New member looking for help

[Lisa and Eddy]

Hello, I have a newly diagnosed cat, Eddy, and I am really struggling and losing hope. We are 10 days since diagnosis. His sugars are still consistently in the 400s. I am trying to absorb all I can from the information in this site. The truth is, it is daunting and scary. There is a lot of great information here, but putting it into practice is not easy! I am willing to do anything for my baby but I feel like I am failing. He despises the ear pricks and I cannot even get them consistently which puts him at a safety risk. He is a very high stress cat (takes fluoxetine for spraying and anxiety issues). I had to switch veterinarians a few days after diagnosis (and in the midst of the critical regulation period) because they were not very responsive to my questions and concerns. The new vet I work with now is much more responsive and is a cat specialist, but I feel like we lost a lot of time with the switch. I attempted to upload my spreadsheet link. If anyone would be willing to have a look at it, please let me know your thoughts. I know I need to test more, but we are struggling. I ran out and bought all low carb wet foods the minute I discovered this site and eliminated dry food. That has not seemed to make a difference so far. Can anyone share their beginning experiences, specifically dealing with a cat slow to respond to Lantus? I spend my days worrying and the anxiety is crippling. I have a new (human) baby and am about to move into a new home so the timing of this is absolutely terrible and I am so completely overwhelmed. Please help! Any positive or encouraging thoughts welcome. I also am having a difficult time finding local sitters and help in that regard. If my spreadsheet is not visible please let me know. Thanks!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to FDMB. It does sound like your plate is full. Please let us know how we can help.

Please don't lose hope and you're not doing anything wrong! I do suspect you may not be overly familiar with how Lantus works.

First, it takes 5 - 7 days for Lantus to reach a level where it will begin to have an effect. Lantus is what's considered a depot type of insulin. Every time you give a shot, Lantus forms microcrystals that are deposited in the fat tissue. Over the course of the cycle most of these crystals dissolve; some of them remain in the tissue which allows for overlap between shots and gives Lantus both its long duration and it's gentle action. In contrast, shorter acting insulins don't last the 12-hours that Lantus does and are more potent -- they drop numbers hard and fast. It also means that any time you change a dose, it takes up to 3 days for the depot to stabilize. If you want more information on Lantus, please read the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus/Levemir/Biosimilar Insulin Support Group page.

All of that said, Eddy is not slow to respond to Lantus. Perhaps the one thing we coach members to remember is that Lantus will teach you patience. While it's a bit hackneyed, treating feline diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint. In all likelihood, Eddy has been diabetic for a while. Getting his numbers back to a better range will also take time.

You do need to add at least a "before bed" test every night. Without PM tests, you're missing half of your data. It will also allow you to go to sleep at night without worrying if Eddy is in safe numbers.

Which canned foods did you switch to? Not all canned food is low in carbohydrates.

Please feel free to ask questions. The people here are generous with their time and knowledge. We're here to help.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi Lisa and Eddy and welcome to the forum.
You are right, it is overwhelming in the beginning but it does get much easier.
You have a lot going on at the moment as well, but you have already achieved a lot. You have the SS and signature set up, you are hometesting, you have found a better vet to work with you and you have swapped to wet food! That is a huge achievement in a short time!

As Sienne said feline diabetes is a marathon……I am not the most patient person in the world, but Sheba taught me how to be patient.
The most important thing is you have already started insulin, are hometesting and are feeding wet food…(just check it is low carb 10% or less). now it is going to take time for Eddy to get used to insulin which is a hormone, not a medication like an antibiotic that fixes the problem in 5 days.
I see you have chosen SLGS method. I would suggest printing it off and hilighting the important points. You will probably refer to it a lot. And any time you are not sure, just post and ask.

I’ll link the food chart HERE so you can check that the food you are feeding is low carb.
Are you offering Eddy a treat each time you test him?
And are you giving him any snacks during the first half of all cycles as well as the main preshot meal?
Keep asking questions, don’t lose hope…diabetes is a very treatable disease. Good luck with the move and your new bub.
Bron

 

[JanetNJ]

It's a marathon. It takes many cats MONTHS to get regulated. My own cat didnt see a number under 300 for the first 10 weeks or so. BUT you've come to the right place and I'm sure you will find help and support here. Diabetes is not a death sentence and they can live long healthy lives with it. As the others mentioned, you're raising that dose too quickly. I know you are just trying to help him feel better, but it didn't happen overnight and it will take some time getting there. You aren't alone.

 

[Lisa and Eddy]

Welcome to FDMB. It does sound like your plate is full. Please let us know how we can help.

Please don't lose hope and you're not doing anything wrong! I do suspect you may not be overly familiar with how Lantus works.

First, it takes 5 - 7 days for Lantus to reach a level where it will begin to have an effect. Lantus is what's considered a depot type of insulin. Every time you give a shot, Lantus forms microcrystals that are deposited in the fat tissue. Over the course of the cycle most of these crystals dissolve; some of them remain in the tissue which allows for overlap between shots and gives Lantus both its long duration and it's gentle action. In contrast, shorter acting insulins don't last the 12-hours that Lantus does and are more potent -- they drop numbers hard and fast. It also means that any time you change a dose, it takes up to 3 days for the depot to stabilize. If you want more information on Lantus, please read the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus/Levemir/Biosimilar Insulin Support Group page.

