Hi All

[NinaGato]

Hello. I am currently living with four sphynx. I have never had a diabetic cat before. As a 20 plus year sphynx connoisseur I have experiance with lots of different kinds of heart issues and a couple of auto immune cases but not until last summer never a diabetic.
Victoria was 9 years old at the time and I had noticed our usually spunky self was lacking. We also have her sister from the same parents but a differnt litter who is a HCM cat. So I thought for sure Vicky was going to have the same issue.
The vet diagnosed her spring of 2018 as diabetic. Her BS at the initial appt was 355. She was started on .5 units of Prozinc. And because I caught it before she had a crisis event she was very easy to regulate. We would do regular BS tests on my days off and weekends and her readings were very stable and predictable.
We use the BG monitor that is designed for pets, Alphatrak.
But, as of a two weeks ago her readings have been low in the upper 60s and into the 70s. She also was started on B12 supplement Zobaline. She was starting to show signs of too low blood sugar. Hind end weaknes, lots of water intake, We were advised to keep testing but not give insulin if reading were in the 60s. So I am unsure of how to proceed so I joined up to get some information, education and advice.
I have been an active member on a sphynx forum for 10 plus years and found the community supportive and helpful. Hoping it will be the same here.

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

This is truly a wonderful and life-saving community with a lot of emotional support as well. It’s wonderful you are already home-testing, and we have a spreadsheet we use here so others can see what your cat’s numbers are like.

Someone else with better introduction skills will pop by I’m sure and give you instructions on setting up a signature and spreadsheet so we can help you more!

For now, may I ask what she is eating? Catinfo.org has the best nutrition information and a great list of different store brands of wet food that are low carb.

I’m glad you found this group and I hope we can all help you to get Vicky feeling better soon.

 

[Idjit's mom]

Hi and welcome NinaGato and Vicky. I think you will find that this board is very supportive and informative. Since you have been using Prozinc, you could visit that insulin support group forum HERE so that the veteran members can further advise you. Especially in view of these comments from your post:
But, as of a two weeks ago her readings have been low in the upper 60s and into the 70s. She also was started on B12 supplement Zobaline. She was starting to show signs of too low blood sugar. Hind end weakness, lots of water intake, We were advised to keep testing but not give insulin if reading were in the 60s. So I am unsure of how to proceed so I joined up to get some information, education and advice.
You report lower BG test results, but the hind end weakness and increased water intake are symptoms of much higher and/or unregulated BG. So I am confused about that. I am wondering about the meter, if it's coded correctly or maybe a battery issue? Best to get the experienced members input on this to help Vicky feeling better as quickly as possible.

I would encourage you to create a signature providing Vicky's information that will be available when you post, so you don't have to answer the same questions repeatedly.

Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what she eats/any other meds or health issues she has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

A spreadsheet showing Vicky's BG testing and insulin data will be very helpful so that members can review her progress before offering suggestions or advice.
Here are instructions for setting up the spreadsheet we use here, it is linked right to the signature and will be available with each post.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/

I realize you won't want to fill in all the data since spring of 2018, but if you can provide as much as possible for the last few months, I think it would help.

Very best wishes going forward as we strive to figure out what's going on with Vicky and find answers to your concerns and questions.