New Member-HELP!

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zoolady1

Member Since 2012
Hi, everyone. I have been lurking but am having some trouble. My Raffy got diagnosed about 2 months ago. His initial number was 540.
Started on Vetins, 1 every 12. Did GC it came down into the 400's..increase to 2 every 12. Had new gc yesterday. in the 350's. So they said up insulin to 3 units every 12.
So, last night he ate, gave him 3 units. This morning he wasn't looking right, and then he wouldn't eat, just licking the juice, I did NOT give him shot. Now I come home and he isn't eating again. He looks awful. So, I tried to give him some honey and then I read to give 1/4 the dose if they don't eat. So I just gave him 1 unit.
The vet is closed until Mon. What should I do? Please help!
 
What do you mean looks awful? Can you smell acetone/nail varnish remover smell? Is he sluggish or seizing or anything? Please more info. Do you have any way to test his blood glucose at home, or test his pee for ketones? Is there an emergency vet near you?
 
A little more info would be helpful.

Are the bg numbers that you gave from being tested at home or at the vet? If you are testing at home do you have any other numbers to share?

I'm not sure that I understood what type of insulin you are using. Is it in a 10 ml vial? Is there a name on the vial or has the vet transferred insulin to a new bottle and labelled it?

What type of food do you normally feed your kitty? How much are his normal servings and how much has he eaten?

Sorry to come back with so many questions, but to help you we need to know a little more about the situation.

Also, if you want ot post your general location, we might have a member nearby who could offer hands on help if you need it. Just post state and city.
 
I'd go to an emergency vet, if possible. It could be DKA, pancreatitis, or possibly a hypo.

Does his breath smell like nail polish remover? If yes, this is an emergency - take him to the vet NOW.

Do you have urine ketone test strips? If yes, try to get a test of fresh urine asap. If positive for urine ketones, again, that's an emergency, take him to vet. See my signature link on Secondary Monitoring Tools for ways to do this.

The curve numbers you report suggest he is high. Are you home testing his glucose? If yes, what is it now?
 
He's sluggish, kinda wobbly. He doesn't smell, I do have ketone strips but, missed his last pee. Not really that close. He just looks ragged. He's just kind laying around.
the BG numbers are from the Vet pre-ins 469 gave 2 units. 2 hr 379 4 hr 383 6 hr 550 8 472. his insulin is Prozinc sorry. He's been switched to all Special Kitty pate's as suggested on here, they did give him the MD at the vet, and I bought some, she insisted it has more fiber to fill him up. He hasn't eaten since yesterday at the Vet.
We picked him up, he was fine. He ate about 2tb and I gave him his new dose of 3 units. He didn't eat this morning, so I didn't give him a shot. And now he's not eating dinner, just licking the moisture out of the food. I am in Hebron, Indiana I don't test at home.
 
Is the pee still in the litter box? Here's what you can do, get 1 tablespoon of clean litter and mix with water. Test for ketones, should be negative. Now do the same but with the peed on litter and a tablespoon of water. Doesn't mean that he doesn't have ketones even if its clear, but if you do measure ketones then its bad and go to vet. Did you smell his breath?

Try him with some more syrup or honey, rub it on his gums and see if he perks up any, you should see it in 15mins or less. Meanwhile i would really try and find an emergency vet!
 
Without your testing at home, the best we can suggest is to get your cat to the ER. There's no way to know if your cat ill. Since you didn't give a shot this morning, the likelihood that his inappetance is due to hypoglycemia is small. However, given the high numbers and the other observations you noted, there is a consideration of ketones or pancreatitis. I would encourage you to take your cat to the ER.
 
Thanks for all your replies. He seems to have perked up a little bit. I am definitely gonna try to find a vet. I'll keep you all posted!
 
zoolady1 said:
...This morning he wasn't looking right, and then he wouldn't eat, just licking the juice, I did NOT give him shot. Now I come home and he isn't eating again. He looks awful. So, I tried to give him some honey and then I read to give 1/4 the dose if they don't eat. So I just gave him 1 unit.
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Hello, can I just ask you to clarify whether you've given insulin or not today?

