My 15 year old female spayed kitty was diagnosed with diabetes on July 5, 2014. Her BG was 600! She is now on 4 units twice a day of prozinc and eating only friskies pate special diet turkey and giblets. We can't seem to get her BG under control. She is still in the 400 range. Have stopped having curves done at the vet as it sent her BG out of control and made her sick and took her 2 to 3 days to recover. Am doing spot checks and her curves at home with the relion confirm. I have opted to have fructosemine test done every 3 week's instead. Just had one done on Thursday 10/23 and waiting for results. Scared it's going to be high again. I feel soo bad for her. She's put weight back on, coat has improved tremendously, a little more playful, but she starts meowing like crazy about an hour before her feeding and insulin and she eats her food like she is starving. Some days I cry cause I feel that I'm not doing enough for her to help her BG levels. I've had her since she was a baby and I don't know what else to do and having her put to sleep is NOT an option. Will I be able to get her regulated? Please HELP
Female 15 year old spayed kitty diagnosed with diabetes
- Thread starter Dakota15
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Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
Can you share some of her blood glucose levels with us? Sometimes bouncing is the culprit. If they go down low mid cycle, they can bounce up for pre shot numbers. (Their bodies are used to the higher levels and when a level is lower than their usual, they release extra glucose to compensate.) We have a great spreadsheet tool that is a google doc. It lets you put your numbers in, is color coded and can be share with us and your vet. Here are the directions:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207
Is there anything else going on? Infections? Bad teeth?
How did she get to 4 units? Sometimes if you increase too fast, you actually end up giving too much insulin.
There are high dose conditions that require more insulin. You might read this thread and see if any of the symptoms sound like her:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=375
And last but not least, it might be that Prozinc is not the insulin for her. If none of these other possibilities pan out, you might consider changing insulin.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207
Is there anything else going on? Infections? Bad teeth?
How did she get to 4 units? Sometimes if you increase too fast, you actually end up giving too much insulin.
There are high dose conditions that require more insulin. You might read this thread and see if any of the symptoms sound like her:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=375
And last but not least, it might be that Prozinc is not the insulin for her. If none of these other possibilities pan out, you might consider changing insulin.
dirtybirdsoaps
Member Since 2014
Welcome,
Sue has asked some very important questions, especially about other health issues and the dosage. The dosage seems pretty high, and could be causing the bouncing like Sue said. As to her eating like she's staving, that is normal for an unregulated cat. Did you switch from dry or wet, the only reason I ask is when I had to switch Hidey I switched from wet and dry to all wet, and at first I wasnt feeding him enough because I didnt know that canned food has less calories then dry.
Sue has asked some very important questions, especially about other health issues and the dosage. The dosage seems pretty high, and could be causing the bouncing like Sue said. As to her eating like she's staving, that is normal for an unregulated cat. Did you switch from dry or wet, the only reason I ask is when I had to switch Hidey I switched from wet and dry to all wet, and at first I wasnt feeding him enough because I didnt know that canned food has less calories then dry.
Thank you for your reply. Dakota was started on 1 unit prozinc twice a day per her vet starting July 5, was increased to 1 1/2 units on July 15 bg curve was 510, spot check done at vet on July 22 bg was 355, vet did curve on July 25 shot up to 585 and increased insulin to 2 units, August 1 vet did spot check bg was 406 increased to 2 1/2 units, August 8 another curve bg shot up again increased to 3 units. Stopped having curves done was to much for her. August 29 had fructosemine test done still high started 3 1/2 units on Sept. 3. Finally realized after doing some research, took her off purina dm dry food and put her on friskies special diet turkey and giblets pate on Sept. 17(less calories and better for her). Sept. 25 fructosemine test done bg was 436. Oct. 1 started 4 units and now waiting for the results of fructosemine test done on Oct. 23. I have noticed that even with the fructosemine test it really stressing her out. Also she has her nails trimmed and anal sacs checked when she has the fructosemine test, which I'm sure ads to the stress, not to mention the car ride there. And this is where I'm at right now.
No other health issues, she had alot of lab work done and check up to include her teeth when she was diagnosed. Everything else was good all but the diabetes. I put her on all wet food. She weighs 11 pounds 2 ounces and gets 3/4 of a 5.5 ounce can twice a day. I thought about her not getting enough food but vet told me if I increase her food intake that her bg levels would go up also. Was advised not to do any more changes until her bg is a little more regulated.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
It's hard for me to tell - are the numbers all from the vet? What are your at home numbers? What is she usually at for preshot/midcycle?
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
No problem.. We have our own language. 
the nadir is the lowest point that the insulin takes the cat. It is usually in the middle of the 12 hour cycle with ProZinc, somwhere 5-7 hours after the shot. Once you know what the nadir (or midcycle) number is, you know how well the dose is working (or not)
the nadir is the lowest point that the insulin takes the cat. It is usually in the middle of the 12 hour cycle with ProZinc, somwhere 5-7 hours after the shot. Once you know what the nadir (or midcycle) number is, you know how well the dose is working (or not)Thank you Sue... Yes they are from the vet. Will do a pre-shot this evening and let you know. Also I took my relion confirm to the vet and had them test mine against theirs and mine was at 333 and theirs was at 423 and that was at 3pm. It seems like mine is way off. How will I be able to get an accurate reading with so much differance? I'm so confused. She gets her food and insulin at 8am and 8pm.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Member Since 2009
Yes, somewhere between 2-3pm would be good for the nadir tomorrow. And yes, get a number before the shot, before the food. We usually figure vet numbers can be as much as 100 points off - stress raises blood glucose levels and most cats are very stressed at the vet. So it could be that her numbers are lower than you think. Only way to know is start gathering some levels.
As far as the meters, all meters have a variance of +/- 20%. And if the vet is using a pet meter, we know it starts out being higher than human ones, not even counting variances for both meters. So we don't worry too much about differences. You are generally looking for patterns and ranges to base doses on. We just figure the extra cost of the pet meter and the strips are not worth it, and human meters give us enough information.
Here is a protocol we put together for ProZinc. It might be helpful
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=109077
As far as the meters, all meters have a variance of +/- 20%. And if the vet is using a pet meter, we know it starts out being higher than human ones, not even counting variances for both meters. So we don't worry too much about differences. You are generally looking for patterns and ranges to base doses on. We just figure the extra cost of the pet meter and the strips are not worth it, and human meters give us enough information.
Here is a protocol we put together for ProZinc. It might be helpful
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=109077
BJM
Member Since 2010
When you took her off the D/M, it may have dropped her glucose up to 100 mg/dL and dropped the dose up to 2 units less.
When too much insulin is given, compensatory hormones are triggered which release stored glucose to protect the cat. This could have happened with the food change.
When too much insulin is given, compensatory hormones are triggered which release stored glucose to protect the cat. This could have happened with the food change.
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