Food question

[Marcy & Klinger (GA)]

When Klinger was dx, his vet had me put him on Kitten FF. He's always been on wet food with some dry treats at night.
The can label for tender turkey feast reads:
Crude protein (min) 11%, crude fat (min) 6%, crude fiber (max) 1.5%, moisture (max) 78%, ash (max) 3.5%, calcium (min) 0.3%, taurine (min) 0.07%

Klinger's numbers are all over the board and we even got up to 7.5u. I've started over at 1u, currently at 1.5u. I'm wondering if his food could be causing some issues.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Here is the ingredients:
Turkey, liver, meat by-products, poultry broth, milk, egg product, artificial and natural flavors, calcium phosphate, guar gum, potassium chloride, added color, magnesium sulfate, salt, taurine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.

From those I expect that the kitten food is low carb and thus not the cause of the erratic BG. I looked at your spread sheet and really have no suggestions excet to do what you are doing. That start over.

 

[kate and lucky]

Hi,

agree with Larry. Looking at the crude figures given (max and min throw it around a bit) for the food, suggests it's low carb.

Can I ask, how long were you on Lantus?
Why the switch?
What bg's were you getting and dose were you on?

I would definitely agree that you've done the right thing starting over.
Really need to test for keytones.

Those greens are more than likely a build up of insulin and kitty's body being overwhelmed by the dose. Can't give definitive as I haven't used Prozinc (Lev is almost identical to Lan so know my stuff there).

Can you increase in increments of .25u?
Really could do with some more spotchecks-especially preshot and then a before bed check-can see where bg heading.

Need to hold this dose for at least 3 full days (6 cycles) maybe even 5.Need to see what readings you get.

I'm seeing he was 199 amps today?then has shot up? If that's correct, the 199 may have been considred a really low number by his body and he's also released some glucagon into his system (life saving response). Can point towards a carb sensitive kitty.

The bg readings really help try and put the jigsaw together. Although there are lots of similarities in FD kitties, there is also definitely the ECID (Every cat is different) and thus their reaction to insulin can vary widely.

So, my suggestion would be-please keep testing for keytones
Get some more spotchecks in
Hold the dose for at least 6 cycles-and if your not sure, come back ans ask whether you shoud increase or not. (Anything under 50 in newly diagnosed cat at any time in the cycle is a reduction)
Make a note of when you feed in relation to your spot checks.


It sounds a lot but really it isn't.

Hang in there, your doing great and have taken a bold step in starting over.

 

[Marcy & Klinger (GA)]

Re: Food question/wonky numbers

Thanks Larry and Kate.
When Klinger was first dx and put on Lantus our vet told us to just test him at home on the Sat or Sun. So, I don't have a lot of data and I wasn't keeping a ss then. Went back through my emails to the vet and updated my ss with the number that were still in my "sent' mail. I believe she had us start him on 3u 2x's a day because of his weight (20 lbs); he's also 12 years old (best guess). I just learned on here that weight doesn't matter. Basically when we got low on the Lantus, after 3 months, we decided to try him on a PZI to see if he would do any better.

The needles we use only go up in 1 unit increments. We eyeball the .5 mark as it is and to eyeball at .25u may not be the best idea.
I'll start noting when I feed. I just learned that I should test preshot and will also now spot check - it will have to be a night because I'm usually gone 11 hours during the day, which stresses me out wondering if he's gone hypo. I do free feed because of the time I'm away.
Thanks again.

 

[kate and lucky]

Hi Marcy,

From what you say, your vet based on actual weight when it should be ideal weight.
3u of Lantus would indeedmore than likely drop him too low over a prolonged period as it builds in the system.
It and Levemir are still my first recommendations for insulin use in cats.

I don't know how many needles you have left, but you could get 1/2 unit ones next time?
3/10 cc.Relion were fab (Heather bought me some back from USA-I can only get BD here and there no way near as smooth)
Half-unit scale 3/10cc (0.3 ml) Syringe
Holds maximum: 30 units
Numbered in: 5 unit increments
Smallest line measures: 1/2 unit


As for being out of house, if you know he free feeds himself and will feed a low, he should be good.Lots of people are out of the house for your kind of hours. Night tests are fine and then if you can, get a curve on a w/e.

Can you link your ss to your signature?