New here - ProZinc starts tomorrow

Rachel P

Rachel P

Member Since 2022
Hi y’all,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I’m not very good at message boards so probably posting in the wrong place. I’m Rachel and my kitty Gizmo was just diagnosed today. We went home with 100 syringes and ProZinc and a crying momma. The vet didn’t say anything about testing at home, and when I asked he said that it “wasn’t really a thing”. I’ve already learned here that it is a thing, although all my reading has been quite overwhelming. I ordered a monitor for home. Proceeding with caution tomorrow as I give the first dose - wish us luck.

glad there are things like this to post to even if nobody reads it. And glad all this info is out there!

Best,

Rachel and Gizmo
 
Hi Rachel (and Gizmo!)
Welcome. I know this can be overwhelming but you’ve definitely come to the right place. The people here are awesome. Couldn’t have gotten this far without this board. I wish I found this board earlier In my journey.
You’ve already made the right first step by ordering a meter. No tears.- I promise you can do this!!
 
Lisa and little said:
Hi Rachel (and Gizmo!)
Welcome. I know this can be overwhelming but you’ve definitely come to the right place. The people here are awesome. Couldn’t have gotten this far without this board. I wish I found this board earlier In my journey.
You’ve already made the right first step by ordering a meter. No tears.- I promise you can do this!!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for your kind words.

I know the questions I’ll ask have been probably asked and answered 500 times, but maybe someone can direct me to posts that would be helpful?

1) Gizmo refuses to eat all her food in one sitting. She takes about an hour to eat her first 3oz of food a day - she walks away and comes back. The vet indicated that I’d need to feed her only twice a day - she’s used to eating about 6 times a day so I know this will be an issue. Is it okay to maintain more smaller meals a day and try to wait until she’s already consumed largely her whole breakfast before shot?

2) is it okay to start without testing? I want to get the medicine in her but won’t have the test for a week - I’m afraid to wait but also afraid to not wait. The vet said testing wasn’t a concern but after all im reading it seems like it is. Do you think it’s safe to start without testing first this week?

thank you so much in advance. Just wanting to do right by my girl but don’t know where to start.
 
Welcome!

How was she diagnosed - fructosamine test? Any symptoms?

Any ketones or DKA? If not then I would wait. If she became diabetic after that ****, chances are her numbers aren't too bad.

What's her current food?

Be sure to read the links about ketones and having a hypo kit, you'll want that stuff as well. Can use any urine ketone strips from the store, I'd test 2-3x a week if no history of ketones. You'll want some medium carb food (10-15%), and some high carb food (16-20%). I also like to have some very high carb food on hand just in case, about 23% or higher. Only need a few cans because you should hopefully never need it. This is a good reference for carbs.


No, please keep feeding her the way you are. 2x a day is old school. Smaller meals much easier.on their pancreas, helps keep a flatter curve with insulin as well. The only thing we'll want to tweak is the times she gets fed - we want to avoid feeding after nadir (lowest BG of the cycle, peak insulin action) if we can because the insulin is wearing off. The tests will help us determine when that is, but usually in the +4 to +6 range (so 4 to 6 hours after the shot).

You're on the right path. It's overwhelming, but you're in the right place!
 
Thank you so much for the reply. I get teary eyed every time I talk to someone who cares.

She was diagnosed by virtue of 3 weeks of full blood panels showing BG somewhere between 350-390. 3 tests, and one urinalysis showing glucose in her urine.

No DKA, not sure of the difference between ketones and “glucose in urine”.

I’ve started to put together the hypo kit today before I start tomorrow or later this week. I was too nervous to start today without the ability to test.

Her current food is Fancy Feast grilled salmon with gravy. Two weeks ago she stopped eating completely and was constipated. She used to eat fancy feast classics and a prescription GI food. Then, when she stopped eating, I tried everything I could and finally found this that she’s been consistently eating since that time.

it makes sense to feed more - I thought it was common knowledge that eating smaller meals more frequently helps blood sugar. The vet had a big argument this morning with me again over it, saying 2x is the only option. I’ll just do what I think is best. Which is small meals with the largest of the meals being the two shot meals. Thank you for the advice on that.
 
FrostD said:
Welcome!

How was she diagnosed - fructosamine test? Any symptoms?

Any ketones or DKA? If not then I would wait. If she became diabetic after that ****, chances are her numbers aren't too bad.

What's her current food?

