Newly Diagnosed/to much insulin?

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Glenn & Sam

Member Since 2012
Hey everyone!

So, I took Syd, my Maine Coon to the Vet 2 days ago just in case there was something wrong.
He was drinking a LOT of water and of course urinating a lot as well. He also started pushing my other cat out of the way to get to her wet food when he used to have absolutely no interest in anything that wasn't dried.

They found he had an enlarged kidney, gum disease and his ear color didn't look quite right. So they ran a bunch of tests and well, now here we are. :)

The vet prescribed PZI insulin at 5 units twice a day, Hills l/d "prescription" wet food and dry food, gave me a syringe disposal unit and sent us on our way with a follow up visit set for tomorrow.

Once I got over the initial sticker shock and pulled out the credit card, I came home and started researching. I am really grateful for this resource that has been created here.

I sent a donation and Rebecca is sending me a testing kit. She also expressed deep concern that the vet prescribed so much insulin and strongly suggested I knock it down to 1 unit and start small.
I have.
However, I spoke with my vet today, explained what I had learned and the concern, and he said that the 5 unit dosage is for 3 days to get the levels under control, then we should be able to go down to 2.5 units twice a day from there. He also said that the insulin is made specifically for cats and this is the proper way to start treatment.

I want to trust my vet, but don't. Especially after reading so much on this site.
I go in for the followup tomorrow, and am supposed to give 5 units to Syd tonight(which I have been only doing 1 since last night)
What do you think? Is my vet nuts?

Thanks for any suggestions or advice, I'm sure I will be a regular on the site now :)

-Glenn
 
it is hard to get advice that goes against your vet, but yes, that dose is too high. We suggest a start low, go slow approach, because once you are testing, it is easy to raise the dose if the numbers you are seeing warrant it. If you start too high, you can't get the insulin out of the cat once it is shot and you risk a hypo, which can be deadly. For ProZinc, we suggest .5 to one unit twice daily to start.

It won't hurt anything to start with a low dose - especially since you are not testing until you get the kit. I can't tell you the members who started on a high dose and were horrified to see that their cat dipped into dangerous numbers the first cycle. It is just not worth the risk, IMHO. You can always tell the vet you were scared to shoot more blind. (Remember, he is not watching over your shoulder when you fill the syringe. :-D ) While you are waiting for the kit, get Syd used to having his ears messed with:

First pick a place where you want to test. Some people use the kitchen counter, a blanket on the floor, between your legs while sitting – whatever works for you. Take the kitty there and give him/her lots of praise while you play with his/her ears. Give a treat and release. Next time, add the rice sack (thin sock filled with raw rice, heated in the microwave until very warm but not hot) or a prescription pill bottle filled with very warm water. Lots of praise, treat and release. Finally add the lancet so he/she will get used to the noise. The hope is that when you finally poke, they will be used to the process and know a treat is coming!
 
What is the strength (U40 or U100 or something else) of the insulin? It should say on the insulin vial
What type syringe? U40 or U100? It should say on the syringe. Also, the needle cap on U100's are orange and red for U40.
 
Thanks for the info Sue! I will keep the dosage low, and talk with the vet more tomorrow. He may reconsider knowing that I will be home testing.
I actually have already started messing with his ears just to see how much he would put up with. So far he is just happy to get more attention :)

Larry, both the insulin and syringe are U40
 
Diet is also important. You don't need to feed the prescription junk at all, canned or dry. A Human diabetic wouldn't eat a Twinkie-candy-sugar loaded diet. Neither should your cat.

L/D dry has 30% carbs per cup http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html shock: The canned is no better, 29% http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html High carb food is one reason why many cats end up diabetic in the first place.

Diabetic cats should have less than 10% carbs in their diet.

Everyone here feed their diabetic cats either low carb commercial canned food and/or raw food. Popular canned foods brands to feed are Fancy Feast, Friskies, and Wellness. Dry food, even low carb grain-free ones, should not be fed because they contain starches which keeps blood glucose levels too high.

You can read http://www.catinfo.org for more info about proper nutrition for cats. There's a section there about diabetes and diet.
 
Hello Glenn and Syd; Just wanted to welcome you to the forum! You'll find great advice and support here.

And crikey! - That was a large starting dose that your vet prescribed... nailbite_smile

Yes, it's hard to go against the advice of your vet. They're the professionals, we're the amateurs: But we're amateurs with - collectively - a vast amount of experience of dealing with our cats' diabetes on a daily basis. And if I'd followed the advice of the vet who diagnosed my cat's diabetes then my cat wouldn't be here now: The vet recommended euthanasia!!! :shock:
 
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