New here, very discouraged

[KelticAngel]

Hi folks!
I'm sooooo thankful I stumbled across this site this evening... I feel like I've found someone who understands

I have two kitties, both around 10-yrs old (rescued together from the street, so it's a guess). The first is a female domestic shorthair named Frisky (she was completely feral) and a male Russian blue named Blue (he was a few months older and was doing his best to raise her).

Blue is the one who's developed diabetes, and his blood glucose has been disregulated since his diagnosis in mid December. He's a champ, but I can tell he's quite miserable.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

Hi folks!
I'm sooooo thankful I stumbled across this site this evening... I feel like I've found someone who understands

I have two kitties, both around 10-yrs old (rescued together from the street, so it's a guess). The first is a female domestic shorthair named Frisky (she was completely feral) and a male Russian blue named Blue (he was a few months older and was doing his best to raise her).

Blue is the one who's developed diabetes, and his blood glucose has been disregulated since his diagnosis in mid December. He's a champ, but I can tell he's quite miserable.

Hi. Welcome!!
Yes your in a great place!!
Its truly like a family here.

You sound like a wonderful hero of your two kitties!!

I havent looked at your SS yet but I will.
But know you dont have to buy the expensive so called diabetic cat food. Any low carb food under 10% is fine.
There is a food chart at catinfo.org. It has almost all the canned cat food listed.
Under 10% carbs is low, 11-15%is medium, & over 15% is high carb.
And diabetics should not have dry food. There is an article here about transitioning off of dry. Or it couls be at the website above with the chart. I forgot which spot.
There is some dry food that is low carb but its not cheap. Young Again dry food at youngagainpetfood.com is one.
and Dr. Elseys Clean Protein is at Dr. Elseys site or chewy.com.
I am gonna look at your SS & I will write more.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

Ok. Can you add any bg tests you have done in the past to the spreadsheet? That will help to know why those bgs are higher.
Also at the top in remarks add when diagnosis was, what insulin & what meter your using.
And please feel free to ask anything.
And for dosing questions post in the forum of the insulin your kitty is on.
Look at the tops of all the forums. Anything with stickies or is locked is information to learn when needed.
And in your signature add the country or state your in. It helps to know what time zone you in when looking at the SS.
By the way. You kitty is a beauty!

 

[JanetNJ]

Welcome! The first step is to get Blue off the high carb kibble. I have a link to the food chart in my signature. Pick foods under 10 percent carb (under 7 is even better). Most people here feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods. I feed fancy feast classic and Tiki cat.

 

[KelticAngel]

Thanks Darnell!

I'm kicking myself a bit because I just tossed the scrap paper with a couple of past BG tests from earlier this month. I'm going to call my vet and get them to read them back to me. The unfortunate story is that those high numbers are par for the course for this boy. He's on his third type of insulin. Hence my deep discouragement.

Ok. Can you add any bg tests you have done in the past to the spreadsheet? That will help to know why those bgs are higher.
Also at the top in remarks add when diagnosis was, what insulin & what meter your using.
And please feel free to ask anything.
And for dosing questions post in the forum of the insulin your kitty is on.
Look at the tops of all the forums. Anything with stickies or is locked is information to learn when needed.
And in your signature add the country or state your in. It helps to know what time zone you in when looking at the SS.
By the way. You kitty is a beauty!

 

[KelticAngel]

Oof
Okay
I'll see what we can do. Soft food is prohibitively expensive for us right now, but maybe we can find a temporary medium? I'm just in the last year of my master's, so I'll be working again by January of next year.

He's a very big man, he's at ideal weight and clocking in at 15 lbs. So he eats a lot.

Welcome! The first step is to get Blue off the high carb kibble. I have a link to the food chart in my signature. Pick foods under 10 percent carb (under 7 is even better). Most people here feed fancy feast classic or Friskies pate foods. I feed fancy feast classic and Tiki cat.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

Hi from a fellow Canadian and welcome to FDMB. You've come to the right place to get all the help you need or want to help your handsome Blue get back on the road to feeling better and getting regulated.

