She doesn't yet know the insulin (vet was going to call her to come pick it up), doesn't know how high the BGs were; but her cat had been losing weight, acting starving, drinking a lot and peeing a lo. Why she took him in. He is an altered male- maybe around 5-6 (could be older, he adopted her last year).Sound familiar?! What is known is that the vet wants her to start at 2 units, twice a day on a 12 hour schedule. She did some reading and started using more wet food (FF pate), but was still using about half the diet dry food. Vet wanted her to get the prescription diet but she said no as money is an issue. Kitty loves it, and has had a little diarrhea so obviously she can't move too rapidly. Now, the problems- she work around 30 hours a week on campus, and she is a concert violinist and works away at least 3 or more evenings since she is paid so poorly at the uni. She is willing to learn to test and he is a sweetheart- so shouldnt be a problem. She can be home and shoot around 8 am (works at 10am) back home at 4pm, then takes off to Orlando where she mostly works- then back home by midnight. I think you see the problem- she doesn't have anywhere near a 12 schedule that she could maintain. She has a neighbor who can fill in, but at this point she doesn't know how often the neighbor can help. She will have several days off together in a row in over a week- so could start then, but.......
So, my question is- and this is hypothetical until I get more info- should she start insulin at all until she can handle the closer to 12 hour schedule (with neighbors help) just to establish? Should she just do on dose a day in the am (like, just 1 unit) when she can stick around and observe? Someone else told her to do 2 units a midnight, then 1 at 8 am, that just sounds too risky to me for a newby. Even weekends are problematic, she takes every job that comes her way all over Tampa Bay and Orlando, weddings, special events and cool things like playing with the Transsiberian orchestra (she's on regular call to Disney, probably drives there at least twice a week). I can help out some here and there, but I'm not very flexible due to my hours. She is game on changing the diet to all wet, high protein, and I really hope with some short term decent regulation, her boy can do the happy dance someday soon. She said he has gone even more downhill over the past few days, so I don't know if waiting is really an option. I promised to help her with testing, so we'll have to set that up but it won't happen for at least a couple of days. I have referred her to FDMB- but she doesn't have a computer or internet at home right now, she can access it at work, but her office is very busy and folks constantly come in and out. She's going to try to find out what the BGs or fructosamine was and what type of insulin by tonight, so I'll update when I hear from her.
I'm copying from another place, here's some updates.
BG was 568, they want to start him with versulin. Any input would help.
Cat
Cat
So, my question is- and this is hypothetical until I get more info- should she start insulin at all until she can handle the closer to 12 hour schedule (with neighbors help) just to establish? Should she just do on dose a day in the am (like, just 1 unit) when she can stick around and observe? Someone else told her to do 2 units a midnight, then 1 at 8 am, that just sounds too risky to me for a newby. Even weekends are problematic, she takes every job that comes her way all over Tampa Bay and Orlando, weddings, special events and cool things like playing with the Transsiberian orchestra (she's on regular call to Disney, probably drives there at least twice a week). I can help out some here and there, but I'm not very flexible due to my hours. She is game on changing the diet to all wet, high protein, and I really hope with some short term decent regulation, her boy can do the happy dance someday soon. She said he has gone even more downhill over the past few days, so I don't know if waiting is really an option. I promised to help her with testing, so we'll have to set that up but it won't happen for at least a couple of days. I have referred her to FDMB- but she doesn't have a computer or internet at home right now, she can access it at work, but her office is very busy and folks constantly come in and out. She's going to try to find out what the BGs or fructosamine was and what type of insulin by tonight, so I'll update when I hear from her.
I'm copying from another place, here's some updates.
BG was 568, they want to start him with versulin. Any input would help.
Cat
Cat
