Moxie sugarcat

[Hizzoze]

Hello all! Im just going to dive right into my kitty, Moxie's, story. She is 10 years old. Never had health issues until about 5 weeks ago, we noticed her peeing on the floor beside the litter boxes (that was the main clue). I also noticed she was eating a lot & drinking way more than usual. I called the vet asap, assuming it was a UTI. Vet did blood work and urine testing. Urine was OK but her blood work showed diabetes. Her BS was about 480. He gave her an antibiotic injection to prevent a uti bc of her high volume of urine output. And started her on insulin (pro zinc) .1 ml. We left the vet saddened, nervous and scared. My husband and I have been great w giving injections. She is a super sweet cat and isn't very skiddish. As long as she gets her treat after, she is perfectly fine. She returned to the vet every week for a glucose curve. Each week, he said her sugars weren't any better so he upped her insulin by 1 unit each time. We just picked her up yesterday from a glucose curve and it still isnt much lower. She is on .4 ml. She weighs 7.5 lbs. So NOW we change her diet. I didn't get to speak to the Vet yesterday. He was very busy, so the receptionist went over everything w us and said he'd give us a call in the next day or so to go over everything. He called this morning and we missed the call. Tried calling him back, but he left for the day. Anyway, He sent us home w Hills brand Rx diet for glucose and weight control. It is a hard food, which we have always used. (We used Purina indoor, until yesterday). Until Moxie was dx w diabetes, I had no idea how bad all this food is for cats. I have been wanting to switch to a canned/wet for for a few weeks now, but figured I'd bring it up to the vet if that time came. Like I said, we didnt get to ask about the wet food yet. But the msg he left said, he feels Moxie may be insulin resistant and this food he gave us should help. Him being a vet, wouldn't you think he knows that food is no good for cats, especially diabetics? I have a few friends that have/had diabetic cats and they all said they switched to canned/wet food and it helped immensely. Some even said their cat didn't even need insulin anymore. I feel like just switching to wet food anyway, but Idk bc of her insulin dose. We definitely dont want to mess w that. Does anyone have any input? I'm so worried about my girl. I really hope when I get to talk to the vet on Tuesday he says I can switch or atleast give it to her once a day. I'm so impatient. I can't believe she is diabetic. So odd how it just suddenly happens/becomes noticeable.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

And started her on insulin (pro zinc) .1 ml.

Do you mean 1 unit of ProZinc? The doses are expressed in units, not mL. The syringes for the insulin are calibrated in units.

She is on .4 ml.

The dose is now 4 x higher after only 5 weeks. That's a very fast rise in dose and the increases have been large. The recommended starting dose is 1 unit twice a day. Here at FDMB we recommend increasing by 0.25 units at a time so you don't zoom past what might be the good dose.

He sent us home w Hills brand Rx diet for glucose and weight control. It is a hard food, which we have always used. (We used Purina indoor, until yesterday)

The best food for diabetic cats is canned low carb food. Many people here feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates (no sauce or gravy types - too high in carbs). Almost every type of kibble, including those sold as prescription diets for diabetic cats, are far too high in carbs. It's very likely that a switch to all low carb wet food would reduce your kitty's need for insulin. That transition can be risky if you're not testing blood glucose at home to know if Moxie's blood glucose drops a lot.

We can help you to help Moxie.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Welcome Moxie and her Mum!
Are you home testing? It's the best tool in our FD kitty tool belts This is the spreadsheet we use to track BG's (blood glucose) numbers, just need a google e-mail and if you need help setting it up just ask! http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

Usually we refer to insulin dose in terms of Units, so I think 0.4ml is 4.0U which is a higher dose with just having started 5 weeks ago. How much did the Vet increase dose by? We prefer to increase in small increments 0.25U or 0.5U. High chance Moxie's ideal dose was skipped. Whole unit increases work better for people.

Also, prescription food is totally not necessary. It's expensive and the dry food, and some of the wet foods, are still too high in carbs for diabetic kitties. Most of us use Friskies (non indoor formula) or Fancy Feast pate. If my memory is working, I think Hills Rx diet is like 20%+ carb content. Ideally, you want to get them on 100% wet food. If your Moxie doesn't take to it there are 3 other options for dry food. I would reinforce to be home testing if you make a diet switch with current dose.

Patience pants are complimentary here, the sugar dance is a marathon, not a sprint .