Be sure to read the links about ketones and having a hypo kit, you'll want that stuff as well. Can use any urine ketone strips from the store, I'd test 2-3x a week if no history of ketones. You'll want some medium carb food (10-15%), and some high carb food (16-20%). I also like to have some very high carb food on hand just in case, about 23% or higher. Only need a few cans because you should hopefully never need it. This is a good reference for carbs.


No, please keep feeding her the way you are. 2x a day is old school. Smaller meals much easier.on their pancreas, helps keep a flatter curve with insulin as well. The only thing we'll want to tweak is the times she gets fed - we want to avoid feeding after nadir (lowest BG of the cycle, peak insulin action) if we can because the insulin is wearing off. The tests will help us determine when that is, but usually in the +4 to +6 range (so 4 to 6 hours after the shot).

You're on the right path. It's overwhelming, but you're in the right place!
Click to expand...


Sorry, forgot the symptoms. Eating a lot, drinking a lot, urinating a lot. This was not alarming to me initially because she had been being treated for two month straight with depomedrol and another injectable steroid for asthma. These were the side effects of that course to begin with. I’m not sure when we switched to diabetic - the vet visit was from the constipation and it was found incidental to that.
 
You'll find we all care A LOT, it's why we're here in our free time. Because nearly all of us started in your situation and it's maddening.

The "recipe" for ketones and DKA is: not enough insulin (so unregulated diabetes) + inappetence + systemic stress or infection. No history is good! We just like to keep an eye on it because they'll be cruising along ok then bam one day not eating and with a UTI or pancreatitis or something.

Why the GI food? Just for constipation? Also leads me to why the depo shot?

You might consider giving a probiotic. Majority of us use s. boulardii, but some use Kibow or Visbiome as well. Most vets use FortiFlora but honestly it's kind of garbage. I use this, 1/4 cap a day only when he seems to be having issues (but daily is also ok).
 
FrostD said:
You'll find we all care A LOT, it's why we're here in our free time. Because nearly all of us started in your situation and it's maddening.

The "recipe" for ketones and DKA is: not enough insulin (so unregulated diabetes) + inappetence + systemic stress or infection. No history is good! We just like to keep an eye on it because they'll be cruising along ok then bam one day not eating and with a UTI or pancreatitis or something.

Why the GI food? Just for constipation? Also leads me to why the depo shot?

You might consider giving a probiotic. Majority of us use s. boulardii, but some use Kibow or Visbiome as well. Most vets use FortiFlora but honestly it's kind of garbage. I use this, 1/4 cap a day only when he seems to be having issues (but daily is also ok).
Click to expand...

yes, very maddening considering she was fine until we did those stupid shots. Should have just done an inhaler.

on the pooping front, I just started fortiflora today. If no improvement in a day or two, will order those and see what we come up with. The problem becomes she gets constipation, then stops eating, then the issues start piling on. Eventually have to use lactulose to avoid an enema. The GI food was a long term thing. Constant GI issues through her lifetime. I’ve had her since I found her abandoned 3 weeks old. Always either constipated or diarrhea, acid reflux, something. Long sordid history with GI.
 
FrostD said:
Welcome!

How was she diagnosed - fructosamine test? Any symptoms?

Any ketones or DKA? If not then I would wait. If she became diabetic after that ****, chances are her numbers aren't too bad.

What's her current food?

Be sure to read the links about ketones and having a hypo kit, you'll want that stuff as well. Can use any urine ketone strips from the store, I'd test 2-3x a week if no history of ketones. You'll want some medium carb food (10-15%), and some high carb food (16-20%). I also like to have some very high carb food on hand just in case, about 23% or higher. Only need a few cans because you should hopefully never need it. This is a good reference for carbs.


No, please keep feeding her the way you are. 2x a day is old school. Smaller meals much easier.on their pancreas, helps keep a flatter curve with insulin as well. The only thing we'll want to tweak is the times she gets fed - we want to avoid feeding after nadir (lowest BG of the cycle, peak insulin action) if we can because the insulin is wearing off. The tests will help us determine when that is, but usually in the +4 to +6 range (so 4 to 6 hours after the shot).

You're on the right path. It's overwhelming, but you're in the right place!
Click to expand...

also, thank you for that carb guide. I’ve been doing the math all week and failing. I’m an attorney, I don’t even know what math is.
 