Great job getting your signature and the spreadsheet started. It would be helpful if you would add the type of insulin you are currently giving Blue and if you are home testing, what type of glucometer you are using to your signature.

I notice on the spreadsheet the dose of insulin is on the high side and that may be part of the reason why Blue is not feeling well at this time. Insulin is not medicine...its a hormone and sometimes too much insulin can look just like too little. While the best insulin for your cat is the one that works for him, it is very unusual to have switched insulin 3 times in a period of 3 months. This is a marathon not a sprint and it doesn't seem any one insulin has really been given a fair chance. This too may be playing into Blue feeling poorly.

As for diet, if you keep your eye on Petsmart, and stock up when Fancy Feast pates and/or Friskies pates are on sale, I think you might find the costs would not be substantially different than using the Royal Canin so called "diabetic" food. Those so called prescription diets do not contain any ingredients that require a prescription, are too high in carbs, their ingredients are no better and often inferior to normal retail products and they are extremely expensive.

Come join us over on the Health forum HERE and pick our brains with any and all questions or concerns you have. This is a remarkable community of folks who live feline diabetes 24/7 so there's rarely a problem we can't help you solve.

 

[JanetNJ]

Oof
Okay
I'll see what we can do. Soft food is prohibitively expensive for us right now, but maybe we can find a temporary medium? I'm just in the last year of my master's, so I'll be working again by January of next year.

He's a very big man, he's at ideal weight and clocking in at 15 lbs. So he eats a lot.

well the perscription food has got to be pricier than cans.... find a good pate. do they have friskies by you?

 

[KelticAngel]

Yay! Canadian help is appreciated!!

His insulin doses have been like that the whole time, sadly. Type of insulin hasn't mattered. Starting low, working up slowly with a 7-day period between tests and adjustmentsa... Each dose and insulin change has been in direct consultation with his vet.

He was hospitalised overnight about three weeks ago with ketoacidosis, and the vet managed to pull his BG down to 12 mmol (236) with 4 units of a 3-hour insulin (not sure of the name).

Thanks for the tip on watching PetSmart. I did feed them Fancy Feast this morning and gave him his regular dose. He already seemed less lethargic. I'll be calling his vet tomorrow to discuss. The only concern is that, between the two cats, I'll be going through 5 cans a day (based on kcal).
With 12 cans in a box and a box costing $8... It adds up.

Hi from a fellow Canadian and welcome to FDMB. You've come to the right place to get all the help you need or want to help your handsome Blue get back on the road to feeling better and getting regulated.

Great job getting your signature and the spreadsheet started. It would be helpful if you would add the type of insulin you are currently giving Blue and if you are home testing, what type of glucometer you are using to your signature.

I notice on the spreadsheet the dose of insulin is on the high side and that may be part of the reason why Blue is not feeling well at this time. Insulin is not medicine...its a hormone and sometimes too much insulin can look just like too little. While the best insulin for your cat is the one that works for him, it is very unusual to have switched insulin 3 times in a period of 3 months. This is a marathon not a sprint and it doesn't seem any one insulin has really been given a fair chance. This too may be playing into Blue feeling poorly.

As for diet, if you keep your eye on Petsmart, and stock up when Fancy Feast pates and/or Friskies pates are on sale, I think you might find the costs would not be substantially different than using the Royal Canin so called "diabetic" food. Those so called prescription diets do not contain any ingredients that require a prescription, are too high in carbs, their ingredients are no better and often inferior to normal retail products and they are extremely expensive.

Come join us over on the Health forum HERE and pick our brains with any and all questions or concerns you have. This is a remarkable community of folks who live feline diabetes 24/7 so there's rarely a problem we can't help you solve.

