Terrified to give insulin and then go to work

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lovenrainbows77

Member Since 2014
My kitty, Sparky, was diagnosed as diabetic this afternoon. I have no idea how long he had been diabetic as he had his penis removed nearly two years ago and was switched to a urinary crystal control food and immediately began drinking/urinating a lot. The vet had said that was normal for the food as it is supposed to help keep them cleaned out and has a high salt content to encourage them to drink more. I took Sparky to the vet because he seemed to be having trouble jumping up on things, like he was missing by a little bit.. a lot of the time. So the vet said his sugar was over 400 and put him on 3 units of insulin twice a day. I gave him his first shot tonight. The problem is, I have work in the morning. I am supposed to give him another shot before work and then leave for 13 hours??? I work 11 hour shifts with an hour drive each way. I am terrified of all the hypo stories I have read for the last several hours and I do not think I can give him his second ever shot of insulin and then just leave him alone for 13 hours! I am so lost and scared and not sure what to do. I want to do what is best for him, but I am a nervous wreck... desperate and scared that I may accidentally hurt my cat by giving him insulin and then not being home to monitor him. Quitting my job and school is not currently an option. Can anyone help me? Thank you!

Steff (crazy cat rescue lady)
 
Steff

I was in the same state as you just a week ago but with the help from this forum things are getting a little easier. As I newbie the only thing I can advise is that you test his blood glucose before each shot. That's the best way to know whether it is safe to do so. The human monitors aren't too expensive and depending where you live they are easy to get hold of.

I think in order that members can help you they will want to know a little bit more about the insulin you are giving sparky and his weight.

When I first got my cat remi's diagnosis I ended up taking a few days of work as holiday so I could run around in a blind panic, get all his supplies and begin to monitor his blood glucose. Is that something you could do. Even if was just to take today off it might help you in the long run.

If there is one bit of advice that I have taken from this forum it is ' it is better to be too high than one second too low'. Ok I might have got that a bit wrong but you get my drift. Remi's first weekend I cut his dose as I was scared that he might go hyper. From testing I. Could see that he was too high but better that than too low. Just make sure he keeps eating and you test for ketones using some simple ketone urine test strips that again you can by quite readily from a pharmacy or in the US places like Walmart.

Hugs to you and sparky. I never thought I could do this but I learnt and so will you.

Ps I get my mum to pop in on my cat at lunchtime if no one is home. She feeds him and checks he is okay. Is there someone that could help you out?
 
I am in the exact same boat right now! I just gave my cat Sherman his first shot of insulin. But I am doing at home glucose testing. I did a test before the shot and then one 2 hours after. Unfortunately his glucose levels didn't go down! The human meters are supposed to be ok for testing cats with but I can get different readings with in seconds of each other. The Alphatrak for cats is supposed to be more accurate but is too expensive. Anyway I will have to give my second shot tomorrow and leave for work too. I too have an hour drive up and back but I work 8 hour shifts. I wish I could take the day off to monitor him but I already took a day off to take him back to the vet once the blood results came back that he was diabetic. I posted a help message too. I think you should try and find it and read all of the help I have been getting. Did you change your cats diet? Well good luck. I guess we will both be super worried at work tomorrow.
Robin
 
Hello Steff and welcome to you and super sweet Sparky. If you are ever worried about leaving your kitty after giving insulin, leave out lots of food for him to munch on. Kitties seem to know when they are getting low and will eat to bring up their blood sugar. The other thing you might want to invest in is a timed automatic feeder that would be scheduled to open throughout the day.

There are three corner stones to helping you manage feline diabetes. The first is testing Sparky's blood sugar at home. Many people here use the Relion Confirm or Micro from Walmart because they need just a small drop of blood, and the test strips are a reasonable price. Testing is done on the ear and is the best way to keep your boy safe. People don't take insulin without testing first to make sure it's safe. Kitties can go into diabetic remission, meaning their pancreas can start working again, but you can only detect that if you test.

