Diagnosed today- overwhelmed with info!!

[T & Milo]

Hi!
My cat Milo he is 8, just got diagnosed with diabetes today and there is so much information on the internet that it is overwhelming so am going to ask my questions to you knowledgeable people!
- What is a "normal" bloodsugar reading?? His was @ 436 mg/dl which I know this number is extremely high, just never got told what my target number is.
-My vet is very supportive of me to do in home reading, but am still lost as to when I test, what it's suppose to read, and what to do if numbers are off ( to low).
- From my research on here I think am going to get a Relion from Walmart. Is there a model that works better then another. I know from reading on here that it's in human numbers but what is a good number for a cat? How do I find this out? Can I draw from the vein on his leg, if I keep it shaved?
- My vet is working on getting me dry food from RoyalCain Glyocuose but from reading on here wet food is the only way to go. Can I feed a can of wet food in the morning and give dry at night?(Milo thinks he is going perish if he sees the bottom of his bowl and he reminds us quite often about it at night)
- I don't have the insulin for him yet, vet is working on finding one with the lowest cost and going through one of the pharmacy here, has anyone found a cheaper place to purchase online. If my vet gets him started on an insulin and I found another/ lower price online can I change?
- I know this is going to be a completely selfish question but my days are about to become very long and my husband and I won't be home very much during the spring/ summer at "normal" times either. Pretty much we are going to be gone from dark to close to dark soon, how does everyone adjust and what happens if we both have to be gone for work or for family events for a 2-3 day window?
I am sorry for all these questions. I am just completely lost/confused, I have never had to deal with diabetes before and it's just very new to me. Thanks for taking the time to read!

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Welcome T and Milo! I'm a newer member too so I can't answer all of your questions. I believe the ReliOn Micro is preferred because it takes tiny sample like pet meter. Majority of people use kitty's ear for blood testing area. I don't think the leg is an acceptable location. Other spot is paw but my initial thought was that those are in litter.

I give half a can of wet food for his breakfast and dinner meals. I do still leave 1\4cup of his purina DM food (still pretty high in carbs but planning to switch). I'm still figuring out Maury's food plan.

As far as testing, the minimum is twice a day. Referred to as AMPS and PMPS (morning and evening preshot) to make sure it's safe to give insulin shot.

I'm sure a more experienced member will fill in and better elaborate than I have. This is an amazing group ^_^

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Welcome! We know how overwhelming it is - we've all been in your shoes. There's a lot to learn and there are some adjustments you'll need to make in your routine but it's all possible.

What is a "normal" bloodsugar reading?? His was @ 436 mg/dl which I know this number is extremely high, just never got told what my target number is.

Good numbers will fall into a range of about 90 to 150 approximately.

but am still lost as to when I test, what it's suppose to read, and what to do if numbers are off ( to low).

The protocol for testing that we recommend is:

• AM and PM before feeding and injecting insulin (no food at least 2 hours before these tests)
• one other test either near mid day or just before bed.

There will be times when you need to test more than this but that is the minimum routine. When you are giving insulin, the blood glucose will be higher at AM, drop slowly to the lowest value around mid day and rise again to a high value at PM when the insulin wears off. The important thing is to have a blood glucose no lower than 50 on a human meter around the middle of the day or night when insulin action is at its maximum. Below 50 is a hypoglycemic state and it can be life threatening.

a Relion from Walmart. Is there a model that works better then another.

Many people here use these. Buy one that needs the smallest drop of blood on the test strip. Ask the pharmacist for info. Over time you'll learn what numbers on a human meter are too high, too low or ideal. We can help you with that once you start testing.

Can I draw from the vein on his leg, if I keep it shaved?

We get a blood drop for testing by poking the outer edge of the ear near the tip. No blood needs to be drawn from a vein. We have tips on how to do poking successfully.

My vet is working on getting me dry food from RoyalCain Glyocuose but from reading on here wet food is the only way to go.

Yes, low carb wet food is strongly recommended. Even prescription dry food sold for diabetics is too high in carbs. There's no need to buy prescription food - many of us feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pate types from the grocery store (no sauce/gravy versions - carb heavy).

I don't have the insulin for him yet, vet is working on finding one with the lowest cost and going through one of the pharmacy here, has anyone found a cheaper place to purchase online. If my vet gets him started on an insulin and I found another/ lower price online can I change?

There are different insulin you can use and they vary in cost and how they work. The cheapest are faster acting types that don't last a full 12 hours (Novolin, Vetsulin). The slower acting, longer lasting types include ProZinc, Lantus and Levemir. They're all expensive but tend to be better for most cats. Cats metabolize insulin very quickly so they need to be injected twice a day 12 hours apart to have 24 hour control of blood glucose.

another/ lower price online can I change?

Changing insulin repeatedly isn't advised. It can take weeks before you see whether one is working well in your cat. There are also precautions you have to take going from one to another because of the different modes of action. It isn't like switching from Advil to Tylenol for a headache.

how does everyone adjust

If you can be available at dose times 12 hours apart you can make this work. There's a bit more time flexibility with Novolin, Vetsulin and Prozinc than with Lantus or Levemir. We can help you work it out when the time comes.