 

[Olive & Paula]

I don't think he has been on 1 insulin long enough to see how he would do with it.

Lantus being one of the better ones and what you are using now, I'd suggest staying with that. It's dose is determined by how low the glucose goes in a 12 hr cycle. That would usually be 5-7 hrs after shot.

If making change to lower carb food, please monitor closely. Glucose can quickly drop significantly.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

You are gonna hate me, but can please you also add that Blue has a history of DKA to your signature as that is info we definitely need to be aware of should you need/want any assistance with dosing going forward.

I wait till the FF is on sale at PetSmart and buy cases of 24. They often have it on for 57 cents a can but it's possible the sale prices are different in ALTA than in ON.

I have the utmost respect for vets and think they have one of the hardest jobs on the planet but they often don't seem to completely understand how insulin works or they just haven't dealt with enough feline diabetics and tend to treat them like their canine patients. The amount of training vets get on diabetes is limited given most are general practitioners who not only need to know about a lot of conditions but also a number of different species. If they only have one or two diabetic cats at any one time in their practice, they don't have a lot of hands on experience upon which to draw. Nor are they going to spend a lot of time making sure they are up to date on the latest treatment recommendations. To make matters even more complicated, the vet can feel they HAVE to take control of the situation because they are expected to and are therefore reluctant to allow the caregiver more leeway to make decisions for themselves and their kitties. Diabetes is a 24/7 proposition. That doesn't mean you have to spend all your time on your cat but it does mean you need to be prepared for what is going on with your cat 24/7 and most vets are not available 24/7 for immediate decision making for all their patients.

Did your vet recommend testing for ketones at home? With a history of ketones, this is something we would recommend you do on a daily basis to ensure that if ketones were to recur, you can catch the problem quickly and avoid a recurrence of DKA. Testing can be done with KetoStix available at the local pharmacy. You only need a few drops of urine and depending on how private your kitty is about his bathroom habits, some folks can hold a designated ladle under kitties butt while in the litter box to catch a sample. Others can put plastic wrap into the litter box to catch a small sample. Obviously with 2 kitties in the house, that is a bit problematic as you wouldn't know whose pee you were testing. The other solution is to get a glucometer that will test for ketones. There are several on the market and it never hurts to have a backup glucometer around anyway.

If your vet did not advise you to check for ketones at home, this is just one example of where vets often choose not to overburden their human clients with information or suggest they take more control of the situation, for fear they will give up on their furry pets and not want to treat at all.

The dose of insulin Blue is on now is quite high and while he may need the higher dose, it's impossible to tell without some mid cycle testing. Did your vet suggest testing mid cycle when possible to see how low the dose is currently taking Blue's BG.

Just food for thought.

Please come join us over on Health. I'm sure we can help you get Blue feeling better in the very near future.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

Yay! Canadian help is appreciated!!

His insulin doses have been like that the whole time, sadly. Type of insulin hasn't mattered. Starting low, working up slowly with a 7-day period between tests and adjustmentsa... Each dose and insulin change has been in direct consultation with his vet.

He was hospitalised overnight about three weeks ago with ketoacidosis, and the vet managed to pull his BG down to 12 mmol (236) with 4 units of a 3-hour insulin (not sure of the name).

Thanks for the tip on watching PetSmart. I did feed them Fancy Feast this morning and gave him his regular dose. He already seemed less lethargic. I'll be calling his vet tomorrow to discuss. The only concern is that, between the two cats, I'll be going through 5 cans a day (based on kcal).
With 12 cans in a box and a box costing $8... It adds up.

Ok. As others said past DKA is important to know about. Even add to the spreadsheet also in the comments section.

****And I am confused...Are you home testing??
If so, what meter are you using?
If not, its best you learn to especially with having a cat with a past DKA.
My cat had dka 2x and its dangerous & can cause their bodies to be prone to ketones and have sensitivities.

