NEW HERE-First post: Question

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Angie Mackay

Member Since 2020
Hi, I'm new here. You all seem so knowledgeable and I don't know even all the acronyms yet! :) Mizu was diagnosed a few months ago. I was wondering how long it takes the body to regulate to the insulin? He started with 2 units of ProZinc 2x/day, then after a phone consult with the vet (he did not go in to check levels as I believe he should have. That's what they initially told me was supposed to happen) after about a month, he was increased to 3 units. I'm still not seeing a difference with his water consumption and he continues to pee outside of the litter box. I see other people do BG testing with a glucometer. My vet did not advise that. Should I be doing that. HELP!
 
WELCOME TO FDMB! You have found the perfect place to help you help help Mizu

As you've been reading there are plenty of folks here to help you decipher the ins and outs of feline diabetes. you may want to start here:
Suggestions, Tech Support & Testing Area

That way you can set up your signature and most importantly spreadsheet. We all welcome and look forward to helping you.

Hang on for more replies we are all in this together...I know a little cliche but its true!;)
jeanne.:coffee:
 
Angie Mackay said:
Hi, I'm new here. You all seem so knowledgeable and I don't know even all the acronyms yet! :) Mizu was diagnosed a few months ago. I was wondering how long it takes the body to regulate to the insulin? He started with 2 units of ProZinc 2x/day, then after a phone consult with the vet (he did not go in to check levels as I believe he should have. That's what they initially told me was supposed to happen) after about a month, he was increased to 3 units. I'm still not seeing a difference with his water consumption and he continues to pee outside of the litter box. I see other people do BG testing with a glucometer. My vet did not advise that. Should I be doing that. HELP!
Click to expand...

The short answer is YES home testing is the ONLY way to keep your Mizu safe.
Most Vets tend towards the old adage that clients, wont or cant, test their cats. It also has the side benefits of collecting more $$$ from vet visits.

BTW I am no expert but starting out with 2 units they may have missed the correct dose. Increasing it with no home testing could be dangerous. I'm not trying to scare you. Lets see what others say ok?
 
Hello Angie, welcome to FDMB! So glad you're here to get Mizu help!

Kitty will not start showing improvement until they are on an appropriate amount of insulin. Too much or too little will keep him unable to utilize his food correctly and he will keeping having potty issues. 2 units was too high to start on, but at this point we need to be seeing his numbers before we can figure out if he needs more/less. The answer is usually less but we do have some high-dose kitties around here too. Home testing is going to get him on the right track. :)

Home testing does have a bit of a learning curve but is simple once you get the hang of it. Here is a link with all the info you need to know:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Once we start getting BG numbers written down, we can help you adjust the dose to what Mizu needs, then you'll start seeing improvement.
 
Hello and welcome -

I am new here too, still learning. We did get a home glucometer, our vet actually suggested it. Dora is not good at the vet and she certainly isn't good when vets try to draw blood. I'm struggling to find the right dosage for her, and I'm having trouble reaching the vet. She said she'd always be available on the app Airvet but it turns out I have to pay $50 per conversation to do that. She only works Thursday through Saturday.

Dora is on Lantus and she started at 1 unit twice a day and went to one unit once a day which I think may not be enough as her BG is high. However, since starting the insulin she has stopped being obsessed with drinking and has not peed on anything inappropriately. Having the glucometer has been comforting although it's not something Dora or we enjoy doing together!

Good luck - I think the earliest days are not supposed to be easy for us!
 
Dora the Explorer said:
I'm struggling to find the right dosage for her, and I'm having trouble reaching the vet. She said she'd always be available on the app Airvet but it turns out I have to pay $50 per conversation to do that. She only works Thursday through Saturday.
Click to expand...
We don't charge anything for our time and efforts and recommendations.. We're all volunteers here. The common thread is that we have all had a diabetic cat at some point.

If you do feel like supporting this site, there is an Amazon affiliate link at the top.
 
Angie Mackay said:
Well, my husband is also a diabetic and we have glucometers lying around. Perhaps I will one of his old ones.
Click to expand...
As long as you can get test strips for one of those old meters, and it doesn't take a huge blood drop for a test, you certainly could use one of your husband's old meters.

Anything more than about 0.5 microliters of blood can be difficult to get from a cat. Tiny ears and blood vessels, compared to a human. It can be done, some people do use meters that need 1 microliter or more of blood. But it's very frustrating to try and get that much blood from a cat's ear.

A meter that only needs 0.3 microliters of blood is easier to use.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top