Do I stop injections after hypo

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Cherryc0la

Cherryc0la

Member Since 2015
Hi all,

So happy to find this forum, my cat was diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago and am always looking for advice and help.

Tonight I am pretty sure my cat had a hypo. I came home from work about 7pm and he didn't coming running to the door as usual, this is really unusual for him so I went to find him straight away. I found him sleeping on my bed but he didn't even react to me when I stroked him. He opened his eyes but didn't get up or look at me.

This is nothing like him he is a complete attention w***e so this is completely out of character. So I called my husband in and we bothered him til he stood up, however this was scarier as he started walking round the bed looking everywhere like he couldn't see, or he didn't recognize anything and seemed totally confused. My husband carried him to lounge and put him on floor and he did more or less the same and even bumped into coffee table.

I grabbed some honey straight away and got my hubby to hold him while I rubbed some on his gums, we then waited and he walked around seemingly more normal. I then gave him a load of dreamies which he loves and he hoovered up like he was starving, then a big plate of roast chicken. He is now resting on the bed again but has been up for some water, he is quite sluggish though.

On Monday I thought he might have had a hypo also as again he didnt come to the door, that time I found him on balcony sunbathing but he wasn't reacting to me again, however there wasn't any other strange behavior other than he was walking quite slowly, that time I put some honey on his paw for him to kick off which he did, then by 11pm he was completely normal so I gave him his nighttime injection (he gets 1every 12 hrs at 11am and 11pm).

Tonight however it seemed much more serious and he is not back to normal so I am too scared to give him his injection tonight.

Can anyone give any advice? I do not home test as my vet advised it was ok as he struggles with this and it's better he hates the vet for it. I will call them and take him tomorrow, but it am looking to see if anyone has had an experience like this, was it a hypo? Am I right to leave tonight's injection? Any advice on monitoring him at night? I keep going and standing him up to make sure he can but don't want to keep bothering him if I don't have to.

Thanks in advance!!
 
Without knowing his glucose level, or any of the softer signs in my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools, the best thing to do is not shoot until the vet can examine him.

Please pick up some KetoDiaStix and get a urine test for both ketones and glucose. Plastic wrap crumpled along the outer edge of the litter box is good for catching some droplets.

Measure the water consumption daily or every 12 hours.

Check dehydration levels with the described scruff and gum tests.

Review the litter box for number and size of deposits (ex small and frequent could be infection; swamping the box is lack of glucose control or renal disease.)
 
@BJM while she is picking up some KetoDiaStix, would you recommend that she get a meter and test, despite the vet telling her it was ok not to test? I would definitely want to know where is numbers are at, if he was my kitty.
 
Thanks for replying. Sorry unfortunately we don't have most of the monitoring tools info. Urine testing and consumption testing etc isn't really possible as we have three cats who share everything. For tonight I will leave his shot for tonight and take him to vet first thing. I can see his hydration is fine, and food and water consumption appears normal.

Appreciate you replying so quickly.
 
Shiloh & Rhonda said:
@BJM while she is picking up some KetoDiaStix, would you recommend that she get a meter and test, despite the vet telling her it was ok not to test? I would definitely want to know where is numbers are at, if he was my kitty.
Click to expand...
This has been a wake up call to be honest, I think she said what I wanted to hear and I accepted it as it was easier for me. He has been doing so well, since starting his meds he put all his weight back on and got his character back, it was all so positive I took it for granted he was just ok with taking the dangers seriously enough.
 
The urine testing has to be done with a fresh sample. The best time to try is in the 20 minutes or so right after eating, when many cats eliminate. A pair of long tongs will hold the test strip in the urine stream. (Oh, the things we do for our cats!!!)

Even though you aren't blood testing yet, would you start up a tracking grid and make notes in the right hand column on your observations using any possible Secondary Monitoring Tools?

It will help us give you better feedback. Instructions are here.

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid (once you're blood testing, this will make more sense!):

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning, pre-shot, test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening, pre-shot, test)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

The nadir is the lowest glucose between shots. There is a general period when it will happen which is specific to the insulin being used and testing then helps make sure your cat doesn't go too low.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.
 
BJM said:
The urine testing has to be done with a fresh sample. The best time to try is in the 20 minutes or so right after eating, when many cats eliminate. A pair of long tongs will hold the test strip in the urine stream. (Oh, the things we do for our cats!!!)

Even though you aren't blood testing yet, would you start up a tracking grid and make notes in the right hand column on your observations using any possible Secondary Monitoring Tools?

It will help us give you better feedback. Instructions are here.

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid (once you're blood testing, this will make more sense!):

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning, pre-shot, test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening, pre-shot, test)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

The nadir is the lowest glucose between shots. There is a general period when it will happen which is specific to the insulin being used and testing then helps make sure your cat doesn't go too low.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for this I will be starting this and keeping a closer eye on things (at least certainly where I can)! I love my cats more than the husband :) want to do what is best.
 
Although you have 3 cats, changes in the amount of drunk will happen when one is a diabetic. It just takes some diligent measuring.
What are you feeding them? There may be some options that will help all of them to be healthier - see Cat Info, written by a vet, for more details.
 
When I first started here and people were telling me to test China's urine (and China's a very private kitty) all I could do was picture myself hiding behind a doorjam until just the right moment and then having a VERY long stick (I'm talking 10-12') with a soup ladle attached to the end and trying to very carefully move it "into position"

I laughed til I cried
icon_lol.gif
 
Chris & China said:
When I first started here and people were telling me to test China's urine (and China's a very private kitty) all I could do was picture myself hiding behind a doorjam until just the right moment and then having a VERY long stick (I'm talking 10-12') with a soup ladle attached to the end and trying to very carefully move it "into position"

Lol that's quite an image!! I'll try the same :) so in total how many hrs did you lay in wait with your ladle??? Hehe

I'm more concerned the youngest will come along and poop on him while he's having a pee! There is no privacy in our house for the cats or us!
Click to expand...
 