What insulin did you start with & how long?
Same with 2nd insulin?
What insulin are you on now?
This is important info too.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

She is using a One Touch meter and while Blue is now on Lantus it sounds like he was given regular insulin during the DKA episode and was perhaps already on a different insulin (?Vetsulin or ProZinc perhaps) when the DKA occurred.

 

[ELLIOTT & Fran Munschauer]

well the perscription food has got to be pricier than cans.... find a good pate. do they have friskies by you?

JanetNJ..When your kitty was on Vetsulin, did you ever get OPPOSITE BG results? i.e., Instead of 300+ @ FBG..you would get 150??? We are about to consider a change but Suzie got into cat food bag 2 days ago and am not sure how long this could alter anticipated BG results?
6a- 385
10a-371
2p- 160
6p-153

 

[KelticAngel]

Okay, signature fixed.

The lab techs have already been impressed with me for asking to test BG at home, so now they'll be really impressed when I ask admit testing ketones. Lol!! I'll be dropping in tomorrow.

I've been watching my boy like a hawk and have been testing frequently, yes. I'm not sure what you mean by "mid cycle," is that just at peak efficacy? The (usually) 6 hour mark? That's what I've been doing.

You are gonna hate me, but can please you also add that Blue has a history of DKA to your signature as that is info we definitely need to be aware of should you need/want any assistance with dosing going forward.

I wait till the FF is on sale at PetSmart and buy cases of 24. They often have it on for 57 cents a can but it's possible the sale prices are different in ALTA than in ON.

I have the utmost respect for vets and think they have one of the hardest jobs on the planet but they often don't seem to completely understand how insulin works or they just haven't dealt with enough feline diabetics and tend to treat them like their canine patients. The amount of training vets get on diabetes is limited given most are general practitioners who not only need to know about a lot of conditions but also a number of different species. If they only have one or two diabetic cats at any one time in their practice, they don't have a lot of hands on experience upon which to draw. Nor are they going to spend a lot of time making sure they are up to date on the latest treatment recommendations. To make matters even more complicated, the vet can feel they HAVE to take control of the situation because they are expected to and are therefore reluctant to allow the caregiver more leeway to make decisions for themselves and their kitties. Diabetes is a 24/7 proposition. That doesn't mean you have to spend all your time on your cat but it does mean you need to be prepared for what is going on with your cat 24/7 and most vets are not available 24/7 for immediate decision making for all their patients.

Did your vet recommend testing for ketones at home? With a history of ketones, this is something we would recommend you do on a daily basis to ensure that if ketones were to recur, you can catch the problem quickly and avoid a recurrence of DKA. Testing can be done with KetoStix available at the local pharmacy. You only need a few drops of urine and depending on how private your kitty is about his bathroom habits, some folks can hold a designated ladle under kitties butt while in the litter box to catch a sample. Others can put plastic wrap into the litter box to catch a small sample. Obviously with 2 kitties in the house, that is a bit problematic as you wouldn't know whose pee you were testing. The other solution is to get a glucometer that will test for ketones. There are several on the market and it never hurts to have a backup glucometer around anyway.

If your vet did not advise you to check for ketones at home, this is just one example of where vets often choose not to overburden their human clients with information or suggest they take more control of the situation, for fear they will give up on their furry pets and not want to treat at all.

The dose of insulin Blue is on now is quite high and while he may need the higher dose, it's impossible to tell without some mid cycle testing. Did your vet suggest testing mid cycle when possible to see how low the dose is currently taking Blue's BG.

Just food for thought.

Please come join us over on Health. I'm sure we can help you get Blue feeling better in the very near future.

 

[KelticAngel]

Yes, I am, with our own One Touch. (I'm hypoglycemic and my hubby is borderline diabetic, so this seems to run in the family? Lol)

ProZinc - one month, marginal response, bounced between vets at the clinic (so lack of consistency)
Caninsulin - one month, marginal response, DKA episode, hospitalisation resulted in being assigned to the full time vet
Now Lantus - marginal response but has only been a few weeks

That's all in the SS and I'll add the DKA

Ok. As others said past DKA is important to know about. Even add to the spreadsheet also in the comments section.

