New diagnosis need input

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mariana

Mariana

Member Since 2020
Hello, my Frankie (14 yo) was diagnosed on 9/25/20 (450 at vet) and started on 1 unit of Prozinc (every 12hrs) on 10/5. We had a follow up appointment yesterday at 10/12 where his level was at 451 (7hours after feeding and first shot). Vet upped it to 3units (every 12 hours) with the first shot being given this morning. I did a test 4hours later and he was at 471. Tonight Before dinner shot and 3 hours later is not much change, still very high. Is this normal?

I need some input regarding how long it will take for him to stabilize and if doing such a high dose right away is the correct route? I just started testing today as my vet did not even mention it and I asked to do it.

He is also sooo hungry all the time despite being fed around 350 calories of wellness wet cat food a day. Also drinking sooo much, primarily after dinner.

Thank you!
 
Mariana said:
Hello, my Frankie (14 yo) was diagnosed on 9/25/20 (450 at vet) and started on 1 unit of Prozinc (every 12hrs) on 10/5. We had a follow up appointment yesterday at 10/12 where his level was at 451 (7hours after feeding and first shot). Vet upped it to 3units (every 12 hours) with the first shot being given this morning. I did a test 4hours later and he was at 471. Tonight Before dinner shot and 3 hours later is not much change, still very high. Is this normal?

I need some input regarding how long it will take for him to stabilize and if doing such a high dose right away is the correct route? I just started testing today as my vet did not even mention it and I asked to do it.

He is also sooo hungry all the time despite being fed around 350 calories of wellness wet cat food a day. Also drinking sooo much, primarily after dinner.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Welcome! You are in the right place and many wonderful people will help you! Once Frankie gets regulated, you’ll see him drinking less. :)
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.
Jumping from 1 to 3 units is not a good idea. Am I understanding that Frankie only had one dose at 1 unit then went up to 3 units?
I am not a Prozinc user so can’t advise on dosing it but will tag @Panic to see if she can help you.

Unregulated diabetic cats will be very hungry as all the nutrients In the food are not getting into the cells to be used. If he is not overweight, let him eat more. This will improve as his numbers get better.
It can take a while to get a diabetic cat regulated. It doesn’t happen overnight and very few are regulated in the first month or two.

Keep asking questions and again welcome to you and Frankie!
 
Welcome to fdmb Mariana and Frankie we are glad you found us. Bravo you have already set up your signature and spreadsheet!
As youve already gathered theres a ton of information ere with good people to help you learn to navigate this disease.
I agree with Bron that jumping from 1 unit to 3 is a bit radical. The fact that youve taken it in your own hands to learn to home test Frankies Blood sugars is commendable. THIS one simple effort will be your greatest advantage. You are getting rue readings NOT vet stressed induced readings.

I'm tagging @JanetNJ to come help you with dosing. While waiting for her to come you can go here and start reading:
PROZINC DOSING METHODS

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY:bighug:
jeanne
 
Mariana said:
Thank you! I feel better already having been reading through the very many helpful posts. Just want my boy to feel better, I don’t know life without him!
Click to expand...
Hee hee Frankie is a handsome boy and from the looks of your Avatar, a very opinionated boy, that or hes just sleepy lol
 
Welcome Mariana!

I agree with Bron, cats are such little things, it does not take much for insulin to have a big effect. 0.25 unit increases over 3-7 days is the fastest we recommend. Jumping from 1 to 3 units can make things worse. A couple things:

Is Frankie underweight? New diabetics need double the amount of food as regular cats, more if underweight. 20 calories per lb of ideal body weight. Double it if he wants that much. More if underweight. They eat a LOT in the beginning and need it.

You can add water to his food, as much as he allows. I would run some water into the bowl before feeding, but my girl did not mind soupy food. Some cats will only tolerate a little.

Your Alphatrak meter is good but the strips are expensive ... most of us end up switching to a human meter due to cost. This website is formatted with human meters in mind unless otherwise stated. If you are in the US, the popular choice is the ReliOn Prime from Walmart - strips are $18 vs $50 for Alphatrak.

