Profile Pic Update & Venting

foodietoria

foodietoria

Member Since 2026
Morning,
I updated my profile so you could see Chino. He’s a Tonkinese who lost his brother a year and a half ago and now dealing with diabetes. Just frustrated because his levels are still between 325 and 425 despite going from 1.0 U to 2.0 units 3 days ago as well as him loving the FF Chicken Feast Pate for Sr Cats, which seems like an addictive drug to him. I’ve never seen him go crazy over food like this. He is now acting like he’s starving all the time so I started what was suggested and am giving 2 main (1/2 can) meals plus snacks. He keeps waking up early crying. I really don’t want to be getting up at 3, 4 or 5 AM every morning. Getting sleep deprived and it’s affecting my energy level at work. This morning, I couldn’t get a reading after 3 try’s because he wouldn’t sit still because he was starving, so I fed and shot. His reading last night was 425, so could it really be so low this morning that he could get hypo after shot? I know thats a big no-no but didn’t know what else to do. I just want to get past this phase and have him in a stable range and routine.
 
Your original thread: Newly Diagnosed

Did you ever get a spreadsheet set up? FDMB can't really advise unless there's a spsreadsheet of blood glucose levels. It would also help to get your signature set up with all the basic info about your cat so you're not constatnly being asked the same questions over and over again.

Getting blood glucose levels regulated takes time so have lots of patience. We only advise adjusting doses by 0.25 units at a time. It's easy to miss the right dose if you increase too much.

The Lantus info is here: Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars Rread through the info threads to understand how Lantus works in cats. Lantus needs about 7 days to fill the depot and to see any effect on blood glucose levels. I assume you're doing the Start Low Go Slow protocol and not the Tight Regulation one.

Make a programmable timed feeder your best friend. The feeder will give your cat the snacks he needs while you are away at work or wherever and so you can sleep at night. With Lantus, don't feed anything 2 hours before insulin time. Food will spike bgs a bit.

It's safest to test bg before insulin so you know what the level is and if insulin can be safely given. You can't assume the cat will be always be high. My cat has tested in the hypo-levels recently (no symptoms and it was 18+ hours since the last insulin dose) and normally he's much higher. Have patience with testing and working out what works best for you and your cat to get a good drop of blood.
 
squeem3 said:
Your original thread: Newly Diagnosed

Did you ever get a spreadsheet set up? FDMB can't really advise unless there's a spsreadsheet of blood glucose levels. It would also help to get your signature set up with all the basic info about your cat so you're not constatnly being asked the same questions over and over again.

Getting blood glucose levels regulated takes time so have lots of patience. We only advise adjusting doses by 0.25 units at a time. It's easy to miss the right dose if you increase too much.

The Lantus info is here: Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars Rread through the info threads to understand how Lantus works in cats. Lantus needs about 7 days to fill the depot and to see any effect on blood glucose levels. I assume you're doing the Start Low Go Slow protocol and not the Tight Regulation one.

Make a programmable timed feeder your best friend. The feeder will give your cat the snacks he needs while you are away at work or wherever and so you can sleep at night. With Lantus, don't feed anything 2 hours before insulin time. Food will spike bgs a bit.

It's safest to test bg before insulin so you know what the level is and if insulin can be safely given. You can't assume the cat will be always be high. My cat has tested in the hypo-levels recently (no symptoms and it was 18+ hours since the last insulin dose) and normally he's much higher. Have patience with testing and working out what works best for you and your cat to get a good drop of blood.
Click to expand...
No, I have not set up the spreadsheet yet, but intend to. I have a Mac and my husband needs to help me with that. Regarding Lantus/Glargine; Just went to Trump Rx site and they’ve added Lantus pen and vials (100 & 200)! The price is $35.00 when you show it at the pharmacy.
 
squeem3 said:
Your original thread: Newly Diagnosed

Did you ever get a spreadsheet set up? FDMB can't really advise unless there's a spsreadsheet of blood glucose levels. It would also help to get your signature set up with all the basic info about your cat so you're not constatnly being asked the same questions over and over again.

Getting blood glucose levels regulated takes time so have lots of patience. We only advise adjusting doses by 0.25 units at a time. It's easy to miss the right dose if you increase too much.

The Lantus info is here: Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars Rread through the info threads to understand how Lantus works in cats. Lantus needs about 7 days to fill the depot and to see any effect on blood glucose levels. I assume you're doing the Start Low Go Slow protocol and not the Tight Regulation one.

Make a programmable timed feeder your best friend. The feeder will give your cat the snacks he needs while you are away at work or wherever and so you can sleep at night. With Lantus, don't feed anything 2 hours before insulin time. Food will spike bgs a bit.