****And I am confused...Are you home testing??
If so, what meter are you using?
If not, its best you learn to especially with having a cat with a past DKA.
My cat had dka 2x and its dangerous & can cause their bodies to be prone to ketones and have sensitivities.

What insulin did you start with & how long?
Same with 2nd insulin?
What insulin are you on now?
This is important info too.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

I'm not sure what you mean by "mid cycle," is that just at peak efficacy? The (usually) 6 hour mark? That's what I've been doing.

Mid cycle means testing between pre-shot tests and we do this to determine what "peak efficacy" of the dose of insulin is. Pre-shots tests, which we advocate before every shot, tell you whether it is safe to give insulin while mid cycle tests tell you how low the particular dose is dropping BG (nadir is the official name). Dosing is based on how low the dose takes BG. With Lantus you want to get tests randomly throughout the cycle with a focus on the period +4 to +7 hours post shot which is when nadir occurs in most cats. Nadir is not static .......it can and does change so while testing 6 hours post shot may show a lower BG than pre-shot, it isn't going to be nadir for all cats all the time.

I notice in your signature you've indicated you just started feeding FF Creamy Delights. I am not sure but I think the Creamy Delights may be too high in carbs. You want to be feeding a diet that is 10% carbs or lower with most folks trying to keep to 6% or less. That said, I am not sure what diet Blue was on before and given the high dose of insulin he is currently on and how significantly diet can affect BG, it is imperative that you watch Blue closely and get those pre-shot and mid cycle tests to ensure his BG does not drop too low. Diet change alone can lower BG enough in some cats to put them into remission so caution is needed when changing to lower carb foods. Many folks here are feeding their cats FF pates or Friskies pates and here in Canada we have Boreal and Presidents Choice Extra Meaty. There are food lists available HERE . Many of the food available in the US are also available here in Canada and there is a short Canadian list as well.

 

[KelticAngel]

Okay, thanks

Yes, I'm looking for food options and have already posted about that. That said, last night was the first time in months Blue felt well enough to sleep at my feet instead of beside the water dish. So, I'm already encouraged

Mid cycle means testing between pre-shot tests and we do this to determine what "peak efficacy" of the dose of insulin is. Pre-shots tests, which we advocate before every shot, tell you whether it is safe to give insulin while mid cycle tests tell you how low the particular dose is dropping BG (nadir is the official name). Dosing is based on how low the dose takes BG. With Lantus you want to get tests randomly throughout the cycle with a focus on the period +4 to +7 hours post shot which is when nadir occurs in most cats. Nadir is not static .......it can and does change so while testing 6 hours post shot may show a lower BG than pre-shot, it isn't going to be nadir for all cats all the time.

I notice in your signature you've indicated you just started feeding FF Creamy Delights. I am not sure but I think the Creamy Delights may be too high in carbs. You want to be feeding a diet that is 10% carbs or lower with most folks trying to keep to 6% or less. That said, I am not sure what diet Blue was on before and given the high dose of insulin he is currently on and how significantly diet can affect BG, it is imperative that you watch Blue closely and get those pre-shot and mid cycle tests to ensure his BG does not drop too low. Diet change alone can lower BG enough in some cats to put them into remission so caution is needed when changing to lower carb foods. Many folks here are feeding their cats FF pates or Friskies pates and here in Canada we have Boreal and Presidents Choice Extra Meaty. There are food lists available HERE . Many of the food available in the US are also available here in Canada and there is a short Canadian list as well.

