at the testing box as she knew she would get a treat when I tested. The link to testing is in the links I have already sent you....we can help you. If you decide to, get a human meter, not a pet meter as they are much cheaper to run, are just as good and our dosing methods are based on human meter numbers.

the food you are feeding is higher carb but may be necessary for the IBD. I wouldn’t change it all all until you are home testing anyway because giving lower carb food can drop the BGs up to 100 points (5.5).

Keep asking lots of questions, we are happy to answer them.
 
My girl had GI issues, but her heart couldn't take prednisolone, so she went on budesonide instead. It's also a steroid, but acts primarily in the GI system. It took Neko's bowel inflammation down about 30%, plus it did not impact her blood sugars. We've had a number of kitties with IBD switch to budesonide successfully. The other thing that's important is diet. Many IBD kitties can be managed with diet - novel proteins and a good probiotic. Read here for more: http://www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org/start-here.html I fed a raw diet with was both low carb and novel protein, so works for both conditions. If you aren't into raw, there may be some canned products with lamb or venison you could try. Ziwipeak is one option available there. Neko also had chronic kidney disease, so that meant finding low phosphorus, low carb novel protein options. It's doable, but easier if you make your own. This post may give you some ideas for that: Home prepared diet for CKD cats
 
Hi Wendy, thanks for your feedback. I've only just started to get info from this group and it's already confusing me. My vet said that even the Budesonide could interfere with her IBD so is holding off from that until we can see the results from the starting dose of the Glargine. If she starts showing blood then the new med will be introduced for the IBD. Also, her food is for her IBD so we can't change what she eats. Previously we tried many different foods and nothing helped with her IBD. It's only the Hills prescription CD in the dry and wet and the Royal Canin gastrointestinal wet food that's keeping her alive basically...we use boiled chicken when injecting...that's all she can eat. I'll check out the home prepared link though, thank you.
 
Our spreadsheet is the chart that will allow you to do this. If you have any trouble setting it up just let us know and someone will help you. If you could also set up your signature which only takes a couple of minutes and appears at the bottom of all your posts and tells us about Princess then your SS can go at the bottom of that.
Spreadsheet instructions
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Profile instructions within this link
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
 
I'm really dumb when it comes to certain things...and figuring out charts drive me insane. I just want something I can have access to in my hand that I can keep on kitchen counter, take to vet etc... I know you've said that someone can help me, but this being all new, I'm lost already. Can you explain to me why testing her urine at home with strips and getting an instant result is not a good idea, in place of a blood sample? I'm not having to wait to get her wee tested by a vet hours after I've collected the sample. I do however understand what yr saying about the different sized increments that the insulin should be increased by, but the vet has only just started Princess on this pen, how am I to expect the vet to change it already?
 
I'm really dumb when it comes to certain things...and figuring out charts drive me insane. I just want something I can have access to in my hand that I can keep on kitchen counter, take to vet etc... I know you've said that someone can help me, but this being all new, I'm lost already.
Hi (sorry I don’t know your name!)
I am sure you are not dumb....it is all just new to you!
I’m going to ask @Bandit's Mom if she will set the SS chart up for you. It only takes her a minute ( it would take me ages,!!) then you can fill it out and also email it to your vet.

Can you explain to me why testing her urine at home with strips and getting an instant result is not a good idea, in place of a blood sample? I'm not having to wait to get her wee tested by a vet hours after I've collected the sample.
With urine testing of glucose......the cat pees at say 6 am and the next time he pees is at say 6 pm. If you are collect the 6 pm sample to test, the urine has been collecting in the bladder for 12 hours, and during this time the blood glucose could have gone from 20 down to 3 and back up again but what the urine sample will say is that the blood sugar is an average of all the numbers the blood sugar had been during that 12 hours. You will just get one number. So you won’t know how high or how low the blood glucose went. You won’t know if it is safe to give the dose either. This method was used years ago before blood glucose meters were available to people.
If you home test the blood, you get an instant result of what the blood glucose is at that moment. You can see if it is safe to give the dose and if you test 4 or 5 hours later you will see how well the dose is helping the blood glucose. It is also the only safe way to prevent hypos. Vets will tell you to give some honey if the cat staggers, looks drunk or has a seizure. Once a cat has started showing hypo signs and symptoms, they have a very very low blood glucose and are in a very unsafe place. If you are testing the blood glucose, you are in control and can prevent this from happening


I do however understand what yr saying about the different sized increments that the insulin should be increased by, but the vet has only just started Princess on this pen, how am I to expect the vet to change it already?
The vet doesn’t have to change anything for you to use syringes.
You just need to buy some insulin syringes from a pharmacy that stocks insulin products.
The syringes are the U 100 3/10 ml 30 or 31 gauge, 6 or 8 mm syringes. I could buy a box of 100 B/D syringes for around $30 from a pharmacy.
Then you use the cartridge that is inside the pen and put the needle into the rubber stopper to draw out the insulin. I will attach a photo below.
 

