BG numbers not coming down quickly

[MelanieP and Ninja]

Looking for some input from owners whose cats ran BG numbers averaging over 400 for a couple of weeks or longer.

My cat Ninja is on 2.5 units of Lantus but is still averaging BG in the low to mid 400’s, despite gradually increasing the Lantus by ½ unit weekly since June 3 (started her at 1 unit b.i.d. and she is now up to 2.5 units b.i.d.). Is 2.5 units considered a high dose, and does this seem odd that her numbers have stayed about the same for the last couple of weeks, despite weekly increases?

At her diagnosis, Ninja’s numbers were in the 600’s. Week 1, getting one unit of Lantus b.i.d., I was seeing average numbers in the mid to high 500’s. When we increased her her dose in week two to 1.5 b.i.d., I saw her numbers go down to the low to mid 400’s (showing progress).

Week 3, the vet suggested increasing to 2.0 b.i.d., which I did, but I was still getting numbers averaging in the low to mid 400’s (not seeing much movement over the previous week’s 1.5 dose); and now this week – since Monday, Ninja is up to 2.5 b.i.d., yet I am still getting BG numbers In the low to mid 400’s – very similar to when her dose was 1.5 units b.i.d. a couple of weeks ago.

Is this normal that I would not see an immediate drop, despite having increased the insulin by 1 full unit b.i.d., over a two-week period?

Ninja is still eating dry food, which I am absolutely sick about (please do not scold me about this). My vet said that, due to the amount of weight Ninja has already lost, that I should feed her whatever she will eat for now (as she was eating almost nothing at diagnosis), that she cannot afford to lose more weight at this time and we should transition her to wet over time (as quickly as possible but making sure Ninja continues to eat).

I am attempting to transition Ninja to wet food following Dr. Lisa Pierson’s instructions in “Transitioning Feline Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food,” though this is not a quick process. Ninja is a particularly difficult case, but we are making progress. As Dr. Pierson notes in her article, it took her 3 months to transition her own cats fully – but I am hoping for less than that. In any case, I am aware that the dry food is fueling Ninja’s high numbers and that she will require a higher dose of Lantus than she would otherwise, until I can get her switched.

Can anyone speak to the leveling off I have seen in Ninja’s numbers – staying in the low to mid 400 range despite increasing her by 1 unit b.i.d. over a two week period. Is that unusual? Is 1 unit considered a large increase over a 2 week period? Is 2.5 units b.i.d. considered a high dose overall? If not, what is considered a high dose of Lantus? Should I ask the vet about going up yet again, even though Ninja’s dose was just increased two days ago to 2.5?

I am so scared that Ninja’s numbers are running that high on a consistent basis and causing her body harm – yet I don’t want to rush the process either (staying with the “start low and go slow” philosophy). I know every cat is different, but would welcome hearing about the experience of those who had cats running high numbers for a period of time --- and what dose it took to get the numbers down – or did the BG just start to come down with more time at a stable dose, etc.

Don’t worry, I will make no adjustments to Ninja’s dosage until discussing with her vet – but just looking for a greater understanding of Lantus & dosage, other insulins, and what worked for other cats. Also sorry I don't have my spreadsheet up yet (just keeping numbers in a journal for now).

Thanks and sorry this is so long.

 

[hmjohnston]

The dry food can be the culprit to her high BG #'s- Sneakers is so carb conscious that the week she was sneaking in dry food she went from 200/300 to HI and stayed that way for a week after I blocked her exit. So keep transitioning her as that is the best you can do right now.

There can be damage if she stays high but others will tell you about that as I have no idea.

I would monitor for ketones- most pharmacies should have keto sticks near their diabetes items- usually $7/50. This is the best insurance to keep an eye on her ketones to watch for DKA- which is expensive and deadly.

As for weight- look at the list and go for the highest calorie but lowest carb foods on the list- or try the kitten food- that usually has the calories as they are little energy burners on four feet.

It takes a while, your Ninja seems to be a dry food junkie and is resistant. Good luck in the trials, don't get discouraged as there have been many before you.

