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Kit and Swan

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Hello! My name is Charlotte (online I go by Swan, but I like everyone here, so call me what you will) and my diabetic kitty is Kit. She was diagnosed about a month ago after a lot of weight loss with excessive eating and diarrhea. The first week she had to stay at the vet all day which was pretty expensive considering I'm currently unemployed. When she finally got to stay home, the vet had me start her with 2 1/2 units of Prozinc twice a day, then moved to 3, and then eventually to 4. The vet tests her once a week, but never told me to get a glucometer, just to test glucose and ketones in her urine. All was going well, then last week the vet told me that since she had gained 7 ounces, to cut back on her food, which we had cut back on in the beginning. She was always hungry before we cut back, but after she was practically screaming at anyone when they entered the kitchen. It broke my heart not to feed her more. Yesterday, the vet told me that her levels were high but not sky-high and to up her insulin to 5 units. I was weary when I was told to go to 4, so 5 had me panicking a little on the inside, but I figured "He's the vet, he knows best". I give her the injections at 10:30, as I usually can't go to sleep until after 1, 2, or 3am. So last night was the first time I gave 5 units. I had gone to bed at 12:40am, which is a little early for me (it was a long day of running errands for my mother), and I was woken up at 2am to movement and went to pet Kit, but she bit my finger and didn't let go. I immediately knew something was wrong. When I got loose I bolted downstairs to get some karo syrup, but of course when I need it, I couldn't find the newer one, only saw an old one. I grabbed the pancake syrup instead and bolted back upstairs. While I was downstairs, she had fallen between the bed and the wall. I got her out, woke up my mother and we drove her to the emergency clinic. Her blood glucose was at 52, after we had given her some syrup. We don't have the money to keep her there until morning, so we had to take her home. I'm now watching her and feeding her every hour until the vet opens in roughly 2 1/2 hours. Then I'll have to go find an urgent care that accepts my insurance since my finger is swollen. I don't know if I'll check the message boards for comments on this for a while, I cry way too easily (I've actually cried over spilled milk) and I'm pretty emotional with my kittys poor health and lack of funds. I just wanted to stop in to say 'Hi' and share my story since I have a lot of time right now.
 
Welcome Swan and Kit,

Well, if you would like a support group that will help you with your insulin dosing, teach you how to test at home and answer any questions you have, you have landed in the right place. I am so sorry that you and Kit had a tough time and she landed in the ER. How frightening for everyone. If you want advice on what to do when she comes home, we will try to help.

As you have seen, vets are not experts in Feline Diabetes. They have to treat many species with various diseases so it is hard to keep current with everything. All we know is feline diabetes and there is a lot of collective wisdom here. We would love to help you help Kit.
 
Kit and Swan said:
Hello! My name is Charlotte (online I go by Swan, but I like everyone here, so call me what you will) and my diabetic kitty is Kit. She was diagnosed about a month ago after a lot of weight loss with excessive eating and diarrhea. The first week she had to stay at the vet all day which was pretty expensive considering I'm currently unemployed. When she finally got to stay home, the vet had me start her with 2 1/2 units of Prozinc twice a day, then moved to 3, and then eventually to 4. The vet tests her once a week, but never told me to get a glucometer, just to test glucose and ketones in her urine. All was going well, then last week the vet told me that since she had gained 7 ounces, to cut back on her food, which we had cut back on in the beginning. She was always hungry before we cut back, but after she was practically screaming at anyone when they entered the kitchen. It broke my heart not to feed her more. Yesterday, the vet told me that her levels were high but not sky-high and to up her insulin to 5 units. I was weary when I was told to go to 4, so 5 had me panicking a little on the inside, but I figured "He's the vet, he knows best". I give her the injections at 10:30, as I usually can't go to sleep until after 1, 2, or 3am. So last night was the first time I gave 5 units. I had gone to bed at 12:40am, which is a little early for me (it was a long day of running errands for my mother), and I was woken up at 2am to movement and went to pet Kit, but she bit my finger and didn't let go. I immediately knew something was wrong. When I got loose I bolted downstairs to get some karo syrup, but of course when I need it, I couldn't find the newer one, only saw an old one. I grabbed the pancake syrup instead and bolted back upstairs. While I was downstairs, she had fallen between the bed and the wall. I got her out, woke up my mother and we drove her to the emergency clinic. Her blood glucose was at 52, after we had given her some syrup. We don't have the money to keep her there until morning, so we had to take her home. I'm now watching her and feeding her every hour until the vet opens in roughly 2 1/2 hours. Then I'll have to go find an urgent care that accepts my insurance since my finger is swollen. I don't know if I'll check the message boards for comments on this for a while, I cry way too easily (I've actually cried over spilled milk) and I'm pretty emotional with my kittys poor health and lack of funds. I just wanted to stop in to say 'Hi' and share my story since I have a lot of time right now.
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I do get upset when I see yet another vet causing harm through a lack of knowledge and another person upset.