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My vet said that even the Budesonide could interfere with her IBD so is holding off from that until we can see the results from the starting dose of the Glargine.
The budesonide reduces the bowel inflammation and improves the IBD. The Lantus will do nothing to help the IBD. For many, probably the majority of cats, budesonide does not impact the blood sugars, though it does for a few. It made no difference for my girl.
 
Hi everyone that has responded to my desperate search for information. I appreciate all your advise and information, which is still going over my head, but I'm gradually taking it in. But I have to say that I need to leave the forum for the time being so I can get my head around all this. The reasons being...first of all, our Princess had a crash on Saturday and we nearly lost her. Being a new (diabetic) and I've put that in brackets for a reason, you'll see that soon...but I can't explain the terror going through the traffic in the mad dash getting her to the vet in time. My daughter, whom is Princesses mum (I'm her grandma) was holding a floppy kitty all the way to the vet while I went into a panic attack watching Princess more than the road. In the hour prior to this crash I said to Amanda that Princess looked to be struggling, as her back legs were a bit wonky. I was heading out to meet a friend for a coffee and told Amanda to call me if she deteriorated. I got the call half an hour later that she was floppy and basically has no control and went down, even a poo popped out. She said that kitty looked drunk. I called the vet and explained the situation. They booked her in but said I could take her to the emergency vet or bring her there. I said I'd take her there as they know her. So I had time to get home and take her there...it's a half hour drive. When Princess was put into the carrier, she just flopped face down. Amanda got her out to keep her alert. At one point I though she was having a seizure as she flipped over. I pulled over the car to call the vet and asked where the emergency vet was. It was closer so that's where we headed so they called to let them know we were coming. We got there in time and Amanda virtually threw Princess at the vet.

Now, the bit about diabetes in brackets...There's doubts about her diabetes diagnoses which conflicts with her IBD diagnoses...and those two combined with her kidney necrosis issues, we're at a loss. We were outside for almost 2 hours in tears not knowing what was going on inside. People coming and going with their pets...one family crying leaving with just their dogs collar
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When Amanda went to the door to see if we could wait inside, the receptionist had forgotten we were out there
1f620.png
she was focussed on estimates of cost. When I asked what they're doing Princess, she said they're trying to save her, and that she's not the vet and doesn't know. So Princess had to have two lots of glucose through a drip before we could even see her...and even then we were waiting another hour after getting inside. The information that we've been given has gone right over our heads. I've asked for it to be written down and emailed to me so we can get out head around it ( I'm still waiting on that info) So basically, she may or may not be diabetic... She may or may not have IBD... She may or may not have stomach cancer... She may or may not have to see a specialist in Melbourne to help diagnose these things. The insulin she's been getting morning and night may or may not have caused her to crash today, it's all unknown. But for now she had to stay 2 nights, they're going to test her with foods and antinausea meds (told them no Cerenia, that makes her really sick), and insulin to see her reactions to it all. We got to see her for about 3 minutes before we left Saturday, she was still out of it just laying there looking at us blankly...we haven't seen her since. I called them twice Sunday to find out how she's going, stupid woman on the phone didn't know she was there or what she was there for. But then found out she's now stable. She ate yesterday without throwing up, but she's still getting fluids via drip. We can pick her up sometime today and take her to our regular vet, as she has to continue on the fluids. From there on who knows, could be a trip to Melbourne to get a more definite diagnosis with exploritory surgery of her bowel for the IBS and to find out why she's so sick. They mentioned so many different foods for this and that and it's all compounded on top of everything else she eats etc, it's too much to understand. She's not out of the woods yet, but at least we know she survived Friday night. What happened to Princess is probably what I was shown on here about hypos etc, that I saved on my pc to read later, so I had no idea what we were experiencing being new to this. So not knowing what is going on, I have to bow out for now. Sorry for the quick exit, but we need to know more from the vets before we do anything else as suggested on here. Thank you all I really appreciate your help.
 
I'm sorry you've had such a tough go the last few days. :bighug: I hope Princess comes out of this OK. Good instincts getting her to vet as soon as you could. You probably saved her life.

The 1 unit dose was too much insulin - one of the reason we use syringes so we can draw smaller doses. Also the reason we do home blood glucose testing.

Good luck with Princess coming home soon and your new vet visits. It is a really good plan to get a proper IBD diagnosis. Sometimes they can diagnose with endoscopy, which is less invasive.
 
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