New here please help

Sudio3

Sudio3

Member
Hello,
I’m new here. I wrote the background here and my question at the bottom in case you want to skip the background info. Thank you so much.

I have an older cat who was diagnosed with diabetes the end of November. He started on 2 unit of Prozinc but long story short went down incrementally to .5 and then went into remission and went off insulin. Maybe 3 weeks later his sugar went high again and he went back on insulin I think at .5 then maybe up to 1 then into remission for only a few days then back on at .5 then incrementally up to 2 which he is on now. I think he was on too low of a dose for two weeks as doctor wanted to give him a full week on each dose before we upped it but he was drinking a lot of water and didn’t seem to feel great. We are also pretty sure he has FIV so has a compromised immune system. Once we upped it to 2 he started to have a drippy eye which was squinty and then it transferred to his other eye. He’s now on drops for this. He also just developed this awful cough that seems to be getting worse and now sounds like it’s in his lungs when he breathes. A couple of times he cough so hard he threw up a ton. He looks so terrible. I’m thinking having his sugar high for so long comprised his immune system further and now he’s having these other problems? We just started home testing with alaphatrak 2. Before we were just dealing with the vet which was difficult.

*My real question is he looks so not well right now. We tested his BG and it was 350 3.5 hours BEFORE he’s suppose to get his nightly shot. Should we give him his insulin early or still wait until the 12 hour mark? Usually right before we give him his insulin his BG has been around 330. We raised the dose to 2 units 3 days ago. We’re still learning about home testing and will try to get his nadir number tomorrow. I’m wondering if he needs his dose upped? He just looks so terrible right now. Thank you so much!!
 
Is he on antibiotics for his upper respiratory infection? Have you seen the vet about it? Uri can be deadly if not treated.
 
Welcome! You've come to the right place for help. :)

Sudio3 said:
He started on 2 unit of Prozinc but long story short went down incrementally to .5 and then went into remission and went off insulin. Maybe 3 weeks later his sugar went high again and he went back on insulin I think at .5 then maybe up to 1 then into remission for only a few days then back on at .5 then incrementally up to 2 which he is on now.
Click to expand...
We would have to know more about this. Usually a remission isn't on and off like this over a few weeks. Cats can go into remission and go back to needing insulin but it's usually more gradual. How did your vet define remission?

Sudio3 said:
We are also pretty sure he has FIV so has a compromised immune system. Once we upped it to 2 he started to have a drippy eye which was squinty and then it transferred to his other eye. He’s now on drops for this. He also just developed this awful cough that seems to be getting worse and now sounds like it’s in his lungs when he breathes. A couple of times he cough so hard he threw up a ton. He looks so terrible.
Click to expand...
The health problems can definitely have a BG raising effect and can also make it harder to get him regulated in a good BG range. Is he being treated?

Sudio3 said:
We just started home testing with alaphatrak 2.
Click to expand...
This is the essential thing you need to do to keep your kitty safe and get his BG regulated. Here's the basic testing routine we recommend:
  1. test every day AM and PM before feeding and injecting (no food at least 2 hours before) to see if the planned dose is safe
  2. test at least once near mid cycle or at bedtime daily to see how low the BG goes
  3. do extra tests on days off to fill in the response picture
  4. if indicated by consistently high numbers on your spreadsheet, increase the dose by no more than 0.25 u at a time so you don't accidentally go right past a good dose
  5. post here for advice whenever you're confused or unsure of what to do.
This is useful: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Sudio3 said:
Should we give him his insulin early or still wait until the 12 hour mark?
Click to expand...
It's best to wait until the 12 hour mark. You don't want doses to overlap. That can have unexpected effects on BG.

Here are some other things you can do so we can help you better:
1. Set up your signature. Here's how:
  • 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.
2. Set up the spreadsheet we use here and enter any/all BG test numbers you have including vet curves. Use the "pet meter" version of the spreadsheet.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
 
Hi, and welcome! Kris has given you a ton of great information to get started, so I'll just say hello :)

It can feel like so much all at once when you're getting started, so please don't hesitate to ask questions, ask for clarification, or just vent. We have all been in the "getting started" phase at one point and are here to help!
 
Good morning! Kris has given you great info, so I too just wanted to say hi. This is always a tough learning curve, so please do feel free to post and ask any questions you have!
 
Djamila said:
Hi, and welcome! Kris has given you a ton of great information to get started, so I'll just say hello :)

It can feel like so much all at once when you're getting started, so please don't hesitate to ask questions, ask for clarification, or just vent. We have all been in the "getting started" phase at one point and are here to help!
Click to expand...
JanetNJ said:
Is he on antibiotics for his upper respiratory infection? Have you seen the vet about it? Uri can be deadly if not treated.
Click to expand...
I took him to the vet yesterday and they didn't find an infection in his lungs or anything, they took an X-ray, but they did give antibiotics anyway so he is on them now.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Welcome! You've come to the right place for help. :)


We would have to know more about this. Usually a remission isn't on and off like this over a few weeks. Cats can go into remission and go back to needing insulin but it's usually more gradual. How did your vet define remission?


The health problems can definitely have a BG raising effect and can also make it harder to get him regulated in a good BG range. Is he being treated?


This is the essential thing you need to do to keep your kitty safe and get his BG regulated. Here's the basic testing routine we recommend:
  1. test every day AM and PM before feeding and injecting (no food at least 2 hours before) to see if the planned dose is safe
  2. test at least once near mid cycle or at bedtime daily to see how low the BG goes
  3. do extra tests on days off to fill in the response picture
  4. if indicated by consistently high numbers on your spreadsheet, increase the dose by no more than 0.25 u at a time so you don't accidentally go right past a good dose
  5. post here for advice whenever you're confused or unsure of what to do.
This is useful: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/


It's best to wait until the 12 hour mark. You don't want doses to overlap. That can have unexpected effects on BG.

Here are some other things you can do so we can help you better:
1. Set up your signature. Here's how:
  • 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.
2. Set up the spreadsheet we use here and enter any/all BG test numbers you have including vet curves. Use the "pet meter" version of the spreadsheet.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
Click to expand...
Great! Thank you so much! I will do this.
 
Djamila said:
Hi, and welcome! Kris has given you a ton of great information to get started, so I'll just say hello :)

It can feel like so much all at once when you're getting started, so please don't hesitate to ask questions, ask for clarification, or just vent. We have all been in the "getting started" phase at one point and are here to help!
Click to expand...
Thank you so much!
 
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