Frustrated and losing hope.

[Cherie Hogan]

My cat has been diabetic for over two months. He has been on two units of Lantus for six weeks now. I switched him and my other cats immediately to a low carb diet of wet cat food and free feed zero carb kibble. He has not gotten any better. Testing at the vet a couple times a week and his numbers have been around 473. Because I am running out of patience and am worried sick that he is not making any progress, I have just started home testing and my cat's bloody ears can attest to my ineptness. The first reading was nine hours after his morning 8am shot and was 550. Two hours after his 8pm shot and evening meal his number was 548. I am just sick about this. I have suspected that either the Lantus has expired, as it is two months old and I did not refrigerate it for the first month, or he is not getting enough insulin or this is the wrong insulin for him. He was developing neuropathy in his back legs but B12 has helped with that. I have just started giving him a teaspoon of pumpkin mixed in with his wet food am and pm to help with constipation and started him on a product called Pet Wellbeing Blood Sugar Gold also in his wet food. I don't know where to go from here. Should I try a different insulin or gradually increase the Lantus? Over the past week, prior to testing, I had begun increasing the dose of Lantus to 2.5 units but there is no improvement. My cat is unhappy. He's quiet during the day, sleeps alot, slow, wanders when awake, then at night starts howling and pacing from about 3am until we get up at 6:30am. If we close him out of our bedroomin order to get some sleep, he poops and pees on the floor. I am lost and don't know what to do.

 

[Sootyca]

Hi Cherie, welcome to the group and sorry you are going through this. I know with my insulin (caninsulin) it has to be refrigerated and to be used within 28 days of first opening. Someone with more knowledge will be along to tell you if it's the same with Lantus. What has the vet suggested?

Sorry I can't help more - I'm new to all this myself. I'm with you on the home testing- have bloody ears as still struggle!

 

[Callie & Patches]

When do you test his BG? You mentioned +9 and+2. You need to test just before feeding and giving him his shot. These tests protect him from hypoglycemia, a serious and sometimes fatal condition. With lantus, it's important that the insulin shots are 12 hours apart. If you can't stick to a strict schedule, Vetsulin or ProZinc would be more flexible. Your vet could help. You should post your questions on the main health forum and the lantus forum, where there are more people to help. This introduction site doesn't get much traffic.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Yes, the Lantus could have lost some of its effectiveness since you did not refrigerate it for a month.

 

[Tuxedo Mom]

So sorry that you are struggling so much with the FD.

As Larry just posted there is a good chance that the insulin has lost its effectiveness. If you did not refrigerate the first month it would have reached its "good by" time after a month. The first thing you should try is a fresh insulin and see if that is where the problem is. Lantus is a good insulin and works well for many kitties. You can get the isnulin cheaper at Mark's Marine Pharmacy in Canada, where a lot of members from here by from. Also if you buy the pens (which are smaller size than the vial) and use a syringe with them you should be able to use up all the insulin without wasting any.

The first few months of starting treatment are very rough, but you will get there.

 

[Gill & George]

Hello and Welcome to the group.

So sorry you are struggling with FD, believe me when I say we have all been there at the beginning.

I do agree with Larry and MaryAnn regarding the insulin going off if you haven't refrigerated it. So trying a new vial/pen would be a good idea.

The testing does get easier. To help with the bruising try applying firm pressure once to the spot you poked for a short while ( I count to ten) with a cold wet cotton pad, that helped keep Georges ears from becoming to inflamed.
It can take a bit of practice, but hitting the sweet spot will also help, he won't bruise as much.

Here is a link to testing and shooting tips
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/ just in case you haven't seen it, I found it very useful, when I joined about this time last year, Georges numbers were high for quite a while before I started seeing progress, then all of a sudden he started getting better and eventually went into remission, something that would never have happened without the help of all the folk on this board. Hang in there don't loose hope in terms of FD it's still early days

 

[Barbara & Uncle (GA)]

Hi Cherie and welcome. My 15 year old kitty was diagnosed 2 months ago and I understand what you're going through. In the beginning there were times when I just had to get in a hot bath and cry, I felt so frustrated, overwhelmed and hopeless. I can't tell you how much information, encouragement and support I've been given since I asked my first question here. It's still early days for getting Uncle regulated, but I know there is a whole community here ready to help. It's great that you are reaching out. I really hope you will keep asking for advice and let everyone know what's going on. You aren't alone!

 

[Adriana & Diesel]

Hi Cherie
Sorry to hear you are struggling.
I remember how hard it was when Diesel was first diagnosed. We had high numbers like yours and I was absolutely terrified. The ear testing is tricky to get down, but once you find that vein and your kitty gets used to it, it will get easier and become routine.

Definitely get a new bottle of Lantus. It must be refrigerated. I know it is super pricey. I keep the little bottle on the top shelf of the fridge and make sure nothing else is near it to accidentally knock it off. Put it back in the fridge immediately after you give the shot. I have found it can last more than a month as long as refrigerated (and my neighbor who is a nurse says the 1mo is a liability thing for the company). Just watch your blood sugar numbers (once stabilized) and you'll notice if they start creeping up with an older bottle. Remember, go low and slow with the dosage until you're confident with it.

Don't give up. It is tough but you can do this. You should see a change with a fresh bottle and some patience.