 

[MelanieP and Ninja]

Thanks for the encouragement. I need it. Ninja is so addicted to dry, she needs to go to Hill's Science Diet rehab. I have actually taken to carving up Evo dry (less than 10% carbs and recommended as a transition food by Dr. Pierson) to make it look like Hills Science Diet dry (the only food Ninja will eat) and trying to smuggle it in alongside the Hills...without Ninja knowing. Do you have any idea how long it takes to carve up kibble into shapes? A long time!!! LOL! How crazy is that? So far, Ninja carefully eats around the Evo, leaving most in the bowl, though she may actually swallow a few in the process. I guess I have to "up my game" in carving skills. LOL!

But I am determined! The first day I added Evo, she wouldn't even go near the bowl -- so I guess we are making progress. Sigh.... I have another cat who was thrilled to be transitioned to an all wet diet. Why couldn't she be the diabetic one? But thanks for the encouragement. It is appreciated.

 

[Pumbaa]

I have actually taken to carving up Evo dry (less than 10% carbs and recommended as a transition food by Dr. Pierson) to make it look like Hills Science Diet dry (the only food Ninja will eat) and trying to smuggle it in alongside the Hills...without Ninja knowing. Do you have any idea how long it takes to carve up kibble into shapes? A long time!!! LOL! How crazy is that?

I laughed so hard at the above I cried. You certainly love Ninja, that is for sure! (((HUGS))) to you, Melanie, for doing all that you can to transition Ninja!

I was lucky that my cats already loved their wet food, so I don't have any good advice for you. I hope others who have gone through the same process can give you some pointers.

Suze

 

[hmjohnston]

Well, she can probably smell/taste the difference rather than note the shape with her mouth- could you try mixing them both into a container and shake them around a little to let them rub each others smell? I used to do that when changing bags, mix the old with the new and her tummy wasn't as upset with me.

I'm guessing the EVO is bigger- the shape doesn't matter but the size might. halve or quarter the EVO, shake and let sit together for a day or two (you sound like you have the time) and try the mixture when she's really hungry- like breakfast.

Others have used flori flori but Sneakers goes for the parmasen cheese.

 

[SHK]

I am so scared that Ninja’s numbers are running that high on a consistent basis and causing her body harm – yet I don’t want to rush the process either (staying with the “start low and go slow” philosophy). I know every cat is different, but would welcome hearing about the experience of those who had cats running high numbers for a period of time --- and what dose it took to get the numbers down – or did the BG just start to come down with more time at a stable dose, etc.

We could be twins - I have the same questions (except for the dry food). My EQ has had consistent high numbers since the diagnosis too. We're currently at 3u, and I just started to see a slight decrease in his numbers. He's in the mid-300s now, but I'm pretty sure we'll have to raise the dose again soon. I was also frightened after reading a lot on this board, and wanted to start low and go slow... but, every day his numbers don't come down, his poor little body is suffering. I'm afraid of other health issues that come with having glucose levels that high for such a long period of time.

While I can't speak to the experience of others, I do second the recommendation to check for ketones until you can transition her all the way to wet food. The ketostix or any other kind will help you monitor another important aspect of her health while you're waiting for her numbers to start getting lower. I know a lot of people here recommend a dose increase and to keep it stable for about 7 days before increasing again (because of hypo episodes, but I don't think EQ is in danger of that just yet), but this article helped ease my mind about raising EQ's dose (vet-recommended, not on my own) so many times in less than a month: http://www.tillydiabetes.net/en_6_protocol2.htm Particularly the part about increasing the dose here: "Hold each dose for 5-7 days. However, if the cat is producing continuously high BGs (nadir always >=300 mg/dl), only hold the dose for 2-3 days before increasing it by 0.5 IU. Alternatively, if the cat is continuously producing moderately elevated BGs (nadir always >=200 mg/dl), increase the dose every 2-3 days by 0.25 IU ( if the cat is getting a low dose) or 0.5 IU (if the cat is getting a higher dose). From this point onward test for ketones once per week, or more often if the nadirs are still >=200 mg/dl. Many cats will occasionally react to an increased dose with increased BGs - within the first 2 to 3 days after an increase, usually lasting for less than 24 hours. Nobody really knows what the reason for this phenomenon is (perhaps a "panicky liver"?) - hold the dose and ignore the fluctuations." You might want to share the link with your vet and see what she/he thinks about it. They may say it's time to raise the dose again.

