My cat's diabetes isn't controlled by Vetsulin. What's next?

I'm so sorry to hear that Shady is not doing well. Diabetes can be difficult to regulate initially. I have attached a link to a good article for ideas on cats that are difficult to regulate below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=&A=1605&SourceID= That may give you some ideas to discuss with your vet. I would also look at Shady's diet. I have a very difficult time controlling diabetic cats on a dry food diet and find that they do much better on a canned food diet with higher protein. Here is a link to a website that discusses that and gives lots of good information on managing diabetes in cats. http://binkyspage.tripod.com/index.html I know it can be difficult to get a diabetic cat regulated, but don't get discouraged. Everyone once in a while if I have made all the changes I can and the cat still isn't regulated, I will refer to an internal medicine specialist to make sure I'm not missing anything. You can find one at the following site. http://find.vetspecialists.com Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Please try to bring her appointment forward to get her rechecked and her blood sugar levels controlled more effectively if possible. It may be necessary to change her insulin type but she should also be checked for infections/inflammation etc which may be altering her ability to regulate her condition

Herpes can be difficult to get under control and it is not uncommon for cats with a history of herpes to develop secondary infections during times of stress. If Gizmo is still having nasal discharge or eye problems after two rounds of antibiotics you may want to ask your vet about additional testing or referral to a specialist for advanced testing like a CT or rhinoscopy. It can also take some time to regulate diabetes and not all cats are well controlled on the same dose of insulin. As long as Gizmo isn’t showing signs of hypoglycemia its best to give the current insulin dose time to reach equilibrium and then test the glucose again to see if the dose needs to be adjusted. This is typically done every 1-2 weeks.

I’m assuming you meant ProZinc insulin and if so there is unfortunately not a cheaper alternative. While less expensive human insulin can on rare occasions be used successfully in cats it usually does not provide good control of diabetes. You also need to start over with dosing and frequent monitoring when switching from one insulin to another which would increase cost. It’s probably best to stick with ProZinc if Mikey is well regulated.

Hi there. Your veterinarian may be able to board Cody for a few weeks so that staff members can administer his insulin regularly, monitor his glucose levels, and make adjustments as needed until he's regulated. Keep in mind, though, that stress can affect glucose readings in cats - so it's generally better for this process to be done with the cat at home, if possible. You don't mention why you're having difficulty - giving the insulin injections, checking his glucose at home, feeding the appropriate diet, or something else? Feel free to post again with more information about what you're having trouble with. We would be happy to try and make some suggestions to help.

Unfortunately for diabetes type one insulin it is necessary. For type two diabetes, dietary change (low carbohydrates diet) and oral hypoglycemic medications are available as well but their use needs to be discussed with your local veterinarian.

The problem with insulin is that it cannot handle temperature variations. There is a small chance that it may still be ok, however it would be better to replace it with a new bottle to make sure Buddy is getting his proper working dose. If you are measuring blood glucose yourself at home, then you can measure his blood glucose before giving him his shot and then 6 hrs after giving him his shot. If the insulin is not working any more due to having been out of the fridge, then he will have a blood glucose value the same or higher than the first measurement. If his Blood glucose is lower and close to his usual low glucose level then the insulin is still good. However, I would recommend replacing the bottle with new insulin.