It's safest to test bg before insulin so you know what the level is and if insulin can be safely given. You can't assume the cat will be always be high. My cat has tested in the hypo-levels recently (no symptoms and it was 18+ hours since the last insulin dose) and normally he's much higher. Have patience with testing and working out what works best for you and your cat to get a good drop of blood.
Click to expand...
I just created the spreadsheet. Chino is loving the FF Pate! I have added snacks of either FF or Open farm Freeze dried raw chicken. He is almost completely rejecting the dry kibble which I never thought would happen. No vomiting since starting FF.
 
Thanks for getting your spreadsheet up and running. A couple of points....

You need to get at least one test during both the AM and PM cycles in addition to your pre-shot test. Lantus dosing is based on how low the insulin brings your cat's numbers. Blood glucose levels are highest at pre-shot times. They are generally lowest around mid-cycle (i.e., "nadir" is the lowest point in the cycle and the time of nadir can vary). We suggest that you get a PM test before you go to bed so you don't sit up all night worrying that your cat's numbers are dangerously low. Getting at least one test during each cycle will let you know how your cat is responding to insulin, whether you need to adjust the dose, if your cat is in numbers that are too low, etc.

We generally make dose adjustment in 0.25u increments. If you are increasing your cat's dose by 1.0u, you could easily sail past what is a good dose for your cat. You will need syringes in order to make small dose adjustments. We don't suggest dispensing the dose directly from an insulin pen. It isn't calibrated for small doses.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Thanks for getting your spreadsheet up and running. A couple of points....

You need to get at least one test during both the AM and PM cycles in addition to your pre-shot test. Lantus dosing is based on how low the insulin brings your cat's numbers. Blood glucose levels are highest at pre-shot times. They are generally lowest around mid-cycle (i.e., "nadir" is the lowest point in the cycle and the time of nadir can vary). We suggest that you get a PM test before you go to bed so you don't sit up all night worrying that your cat's numbers are dangerously low. Getting at least one test during each cycle will let you know how your cat is responding to insulin, whether you need to adjust the dose, if your cat is in numbers that are too low, etc.

We generally make dose adjustment in 0.25u increments. If you are increasing your cat's dose by 1.0u, you could easily sail past what is a good dose for your cat. You will need syringes in order to make small dose adjustments. We don't suggest dispensing the dose directly from an insulin pen. It isn't calibrated for small doses.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your detailed reply. I am so grateful that I found this support site! You FD veterans are amazing! Yes, I have looked and others spreadsheets as well as read some replies on mid cycle testing. This is all very new and I had already purchased Alpha Trak kit per Vets advise before finding this site and discovering that most are using Relion system and the concept of nadir. I have 2 test strip left, and one more vial of strip on the way, but then I’m done with Alpha Trak. Way too expensive if you’re testing 4x or more per day! I am going to buy a Relion this week and then get into the flow of using that. My question is; do I need to set a normal range on the Relion, and if so, would should it be? 100-200? He is still way too high as he just started on Lantus less than 2 weeks ago. Regarding using syringes, I have the vial and syringes. The Pharmacist was a jerk and automatically filled it for the pen even though I presented a coupon for a vial. I used to be a Medical Assistant at a Family Practice so I am familiar with dealing with that part of it, thankfully. I work during the day and won’t be able to test him every 2 or 3 hours like others who work from home or are retired.
 
You don't need to set up anything on the Relion or any Human meter. Put the battery in, set the date and time, and you're ready to go. If there's an option to set alarms if bg is out of a set range, you don't need to do that.

You can use either the 10 ml Lantus bottle or the Lantus Solostar pen (or the generic equivalent). Most people here use the pens with syringes. A box of five pens is at least a year's supply you have on hand. A single pen lasts to the last drop which can be a few months depending on the cat's dose. The 10 ml bottle is questionable. Some people can only get a month's use out of it, others can get a few months use. You'll know if the bottle needs to be replaced if you start seeing wonky bgs or teeny tiny specks floating in the insulin. There's a coupon to get the box of pens for $35: Info - Sourcing Insulin More Economically

People who aren't home during the day do their random spot checks at night.
 
As always, good info from Squeem3.

I'm so glad you're reading other members' posts. There's a ton of good information here. If it won't be too overwhelming to keep reading, there's a great deal of information on the Health Links page as well as the sticky notes on the Lantus page.

If you've not seen the pens, they are like a mini vial. There is a rubber gasket at the top of the pen. You insert the syringe into the gasket and draw off your dose (or a little extra to so you can get rid of bubbles). One of the benefits of using the pen is that it's encased in plastic. If you drop a vial, you have insulin all over the floor or counter. If you drop a pen, you don't lose your insulin.

Vets like the Alpha Track because it's calibrated the same way as a serum chemistry analyzer. I suspect most vets are unaware of how much the strips cost. Usually they push for the AT for that reason. I find their rationale interesting given that these days, many vets are suggesting that a cat can be using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) like the Freestyle Libre. It's a human monitor but you don't need to poke your cat's ear.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
If you drop a vial, you have insulin all over the floor or counter. If you drop a pen, you don't lose your insulin.
Click to expand...