 

[AmandaE]

@KelticAngel I'm new here too, living in Alberta and looking to make the change to wet food... I noticed today online that wal-mart has FF pates 12 pack on 2 for $12! $0.5/can... BARGAIN! I have also noticed the 375g presidents choice pate style canned food for $1.28... nutritional information seems similar to FF and I see three pate flavors there... you would be able to get 4.4 85g servings for about $0.30

I wonder does anyone here have an opinion on the PC pates? they could be a good way to go!

 

[Tracey&Jones (GA)]

Hello from Edmonton. There is a couple of us from around here. Walmart I found was the cheapest for FF especially when they had qty sale of 10 for $6 bucks.

With the PC brand - don't hesitate to contact them for the information you need.

Also for the insulin - get it from Costco. Don't need a membership or prescription. Cheapest all the way around.

 

[AmandaE]

@Tracey&Jones- GA Thanks for the advice! It’s so great to have experienced members to help out us newbies... It’s such a relief not to feel so alone with something like your kitty babie’s serious health conditions

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

Yes, I am, with our own One Touch. (I'm hypoglycemic and my hubby is borderline diabetic, so this seems to run in the family? Lol)

ProZinc - one month, marginal response, bounced between vets at the clinic (so lack of consistency)
Caninsulin - one month, marginal response, DKA episode, hospitalisation resulted in being assigned to the full time vet
Now Lantus - marginal response but has only been a few weeks

That's all in the SS and I'll add the DKA

Ya, Lantus is one of the better insulins. Its a depot insulin. I encourage you to read the stickies in the Lantus forum as they explain how Lantus works.
With Lantus, you need to give the same dose every 12 hrs. So pick a time 12 hrs apart and stick to it. Also in the spreadsheet, the AMPS & PMPS stands for am preshot, and pm preshot. Its for the test bg before shot. The order is test bg, feed cat, give insulin. Update SS when you can. You can add another column for the Time of shot.

That dose of lantus is a very high dose. I know he has been higher with bg's so thats why the vet probably wanted to start with a higher dose but after his depot fills in his body (which usually takes 3-4 days, ECID) those bgs may fall fast. Once he is out of danger, it may be a good idea to restart from 1unit 2xday at same time for 7 days & go from there. I would post in the Lantus forum and ask about the dose. Testing is very important to do especially with that higher dose. Make sure you have your "hypo kit" ready to go nearby in your kitchen.

 

[KelticAngel]

Oh! That makes sense. I'll fix the SS.

As far as the Lantus dosing goes, we started him at 1 unit. This SS is *not* a reflection of his progress. It's just current data I have on hand. I'm expecting a call from my vet (she wasn't in today) so that I can get a copy of his charts.

We've been consistent with a 7 am and 7 pm insulin injection since we started with Lantus.

Ya, Lantus is one of the better insulins. Its a depot insulin. I encourage you to read the stickies in the Lantus forum as they explain how Lantus works.
With Lantus, you need to give the same dose every 12 hrs. So pick a time 12 hrs apart and stick to it. Also in the spreadsheet, the AMPS & PMPS stands for am preshot, and pm preshot. Its for the test bg before shot. The order is test bg, feed cat, give insulin. Update SS when you can. You can add another column for the Time of shot.

That dose of lantus is a very high dose. I know he has been higher with bg's so thats why the vet probably wanted to start with a higher dose but after his depot fills in his body (which usually takes 3-4 days, ECID) those bgs may fall fast. Once he is out of danger, it may be a good idea to restart from 1unit 2xday at same time for 7 days & go from there. I would post in the Lantus forum and ask about the dose. Testing is very important to do especially with that higher dose. Make sure you have your "hypo kit" ready to go nearby in your kitchen.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

Oh! That makes sense. I'll fix the SS.

As far as the Lantus dosing goes, we started him at 1 unit. This SS is *not* a reflection of his progress. It's just current data I have on hand. I'm expecting a call from my vet (she wasn't in today) so that I can get a copy of his charts.

We've been consistent with a 7 am and 7 pm insulin injection since we started with Lantus.

