12u lantus doesn't work :'(

C

catlady007

Member Since 2025
Hello, about six months ago I found out that my cat has diabetes. At first, the veterinarian started treatment with 1 unit of Lantus. When the blood sugar was not controlled, the dose was gradually increased over several weeks to 8 units, at which point the blood sugar two hours after the injection reached 150, and the vet said that was good. We were told to come back after three months for another check-up.


When we went back, we found that the blood sugar had become very high again. Now I am injecting 12 units of Lantus, but the blood sugar two hours after the injection is around 400. I am very scared and worried.


Is this due to a problem with the veterinarian’s management? What should I do? In your opinion, should the insulin be changed? Has my cat developed resistance to this insulin? Should I change veterinarian?

My cat is dsh, male, 9 yo and 6.3 kilograms.
Thanks for your attention 🙏
 
catlady007 said:
No in my country there is no pet glucometr and the vet told me that human glucometr doesn't work for cats😑 if I should buy one which brand is good? Accu CHEK is good? Accu CHEK is available in my country.
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I use a human meter. They work just fine. The range is just different but not different enough that it matters. Im not familiar with Accu Chek but looking at it, it looks just like any other meter. I use prodigy auto-code, but a lot of people use Relion.
 
Hi and welcome, Jo is correct, human meters work just fine. It would be really good to get you started with some of the basics, so we can help you. Wendy or one of the other moderators will likely move you over to the Main Forum which is where we can work through some of the details. What are you currently feeding your cat? A good starting point to read is this post, Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
 
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AccuChek is fine. I use the Guide.

What country are you located in?

What do you currently feed your cat? It's possible that the wrong diet is keeping your cat's blood glucose levels too high.
 
Do you have any tests more like 6 hours after the injection? That is typically a low point point when the insulin is doing the most work. 2 hours after injection doesn't tell you as much. We determine how to change the insulin dose based on how low the dose takes the cat, so need tests more in the middle between shots. If you can start home testing and give us some blood sugar data, we may be able to help you.

It is possible your kitty has some form of insulin resistance. I wouldn't say it's a Lantus problem, as the kitty would likely need a similar dose with other insulins. Some cats have secondary conditions that mean they need higher doses of insulin, mine was one of them. What's important now is trying to figure out how your cat is really doing on the 12 unit dose. Is it too much or too little insulin?

This post has some information that may be helpful. New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Do you have any tests more like 6 hours after the injection? That is typically a low point point when the insulin is doing the most work. 2 hours after injection doesn't tell you as much. We determine how to change the insulin dose based on how low the dose takes the cat, so need tests more in the middle between shots. If you can start home testing and give us some blood sugar data, we may be able to help you.

It is possible your kitty has some form of insulin resistance. I wouldn't say it's a Lantus problem, as the kitty would likely need a similar dose with other insulins. Some cats have secondary conditions that mean they need higher doses of insulin, mine was one of them. What's important now is trying to figure out how your cat is really doing on the 12 unit dose. Is it too much or too little insulin?

This post has some information that may be helpful. New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
Click to expand...
No I didn't test.

How can I tell whether the dose is too high or too low? He has not experienced hypoglycemia.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
Hi and welcome, Jo is correct, human meters work just fine. It would be really good to get you started with some of the basics, so we can help you. Wendy or one of the other moderators will likely move you over to the Main Forum which is where we can work through some of the details. What are you currently feeding your cat? A good starting point to read is this post, Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
Click to expand...
Josera sensicat, I have 20 cats the diabetic food is expensive and the vet tell us it isn't nessesry but if it's important I should buy in my country there is monge diabetic dry food and Royal canin but Royal canin is very expensive, monge is good?
 
We have a list here of UK cat foods, and a number of them are available on line, if you can get them. People in Europe can usually get them: UK Cat Food List. You want foods that are 10% or less in carbs. Wet or raw food is much better. Most dry foods are too high in carbs for a diabetic cat.

Products with wheat, corn, potatoes or rice near the beginning of the ingredients list are likely to be higher carb. Cats eating higher carb foods will need higher doses of insulin.
 
Catlady, are you able to get the AccuChek monitor and some testing strips? If so, we have information on this forum that will show you how to daily test your cat yourself. By home testing you will be able to know what your cat's blood glucose is and can determine if it is safe enough to give him insulin.

You asked about how to know whether a dose is too high or too low. Most of us follow one of two methods of dosing which are discussed here: Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

Also, this was posted earlier, but it has some basic getting started information: Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
 
Mary & Jude said:
Catlady, are you able to get the AccuChek monitor and some testing strips? If so, we have information on this forum that will show you how to daily test your cat yourself. By home testing you will be able to know what your cat's blood glucose is and can determine if it is safe enough to give him insulin.

You asked about how to know whether a dose is too high or too low. Most of us follow one of two methods of dosing which are discussed here: Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

Also, this was posted earlier, but it has some basic getting started information: Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
Click to expand...
Thanks, I should buy one and after that I ask for help again.
 
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