Poor Ninja, I'm so sorry she's lost so much weight. Will she eat semi-mushy food? Do you think it might work to start to get her used to the texture by using her own dry food and wetting some of it down (but leaving some crunchy)? Does she seem to like the taste of the Evo? I had one cat who liked it and another who did not. I used to have a dry food addict that for some reason loved Spot's Stew (and that stuff is RUNNY!), but he ate around the peas. I later learned peas aren't necessary to a cat's diet, and thought it was funny he would leave them in the bowl. Have you tried any other wet foods from the list yet? Many people seem to have success with the Fancy Feast pate-style foods. Another thing that might help keep her weight up during the transition period is canned chicken? I'm not sure of the carb content in the juice, but the smell might entice her to eat more? I'm sure you feel better once she can start eating wet food only, but in the meantime, you don't have much of a choice but to feed her whatever she'll eat so she can keep the weight on. Good luck!

 

[MelanieP and Ninja]

Great, great idea... I will try mixing them in a container to mingle the smells. I didn't think about smells -- I was thinking it was the appearance Ninja was rejecting -- but you are probably right, it's the smell. Yes, the Evo is about twice the size of the Hills and smells really strong -- or rather, aromatic, kind of like freeze dried mouse, whereas Hills has almost no smell (equal to it's nutritional content). But since Ninja is "tolerating" the Evo in her bowl now, maybe it's time to blend the scents more. I will try anything at this point, and no, I don't really have the time for this (LOL!!) but since I'm getting up early to carve the Evo anyway, what the heck. Desperate times call for desperate measures. LOL!! Thanks again!!

Well, she can probably smell/taste the difference rather than note the shape with her mouth- could you try mixing them both into a container and shake them around a little to let them rub each others smell? I used to do that when changing bags, mix the old with the new and her tummy wasn't as upset with me.

I'm guessing the EVO is bigger- the shape doesn't matter but the size might. halve or quarter the EVO, shake and let sit together for a day or two (you sound like you have the time) and try the mixture when she's really hungry- like breakfast.

Others have used flori flori but Sneakers goes for the parmasen cheese.

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

I understand the problem of transitioning. Maui was always a dry food girl and never showed any interest in the wet food. I had to teach her to eat it and I spoon fed her. It was a huge mess and took a couple weeks of my constantly spoon feeding her and making her eat, until one day, she licked the spoon. That was the turning point, from that moment on, she eats wet food on her own.

For the longest time, she did keep going to the feeding area, looking for her kibbles. And once I got her eating wet, my other one, decided she no longer liked it and refused to eat unless she got kibbles.

ohmygod_smile

I do have an idea for your dry food addict that may sound a bit odd, but if you are willing to try anything, this may be your solution and salvation.

There is a raw food product that is freeze dried (so it doesn't need to be in the fridge and can sit out all day like kibble - it's by Stella & Chewy's:

http://www.petfooddirect.com/Product/50 ... -for-Cats-


And yes, it's pricey, but it is diabetic friendly, which is what is important. This new product seems to satisfy the "kibble crunch" need my girls have. And the good part, like I mentioned it's diabetic friendly. Here are the ingredients:

Chicken (Ground with Bone), Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, Pumpkin Seed, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate Monobasic, Choline Chloride, Dried Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Taurine, Tocopherols (Preservative), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement.


Now, I have no idea how many carbs it actually is, but reading the ingredients and it's got to be within range. This food is intended to be re-hydrated by adding water, my girls don't like it that way and prefer it dry.

So, I have a bowl of this out at all times and it supplements that wet food, which is also always out and available.

What do you think, maybe get a bag and give it a try? And in the meantime, you can continue trying to get her to eat wet food.

 

[MelanieP and Ninja]

This is very helpful and I will show it to my vet. I was concerned about raising the dose so quickly and was trying to stay on the 7 day schedule; but Ninja's nadir readings aren't even close to being below 300. Today's was 429, but interestingly, her pre-shot numbers have not been much higher, maybe 450 to 475, so they are very high but not showing much of a curve. It that true of your kitty too? Like you, I am so scared to allow Ninja to continue at these high numbers, yet afraid to go too fast, and keep reminding myself to "start low and go slow." It's hard to know what to do and how much damage is being done to Ninja in the meantime.

No, unfortunately Ninja doesn't like semi-mushy food, chicken, any wet food, treats or anything else a normal cat would eat. But I did get an interesting tip from hmjohnston below about mingling the smells of her food -- that is might be more about smell than appearance in trying to transition her.

