Bandit's Mom
Very Active Member
@Bron and Sheba (GA) hourly tests okay for now? Since he is over 100? And no insulin tomorrow morning?
I would keep up the half hourly at the moment because he is not eating, and the honey doesn’t last all that long and he could potentially keep dropping for several more hours if you look at how the cycle went yesterday....he did have less insulin today. But if we can keep ahead of any more drops it is much easier than having to deal with the drops and a cat that’s neauseated and not wanting to eat.@Bron and Sheba (GA) hourly tests okay for now? Since he is over 100? And no insulin tomorrow morning?
Thank you guys so much! I don't want to even think what could have happened if I didn't find this page.That sounds like a good plan.
You will need to keep testing at least for 12 hours after the dose because yesterday he was still dropping after 18 hours. Fortunately you gave him less insulin last night but even so he could still potentially keep dropping after 12hours.
The honey will only work for around 1 hour or sometimes a bit longer so be aware that the BG will drop again.
If he will eat anything that would be good.
Can you ask your husband to post the next test result do you think?
So ask the vet about the ketones at diagnosis and get a test done for ketones now. If we can eliminate them as being a problem that would be great. And if they are there, they need to be treated.
Also ask about the antinausea medications.
I’d also try and get some more canned food for him ....even a roast chicken ...the inside not the skin is tempting.
You have done a really good job looking after your boy!
Right, I forgot about the butt-dragging, I will add that! I have left a message for him to call me as well as sent him an email including the spread sheet link so I hope I can figure everything out, including keytonesGlad he's doing okay.
I hope the vet is able to clarify on ketones (whether they were present at diagnosis and another test now) and also why he is dragging his butt across the floor.
You have some sleep to catch up on! What a night it was for you!
Yes, not his normal food but he took a treat and more sardines! he also had enough energy to go to the top of his cat tree, which he hadn't been doing so I hope that is a good sign.How is he doing this morning? Is he showing interest in food?
Thank you so much!Welcome. Waving from Ontario.
If you end up needing vet recommendations, there are a number of Albertans here.
@Christie & Maverick
@Tracey&Jones (GA)
@AmandaE
@Abdullah
Glad he's doing okay.
I hope the vet is able to clarify on ketones (whether they were present at diagnosis and another test now) and also why he is dragging his butt across the floor.
You have some sleep to catch up on! What a night it was for you!
I would keep up the half hourly at the moment because he is not eating, and the honey doesn’t last all that long and he could potentially keep dropping for several more hours if you look at how the cycle went yesterday....he did have less insulin today. But if we can keep ahead of any more drops it is much easier than having to deal with the drops and a cat that’s neauseated and not wanting to eat.
No insulin in the morning.I would skip the dose.
Hey! I'm so sorry I'm seeing this so late, but rest assured you're in good hands with everyone that helped you out over the last little bit.
I'm in South Edmonton, I can help you out with anything you need or if you have any questions! Feel free to reach out and I can help guide you in the right direction, as the other members have![]()
Hello from west of Edmonton!
You can get ketodiastix instead of ketostix if you want too. I think I paid 8 bucks at rexall for them.
It was useful when Rhubarb's sugars were high to tell which urine was hers. I always had to dip in the litter- she got pretty sneaky with peeing lol.
Did your vet say if he was dehydrated? If he hasn't started eating on his own yet, you may want to think about syringe feeding. If your vet is still open, you can get a few cans of a/d or recovery. If not, pet valu has tiki cat mousse kitten that syringes well.
I would go out and buy the bottle of Ketostix from the pharmacy yourself and test the urine for ketones.
It is recommended that FD cats that are not regulated are tested fro ketones anyway. It is so much easier to manage a trace of ketones than find your kitty really sick with large ketones.
Yes, 1 unit twice a day is much better. Since you didn’t give any this morning you can pick the time that suits best. Is 8.30 am and pm the best times for you.
Always test the BG before you give the dose
For now, if he is below 11 (200). Stall, dont feed and test 20 mins later to see if the BG is rising. Post and ask for help change the subject line so we can see you need help. Eg AMPS XXX STALLING HELP. Then we know you need help now.
Once we get more data you can drop that preshot BG to 8.3 (150) for giving the dose and eventually even lower as more data is gathered. We can help you there.
So you test, feed and then give the shot in that order. A lot of us give the shot as they are eating.
