? 7 yrs cat - 0,5 yrs diabetes, male, Lantus - problem!

[Scorpion999]

Dear all.
My cat Kassu has diagnosed diabetes about half year ago. Since then we changed the food to raw (special cat and dog foodstore). We moved to apartment to a house and cat is an outdoor cat (can go out if he wants and he does) - so the activity changed to better in this half year.
But in the apartment where there was less activity and we gave also this raw meat (and we weighted the amount of meat every time because I red somewhere that 2% of cats weight must be the food of the day) the blood sugar was quite good - only one shot a day and we controlled the sugarrate two times a day. Now, the bloodsugar rate is always - at night and in the morning quite high (15-24 mmol), still watching the food grams per day. Activity is better. We have been in the house for one and half week and those numbers dont want to get lower.
One day we had an accident that he ate the leftovers from the trashcan in the kitchen and after that the bloodsugar is like American hills. After accident the bloodsugar was 33+ mmol. Made insulin shot and after was 1,5mmol and we gave him an emergency and he was ok. And now we have almost every time 20+ mmol. My questions are:

1. Do I have to watch the food weight and feed him as I have done previously or there is no need to control the food kcal and weight and just let him eat as much as he needs?
2. How long has to be the time between insulin shots? I have thought that 12 hours, but not sure anymore.
3. I have used Lantus insulin. I have kept it ina freezer and before use I have scrubed it between my hands until its not cold anymore and then gave the shot. Is it right??? I have done just like the veterinary showed me. I just red that Lantus doesnt need a freezer or scrubing, so Im confused.

Thank you for your time and answeres!

 

[Gracie85]

If he is outside on his own, you have absolutely no control over what he eats. He's already proven this by his change in bg numbers now that he can go outside. He may just be getting into neighbor's trash, or you may have neighbors who put food outside for their pets or wildlife. But you absolutely cannot control his diet if he is an outside cat. And then there are so many more dangers for an outside cat, injuries, attacks by other animals, disease, cars, etc.
Really, your first step is to accept that an outside lifestyle is not in his best interest, even if it seems much more enriched.

 

[Scorpion999]

If he is outside on his own, you have absolutely no control over what he eats. He's already proven this by his change in bg numbers now that he can go outside. He may just be getting into neighbor's trash, or you may have neighbors who put food outside for their pets or wildlife. But you absolutely cannot control his diet if he is an outside cat. And then there are so many more dangers for an outside cat, injuries, attacks by other animals, disease, cars, etc.
Really, your first step is to accept that an outside lifestyle is not in his best interest, even if it seems much more enriched.

Thank you for you answer.
To make problem more clear, I forgot to add that Im living in a countryside where nearest household is 1km away or more. So there is no trash from people nearby and the road next to the house is used by one car per day maximum. And secondly, eventhough cats are outside, they are in the garden and most of the time in the front of the house, laying in the grass. I have cat gps also, so when I dont see them, then Im searching them rightaway, but this happens very rarely. They have brought some rats to the house but they dont eat them. I usually bury them if I notice.
When Im away from home, they are inside the household.

But there is also my question above: is the diet for kcal important? Even if my food is all raw?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

There are a few issues noted in your post.

First, you should not put insulin in the freezer. Lantus, in particular, should not be frozen. If frozen, you have ruined your insulin. Glargine/Lantus should be stored in a refrigerator between 2 and 8 degrees C (36 and 46 degrees F) or at room temperature below 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). Do not freeze or use if the insulin has been frozen. I am hoping that you meant that you refrigerated your insulin.

"Scrubbing" the insulin between your hands is not necessary with Lantus . It is a solution. There is no need to "mix" the insulin. Other types of insulin separate into a clear and a cloudy liquids that need to be mixed. The repeated agitation of Lantus can also have a negative effect on the longevity of your insulin.

For an unregulated diabetic cat, the biggest issue with food is that it is low in carbohydrates. We recommend a diet that is less than 10% carbs. If you are buying a commercially prepared raw diet, please check the carbohydrates. You may need to either contact the manufacturer or use a cat food carb calculator on the web. You should not be giving your cat raw meat that does not contain the supplements necessary for a nutritionally complete diet. There are supplements, such as taurine, that are absolutely necessary for a cat's health. An unregulated diabetic will be hungry all the time. This is because the end product of metabolism -- glucose -- is floating in the bloodstream and not getting into the cells. As a result, the number of calories that may be recommended for a nondiabetic cat will be misleading.

Lantus is meant to be given twice a day. A cat has a fast metabolism and needs insulin every 12 hours.

How are you making decisions regarding the amount of insulin your cat needs. It sounds like you cat may need more insulin but without seeing any home testing data, I cannot make that recommendation.

 

[Scorpion999]

Yes, I ment not the freezer, but refrigeator. (Bad english, needed a translator). Because we are having here some electrical issues (rarely but having), then this insulin is always in a flask (thermos) and in the frigeator. Ok, I have the answer here.

Secondly, this Lantus - when Im taking it from the frigeator then it's cold. How do you make it a little warmer? Or this little coldness is usual and you make a shot rightaway after taking it from the frigeator?

This food information I must read. I trusted blindly this raw food.

Thank you for the answer!!!

Added later:
The food I buy local center:
https://mushbarf.de/en/product-category/cats/