How is EQ doing on the 3 units? How is his urination and water consumption? Does he appear to be feeling better on the higher dosage??

I am so scared that Ninja’s numbers are running that high on a consistent basis and causing her body harm – yet I don’t want to rush the process either (staying with the “start low and go slow” philosophy). I know every cat is different, but would welcome hearing about the experience of those who had cats running high numbers for a period of time --- and what dose it took to get the numbers down – or did the BG just start to come down with more time at a stable dose, etc.

We could be twins - I have the same questions (except for the dry food). My EQ has had consistent high numbers since the diagnosis too. We're currently at 3u, and I just started to see a slight decrease in his numbers. He's in the mid-300s now, but I'm pretty sure we'll have to raise the dose again soon. I was also frightened after reading a lot on this board, and wanted to start low and go slow... but, every day his numbers don't come down, his poor little body is suffering. I'm afraid of other health issues that come with having glucose levels that high for such a long period of time.

While I can't speak to the experience of others, I do second the recommendation to check for ketones until you can transition her all the way to wet food. The ketostix or any other kind will help you monitor another important aspect of her health while you're waiting for her numbers to start getting lower. I know a lot of people here recommend a dose increase and to keep it stable for about 7 days before increasing again (because of hypo episodes, but I don't think EQ is in danger of that just yet), but this article helped ease my mind about raising EQ's dose (vet-recommended, not on my own) so many times in less than a month: http://www.tillydiabetes.net/en_6_protocol2.htm Particularly the part about increasing the dose here: "Hold each dose for 5-7 days. However, if the cat is producing continuously high BGs (nadir always >=300 mg/dl), only hold the dose for 2-3 days before increasing it by 0.5 IU. Alternatively, if the cat is continuously producing moderately elevated BGs (nadir always >=200 mg/dl), increase the dose every 2-3 days by 0.25 IU ( if the cat is getting a low dose) or 0.5 IU (if the cat is getting a higher dose). From this point onward test for ketones once per week, or more often if the nadirs are still >=200 mg/dl. Many cats will occasionally react to an increased dose with increased BGs - within the first 2 to 3 days after an increase, usually lasting for less than 24 hours. Nobody really knows what the reason for this phenomenon is (perhaps a "panicky liver"?) - hold the dose and ignore the fluctuations." You might want to share the link with your vet and see what she/he thinks about it. They may say it's time to raise the dose again.

Poor Ninja, I'm so sorry she's lost so much weight. Will she eat semi-mushy food? Do you think it might work to start to get her used to the texture by using her own dry food and wetting some of it down (but leaving some crunchy)? Does she seem to like the taste of the Evo? I had one cat who liked it and another who did not. I used to have a dry food addict that for some reason loved Spot's Stew (and that stuff is RUNNY!), but he ate around the peas. I later learned peas aren't necessary to a cat's diet, and thought it was funny he would leave them in the bowl. Have you tried any other wet foods from the list yet? Many people seem to have success with the Fancy Feast pate-style foods. Another thing that might help keep her weight up during the transition period is canned chicken? I'm not sure of the carb content in the juice, but the smell might entice her to eat more? I'm sure you feel better once she can start eating wet food only, but in the meantime, you don't have much of a choice but to feed her whatever she'll eat so she can keep the weight on. Good luck!

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

What may be happening is a combination of things. First as you already know, dry food is high in carbs and contributing to your high readings. You also may have missed your optimal dose because you were increasing the insulin to combat the carbs in the dry food. There is a condition called Somogyi rebound that causes the glucose levels to increase when too much insulin is given. In order to protect itself from becoming hypoglycemic when too much insulin is given, the cat's body produces extra glucose to keep the levels from dropping too low. This can go on for a while, but eventually your cat could become hypoglycemic, which could be deadly.

Transitioning to wet food can be difficult in some cats and we understand that. However, as you are lowering the carbs in Ninja's food, you also need to lower your insulin dosage. This is critical that with the current dose, you do this. Otherwise, Ninja's BG levels could drop too low. This includes even switching to a lower carb dry food such as the Evo.

One trick that is successful for many is to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the food you are trying to switch too. Many cats seem to love parmesan cheese. :mrgreen: You could also start mixing a small amount of canned food with the dry and gradually increase the canned & decrease the dry in the mixture. With one of my cats, I had to sprinkle a few pieces of dry food on top of the canned food before she would eat it. I still have to do that when she is picky about her food and keep some dry kitten chow around just for that reason.