Laura, I'm going to repost this here for you so you can be getting your kitty ready

Here's something I wrote up for another person that's helped others....hopefully it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
 
Chris & China said:
When I first started here and people were telling me to test China's urine (and China's a very private kitty) all I could do was picture myself hiding behind a doorjam until just the right moment and then having a VERY long stick (I'm talking 10-12') with a soup ladle attached to the end and trying to very carefully move it "into position"
Click to expand...
I have to literally stalk Squallie (he is also very private about his LB habits) then sneak up on him once he starts going (gotta time that one exactly right-he's got to be going long enough that he can't stop but short enough that there's still something to test), then reach between his hind legs and wave the stick around like mad, hoping it will catch some urine! He always turns and looks over his shoulder at me in absolute shock and horror, lol! As you can imagine this can turn into a very long and tiring process, and if anyone saw me going through these antics they would undoubtedly come to the conclusion that I was a raving lunatic and a menace to society! Now, if that mental picture won't brighten your day, nothing will, lol. :):):)
 
BJM said:
Although you have 3 cats, changes in the amount of drunk will happen when one is a diabetic. It just takes some diligent measuring.
What are you feeding them? There may be some options that will help all of them to be healthier - see Cat Info, written by a vet, for more details.
Click to expand...
When he was first diagnosed it was because I noticed excessive drinking as well as the weight loss he had, was constantly filling his water. The urine output is harder as their litter is kept in utility room so not as noticeable, the litter we use was very good at hiding a lot of wee. Our biggest problem is good, he hates and won't go near wet food (of the cat kind, because he loves human food). We changed his dry food to a diabetic one we got from the vet. All the cats are now eating this in place of our old dry food. The strange thing about him has always been that he appears to eat rarely but has always been big ( very long and muscley not just fat) he is currently weighing in at his pre diabetes weight of 6kg. He did eat a lot before we started him on the treatment (another change I noticed before) he acted like he was always starving and would cry and moan for our food jumping up to the table and getting annoyed when told off. His appetite went back to normal and remains ok. Now we no longer give him treats other than with his shot so he doesn't eat excessively.
 
T
Chris & China said:
Laura, I'm going to repost this here for you so you can be getting your kitty ready

Here's something I wrote up for another person that's helped others....hopefully it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
Click to expand...
Thanks, great advice. I'm going to start this right away. He loves attention and is constantly happy to be touched so in that sense I can pull him and poke him all I want. He is smart though and won't be tricked, it's all on his terms so fingers crossed!
 
Squalliesmom said:
I have to literally stalk Squallie (he is also very private about his LB habits) then sneak up on him once he starts going (gotta time that one exactly right-he's got to be going long enough that he can't stop but short enough that there's still something to test), then reach between his hind legs and wave the stick around like mad, hoping it will catch some urine! He always turns and looks over his shoulder at me in absolute shock and horror, lol! As you can imagine this can turn into a very long and tiring process, and if anyone saw me going through these antics they would undoubtedly come to the conclusion that I was a raving lunatic and a menace to society! Now, if that mental picture won't brighten your day, nothing will, lol. :):):)
Click to expand...
Haha and people say cats are low maintenance! The things you do for them! You should have done a YouTube tutorial, that could have gone viral!
 
When you have a moment, could you add a few tidbits to your signature? It will help us give you feedback.

Editing your Signature

In the upper right corner of the screen, within the dark blue bar, you will see ID, Inbox, and Alerts

Click on your ID.

On the left, under Settings, Click on Signature.
This is where you will put information that helps us give you feedback. You are limited to 2 hard returns, so separate pieces by | or -.
This is where you paste the link for your spreadsheet, once it is set up.
Add any other text, such as
your name | cat's name | date of Dx (diagnosis) | insulin | meter
general location (city and state/province, country if not US, as options differ based on country)
any other pertinent issues like if there are any food issues, history of DKA, hepatic lipidosis, pancreatitis, allergies, IBD, etc.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

Always click the Save Changes button at the bottom when you have changed anything.
 
@Cherryc0la ...It will REALLY help to get him off the dry and onto a low carb canned food. Even the "diabetic" dry is too high in carbs. Trying to control diabetes while continuing to feed high carb food is like trying to put a fire out by pouring gasoline on it...just doesn't work!

The "prescription" foods are no better in quality than most foods available at any WalMart and are really just a scam to make money for the pet food manufactures and vets. There's no special magic in them. Here's a list of most available foods and their carb content. You want to feed less than 10% carbs (Column C)

We know it can be hard to convince a real kibble addict to make a change, but it's well worth the effort!! Here's a website on "Feeding Your Cat" that has all kinds of good information on why it's important to get your kitty off the evil kibble, including a page on "Tips for Transitioning the hard core kibble addict"

We had a member here when I first started that SWORE her cat wasn't getting into the kibble she was feeding her other cats. She had it up high so her diabetic couldn't get to it (or so she thought) but the numbers just weren't coming down and the insulin dose kept going up.

One day she decided to just do it, and threw every bit of kibble out of her house...over the next 36 hours her cat went from a significant dose of insulin (I think it was 5 units twice/day) to OTJ (Off the Juice)

We have all kinds of tips we've used around here to help get him to accept eating canned food so keep trying! It's well worth the effort and you'll be doing the best thing you can do for your new sugarcat!
 
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