"Duplicate post - ignore" another insulin appropriate?

[TheBowHuntress]

My cat is basically not regulating; he is on Lantus. You may look at his SS and think that he was a few weeks back, but, I was using another meter until 1/7/13, (said meter was tested at the vet's vs. an AlphaTrak--the glucometer was reading much lower). With my new glucometer, starting 1/8/13, he is reading much higher and closer the the vet's AlphaTrak. Is there a point in time when perhaps, a cat can/should be tried on another type of insulin? Levemir? Something else?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Re: At what point is another insulin type appropriate?

You've been using Lantus for less than 2 months. How about giving it some time to see if it works? You held the 1.0u dose for way too long and it's quite possible that your BG levels were effected by glucose toxicity.

You have got to slow down. To use a hackneyed phrase, this is a marathon, not a sprint and you want it to be a short dash.

 

[Blue]

Re: At what point is another insulin type appropriate?

My cat is basically not regulating; he is on Lantus. You may look at his SS and think that he was a few weeks back, but, I was using another meter until 1/7/13, (said meter was tested at the vet's vs. an AlphaTrak--the glucometer was reading much lower). With my new glucometer, starting 1/8/13, he is reading much higher and closer the the vet's AlphaTrak. Is there a point in time when perhaps, a cat can/should be tried on another type of insulin? Levemir? Something else?

A question you can ask yourself is this: How long has your cat been diabetic?

Quite often, owners get a dx of FD, start on insulin, switch up the diet, and expect all the home test numbers to level off nicely, just like getting a round of AB from your dr for a cold or something. I think we all wish for such quick improvements, but it is seldom the case.

Nobody knows how long our cat has been diabetic and for all you know, your cat could have been diabetic for months and months. Looking back, I can see some signs for one of mine that were visible months before I took my cat to the vet.

If your cat has had these high BG numbers for months now, I bet they feel 'right'. Then, you come along and give insulin that forces your cat's numbers into a zone that feels 'very wrong', and your cat pulls back to the 'right' numbers. Some cats respond sooner than others, so give your cat a chance.

Read the comments you have put on your ss each day. Read the first few days again, then jump to more recent days. You are seeing improvements in your cat, and in time, you will see more improvements start to happen in the numbers. YOU don't decide; your cat does.

If you are still seeing the choppy numbers in 6months or so, you may want to revisit thoughts to change insulin because some cats do respond better to Levemir; one of mine did get smoother curves after switching to Levemir, but my other was no different after switching from Lantus to Levemir.
But right now, Lantus has barely had a chance to settle, so give it more time.

 

[TheBowHuntress]

Re: At what point is another insulin type appropriate?

I have no idea how long he's had this terrible disease, but hindsight tells me he was, at least for 2 months dx, probably diabetic. This is still relatively new to me and I just want Gobbles to feel better. I will definitely go through my comments--that's a really great idea. LOL, the cat will decide, not me!

 

[Angela & Blackie & 3 Others]

I wasn't sure how long Blackie was diabetic when we took her in to get diagnosed, either. All I noticed was that she was drinking a lot of water for 2 days straight before we took her in.

You need to give Lantus and Gobbles more time, and allow the shed (read the starred stickies at the top) to fill up under Gobbles' skin. Lantus isn't a quick insulin, and it's not a magic potion. It's slow, and steady, and it DOES work. Blackie is coming up on her 3rd year anniversary in March. She's been on Lantus for about 2.5 years now. It took a long time for me to understand everything, and I'm still learning (and occasionally I read the stickies to refresh myself) as I go along. Now, I'm working on maintaining her weight, adjusting her food to maintain that weight, and adjusting her insulin doses (where I'm at now) to bring down the higher PS #s that she gets everytime I add more food to her diet.

Diabetes is a patience thing. Everyone on here, at one time or another, was impatient, and wanted a quick fix for their kitties. Myself included. Everyone on here, at one time or another, got very discouraged because each day there were high #s showing on their meters. I'm not immune to the discouragement by any means. Nobody is. Simply have patience, follow the protocol, continue to ask questions, and everyone on here will help you like they have been doing. Nobody will steer your wrong. Give it time... It will work. :smile: