? Switched back to Lantus

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Bunnys Mama

Bunnys Mama

Member Since 2017
I need help. My baby is 10 yrs old has been diabetic for 2 yrs. Lantus for the 1st 8 months with good numbers, then my reg vet made me go to Prozinc (said it was better) and I've not been able to regulate her numbers and now she is sick. I test her sugar every morning and evening and sometimes more on the weekends. I have just switched her back to Lantus on 8/26/17.

In 2015 she was 11 lbs and on dry only but since then she is on Fancy Feast only, feed 2x daily (1-2 cans per meal) and sometimes a late night snack (FF chicken in broth) before I go to bed, she is always hungry.

Now she's at 6.5 lbs and has been at the ER 2x in the past 3 wks. $2700 later, the vet cannot say for sure what's wrong and want another $1300 for biopsy. They have done 2 ultra sounds, found a small mass in her abdomen that appeared to have fluid around it so they pulled some fluid and sent it off to be tested, came back inconclusive. It might be lymph node, but didn't think it might be cancer but couldn't rule that out. Also they claimed to have tested her for FIV and it was positive. I don't believe this and will get her tested again at my reg vet, as this cat was tested when she was young and is an indoor cat only. I do have a couple of other cats, but they are negative and are indoor always. The 3rd ER doc (you never see the same doc) is insisting that I always give her 3 units of Lantus no matter what her numbers are, which I find to be quite concerning.

With the way she acts (lethargic and nauseous) and the low weight I don't know she would make it thru a surgery. I just started giving slippery elm bark and giving her water thru syringe as she has been dehydrated (she sits and stares at the water bowl) and had ketones which were resolved at the ER. I'm waiting on CBD oil to see if that will help her.

Can anyone give me suggestions? Do you think I should wait to have the biopsy done? I created the spreadsheet but only went back to 8/1/17, I can add more previous dates if needed. Also I tried to add her "labs", but they abbreviated everything on my copy so I'm not sure what they mean.
 
Can you scan the labs or take a clear picture of them and upload them? If so someone might be able to help decifer them and help with the abbreviations.

:bighug::bighug: Many hugs and prayers. A lot of us have been exactly where you are.
 
The first thing I see is that you've been dosing based on the Pre-shot readings.

I know from the Feline Diabetes group on Facebook that you were probably doing another group's version of TR which changes the dose like that, but here, we have found that Lantus craves consistency and does best when given at the same dose both morning and night.

I'd suggest trying the 3U both AM and PM unless you get a Pre-shot under 150 (200 if you're using the Alpha Trak meter) .....If you do, then Stall, don't feed and post for help....the first few times you shoot a lower than usual number, we want someone here to stay with you to keep Bunny safe.....test again in 20-30 minutes to see if the number is coming up on it's own without the influence of food

Those of us with enough data on our cats will shoot the scheduled dose if they're above 50 (on a human meter)...shooting lower numbers works best with Lantus because it doesn't have to "pull down" those highs

You're doing a great job getting Pre-shot numbers, but if at all possible, grab a mid-cycle test on the AM cycle and always a "before bed" test on the PM cycle

Lantus dosing is based on how LOW it takes them rather than the Pre-shot values.
 
Ok, if I understand correctly. Stay at 3u unless her number falls below 150 (I use relion meter). Should I lower it to 2u under 150?
I can start getting additional PM numbers, but I'm out the door as soon as I take care of her in the mornings, except for weekends. I will get the ER test paperwork they gave me scanned and uploaded tomorrow eve
 
Bunnys Mama said:
Should I lower it to 2u under 150?
Click to expand...

No....Stall, don't feed and post for help.....depending on where she is on the next test (in 20-30 minutes) will help to decide what we'll suggest shooting....as well as your schedule, ability to test that cycle and need for sleep!!

If you're stalling, make sure when you post you put something like "STALLING, NEED HELP!" in the subject line so people who are scanning the forum for problems will know you need help soon.

If you've already got a thread going that day, just "Edit" the subject line to change it
 
If you are following Tight Regulatio, the version here which is in the Roomp/Rand published paper, you would lower her dose if the low point goes below 50. Actually for a cat diabetic longer than 1 year, you would wait for a low below 40. Otherwise you shoot the same AM and PM.

As for biopsy or not, did the ultrasound say whether the bowels were thickened? That's likely when you would do a biopsy. For a mass, an uktrasound guided fine needle aspirated can take a sample. Any other abnormalities?
 
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She looksed very aneamic in the first bloodwork. Did they provide any explanation or plan for treatment? At least she looked better in the later labs. Did they say what part of her they wanted to biopsy? Or more important what any treatment plan would be depending on what they found. That will help you decide whether it's worth going ahead with a biopsy. If they want to biopsy the bowels, it may be possible to do an endoscopy instead, which is less invasive. I would have a good chat with your regular vet to see what he/she thinks too.

If she's losing weight and and always hungry, I would try feeding her more food.

Did you give insulin last night or this morning?
 
Did they provide any explanation or plan for treatment? No, gave me clavamox and want to do a biopsy
Did they say what part of her they wanted to biopsy? A mass they found in the stomach/abdomen area
Yes, gave 3 units this morning - BG was 393 and she only ate about 1/2 can of fancy feast
PM BG is 50, no shot tonight
 
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