First week on prozinc, need some info

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Lillie

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My boy Leo is on his first week on prozinc at 2 units twice a day. He is already drinking less water than he did before the insulin but seems awfully tired. He's eating well but seems to want to sleep a lot even more than he did before. (he's never been a very active kitty and pretty much a couch potato). Should I be concerned or is this normal at first?
 
Lillie said:
My boy Leo is on his first week on prozinc at 2 units twice a day. He is already drinking less water than he did before the insulin but seems awfully tired. He's eating well but seems to want to sleep a lot even more than he did before. (he's never been a very active kitty and pretty much a couch potato). Should I be concerned or is this normal at first?
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A lot of diabetic kitties are more lethargic, especially if they're not regulated. Different insulins agree with some kitties more than others although it's too early to say with your boy.

Are you planning to test blood glucose at home?
 
I'm very new at this as he just came home from 5 days at the vets for monitoring and initiating the prozinc. I do plan on home testing soon but I just now got comfortable with the injections. I don't know why I was so anxious about giving the injections- they seem pretty easy to do. I'm just not sure how he is supposed to be doing at this point because from what I've read it may take several weeks to get regulated. I just don't want to miss any emergencies in the mean time.
 
Lillie said:
I'm very new at this as he just came home from 5 days at the vets for monitoring and initiating the prozinc. I do plan on home testing soon but I just now got comfortable with the injections. I don't know why I was so anxious about giving the injections- they seem pretty easy to do. I'm just not sure how he is supposed to be doing at this point because from what I've read it may take several weeks to get regulated. I just don't want to miss any emergencies in the mean time.
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We all understand how frightening and confusing it is. Everyone on here has been where you are. :bighug:
I'm glad you've found the injections to be easier than you thought they'd be. Testing blood glucose becomes just as routine once you've had some practice. You could start desensitizing your kitty now by rubbing/tugging gently/massaging his ears in the same location where the injections happen. Do it briefly then give him a low carb treat. By the time you're ready to try testing he'll be used to the ear handling routine and will associate it with treats.

The single best thing you can do to avoid emergencies is to learn to test blood glucose at home.
 
Thank you. The speciality hospital where I take Leo for his IBD and previous saddle thrombus (yes- he's a survivor and did recover) advises home testing but his GP vet here who treats several diabetics doesn't really promote it for some reason. I think many people balk at doing this so I think they just don't mention it. He will be getting checked once a week right now but I can see where home testing can and is invaluable.
 
Lillie said:
Thank you. The speciality hospital where I take Leo for his IBD and previous saddle thrombus (yes- he's a survivor and did recover) advises home testing but his GP vet here who treats several diabetics doesn't really promote it for some reason. I think many people balk at doing this so I think they just don't mention it. He will be getting checked once a week right now but I can see where home testing can and is invaluable.
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I agree that many vets don't want to intimidate their clients with more procedures at home in case they opt for euthanasia instead of treatment. My vet, however, mentioned home testing right at the start, including doing glucose curves at home.

Your Leo really is a trooper, isn't he?!
 
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Hi Lillie! and Welcome! There is lots of support here as you make this journey. My vet didn't encourage home testing because he said many people get a little freaked out by it, and he wants to just encourage people to treat the diabetes, and not scare them off. But he loves seeing all the pretty numbers on my spreadsheet when I bring it in. :). Feel free to ask as many questions as you have - this is a great place to learn!
 
Thanks everyone. Yes my Leo is a trooper. He was returned three times at the shelter due to being too large, too many allergies, etc etc. He is a beautiful handsome Turkish Van who has the most easy going personality except when getting his ears pricked! I inherited a lot of physical problems when I rescued him but I was glad to give him a chance where as it was obvious that others who adopted him were not. Rushing to the hospital during a saddle thrombus in the rain at night was very frightening- but he recovered, so I don't want to give up now!
 
Welcome Lillie and Leo! What a life your boy has had, it's wonderful you've opened your heart and home to him :cat:

Managing diabetes can seem overwhelming, but it's not as bad as it seems. Kris has given great advice on how to prepare Leo for home testing, lots of cats are reluctant at first but with patience (and lots of treats) it gets to be simple. Many cats - mine included - come running when it's time to test since they know they'll get a special treat with it!

Home testing is really the best way to keep Leo safe. Insulin needs can vary widely, which is why people with diabetes test a lot. You don't need an expensive pet meter either, lots of folks use human meters with no problems.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions! We're all very supportive here :bighug:
 
Thanks- this first week is very anxiety producing because I don't know what to expect yet. My computer is on its way out so as soon as I get a new one I will post a picture of my big handsome boy.
 
