eddie has been newly diagnosed with diabetes...

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stan_disuko

stan_disuko

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hello,

my sweet orange cat has been diagnosed with diabetes.

my head is spinning. i think i have a decent vet and i've been reading tons of great info and advice online. Susie, sugarcat, this forum, the main FD site...wonderful, wonderful resources.

i still have questions, so i'm gonna try this forum!

1. What if I miss an injection? I'm starting eddie on 7am, 7pm injections.
2. Is it necessary to test his BG using a glucometer before *every* injection? (i really, really hat pricking his ear for blood...it hurts me so much more than him, i'm sure).
3. Just because eddie drinks/pees alot and has a high BG level, does this always, unequivocally mean he has diabetes? Could it possibly be anything else? Pancreas infection? Anything?

i'm a bit frazzled at the moment, he was diagnosed yesterday and i gave him his first injection this morning...this is all very fresh in my mind...apologies if i'm not making any sense.

thanks everyone.
 
Welcome!

It is scary at first, but you will get lots of support and help here.

Did Eddie have a fructosamine test at the vet? That is the definite test for diabetes.

It is best to get the 2 shots a day and 12 hours apart. The flexibility can depend on the insulin you were given. What kind and how much?

Yes, you really do need to test before every shot. Many newbies here are giving their dose for a few days and suddenly they get a new much lower number. You have to know that before giving your usual dose or your kitty can hypo. Give Eddie a treat after each poke and soon he will come to the spot where you test, waiting for the goodies.
 
1. What if I miss an injection? I'm starting eddie on 7am, 7pm injections.

- What insulin are you using and how many units/U are you giving him each time?


2. Is it necessary to test his BG using a glucometer before *every* injection? (i really, really hat pricking his ear for blood...it hurts me so much more than him, i'm sure).

- Yes, it is necessary. You should get a blood glucose meter, meter strips, and urine stix asap. Without that and testing, you are shooting him full with insulin in the dark, and risk a hypo attack, which can be lethal.


3. Just because eddie drinks/pees alot and has a high BG level, does this always, unequivocally mean he has diabetes? Could it possibly be anything else? Pancreas infection? Anything?

- High bg levels are diabetes. At other times when they drink a lot it can be kidney failures. Peeing a lot can be urine tract infection. Not pancreatitis. But you have to start hometest. Others here can help you where you are located where to buy the supply you need.


It is very overwhelming in the beginning, but we've all been there, so we know what you feel.
 
Welcome Stan!

Have to be brief, so I'll bullet point your questions.

1. Missing an injection is a set-back, but not end of the world or even the day.

2. Yes. The reason is that unless you test before each shot, you will not know if their BG is safe to give the shot!

3. There are other ailments such as renal insufficiency or failure which cause them to pee/drink a lot. But it's a pretty good indicator of poor BG control in a diabetic.

How was your cat diagnosed? Hopefully the vet sent the bloodwork out for a fructosamine test. That gives an average over about a 2 week period of their glucose levels. Simply going by the glucose number on one CBC is not good enough, as stress can elevate BG and most cats aren't fond of vet visits! But the peeing/drnking is a pretty good additional indicator.

Hope that answers your questions. We'd be happy to help more with learning how to test. Also if you could tell us which insulin you've been prescribed for him that would help us with further advice.
 
thanks so much for the reponses thus far..

eddie has been put on Caninsulin. 2 units per injection, twice a day, 12 hours apart.

i don't think a fructosamine test was performed. how is this done?

i am hometesting hime, i do have a glucometer and strips...i just really hate pricking him...and i am bad at it...his poor little ears are getting all bruised up. i *hate* this. his reading this morning was 26.3 (i don't know the other number that's used in the USA).

follow-up question:

1. I have read that doing the injection in the scruff of the neck is bad because of poor/erratic absorption, however this is where my vet instructed me to do it...i didn't follow my vets advice. i instead did my first injection in his side. What is the consensus on this?
 
