Newly diagnosed

[emilyc36459]

Hi all, my name is Emily, my 13 year old boy Charlie (13 years old, 17.5 lbs) just got diagnosed last week his levels were in the 400s. Today he stayed at the vet all day to be monitored with his first dose/curve. When he got there they said his levels were so high they were unreadable. They gave him 4 units of vetsulin based on his weight but the numbers weren't budging so they gave him another 2 units. Im supposed to continue giving 6 units every 12 hours until he goes back next week to stay the day again/another curve to make sure they're getting the units right. My vet recommended keeping karo syrup on hand in case he goes too low.
I'm so nervous about all this and just want to make sure I'm doing right by him. I'm worried about the 6 units being a lot? I feel like a lot of the posts ive seen in groups start at like 1 unit. I'm so new to this and have so many questions that I'll need to ask when I go back next week. Vet didn't say anything about me needing to check his levels once everything settles down but I see a lot of people on here checking levels twice a day before giving the insulin? I'm just scared he'll go hypoglycemic. I don't know what I'm doing any tips or advice would be so appreciated.

 

[Sara & Khloe]

Hello Emily and welcome to the board. I’m so very sorry about your boy Charlie, you definitely found the right place to help your kitty. The board isn’t as active during this time of day but maybe I can answer a few of the basic questions. I don’t want to overwhelm you so please take all the time you need to review the info.

First, I am not experienced enough to give dose advice but in my personal opinion 6 units seems very high for a starting dose. Hopefully an experienced member can give their opinion on this soon as well. My vet also started my cat on Vetsulin when we first started insulin but at the time I was unaware that Vetsulin is called Caninsulin in the rest of the world because it’s an insulin for dogs. My cat, Khloe, also had very high numbers (500,600) and had wild swings when on Vetsulin and it wasn’t until I switched to Lantus that my girl started seeing healthy, low numbers. While I have never used it, Prozinc is also an option for insulin.

Next, testing blood glucose levels at home is very beneficial to not only know if they are at a safe level to give insulin but to also know how low the insulin takes them during a 12 hour cycle. My vet also wanted me to do in clinic glucose curves but the thing about them is that stress raises blood glucose and being at the vet can be very stressful so the in clinic curves may not even give you correct information. The AAHA also no longer recommends in clinic curves for this reason. If your vet requests glucose curves, you can actually do them yourself at home by testing BG every 2 hours for 12 hours total. My vet allows me to send in my curve results, perhaps you could ask if that is an option? I’ll also quickly mention handheld glucose meters, myself and most members here use human glucose meters due to the price of the test strips being much more affordable. Pet meters are also available but the test strips are usually around $1 each. I have managed, with the help from the board, to get Khloe into nice numbers using a human meter.

Karo syrup is a good option for low numbers but honey or pancake syrup can also be used. From personal experience, I can tell you I was SO scared about hypo events but a couple of drops of honey for Khloe brings her right back up within 15-30 mins. The first few times it happened were nerve wracking but I eventually got the hang of it and it became less scary over time. Another thing to mention is diet. An all wet, low carb diet is best. Kitties do not have to eat only twice a day and most do better with multiple smalls meals. There are a few charts here on the board that you can look at that show the carb% of different foods. Ideally, you want something under 10% carbs.

And lastly, with Charlie having high numbers, it would be beneficial to test for ketones at home. Ketones can lead to DKA so if you are testing at home, you can catch any ketones early. You can either use strips to dip into a urine sample or there are also blood ketone meters where you test a small blood sample, similar to a handheld BG meter.

I know that’s a lot of info so please don’t feel rushed to take it all in tonight. Hopefully some experienced members will weigh in tomorrow to see what they think.

Once you’re settled and have the time, this link is the best place to start. It goes over how to set up a spreadsheet and signature so that experienced members can see how Charlie reacts to the insulin and offer the best advice for him. If you need any help setting it up, I’d be more than happy to help. Best wishes to you and Charlie! New? How you can help us, help you!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Hello and welcome Emily and Charlie.

6 units is a HUGE amount to start. Normally we start Vetsulin kitties on 0.5 or 1.0 units. Listen to your gut on this one. Cats are often stressed at the vets and have higher blood sugars there than they would at home. Meaning home testing is best and curves done at the vet are not how you want to decide what dose to give. Cause you'll end up on too high a dose at home. Here are some posts in case he goes too low:

• How to treat HYPOS - THEY CAN KILL! Print this Out!!
• jojo and bunny's HYPO TOOL BOX

Another warning flag for me is that this vet is prescribing Vetsulin. In other countries, it is called Caninsulin, meaning it's a great insulin for dogs. And yes, my cat started on it too way back when. Cats have faster metabolisms than dogs. For at least the last decade the AAHA has recommended Prozinc or Lantus for cats instead of Vetsulin. Any chance you can find another vet?

Can you tell me what food he is eating? Low carb wet or raw food is best for a diabetic cat. Higher carb dry food can cause a cat to need a higher dose of insulin. If you do shoot the 6 units, do not change his diet until you know how to home test his blood sugars. In the US, a lot of people buy the Relion Premier (I think) at Walmart. It's test strips are cost effective and takes a reasonably small drop of blood. This post has videos picture and tips on how to home test: Hometesting Links and Tips

 

[Si am cat mom]

Hi and welcome ! It's very overwhelming. I'm sorry you've ended up needing to be here but this is a great place to learn how to help your kitty. Unfortunately, I have heard plenty of vets say they use medical textbooks and diagrams to treat diabetic cats...which is usually outdated and not patient specific. I was lucky enough to find a Vet eventually who had a diabetic cat , but that was after sometime. Write down questions and don't be afraid to ask ️ you can do this.