beepsandclicks
New Member
OK, I'm new to this...first day attempting testing my very recently DXd cat.
Yesterday was my first post here. My cat TJ was given his first insulin injection at the vet yesterday (3 units) and I gave him the same amount last night.
This morning he seemed amazingly like his old self, trotting about and grooming (finally!). However, I was advised by many wonderful folks on this forum that 3 units 2x day was probably too large a dose to start, so I planned on beginning with 1 unit 2x day and check the glucose levels.
Unfortunately I was not able to begin this experiment until late this morning, a few hours later then when his dose should have been. The vet was out of Prozinc until today, I had to wait until the shipment arrived to give TJ his first dose...and did not arrive until 11 am! By the time I got the insulin and the test kit ready, TJ already looked a bit "crashy," like he had been looking all last week: fur suddenly looks more unkempt, just lying on his side, occasional meowing as if something was wrong.
I begin to panic when I realized I was not able to get a sample of blood. I went ahead and administered 1 unit without testing first. I then found myself very scared that somehow the tiny amount of insulin did not get to him, that I maybe shot it on his fur, really nearly hysterical thinking. His fur is long and I tried to part it as best I could, but I still was not confident. Unfortunately I could not tell by feeling his fur for dampness, as I realized I had just happened to shoot the insulin in a spot where the fur was wet (he had been lying in the bathtub). So my freak out is compounded now, worried that he still may have zero insulin in his system, with no way of knowing and nothing to be done about it until it's time for his next injection (11 pm tonight).
I'm following the directions exactly for getting a sample. First problem is he freaks out when anyone touches his ear. We don't have a microwave, so I boiled water in a kettle and poured that over a flannel cloth. I don't feel the ear was warm enough, and he did his best to make sure I was not able to even touch his ear with the cloth. I tried a 26 guage, then a 33 (which felt much better to use). Finally, in desperation I tried a foot pad stick. Got a bit of blood but apparently not enough to give a sample. He growled and struggled and I'm sure I made him even more upset than he would ever be at the vet. And since he is also a heart patient, I want to be careful in that regard.
Assuming I am not able to get a sample for a couple more days here, should I still continue to administer just 1 unit per injection, even if he continues to act lethargic afterward? Or should I go back to the 3 units the doctor used, since he had a decent result with that?
Funny thing is, I was a vet tech for a while during college, so I came into this yesterday with all the confidence and bravado you could imagine. "No problem at all" I thought. Wasn't even nervous until I tried once and failed. Until he cried. Until he hissed. Until I realized I didn't even have the sensation of the insulin needle going into his skin well enough to know if the shot was successful. Any needle "skills" I may have had back in the day have vanished completely. :sad:
Houston, I think we have a problem. Is there anyone out there who lives in Central Houston (I live in the Montrose area, near downtown) who could show me how it's done? I have zero confidence now and I'm terrified my boy will sink again, just as he was starting to improve.
Everyone on this forum has been so amazing to me so far. I know you all say this is do-able. I'm just not feeling capable. And I cannot imagine doing this every two hours for 24 hours!
Debra
P.S. OK, just as I was about to hit send, my TJ jumped up on the desk to visit, something he has not done in forever, so maybe things are not as dire as I thought. I mean, at least he has enough energy to jump! But my insecurity remains...any ideas on initial dosing w/o testing are appreciated. I'll keep plugging away at my attempts. My mother in law will be over later, I'll enlist her help.
Yesterday was my first post here. My cat TJ was given his first insulin injection at the vet yesterday (3 units) and I gave him the same amount last night.
This morning he seemed amazingly like his old self, trotting about and grooming (finally!). However, I was advised by many wonderful folks on this forum that 3 units 2x day was probably too large a dose to start, so I planned on beginning with 1 unit 2x day and check the glucose levels.
Unfortunately I was not able to begin this experiment until late this morning, a few hours later then when his dose should have been. The vet was out of Prozinc until today, I had to wait until the shipment arrived to give TJ his first dose...and did not arrive until 11 am! By the time I got the insulin and the test kit ready, TJ already looked a bit "crashy," like he had been looking all last week: fur suddenly looks more unkempt, just lying on his side, occasional meowing as if something was wrong.
I begin to panic when I realized I was not able to get a sample of blood. I went ahead and administered 1 unit without testing first. I then found myself very scared that somehow the tiny amount of insulin did not get to him, that I maybe shot it on his fur, really nearly hysterical thinking. His fur is long and I tried to part it as best I could, but I still was not confident. Unfortunately I could not tell by feeling his fur for dampness, as I realized I had just happened to shoot the insulin in a spot where the fur was wet (he had been lying in the bathtub). So my freak out is compounded now, worried that he still may have zero insulin in his system, with no way of knowing and nothing to be done about it until it's time for his next injection (11 pm tonight).
I'm following the directions exactly for getting a sample. First problem is he freaks out when anyone touches his ear. We don't have a microwave, so I boiled water in a kettle and poured that over a flannel cloth. I don't feel the ear was warm enough, and he did his best to make sure I was not able to even touch his ear with the cloth. I tried a 26 guage, then a 33 (which felt much better to use). Finally, in desperation I tried a foot pad stick. Got a bit of blood but apparently not enough to give a sample. He growled and struggled and I'm sure I made him even more upset than he would ever be at the vet. And since he is also a heart patient, I want to be careful in that regard.
Assuming I am not able to get a sample for a couple more days here, should I still continue to administer just 1 unit per injection, even if he continues to act lethargic afterward? Or should I go back to the 3 units the doctor used, since he had a decent result with that?
Funny thing is, I was a vet tech for a while during college, so I came into this yesterday with all the confidence and bravado you could imagine. "No problem at all" I thought. Wasn't even nervous until I tried once and failed. Until he cried. Until he hissed. Until I realized I didn't even have the sensation of the insulin needle going into his skin well enough to know if the shot was successful. Any needle "skills" I may have had back in the day have vanished completely. :sad:
Houston, I think we have a problem. Is there anyone out there who lives in Central Houston (I live in the Montrose area, near downtown) who could show me how it's done? I have zero confidence now and I'm terrified my boy will sink again, just as he was starting to improve.
Everyone on this forum has been so amazing to me so far. I know you all say this is do-able. I'm just not feeling capable. And I cannot imagine doing this every two hours for 24 hours!
Debra
P.S. OK, just as I was about to hit send, my TJ jumped up on the desk to visit, something he has not done in forever, so maybe things are not as dire as I thought. I mean, at least he has enough energy to jump! But my insecurity remains...any ideas on initial dosing w/o testing are appreciated. I'll keep plugging away at my attempts. My mother in law will be over later, I'll enlist her help.
Maybe I'll post a request on our neighborhood forum; surely someone around has a diabetic cat (and home tests). 