There are not many vets at all that know much about feline diabetes, and their actions and treatments prove it over and over.

I do hope that you return here and stay. It will be from this site that you will be able to learn how to care for Kit so that she gets back to her old self, and you won't need to waste all of your money at the vet. You can do what is needed at home, yourself. By home testing, you will know how a dose is working and when to change the dose so that you do not harm Kit.

With a diagnosis just a month ago, that dose is way too high, and I don't even know much about this insulin you use.
Rising from 2.5u dose to 5u dose, doubling it, is not good at all. I don't think I have seen many cats at that high of a dose without thinking they have an insulin resistance.

If you pick up a blood glucose meter at the pharmacy, Relion is the most economical and is also very good, you can test Kit's BG at home, and you will not have the expense of the vet. You can test Kit's BG and post here; I think by now, she may be OK but for sure don't give that high a dose until you know her numbers now.

I think your vet raised her dose too high and too fast, and likely based on testing BG at the vet, but those numbers are never natural. Because of stress alone, those numbers are pretty much skewed. One of my cats tests higher at the vet office, and the other actually tests lower. The numbers you get home are true as Kit's in her own home and relaxed.

The people in the PZI forum here can help you on the dose.

I don't know what you are feeding Kit, but giving less food is not the best action for a diabetic cat as they normally have difficulties extracting nutrients from food, plus that weight gain is likely a good thing because many diabetics lose weight before they are diagnosed.. putting a few ounces back on can be a good thing, and it's certainly a good sign.

I hope you get your fingered checked out, and if you can pick up the meter, people here can help you test Kit and keep her safe, truly safe.
 
Hi Swan & Kit, welcome!

I too get upset easily. Sometimes when I read post I will have tear streaming down my face. Your post brought tears to my eyes. Hugs to you on what you went through last night. :YMHUG: It is so scary. I have gone through a very similar situtation. When it happened to me I went out the next day & purchase a meter from Walmart called Relion Confirm. I started posting on here & testing Baxter BG throughout the day & recording. I would suggest you do the same thing. You don't want to live another night like last night. Sorry to say, but some vets are wrong. They are wrong about dosing & diet for FD.
5 units of ProZinc is way to much. With insulin you have to take it slow. Kits BG is not going to accurate in a vets office. When a cat is stressed BG will be higher. When testing at home you will get more accurate numbers & you can dose from those numbers.

I use ProZinc & I want to invite you over to ProZinc support board. Everyone is amazing. You will learn so much about dosing. PLEASE join us there & let everyone help you, help Kit. :thumbup

Hope to see you in ProZinc!
Jenn & Baxter cat_pet_icon
 
Welcome! I was in a similar situation as you a few weeks ago, which is what brought me here. Hypos are SO scary. I have had several instances of this.

You came to the right place. These people are AWESOME! Definitely make sure to visit the PZI board, they have been a huge help to me.

Take care of yourself and keep posting. Everyone is here to help!
 
Hey guys, thank you so much! I managed to hold back on the tears while reading your responses. I'll be sure to check out the PZI forum. Kit is at the vet and they're keeping her there until 4. Her first readings after she was initially diagnosed were almost 600! At the emergency clinic, she was at 52. I'm on antibiotics for 7 days from the bite. I got a glucometer from Walgreens called "TRUEresult" since it's free after the mail-in rebate. The man working there said it was a good one and that the test strips were cheaper to another one. They didn't have Relion there, but looking online, the Relion test strips seem to be cheaper. I'm going to take a nap now before I have to pick Kit up. Once again, thank you guys!
 
I am so glad you are going to hometest. It will really help you see how the insulin is working, and how to adjust the dose. I don't know anything about your meter; ReliOn is only available at Walmart and yes, it definitely has the cheapest strips. Here are lots of links about hometesting - videos and ideas on how to get started: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287 If you have questions about anything, just ask.

We really like to start low and go slow with insulin. Usually we start on .5 or one unit twice daily, get tests in before every shot and then midcycle to see how it is working. If after a few days, it is not bringing down the numbers, we increase by .25 or .5 units. (Quite a different approach than your vet)

This document is too big to read at one setting, but it has lots of good info on ProZinc - how it is dosed etc. Sometimes it helps to print off sections that you want to reread. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32799

Keep reading and asking questions. We love to help diabetic kitties!
 
Hi,

If you can return the meter, don't know that you can, go get one of the ReliOns from Walmart. Even if you can't, send in your rebate and get your money back and still go get a ReliOn. I had a Walgreens meter, because I needed one in the middle of a hypo crisis when the vet didn't want me to be checking too. You will go through a TON of test strips in the next few weeks, and the Walgreens meter strips are 69.99 for 100. Relion the meter is 8.50 and 100 strips are around 36.00, you'll save so much money! Plus my walgreens meter read higher than the relion, checked it a couple times. And the relion lancet pen is much gentler and adjustable, the walgreens one is a beast!

Everyone here is so great, you're in for a ride but you're in the right place.

Cathy
 
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