 

[MelanieP and Ninja]

Thanks for the info. I am relatively new at this (less than a month) and this is such a complex issue to comprehend. Do you know how long it would take for the Somogyi rebound to clear, if that is what is contributing to Ninja's high numbers? That is, if Ninja is still consistently in the 400's next week (7 days after her last dosage increase), can we assume that the Somogyi is not in play or might it take longer than that to determine? Of course, I will monitor her closely just to be sure. So, would a reasonable course of action this week be to closely monitor Ninja for hypoglycemic readings; and next week if her numbers remain consistently high, talk with my vet about whether we should increase her dosage further (depending on how successful I have been with the food transition -- since her food is influencing her numbers to a large degree)?

I certainly understand your warning about the balance between the food transition and insulin levels - that as I move from Hills to Evo, her insulin needs will need to be rebalanced as well. That's what makes this all so complex.

The parmesan cheese trick did not work for me (unfortunately), but thanks for the suggestion. My other, non-diabetic, cat loves it though as well as any wet food you put in front of her (go figure...LOL!). Thanks for telling me about this Somogyi thing. I will read up on it to educate myself more.

What may be happening is a combination of things. First as you already know, dry food is high in carbs and contributing to your high readings. You also may have missed your optimal dose because you were increasing the insulin to combat the carbs in the dry food. There is a condition called Somogyi rebound that causes the glucose levels to increase when too much insulin is given. In order to protect itself from becoming hypoglycemic when too much insulin is given, the cat's body produces extra glucose to keep the levels from dropping too low. This can go on for a while, but eventually your cat could become hypoglycemic, which could be deadly.

Transitioning to wet food can be difficult in some cats and we understand that. However, as you are lowering the carbs in Ninja's food, you also need to lower your insulin dosage. This is critical that with the current dose, you do this. Otherwise, Ninja's BG levels could drop too low. This includes even switching to a lower carb dry food such as the Evo.

One trick that is successful for many is to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the food you are trying to switch too. Many cats seem to love parmesan cheese. :mrgreen: You could also start mixing a small amount of canned food with the dry and gradually increase the canned & decrease the dry in the mixture. With one of my cats, I had to sprinkle a few pieces of dry food on top of the canned food before she would eat it. I still have to do that when she is picky about her food and keep some dry kitten chow around just for that reason.

 

[SHK]

What a stinker. Of course she doesn't like parmesan cheese. She's gonna like what ONLY she likes and you can't tell her any different! :lol:

How is EQ doing on the 3 units? How is his urination and water consumption? Does he appear to be feeling better on the higher dosage??

Well, not so great. We increased to 3u 6 days ago. His numbers slowly dropped from the high 300s to the mid 300s earlier in the week. One thing that scares me is that my vet's meter registered over 50 pts higher than mine when we tested together on the same drop of blood, so he really could be in the 400s. Last night, this morning, and mid-day today, his numbers increased to high 300s again. His urination hasn't decreased at all - he's still peeing tons. His drinking seemed to decrease a little with the new dose, but it's increased again the last two days. He looks like he feels crummy, and I don't blame him. He's such a sweetie, even feeling like he does - I'm home from work today with a bad migraine and he kept coming up to sniff my nose and sit on my chest while I was laying down waiting for my meds to work.

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

Have you tried the Wellness 'CORE' dry? KT is a HUGE hard food addict but luckily loves the EVO dry. Even with the low carb content tho', he still only gets about a scant 1/4 cup at the most or he spikes. He didn't like the CORE but if Ninja doesn't like EVO, maybe he'll like that instead. Most of the time I can get away with just wet food but every few days, KT does a demanding 'hard food' chant and dance....I try a few pieces on top of his wet first but sometimes, I have to just give him a bit of the EVO.

GOOD LUCK and BIG HUG!

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Good morning. Somogyi rebound can last for several weeks and with every cat it is different. However, you do not want Ninja to become hypoglycemic just to see if that is what is going on. Both conditions can have serious problems. With hypoglycemia, you risk your cat's BG levels dropping dangerously low and this could lead to a coma, permanent brain injury or even death. With Somogyi, the BG readings are very high and Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) could occur and this is also very dangerous for a cat.

