Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R - Now on N

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Lisa & Jasper (GA)

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When my cat Jasper became diabetic the FDMB taught me how to deal with feline diabetes. Now I volunteeer at my local cat shelter and help them with their "sweet" cats. Last week the shelter manager got a call from a guy who's being deployed for six weeks and needed someone to care for his diabetic cat. I agreed to cat sit. When I visited this man to get instructions, I found that his vet gave him (you guessed it) w/d and Novolin R, five units twice a day. :evil: I added a line to the vet authorization form saying he agrees to let me test his cat and adjust his insulin when necessary. Now I've got to keep the cat as regulated as possible for the next six weeks. (I plan on educating the guy when he gets back. Right now he's got more urgent things on his mind.) I would really appreciate any suggestions or advice you can offer. Lisa & Jasper (GA)

Update: I called the vet. When I identified myself he promptly exchanged the R for N and lowered the dose. I wonder about that. Once I see how the cat does on the N, I can start changing to a better diet. I learned the hard way about changing one thing at a time, and I'm a firm believer in "start low, go slow." And now I know I can get N from Sam's Club. Thanks to everyone for your help! Lisa & Jasper (GA)
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

I don't know much about R, except that it's a fast acting drug and is typically used in conjunction with one of the longer acting drugs and ONLY as a way to keep the cat from going too high and/or bouncing.

Using R alone is not typical and if you can suggest that they change the cat to levimer, lantus or prozinc. The cat will do much better on this and with regular BG testing and of course proper diet, there probably won't be a need for R, but if there is, then learn about how it works. You may want to go onto the lantus board to ask some of the folks there who are more familiar with R and how it works.
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

Does the cat give off ketones? prone to go into DKA? R lasts a very short time and is usually used to get BG#'s
down quickly or lowering ketones. As a 24 hr. insulin it would be very hard to regulate. Maybe you could get the vet to prescribe Novolin N which is a longer acting insulin of the same type. Good luck!
Nancy and Payne
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

Has the person already been deployed? Is it too late to ask if you can change insulin? Or can you talk to the vet?

My heart would probably jump out of my chest every time I had to shoot the dose of insulin. I used R on my Sadie(GA) with each of her PZI BCP shots but she had a severe heart condition, including fluid that built up on her chest, getting her BGs down was very hard, so we shot R with the PZI, but it was 1U of R. With Tucker(GA) he rarely took R but when he did it was .5 or less, then we added more IF needed. It's really, in my opinion, only used to help another insulin bring down BGs quickly to avoid ketones. Also, if I had an AcroCat or another insulin resistant cat, similar to my situation with Sadie(GA) that I needed it to help the regular insulin work.

I would really see if you could change over to Lantus (Glargine) or Levemir if not too late. I'd even use N over R if I had to. When Tucker(GA) first started out he was on N for a few months, before we learned there were better choices.
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

R will work if you inject every six hours or so. The existing does seems very high unless it is a high-dose kitty. N would be a better choice and costs about the same. Some BG testing will better show what to do.
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

Thanks for everyone's input. Twice a day is all I can manage during the week. I got permission to call the vet about switching to a longer-lasting insulin, but this vet has a history of "I'm always right-don't question me." I'm going to test before every shot and do a curve this weekend. What do you think of switching from w/d to a high-protein diet?

Lisa & Jasper (GA)
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

Is that cat seriously on 5u of "R" and not 5u of "N"? A 0.25u dose of R for my Yoda brought him down like 200 points. I cannot even imagine a 5u dose of that stuff. R is pure insulin with no solution to make it longer acting at all - extremely harsh for anyone!
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

Seriously, the cat is on R. I saw the bottle. The owner knows his cat isn't much improved (still flooding the litterbox) and is open to better diet and better insulin. Since he's already departed, the poor cat's on R until I can get my hands on something better. If I switch the cat to a high protein diet he'll need less insulin, but I'm thinking he'll still need some high carb food to keep from hypo-ing on the R.

Lisa & Jasper (GA)
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

Lisa & Jasper (GA) said:
Seriously, the cat is on R. I saw the bottle. The owner knows his cat isn't much improved (still flooding the litterbox) and is open to better diet and better insulin. Since he's already departed, the poor cat's on R until I can get my hands on something better. If I switch the cat to a high protein diet he'll need less insulin, but I'm thinking he'll still need some high carb food to keep from hypo-ing on the R.

Lisa & Jasper (GA)
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N is available in most states at pharmacies without a prescription.

Call around
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

N is available at Sam's Club in Ohio without prescription.

Maybe check around the area for diabetes-savy vets, or at least those willing to learn.

And maybe provide some of the Lantus and Levemir research PDFs to the current vet ... or come in sideways and get in touch with the vet tech staff and let them bring in the articles and leave them about!
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

I believe Venita has some Lantus and Levimir for DCIN kitties.

Perhaps you could get some from her.
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

With that dose of R I would bet my savings that the cat is in constant rebound. Doesn't matter what the diet is, no cat should be on that much R. I know your hands are tied due to the situation. Do what you can - N would be a better non script alternative right now.
 
Re: Help! Caring for a cat on Novolin R

And remember - change 1 thing at a time, so you can tell whan effects were from the change!
 
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