mialia
Member Since 2018
I'm new to this forum and it was suggested I start posting here this morning at 2 am when I was up with a low BG scare. I recently switched to Lantus, which I drive to Mexico to get 
(Happy to help others in Socal region with same). I am told I still paid the "gringo" price but it was considerably cheaper than in the states. I also fly to Canada from time to time so I can pick up there, too. (As the daughter of a Type II and roommate of a Type I, I could post alone on how I feel about how we take care of diabetics in the US).
Carbon was on Vetsulin and was getting very thin and sick. I could not get his BG under control. I took him to a new vet who kept him for three days, determined he was insulin resistant, had some abnormal liver results. He also appeared maybe constipated or something else with his intestines. He found he really only slightly responded to lantus. We put him on meds, the litter box knows if it was constipation it sure didn't stay that way, and I kept him on Vetsulin a few days until I could make it south. He showed immediate response even before the lantus on the various meds and then after lantus, he's been... getting more stable? We started at 2.5 IU (where we were with vetsulin) and I'm now at 1IU after last night's scare.
I've made a lot of mistakes in this process, and it's got an added tough bonus that I'm an airline pilot so I'm rarely home. My roommate doesn't like testing; however, she's moving out and today I'm meeting a potential new roommate who was a paramedic! She will pay super cheap rent in exchange for caring for him and she already shows promise regarding testing his BG and seeing his signs. Here's hoping the meet and greet goes well!
He started at 10 pounds, got to about 7, and back to 9 now. He should be about 12. He was never overweight. He eats Sheba now (I have four cats so they all get his diet, and two of them were kinda heavy, one flat out over weight, and all at fighting weight now! Hopefully I'm avoiding the same with any of them). Sometimes he gets fancy feast. They all get bored with any one food so I rotate. Sheba pate isn't talked about much but when it is, people say it's fine.
Last night he was under 50. I hadn't been home for two days so I don't know what his body was doing before that. I was misinformed and told to give a shot no matter what so I gave his evening shot plus some syrup (maple, switching to karo now), some temptations, plus his dinner. He ate well - he's a good eater generally - and I started testing every 20-30 minutes. It took til 2 AM to get him rising, but then he bounced up fast. It wasn't til I gave him honey instead of syrup that I saw any change. This morning he was "Hi" on the Relion Micro, but per you guys, I am keeping him at 1IU and letting the bounce settle. He was consistently low at 1.5 and at 1.25 so no reason to believe he won't come down fine.
Right now he's staring and whining at me, because I'm not petting his perfect but bruised little ears. (Don't worry, I pet between paragraphs and he'll get good snuggles when I post) He didn't eat a ton for breakfast, but ate one serving. He just asked for another and I gave him half. I'm reading the Lantus ISG doc - it's huge but oh my god, finally I feel like some science is being told! Both my vets so far were very hands off and not overly helpful. You all have been a miracle. I have no doubt that he wouldn't be here now with out you, given the rough last few months.
(Apologies for my SS. It shows my mistakes in glaring spotlight form. I am learning though. This little a-hole isn't going anywhere. (His middle name is that. He's the SMARTEST cat I've ever had and I've had a ton. He used to parkour my kitchen to get to a top cabinet to get his treats out. He can open windows, doors, and pop out screens to escape. If he saw ANY movement when you opened the front door, no matter how way ahead of him you were, he'd be out the front door chasing whatever it was - neighbors, their cats, a kid in a wagon, HUGE dogs (once terrified a pitty). In his elderly years, he has calmed WAY down, especially after I had him on prozac for about 6 months. Once took him to a vet who saw the A word on his file and frowned disapprovingly at me. Then she treated him. He stole cat treats in the back room and she didn't even see it til he was chowing down. He had a catheter for a bladder block and he got out of it three times - the third after he was in a tiny immobilizing box with a collar of shame and everything, they have NO idea how he did it. She brought him back out to me when I picked him up and said, "you sure named him well." I know. Boy do I, but it's ALL love.))
