Cat Drooping Head

Scdal

Scdal

Member Since 2020
Has anyone had a problem after starting Lantus? My cat started on Lantus and Clavamox on the same day. After the third injection, he was holding his head to one side. I called my vet about this because it looked so odd. His pupils are fine as well as his balance.
My vet told me he didn't think it was the Clavamox. My cat had a respiratory infection that has cleared up but the vet wants to keep him on antibiotics for a while and I agree. The vet said it would be ok to stay off the antibiotics for a couple of days to see if he stopped holding his head sideways.
The next morning, today, he is holding his head down but not very much to the side. He will hardly look up. This is so odd. This did not start till Sunday afternoon and is really scaring me. He is also very lethargic but is still going outside but mostly laying down. Do you think the Lantus could cause him to hang his head down?
I am a newbie and my cat just started on Lantus 3 days ago. I am 67 and live alone. I do not have anyone to call for support or any close relatives. I love my cat very much and will do anything for him. He was also diagnosed with a pancreatic problem. He has hardly been sick a day in his life. Now, he just nibbles and has developed a problem swallowing. He doesn't gobble down his food like he used to.
One day, he was eating everything in sight. The next morning, he was throwing up and very ill.
 
Hi---

I'm so sorry your kitty isn't feeling well. I have a couple of questions for you:

1) are you home testing blood glucose while giving insulin?
2) what dose of Lantus?
3) did he start acting ill before or after you started giving insulin?
 
Yes, I am home testing every 4 hours. His glucose levels drop after the insulin. Right now, I am giving .4 on the syringe. I am sorry, I am new to this but it is a very small amount.
On Saturday before insulin, it was 342. Every 4 hours after, it was 295 then 269 then 274.
He started acting ill after the third day of using insulin.
Any help you can give me will be appreciated. I am going to call his vet again in the morning but he is bad about returning calls. I am very worried about my little fella.
 
I am so glad you are home testing, that is very good.
Are you testing before every shot to see it is safe to give the insulin.?
What type of insulin are you giving?
.4 on the syringe sounds like 4 units which is a lot for a newly diagnosed cat.
Can you tell us what type of syringes you are using as well please?

The lethargy concerns me...
Did the vet check his ears.

If your kitty (name?) has had pancreatitis and is still not eating well, he is probably nauseated and needs an antinausea medication such as cerenia or ondansetron. Cats that are nauseated will not want to eat.

Also I think you need to be testing for ketones at the moment if your kitty is not eating well, is lethargic and has had an infection.
You can do this by buying a bottle of ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy, collecting a urine specimen from your kitty and dipping the test strip into the urine and reading it against the colours on the side of the bottle exactly 15 seconds later. Anything above a trace needs vet attention.
 
He is taking the Cirenia and it really helps with his eating. We don't think it is an ear problem because he has no problem with his balance and his eyes are ok. He doesn't shake his head or fuss with his ears. It seems more like a neurological problem.
I have been testing his ketones and so did the vet. Thankfully, they are negative.
 
OK. Below is a picture of a couple of types of U-100 syringe (orange caps) with the first few "units" labeled. Can you look at the picture and tell us where you think you are drawing to in units? I agree with Bron, it sounds like 4U, but we want to be sure.

I also agree with Bron, nausea is a concern (and could potentially be addressed with meds), and it would be a wise idea to start testing for ketones.

syringe-scales1-jpg.34899
 
It is the one on the right. I am giving him the 4 unit. He is a big cat an weighs quite a bit though he has lost a lot of weight since he got sick.
 
Scdal said:
He is taking the Cirenia and it really helps with his eating. We don't think it is an ear problem because he has no problem with his balance and his eyes are ok. He doesn't shake his head or fuss with his ears. It seems more like a neurological problem.
I have been testing his ketones and so did the vet. Thankfully, they are negative.
Click to expand...
That’s good news that all those things are covered!
Can you tell us what type of insulin please?...I see he is on Lantus, sorry...I’m blind!
How much does he weigh?
4 units is still a lot of insulin to start with
 
Just so you know, 4U would be a large starting dose. One concern would be if the dose was too high and taking his BG too low. The BG numbers you describe aren't low, but it would be helpful if we could see all of your data in context.

We use a standard spreadsheet template to record BG data (you can see examples in the links in most of our signatures). What's important is not just what the number is, but when it occurs relative to the shot time. Because we're all in different time zones, we count hours relative to shots-- +1, +2, etc.

When you have time, here are the instructions for setting up a spreadsheet: FDMB SPREADSHEET INSTRUCTIONS

I honestly don't know if there's a diabetes/insulin related reason for the head tilt, but the 4U dose worries me. We usually start cats on 1U-1.5U, and only increase by 0.25U. Even a "big cat" is really a small creature, so small amounts of insulin can make a big difference.
 
Scdal said:
Everything's bigger in Texas!!
Click to expand...

Wow! He’s a big boy!
What type of food are you feeding him?.

If he was following the tight regulation protocol his dose would be 3.75 units using the calculating 0.25 units per 1 kg of ideal weight.

If he was following the start low go slow method the dose would be 1 unit if he was getting some dry food or 0.5 units if he was being fed a canned /wet diet. I don’t think that the 0.5 units would be enough for him considering his size.
However I think the 4 units is still a bit much.
 
How's he doing this morning? If it was a reaction to the clavamox (as simple as just making him feel yucky?????), you'd expect the effects to be gone by now, right?
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
How's he doing this morning? If it was a reaction to the clavamox (as simple as just making him feel yucky?????), you'd expect the effects to be gone by now, right?
Click to expand...
This morning Phoenix is completely normal. This is great, my emotions have been like a roller coaster this last month. Up one minute and down the next. My dilemma is that I think Phoenix may have gotten a fur shot yesterday since his glucose remained high after the injection.

I went ahead and gave his insulin this morning and will see if he starts hanging his head again. The doctor told me to hold off on the Clavamox until Monday as long as he doesn't start coughing again.
Thanks to all of you for your help. I have been very distressed since Phoenix got sick. I never had children so Phoenix is my only child and I love him very much.
 
Oh, that is such good news!!!!!

Maybe it was just that, head drooping because he just felt too yucky to lift it, poor kitty.

Hopefully the original infection won't recur, if it does I'd definitely ask the vet about alternate antibiotics to try. Maybe it was the clavamox, maybe it wasn't, but why take the chance when there are alternatives?

I don't know anything about those supplements, maybe someone else does?

Yay for Phoenix feeling better!!!! :cat:
 
I see also your concern that there might be an insulin connection, with Phoenix's return to normality coinciding with a possible fur shot. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess, but if you see the head drooping again today, I would definitely get a blood glucose reading then to see where things are.
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
I see also your concern that there might be an insulin connection, with Phoenix's return to normality coinciding with a possible fur shot. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess, but if you see the head drooping again today, I would definitely get a blood glucose reading then to see where things are.
Click to expand...
I gave him his insulin this morning and he is still acting normal. So maybe its not the insulin. That would be good news because he needs the insulin. I can always change antibiotics. Thanks to all of you for your concern. I really appreciate all the help and support you have given me.
 
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