? Vacation question about dosing and how to keep Regs safe

Britta and Regs

Britta and Regs

Member Since 2026
Hi everyone, I’m sure this is the first of a couple panic posts and I could really use some advice for Regs while we’re away for 5 days next week. I’m honestly so anxious about leaving him for that time that I’m considering canceling the trip. But I know that would not go well with my husband that booked everything.

He’s currently on 2.25 U Lantus twice a day and my biggest concern is his late drops, especially overnight. Last night, for example, he went from 341 → 268 → 233 (he got 0.5 oz MC at this point) → 236 → 209 toward the end of the cycle as the pre.

Our sitter is a vet tech and will be here AM and PM to test, feed and give his insulin and heart meds, but unfortunately she will not have time to test at +2. My vet suggested no insulin under 250, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with such a simple cutoff, because I know if I skip the insulin completely he will go up to 500 or 600 and be miserable. And normally I give him insulin without issues as long as he is over 200.

Would you temporarily reduce his dose, use a specific no-shoot/reduced-dose number, or keep the 2.25 U? I thought to be safe maybe reducing to 2 units?

I also have a Petlibro Polar and can schedule 3 meals per 24 hours. I was thinking one around +5/+6 in the daycycle as his normal lunch and another around 4 am with maybe 1 oz MC food to help with the late drops. Where would you put the third meal, and would you use LC or slightly higher carb?

I’m completely okay with him running a little higher for those 5 days, I just want him safe while I’m gone and I appreciate every help I can get ❤
 
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The higher the glucose levels, the more the pancreas will damage, and this causes other organs to damage as well, a non-diabetic's cat glucose levels is between 50-100 your vet's suggestion to keep BG levels at 250 is not a good idea, and neither is skipping shots, it will be difficult to regulate Regs, do you have someone to stay with Regs while you are gone? a pet sitter? As well as increasing or decreasing doses is not a good idea, it makes it difficult to regulate, when increasing or decreasing a dose it takes several days to see results, I do not give dosing advice, I am explaining what I have learned during the 4 years in this forum, and also Corky uses ProZinc, 🫶 And I shoot on very low numbers, and he's tightly regulated. but I am sure there will be a member that can assist you before you leave: you say that when you do not give insulin Rigs BG is between 500-600, therefore if you decide not to give insulin and give high carbs, this can be a dangerous complication, I will tag a member that can give you a better input on your vacation and if to dose reduce, or not dose
@squeem3
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
 
CORKY said:
The higher the glucose levels, the more the pancreas will damage, and this causes other organs to damage as well, a non-diabetic's cat glucose levels is between 50-100 your vet's suggestion to keep BG levels at 250 is not a good idea, and neither is skipping shots, it will be difficult to regulate Regs, do you have someone to stay with Regs while you are gone? a pet sitter? As well as increasing or decreasing doses is not a good idea, it makes it difficult to regulate, when increasing or decreasing a dose it takes several days to see results, I do not give dosing advice, I am explaining what I have learned during the 4 years in this forum, and also Corky uses ProZinc, 🫶 And I shoot on very low numbers, and he's tightly regulated. but I am sure there will be a member that can assist you before you leave: you say that when you do not give insulin Rigs BG is between 500-600, therefore if you decide not to give insulin and give high carbs, this can be a dangerous complication, I will tag a member that can give you a better input on your vacation and if to dose reduce, or not dose
@squeem3
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
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Thanks so much for your message. Unfortunately I don’t have anyone who can stay with Regs while we’re gone. Before he got diabetes a coworker took care of him and his siblings once a day but he does not feel comfortable with the injections or testing. My sitter is a vet tech and will come twice daily for his preshot test, feeding, insulin and meds, but she can’t stay and monitor the cycle. That’s why I’m trying to figure out the safest dosing and timed-feeding plan for those 5 days or if it would be better not to go even that would cause a lot of family stress.

I still kind of hope she will cancel on me that I would have a good excuse not to go
 
Britta and Regs said:
Thanks so much for your message. Unfortunately I don’t have anyone who can stay with Regs while we’re gone. Before he got diabetes a coworker took care of him and his siblings once a day but he does not feel comfortable with the injections or testing. My sitter is a vet tech and will come twice daily for his preshot test, feeding, insulin and meds, but she can’t stay and monitor the cycle. That’s why I’m trying to figure out the safest dosing and timed-feeding plan for those 5 days or if it would be better not to go even that would cause a lot of family stress.