Also, his name, I promised that story. But it's long as relates to the other three cats, so I'll do that later.
(Happy to help others in Socal region with same). I am told I still paid the "gringo" price but it was considerably cheaper than in the states. I also fly to Canada from time to time so I can pick up there, too. (As the daughter of a Type II and roommate of a Type I, I could post alone on how I feel about how we take care of diabetics in the US).Carbon was on Vetsulin and was getting very thin and sick. I could not get his BG under control. I took him to a new vet who kept him for three days, determined he was insulin resistant, had some abnormal liver results. He also appeared maybe constipated or something else with his intestines. He found he really only slightly responded to lantus. We put him on meds, the litter box knows if it was constipation it sure didn't stay that way, and I kept him on Vetsulin a few days until I could make it south. He showed immediate response even before the lantus on the various meds and then after lantus, he's been... getting more stable? We started at 2.5 IU (where we were with vetsulin) and I'm now at 1IU after last night's scare.
I've made a lot of mistakes in this process, and it's got an added tough bonus that I'm an airline pilot so I'm rarely home. My roommate doesn't like testing; however, she's moving out and today I'm meeting a potential new roommate who was a paramedic! She will pay super cheap rent in exchange for caring for him and she already shows promise regarding testing his BG and seeing his signs. Here's hoping the meet and greet goes well!
He started at 10 pounds, got to about 7, and back to 9 now. He should be about 12. He was never overweight. He eats Sheba now (I have four cats so they all get his diet, and two of them were kinda heavy, one flat out over weight, and all at fighting weight now! Hopefully I'm avoiding the same with any of them). Sometimes he gets fancy feast. They all get bored with any one food so I rotate. Sheba pate isn't talked about much but when it is, people say it's fine.
Last night he was under 50. I hadn't been home for two days so I don't know what his body was doing before that. I was misinformed and told to give a shot no matter what so I gave his evening shot plus some syrup (maple, switching to karo now), some temptations, plus his dinner. He ate well - he's a good eater generally - and I started testing every 20-30 minutes. It took til 2 AM to get him rising, but then he bounced up fast. It wasn't til I gave him honey instead of syrup that I saw any change. This morning he was "Hi" on the Relion Micro, but per you guys, I am keeping him at 1IU and letting the bounce settle. He was consistently low at 1.5 and at 1.25 so no reason to believe he won't come down fine.
Right now he's staring and whining at me, because I'm not petting his perfect but bruised little ears. (Don't worry, I pet between paragraphs and he'll get good snuggles when I post) He didn't eat a ton for breakfast, but ate one serving. He just asked for another and I gave him half. I'm reading the Lantus ISG doc - it's huge but oh my god, finally I feel like some science is being told! Both my vets so far were very hands off and not overly helpful. You all have been a miracle. I have no doubt that he wouldn't be here now with out you, given the rough last few months.
(Apologies for my SS. It shows my mistakes in glaring spotlight form. I am learning though. This little a-hole isn't going anywhere. (His middle name is that. He's the SMARTEST cat I've ever had and I've had a ton. He used to parkour my kitchen to get to a top cabinet to get his treats out. He can open windows, doors, and pop out screens to escape. If he saw ANY movement when you opened the front door, no matter how way ahead of him you were, he'd be out the front door chasing whatever it was - neighbors, their cats, a kid in a wagon, HUGE dogs (once terrified a pitty). In his elderly years, he has calmed WAY down, especially after I had him on prozac for about 6 months. Once took him to a vet who saw the A word on his file and frowned disapprovingly at me. Then she treated him. He stole cat treats in the back room and she didn't even see it til he was chowing down. He had a catheter for a bladder block and he got out of it three times - the third after he was in a tiny immobilizing box with a collar of shame and everything, they have NO idea how he did it. She brought him back out to me when I picked him up and said, "you sure named him well." I know. Boy do I, but it's ALL love.))
Also, his name, I promised that story. But it's long as relates to the other three cats, so I'll do that later.