Ya it will help that your spreadsheet be updated with as much bgs as you have. And if you have bgs that were at Vet & they use a pet meter then write '##bg @vets' or '##bg pet meter' so we know its not the human meter. You can always change the color of the cell manually.

You have on SS that you startes the Lantus on Feb 26 but there only 3 days of bgs, 3/24, 3/25, 3/26. And there is one day that it says the dose was at 12 not 7.
With lantus any hours past the normal time will act as an increase if earlier than regular time and decrease if later than regular time.
If your late due to circumstances then just ask how to get back to regular time.
Fill in the SS whenever you test.

 

[KelticAngel]

Okay, just fixed all those typos in the SS. It looks like a bunch of the stuff I was entering (like that random "12" dosage time) was some kind of miss-read from the World sheet. I've double checked all the formulas and corrected the conditional formatting, so it should all be reading correctly now.

I'm super familiar with this whole process, I've been through it three separate times over the last three months. I'm sorry you're not getting the full picture because I don't have the data on hand just yet. Hopefully I'll be able to get it soon.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

ok that looks good.
Remember, the other 2 insulins were short acting. Lantus is long acting. it has a depot so it works differently.
Did you get any tests today?
Try to put your tests in daily as soon as ya can as we all can follow it easily.
Thats the good thing.

 

[KelticAngel]

No, I don't test daily. Because we're still looking for a dose that is close, I've been doing a spot test about once a week (7 days after a dose change). If I see an unusual behaviour, I do another spot test (even if it's way to early to see if he's responding to the new dose) so that I have hard data. Also, it's a little difficult for me to do a BG reading on my own. I can do it, but it often takes multiple pokes and the poor man gets tired of it really quickly. I tend to plan his BG readings around times when either my hubby is home or I have a friend over.

I'm currently wrapping up my master's from home, and so have lots of opportunity to monitor Blue behaviourally. His behavioural indicators are very clear (to me, at least). Once we get closer (like, in the 300s) I'll start doing curves again. I'm encouraged because he has been much closer to himself for the last two days (since switching to soft food). I'm starting to suspect the food change might have been the missing piece to this puzzle.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

This thread is in the Welcome area and we are now getting into a more specific discussion of handling diabetes so we really need to move this discussion over to the Caninsulin/Vetsulin forum where there are more folks familiar with Vetsulin that can help should you want assistance to help get Blue regulated.
I believe we can help you get Blue moving forward toward better health safely and hope you will join us over in the Caninsulin/Vetsulin forum HERE.

Please do be cautious changing Blue's food over to a wet diet as the change can bring about a significant lowering of BG and given the high dose of insulin Blue is currently on, testing before every shot to ensure it is safe to give insulin and getting mid cycle tests to see how low the insulin is taking BG whenever possible will be your best assurance of keeping Blue safe. Watching behaviour does not always alert you to low BG until it has become very severe and dangerous. Hypoglycemia can become critical quickly and be fatal if not dealt with in a timely fashion.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

This thread is in the Welcome area and we are now getting into a more specific discussion of handling diabetes so we really need to move this discussion over to the Caninsulin/Vetsulin forum where there are more folks familiar with Vetsulin that can help should you want assistance to help get Blue regulated.
I believe we can help you get Blue moving forward toward better health safely and hope you will join us over in the Caninsulin/Vetsulin forum HERE.

Please do be cautious changing Blue's food over to a wet diet as the change can bring about a significant lowering of BG and given the high dose of insulin Blue is currently on, testing before every shot to ensure it is safe to give insulin and getting mid cycle tests to see how low the insulin is taking BG whenever possible will be your best assurance of keeping Blue safe. Watching behaviour does not always alert you to low BG until it has become very severe and dangerous. Hypoglycemia can become critical quickly and be fatal if not dealt with in a timely fashion.

