HELP! HELP! HELP!

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MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Don't panic over individual numbers. Maus isn't regulated but her BG has not been that high aside from the one pink reading the other night and goodness knows what caused that. Even those yellows weren't that high. There are a lot of folks who would be very jealous of Maus' SS. Maus will be fine.

As for shot time, that is really up to you. Best to schedule shot times to allow yourself as much time to test at critical times which could mean as an example, getting up an hour earlier and leaving enough time to test before heading out the door. Being able to get a +2 test post shot will give you a better idea where she is headed and you can leave out some higher carb food for her to eat in your absence if she is dropping faster than usual. I have to admit that with Vetsulin, it's a bit harder to deal with the lower pre-shots you've been getting but it can be done. The longer lasting insulins like Lantus are better at holding low numbers than pulling BG down so a little easier to work with in lower BG range.

The insulin should be fine for at least 3 if not 4 months or a little more if stored properly. The 42 days is simply the amount of time the manufacturer tested the insulin to comply with FDA regulations. Usually if the insulin has gone off it will look cloudy or have little particles in it even after the customary rolling before withdrawing insulin.
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Thanks for putting up with me and my overreaction. I'm new to this. I am trying to learn, but I am prone to letting my emotions get the best of me. As I told you previously, she's been through a lot and she needs to experience some of the "good life". Getting a +2 before work is something I can do every day. By the way, her 11 pm test was down from the previous +7, so I am glad it stopped climbing. I will keep trying to learn about this stuff from you guys (and be more calm, lol). I also plan on switching to Lantus soon. Thank you for everything!
 
Matt, you are a pleasure to help and are not over reacting at all. You are simply showing that you are a very concerned kitty parent who wants the best for his little girl and are making every effort to get her health improved. You're learning just like we all did and the way you love that furry kid, you fit in this group perfectly.:D

So happy to see that BG down some at PMPS. I'd stick to the 0.25u for a few more cycles if pre-shots indicate it's safe to give insulin and then re-evaluate.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Matt, you are a pleasure to help and are not over reacting at all. You are simply showing that you are a very concerned kitty parent who wants the best for his little girl and are making every effort to get her health improved. You're learning just like we all did and the way you love that furry kid, you fit in this group perfectly.:D

So happy to see that BG down some at PMPS. I'd stick to the 0.25u for a few more cycles if pre-shots indicate it's safe to give insulin and then re-evaluate.
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The pre-shot was 140 again today. Since .25 was OK yesterday, I made a judgement call and gave her the same again. Will do the +2 before work. As a side note, giving .25 is a bit of a pain because you have to kind of guess where the line should be. Are there syringes that measure .25? Mine only have .5 increments. Thank you & the group, I am SO glad I found you.
 
Sorry but alas there are no syringes with quarter unit markings and all you can do is eyeball it. One suggestion is to take a used syringe and draw up coloured water to what you perceive to be 0.25u to use as a comparison. Being absolutely precise in dose is not as important as being consistent.

Since you shot today, make sure to leave food out for Maus to eat in your absence. If her BG is down from pre-shot, a little higher carb food would be good or more of the low carb than usual just to be sure she has something to eat should she need it.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Sorry but alas there are no syringes with quarter unit markings and all you can do is eyeball it. One suggestion is to take a used syringe and draw up coloured water to what you perceive to be 0.25u to use as a comparison. Being absolutely precise in dose is not as important as being consistent.

Since you shot today, make sure to leave food out for Maus to eat in your absence. If her BG is down from pre-shot, a little higher carb food would be good or more of the low carb than usual just to be sure she has something to eat should she need it.
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BG was down to 80 at +2. I let her lick the gravy from a can of Friskies extra gravy and will give her some of her regular food. I am a bit worried because I have to leave soon, but I hope it will be OK because so far the problem has been that the numbers have been going up later in the day, not down.
 
Maus appears to be an early nadir kitty from what we've seen so far, so just leave her some food to eat while you are gone and she will be fine. You've likely raised her BG from the gravy which is fine and will keep her safe along with the food left for her.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Maus appears to be an early nadir kitty from what we've seen so far, so just leave her some food to eat while you are gone and she will be fine. You've likely raised her BG from the gravy which is fine and will keep her safe along with the food left for her.
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I am not sure what it means, but it looks like the numbers form the past two days are pretty similar. Also, I am not sure what you mean by early nadir kitty. :)
 