If you could set up your Signature with some of the listed basic information it will be super helpful for when other members chime in. Also helps those of us with bad memories : http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/
Lastly, I like to give this to new members and hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Feel free to ask any questions!

 

[Meridith and Zeke]

Him being a vet, wouldn't you think he knows that food is no good for cats, especially diabetics?

From my experience and even more so lately, many vets seem to be looking more at their bottom line. Our Zeke a couple years ago had 2 bouts of urinary crystals. The vet should have said then that he needed to be on wet to put a stop to it, but he wanted me to purchase the bag of hills prescription instead. The vet who diagnosed Zeke with diabetes said go ahead and reuse needles several times and strongly advised against testing at home. There are too few really good vets who care more about the animals and less about the profit.

 

[Hizzoze]

Hello all! Im just going to dive right into my kitty, Moxie's, story. She is 10 years old. Never had health issues until about 5 weeks ago, we noticed her peeing on the floor beside the litter boxes (that was the main clue). I also noticed she was eating a lot & drinking way more than usual. I called the vet asap, assuming it was a UTI. Vet did blood work and urine testing. Urine was OK but her blood work showed diabetes. Her BS was about 480. He gave her an antibiotic injection to prevent a uti bc of her high volume of urine output. And started her on insulin (pro zinc) .1 ml. We left the vet saddened, nervous and scared. My husband and I have been great w giving injections. She is a super sweet cat and isn't very skiddish. As long as she gets her treat after, she is perfectly fine. She returned to the vet every week for a glucose curve. Each week, he said her sugars weren't any better so he upped her insulin by 1 unit each time. We just picked her up yesterday from a glucose curve and it still isnt much lower. She is on .4 ml. She weighs 7.5 lbs. So NOW we change her diet. I didn't get to speak to the Vet yesterday. He was very busy, so the receptionist went over everything w us and said he'd give us a call in the next day or so to go over everything. He called this morning and we missed the call. Tried calling him back, but he left for the day. Anyway, He sent us home w Hills brand Rx diet for glucose and weight control. It is a hard food, which we have always used. (We used Purina indoor, until yesterday). Until Moxie was dx w diabetes, I had no idea how bad all this food is for cats. I have been wanting to switch to a canned/wet for for a few weeks now, but figured I'd bring it up to the vet if that time came. Like I said, we didnt get to ask about the wet food yet. But the msg he left said, he feels Moxie may be insulin resistant and this food he gave us should help. Him being a vet, wouldn't you think he knows that food is no good for cats, especially diabetics? I have a few friends that have/had diabetic cats and they all said they switched to canned/wet food and it helped immensely. Some even said their cat didn't even need insulin anymore. I feel like just switching to wet food anyway, but Idk bc of her insulin dose. We definitely dont want to mess w that. Does anyone have any input? I'm so worried about my girl. I really hope when I get to talk to the vet on Tuesday he says I can switch or atleast give it to her once a day. I'm so impatient. I can't believe she is diabetic. So odd how it just suddenly happens/becomes noticeable.

Do you mean 1 unit of ProZinc? The doses are expressed in units, not mL. The syringes for the insulin are calibrated in units.


The dose is now 4 x higher after only 5 weeks. That's a very fast rise in dose and the increases have been large. The recommended starting dose is 1 unit twice a day. Here at FDMB we recommend increasing by 0.25 units at a time so you don't zoom past what might be the good dose.


The best food for diabetic cats is canned low carb food. Many people here feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates (no sauce or gravy types - too high in carbs). Almost every type of kibble, including those sold as prescription diets for diabetic cats, are far too high in carbs. It's very likely that a switch to all low carb wet food would reduce your kitty's need for insulin. That transition can be risky if you're not testing blood glucose at home to know if Moxie's blood glucose drops a lot.

We can help you to help Moxie.

Do you mean 1 unit of ProZinc? The doses are expressed in units, not mL. The syringes for the insulin are calibrated in units.


The dose is now 4 x higher after only 5 weeks. That's a very fast rise in dose and the increases have been large. The recommended starting dose is 1 unit twice a day. Here at FDMB we recommend increasing by 0.25 units at a time so you don't zoom past what might be the good dose.