Rachel P said:
The vet indicated that I’d need to feed her only twice a day - she’s used to eating about 6 times a day so I know this will be an issue.
Click to expand...
Don’t listen to the twice a day feeding thing. You can feed her anytime except in the two hours before shot time (a.m. and p.m.) and that’s because you need to be able to test and get an accurate reading of the blood glucose without the influence of food. Sorry if I am repeating what you’ve already been told. Later on, when you are experienced and have a lot of data, you don’t necessarily have to follow the two hour rule.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Don’t listen to the twice a day feeding thing. You can feed her anytime except in the two hours before shot time (a.m. and p.m.) and that’s because you need to be able to test and get an accurate reading of the blood glucose without the influence of food. Sorry if I am repeating what you’ve already been told. Later on, when you are experienced and have a lot of data, you don’t necessarily have to follow the two hour rule.
Click to expand...

thank you for the reply - I don’t know why they’ve been fighting so hard about this. I really think it’s only because they fear if I don’t starve her all day and night, then she won’t eat when feeding time and shot times comes. But I know my cat better than anyone - almost 14 years and since 3 weeks old. I know how much I can let her have and still get her to eat a big meal at a certain time.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
The Fancy Feast gravy foods are generally very high in carbs. Better options from the Fancy Feast line are the classic pates.
Click to expand...

I can try to switch her back to the classics she was eating, but the last thing I need right now is refusing to eat. This is the only thing she’s been showing interest in :/
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Has she ever had an abdominal ultrasound?
Click to expand...

many, many. And exploratory surgeries and enemas and x rays and so on. Never declared what the issue is, we have always just managed with food, food timing, laxatives, probiotics, and KP paste, based on whatever is occurring.
 
Rachel P said:
many, many. And exploratory surgeries and enemas and x rays and so on. Never declared what the issue is, we have always just managed with food, food timing, laxatives, probiotics, and KP paste, based on whatever is occurring.
Click to expand...
Poor baby. I see that you have Lactulose. I highly recommend it. Some people use daily. Some like Miralax. It’s not my favorite, but it’s flavorless and mixes well into food. I assume you have tried fiber like pumpkin or psyllium husk in the food? Seems like you really would be the constipation guru here.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Poor baby. I see that you have Lactulose. I highly recommend it. Some people use daily. Some like Miralax. It’s not my favorite, but it’s flavorless and mixes well into food. I assume you have tried fiber like pumpkin or psyllium husk in the food? Seems like you really would be the constipation guru here.
Click to expand...

yes, lactulose is good. It really goes down okay for her. I have fed it to her in her favorite tuna broth that I sometimes give as a treat and she doesn’t notice. I have not tried fiber, but there have been many high fiber prescription foods over the years. I suspect the current constipation is from her refusal to eat any of those dry, high fiber foods. Are fiber supplements okay for a diabetic cat?
 
I like Proviable DC for a probiotic (only not from Amazon as it seems like it could be fake based on reviews.) Visbiome comes highly recommended as well.
 
Rachel P said:
yes, lactulose is good. It really goes down okay for her. I have fed it to her in her favorite tuna broth that I sometimes give as a treat and she doesn’t notice. I have not tried fiber, but there have been many high fiber prescription foods over the years. I suspect the current constipation is from her refusal to eat any of those dry, high fiber foods. Are fiber supplements okay for a diabetic cat?
Click to expand...
Yes. A lot of people here add pumpkin (I use freeze dried pumpkin) but some cats won’t eat it. Psyllium husks unflavored and unadulterated are good - some of my cats eat it and some don’t. Again though, every cat is different and you have to find what she will eat and what works for her.
 
I would recommend, if possible, adding only one new thing at a time. For example, if you start a new probiotic, I would just try that for a week or so before adding fiber. Sometimes they have problems, and if you start too many new supplements at one time you have no idea which is causing the problem.
 
Forti Flora is a good appetite stimulant for most cats because they like the taste so much. It’s not a very good probiotic however. It has only a single strain of probiotic— enterococcus faecium as I recall.
 
When will your meter and strips arrive? Have you watched any videos of how to do the BG testing of the ear? We can give you loads of tips and tricks to help get you started. My first tip is to ditch the lancing device and to just do it free hand. The lancing device makes a click in their ear that spooks a lot of cats. Some people here do use it though. The next tip is to warm her ear a little bit before poking with the lancet. I used a very small glass bottle filled with warm water (some people use a pill bottle.) Some people use a baby sock with some rice in the toe that they warm in the microwave.