Food - low carb wet food is best for diabetics and as it turns out, also for cats with urinary issues. Check out http://www.catinfo.org. Dr. Pierson has written a food chart containing many of the cat foods available in stores. You want something with %carbs less than 10. However, do not change the food until you are home testing. If Sparky is currently eating a high carb dry food, then his insulin needs may need to be drastically lowered if you do a food change.

Insulin, what type of insulin is Sparky getting? 3 units is quite a bit. Kitties often test higher at the vet than at home. My non diabetic cat once tested over 200 at the vet and 53 the next day at home. Vets prescribe a dose based on the blood sugar seen at the clinic and it may be too high. The best insulins for cats are Lantus, Levemir, Prozinc/PZI. We usually start cats on lower doses and work their way up as needed. Again, this is where testing at home can tell you if more or less insulin is needed.
 
Thank you all for replying and I hope Sherman does well with his day too! I just tried twice, both ears, to get a drop of blood from sparky to test while watching the youtube video on how to do it, but I cannot get any blood out and do not wish to stick him again this morning. I guess I will go without giving it to him until I get home and can monitor his behavior. He is down to 13lbs... he was over 19lbs and his insulin is Prozinc. I have to go to work and just cannot give him insulin and just hope it is okay. I will be home for most of the hours tomorrow besides school and will give his insulin tonight and then tomorrow. I think that the dose is high too, but I am going to have to learn to check his blood, if I can ever get any blood out of his ear that is! Any tips on this would be appreciated. Thanks again for the responses. I am so distraught and I love my kitty and am not sure how to do all of this right.
 
"The solution to pollution is dilution." The best thing you can do is switch him to a low carb, canned diet to provide extra moisture and reduce stone formation. Friskies Special Diet pates are also intended for cats with a tendancy towards urinary tract issues. Making that switch may reduce him as much as 100 mg/dL, which could drop the insulin requirement as much as 2 units. One way to be safe changing the food is to reduce the insulin dose to 1 unit, rather than 3 units, until you get testing down.

For testing, it can help to warm the ear with massage, or a warm washcloth in a plastic bag. And if you're ever in a possible hypo (low glucose level situation) and absolutely must get blood, you can aim for the vein directly. Using a bit of Neosporin ointment (not creme) with pain relief before testing will slightly numb the area. Wipe it off and the residue helps the blood bead up. Apply direct pressure after the test to reduce bruising and give a low carb treat to reward being tested. You may snag a blood drop on a clean fingernail if your cat is squirmy.
 
As BJ has already mentioned, warming the ear is crucial in the beginning. Many of us also use a rice sock which is a baby sock filed with uncooked rice. Knot the sock and put in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put against both sides of the ear to warm it up. Soon, the ear will learn to bleed on its own and you won't need the sock but it sure helped me in the beginning.

Pain Free Neosporin is also a good trick for getting that small drop on the strip. Many of our sugarcats don't even feel the prick or shot. They just want the treat. Yes, get some dehydrated treats (mine love Orijen Original treats - Purebites are good too). My sugar goes to the testing spot on his own - ah treats are a marvelous thing. He gets one for arriving, one after testing and one after the shot.

We are here for you to hold your hand and show how this disease is manageable through diet, insulin and testing. Many of us work away from home with long commutes and figure out how to do this. You will too. We can show you how.

Sparky is in good care because you came here.
 
Hi Steff,

I was in the exact same position you are in 3 weeks ago. Went out and got a meter the second day (because the first time I had to give him a morning shot, and then run off to work for the next 12 hours, I was an anxious mess all day). Getting blood for testing is getting a little easier. Sometimes I have to try and poke him 3 or 4 times before I get enough to test. He doesn't even seem to notice the poke (he just gets annoyed because I am messing with his ears). Now that he has figured out he gets a little treat after I am done -- and not until I am done, he's a little more compliant. He is also a very gentle cat, so I am lucky in that respect.

