Kitty started PZI Friday--seeking input

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kse

kse

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Good Morning!

Kitty started PZI Friday. She is receiving 2 units once a day--I know from discussions on the board Friday, that PZI should probably be dosed twice daily--but for now the Vet has asked to start with this. Kitty goes back this week for a glucose curve on Friday--and the Vet says she will probably go to twice a day dosing.

I also have started a low carb diet---though she was eating FF before dx--I just was not seletive. So,the diet might help some--but probably not a lot.

I purchased an accu check meter and have tested Kitty at home over the weekend. I am using 33 guage lancets and having A LOT of trouble getting blood. I have tried the heated rice in the sock, rubbing the ear,etc--but am having a tough time. Are the lancets too small? Any suggestions?

Here are Kitty's numbers as I know them:

Friday PSAM 415
+5 361
+11 205
No Testing Friday night

Saturday PSAM 385
+4 345
+11 200

Sunday PSAM 395
+6 310
+12 195

Monday PSAM 385

This is the best I could do with the testing--I assume I need to check at night to see how low it goes and how quick it goes up (but I wasn't available this weekend to check it).

Comments regarding the numbers...bad..okay??? Obviously not optimal. Does this look like a good response to the insulin?

Kitty doesn't seem to be drinking or urinating as much as last week---would these number relieve any of her symptoms?

I am sorry for rambling--just looking some feedback.

Thanks to all!



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Since I don't know your insulin I can't be much help with dosing, except the same as what you have already gleaned from the board that it really should be given twice daily.

From what I have seen so far on your testing, it looks pretty normal for a cat that is fairly newly dxed. Once you go to giving shots twice a day you will probably see those numbers smooth out some.

Starting Kitty on a carefully chosen low carb diet may help more than you think. I have seen cats drop dramatically once the diet is completely low carb. My Max went from being 485 when dxed to off insulin within about 2 weeks, with diet change. Now not every cat does that but many do. And really Kitty's numbers aren't that high.

Couple of things on getting enough blood, if you feel like the lancets are too small, you can try doing a double poke in the same spot, sometimes that helps widen the hole a little.

I also found that when I first started testing Max, if I aimed for the thicker part of the ear just above the double little trianglular flap I had been success.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang.
 
I agree with Mel that double poking will help. You could also get a bigger lancet that will make a bigger hole - say 25 or 26 gauge.

Your numbers are not bad - especially since she is only getting the insulin once daily. I imagine if you divide the dose in half and give the shots twice daily, your numbers would go down and level out. And remember the numbers the vet gets for their curve should be compared with your numbers at home. Stress raises bg levels and cats are usually very stressed at the vets. I would very concerned if they would get higher numbers and increase the dose. Giving a larger amount of insulin once a day may mean a very low number in the am cycle.

I know it is hard to hear advice different than your vet. All I can say is that everyone here has or had a diabetic cat and is treating them very successfully. Although every cat is different, our Oliver was on PZI. We dosed twice daily, changed the diet and he was completely off insulin in 6 months.

You might take a look at the spreadsheets of people on the PZI forum and see how they dose their cats, and how it is working. viewforum.php?f=24
 
I viewed the PZI forum...

and have seen the success that people are having with PZI. It appears Max had a Great weekend!

Hopefully on Friday the Vet will have more direction--I think she will encourage me to dose twice daily for better control. Kitty is 15.5 years old and has lost weight with the diabetes--- I really hope to see her "bulk" back up. She is continuing to eat A lot!

I welcome all comments, as I know you all are hands on "experts".

Thanks!
 
Have you tried putting a tiny smear of vaseline where you are going to poke? It will help the blood bead up.

Do you feed twice a day? It often works well to spread the food out during the day into several small meals. That supports the pancreas and helps with the ravenous cat. How much do you feed? We gave Oliver 3 cans of FF daily when he was regulated, and then cut back to 2 when things calmed down.

Glad you are "lurking" and checking things out over on PZI. Feel free to post there too!
 
I feed around 7 am and around 5 pm 1 can of FF. But, I also feed throughout the day when I am home and leave a can of FF down for "grazing".

She easily eats 3 cans of FF a day.

I will try the vaseline tonight and see if that help with the blood. This moring, I actully had a nurse friend come over and she drew the blood out of her leg!

Thanks again!
 
I would definitely get some different lancets. The 33 gauge is too fine for many that have been testing awhile. I use a 30 gauge and find that it does the trick most of the time. A 26-28 would probably be good starting place for you!

Warm ears definitely help as well!

Good luck!
 
I haven't started a spreadsheet, but this morning Kitty's PSAM was 377. Each day since she started the PZI on Friday, her PSAM has dropped a few points. Is this just happening, luck, or is this a positive response to the insulin in her body?

She seems to be following a definite curve between 380 and 200.

Thanks for all of the advise!
 
Yes, a lower amps and pmps daily is a great sign.

Do you need help with the spreadsheet? Just send me a pm and I will help you set it up.
 
So, what I see on your spreadsheet is a very good response to insulin. That 195 at pmps is very promising and if you were giving insulin twice daily, we would encourage you to lower the dose a little so you would have a shootable number in the evening.

She is not incredibly high in the morning. But with twice daily doses, she should be down in better numbers in the am and pm. (You would divide the 2 units into one unit in the am and one unit in the pm.)

We will continue to nag :mrgreen: , but understand your vet wants to wait awhile before giving doses twice daily. I hope he hurries up and decides to try it.
 
Hello and welcome. Not sure if you were referring to my Max in PZI, but he did have great numbers over the weekend. I honestly owe it all to this forum and the great advice and encouragement I have received. I'm a newbie and can't tell you how overwhelmed I was when Max was first diagnosed. The biggest difference for him has been the change in diet. First, we went off the dry high carb food (had no idea it was so high in carbs). For a couple weeks, I fed Max a mix of dry M/D recommended by my vet and the low carb wet recommended here. Max really turned a corner though when we went to only low carb wet. I was uncertain at first about changing the diet from what the vet recommended, but it has sure paid off. I had a really difficult time testing and getting blood from Max's ear too. Sometimes I had to poke 3 or 4 time before I got anything, and I still need someone to help keep him still. It does get easier to test, which was hard for me to believe at first. The hints above from others helped me: warming the ear and rubbing (rubbing in one direction gently base to tip, logical, but I was just giving a rub until I saw a youtube how to...doh!). Good luck and can't wait to hear how Kitty is doing.
 
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