Not sure where to post. Moving from ProZinc to VetSulin

Status
Not open for further replies.
johnt

johnt

Active Member
My cat has been getting prozinc for about 3 years now. My new vet has changed me to vetsulin. Same dosage.

Is there anything I should be watching for after his first dose?
 
It will hit faster. Be watching for hypos because it can sneak up on you. It won't last as long and he will get higher numbers sooner in the cycle. Good Luck, I hope it works for you and your kitty.
 
OK Thanks. i'm watching him closely now. it's been almost 2 hours since injection. I'll keep watching then get a reading after 4 hours and again at 9

I would guess at 2 hours it's probably already hit?
 
I always feed him 30 min prior and inject while he's eating again. he grazes

I just checked his glucose exactly 2 hours after and his count is 189 so that should be OK right? i'm reading that link now
 
Looking pretty good. If you get a test around +3 or +4, you'll get a feel for how much drop the dose gave you from pre-shot.

Can we get you started using our grid to record your glucose tests? It will help us give you better feedback. Instructions are here.

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid:

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning, pre-shot, test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening, pre-shot, test)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

The nadir is the lowest glucose between shots. There is a general period when it will happen which is specific to the insulin being used and testing then helps make sure your cat doesn't go too low.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.
 
i'll try but I'll be honest with you. WIlbur is still VERY hard to get blood from. He's learning, but i am lucky to get it once every 2 or 3 days. he instantly starts to struggle and tuck his ears, even if I rub them.

Don't get me wrong, we've come a long way. for years i could never get any. the hard part is hitting the right spot and getting blood from the first try. I think if I could get that it'd get easier.
 
johnt said:
i'll try but I'll be honest with you. WIlbur is still VERY hard to get blood from. He's learning, but i am lucky to get it once every 2 or 3 days. he instantly starts to struggle and tuck his ears, even if I rub them.

Don't get me wrong, we've come a long way. for years i could never get any. the hard part is hitting the right spot and getting blood from the first try. I think if I could get that it'd get easier.
Click to expand...
My suggestion would be to try to desensitize him to having his ears touched. Every time you pet him, stroke his ears.... Not just when testing.... So he gets used to it.


My cats lowest on vetsulin was around +5-+6.
 
Believe me I've done that. I even tried hiding the lancet and the glucose meter/strip while doing it. I do that not only to get him desensitized, but to get the bloodflow going. but wilbur has always HATED having his ears touched in any way. So bad, if I'm petting his head and graze one of his ears he jumps down

I was worried about this transition. Wilbur gets a LOT of insulin. When i got here he was on 10u twice daily, we brought him back 10% to 9 but holy moly that's a lot.

and when you consider PZI is literally double the price, one bottle would last me 3 weeks @ $120. That's $160 per MONTH on insulin alone. This change has been a blessing as long as it works.

Not to mention I was sure I'd have to get new syringes. I can't stand those flimsy ones that come in a plastic pack, so I get the Monoject ones. Each one is sealed in its own pack.

345707.jpg

I bought 200 of them before leaving. so i was sure this stuff would be u-100 (i know there's a conversion chart but that worried me too). basically I worry too much about... everything
 
Last edited:
Have you tried the paw pad?
10u is a lot, my cat is on 14u of Levemir. I hope the Vetsulin does the trick, but if not, consider Lev., it is expensive, but has longer duration and if you get it from Canada, it's much less expensive than in US. Have you thought about testing Wilbur for high dose conditions like acromegaly and IAA?
 
yeah i've thought about testing for that, but to be very honest, I can't afford the testing at all. I can't afford the insulin, or the food, but I go without so he can get his medicine and food. I literally can't make up that difference
 
I understand completely. I had my cat tested and he came up positive for Acro, but really it doesn't change the way I treat him, it just gives me the reason why he uses so much insulin. I see you feed Fancy Feast. There are some that are saying the formulas have changed and are higher carb. I started feeding Sheba because it's a little cheaper (at Walmart anyway) also 4 Health Pate(at Tractor Supply) and 9 Lives Meaty Pates are low carb cheaper options.
 
