Just looking for feedback

[Athenaglaukopis]

hey guys, just trying to figure out what is going on.

I have been reading a great deal of posts here and found it more valuable than any rushed info my vets have given me..., they just sold me an expired glucometer... by 2 years..yeah.

So fluffy was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with diabetes
Week one, while waiting for insulin to arrive, I changed her diet to wet fancy feast pate and noticed quickly that she was a bit more mobile, perkier, not drinking as much water as she was and peeing much less than the enourmous amounts she was peeing.
In one week she lost about a half a pound, (from 12 to 11.4) even though I would leave wet food out and she would eat it, she just managed to eat about 1 and 2/3 of fancy feast pate.

Last Friday, she started 1 unit twice a day of Prozinc. She was sleepy after the first few doses but now she is much perkier, her appetite is a bit increased, much more mobile and sassy! so now I’m feeding her two cans of fancy feast (she is a 12 pound kitty and she should be at 10 pnds), peeing is still reduced as in week 1, water intake still reduced as in week 1, she developed a hot spot for her calming collar so I’m using zymox for that, but I’ve noticed she gained weight, she is 12.2

What is going on?
Also how do I create a signature and a chart? Thank you!

Scared but trying to keep my cool for my fur baby

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Let's start here:

How to set up your signature (light grey text under a post):

• click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
• click on "signature" in the men that drops down
• type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using /glucose meter you're using/what he eats/any other meds or health issues he has.

Another thing that will help us help you now that you've started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. We can all see it and look at it before offering advice: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Your glucometer should be fine. it might need a new battery. The test strips, though, should be replaced if they're expired. What brand of meter is it?

Re appetite: diabetic cats are usually ravenous until the BG is under control. It's because they can't access the nutrients in their food well when they aren't at an optimal insulin dose. Let her eat low carb wet food - as much as she wants in multiple small meals a day.

 

[Tracey&Jones (GA)]

With FD the weight may fluctuate when first trying to get stabilized. That 12 to 11.4 was that on the same scale or a different one?

Does she have any other issues? How old is Fluffy?

A good rule of thumb for giving the right calories is # of lbs of ideal weight x 13.5 +70. So for 10 lbs x 13.5 = 135+70 = 210 calories. Depending on the calories per can but if it is around 90ish - then 2 and 1/3 can a day works for what she needs.

Kris beat me to the testing question..so won't hound you on that one.

 

[Athenaglaukopis]

The same scale.
Fluffy is 10 years old but no other issues that being a bit overweight, diabetes and bad teeth ( she has a genetic condition with her teeth, she is a lynx point Siamese, and has only 8 teeth remaining, we are waiting to stabilize her before doing any dental procedure , possibly 2 more extractions)
Haven’t started testing at home due to the bad strips they gave me, they will call me tomorrow to let me know when new ones come.
Her BG 2 weeks ago on the full blood panned was 600 and was starting to “flow over” into her urine. Also she is an extremely anxiety prone kitty when going to the vet ( which was. 30 min away), and she has been on the feliway spray, calming collar, hemp oil AND the meds to calm her down and she SPLIT her nails trying to open the carrier, a couple of bloody nails. I couldn’t open the carrier mid drive or it would have been worse, but we changed to a closer vet... the one with the expired strips...
I gave her as much as she wanted but I noticed that if I let her eat when she wanted then she wouldn’t eat enough for me to be comfortable with giving her insulin (she would eat a fourth of a 3 ounce can) so I read that was better to get her on a feeding schedule of two meals, each before her insulin., I would serve her 2/3 can at meal time and then I would let her eat the remaining part that was left out, by the time It got to the second feeding time she would be hungry again and we would do the meal and prozinc ( of course 12 hours, never before)

Why would her weight fluctuate? Is that a bad sign or a sign she is stabilizing?
Thank you for all the help. A month and a half ago I lost my oldest kitty, chewy. My other kitty is 11 and I adopted him when he was 1 and already FIV positive. Fluffy,s diabetes has me worried, I’m just scared to lose another baby.