Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjust?

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Hilak

Member Since 2013
Hello,
My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes with a blood sugar usually around 200-250. She started insulin 3 days ago ( prozinc 1unit twice a day). Since that time she has become a completely different cat. She is very lethargic, irritable and listless. She has always been a very outgoing, alert cat that would never turn down food. It started the first day I was giving
insulin but got so bad yesturday that she would just flop over and collapse anytime I tried to pick her up and move her. She wouldn't respond when I called her and was difficult to wake up. Her ears also got really hot and her heart felt like it was racing. I checked her blood sugar fairly often but never got a reading below 200. She did drink and urinate less ( the symptoms of her diabates) but she also had no interest in even her favorite foods and treats. And this cat will always eat anything! Her vet is gone until Monday. I didn't know what to do so I stopped giving her insulin. I didn't think it was a good idea to continue to give it to her especially since she didn't want to eat. She seems somewhat better today. Her ears are still hot and she is lethargic but she will at least acknowledge when you call her or pet her and has been eating some. Is this normal? I know sometimes it can take the body a while to get adjusted to a new medication but she seemed so much worse after than before taking it. Could she be having a reaction to the insulin? Or is this common? or just a coincidence?
Thanks for any advice! I've researched it but I haven't seen anyone else describing a similar situation.
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

Could be a reaction to the insulin but not likely. Have you checked the urine for ketones as a check? You can purchase them at a human pharmacy. If ketones that is bad annd an ER visit is ncessary.
How how much is he eating and how often? The symptoms you notice could be ketones. (Diabetic Ketoacidosis.).
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

A blood glucose is insufficient to diagnose diabetes.
Did the vet do a fructosamine?
Check for glucose in the urine?

Vet stress will raise the glucose as much as 180 points ... so a number in the 200s may be NORMAL for when at the vet.

The numbers you are seeing may be compensating for insulin taking the glucose too low.

You may be overdosing your cat. I would consider stopping the insulin for 12 hours and testing to see what the glucose does.
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

Thank you for your help! The vet did find glucose in the urine. I think a significant amount. I don't believe there was any fructosamine. The vet tested at the office and her blood level was 270. I started testing at home and got in the 230/260 range. Then we switched her food at the vets recommendation to hill w/d dry food she had previously been eating instinct dry food. I kept testing at home and her glucose went up to high 300s. So I switched back to instinct also trying to incorporate wet food. Glucose went back down to mid 200s and then we started insulin.
The only symptoms I had noticed before was that she seemed to be urinating and drinking more. No weight loss. Do you think this is something that can be diet controlled? The vet seemed to think insulin was very important to start ASAP but the more I read the more it sounds like a lot of risk for a level that doesn't seem excessively high. She just seems so sick. Her ears are so hot and she is irritable and lethargic. I don't want to stick her with anything else unless absolutely necessary. I feel terrible that I made her worse off then she was before we started all of this.
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

The recommended diet for all cats is canned or raw, and low carb. Pop over to vet written Cat Info for information on why.

If, for whatever reason, you don't think you can switch to a low carb canned or raw diet, consider the following dry foods:
Evo cat and Kitten (most major pet supply stores)
Young Again 0 Carb (internet only)
Wellness Core original in the tan and gold bag (most major pet supply stores)

If you test and he is over 240 (the approximate renal threshold), you might consider a token dose of the ProZinc, such as 0.5 units. If you use a U-100 syringe with the U-40 ProZinc, you can actually measure doses as low as 0.2 units.
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

I don't believe there was any fructosamine.
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The fructosamine is a blood test that shows an average of the blood glucose number over a 2 to 3 week period. Much more reliable to diagnosis diabetes. Excess glucose in the urine can be from other causes like a hard to detect infection (think teeth).

Would you please update your user control panel, profile, edit signature to add the type of insulin being used, your name, your cats name, diet, etc. to help us help you better.

Are you testing for ketones?

Are you home testing?

The only symptoms I had noticed before was that she seemed to be urinating and drinking more
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P/U (peeing excessively, lake size puddles) and P/D (drinking excessively) are symptoms of diabetes. Can also be an indication of hyperthroid

Then we switched her food at the vets recommendation to hill w/d dry food she had previously been eating instinct dry food.
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Ok, your vet needs to read the AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Link is here: http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/AAHADiabetesGuidelines.pdf This is a vet journal published article from 2010. I suggest you print out a copy for you and one for your vet. Please note the section about feeding your pet the lowest carb content food your pet will eat.

Do you think this is something that can be diet controlled?
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Yes, but not with that diet. Hill's W/D dry food is about 37% carbs. We recommend <~10% carbs to help control the BG (blood glucose) numbers. The W/D is what my shelter foster Wink was on before he came to live with me. I changed his diet to the suggested low carb wet food and supported with insulin and he went OTJ(off the juice) in about 6 weeks.

Low carb canned food can drop the BG levesl 100 points. Takes a while.

The vet seemed to think insulin was very important to start ASAP but the more I read the more it sounds like a lot of risk for a level that doesn't seem excessively high. She just seems so sick.
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Any numbers over 240-250 are over the renal threshold and excess glucose will spill into the urine. Excess glucose over time can damage organs, damage nerves leading to diabetic neuropathy, and in dogs damages the eyes.

Normal non-diabetic BG numbers are in the 50-120 range. Yes, anything over 240 needs insulin.
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

If you do decide to use the U100 syringes with the U40 insulin there is a conversion chart to be used. Ask and you shall recieve the info.
 
Re: Possible reaction to insulin? Or just need time to adjus

Good luck with the vet and I hope your kitty is feeling better. Please keep us updated and keep hometesting, even when insulin is not being administered :-D
 
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