10/3 Killacat Dosing advice???

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willow & killa

willow & killa

Member Since 2011
HI! I am new to this site and would love some advice on (how much Lantus i should be giving our kitty killa). After reading through FDMB's posts and having a phone consult with Dr. Lisa Pierson I discovered our vet had me doing almost everything wrong for our newly diabetic cat. Now that we are on the right track with food, testing and BG charting, his numbers are looking better and his energy level has increased...he seems like a much happier kitty...however i'm still not 100% sure how much Lantus i should be giving, do i hold off on insulin if its below 150? or 200? for how long before changing his dose? On a good note his #'s have been low for the past few days but his BG chart is a bit of a mess since i was away and "pre" Dr. Pierson consult was a disaster :(
Thank you for your advice!
Willow and Killa cat
 

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Welcome to Lantus Land, Willa and Killa cat! You've come to the right place to get help about treating feline diabetes, but I'm way too new to give dosing advice. An expert will come along to help you with that. The first thing you should do is set up a spreadsheet with all of Killacat's shots and BG measurements. See the sticky at the top of the forum
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18139
It can be a real pain to get going but that's how we keep track of what's going on with each cat. The other piece of information is Killacat's weight.

Ask lots of questions. It's a bit overwhelming because there is lots of info but you'll pick it up.
Liz
 
Welcome to Lantus Land, Willa and Killa cat! You've come to the right place to get help about treating feline diabetes, but I'm way too new to give dosing advice. An expert will come along to help you with that. The first thing you should do is set up a spreadsheet with all of Killacat's shots and BG measurements. See the sticky at the top of the forum
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18139
It can be a real pain to get going but that's how we keep track of what's going on with each cat. The other piece of information is Killacat's weight.

Ask lots of questions. It's a bit overwhelming because there is lots of info but you'll pick it up.
Liz
 
I just wanted to add my "welcome", too...fabulous that you're home testing and have got Killa's SS up and running! This is the best place to be for you and Killa...much knowledge and much support.

I'm sure someone with more experienced eyes will be along shortly with ideas on Killa's dosing.

He's so handsome - I love that picture of him!!

Amy
 
Welcome to Lantus Land!

It sounds like Dr. Pierson sorted out several of the basics -- Lantus dose is based on nadir and not on the pre-shot so you don't slide your doses. Likewise, you have changed Killa's diet.

As far as initial dose, there is a weight-based formula: initial dose = ideal weight in kilograms x 0.25

This usually works out to roughly 1.0u (give or take). However, there can be a number of reasons to deviate from the formula. Medical reasons, such as a history of ketones, may influence initial dose. Likewise, since Killa has been on Lantus for a couple of weeks, that may influence your decision. We do try to encourage you to get at a dose where you can regularly shoot twice a day. If you are comfortable with shooting 1.0u, that's fine.

I'd encourage you to take a look at the starred, sticky notes at the top of the Board. In particular, you may want to look at the Tight Regulation Protocol sticky. This note describes when to increase and decrease your dose.

On this Board, we use 150 as a "no shoot" number until you have collected sufficient data to understand where your cat's nadir typically falls as well as when Lantus onset begins and what kind of duration you're getting. We encourage you to get at minimum, 4 tests per day (pre-shot tests and at least one spot check per cycle). If you've been reading our posts or looking at our spreadsheets (SS), you'll see that most of us test more than 4 times per day. Once you have a basic understanding of your cat's patterns, you can begin to shoot progressively lower numbers. If you scan the subject lines that are visible on the Board, you'll see that experienced Lantus uses shoot substantially lower numbers than 150. The caveat is that people are data ready to shoot low.

I hope you will decide to post on a regular basis. And please, ask questions. The people here are very generous with their time and their knowledge.
 
hi willow! i want to add a welcome too. you'll find a ton of information and advice here, and it helps sometimes to have us help you interpret it. so even though it's all written down, feel free to ask away. usually you can get answers within a short time - minutes to an hour or so.

as you get numbers on your spreadsheet we can help you learn when an increase or decrease is needed and when you should hold because of a "bounce" or "new dose wonkiness." just ask.
 
Hi Willow and Killa!

I just want to stop by and say "Wecome!" You are in the right place. These folks will help you sort out all of your questions and problems dealing with FD.
 
Hi Willow and Killa,

Just wanted to say welcome to Lantus Land!! This is a great place for getting help and support!
 
