Consistent high blood sugar

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tll222

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My 12 year old cat Toby was diagnosed with diabetes in July. We were able to get his blood sugar to a normal level within about 2 weeks. Since then though, his blood sugar jumped to the 400's and has been in the 300-400's since then. He is fed 1/2 can of prescription food in the morning and 1/2 can at night. He receives his insulin in the morning. He is ALWAYS hungry and cries persistently if you go near the kitchen hoping to get fed. I think my vet is at a loss and doesn't know what to think. I'm hoping for some suggestions. Thank you for any help anyone can give.
 
tll222 said:
He receives his insulin in the morning.
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Which type of insulin is Toby on? And which prescription food (brand/formula/ wet or dry)?
Please let us know.
Generally speaking, folks here find that once-a-day dosing is not very effective (with most insulins, dosing is twice daily).*

*Even an ultra long-acting depot-insulin, such as Lantus, generally lasts not much longer than 12 hours - so dosing once/day means your cat basically has no insulin in his body for about half the 24-hour day. (So is not too helpful in keeping a cat's diabetes well-regulated.)
 
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Robin&BB said:
Which type of insulin is Toby on? And which prescription food (brand/formula/ wet or dry)?
Please let us know.
Generally speaking, folks here find that once-a-day dosing is not very effective (with most insulins, dosing is twice daily).
Click to expand...

He is on Prescription Diet digestive weight management w/d canned wet food, 5.5 oz can, 1/2 in morning, 1/2 in evening. Insulin is ProZinc, 5 units. If given twice a day, would you give 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the evening? Thanks for your response.
 
tll222 said:
Insulin is ProZinc, 5 units. If given twice a day, would you give 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the evening? Thanks for your response.
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I'm sorry, I can't possibly tell you what dose might be appropriate at this time, as there are so many variables to consider; also, we need a considerable amount of data (i.e. blood glucose test #s, taken prior to the dose and at mid-cycle - where your cat hits his low point/ nadir - after an injection of insulin; we'd need to see what his patterns are for several days at minimum).

Some other factors to consider & report back to us:

- How often do you test Toby's blood glucose at home? (If you're not already home testing, it will be very hard to get him regulated and keep him well-regulated - especially as a cat's blood glucose #s can spike much higher during a vet clinic visit than they would at home where he's more relaxed. So this can result in your cat being on the wrong amount of insulin.)
- Any additional health problems/ diseases your kitty has now/has been known to have in the past?
- What is Toby's weight now? And is he considered overweight/underweight/ideal weight for his size & skeletal frame?
- Is yours a multi-cat/multi-pet household? Any chance Toby gets into any other food when you're not looking?
- Has he ever had his teeth checked/ cleaned? (As undiagnosed bad teeth/gingivitis can also spike blood glucose #s.)
- Does Toby go outdoors alone, where he can "supplement" his diet on his own by catching and eating mice?

If the prescription diet canned you're referring to is Hill's w/d canned; I'm sorry to tell you that at 25% carbs, that's too high for a diabetic cat. (This is assuming that your cat has no additional health problems that might require he have more carbs. Otherwise, it is not recommended that diabetic cats be fed canned food that is in excess of 10% carbs.)

P.S Am not trying to overwhelm you with the above; only letting you know that there are many factors that influence both blood glucose levels and dosing adjustments.
 
tll222 said:
My 12 year old cat Toby was diagnosed with diabetes in July. We were able to get his blood sugar to a normal level within about 2 weeks. Since then though, his blood sugar jumped to the 400's and has been in the 300-400's since then. He is fed 1/2 can of prescription food in the morning and 1/2 can at night. He receives his insulin in the morning. He is ALWAYS hungry and cries persistently if you go near the kitchen hoping to get fed. I think my vet is at a loss and doesn't know what to think. I'm hoping for some suggestions. Thank you for any help anyone can give.
Click to expand...

Hello there! Just wanted to mention something to consider...

My kitty was recently on w/d and I was feeding 1/2 can in the morning and 1/2 can in the evening, just like you. That is only 127 calories.

Based on the formula to calculate calorie intake, my cat who is 13 pounds (and does not need to loose weight) should be eating 245 calories. The formula: [weight in lbs X 13.5] + 70

I'm no an expert and I could be way off, but your question made me think maybe there is a connection between low calorie intake and a somogyi effect? Clearly BG is off but could the hunger be from low calorie intake?

You might find something helpful in this thread > http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/diet-prescription-vs-otc-vs-raw.145101/

My cat is now on Fancy Feast Classics wet food w/ 1tbs pumpkin and he is doing very well.

Good Luck!
 
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