hello and welcome to the group!
i'll try to answer your questions...
tecwmn said:
Can you use two different long acting insulins on the same day or should I do both shots of ProZinc tomorrow and then start the Lantus on Friday or can I do an amps of ProZinc and then Lantus at the pmps?
you can start lantus 12 hours from fin's last shot of prozinc.
Also, I am going to be changing his feeding schedule from two large meals a day to every six hours with a timed feeder. Should I wait to stabalize him on the Lantus and then switch the food or vice versa?
you can go ahead and change his feeding schedule. many of us have found mini-meals served throughout the day work well. however, we do try to avoid feeding within 2 hours of shot time.
mid-cycle spot checks will eventually help you figure out the best times to feed fin. ECID.
My vet wants me to start at 2.5u BID. Not entirely comfortable starting that high. So, I may start him at 2u BID and take it up or down from there as necessary. Any other advice or things I should be aware of?
when switching to lantus from another insulin, we generally recommend a slightly reduced dose unless kitty has or is prone to ketones. the reason we suggest a slightly reduced dose is we've seen
some kitties show a dramatic response to lantus sometime during the first few cycles. we highly encourage mid-cycle spot checks to catch this in case fin happens to be one of these kitties.
we're very much a numbers driven forum. collecting and analyzing the data is how we offer dosing suggestions. there really isn't enough data on your spreadsheet for me to feel comfortable recommending an initial starting dose of lantus. whatever dose you decide to go with, please test at every shot time and get mid-cycle spot checks whenever possible. the more data you collect, the more we'll be able to help.
here's the recommendation when starting lantus/lev:
"In many cases, the starting dose of Lantus or Levemir has been 0.25 IU per kg of the cat's ideal weight and is always dosed BID (two times a day, 12 hours apart). If the cat received another kind of insulin previously, the starting dose should be raised or lowered by taking this information into account. When selecting a starting dose, it is important to know that while Lantus and Levemir have a longer duration than other insulins, they also have a lower potency in most cats.
The cat should be monitored closely on the first 3 days on Lantus/Levemir: do curves between the AM and PM-doses, e.g. AM pre-shot, +3 hours, +6 hours, +9 hours, PM pre-shot. Generally the starting dose is kept for 3 days. Test for ketones daily. Cats that have a tendency to get ketones and/or who are getting relatively high flat curves after the switch should have their dose raised earlier (after 24-48 hours). It is extremely rare that a cat will need to have its dose reduced in the first 3 days, but if the cat falls below 50 mg/dl, reduce the dose.
Measuring curves regularly is important, as well as measuring all pre-shots and taking random spot checks. It is important to know that most cats do not have reproducibly-timed nadirs. It also is not uncommon for a nadir to occur at +12 hours after a shot. If you are fortunate to have a cat with a very reproducible response, you can test less often than with a cat that has a varied response."
http://www.tillydiabetes.net/en_6_protocol2.htm
if you haven't already, please read through the stickies at the top of the forum. as sienne pointed out, most here use the dosing guidelines suggested in the tight regulation protocol. the guidelines are a good place to start, but may or may not have to be modified at some point for fin. data collection will provide the answers.
hope to see you posting often...