I cried when I first tried to get the blood drop. It took me a few days to get the hang of it. My boy was a sweetheart and I just kept giving him a low carb treat after each attempt.
 
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The above photo shows you where you are going to try to poke. You are not aiming for the vein, but just outside the edge of it. Frequently you will find that one ear will bleed better than the other. You will also find that, over time, their ears bleed more easily. Has anyone shared this photo with you already? Sorry if it's a repeat!
 
Now, if I haven't completely annoyed and overwhelmed you, may I ask about her inappetance. Is this just a recent thing? Do you think it's because of her constipation? You don't think it's nausea, do you? She doesn't sniff the food and walk away, does she? Any lip smacking/licking or tooth grinding? If she's had a lot of labwork done, you could post some of the recent results on her spreadsheet when you get one. There's a tab for recording labs there. It helps a lot to see changes over time. A lot of people record bowel movements on their spreadsheets too (fun!)
 
Hi Rachel,

Welcome to you and Gizmo! I'm really glad you found us, and we will do our best to help you and your complicated kitty--I've got a couple of my own! My Ruby who is on a raw diet gets Lactulose twice a day, and even then she only poops every 3-4 days. Her glucose numbers go up right when she has to poop and then come down again right after--that is how much stress it puts on her body.

Re: constipation, agree with everything Suzanne said. I would totally stop the Fortiflora. It's an expensive flavor enhancer that will do nothing for constipation or improving GI flora. Having a good probiotic like Proviable or Visbiome and a prebiotic or fiber for the probiotic to act upon will be important long term. Fibers like pumpkin and psyllium do not have digestible sugars that get absorbed in the body and therefore are safe for diabetic cats. I follow a lot of the guidance here, written for an IBD cats website but good for any cat: My Cat is Constipated! What do I do?
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
When will your meter and strips arrive? Have you watched any videos of how to do the BG testing of the ear? We can give you loads of tips and tricks to help get you started. My first tip is to ditch the lancing device and to just do it free hand. The lancing device makes a click in their ear that spooks a lot of cats. Some people here do use it though. The next tip is to warm her ear a little bit before poking with the lancet. I used a very small glass bottle filled with warm water (some people use a pill bottle.) Some people use a baby sock with some rice in the toe that they warm in the microwave.

I cried when I first tried to get the blood drop. It took me a few days to get the hang of it. My boy was a sweetheart and I just kept giving him a low carb treat after each attempt.
Click to expand...

It was supposed to be here in a week but I believe it will be here tomorrow. It seems like everyone says to wait to start giving her the insulin until I get the hang of it. I can guarantee you I will be crying. If you’re doing it freehand, do you just use a sewing needle or what kind of needle?

thank you for all the tips!
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
The above photo shows you where you are going to try to poke. You are not aiming for the vein, but just outside the edge of it. Frequently you will find that one ear will bleed better than the other. You will also find that, over time, their ears bleed more easily. Has anyone shared this photo with you already? Sorry if it's a repeat!
Click to expand...

no, this is very helpful. Thank you! I’ve watched every video there is to watch but none show that close up. Perfect.
 
Katherine&Ruby said:
Hi Rachel,

Welcome to you and Gizmo! I'm really glad you found us, and we will do our best to help you and your complicated kitty--I've got a couple of my own! My Ruby who is on a raw diet gets Lactulose twice a day, and even then she only poops every 3-4 days. Her glucose numbers go up right when she has to poop and then come down again right after--that is how much stress it puts on her body.

Re: constipation, agree with everything Suzanne said. I would totally stop the Fortiflora. It's an expensive flavor enhancer that will do nothing for constipation or improving GI flora. Having a good probiotic like Proviable or Visbiome and a prebiotic or fiber for the probiotic to act upon will be important long term. Fibers like pumpkin and psyllium do not have digestible sugars that get absorbed in the body and therefore are safe for diabetic cats. I follow a lot of the guidance here, written for an IBD cats website but good for any cat: My Cat is Constipated! What do I do?
Click to expand...


Thank you so much! I did order some of the Proviable. I already have Proviable Forte. Do you know how this differs from DC?
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Now, if I haven't completely annoyed and overwhelmed you, may I ask about her inappetance. Is this just a recent thing? Do you think it's because of her constipation? You don't think it's nausea, do you? She doesn't sniff the food and walk away, does she? Any lip smacking/licking or tooth grinding? If she's had a lot of labwork done, you could post some of the recent results on her spreadsheet when you get one. There's a tab for recording labs there. It helps a lot to see changes over time. A lot of people record bowel movements on their spreadsheets too (fun!)
Click to expand...