The best food for diabetic cats is canned low carb food. Many people here feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates (no sauce or gravy types - too high in carbs). Almost every type of kibble, including those sold as prescription diets for diabetic cats, are far too high in carbs. It's very likely that a switch to all low carb wet food would reduce your kitty's need for insulin. That transition can be risky if you're not testing blood glucose at home to know if Moxie's blood glucose drops a lot.

We can help you to help Moxie.

From my experience and even more so lately, many vets seem to be looking more at their bottom line. Our Zeke a couple years ago had 2 bouts of urinary crystals. The vet should have said then that he needed to be on wet to put a stop to it, but he wanted me to purchase the bag of hills prescription instead. The vet who diagnosed Zeke with diabetes said go ahead and reuse needles several times and strongly advised against testing at home. There are too few really good vets who care more about the animals and less about the profit.

From my experience and even more so lately, many vets seem to be looking more at their bottom line. Our Zeke a couple years ago had 2 bouts of urinary crystals. The vet should have said then that he needed to be on wet to put a stop to it, but he wanted me to purchase the bag of hills prescription instead. The vet who diagnosed Zeke with diabetes said go ahead and reuse needles several times and strongly advised against testing at home. There are too few really good vets who care more about the animals and less about the profit.

Do you mean 1 unit of ProZinc? The doses are expressed in units, not mL. The syringes for the insulin are calibrated in units.


The dose is now 4 x higher after only 5 weeks. That's a very fast rise in dose and the increases have been large. The recommended starting dose is 1 unit twice a day. Here at FDMB we recommend increasing by 0.25 units at a time so you don't zoom past what might be the good dose.


The best food for diabetic cats is canned low carb food. Many people here feed Friskies or Fancy Feast pates (no sauce or gravy types - too high in carbs). Almost every type of kibble, including those sold as prescription diets for diabetic cats, are far too high in carbs. It's very likely that a switch to all low carb wet food would reduce your kitty's need for insulin. That transition can be risky if you're not testing blood glucose at home to know if Moxie's blood glucose drops a lot.

We can help you to help Moxie.

Thank you so much for the reply. She was started on 1 unit of prozinc. She is now on 4 units. She gets a dose every 12 hrs. We use the U-40 syring.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

That's a high dose for a newly diagnosed kitty. Too much insulin can actually cause the body to overreact in a way that raises the blood glucose to high numbers. It's a protective response that we call "bouncing". High carb dry food can also raise blood glucose and some kitties are more carb sensitive than others.

 

[Hizzoze]

I really would love to run all this by our Vet. I can honestly say, he is a great one. I never feel as though he is out to just make profit. Except w the Hills food (48$ for an 8 lb bag) yikes!! I dont want him to feel as though I think I know more than he does. We have 4 other kitties. And I'd love to just change all of their food to canned. I think it would do them all a world of difference in health. I found some grain free on chewy dot com.
We have not yet started testing her BS at home yet. I always have been one to follow the Dr orders. I do trust him. But I feel as though Moxie should definitely be on a different food. I am calling the office first thing Tues morning and leaving a msg for him to call me back. I am just hoping he works with me and does not dismiss my thinking completely.
I appreciate everyones input! So much.

 

[Meridith and Zeke]

We have not yet started testing her BS at home yet. I always have been one to follow the Dr orders. I do trust him

I have seen it explained this way and after reading everything on here. If a person, child or even baby has diabetes, you wouldn't dare give insulin without testing first, so why would you dose your furrbaby without testing? Just taking ur baby to the vet causes higher then normal bg readings because of stress. Your baby is much safer if you test at home. I wish I had started sooner.

I think too many vets think weekly testing in their office is enough. But then I also will not trust any vet that dismisses any input I have when carrying for my furrbabies.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Your getting great advice... I just wanted to say I love the name!!
Welcome to lots of experience and help from very wise people......