Blue is on Lantus not the other two insulins anymore.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

No, I don't test daily. Because we're still looking for a dose that is close, I've been doing a spot test about once a week (7 days after a dose change). If I see an unusual behaviour, I do another spot test (even if it's way to early to see if he's responding to the new dose) so that I have hard data. Also, it's a little difficult for me to do a BG reading on my own. I can do it, but it often takes multiple pokes and the poor man gets tired of it really quickly. I tend to plan his BG readings around times when either my hubby is home or I have a friend over.

I'm currently wrapping up my master's from home, and so have lots of opportunity to monitor Blue behaviourally. His behavioural indicators are very clear (to me, at least). Once we get closer (like, in the 300s) I'll start doing curves again. I'm encouraged because he has been much closer to himself for the last two days (since switching to soft food). I'm starting to suspect the food change might have been the missing piece
to this puzzle.

I agree with what Linda said about testing. Your on a different type of insulin now. It works totally differently.
Hypo can happen at any time. Try to test anytime you can. The more you do then you can learn your cats patterns.
I understand about needing someone to help you test. I did that too in the beginning.
But I learned how to do it myself.
This is what I did.
I tested on the table as he had a bed there anyway (long story) so I taught him to sit flat on his belly for injections cause it helped to make his scruff more loose.
So I used that to test too. Prepared the needle & meter then used a folded napkin to hold his ear to test then put pressure on it with a folded baby wipe(unscented, allnatural, no alcohol) & it helps to clot the blood too.
I would hold him with my upper body on his back not facing him. I rubbed his neck, ears, & chin to give affection then I would do the test. I think holding him like that made him feel secure plus he loved the extra affection.
And it worked for keeping him still.
Maybe try that.
I have a video but I dont know how to share it on here. I think I have shared it on fb messenger before so I can do that if you like.
Just keep trying.

And congrats on working on your masters.
Quite an accomplishment.

 

[MrWorfMen's Mom]

@Darnell & Sprocket (GA) My Bad. Thx.
@KelticAngel My apologies for sending you to the wrong forum. We should take this discussion over to Health (Main Forum) for the moment to give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the dosing methods we use here for Lantus. Once you get the basics, you can then head over to the Lantus forum.
There are stickies at the top of the Lantus forum explaining the two dosing methods...SLGS and TR. You mentioned working on a switch to wet food. Once that switch is complete, you will have the option of either dosing method.

 

[KelticAngel]

@Darnell & Sprocket (GA) Thanks, I've been doing similarly when I need to, I'm just quite unpracticed and the poor little man's ears get very sore.

@MrWorfMen's Mom Yes, I've read through everything. Thanks

I agree with what Linda said about testing. Your on a different type of insulin now. It works totally differently.
Hypo can happen at any time. Try to test anytime you can. The more you do then you can learn your cats patterns.
I understand about needing someone to help you test. I did that too in the beginning.
But I learned how to do it myself.
This is what I did.
I tested on the table as he had a bed there anyway (long story) so I taught him to sit flat on his belly for injections cause it helped to make his scruff more loose.
So I used that to test too. Prepared the needle & meter then used a folded napkin to hold his ear to test then put pressure on it with a folded baby wipe(unscented, allnatural, no alcohol) & it helps to clot the blood too.
I would hold him with my upper body on his back not facing him. I rubbed his neck, ears, & chin to give affection then I would do the test. I think holding him like that made him feel secure plus he loved the extra affection.
And it worked for keeping him still.
Maybe try that.
I have a video but I dont know how to share it on here. I think I have shared it on fb messenger before so I can do that if you like.
Just keep trying.

And congrats on working on your masters.
Quite an accomplishment.

 

[Darnell & Sprocket (GA)]

@Darnell & Sprocket (GA) Thanks, I've been doing similarly when I need to, I'm just quite unpracticed and the poor little man's ears get very sore.

@MrWorfMen's Mom Yes, I've read through everything. Thanks

Neosporin for the ears is the key to healing faster.