5 days after diet change...

[Perezamado23]

While I'm waiting to discuss putting Remy on Lantus with my vet (she initially recommended Caninsulin and I disagreed with her so we will reconnect again tomorrow) I have been checking Remy's BG once a day.

I switched him to a low carb diet right after diagnosis which was on Tuesday 11th and his numbers are still quite high. I'm hoping I can start him on insulin relatively soon (spreadsheet updated).

He is eating really well, I have been testing his urine with the sticks for Ketones and it has been negative so far. Also, I asked the vet for his lab results from December when he had blood work and urine analysis done and his BG was fine and he had no ketones or glucose in his urine so the onset of Diabetes seems to be quite recent. I'm hoping that's good news.

He isn't very active, I think he feels kind of crummy so I really hope we can start his treatment soon.

Thanks for reading

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

He definitely needs insulin and Lantus is much better for cats than caninsulin, which was developed for dogs. You also don’t need a pet meter. The test strips can get costly over time and most of us use a human meter since the strips are much less expensive. Walmart’s ReliOn is a favorite around here. What are you feeding him now?

Will you be able to test more often once he starts on insulin? We recommend preshot tests in the am and pm and at least 2 more times a day.

Make sure the starting dose is not higher than 1 unit. You’re very prepared already so let’s hope your vet is onboard with Lantus. You may want to share the guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Assn for the treatment of diabetes in both dogs and cats. the AAHA no longer recommends Caninsulin/Vetsulin for treating feline diabetes.

 

[Perezamado23]

He definitely needs insulin and Lantus is much better for cats than caninsulin, which was developed for dogs. You also don’t need a pet meter. The test strips can get costly over time and most of us use a human meter since the strips are much less expensive. Walmart’s ReliOn is a favorite around here. What are you feeding him now?

Will you be able to test more often once he starts on insulin? We recommend preshot tests in the am and pm and at least 2 more times a day.

Make sure the starting dose is not higher than 1 unit. You’re very prepared already so let’s hope your vet is onboard with Lantus. You may want to share the guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Assn for the treatment of diabetes in both dogs and cats. the AAHA no longer recommends Caninsulin/Vetsulin for treating feline diabetes.

I am feeding him a few different types of canned food, all under the 10% carb value from the food list. FF classic pate, ProPlan Urinary Tract Health and some others I got when he was first diagnosed (I grabbed a few different ones to figure out what he would like).

Once we are on insulin I will definitely test more often, right now I didn't want to test as much as he wasn't on insulin yet. I was able to get moderately priced strips from Chewy in the US (I live in Canada but my sister lives in the US) so I will keep using my AT2 for now, hope that is ok.

I already have my notes ready for my next meeting with the vet which include references to the AAHA Guidelines as well as the ISFM Guidelines and they both recommend the use of longer acting insulin.

Is there any preference between Lantus and ProZinc as they both are recommended in those guidelines?

Thank you for your response.

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

Is there any preference between Lantus and ProZinc as they both are recommended in those guidelines?

Lantus seems to have the better overall track record but it can really depend on the cat. Some cats do better on ProZinc, some do better with Lantus. Lantus is well known for being long-lasting and gentle.

I am a bit biased myself because Lantus is what we initially used for my boy Hendrick and it helped him so much. We ended up switching to a generic alternative to Lantus that was much cheaper, but it is essentially the same as Lantus. (Basaglar)

There are a couple generic versions, Semglee is another one. They are all considered Insulin Glargine just like Lantus is.

 

[Perezamado23]

We got a prescription for Glargine so we are ready to go. I just have to go buy it and the syringes to get started. I think I'll start on a day I can work from home to keep an eye on him. The vet said I should do his first curve after 10 days of being on insulin.

His wobbly legs are also a concern but I believe it's best to stabilize his BG before giving him Zobaline?

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

We got a prescription for Glargine so we are ready to go. I just have to go buy it and the syringes to get started. I think I'll start on a day I can work from home to keep an eye on him. The vet said I should do his first curve after 10 days of being on insulin.

His wobbly legs are also a concern but I believe it's best to stabilize his BG before giving him Zobaline?

I can't speak to the Zobaline question. For syringes, make sure you get the right ones. You want U-100 syringes, 3/10cc (.3ml) with HALF-UNIT markings. We preferred the 5/16th length (8mm), 31 Gauge

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Doing a curve would likely be best after 5 - 7 days. Also, you will want to test a minimum of 4 times per day -- once at pre-shot times both AM and PM (AMPS and PMPS) and at least one more time during the AM and PM cycles. Theoretically, the nadir (lowest point in the cycle) is at around +6 with Lantus. However, cat's nadirs can and do vary and some cats routinely have an early or late nadir. Getting a curve helps you to figure out when the insulin starts working (i.e., "onset") and when the lowest point in the cycle occurs.

It looks like you've read over the dosing methods information. One thing to remember is that it takes about 5 - 7 days for the Lantus depot to form and stabilize. You may not see much of a response until the depot is in place.

You can start Zobaline whenever you want. You will see better results as Remy's BG levels begin to come down. The combination of the methyl-B12 and lower numbers will help with the neuropathy.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

We got a prescription for Glargine so we are ready to go. I just have to go buy it and the syringes to get started. I think I'll start on a day I can work from home to keep an eye on him. The vet said I should do his first curve after 10 days of being on insulin.

His wobbly legs are also a concern but I believe it's best to stabilize his BG before giving him Zobaline?

@Perezamado23
Glad to hear you got the Glargine
I found this posted by a member about U-100 syringes with half unit markings from Canada
Check out your local pharmacy for the BD Ultrafine II syringes (purple and yellow box). Those are U100 syringes. If you have a Costco near you, check them out. Or Safeway pharmacy
We adjust does by 0.25 units ,do having the half unit marking syringes makes it easier to do

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

There’s a generic version of zobaline that is much cheaper. You can start anytime like Sienne said, but I only saw improvement on Minnie after she was regulated.

 

[Perezamado23]

There’s a generic version of zobaline that is much cheaper. You can start anytime like Sienne said, but I only saw improvement on Minnie after she was regulated.

Maybe a silly question... does it matter if I give Remy the B12 in the morning or at night? I would think it wouldn't make a difference but just want to make sure. I'm starting it tomorrow.

I just gave him his first insulin shot this morning

 

[Ale & Bobo & Minnie (GA)]

It doesn’t matter it’s once a day and it’s not like an antibiotic that needs to be at a specific time every day. Did you get zobaline or the one from Vitacost? It had to be the b12 methyl not just any b12 so just making sure

 

[Perezamado23]

It doesn’t matter it’s once a day and it’s not like an antibiotic that needs to be at a specific time every day. Did you get zobaline or the one from Vitacost? It had to be the b12 methyl not just any b12 so just making sure

I ordered the Vitacost that was recommended. I now saw that there is a Jamieson equivalent they sell here in Canada so once my Vitacost is done I will start with the Jamieson.
Thanks as always for your response.