 

[Kris & Teasel]

My vet is great, likes to work collaboratively with her clients and is better versed in FD than many. She told me up front to switch to a canned low carb food when my guy was diagnosed over a year ago. She wanted me to home test so I could do a blood glucose curve for her weekly. I trusted her and followed that advice for many months but got nowhere. It was only when I came here to FDMB, began testing in the way that's recommended here, set up the spreadsheet used here and saw my cat's responses to insulin that I understood why I was getting nowhere. I've learned a lot about him as a diabetic (extremely unpredictable) but feel much more able to manage his FD. I told my vet that I was deviating from her advice, explained what I was doing and she's completely on board.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

In addition to 4.0U being a high dose after just five weeks, you are still only being told to dose once a day? Prozinc is a long-lasting insulin but that means an average of like 12 hours. I do hope your Vet agrees to work with you and not penalize you for doing some of your own reading. While the majority of us are not Veterinarian's, this is a collaborative group of personal experiences, members who live and breathe feline diabetes 24/7. We're not strictly a social forum

 

[GinnyBarr]

Hello all! Im just going to dive right into my kitty, Moxie's, story. She is 10 years old. Never had health issues until about 5 weeks ago, we noticed her peeing on the floor beside the litter boxes (that was the main clue). I also noticed she was eating a lot & drinking way more than usual. I called the vet asap, assuming it was a UTI. Vet did blood work and urine testing. Urine was OK but her blood work showed diabetes. Her BS was about 480. He gave her an antibiotic injection to prevent a uti bc of her high volume of urine output. And started her on insulin (pro zinc) .1 ml. We left the vet saddened, nervous and scared. My husband and I have been great w giving injections. She is a super sweet cat and isn't very skiddish. As long as she gets her treat after, she is perfectly fine. She returned to the vet every week for a glucose curve. Each week, he said her sugars weren't any better so he upped her insulin by 1 unit each time. We just picked her up yesterday from a glucose curve and it still isnt much lower. She is on .4 ml. She weighs 7.5 lbs. So NOW we change her diet. I didn't get to speak to the Vet yesterday. He was very busy, so the receptionist went over everything w us and said he'd give us a call in the next day or so to go over everything. He called this morning and we missed the call. Tried calling him back, but he left for the day. Anyway, He sent us home w Hills brand Rx diet for glucose and weight control. It is a hard food, which we have always used. (We used Purina indoor, until yesterday). Until Moxie was dx w diabetes, I had no idea how bad all this food is for cats. I have been wanting to switch to a canned/wet for for a few weeks now, but figured I'd bring it up to the vet if that time came. Like I said, we didnt get to ask about the wet food yet. But the msg he left said, he feels Moxie may be insulin resistant and this food he gave us should help. Him being a vet, wouldn't you think he knows that food is no good for cats, especially diabetics? I have a few friends that have/had diabetic cats and they all said they switched to canned/wet food and it helped immensely. Some even said their cat didn't even need insulin anymore. I feel like just switching to wet food anyway, but Idk bc of her insulin dose. We definitely dont want to mess w that. Does anyone have any input? I'm so worried about my girl. I really hope when I get to talk to the vet on Tuesday he says I can switch or atleast give it to her once a day. I'm so impatient. I can't believe she is diabetic. So odd how it just suddenly happens/becomes noticeable.

If and when you do switch to wet food, the dose will probably be way too high. My cat went from 460-200 with just food. Had I given her the dose the Dr said to give, she'd probably be dead. Please be careful.

 

[JanetNJ]

welcome to the boards! I agree with the others that 4 units is an extremely high dose for a newly diagnosed cat. If we could encourage you to test at home and lower the dose for a while there is a good chance you will see that 4 units is not needed. Most never need more than 2 or 3... some not even that.

 

[Hizzoze]

In addition to 4.0U being a high dose after just five weeks, you are still only being told to dose once a day? Prozinc is a long-lasting insulin but that means an average of like 12 hours. I do hope your Vet agrees to work with you and not penalize you for doing some of your own reading. While the majority of us are not Veterinarian's, this is a collaborative group of personal experiences, members who live and breathe feline diabetes 24/7. We're not strictly a social forum

We give her insulin every 12 hrs (2x a day). Her numbers have barely budged since she was DX. I think that is why he upped her dose a whole unit each time? Idk. Hopefully I can get more info from him Tuesday.

 

[Hizzoze]

My husband thinks Im being totally ridiculous. He thinks I should just do what the vet says and not mess w it. He also told me to stop doing research bc it will just drive me more crazy. So aggravating. But anyway, I appreciate all of your input. I will do my best to figure this out.

 

[JanetNJ]

My husband thinks Im being totally ridiculous. He thinks I should just do what the vet says and not mess w it. He also told me to stop doing research bc it will just drive me more crazy. So aggravating. But anyway, I appreciate all of your input. I will do my best to figure this out.