All of that said, Eddy is not slow to respond to Lantus. Perhaps the one thing we coach members to remember is that Lantus will teach you patience. While it's a bit hackneyed, treating feline diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint. In all likelihood, Eddy has been diabetic for a while. Getting his numbers back to a better range will also take time.

You do need to add at least a "before bed" test every night. Without PM tests, you're missing half of your data. It will also allow you to go to sleep at night without worrying if Eddy is in safe numbers.

Which canned foods did you switch to? Not all canned food is low in carbohydrates.

Please feel free to ask questions. The people here are generous with their time and knowledge. We're here to help.

Thank you for the advice and information on the Lantus. I will start getting a before bed reading whenever possible. I have been referencing the cat food chart on this site (Lisa Pierson list) and purchased several different brands with carbs under 6% mostly. He was never a fan of pate (always a gravy lover) but I found a way to get him to eat the pate by cutting it up a certain way and feeding in small meals. So, he's doing well with the Fancy Feast pates, some of the Weruva cans, and Ziwi Peak is another one he has really taken to. He is also a grazer so it's been a dance everyday of making sure he eats just enough in one sitting where I feel comfortable enough to give the insulin. Keep you posted!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

There's less of a worry about a cat eating a full meal at shot time with Lantus. Lantus onset (when the insulin starts to work) for most cats is about 2 hours after an injection. If your cat eats a little and comes back to continue to graze, it's likely fine.

Weruva and ZiwiPeak are good foods! You might want to look at some of the Tiki flavors, as well. They are shreds vs pate.

 

[Lisa and Eddy]

Hi Lisa and Eddy and welcome to the forum.
You are right, it is overwhelming in the beginning but it does get much easier.
You have a lot going on at the moment as well, but you have already achieved a lot. You have the SS and signature set up, you are hometesting, you have found a better vet to work with you and you have swapped to wet food! That is a huge achievement in a short time!

As Sienne said feline diabetes is a marathon……I am not the most patient person in the world, but Sheba taught me how to be patient.
The most important thing is you have already started insulin, are hometesting and are feeding wet food…(just check it is low carb 10% or less). now it is going to take time for Eddy to get used to insulin which is a hormone, not a medication like an antibiotic that fixes the problem in 5 days.
I see you have chosen SLGS method. I would suggest printing it off and hilighting the important points. You will probably refer to it a lot. And any time you are not sure, just post and ask.

I’ll link the food chart HERE so you can check that the food you are feeding is low carb.
Are you offering Eddy a treat each time you test him?
And are you giving him any snacks during the first half of all cycles as well as the main preshot meal?
Keep asking questions, don’t lose hope…diabetes is a very treatable disease. Good luck with the move and your new bub.
Bron

Thank you for the encouragement and warm welcome! Yes, as soon as I found out.... I was on a mission to do whatever needed to be done. I keep telling myself it will get easier and the tests are a necessary evil. I am doing them to save his life and am trying to be strong about it because he can sense my shaky hands and stress! Am I the only one who has a small panic attack everytime when waiting for the meter to count down??

Yes, I am giving him freeze-dried treats when he gets his testing done and small snacks in addtion to preshot meals. Usually 1-2 snacks in the morning (only low carb wet food) and then one between peak time and dinner if he is begging. Really working on establishing a routine. Thanks for your support!

 

[Marina & Chico]

Hi Lisa, welcome to the forum

You got a lot of great answer above, i just wanted to reassure you a bit more: we all went thru a lot of anxiety and panic attack like periods in the beginning but it really gets much better very quickly. In a very short time, our Chico started going to the “measuring station” by himself when he would hear the alarm, because he would get a treat every time after that most cats on the forum get used to testing very quickly and even like it because they get “special treatment” from their humans

another important thing is that you actually have one of the best insulins for cats, you just need to give it some time for it to start doing its job

 

[Lisa and Eddy]

It's a marathon. It takes many cats MONTHS to get regulated. My own cat didnt see a number under 300 for the first 10 weeks or so. BUT you've come to the right place and I'm sure you will find help and support here. Diabetes is not a death sentence and they can live long healthy lives with it. As the others mentioned, you're raising that dose too quickly. I know you are just trying to help him feel better, but it didn't happen overnight and it will take some time getting there. You aren't alone.

Thanks Janet! I appreaciate that. I'm still seeing consistent 400s and the testing is getting harder. Got my hand totally chewed up with bites today. Any thoughts on the dosage? He was on Lantus 1 unit BID for a week since 12/8 (my spreadhseet starts at 12/12 because I didn't have a monitor before then). The increases have been at the discretion of the cat specialist (but Im not saying he is right, necessarily). I would test every 2 hours if I could but the cat is very difficult. I'd hate to do a curve at the vet's office but I am starting to feel like I am running out of options and I know I need more data. I can't stand to continue wathcing him camped at the water bowl all day and doing nothing but laying in the same spot. He's eating well, but other than that he is miserable.

