New Sugar Cat

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Mike and Chinkers

Member Since 2013
We just got diagnosed March 22, 2013. I want to thank everyone for their time and effort they have put into this board, and the vast knowledge and information I have found to help deal with this. I am still reading and still learning, but there is so much info out there. I am grateful for this board-

Chinkers story- We lived in New Orleans in 2001, and New Orleans has a horrible feral cat problem. We already had two indoor cats with us. One morning we noticed that a small Siamese cat was hanging out in our backyard, living under the house. we began to feed it, took it almost a month to let us even get close to it. But we did notice a drastic decrease in the feral traffic in our yard because of our new squatter. We decided to trap him, get him his shots and fixed, and he would live outside as our yard cat to keep the other ferals away. I built him a dogouse (cathouse) and he lived outside for a while, refusing and hating indoors. He eventually would come in to eat, but leave and go outside right after. He began to be friends with one of our indoor cats, a half Siamese/Tabby (who we lost 03/2012 to asthma). Chnkers eventually started to eat inside more and more, and his que for us to let him in is he would climb up on the chain link fence gate out side our bedroom window, and shake it back and fourth making the chink-chink, chink-chink, chink-chink noise until we got up and let him in. Thats where we decide on a name, and knew he was our cat.. LOL He eventually started to sleep indoors at night, but would go out first thing in the morning to roam. When we had to move, we knew Chinkers was going with us, so we kept him indoors at our new house for about 3-4 weeks, then let him explore outside. He walked outside, looked around, and promptly returned inside. He rarely wanted out again. He became an indoor kitty, with some outside visits, but just to lay in the sun and return inside.

Lately we noticed he was having issues jumping onto his high perch to lay down, we attributed it to old age. We then noticed he was having issues jumping onto the bed, and onto the couch. We also noticed he was walking funny, so we took him to the vet. Diagnosed as diabetic. Vet kept him a couple days, sent him home with prozinc and a diet change to W/D dry. But after finding this board, we put him on FF Classic cans. I am hoping to do a curve this weekend, as I do have the home testing stuff and do a test before each shot. I think I have attached his SS correct to my post---
 
Welcome on! There IS a lot to read and learn here. Good decision to switch Chinkers food to wet cans. That prescription stuff does not have a good rep around here.
If your kitty is having neurological issues, there's something that people give their cats...methylcobalamin?
I'm sure someone will be along with more helpful information.
 
Just saying welcome. You seem to have a handle on everything. What insulin are you using?
My only concern is you have increased the does from 2 to 3 units after 2 1/2 days or starting insulin. It takes a few days for the insulin to really start working. Most of use start at 1 unit twice daily and only increase after a week except is certain circumstances.
 
Larry Thanks- I will keep an eye on the BG and behavior. We are using Pro Zinc. He was 480's at vet when vet started treatment two days prior to my spread sheet. But I will keep an eye on the BG tests to see if he needs to come back down to 2 or less.

Mary B thanks- have been reading about it
 
Hello
What a great naming story! And what a great name!

The leg problem is called neuropathy - its nerve damage from the high blood sugar. It should get a bit better as his blood glucose gets under control but there is also a vitamin B12 - the methylcobalmin form you can give him that has also had good success. Takes 4-6 weeks to see any effect though. Many people here use Zobaline which is a cat version but you can buy it from any health store - just make sure there isnt any sugars or xylitol in it since thats toxic to cats.

Great start on the spreadsheet and profile and move to a low carb. No high carb treats either ok? Its amazing how long just a few kibble can last in their system and the effect it has on blood sugar. Freeze dried chicken is a better choice of treat.

Since you are on PZI you might want to post on that forum on a regular basis where the PZI users can advise better. Its great you are testing before every shot but you will want to get in a few mid cycle tests too. That tells you how low he is going and therefore if you need to adjust the dose. You dont want him going to low. So midday is good (5-7 hours after shot) and a before bed test if you can get them will give you a better picture.

Wendy
 
Welcome Mike (and Chinkers!).
I loved Chinkers story and am so happy to hear he realized what a good thing he had and that he is now your indoor kitty. I wish you well on this journey. Sounds like you are off to a great start and I'm sure you've already figured out how much you will be supported by the dedicated folks on this board.
 
I actually have not posted, but have been reading alot. Most of the questions I have had, they have already been asked/answered LOL. This is a wonderful board with some great support-- Thank you all.
 
WOW Chinkers preshot numbers have really come down, to green. Looks like he might have earned a drop in dosage! Are you testing him between shots?
 
I am a little concerned with your numbers. We suggest new diabetics not shoot under 200. 69, 96 and 116 are normal non diabetic numbers. Are you shooting 2.5 units into those numbers? If so, he might be going down into very low numbers midcycle.
 
I would strongly advise you get some extra tests in during the day if you are going to shoot that low. Also a dose reduction looks like it may be required here.
 
Are you using a ReliOn meter? They are usually reliable, but your numbers seem really off. To be blunt, 2.5 units into a 65 would almost always cause a hypo. Are you using U40 needles?
 
Hi Mike,

I have to admit I'm a little perplexed by your numbers too! Let's just say that at the BG numbers you're getting, and the doses you are giving, there's probably a lot of head-scratching going on among anybody that is familiar with Prozinc/PZI and what we "normally see".

Your numbers are fantastic! They just defy logic. :lol: There "should be" low numbers at some point (like really scary low numbers), and even though you don't have many mid-cycle numbers to see, a drop as low as what should be happening should be giving you really high "bounce" numbers soon afterwards. But there aren't any bouncy numbers to see. My cat, Bob, got some high doses too (as high as 4u BID), but he always showed a pretty steep and deep drop in the middle that showed that the insulin was doing what it normally does. Your SS looks like the insulin is doing nothing, other than keeping your numbers pretty flat and in normal or just above normal levels around the clock.

It's just "abnormal" to us. But very intriguing.
 
Hi Mike,
Today's numbers look fantastic on the reduced dose. Can't blame you for skipping tonight either!
 
I like your .5 this am. After 24 hours since the last shot, your number is still in a very good range. You got some lovely greens yesterday midcycle, but pretty close to that 40 that makes us nervous. You can always give a little food in that situation to help move the number up a little.

Just for reference, we consider a cat regulated if they are in the low 200s at preshot and under 100 at nadir, but not under 40. (so he is certainly regulated). We consider a cat to be in remission if they range from 40 - 120, off insulin, for 2 weeks, with the majority of the time in double digits.
 
Looks like you are still having to skip doses at night, Mike. Wonder about trying to eyeball .25. (it is ideal to give 2 doses 12 hours apart that will keep him in good numbers rather than one.)

Something other ProZinc users have done is to use the U100 needles with the conversion chart so they can shoot .2 or .4 units accurately. I think you can get a small package of U100 1/2 unit needles from the pharmacy to try. Here is the conversion chart:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/insulin-conversions.htm
 
yes, my cat is on Prozinc and I am using U-100 needles. They look like the picture below. Make sure that you MUST use the conversion chart suggested above to get the correct dosage. The number "5" on a U-100 syringe is actually 2 units of Prozinc, 2.5 would be 1 unit:

* you can get U-100 syringes from Walmart without a prescription.

syringepicture-1.jpg
 
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