I still kind of hope she will cancel on me that I would have a good excuse not to go
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The advice I got from @Marje and Gracie and @Wendy&Neko were invaluable in keeping Moonie safe while we were gone for 8 days. I know you'll get good advice here from more experienced voices, and I hope you can relax and go on your trip.

Though I hear you.. I seriously considered purposely spraining an ankle to not go 🤣
 
Connie & Parker & Moonie said:
The advice I got from @Marje and Gracie and @Wendy&Neko were invaluable in keeping Moonie safe while we were gone for 8 days. I know you'll get good advice here from more experienced voices, and I hope you can relax and go on your trip.

Though I hear you.. I seriously considered purposely spraining an ankle to not go 🤣
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I really appreciate any advice and I know Marje and Wendy always give great advice.

Since we reduced Regs a week ago he mostly is in the 200 and 300 and if course I don’t plan to keep that forever but that might be ok until after the trip. I just wonder what happens if something unpredictable comes up, a sudden drop, vomiting etc?
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Do you know how well Regs will eat when you are gone? His current dose isn't getting him very low and is probably safe to keep while you are gone. But only if you know he'll keep eating. I presume the vet tech will also give his meds.
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Hey Wendy, Thanks for your reply. I dont think there will be big issues with Regs eating when we are gone. He is not very picky with the people feeding him, even though sometimes in the evening he wants some freeze-dried chicken over his food to finish that (of course I would note that on my sheet) But for sure I would make a note for our sitter that she would not give Regs the Lantus when he would not eat.

Yes the sitter will also give him the heart meds, what are for the time at least as important than the Lantus.
 
He can still get a half dose when not eating. Especially with a history of ketones,. Cats getting anaesthesia who are not allowed to eat, can still get half a dose. Insulin does more in the body than combat carbs in food.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
He can still get a half dose when not eating. Especially with a history of ketones,. Cats getting anaesthesia who are not allowed to eat, can still get half a dose. Insulin does more in the body than combat carbs in food.
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Thank you so much Wendy, I always thought that with no food he should get no insulin.
Our vet even said it on the phone yesterday. But this makes so much more sense.
 
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I will write our pet sitter shortly and remind her that, even she agreed to take care of Regs and his siblings, it is next week. I'm super looking forward to the trip but I kind of hope she says that she is busy forgot etc just to give me an excuse not to go🤣
 
Of course our sitter confirmed that she will be available the days (my great plan that the sitter would ditch us went out of the window) so I have to figure out now a schedule that matches Regs needs and keeps him safe. Is it reasonable to say under 200 no shot or ist that still too high? When I'm home I do not feel bad anymore shooting when he is at 160-170 because he will go up after food anyway but when I'm not home I don't want to take any risk
 
Britta and Regs said:
Of course our sitter confirmed that she will be available the days (my great plan that the sitter would ditch us went out of the window) so I have to figure out now a schedule that matches Regs needs and keeps him safe. Is it reasonable to say under 200 no shot or ist that still too high? When I'm home I do not feel bad anymore shooting when he is at 160-170 because he will go up after food anyway but when I'm not home I don't want to take any risk
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Not dosing advice, but would your sitter be willing to post here on your account? That might ease your mind too potentially. Like you can give her a rule to follow if she doesn’t hear back from this forum in XYZ timeframe, but otherwise ask her to post?
 
Connie & Parker & Moonie said:
Not dosing advice, but would your sitter be willing to post here on your account? That might ease your mind too potentially. Like you can give her a rule to follow if she doesn’t hear back from this forum in XYZ timeframe, but otherwise ask her to post?
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Thats a great idea I will put that on the sheet. I'm just not sure if she would have the time to wait until she hears something back but I will definitely bring that up. Even we are just 3 hours apart and I will make sure I'm awake when she is here to take care of Regs. My sleep is out of the window ever since he has diabetes and I'm not used of a whole night of sleep anymore
 
Wendy&Neko said:
With history of ketones, I'd avoid the opportunity to skip a dose. Maybe a half dose in that case?
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Yes I like that a lot, thanks Wendy.
I think unless he would be way too low he would at least get some insulin, but as the PS values look at the moment I don't think I have to worry. When we are back I need to bump up the dose again to get him controlled
 
Regs was kind of high but stable in the last couple of days and today I come home for lunch and he is at 171. I know still a big buffer until he hits low numbers but my anxiety is spiking. Addition to that the Petlibro feeder did go offline and I can’t switch it back on from work.
 
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