Bubble wrap your Lantus bottle to prevent breakage from accidental drops and bumps👍 There are silicone protector sleeves you can buy for insulin bottles but I'm sure you can find a piece of bubble wrap around the home you can use or ask around for a piece.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Thanks for getting your spreadsheet up and running. A couple of points....

You need to get at least one test during both the AM and PM cycles in addition to your pre-shot test. Lantus dosing is based on how low the insulin brings your cat's numbers. Blood glucose levels are highest at pre-shot times. They are generally lowest around mid-cycle (i.e., "nadir" is the lowest point in the cycle and the time of nadir can vary). We suggest that you get a PM test before you go to bed so you don't sit up all night worrying that your cat's numbers are dangerously low. Getting at least one test during each cycle will let you know how your cat is responding to insulin, whether you need to adjust the dose, if your cat is in numbers that are too low, etc.

We generally make dose adjustment in 0.25u increments. If you are increasing your cat's dose by 1.0u, you could easily sail past what is a good dose for your cat. You will need syringes in order to make small dose adjustments. We don't suggest dispensing the dose directly from an insulin pen. It isn't calibrated for small doses.
Click to expand...
Hi There! Update: Yesterday afternoon and this AM I was able to get +2 or +4 levels. If you check Chino's SS, it looks like he had a bounce due to the skipped dose yesterday AM, then today's levels have decreased which I'm happy about. I decreased from 2.0-1.5U this morning and am glad I did because he has been consistently lower (since starting this journey). Just did PMPS and it was 168. I'm definitely going to shoot, but not 2.0u. Would 1.5u be more advisable or even 1.25u. Never been in this range before.
 
Just to make an observation... I think Chino's numbers jumped into the 500s at the PMPS time on 4/21 due to your having skipped the AM shot. Bounces occur if numbers drop low, if they drop into a range your cat's body isn't used to, or if there is a fast drop in numbers. If you have a low pre-shot number and you then skip, it's basically a "double whammy" -- numbers will rise due to the skipped shot AND due to the spike from a bounce. You do have options other than skipping.

It would be helpful if you could set up your signature. The signature provides some basic information about you and your cat so we don't pester you by asking the same questions repeatedly. The information for setting up your signature is in this post.

We use two options for dosing methods. It looks like you've opted for SLGS. I'd encourage you to stick to that method. Lantus is a depot type of insulin. As such, when you change a dose, the depot needs time to "catch up" with the dose adjustment. With SLGS, unless numbers drop below 90, you hold the dose for a week. With TR, the point at which you reduce the dose is lower (50 in a newly diagnosed cat) and the dose is evaluated for 3 days/6 cycles. The change in dose for both methods is based on the nadir (lowest point in the cycle) and not on the pre-shot test. The other consideration is that you don't yet know when insulin onset and nadir occur nor do you know how much duration you're getting. The only way to determine this is to get a curve. With SLGS, the instructions indicate you need to get a curve every week. A curve is testing every 2 hours over a 12 hour cycle.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Just to make an observation... I think Chino's numbers jumped into the 500s at the PMPS time on 4/21 due to your having skipped the AM shot. Bounces occur if numbers drop low, if they drop into a range your cat's body isn't used to, or if there is a fast drop in numbers. If you have a low pre-shot number and you then skip, it's basically a "double whammy" -- numbers will rise due to the skipped shot AND due to the spike from a bounce. You do have options other than skipping.

It would be helpful if you could set up your signature. The signature provides some basic information about you and your cat so we don't pester you by asking the same questions repeatedly. The information for setting up your signature is in this post.

We use two options for dosing methods. It looks like you've opted for SLGS. I'd encourage you to stick to that method. Lantus is a depot type of insulin. As such, when you change a dose, the depot needs time to "catch up" with the dose adjustment. With SLGS, unless numbers drop below 90, you hold the dose for a week. With TR, the point at which you reduce the dose is lower (50 in a newly diagnosed cat) and the dose is evaluated for 3 days/6 cycles. The change in dose for both methods is based on the nadir (lowest point in the cycle) and not on the pre-shot test. The other consideration is that you don't yet know when insulin onset and nadir occur nor do you know how much duration you're getting. The only way to determine this is to get a curve. With SLGS, the instructions indicate you need to get a curve every week. A curve is testing every 2 hours over a 12 hour cycle.
Click to expand...
Thanks for replying! I set up my signature. Can you please check it to see if I did it correctly? Thank you :)
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Your signature looks good to me! The only thing to consider adding is where you're located if you're outside of the US.
Click to expand...
Great, thank you! I'm in US. Also, could you check his SS? I think he's gotten past the impact of the skipped dose from 4/20 AM. I've been able to get some +2. +3, etc levels in past 2 days and it seems like 1.5u may be good to stay at for now.
 
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