Now I am starting to get a little bit of history and understand how much he responds to a specific dose of insulin, and have decreased the amounts he's getting for now. Home testing has given me much greater peace of mind. It is definitely well worth the frustration and extra effort.

I don't want to give any further advice because I am new to this too. Just wanted to say I understand, and encourage you to keep trying with the testing. It does get easier once you get a routine going. Having a busy schedule where you away from home a lot makes it harder. (And I am realizing I need to take things like dosage adjustments, etc., little slower than people who can be home to get midcycle numbers every day. Though I do try to get midcycles on weekends and wherever I can.)
 
RobinCot said:
As BJ has already mentioned, warming the ear is crucial in the beginning. Many of us also use a rice sock which is a baby sock filed with uncooked rice. Knot the sock and put in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put against both sides of the ear to warm it up. Soon, the ear will learn to bleed on its own and you won't need the sock but it sure helped me in the beginning.

Pain Free Neosporin is also a good trick for getting that small drop on the strip. Many of our sugarcats don't even feel the prick or shot. They just want the treat. Yes, get some dehydrated treats (mine love Orijen Original treats - Purebites are good too). My sugar goes to the testing spot on his own - ah treats are a marvelous thing. He gets one for arriving, one after testing and one after the shot.

We are here for you to hold your hand and show how this disease is manageable through diet, insulin and testing. Many of us work away from home with long commutes and figure out how to do this. You will too. We can show you how.

Sparky is in good care because you came here.
Click to expand...

Can you guys tell me what needle size you are using to prick your cats ears? My cat Sherman is getting less tolerant of it and hiding from me. I feel terrible.
 
I use a 30 or 31 gauge lancet to free-hand poke the edge of the ear. Sometimes beginners do better with a bigger lancet such as a 28 gauge lancet because it provides a bigger sample.
 
Welcome,
I too am a "newbie". I've only been home testing now for almost 2 weeks. I went to the bigger (28 gauge) lancet and am having much better luck. Usually a blood spot on first try! Yea! Except for yesterday, I poked 3-4 times and switched ears before getting a blood spot. I probably didn't warm the ear enough. I did make 2 rice socks out of toddler tube socks that I had (I tied them off with ponytail rubber bands). That helps a lot. It also helps to give support against Hanks ear when testing. I do hold my thumb taught with rice sock on inside of his ear and then "click". Sometimes I rub his ear under prick (when I see it) to get the blood drop bigger. The Neosporin helps. I rub it on before and after testing. I do have to find new low carb treats to give him after testing. The ones I picked up (freeze-dried chicken) at PetsMart Hank will not touch! But my 3 dogs sure want them!! Gotta figure out where to get the "good stuff". Anyway, hang in there, keep trying...you'll get it. Everyone on this website are great, have been in your shoes and have so many good ideas and helpful tips to help you get through this.

Take care,
Kimmie and Hank
 
Thanks so much for all your help. I am trying to manage and my vet is very against testing, but I am against giving my baby insulin when it may harm him if he is too low. It is now more than 12 hours since his last shot and I just got my first actual blood drop to come out and his sugar level is 167.... so after over 12 hours and it time for his next 3 units of insulin. Should I give it if he is at 167 now???
 
Definitely not the 3 units. We advise newbies no shoot with 200 or below. I would retest in about a half hour without food and see if he's rising. If over 200, maybe do 0.5 units.....hopefully someone with more knowledge on dosing will pop in. 3 units is a lot. Start low and go slow :-D
 
I can't provide much information, but I can say that I completely understand your concerns. Today was my first morning shot, and I was worrying about my kitty all day at work. I hope it gets easier because I had a hard time focusing on my work today. Good luck with Sparky! You are in good hands in this forum - everyone has been amazing.

My cat, Marbles, was very skittish about the ear pricks at first but she now comes (for the most part) when I shake her treats. She like the Halo Chicken treats even though it took her a good day or two to try the treats, but once she did she was hooked. I ordered them on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00027CL5S/ref ... words=halo
 
We advice new people on this forum to not give insulin if you test below 200. You don't have enough data yet to safely shoot tonight.