As you may have realized, Ninja's diabetes is not regulated. Regulation happens when there is the right combination of a low carb diet and the proper insulin dose. Right now, the carbs in the dry food is contributing to the high BG levels. You cannot fight these carbs by increasing insulin. It does not work that way. But, you also cannot lower the carbs without lowering the insulin dose also. That could be dangerous and cause hypoglycemia.

I don't know if you have read this, but here are some great suggestions for transitioning to wet food. It takes work and patience, but can be done. With my last "convert", it took over 2 months, but now she loves canned food. http://felinediabetes.com/TipsforTransitioningPDF12-18-09.pdf

Feline diabetes is not something that can be quickly "fixed". It takes the right combination of diet and most often, insulin. You are doing a great job so far even though you may not feel that way. And a lot of times, there is a lot of tweaking along the way. ECID (every cat is different) and every day is different. But is is not a difficult disease to manage once you develop your routine and figure out what works best for your cat.

 

[Cindy & Pets]

I hear you on switching. I just switched my civvie to all-canned and she is STUBBORN. I couldn't use the parmesan trick because even cat milk gasses her up and makes her stomach hate the world, even if she loves it. If Ninja has a human food that she absolutely can't resist, then it might be good to use that and it might over power the smell of the canned food. Because it might not be the texture of the canned food(I know that wasn't the case for Christmas), but the smell that's putting her off.

In regards to your numbers, I don't use the insulin(though I REALLY should), but I was having the exact same problems, and every time I increased the dose, the nadir would go up higher. But then the vet had me go down half a unit again and everything seemed to be getting closer to normal. So that definitely might be what's going on.

 

[MelanieP and Ninja]

I did not know that you couldn't fight the carbs by increasing insulin -- so thank you for that info. The transitioning to lower carb dry (Evo 10% carb) -- as an interim step to getting Ninja to eat wet food -- is going better. A couple of folks on this forum mentioned that the smell of the Evo may be what Ninja is avoiding, and suggested smashing up the Evo a little and intermingling the smells of the Evo and her higher carb Hills dry. I did that today and it seems to have worked (so far!!!). At least Ninja is not able to "avoid" the Evo pieces by smell -- as it is crushed up in with her higher carb Hills - so she is actually eating it. Now (hopefully) it is just a matter of incorporating more Evo and less Hills each day; and in time Voila.... Yes, thanks I did read the article about transitioning cats from dry. That is where I got the idea to do the interim step -- transitioning from Hills high carb dry to Evo low carb dry; and then on to wet food as a 2nd step.

Thank you for your input on the Somogyi and also the encouragement on transitioning to wet food. I get discouraged thinking it is taking so long to do this, and that I am giving Ninja (in effect) poison every day by continuing to feed her the high carb Hills -- so it is good to hear that it took someone else a couple of months to transition, and that they were ultimately successful. I really do believe Ninja will like wet food, once she gets over her aversion to eating anything other than Hill's Science Dry, Original Formula. How boring for her to have lived her whole life eating just that one thing, that one flavor. Thanks to everyone who has given me tips! I'll get there, if it takes me one piece of kibble at a time!

Good morning. Somogyi rebound can last for several weeks and with every cat it is different. However, you do not want Ninja to become hypoglycemic just to see if that is what is going on. Both conditions can have serious problems. With hypoglycemia, you risk your cat's BG levels dropping dangerously low and this could lead to a coma, permanent brain injury or even death. With Somogyi, the BG readings are very high and Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) could occur and this is also very dangerous for a cat.

As you may have realized, Ninja's diabetes is not regulated. Regulation happens when there is the right combination of a low carb diet and the proper insulin dose. Right now, the carbs in the dry food is contributing to the high BG levels. You cannot fight these carbs by increasing insulin. It does not work that way. But, you also cannot lower the carbs without lowering the insulin dose also. That could be dangerous and cause hypoglycemia.

I don't know if you have read this, but here are some great suggestions for transitioning to wet food. It takes work and patience, but can be done. With my last "convert", it took over 2 months, but now she loves canned food. http://felinediabetes.com/TipsforTransitioningPDF12-18-09.pdf

Feline diabetes is not something that can be quickly "fixed". It takes the right combination of diet and most often, insulin. You are doing a great job so far even though you may not feel that way. And a lot of times, there is a lot of tweaking along the way. ECID (every cat is different) and every day is different. But is is not a difficult disease to manage once you develop your routine and figure out what works best for your cat.