The inappetance I think is really just to do with the constipation, which seems to be mostly resolved now. No, no nausea whatsoever. I’ve seen her nauseous before and no signs of that. We are eating full meals now.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Now, if I haven't completely annoyed and overwhelmed you, may I ask about her inappetance. Is this just a recent thing? Do you think it's because of her constipation? You don't think it's nausea, do you? She doesn't sniff the food and walk away, does she? Any lip smacking/licking or tooth grinding? If she's had a lot of labwork done, you could post some of the recent results on her spreadsheet when you get one. There's a tab for recording labs there. It helps a lot to see changes over time. A lot of people record bowel movements on their spreadsheets too (fun!)
Click to expand...

I’m very worried about having to do this spreadsheet - it seems like a lot of things I have to acclimate to before I even get the medicine in her. How long can I stall this until I figure all of this out and get all the needed supplies. Worried :(
 
Rachel P said:
I’m very worried about having to do this spreadsheet - it seems like a lot of things I have to acclimate to before I even get the medicine in her. How long can I stall this until I figure all of this out and get all the needed supplies. Worried :(
Click to expand...
Deep breath, in a matter of a week or two you'll have the hang of it.

Start with the ketones for now. That's the most important part. If she starts throwing ketones then we'll probably start with 0.25U without testing, but we'll cross that bridge if we get there. For now just keep food and fluids up
 
Worry about the spreadsheet later. For now you can post any BG data here to help you get going, and we'll help with spreadsheet.
 
I did not do blood tests for the first ten days after Ruby's diagnosis. She is on Lantus and her internists implanted a Freestyle Libre on her that lasted 9 days instead of the 14 that it should because Ruby removed it. I then did not test until about another month after that, when I discovered the FDMB. She started on 1 unit then went to 1.5 before I started testing. I'm happy to report she is very much alive. The vets had me get Ketodiastix--they are strips that test for both glucose and ketones in urine and we increased her dosage based on that alone, which I now know is not a very accurate indicator, but better than nothing.

The spreadsheet gets a bit getting used to but is the best tool for us to help you as it shows trends over time.
 
Katherine&Ruby said:
I did not do blood tests for the first ten days after Ruby's diagnosis. She is on Lantus and her internists implanted a Freestyle Libre on her that lasted 9 days instead of the 14 that it should because Ruby removed it. I then did not test until about another month after that, when I discovered the FDMB. She started on 1 unit then went to 1.5 before I started testing. I'm happy to report she is very much alive. The vets had me get Ketodiastix--they are strips that test for both glucose and ketones in urine and we increased her dosage based on that alone, which I now know is not a very accurate indicator, but better than nothing.

The spreadsheet gets a bit getting used to but is the best tool for us to help you as it shows trends over time.
Click to expand...
This is also true. I was shooting 3 units of Vetsulin blind for quite awhile
 
FrostD said:
Worry about the spreadsheet later. For now you can post any BG data here to help you get going, and we'll help with spreadsheet.
Click to expand...
Okay, I should have the meter tomorrow so I should be able to start producing data then as long as I can get it to work.

I am at Walgreens now so I will pick up the test strips. How the hell are you supposed to collect that? Run in on her when she’s going and try to get it under her?
 
FrostD said:
This is also true. I was shooting 3 units of Vetsulin blind for quite awhile
Click to expand...

I’m so worried that I’m literally following none of the vets advice at this point. It just seems to go against everything they told me. I’m really struggling with deciding what to do here. Because it’s on me if I mess this up - It’s hard to know what’s best. Why don’t they tell people these things? Someone help me understand.
 
Rachel P said:
Why don’t they tell people these things?
Click to expand...
Veterinarians are generalists. They have to know hundreds of illnesses and medications for dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, turtles... I can't count how many times I've seen parakeets and guinea pigs at the Animal Medical Center's ER in New York. :) They aren't all up on the best ways of treating diabetes in cats, and they're worried that if you take on dosing yourself that your cat will go hypoglycemic and you will blame them so they want to maintain control over the situation. Most of them are also used to the old ways of treating diabetes with the older, shorter acting insulins like Vetsulin, so they want people to feed only at shot time. Prozinc and Lantus are much longer acting and so benefit from many small meals over hours.