If you are willing to learn how to home test we can help you with that. I have a video in my signature showing how I test.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Yes! Do watch Janet's video. You'll see how simple it is. Even a fractious cat will learn to tolerate it over time so don't dismiss it because CC is so very patient.

 

[JanetNJ]

Yes! Do watch Janet's video. You'll see how simple it is. Even a fractious cat will learn to tolerate it over time so don't dismiss it because CC is so very patient.

The first two weeks she wasn't as cooperative. Lol. She soon came to associate testing with treats and attention.

 

[GinnyBarr]

My husband thinks Im being totally ridiculous. He thinks I should just do what the vet says and not mess w it. He also told me to stop doing research bc it will just drive me more crazy. So aggravating. But anyway, I appreciate all of your input. I will do my best to figure this out.

I have literally stopped asking my vet anything and she's actually really cool as far as encouraging me to home test, but she doesn't know an 8th as much as the ppl on here. And if you had a human baby, would you just do things without researching them? Everyone here is extremely helpful and all questions are good questions. Good luck with your baby.

 

[Hizzoze]

Hey all! Just an update...Moxie was on the Hills Rx hard food diet for 5 weeks. Had her back to the vet on Friday 6/30. Her numbers didnt change much at all, so she is now on 5 units of prozinc 2x a day. I talked to the vet about switching to wet food. He gave us the go ahead this time (I asked a few weeks back and he said it takes about a month or so to see a change in BG w the RX food, so he advised me to keep her on it until he could get a curve done in a few weeks). I asked if I should lower the insulin dose since the wet food has a much lower carb content. He said not to. That she was to still come in for a curve in 7-10 days. So, I mixed some of the Hills rx hard food w canned regular pate food, starting Friday eve. She loved it! She ate the mixture for about a day and a half. We ran out of the Hills, so I just gave her straight canned food. She was ok w it and ate. But I noticed the past 2-3 days she is not acting herself. Now she isnt into eating that much. She is more lethargic than before. I can just tell she is not feeling well. Although, even before she was DX back in April, I could tell she wasn't well. Before I started her on this canned food, she was still ravenous. She couldn't get enough food, it seemed. But now it's opposite. In less than a week she is not into food. Last night I skipped her shot all together. And this morning I gave her 4 units, not 5. Im assuming her BG is way too high or low. I am going to Walmart tonight to purchase a BG reader so I can check it at home. I want to trust my vet, that she will be OK for another few days, until she goes in for her curve, but I feel I need to be the one to do it. Poor cat has been laying in the weirdest places. On top of the AC vent. Behind the couch. She has never layed in either of those places before. I am so worried about her! My husband thinks Im nuts. But honestly, if I would lose my kitty bc I neglected to check her BS, I would never forgive myself! Wish me luck on checking her BG. I have never done that before!

 

[JanetNJ]

Hey all! Just an update...Moxie was on the Hills Rx hard food diet for 5 weeks. Had her back to the vet on Friday 6/30. Her numbers didnt change much at all, so she is now on 5 units of prozinc 2x a day. I talked to the vet about switching to wet food. He gave us the go ahead this time (I asked a few weeks back and he said it takes about a month or so to see a change in BG w the RX food, so he advised me to keep her on it until he could get a curve done in a few weeks). I asked if I should lower the insulin dose since the wet food has a much lower carb content. He said not to. That she was to still come in for a curve in 7-10 days. So, I mixed some of the Hills rx hard food w canned regular pate food, starting Friday eve. She loved it! She ate the mixture for about a day and a half. We ran out of the Hills, so I just gave her straight canned food. She was ok w it and ate. But I noticed the past 2-3 days she is not acting herself. Now she isnt into eating that much. She is more lethargic than before. I can just tell she is not feeling well. Although, even before she was DX back in April, I could tell she wasn't well. Before I started her on this canned food, she was still ravenous. She couldn't get enough food, it seemed. But now it's opposite. In less than a week she is not into food. Last night I skipped her shot all together. And this morning I gave her 4 units, not 5. Im assuming her BG is way too high or low. I am going to Walmart tonight to purchase a BG reader so I can check it at home. I want to trust my vet, that she will be OK for another few days, until she goes in for her curve, but I feel I need to be the one to do it. Poor cat has been laying in the weirdest places. On top of the AC vent. Behind the couch. She has never layed in either of those places before. I am so worried about her! My husband thinks Im nuts. But honestly, if I would lose my kitty bc I neglected to check her BS, I would never forgive myself! Wish me luck on checking her BG. I have never done that before!