As you start gathering data on your kitty, it will be helpful to others on this board if you could publish it in spreadsheet form. Here is a post that tells you how.
 
So, I switched to all wet, low carb varieties of fancy feast instead of his prescription crystal prevention food. I hope that he will do well on it. I tested him when I got home from work, 25 hours after his last dose of 3 units of insulin and without any food restriction and he was at 219. I gave one unit of insulin as I thought maybe three would be too much for him when he was only at 219. I got the spreadsheet as requested, but I do not understand it .. so it is my signature, but empty. I am not sure what numbers correspond to which PVI doses yet. I am more nervous about giving too much rather than too little, so I chose to stay on the side of caution and lots of prayers. I work 11 hours a day and am gone for nearly 13 with the drive.... I study as much as I can before bed but I still feel like I am just bumbling through trying to find a light. Thanks so much for your help and sanity. My vet acts like I am insane to test him and that I should just give the 3 units twice a day, no questions asked. I am just not willing to take that kind of risk and as an intellectual, I research everything and pray that I will have the knowledge to do good and not harm. Love to all of you and your furbabies. I know it is a struggle when we love them so much and something goes wrong.

~ steff
 
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)
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.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.
 
Thank You very much. That was quite helpful as I could not figure out the (+1+10, etc.). I edited the file and hope it is correct now. Any help or guidelines is greatly appreciated.

Steff
 
Well, without any insulin, sparky's blood glucose stays in the mid 100s. If I take away his food for 8 hours, it goes a bit above 200. I am guessing that is because his body releases extra glucose to compensate for fasting. I am taking his blood an hour apart for most of the day today to try to get an idea of how food, insulin, and blood glucose are all playing a role. The good news is that when he has ample food and doesn't have any insulin, his pancreas is obviously still moderating his sugar levels pretty good even though he is still high of normal. I am not really sure where to go from here. I do not want to withhold food every night to get his sugar above 200 and give him insulin, but I also don't know if it would maybe be better to not give him insulin and let him just self regulate in the mid 100s? Any advice?
 
Wow, Sparky eats a lot! :smile: Was he eating all dry before dx? Hank is eating a high card dry(Iams) and my vet keeps telling me not to switch his food. Hank isn't interested in wet either. But that is the goal (for me) to switch him to wet food. Sparky's numbers look good. Do you think because of switching his food to all wet?

Kimmied
 
I definitely think the wet food tips on here helped cut his numbers in half. Previously, Sparky was on mostly dry urinary tract prescription food, most recently UR, before that CD.. with occasional cans of same brand. Just getting the less than 10 grams fancy feast lowered it quite a bit.. and sparky is a super size kitty though. He is ultra long and big boned :) He is underweight right now and is 13.6lbs. All my kitties are rescues so I am not sure what line he is from. We are giving a little insulin a try again (1.5 units prozinc PZI twice a day) to try to get his numbers into the normal range. Poor Hank kitty looks like he is all over the map. Much love to you wonderful people who take great care of your furbabies and help others who are struggling too. The only concern is that the new vet said that he went to a conference this year and that the numbers read on the human meters are usually 25-30% less than the actual blood glucose of the cat, so he is a bit higher than I thought. He did say he thinks remission may be a possibility one day, but for right now, we will keep on keeping on and do the best we can to get through this new challenge. He has survived far worse and I love him with my all. Love to all of you and thanks for the guidance. I will keep everything updated and hope we all get clean bills of health again soon <3
 
Normal range for a cat's BG when using a human glucometer is 50-120, so Sparky isn't far off the normal range.
 
If his numbers are near normal, you might want to be more conservative on the ProZinc dose so he doesn't hypo. Maybe start off at 0.5 units, or if you're using U-100 syringes with a conversion chart, 0.6 units.
 
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