Vader723
Member Since 2017
Thank you all for the excellent information on these boards. Vader is a newly diagnosed diabetic who has already had a hypo crisis, and is just out of the animal hospital.
Dx date 11/24, after noting some rapid weight loss. Vet started him on Prozinc 2.5u bid 12/1/17, which the vet stated was a pretty conservative dose. (Mistake number 1!) He seemed to be tolerating this well, and appetite remained good, even with a dietary change to a lower carb kibble and canned food. (Mistake number 2!) Side note: Trying to find a canned food that all 3 cats like has been a struggle! The kibble is a compromise to avoid throwing the other 2 into a liver crisis. Vader is a grazer, and never wants to eat too much at any one time, so I had been spot checking his glucose to get him used to testing, but we had not yet moved into a strict testing regimen. (Mistake number 3!) There was one morning that he seemed to not eat much, so I gave him a half dose of insulin after checking his glucose and finding it to be 192. I called the vet who said that was probably fine, but that I should not make a habit of self regulating his insulin based on blood sugar results (Mistake number 4!)
On the morning of 12/11/17 he received his morning dose as usual. Within a couple of hours, he seemed to be acting strangely, laying across a power strip beneath my desk. I picked him up and moved him off it, and he sort of crawled to a new spot. I checked his glucose and it was 49, so I immediately gave him some Karo and rushed off to the animal hospital, where his glucose was found to be 39. He was in hospital for 24 hours and released yesterday. The ER vet said that she will typically start cats off at 1u bid and gradually move up from there if needed, so that is where we are starting today.
I am questioning everything I thought I knew, and questioning every move I make! He didn’t eat much this morning but has continued to nibble every couple of hours. I checked his glucose and it was 393, so we proceeded with the insulin. I’ve made sure to close all the doors so I can watch him. I plan to complete a glucose curve this weekend when I am home. It’s just the cats and I, so there is no one else to feed or monitor while I am at work, and gone for 11 hours.
This was a long post, and it’s maybe more information than an introductory post needed, but again, I just want to thank everyone here for being such a valuable resource as we learn how to manage our new reality!
Sincerely,
Vader and crew
Dx date 11/24, after noting some rapid weight loss. Vet started him on Prozinc 2.5u bid 12/1/17, which the vet stated was a pretty conservative dose. (Mistake number 1!) He seemed to be tolerating this well, and appetite remained good, even with a dietary change to a lower carb kibble and canned food. (Mistake number 2!) Side note: Trying to find a canned food that all 3 cats like has been a struggle! The kibble is a compromise to avoid throwing the other 2 into a liver crisis. Vader is a grazer, and never wants to eat too much at any one time, so I had been spot checking his glucose to get him used to testing, but we had not yet moved into a strict testing regimen. (Mistake number 3!) There was one morning that he seemed to not eat much, so I gave him a half dose of insulin after checking his glucose and finding it to be 192. I called the vet who said that was probably fine, but that I should not make a habit of self regulating his insulin based on blood sugar results (Mistake number 4!)
On the morning of 12/11/17 he received his morning dose as usual. Within a couple of hours, he seemed to be acting strangely, laying across a power strip beneath my desk. I picked him up and moved him off it, and he sort of crawled to a new spot. I checked his glucose and it was 49, so I immediately gave him some Karo and rushed off to the animal hospital, where his glucose was found to be 39. He was in hospital for 24 hours and released yesterday. The ER vet said that she will typically start cats off at 1u bid and gradually move up from there if needed, so that is where we are starting today.
I am questioning everything I thought I knew, and questioning every move I make! He didn’t eat much this morning but has continued to nibble every couple of hours. I checked his glucose and it was 393, so we proceeded with the insulin. I’ve made sure to close all the doors so I can watch him. I plan to complete a glucose curve this weekend when I am home. It’s just the cats and I, so there is no one else to feed or monitor while I am at work, and gone for 11 hours.
This was a long post, and it’s maybe more information than an introductory post needed, but again, I just want to thank everyone here for being such a valuable resource as we learn how to manage our new reality!
Sincerely,
Vader and crew
Feel free to post on the main health forum to ask any/all questions you have. We're always willing to help. 