Good plan getting a meter. Exactly what I was going to suggest. Honestly I think even 4 units is way too much.

 

[Hizzoze]

Good plan getting a meter. Exactly what I was going to suggest. Honestly I think even 4 units is way too much.

What meter do you recommend? Im going to Walmart

 

[JanetNJ]

What meter do you recommend? Im going to Walmart

If you want a human meter get

1. Relion micro or confirm
2. Box of 100 28 gauge lancets
3. Cotton Rounds
4. Neosporin ointment with pain relief
5. Extra test strips

You may want to get ketone testing strips as well

 

[Nancy & Cootie (GA)]

When you go to Walmart don't forget to also buy the test strips for the type of meter that you buy . I went thru lots of test strips in the beginning until I got comfortable with the testing process.

Be sure to check out JanetNJ's testing video that's in her signature. It will be very helpful!

 

[Hizzoze]

If you want a human meter get

1. Relion micro or confirm
2. Box of 100 28 gauge lancets
3. Cotton Rounds
4. Neosporin ointment with pain relief

You may want to get ketone testing strips as well

I got everything except the ketone strips. They were out! Thank you SO much. I actually pulled this reply up, right as I was wondering exactly what all I needed. I can't wait to try it. Moxie is pretty chill and she is definitely MY kitty. She has 4 humans to choose from, but she and I have a special bond. Her vet even sd she is pretty easy to test on. She doesn't even flinch. I will keep everyone updated on how the testing goes!

 

[JanetNJ]

I got everything except the ketone strips. They were out! Thank you SO much. I actually pulled this reply up, right as I was wondering exactly what all I needed. I can't wait to try it. Moxie is pretty chill and she is definitely MY kitty. She has 4 humans to choose from, but she and I have a special bond. Her vet even sd she is pretty easy to test on. She doesn't even flinch. I will keep everyone updated on how the testing goes!

Great. Sorry I forgot to suggest extra test strips. Did the meter come with some to get you started?

 

[Hizzoze]

Great. Sorry I forgot to suggest extra test strips. Did the meter come with some to get you started?

We bought strips. They are pricey! No wonder they are in a separate plastic container the store has to remove for you. I watched your video. Thank you for posting that! Huge help. I did a test on Moxie and it bled a lot, so I got a good amt of blood. She moved her head so it was more like a cut than a puncture. Her Bg was 351!!!! Ahhh! But when she was first dx it was over 500. I only got 20 test strips. They are going to go fast! I feel so bad for her. Wish there was a way for me to just make her blood sugar normal. Thank you x10000 for all your input!

 

[JanetNJ]

We bought strips. They are pricey! No wonder they are in a separate plastic container the store has to remove for you. I watched your video. Thank you for posting that! Huge help. I did a test on Moxie and it bled a lot, so I got a good amt of blood. She moved her head so it was more like a cut than a puncture. Her Bg was 351!!!! Ahhh! But when she was first dx it was over 500. I only got 20 test strips. They are going to go fast! I feel so bad for her. Wish there was a way for me to just make her blood sugar normal. Thank you x10000 for all your input!

Usually the extra test strips come in a box of 50 for $20 or box of 100 for $36

You must have knicked the vein when she moved her head. Normally it's just a tiny drop. 351 isn't unusual at all. pretty much what I would expect from a newly diagnosed cat. I didn't start getting preshots in the 200's until about 10 weeks into it. It's a marathon... You'll get there.

 

[Hizzoze]

Usually the extra test strips come in a box of 50 for $20 or box of 100 for $36

You must have knicked the vein when she moved her head. Normally it's just a tiny drop. 351 isn't unusual at all. pretty much what I would expect from a newly diagnosed cat. I didn't start getting preshots in the 200's until about 10 weeks into it. It's a marathon... You'll get there.

I did read over the FAQ. But I didn't see whether or not I should test her an hour or so after she eats? I usually give her a shot at 8pm & 8am. She eats around 7:30. I know to check it before the shot. And I read to check it 4-6 hrs after. So would an hour after she eats even show much? I might be thinking of humans getting checked for diabetes. Haha. Idk why one hour after she eats is stuck in my head.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

I did read over the FAQ. But I didn't see whether or not I should test her an hour or so after she eats? I usually give her a shot at 8pm & 8am. She eats around 7:30. I know to check it before the shot. And I read to check it 4-6 hrs after. So would an hour after she eats even show much? I might be thinking of humans getting checked for diabetes. Haha. Idk why one hour after she eats is stuck in my head.