I will tell you you that if I did not find the FDMB, my cat would never have become tightly regulated and feeling so much better. This place saved my cat. I share my spreadsheet with Ruby's vets but I do not take dosing advice from them--they know that I have the situation under control, and they take care of her other many complications.
 
Katherine&Ruby said:
Veterinarians are generalists. They have to know hundreds of illnesses and medications for dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, turtles... I can't count how many times I've seen parakeets and guinea pigs at the Animal Medical Center's ER in New York. :) They aren't all up on the best ways of treating diabetes in cats, and they're worried that if you take on dosing yourself that your cat will go hypoglycemic and you will blame them so they want to maintain control over the situation. Most of them are also used to the old ways of treating diabetes with the older, shorter acting insulins like Vetsulin, so they want people to feed only at shot time. Prozinc and Lantus are much longer acting and so benefit from many small meals over hours.

I will tell you you that if I did not find the FDMB, my cat would never have become tightly regulated and feeling so much better. This place saved my cat. I share my spreadsheet with Ruby's vets but I do not take dosing advice from them--they know that I have the situation under control, and they take care of her other many complications.
Click to expand...
I wish I could reach out and hug you Katherine. Sorry I’m short on words, been in the car all night gathering supplies. I’ve always felt like the vets never tailor anything to my cat. It’s always me finding answers online. I have had to do this multiple times for multiple different things. Find my own answers, I mean. I called today to try to have a frank discussion with them about why she needed to eat only twice a day, because the literal paperwork they printed for me from their reference guides said to feed diabetic cats multiple times. I brought this up. They gave some BS answer. I think they just think I’m some imbecile who can’t make sure the cat eats when she has insulin. I totally agree that they don’t want to take responsibility for it. It’s like here’s the best we got, sorry if it doesn’t work or makes it worse. I’m just so frustrated. I already love you all much.
 
Katherine&Ruby said:
Veterinarians are generalists. They have to know hundreds of illnesses and medications for dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, turtles... I can't count how many times I've seen parakeets and guinea pigs at the Animal Medical Center's ER in New York. :) They aren't all up on the best ways of treating diabetes in cats, and they're worried that if you take on dosing yourself that your cat will go hypoglycemic and you will blame them so they want to maintain control over the situation. Most of them are also used to the old ways of treating diabetes with the older, shorter acting insulins like Vetsulin, so they want people to feed only at shot time. Prozinc and Lantus are much longer acting and so benefit from many small meals over hours.

I will tell you you that if I did not find the FDMB, my cat would never have become tightly regulated and feeling so much better. This place saved my cat. I share my spreadsheet with Ruby's vets but I do not take dosing advice from them--they know that I have the situation under control, and they take care of her other many complications.
Click to expand...
I swear, they gave me 3 printouts about feline diabetes that says feed cats multiple times a day and dogs 2 meals. And everywhere I look online, it says more than twice is fine. I’m sorry, just so mad.
 
Rachel P said:
I swear, they gave me 3 printouts about feline diabetes that says feed cats multiple times a day and dogs 2 meals. And everywhere I look online, it says more than twice is fine. I’m sorry, just so mad.
Click to expand...
Katherine&Ruby said:
Veterinarians are generalists. They have to know hundreds of illnesses and medications for dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, turtles... I can't count how many times I've seen parakeets and guinea pigs at the Animal Medical Center's ER in New York. :) They aren't all up on the best ways of treating diabetes in cats, and they're worried that if you take on dosing yourself that your cat will go hypoglycemic and you will blame them so they want to maintain control over the situation. Most of them are also used to the old ways of treating diabetes with the older, shorter acting insulins like Vetsulin, so they want people to feed only at shot time. Prozinc and Lantus are much longer acting and so benefit from many small meals over hours.

I will tell you you that if I did not find the FDMB, my cat would never have become tightly regulated and feeling so much better. This place saved my cat. I share my spreadsheet with Ruby's vets but I do not take dosing advice from them--they know that I have the situation under control, and they take care of her other many complications.
Click to expand...
I am also trying to be aware of the fact that these people deal with all kinds of owners; ones that barely care, people with mental illness, people who can barely read or write. So their confidence in my ability to do these things may be lacking. I brought up the testing earlier on the phone and they said “maybe next week we will see if that’s something you want to do”. I’m literally telling you I want to do it now.
 
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