Welcome Lillie! Yep, those insulin injections seem awfully scary...I cried when I first did it...and Gypsy purred right through it! I think it sounds scary to us because we don't want to hurt our kitties and have them associate us with needles but they barely feel it.

BG tests are really not that hard either. I'm with Kris...spend some time just petting his ears and rubbing them and then giving a treat so he learns to associate these and looks forward to it!

I also encourage you to try a BG test on yourself when you first get the meter. I have a diabetic friend who helped me learn to test myself so when I went to test Gypsy, I knew how it all worked.

Let us know what questions you have!
 
I will, thanks. I was a little nervous today because he is sleeping so much. He's eating ok though. He seems to want to be left alone now after being at the hospital for 5 days. If I already had all the stuff fir home testing I would be checking today to relieve my worry- but- don't have everything yet.
 
Welcome Lillie! I'm pretty new also and don't have much knowledge yet but I can tell you sleeping is normal, mine tends to sleep more the higher his BG, also you'll notice more and more things now that you're on hyper alert and vigilant, you pay more attention to things you might have missed before.

Home testing is not bad for me anymore, I started with the "I know what I'm doing attitude" and took charge (even though it scared me and I wasn't always successful...) and now its just another part of the routine. I think confidence has a lot of influence, for example my mother always starts the BG test with a high level of stress and he senses it. But with me, he lets me do my job, and sometimes doesn't even flinch. The more you do it, the better the ear bleeds. I have a preferred ear as it seems to bleed better than the other.

Insulin shots are now also part of the normal routine and he knows it helps him feel better so he lets me do it. You're both learning and this forum is honestly the best thing ever! I don't have much time to spend here but when I do, I always learn lots!!!!
 
I feel ok now about the injections. He doesn't get bothered by them. Last night was not so good as he got so so lethargic I panicked and did not give him his nite injection because I thought he was maybe hypo and didn't want to kill him! I swear I think I'm going crazy over this. When I get to home testing I will be much relieved as I can check his levels myself. He's hiding from me right now and does not want to be bothered because he did not like getting the pepcid this morning. I also got nervous about his morning shot thinking that 2 units were too much so I decreased it to 1.5 units. I'm crazy over this, I swear!
 
Lillie said:
I feel ok now about the injections. He doesn't get bothered by them. Last night was not so good as he got so so lethargic I panicked and did not give him his nite injection because I thought he was maybe hypo and didn't want to kill him! I swear I think I'm going crazy over this. When I get to home testing I will be much relieved as I can check his levels myself. He's hiding from me right now and does not want to be bothered because he did not like getting the pepcid this morning. I also got nervous about his morning shot thinking that 2 units were too much so I decreased it to 1.5 units. I'm crazy over this, I swear!
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I guarantee that your nerves will subside over time. It's all very new right now and you're worrying about every little thing. We've all been where you are. Give yourself a couple of weeks and you'll be amazed at how much better you'll be at doing the tests and shots. Your confidence level will be a lot higher too. :)
 
Lillie said:
I feel ok now about the injections. He doesn't get bothered by them. Last night was not so good as he got so so lethargic I panicked and did not give him his nite injection because I thought he was maybe hypo and didn't want to kill him! I swear I think I'm going crazy over this. When I get to home testing I will be much relieved as I can check his levels myself. He's hiding from me right now and does not want to be bothered because he did not like getting the pepcid this morning. I also got nervous about his morning shot thinking that 2 units were too much so I decreased it to 1.5 units. I'm crazy over this, I swear!
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It will be so much better with a meter, you're shooting in the dark and not knowing what his BG is must be super stressful. I don't know where you are but I (in Canada) got a free human one with test strips (had to buy 100$ worth) and I buy the strips on amazon now, cost me about 1/2 price as the pharmacy.

If you are in the states, Walmart sells Relion meters and strips for cheap.

The sooner you get one the better. I wouldn't be comfortable shooting without a BG. Also keep in mind he should be without food for 2 hours prior to a BG pre-shot test, but you can test throughout the day to see where he's at (mine goes the lowest 6 hours after his shot so I like to get that number if I can).
 
One thing I didn't mention, I use IV needles for the ear pricks, I find it works much better than lancing devices which also make noise and scare the cats. My vet gave me a bunch, I swab them after use and change it about weekly or so, sometimes they last longer depending on usage... just be careful with whatever you use as the ears are very thin.... My guy got a few piercings at first!! Once I went right through and into my finger! Nothing to worry about, these pricks and piercings heal very well and easily. Also depending on where you prick you might get LOTS of blood or very little, you will have to find his sweet spot. When he's agitated at a meal time, I sometimes prick straight down (like in the vein up to down) instead of through to avoid a through and through piercing.
 
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