We often recommend testing 2 hours after the shot because that can give you a good idea of what might happen. If the number is quite a bit lower at +2 it can be a sign of an "active" cycle - ie., one where you'll want to test again at +4 and +6 to see if she's heading too low.

 

[Hizzoze]

We often recommend testing 2 hours after the shot because that can give you a good idea of what might happen. If the number is quite a bit lower at +2 it can be a sign of an "active" cycle - ie., one where you'll want to test again at +4 and +6 to see if she's heading too low.

Thank you! She ate all of her dinner. I gave her her a shot. I did 4.5u (vet has her on 5) but I think 5 is just too high. Especially with the way she acts an hour or so after her shots! So I will adjust dosage as needed. Vet went up 1 unit every 7-10 days for 5 weeks, after each of her curves. She is so tiny and this just scares me! Fingers crossed this works out in a few months or so! This group is amazing!

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Thank you! She ate all of her dinner. I gave her her a shot. I did 4.5u (vet has her on 5) but I think 5 is just too high. Especially with the way she acts an hour or so after her shots! So I will adjust dosage as needed. Vet went up 1 unit every 7-10 days for 5 weeks, after each of her curves. She is so tiny and this just scares me! Fingers crossed this works out in a few months or so! This group is amazing!

I agree that 5 u far is too high. Please test her at +2 even if it's a challenge to do so. As a new diabetic she should have started on 1 unit of ProZinc twice a day and we recommend increases of 0.25 u at a time, never a full unit.

 

[JanetNJ]

Thank you! She ate all of her dinner. I gave her her a shot. I did 4.5u (vet has her on 5) but I think 5 is just too high. Especially with the way she acts an hour or so after her shots! So I will adjust dosage as needed. Vet went up 1 unit every 7-10 days for 5 weeks, after each of her curves. She is so tiny and this just scares me! Fingers crossed this works out in a few months or so! This group is amazing!

I'd feel a lot better if you were doing just 1 or 2 units and then we can see if it needs to be slowly adjusted up. 5 units on a newly diagnosed cat is scary high.

 

[Hizzoze]

I'd feel a lot better if you were doing just 1 or 2 units and then we can see if it needs to be slowly adjusted up. 5 units on a newly diagnosed cat is scary high.

She did start off on 1 unit when she was first dx. She was on that for 10 days. Vet did a curve. 1 unit didnt seem to help so he upped it to 2. He just upped it one unit, every 7-10 days each time she went in for a curve. Would it be safe if I just took her back down to 1.5 or 2 units suddenly, from 5? Im going to check her glucose in about 30 mins, so I will see where she is at.

 

[JanetNJ]

She did start off on 1 unit when she was first dx. She was on that for 10 days. Vet did a curve. 1 unit didnt seem to help so he upped it to 2. He just upped it one unit, every 7-10 days each time she went in for a curve. Would it be safe if I just took her back down to 1.5 or 2 units suddenly, from 5? Im going to check her glucose in about 30 mins, so I will see where she is at.

Safe? Yes. Insulin is not a medication, it's a hormone. And with ProZinc it's totally out of the system after 10-12 hours. It's not something that needs to be weaned. The problem is sometimes too much insulin can look like not enough. When dosing is done in whole units is very possible the best dose was skipped.

 

[Hizzoze]

Safe? Yes. Insulin is not a medication, it's a hormone. And with ProZinc it's totally out of the system after 10-12 hours. It's not something that needs to be weaned. The problem is sometimes too much insulin can look like not enough. When dosing is done in whole units is very possible the best dose was skipped.

Ok, I did read about that and someone mentioned it on here before. That is a scary thought. This is where we are at now. Right before she ate, 2 hrs ago, she was at 315. I just tested her again and it was at 258. Should I test again in two more hours?

 

[JanetNJ]

Ok, I did read about that and someone mentioned it on here before. That is a scary thought. This is where we are at now. Right before she ate, 2 hrs ago, she was at 315. I just tested her again and it was at 258. Should I test again in two more hours?

If you're awake then, sure