I am in Sweden and we use the same international mmol. 26.3 is high. Converted it is 473. (we have a converter here http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-convert.htm check 'whole blood' at both conversion squares)


I am not an insulin expert, but I know many switch from caninsuline/vetsuline, to either Lantus or Levemir. My Simba uses Lantus, so I leave the dosage advice on your particular insulin to those who are using it. See under here in this Insulin groups forum viewforum.php?f=19 to give you a better idea.


Fructosamine is a blood test drawn by the vet from the leg vein. No biggy test really. For us using the mmol, a normal non-diabetic fructosamine should be within 160-350.
 
The testing gets better, easier, more routine and less of an "event" but you have to keep at it so that you become adept at it. Hang in there, you'll be surprised what a pro you are in a month.
 
Giving the shot in the scruff of the neck is fine. Here is some more info How to give a shot

To minimize bruising, hold the ear for a few seconds after you get the blood. You can also use neosporin, with or without pain killer.

Are you in Canada or Europe? Canninsulin (or Vetsulin as it is called in the US) is still used in Europe. In the US and Canada, it is not widely used because of quality control issues: Vetsulin issues It is a harsher insulin than most of us use - hitting faster and not lasting as long. The most popular insulins here are PZI, Lantus and Levemir. They are milder, lasting longer with less of a sharp onset.

We do use US numbers so we have a common "language". Divide your numbers by 18.
 
One thing if his ears are brusing that can help is applying pressure to the spot where you poke. Some other tricks are warming the ear before you poke, I use a rice sock for my Max since it is chilly in the house right now, it really helps to get the blood flowing. Just take a thinnish cotton sock (baby socks work great) fill it about 2/3 full of plain white rice and knot. Then right before you need to test toss it in the microwave for about 20 secs until nice and warm but not hot. I usually check it against the side of my neck.

You can also use a little smear of neosporin either with or without pain. Not only does this make the blood bead up better it also lessens the brusing. And with testing their ears "learn" to bleed. Lighter colored cats look more brusied than the darker colored ones. Max has white ears so in the beginning his ears looked so brusied. But as his ears got better at being tested and I got better at doing it, the bruising lessened, now you wouldn't know I have just tested him except for being able to see a little bit of dried blood on his ear.

It gets easier it really really does and we are all here to help you along the way.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
yes, i am in Canada.

warming the ear seems to help, also applying pressure after the poke. thanks for the advice. he has light coloured ears, so yep..the bruises really show and i feel really awful.
 
oh geez i'm reading about Hypos and getting very anxious. after i injected this morning i had to go to work...so eddie is at home alone right now. what if he has a hypo?

i tested his BG before i injected. like i stated before in this thread, it was 26.3 (converted = 473). that's pretty darn high, so i hope the insulin will help, not cause a Hypo.

ugh!
 
Stan

First, take a deep breath. Hypos are something to be knowledgeable and aware of, but if you take proper steps like testing and starting at a low dose, the chances of causing a hypo are slim. But I know how you feel, we all felt that way at first.

FYI, there are many of us Canucks here on the board; personally, I'm in Alberta and always available for local help.

As for his ears and bruising, just apply some pressure, and know that the ears get used to it rather quickly. And furthermore, a little bruising is way better than the alternative...

Jen
 
stan_disuko said:
oh geez i'm reading about Hypos and getting very anxious. after i injected this morning i had to go to work...so eddie is at home alone right now. what if he has a hypo?

i tested his BG before i injected. like i stated before in this thread, it was 26.3 (converted = 473). that's pretty darn high, so i hope the insulin will help, not cause a Hypo.

ugh!
Click to expand...


Simba had 0.8 mmol - 54 - when he started cramping like in a seizure. Now when he was sick and in the hospital he got 3 U Lantus and went down to 1.4, but they said he didn't start cramping, so I am not sure at what level it becomes super critical. Not to alarm you, just so you get something to compare with now in the beginning.

If you are worried, next insulin shoot you can start low as many of us do here, with 1 U, and test. That usually gives a little better safety range in the beginning. Then we work our way up in the insulin dosage depening on the collective testing numbers.
 
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