I am just completely lost/confused,

Take some time to go to the main list of forums, go into each in turn and have a look at where all the info "Stickies" are. Then, read the most basic ones - eg. how to use the FDMB forums - first. Take it a bit at a time because there's a LOT to absorb. Post any questions you have on this forum.

 

[T & Milo]

Thank you guys for all the info! I just got back from the vets and the insulin that I have is Lantus she said that I needed to do 2 units once a day.
So do I still take his glucose reading in the morning and then couple hrs before he eats at night?
I should be receiving the glucose monitor tomorrow, I got the relion mirco from Walmart what is the range that is an okay glucose reading with this monitor?

Thanks again for all your help!!

 

[Nan & Amber (GA)]

"Normal" BG for a diabetic cat on a human meter is roughly 50-120. We usually suggest that newbies don't give an insulin shot if the number is less than 200-- post here for help if you get a low reading.

What I'm most concerned about, though, is the recommendation of a single shot per day. Cat metabolisms are very fast; there is no insulin, not even lantus, that lasts 24hrs, the best you can do is 12. If you only shoot once a day, you won't get coverage on over half the day. Most vets would recommend 1U twice per day, not 2U once.

 

[Just-As-Appy]

I hope that your vet meant 1 unit twice a day. It would be very difficult to gain any semblance of control over blood glucose with a once a day shot.

The other point I wanted to mention is that no matter how much your cat eats, his body is not able to use the food without insulin. Until his bg is in the normal range, most people suggest feeding as much wet as he wants. You can gradually mix in a little and a little more water so that he feels fuller when he eats. As his bg begins to return to the normal range with insulin, his appetite will decrease. Several small meals per day (and night) works best for diabetic kitties, and wet food is far better than dry. Any of the pate type foods are good - Fancy Feast, Whiskas, or Friskies.

 

[Nan & Amber (GA)]

Since we're talking food, Kris said this, but we like to keep the 2hrs pre-shot free of food so that the test just before the shot gives a number that isn't influenced by food. So the order is, (2hrs no food), then test-feed-shoot in the space of 10-15 mins. Unless, like I said above, the test is low, in which case stall on feeding and shooting until you get some advice and/or another number that is higher.

Other than that, as Just-As-Appy says, don't restrict food too much-- if Milo is hungry, go ahead and let him eat, this isn't the time for a diet even if he's overweight.

 

[T & Milo]

Little update: So we have been listening to the vets recommendation of giving the insulin once a day 2u. But before we did that we wanted to see how the BG would fluctuate with different diet for a few days. So I got my monitor on Thursday the 23rd that night we did a reading and it showed 224 was the reading ( insulin was not given) 2/24- we tested again and it was 246 no insulin was given again. 2/25- BG was 267 we gave 2u to him and watched him, he seemed to feel at little better. 2/26- BG @246 but about an hr after giving him the insulin he didn't look like he was feeling very well, so we tested him again and it was at 285. For lunch I was able to go home and it looked like he was feeling really good (pupils were not dilated and he wasn't looking lethargic or sleepy) . He is now just getting one can of wet food a day, but I am leaving some dry out ( just enough to cover the bottom of his bowl) so that he can eat a little throughout the day.So my questions are:
- How long after we give the insulin should it be taking affect?
- Do I need to give it more then a couple days to work?
- Should we switch to twice a day 1u?
- Could this not be diabetes?
- Do any of the cats have red rimmed eyes?

Thanks again!

 

[Nan & Amber (GA)]

Are you home now? Can you get a BG reading?

Lantus takes a few hours to take effect, and generally sees peak activity between hours 5-7. It has usually worn off by hours 11-12-- this is why most people recommend the twice-per-day shot schedule, you just can't get a long enough duration on one shot.

The reason I'm asking you to get a BG reading is that 2U is a pretty big dose for a cat who is currently hanging out in the 200's, and I think you need some data about how low the dose is taking him in the middle of the day-- it could very well be taking him too low.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

How long after we give the insulin should it be taking affect?

What insulin are you using? Insulin begins to work as soon as you give it but the effects don't start to show as lower BG numbers until 2 to 4 hours after a dose, depending on the type of insulin. That's called the "onset".
ETA: I see that you're using Lantus.

Do I need to give it more then a couple days to work?

All cats need an adjustment period once they start receiving insulin injections. It takes a while for the body to get used to it and the BG can be erratic. You can't judge the efficacy of the insulin after only a few days. It can take weeks to see how your kitty will do on a particular insulin. The dose will also need to be adjusted over time. It's NOT a "set and forget" treatment.

Should we switch to twice a day 1u?

Twice a day dosing is standard for cats because they metabolize insulin very quickly. After 12 hours there's not much left so the BG can rise unhindered.

Could this not be diabetes?

If your kitty showed symptoms including some or all of: thirst, hunger, excessive urination, high BGs then diabetes is very likely. The BG measurements you obtained in the 200s definitely point to diabetes. A non-diabetic cat would have much lower numbers.

Do any of the cats have red rimmed eyes?

Diabetes can cause dehydration (excessive water loss to rid the body of glucose) so it's not unreasonable to think that dry eyes might be part of that. Dry eyes could be irritated and inflamed.