 

[tiffmaxee]

Welcome. He needs to get the same dose morning and night unless he’s too low to shoot. Lantus is a depot insulin so builds up with time. Give him 3 days on 3 units both cycles.

 

[Lando demando]

Hello, I have a newly diagnosed cat, Eddy, and I am really struggling and losing hope. We are 10 days since diagnosis. His sugars are still consistently in the 400s. I am trying to absorb all I can from the information in this site. The truth is, it is daunting and scary. There is a lot of great information here, but putting it into practice is not easy! I am willing to do anything for my baby but I feel like I am failing. He despises the ear pricks and I cannot even get them consistently which puts him at a safety risk. He is a very high stress cat (takes fluoxetine for spraying and anxiety issues). I had to switch veterinarians a few days after diagnosis (and in the midst of the critical regulation period) because they were not very responsive to my questions and concerns. The new vet I work with now is much more responsive and is a cat specialist, but I feel like we lost a lot of time with the switch. I attempted to upload my spreadsheet link. If anyone would be willing to have a look at it, please let me know your thoughts. I know I need to test more, but we are struggling. I ran out and bought all low carb wet foods the minute I discovered this site and eliminated dry food. That has not seemed to make a difference so far. Can anyone share their beginning experiences, specifically dealing with a cat slow to respond to Lantus? I spend my days worrying and the anxiety is crippling. I have a new (human) baby and am about to move into a new home so the timing of this is absolutely terrible and I am so completely overwhelmed. Please help! Any positive or encouraging thoughts welcome. I also am having a difficult time finding local sitters and help in that regard. If my spreadsheet is not visible please let me know. Thanks!

Hi Lisa, im so sorry you and eddy have been going through so much. Sending you encouragement! I wanted to let you know that even though you have MUCH more on your plate than i ( with a new baby), i felt the sense of failing and overwhelming thoughts. Feel free to look at Landos spreadsheet, you can see how chaotic it was for him in the beginning and i really questioned whether i was doing more harm than good. The moral of this story is that with perseverance and patience he is doing AMAZING right now. Its a rollercoaster and it takes a few months for any kind of results (my observation), but it can be done and worth it.
Take care of yourself, you are juggling a lot.

btw if you need to rant or unload im around on the forum! I flipped out on a few poor members, so im happy to pay it forward if you need an ear

 

[JanetNJ]

Thanks Janet! I appreaciate that. I'm still seeing consistent 400s and the testing is getting harder. Got my hand totally chewed up with bites today. Any thoughts on the dosage? He was on Lantus 1 unit BID for a week since 12/8 (my spreadhseet starts at 12/12 because I didn't have a monitor before then). The increases have been at the discretion of the cat specialist (but Im not saying he is right, necessarily). I would test every 2 hours if I could but the cat is very difficult. I'd hate to do a curve at the vet's office but I am starting to feel like I am running out of options and I know I need more data. I can't stand to continue wathcing him camped at the water bowl all day and doing nothing but laying in the same spot. He's eating well, but other than that he is miserable.

Would you by any chance have a copy of the labs you could post?

 

[Lisa and Eddy]

Hi Janet, I wasn't able to attach them here using upload file but I added them to the lab section of his spreadsheet.

 

[JanetNJ]

Hi Janet, I wasn't able to attach them here using upload file but I added them to the lab section of his spreadsheet.

Thanks. Overall the Bloodwork looks good. I was looking to see if maybe there was any indication of an infection but the wbc looks ok. Other than early stage 2 kidney disease I don't see anything. Did the dr talk to you about the kidney disease?

So I think it's just a matter of following a dosing protocol until you get where he needs to go. Once you find the breakthrough dose I think it will start to lower. Unless of course there's an underlying cause such as acromegaly (which my cat had). But don't worry about that unless the dose goes over 6 units.

You say in your signature you are feeding low carb. Which food in particular, because with the kidneys you'll want to get that phosphorus down. I feed my diabetic ckd cat weruva foods.

 

[Jill & Jade]

You

Thank you for the encouragement and warm welcome! Yes, as soon as I found out.... I was on a mission to do whatever needed to be done. I keep telling myself it will get easier and the tests are a necessary evil. I am doing them to save his life and am trying to be strong about it because he can sense my shaky hands and stress! Am I the only one who has a small panic attack everytime when waiting for the meter to count down??

Yes, I am giving him freeze-dried treats when he gets his testing done and small snacks in addtion to preshot meals. Usually 1-2 snacks in the morning (only low carb wet food) and then one between peak time and dinner if he is begging. Really working on establishing a routine. Thanks for your support!

Waiting for the meter reading is TORTURE!
As others have said, you’re doing everything you can and it just takes time. Hang in there!

 

[Jill & Jade]

You

Waiting for the meter reading is TORTURE!
As others have said, you’re doing everything you can and it just takes time. Hang in there!

Also, you can try giving Eddy a low carb treat after an ear test. Even a little piece of cheese, if he likes that. That way, he’s equating a treat with test time.