Have I understood correctly that you weren't going to give insulin, but that you later gave one unit (quarter of the usual dose)?
 
ok, guys. Update. Spoke to my vet, the older one who is an idiot. wasn't much help, suggested to give him warm water and honey or get him to eat depending on sugar. I'm trying to keep him good until Monday, just don't have the money to take him to ER Vet. Anyways, I digress. I got a meter, and tested his sugar it was just 277. No insulin. He is still not eating, he's licking the juice. I got plain chicken baby food. the vet said to try to get him to eat. He's not, which is really bad. I can syringe feed him.
And yes, last night I gave him 1 unit. I believe that new big bollus of insulin was too much. He ate like crazy at the vet Thursday which the Vet mentioned, implying I starve him, the younger vet said that's normal with diabetes and regulating sugars. I'm trying here guys. Thanks for all the interest. sincerely.
 
ok great - what kind of meter did you get? Walmart relion seems to be good and cheap too. Some meters are inaccurate at high levels and underestimate the value.

Dont suppose you have managed to test his pee for ketones yet? Any weird smells like acetone?

I would definately start syringe feeding to get some nutrition into him. You could also try these foods to see if it will tempt him naturally..

Cheryl & Winnie wrote:
Enticing a Cat to Eat

Here are some things you can do do entice your cat to eat:

-sometimes in order to get a cat to eat you even have to resort to dry it is more important that they eat. there are a couple low carb / grain free brands -- EVO and wellness core.

-making a buffet to give him choices
- heating food

sprinkle food with :
FortiFlora -- a probiotic you can get at vets or online. is very smelly and cats love the taste of it.
parmesean cheese
smashed crumbles of dry food
bonito/tuna flakes (Can be found at Asian markets or sometimes in the Asian food section of a large grocery store.)
halo chicken treats (freeze dried chicken) -- crumble into dust over food -- my Wolfie loves this stuff.
pour a little water from tuna in water over food (I use low sodium/no sodium added as other kinds in water has veg. broth in it and I assume that means onions, which are toxic to cats and it shouldn't contain soy -- check labels)
powdered oregano. yep sounds weird . but some cats like it and it will entice them to eat.

other ideas of foods to offer your kitty to stim appy:
trader joe tuna for cats
baby food -- beechnut or Gerber Stage 2 -- you want a baby food that is only a protein + broth (although the Gerber contains cornstarch). It should have no onions or other additives. some babyfoods have onions . please read labels if you can't find beechnut.
kentucky fried chicken
deli turkey /chicken
plain cooked ( boiled or baked ) chicken breast
canned chicken for people (watch the label that their are no onions)
chicken broth -- low sodium

If enticements don't work, you should consider:
-assist feeding ( syringe or make little meatballs and place in mouth)
-and/or talking to your vet about appetite stimulents ( mirtazapine or cyproheptidine)
Click to expand...
 
I work at a hospital and got an Accu-Check Aviva Plus. And I don't smell anything. I have diabetic friends and also know the smell. Should I give him any insulin at 277?
I didn't give him this morning. I have syringes. I guess force feeding. :( He's got to make it until monday! And now it seems my hubby is getting or has the flu. :(
Not good. I soooo appreciate your help. How much food would be good, he weighs 6 lbs.
 
If you can get the strips from the hospital too then you are good but otherwise I heard they can be pretty pricey so it works out better in the long run to get the Walmart relion (I wish I could but you don't get them here in Canada)

When do you plan to test and shoot? I would like to wait an hour and test again to see which way he is going before you shoot. He could be coming down from a big bounce if he had a hypo, or more likely his BG is rising.

In terms of syringe feeding here is the calculation I found: I think you split it to feed every two hours

Required calories per day = [13.6 X optimal lean body weight in pounds] + 70

But I have never managed to get that much into my kitty without a major fight so I just get as much in as I can..
 
Ok, sounds good. I'll test him again about 8 and go from there. and I need to mix some food with water and try to feed him. I'll post in a bit. Thanks so much!
 
Just tested sugar up to 375. Gave him 2 units and fed him about 50cc syringe of food, he ate a few of his treats and more licking of juice from food. Just praying he hangs on and turns the corner and we get him to Monday.
 
Ok cool. I think I would have only gone with 1 unit, but anyway, please do a test at +2 (2 hours from the shot you just gave) and let us know how he is doing.. We don't want him dropping too low and that will tell us how he is trending.
 
My 14 year old cat has been diabetic for the last 14 months. I tested her BG twice per day and she needed 2 insulin shots per day. She recently had pancreatitis and we spent a lot on lab tests, an ultrasound and medication. She was on the diabetic dry food manufactured by Medi Cal that is only available through veterinarians. Two weeks ago I switched to a raw diet with the necessary nutrients added and she is a different cat. She has not needed another insulin shot. She is playful and can jump on high surfaces which she could not do since she was diagnosed with diabetes 14 months ago. I would encourage every owner of a diabetic cat to try this diet.
 
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