Then try and get some tests in during the cycles. +2 and +4 and +6 for example. If the BG is rising after that, you can leave it until the next preshot.
Also do this in the PM cycle. If you need to do go to bed you can get a before bed test....do this every night. . If that is lower than the preshot number, I would set the alarm and test again a couple of hours later. You can leave food out for him at night.
Dont feed for the two hours preshot as we don’t want the BG to be food influenced.
Use the remarks column in the SS to add things like how is is...is he alert or lethargic. What he is eating and how much. Are his bowels normal etc. of you do this we can see hoe he is on any giving day and it is useful information for you looking back.
Did you ask about the antinausea medication?
Bron
With you being new to giving insulin, I am not comfortable advising you to shoot a low number. I am a little rusty, and don't have the protocols handy to paste here. There is also a rule here of sorts, that whoever suggests someone shoot their lowest number be available for advice for the duration- I am too rusty for that. Someone else can give you better advice. It almost seems like he hasn't hit nadir yet. That may mean he is still too high a dose.
You may want to look into an insulin ruler for your syringe type. You may have noticed they aren't all identical. Once I started using that, I found Rhubarb's sugars to be much more predictable.
A housekeeping thing- yesterday morning you put a cdn number on the US page- need to switch that over so it converts properly![]()
You will know he is on the right dose when he is in all normal numbers. Until then you just follow the dosing method.How will I know when he is on the right dose?
Has he used the litter box yet? Is it urine or bm that he is having issues with?
If it is urine, and he still hasn't gone, then you need to get him seen today, even if it means going to Guardian. If it is bm, give your vet a call to see if giving miralax is an option.
Was he strictly dry food before this? Rhubarb started getting constipated with the switch to wet. She also no longer drank water. I could always tell when she got into the dry food (before microchip feeder) by her drinking water haha
Okay thank you! I am not sure I can find syringes and insulin before 830pm tonight, which is making me nervous. I called the pharmacy by our house and they said for animals they require a prescription on file to be able to give to me the first time. I am still waiting for the vet to see if they can give it to me, but the lady at receptionist said they have been busy with emergencies today and will get the vet to call so here I set. Any suggestions on how I can get this last minute on a Sunday? Just to confirm, human lantus is the same as the stuff for cats, right?Charlene, you need to reduce the dose of insulin to 0.75 units immediately.......ie the next dose.
Please do not give 1 unit again as it is too much insulin for him.
You will need to get the U-100. 3/10 1/2 unit syringes today so you can give the next dose.
If you see a big drop at +2 like you did at +2.5 today you need to check again sooner than +5 as that drop at +2.5 is a big red flag that is telling you to test again in an hour and to give some food to try and stop the fast drop.
Charlene, you need to reduce the dose of insulin to 0.75 units immediately.......ie the next dose.
Please do not give 1 unit again as it is too much insulin for him.
You will need to get the U-100. 3/10 1/2 unit syringes today so you can give the next dose.
If you see a big drop at +2 like you did at +2.5 today you need to check again sooner than +5 as that drop at +2.5 is a big red flag that is telling you to test again in an hour and to give some food to try and stop the fast drop.
Yes, you draw the insulin from the insulin pen. Thee is a rubber stopper at one end and you put the needle into that.I just had a thought, I could go get the insulin syringes you referenced.....then could I draw it up from the lantus pen?? Is there anything wrong with doing it that way?
Okay thank you! Yes they will give me syringes no problem and i have the lantus pen so i think I am set! They just wanted the script to give me insulin to start the file i guess, it was frustrating trying to communicate the dire nature here. That diagram makes perfect sense, i am at the pharmacy now and will get the syringes you listed! Thank you!
Can you drive to the vet and ask for the vet to write a prescription for the syringes?
Or can you ask the pharmacy if they will accept a ‘script owing’ from the vet and you can collect some syringes today and give them the script tomorrow.
Surely the vet/ receptionist could ring through to the pharmacy and say they will send the script later but to give you the syringes.........it’s for a diabetic for goodness sake!
Make sure the syringes are the U-100 3/10 syringes.
If you are in the US Walmart has them.
The box of the syringes i have say:I posted images of the BD half unit syringes in your other thread. If the pharmacy does not have half unit syringes, you can use whole unit syringes and eyeball the dose.
The syringes must be 3/10 cc U100 syringes with a gauge around 30.