Hrm. i didn't know that. Here's the problem. I have 3 cats, only Wilbur gets wet food and he only gets it twice a day. when I'm injecting him. Otherwise he eats dry because he grazes and if I try to feed him wet i'd either have to feed him every hour (literally) or his food will separate, or dry out and he'll barely eat any. He's extremely picky. As it is I have to use a hand blender and mix the fancy feast classic with 1 can water. if I don't do that he will lick the juice off it and walk away. And even doing that grinding it's like I said, he'll eat some, maybe come back twice, but 70% of it separates and he won't eat it anymore. Even if I mix it again. it's like he knows.

I do also have Lean Treats here for him. because sometimes he just won't eat, and I refuse to inject him unless he eats. so sometimes I have to treat him. But man those things are too big. none of my 3 cats can pick them up. they don't use their teeth they try licking them up. if I don't grind them they will just scatter them all over trying to pick them up until they get frustrated. So I have to use the hand blender on them in the little food processor accessory and chop them up.

it's quite the routine feeding around here. ALl because of Wilbur's Diabetes

Since I can't feed them separately, that means all 3 of my cats eat Hills Prescription Diet W/D at $60 for a 17.6lb bag.

When you add all that up it gets really expensive.
 
Sharon14 said:
Have you tried the paw pad?
10u is a lot, my cat is on 14u of Levemir. I hope the Vetsulin does the trick, but if not, consider Lev., it is expensive, but has longer duration and if you get it from Canada, it's much less expensive than in US. Have you thought about testing Wilbur for high dose conditions like acromegaly and IAA?
Click to expand...
oh and wilbur is 10 times worse with his feet than his ears. i wanted to put softpaws on him, but couldn't, took him to a groomer and she couldn't either
 
Understand that too, I have 13 cats! They are all switched to canned food-they get Friskies since it's cheaper. The kibble addicts are fed several times a day, in a bedroom with the door closed so Colin can't get to the food. It's been a hard road finding a routine that works! The W/D dry food is a little high in carbs, I'm trying to get an exact number from Hills, when(if) I do, I'll let you know. Maybe we can find a lower carb, cheaper option for you.
 
I've always felt bad giving that to him, but even though he only gets wet food twice a day, every 2 or 3 hours he will come in and cry at the top of his lungs (he's a huge cat, so that's LOUD), and I know it's food, but i don't bend.

Hills is probably good food. I worry that maybe the other cats aren't getting enough in their diet though since they eat it too
 
Check the ingredients of the w/d food. It's almost all rice, corn, wheat and cellulose. Not really what I would call a good food for a cat(carnivore) and especially a diabetic since those things are high in carbs. If you buy the large cans of Friskies, 9 Lives or even Special Kitty, you may find that it's cheaper to feed everyone canned food and you can feed it more than twice a day.
 
Wait, those are OK to feed a diabetic? I read earlier you mentioned the fancy feast may have actuallly changed their recipe.

You mean just the pate in all of these correct? like, not the friskies shreds or whatever
 
Yes just Pates. The Friskies are in the 8-9 carb range, 9 Lives are a bit lower. We are trying to get info from Purina on carb levels of their foods, but they aren't very cooperative! I'm planning to call Special Kitty next week to get their carb levels. If you look at the label, make sure there are no grains, tapioca, potatoes or peas in the ingredients. If there's not, it's probably ok to feed it!
 
I'm so embarrassed. I went to walmart today and tried to read the labels but the text was so tiny i couldn't lol. I'll resume my poking around tomorrow, but this is encouraging
 
John I suggest a dry food called Young Again Zero carb food. You can only buy it online,but it is the only diabetic dry cat food. I literally credit it with getting my cat into remission. You can call or email the company and they will send a free sample to try.

I feed my cat about two ounces of wet food in the morning and evening, then leave the young again food out all day. The food is pricy at $49 for an 8 lb bag, but even with several of my cats eating it, an 8 lb bag lasts me a month. This is because the food is nutrient dense and high in calories so the cats eat less of it in a sitting then regular food. It is high protien and less than 1% carbs!

Youngagainpetfood.com
 
johnt said:
I'm so embarrassed. I went to walmart today and tried to read the labels but the text was so tiny i couldn't lol. I'll resume my poking around tomorrow, but this is encouraging
Click to expand...

I always need reading glasses to see the print on the cans! With 9 lives, stick with the Meaty Pates, Friskies, are a little higher in carbs, but stick to the regular Pates- not the newer ones with the green labels, and they say the Mixed Grill is also too high. Like Janet says the Young Again is a great dry option and not as expensive as it seems. If you use it be sure to introduce it slowly, some have had problems with diarrhea because it's so rich and dense.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top