Thank you all for your quick replies! and warm welcomes :)
It was recommended by Dr. P to have Killa on 2 units/2 times a day. If I shouldn't shoot below 150 should i just skip that dose if I need to go to work? will he be okay throughout the day? I understand that if i'm home i feed and keep retesting but not sure what to do m-f when i leave for work at 7am and return at 4pm.
his numbers were in the 100's for the past few days, some days i skipped a dose and others dropped down to 1 unit....was the wrong thing to do??? Please check the past few days of killa SS and let me know what i'm doing wrong......
THANK YOU!
 
I think we all have a huge amount of respect for Dr. Pierson. I do think, though, that you need to let the numbers guide your decisions. 2.0u may have been a good starting dose. However, the change to low carb food may have a huge impact on Killa's insulin needs.

Keep in mind that based on the Tight Regulation protocol, you don't slide the dose. I don't think you did anything wrong. There are times when it's very appropriate to shoot a reduced dose because the pre-shot number is too low to safely shoot. If you're finding that this is becoming more often the the case, especially soon after you've begun treating your cat's diabetes, it may be that you need to reduce the dose in order to shoot the full dose twice a day.

I also want to encourage you to get some additional PM tests in. This is especially the case if you see that Killa's +1 and/or +2 are lower than your pre-shot test. When this happens, it is very likely to be an active cycle where numbers are dropping. I think this may have happened last night and you're seeing a "bounce" into the yellow numbers.
 
Re: 10/3 Killa Dosing advice???

I have read through the protocol and I didn't see it or maybe i missed it but If i get a low number (under 150) in the morning and need to leave to work, should i skip that shot? or give it to him anyway? I will work on getting more numbers its just tough during the work week :sad:
 
I would encourage you to (re-)read over the Shooting & Handling Low Numbers sticky. It discusses becoming data ready to follow the Tight Regulation Protocol. It will give you a context.

I don't think you are data ready to shoot low numbers. If you get a 150, you can certainly skip. The bigger question is whether you have any flexibility to stall. If that's an option, given your schedule, you do not feed but re-test every 20 min. to see if numbers are rising. The issue may be your schedule -- your PM shot will need to be 12 hours later and you may not be able to move Killa's shot time back by more than 30 min. per day.
 
Hello Willow and Killa!

Just wanted to say welcome :-D
And, I have to say Killa is way cute. That picture is too funny - definitely not his fiercest pose ;-)

Good luck with your search for a good dose. It gets easier as you have time to digest all the info here, and learn how your baby reacts - but they do like to surprise us now and then. But there's always someone here to help - so you dint have to go it alone :-D
 
Killa's picture on the first post made me smile from ear to ear. So glad you found FDMB. When you get dosing figured out - the important stuff - I'd love to know how he got his name.

Print out the shooting low sticky and the hypo sticky and put them up on the fridge or somewhere for easy access. I would always post for reassurances sake also.
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
I would encourage you to (re-)read over the Shooting & Handling Low Numbers sticky. It discusses becoming data ready to follow the Tight Regulation Protocol. It will give you a context.

I don't think you are data ready to shoot low numbers. If you get a 150, you can certainly skip. The bigger question is whether you have any flexibility to stall. If that's an option, given your schedule, you do not feed but re-test every 20 min. to see if numbers are rising. The issue may be your schedule -- your PM shot will need to be 12 hours later and you may not be able to move Killa's shot time back by more than 30 min. per day.
Click to expand...


in regards to waiting to feed...not sure about your kitty but he has always acted like he's going to die if he's not fed around his normal feeding time, he always acts like he's starving...do you just ignore it? I get home at 4 and his PM shot is at 6...its a really long 2+ hours of listening to him loudly protest :(
thanks for the suggested reading...its def helpful!
 
Re: 10/3 Killa Dosing advice???

Karrie and Maverick said:
Killa's picture on the first post made me smile from ear to ear. So glad you found FDMB. When you get dosing figured out - the important stuff - I'd love to know how he got his name.

Print out the shooting low sticky and the hypo sticky and put them up on the fridge or somewhere for easy access. I would always post for reassurances sake also.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great advice! My husband adopted Killa before we met...i believe he named him after a cat in a very dumb movie...can't remember the name but i'm often cringe when i have to tell people his name. It doesn't fit him AT ALL. hes the sweeties guy ever

Maverick's adorable! what a great name :)
 
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