? Switching from vetsulin to prozinc- Part 2

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hi Lisa..Elmo is currently on vetsulin and i am trying to gather info to help me make a switch to another insulin.My vet only normally gives vetsulin or prozinc so I would love to hear your wisdom on why you switched and how the change has gone. I am not sure what i will encounter when i take Elmo to vet on Monday, 12/19 ....have asked them about the L insulins which they have never used so i want to be ready if they insist on only prozinc as an alternative. Thanks so much in advance for your wisdom and experience that will help me go to the vet better informed.(PS Kris has been one of Elmo"s main godmothers//she is the best:)
 
Hi Beth... Smoky has only been on prozinc for about three weeks now(Nov 23). My vet doesn't normally prescribe the L insulins either but said I can try any insulin I want. I chose prozinc as it is far less expensive than the L insulins. Lantus would have been my first choice but it is out of my reach cost wise right now. The prozinc is about $120 for a vial in PA.

The major difference I noticed between the two is that Smokys BG would dive fast on the vetsulin. See his SS earlier on to see what I mean, he was better when he was on lower doses. I didn't like that he would drop 200 to 300 points in 3 or 4 hours and then his BG would jump again into very high numbers. The vetsulin didn't seem to last more than 6 hours at a time. The second month he was on vetsulin he seemed to be stuck in higher numbers a lot of the time. Smoky seemed lethargic and depressed on it and had a very poor appetite and was nauseous.

The prozinc by contrast started working after a week. I like that I don't have to make sure he eats a lot right before I give the shot. Also, his appetite is so much better now than it was. I don't know how Elmo does on the vetsulin but Smoky had too many problems with it. I've done spot checks and a few curves on him while on the prozinc and his numbers are far better now. Smokys BG was high for a while due to a UTI he had for a few weeks. As soon as he was over that his BG started to get more stable and he was feeling a lot better on the prozinc. IMO, smoky has made far more progress in 3 weeks on prozinc than he ever did while on vetsulin for 2 months.

I hope this helps you out a little. I'm afraid I tend to ramble on from time to time so just give me a shake if I do that.:smuggrin:
One other thing, I was not home testing at first and only now and again when I was.
I realize how important that is now, especially when Smoky is going into lower numbers at times. I need to know if it is safe to give him his shot or if it is what dose to give him.
 
OK so PMPS for Smoky was 281 up from the 154 at +9.5 hours. Was the almost 2.75 unit dose too much for him yet? His am numbers were going down and now are back up again and he is getting his pm shot soon. Back to the 2.5 again?
 
Lisa and Smoky said:
OK so PMPS for Smoky was 281 up from the 154 at +9.5 hours. Was the almost 2.75 unit dose too much for him yet? His am numbers were going down and now are back up again and he is getting his pm shot soon. Back to the 2.5 again?
Click to expand...
Your choice, Lisa but I think you could try 2.75 u again. The AM and PM PSs won't always match but if they trend in that general direction, it's a good sign. You're still accumulating data on ProZinc as Smoky's dosage changes so it's hard to make definite statements about what to do or what will happen. The more data as time goes on, the more you'll see trends and patterns.
 
Thanks Kris,
I was leaning towards the 2.75 units. Is it possible he may not need the same dose with prozinc that he had with the vetsulin? They are similar insulins in their make up except one is slower acting and one is fast acting.
 
Lisa and Smoky said:
Thanks Kris,
I was leaning towards the 2.75 units. Is it possible he may not need the same dose with prozinc that he had with the vetsulin? They are similar insulins in their make up except one is slower acting and one is fast acting.
Click to expand...
Yes. it's quite possible. In fact, you might find that his dose will fall as he spends more time in good numbers because there's less of the toxic effect of glucose impairing his ability to respond.
 
Does it mean his liver and pancreas are getting a "rest" whenever he is at lower BG numbers? Do FD kitties heal then with the blues and yellows?
 
Lisa and Smoky said:
Does it mean his liver and pancreas are getting a "rest" whenever he is at lower BG numbers? Do FD kitties heal then with the blues and yellows?
Click to expand...
I think that's one way of looking at it and it relates to cats' ability to go into remission. They're always diabetic but can stop requiring insulin.
 
Smoky at 265 for PMPS, his last three doses were just under 2.75u. I was thinking about giving him the same dose for pm shot. Going to do a curve on Monday, it's been two weeks on Sunday since his last one.
 
Last edited:
Lisa and Smoky said:
Smoky: AMPS 230
Giving same dose as last night, 2.75 u
Click to expand...
Looks good. Even though his PMPSs are slightly higher, he's doing well. Are you planning to try a test in the +5 to +7 range to see how low he goes? Might give you a good reference point to compare with your curve tomorrow, even if you use the AT meter for that.
 
I was thinking about getting in a +6 test today. It's halfway between cycles so thought it would be a good reference point. I was actually thinking he might need a little less than the 2.75 u, maybe try 2.5 instead?
 
What the heck happened? I tested Smokys BG at +6.5 and it was 56! I feel that I shld run to the store and get him some high carb food. I am giving him some nine lives lower carb food right now. When should I test him again?
 
I'd test in 15 -20 minutes. If regular food will bring him up, that'd be best. 50 is our "get nervous" number and he is a little way up from that, but you don't want him to drop below 50.

Maybe you have hit his magic dose and you can start shaving off now.
 
Lisa and Smoky said:
What the heck happened? I tested Smokys BG at +6.5 and it was 56! I feel that I shld run to the store and get him some high carb food. I am giving him some nine lives lower carb food right now. When should I test him again?
Click to expand...
Stick with the lower carb food for now and recheck in 30 minutes. If he's rising then, you could do a quick store run if it's not too far. In a pinch you can put a little honey or karo in the low carb food if he'll eat it. Don't feed to much at once in case you have to keep giving these little snacks. You don't want him to get too full.
 
Sue beat me to it! You might well be near his magic dose and that's why you're seeing this big reaction. It's scary but good. Start thinking what you'll drop his dose to tonight. I'd recommend testing fairly frequently (hourly?) to see how this plays out. You don't have any of these stories on your SS to date. :)
 
BTW - Teasel dropped a lot today mid cycle and I had to cancel an afternoon Christmas get together to monitor him here. There's something in the air ... ;)
 
Store is only 10 min drive and my roommate is here to go to store for me if needed. I love that she does stuff like that for me and smoky
 
Lisa and Smoky said:
Store is only 10 min drive and my roommate is here to go to store for me if needed. I love that she does stuff like that for me and smoky
Click to expand...
Excellent! Might be good to have a few cans of gravy/sauce style food on hand since he seems to be liking the ProZinc a bit too much right now. As you get into dose dropping range these exciting events can pop up periodically. Good thing you're home tomorrow too.

Is Smoky carb sensitive? I've just found out that Teasel isn't terribly. Good info to have.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top