regulating diet & starting insulin

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JeanneMM

Member Since 2010
Hi. My 10-year old male tabby - Scottie - has just been diagnosed with diabetes. He is overweight, has 400+ blood sugar levels, but is otherwise just fine. So hopefully we've caught it early. Here's the question I need some advice about:

Which is the best approach:
- changing his diet to high protein / low carb BEFORE starting insulin (if this one - how long should I wait?)
- starting insulin while he's on his regular diet (which has been avg. protein/carb - mainly dry food with a tsp. canned food)?
- starting insulin AND changing his diet to high protein / low carb at the same time?

My vet did the diagnosis and since she had to order the insulin, I started him on Hills prescription MD canned food right away and slowed way down on the dry food. He seemed to like the canned food, so I thought great. After about 3 days of eating that, we started the insulin (she recommended the PZI type) - a dose of 1.0 in the morning and evening after he had eaten. By the third dose, he refused to eat anything - including his love - TUNA. So the vet told me to stop the insulin and wait till he resumed eating. To get him to eat again, I had to return to his normal diet (avg. protein and carbs). This took 3 days to resume to normal levels and now the vet is recommending I start back up with the insulin, only at 0.50 dosage just once a day. I am wondering if this is the best way to go. Seems like the diet is a huge part of getting the cat's blood sugar back to normal, but I'm unclear if we need to "jump-start" this process by using insulin for a while.

I'm also planning to purchase a glucometer so I can chart his blood sugar levels and hopefully get him into the correct dosage of insulin as soon as possible.

I appreciate any feedback you can give me as he is a dear pet and friend to me. His reaction to the initial insulin was so pronounced that I don't feel like playing Russian Roulette with him.

Jeanne
 
Hello Jeanne. First and foremost - go back to the Home page and on the right side you will see Getting Started and Diet among many other useful topics. Read them and then check out the Topics and Stickys on the Lantus page. I think your questions will be answered but, if not ask what else you need to know and we will help you. Good reading and good luck.
 
Hi Jeanne & Scottie, ~O)

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Have a "seat and sit awhile". You are going to be so glad you found this forum. I am very new here myself so I have no dosing advice for you. I can say one thing about what happened to my sugar kitty after following protocol here AND listening to the very experienced coaches: His whole body has changed for the amazingly better. Skin issues(he had them for years, but of course, he's been eating dried food for years too, breaks my heart) cleared up in less than 14 days after taking him off the dry food COMPLETELY. Amazing! My sugar cat (referring to our precious diabetic kitty cats) is pretty easy going and he just LOVED the canned food idea. There was no transition period for him. He was on board from can one. Really amazing how his skin stopped flaking, his fur became shiny. as so did his eyes. Plus, because he is now getting most of his moisture from his canned food, he's stopped scavaging water from the planter dishes, the sink, the water in the dishes in the kitchen,sink, the bathtub (kept the commode covered..shudder) and wherever he could get it within that same14 day time period. Such a note worthy change in behavior. How pitiful I think, when I realized how dehydrated he's been...for years, eating that dried food.
Anyway, lots and lots of info in the stickies(starred) at the beginning of this forum. You'll get something new each time you read them.

So glad you've found this forum. Looking forward to your posts.

Cee & Gandolf cat_pet_icon
 
Hi Jeanne, your best bet getting started is to introduce yourself on our Health forum. Here is the link: viewforum.php?f=28 The fine folks in Health can get you started on the basics of diet, insulin, and testing.
 
400 is pretty high, so starting the PZI insulin at a lower dose was good advice from your vet.
You can increase it later per the protocols, depending on your cats BG readings.

My cat had the same reaction the 1st time I gave her insulin. It was so bad that she wouldnt eat or drink water at all.
I had to go to a lower dose to start.

It is important to do home blood glucose testing so you know what your cats BG levels are before you give an injection and to see how her numbers go throughout the day.
Walmart has one called Relion Confirm that is reasonable in price, especially for the Lancets and test strips.
It is easy to use.

Sometimes when transitioning to canned food, some cats do not like it done all at once. If you have to, try it more gradually.
First put out some canned, then when the cat appears to be done, put out a little dry, until you can get her to all canned.
crushing a little dry and sprinkling on top of the canned helps too.

Read the sticky's on the Lantus forum (especially about the storage shed), the PZI forum, and the Health Forum pages.
Especially read how to set up a spreadsheet and post it to your signature:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

Good Luck
 
ps... a couple of people have suggested reading the stickies on this forum (the Lantus forum). Those stickies don't apply, since you are not using Lantus insulin. PZI is used totally differently. There are stickies in the PZI forum that might help you out. I would still visit Health first, though, to get a good grip on the basics of diabetes.
 
reactions to insulin

Thanks everyone for your responses. I've now read a ton about diabetes, have purchased a glucosometer and having been trying to use it. Am still having problems with insulin reactions and can't seem to find any info about what to do (or even to see if I am over-reacting ... probably). I'm not very proficient at blogs and posting on message boards, so please be patient with me. Your answers are VERY important to me and Scottie. Our vet started Scottie on 1 unit of PZI twice a day after diagnosing him with diabetes (blood sugar > 400; overweight). After the third shot, he stopped eating entirely (very unusual for him!). She suggested we stop the insulin, wait a couple of days, then restart with 1/2 unit once a day. Do this for 3 days and on the third day, begin the blood glucose charting. Yesterday I tested his blood (for the first time) just after he ate and it was 400+. I gave him his insulin and he stayed close by me most of the day (I work out of my home), finally getting up in the later afternoon to go out and play (which he normally can't wait to run out and do first thing in the AM). He ate well at both of his feedings and I've noticed a marked decrease in both is water consumpution and urine since switching him completely to a low carb canned food and completely restricting dry food intake. Since the Vet said not to bother wit blood tests till the third day of insulin, I gave him his shot this morning about 1 hour after he ate (which wasn't as much food as he normally eats ... I waited that long because I had to search the house to find him ... also not normal ... and finally found him in my closet, curled up in a tight ball under my clothes). I gave him the insulin and came back to visit him every couple hours ... he hadn't moved much all day which is pretty strange for him. Finally, at 7 PM tonight, I carried him downstairs and checked his blood sugar ... it was down to 364. He was shivering (could have been fear as I'm not very good at doing the blood tests yet) and seemed very complacent. I gave him some food which he gobbled up, and then had to drive out of town for an overnight business trip. My husband told me that he was curled up on his chest on the couch at 10 PM tonight and seemed pretty good. All in all, I think he is having a very strange reaction, but I'm so new at all this that I'm not sure if it is due to the insulin, or getting blood pricks, or changed food, or????? Bottom line, I'm scared to have my husband give him the next insulin shot tomorrow morning since I won't be back to be able to monitor him till about 5 PM and my husband will be gone all day, and he is acting sooooo strange. Yet, I'm scared not to give it to him either as it seems we just keep delaying getting any real treatment going. Please help ... my Vet is closed for the night and I need to decide what to do by 7 AM tomorrow morning. My gut feeling is to not give him the insulin, and then take him back to the vet Wed. AM to get this whole situation talked out and figure out what to do. Is Scottie's reaction to insulin "normal"? Typically, when cats first start on insulin, do they go through an adjustment period during which they are lethargic, depressed, and decreasing in their appetite? Thanks for any info and suggestions you can give me.

Jeanne and Scottie
 
cross posted to PZI forum: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=29366

hi there, I would also suggest introducing yourself in the main Health forum to help get you started.

I've linked your new thread from the PZI forum so that others see that you are currently using PZI.
Check back often to your posts for replies!
 
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