On Prozinc, I recommend multiple meals throughout the day ... a good starting guide might be food at +2, +4, and +6. Keep the bulk of the food to the first half of the cycle, as once the insulin is at its peak (and BG is at the lowest), more food will burn the remaining insulin up quickly so pre-shots will be higher. This applies to both morning and evening cycles ... food needs to be available at night! A Petsafe 5 autofeeder is a lifesaver for night time feedings and when you need to be out living you life, lol.

Get a test EVERY time before shooting. Any number under 150 should be skipped to start, ideally it should be over 200 since you are new.

If you can, a good guide for tests would be +2, +4, +6 one day and +3, +5, +7 the next. The reason for this is to fill in the gaps on your spreadsheet, so we can see Frankie's unique pattern and how we can help him. At night, a +2 and a "before bed" test are beneficial.

And personally I recommend putting him back on 1 unit until we can see how much he REALLY needs.
 
Panic said:
Welcome Mariana!

I agree with Bron, cats are such little things, it does not take much for insulin to have a big effect. 0.25 unit increases over 3-7 days is the fastest we recommend. Jumping from 1 to 3 units can make things worse. A couple things:

Is Frankie underweight? New diabetics need double the amount of food as regular cats, more if underweight. 20 calories per lb of ideal body weight. Double it if he wants that much. More if underweight. They eat a LOT in the beginning and need it.

You can add water to his food, as much as he allows. I would run some water into the bowl before feeding, but my girl did not mind soupy food. Some cats will only tolerate a little.

Your Alphatrak meter is good but the strips are expensive ... most of us end up switching to a human meter due to cost. This website is formatted with human meters in mind unless otherwise stated. If you are in the US, the popular choice is the ReliOn Prime from Walmart - strips are $18 vs $50 for Alphatrak.

On Prozinc, I recommend multiple meals throughout the day ... a good starting guide might be food at +2, +4, and +6. Keep the bulk of the food to the first half of the cycle, as once the insulin is at its peak (and BG is at the lowest), more food will burn the remaining insulin up quickly so pre-shots will be higher. This applies to both morning and evening cycles ... food needs to be available at night! A Petsafe 5 autofeeder is a lifesaver for night time feedings and when you need to be out living you life, lol.

Get a test EVERY time before shooting. Any number under 150 should be skipped to start, ideally it should be over 200 since you are new.

If you can, a good guide for tests would be +2, +4, +6 one day and +3, +5, +7 the next. The reason for this is to fill in the gaps on your spreadsheet, so we can see Frankie's unique pattern and how we can help him. At night, a +2 and a "before bed" test are beneficial.

And personally I recommend putting him back on 1 unit until we can see how much he REALLY needs.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much!! You have no idea how helpful all these posts are and it is really making me feel better. I did a preshoot this morning and he was at 399 so he is very high. After discussing with the hubby we are going to try to stick with the 3 units and keep monitoring to see what happens for a little while (more his idea than mine, hard for him to go against the vet). I have also upped his food and fed him this morning 2 hours post shoot, he is a very happy boy and doesn't mind it being soupy with the extra water.

One thing I have noticed is his belly seems quite big, the vet didn't seem to find any issue with it but it but it just looks bigger then usual, i don't know if that is because he lost weight and it just looks different than I'm used to. I hope its nothing.
 
Try to get some tests in today to make sure he's safe then. It's hard to convince yourselves NOT to follow vet's advice, because why wouldn't you? It's a shame really.

Cats with acromegaly get a "pot belly". We don't usually recommend testing for it until the cat is up to 6 units (and not by jumping the dose like your vet is having you do). I suppose you could test and rule if out though since you mentioned it. 1 in 4 diabetics end up being acro cats.
 
Frank has another appointment this Friday to check out his pot belly, I also noticed today that he is a bit wobbly on his hind legs so will get that also checked out. Vet upped the dosage to 6 units now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top