| glygine: long acting man-made human insulin |
My hope is in the research that was done in Australia - that cats, when caught early, and had their diet changed and put on glargine insulin, tend to resolve their diabetes in four months:
"An important finding that changed management of diabetic cats world-wide is that treatment with insulin glargine results in remission rates close to 100% compared to 20% for lente insulin and 30% for protamine zinc insulin in newly diagnosed diabetic cats"*The great thing about the study is that it includes tables of dosage and target blood glucose levels based on body weight.
First thing I had to do is buy insulin and a glucometer and strips.
Expensive! (it was hilarious that the pharmacy asked me for my Medical card even though it was my cat that was the patient!) - but totally worth it since my cat stresses out going to the vet and I am definitely up to doing blood glucose testing - again! I think it will turn out cheaper in the long run and will definitely be less stressful for my Kitty.
I downloaded a diabetic record, much like we keep in the hospital - but with more space for food details. (Weekly one for me, a monthly one for my Veterinarian.)
Testing a cat is no easy matter. The videos that shows how to do it makes it look easy, but with my kitty - not so much. Even with the application of heat, it's difficult to get enough of a sample to register..
I had a much easier time with my other cat - and I suspect it has less to do with my expertise as the type of lancet I used. The stick pen I use has a much finer point than the lancets I used for my last cat - the kind used for a baby's heels. (doesn't that make you wince!!! Poor babies!)
I started Kitty on one unit of insulin bid (twice daily) just to make sure I didn't overdose and cause a hypoglycemic seizure. It's best to aim for a gradual reduction in the glucose level.**
Her blood sugars started out at 29.7 ( I am using mmol/L measurement that we use in Canada since I am more familiar with it) and only went down to 19.2 by the end of the day.
The next morning it was 8.2 so I skipped the pm insulin. I shouldn't have, because cats have a faster metabolism and and require bid dosages to maintain a consistent glucose level. Sure enough, the next morning's glucose level was back up again - 18.3 mmol/L.
Lesson learned.
I decided it would be best to stay at one unit of insulin bid for a couple more days. I monitored her intake in grams and kept it consistent for insulin dosaging purposes. The Ozzie researchers had allowed their cats to free range eat for the first 2 weeks of the study and then put them on a restricted diet.
I fed her when she was hungry (four times per day, as it turned out) and kept track on her chart.
After a few more days - it was evident that her glucose levels had stabilized at 18 to 20 mmol/L.
Yesterday I started her on 2 units bid and this am her blood glucose level was 12.6......so we're getting there!
Apparently after being on insulin for two weeks, her pancreas could kick in and start creating it's own insulin. As I already quoted above, after four months, it could very well be that I can discontinue her insulin altogether.
I wish I had known about the importance of high protein diet back when my other cat had diabetes.....his blood glucose levels could have been better maintained and possibly could have recovered. The diet Veterinarians were advocating for feline diabetics back then wasn't at all what diabetic cats actually require.
As my present Veterinarian states - we should be giving our cats canned mice - and unfortunately, people won't do it because it's not esthetically pleasing to us.....so we ignore what cats actually need and give them what we think they need......creating the proliferation of feline diabetics!!!
I suppose that is the importance of research!
Preventative medicine and improving patient care!
* http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/index.html?page=43498&pid=0
** Meters calibrated for feline use may read higher or lower than the actual value, in
contrast to consistently lower readings for meters validated for human blood. Therefore, my target range for Kitty's blood glucose level is 4.4 - 7.2.
4 comments:
It funny you should mention feeding mice to cats as I get an online veterinarian newsletter (have you heard of Dr Becker?) and she says that too. She says the natural diet of cats contains all the moisture and nutrients that they need to be healthy and thrive. The diet that most modern day felines are forced to eat does not, and therefore so many diseases (preventable)prevail.
Anyway,I am sure you know that just like we are what we eat, so are our pets, gross as it may seem...hah.
Good luck with your cat and I hope she/he gets better.
Cheers.
CG: Thanks for stopping by neighbour! I think the research is getting around....meanwhile...my cat is eating protein...and none of the dry stuff.....
OMG!! I am certainly glad my 2 cats are good mousers! Actually, they love gophers . . . which our 5 acres generate plenty of! They are also seen sneaking into the neighbors yard cause of course the grass is greener (or gophers are fatter) on the other side of the fence.
I see you met my Canadian cuz, the crema dona herself. She is my inspiration to blog along with many other things. She discovered the wonderful world of Nelson. I took my first trip there 4 years ago and haven't been the same since. Can you find me a job there? I really want to retire in Canada!! Meanwhile, you will find me there each June for about a month. I'll hang out till after Canada Day.
UN-R(etired)N
Kev: You will have to get your cousin to show you around the province a little more... have you been to the hotsprings?
As far as jobs go, due to NAFTA agreement (Free Trade Agreement), you could, if there were a need, move to Canada to work - in some communities, there still is a need for nurses...that is how I came to work in the San Francisco Bay Area for almost 5 years.
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