Yes!P
The box of the syringes i have say:
6mm
3/10ml
Doses up to 30 units
15/64" x31G
Is this the correct one?
Yes!
I would be very careful of stopping insulin altogether.
You run the risk of ketones developing when you stop insulin in a diabetic cat especially if the cat is not eating well.
Ketones can form when the cat is unable to use carbs as fuel so they start to use fat and the byproduct of that is ketones.
I don’t think Sir Thomas is ready to stop insulin.
You could have stalled and seen if the BG rose at all. Or you could have given a smaller dose.
I think the vet should have given you some antinausea medication so that Sir Thomas will eat.
Not giving insulin is not the solution. There are several smaller doses under 1 unit..... 0.75, 0.50, 0.25, 0.1, and a drop that you could have gone to if necessary.
If you are not going to give insulin ( and I don’t recommend that course of action at all) you need to go out now and buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy and test his urine at least once a day fo ketones. Ketones can form very quickly and lead on to DKA which is a very serious illness.
The recipe for DKA in diabetic cats is not enough insulin, not enough food and an infection or inflammation..... so you can see you will have 2 of the three ingredients necessary for ketones to form and go on to DKA. I don’t want to scare you but I don’t think your vet has much idea at all about treating diabetic cats to be honest.
please don’t just leave him until tomorrow at 2 pm without insulin and not eating much and think he will be fine.
Okay thank you so much, He did not get insulin last night because he was at 8, and then he was at 11 AMPS and the vet advised against so I got convinced by him. I will go back to what you say and start looking for a new vet who understands. So he has had no insulin last night or this morning. Should I start tonight again at .75 then?Looking at the SS I think he should be fine with 0.75 units which is the reduced dose he went down to yesterday, especially if he is eating better.
Don’t be talked into no insulin by the vet. sir Thomas definitely needs some.
please keep posting with updates. I am very concerned for him going without any insulin.
If you are unsure what to do re dose post and ask for help.
Okay thank you so much, He did not get insulin last night because he was at 8, and then he was at 11 AMPS and the vet advised against so I got convinced by him. I will go back to what you say and start looking for a new vet who understands. So he has had no insulin last night or this morning. Should I start tonight again at .75 then?
Let’s see what he is at PMPS but looking at the SS he has had 3 skips in the last three days and 1 unit on the other cycles and he had a drop to 1.9 (34) , so I think the best dose to go to might be 0.5 unit each cycle and see if that keeps him in good numbers.Okay thank you so much, He did not get insulin last night because he was at 8, and then he was at 11 AMPS and the vet advised against so I got convinced by him. I will go back to what you say and start looking for a new vet who understands. So he has had no insulin last night or this morning. Should I start tonight again at .75 then?
ok! Negative for keytones so far as per my hometest; going to get the PMPS nowLet’s see what he is at PMPS but looking at the SS he has had 3 skips in the last three days and 1 unit on the other cycles and he had a drop to 1.9 (34) , so I think the best dose to go to might be 0.5 unit each cycle and see if that keeps him in good numbers.
Can you tell me how many hours until PMPS please?
Have you managed to check the urine for ketones?
Yes give the 0.5 units. The dose is based on the nadir or lowest point, not the preshot numberJust did his BG it 18.2. He went to the vet at 2pm if that effects numbers? Have not shot the 0.5 unit, waiting on your go ahead!
Edit: He seems to be eating better today. Unfortunately, I had to send my husband to take him to the vet as I had a medical appointment. he said he was not dehydrated which is great. He did not get the appetite stimulant shot (husband forgot to advocate because he said it was quite a rushed appointment. Vet said, sometimes insulin "Kick starts" and goes into remission and he thinks that happened with the insulin and to stop.
I’m glad he’s eating better today.Just did his BG it 18.2. He went to the vet at 2pm if that effects numbers? Have not shot the 0.5 unit, waiting on your go ahead!
Edit: He seems to be eating better today. Unfortunately, I had to send my husband to take him to the vet as I had a medical appointment. he said he was not dehydrated which is great. He did not get the appetite stimulant shot (husband forgot to advocate because he said it was quite a rushed appointment. Vet said, sometimes insulin "Kick starts" and goes into remission and he thinks that happened with the insulin and to stop.
Yes give the 0.5 units. The dose is based on the nadir or lowest point, not the preshot number