Nadir is the lowest point (peak action of the insulin) in the 12 hour cycle. Maus seems to hit the lowest point in her cycle pretty early on Vetsulin. If you look at your pre-shot readings and +2 tests the last couple of days, Maus drops a lot early on around +2 so her nadir is happening very early and then she starts rising again. This suggests she's not getting much duration out of the Vetsulin and it's not lasting long enough through the cycle to keep her BG down. Another good reason to consider a switch to Lantus.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Nadir is the lowest point (peak action of the insulin) in the 12 hour cycle. Maus seems to hit the lowest point in her cycle pretty early on Vetsulin. If you look at your pre-shot readings and +2 tests the last couple of days, Maus drops a lot early on around +2 so her nadir is happening very early and then she starts rising again. This suggests she's not getting much duration out of the Vetsulin and it's not lasting long enough through the cycle to keep her BG down. Another good reason to consider a switch to Lantus.
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She is at 139 now, and I'm not sure if I should shoot. Not sure if you will see this before 12:00, but perhaps you will and can help me decide. I am going to feed her now.
 
I think you are Ok to shoot, retest her before you leave at +2 and if she is dropping fast again, give her some gravy food and leave food out for her to eat while you are away. If you are worried about her, you could reduce the dose a bit by lining the plunger to just below the zero line on the syringe for a dose of 0.10u.
 
I will try to get some Lantus locally if I can by the weekend. I need to ask my vet for a written prescription, correct?
 
If you plan to purchase the Lantus at a pharmacy, then yes you need a script from the vet. If I was you, I'd check out the supply closet. Even if it means a couple of days delay for delivery it would be a lot easier and far less costly and Maus will be fine till it arrives.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
If you plan to purchase the Lantus at a pharmacy, then yes you need a script from the vet. If I was you, I'd check out the supply closet. Even if it means a couple of days delay for delivery it would be a lot easier and far less costly and Maus will be fine till it arrives.
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OK, I will do that. I was thinking get it done fast.
 
The lantus pens are very expensive, don't know where you live but look in the supply closet under forums, members sell them after their kitties
I found this one for you in the supply closet, see if she has any left
I copied it for you

megmonger tap on her name and start a conversation with her and see if she has any left, I see that she has syringes that you would need to use lantus and other items

Our dear furbaby Abby went to the rainbow bridge in November and I have 4 unopened never-used pens (3 ml each) of Lantus left in my fridge that are good until 08/2021. Purchased from Marks Marine Pharmacy. I can’t fathom throwing them away but our vet is unable to take them because the box itself was opened (we used 1 of the 5 pens).

Might there be anyone here near the PA/MD/DE border that could use them? I don’t feel entirely comfortable shipping them due to fluctuating temperatures so if possible would want to just meet/deliver directly. We live near Elkton, MD. I paid $165 plus $25 shipping for the box of 5 originally, so would reasonably ask $25 per pen.

If desired, I also have about 30 syringes left for the Lantus, plus several meters and possibly some extra test strips. No cost for those with the purchase of the insulin
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
The lantus pens are very expensive, don't know where you live but look in the supply closet under forums, members sell them after their kitties
I found this one for you in the supply closet, see if she has any left
I copied it for you

megmonger tap on her name and start a conversation with her and see if she has any left, I see that she has syringes that you would need to use lantus and other items

Our dear furbaby Abby went to the rainbow bridge in November and I have 4 unopened never-used pens (3 ml each) of Lantus left in my fridge that are good until 08/2021. Purchased from Marks Marine Pharmacy. I can’t fathom throwing them away but our vet is unable to take them because the box itself was opened (we used 1 of the 5 pens).

Might there be anyone here near the PA/MD/DE border that could use them? I don’t feel entirely comfortable shipping them due to fluctuating temperatures so if possible would want to just meet/deliver directly. We live near Elkton, MD. I paid $165 plus $25 shipping for the box of 5 originally, so would reasonably ask $25 per pen.

If desired, I also have about 30 syringes left for the Lantus, plus several meters and possibly some extra test strips. No cost for those with the purchase of the insulin
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I am in Illinois and she doesn't want to ship. I saw that one too. :(
 
If you can't find any than you are better off getting them from Marks Marine Pharmacy in Canada, most members buy from there because they areca lot cheaper, go check out their site
 
Another option would be checking with Alan Hamman. He's reliable and a lot of folks have got insulin from him. He's got some Levemir pens which is a very similar insulin to Lantus and could also work well for Maus. Another option to keep costs down if purchasing locally is only option is to ask about Basaglar. Same as Lantus but generic and a bit less expensive.

To PM anyone simply click on the picture area of the avatar then choose "start conversation".
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Another option would be checking with Alan Hamman. He's reliable and a lot of folks have got insulin from him. He's got some Levemir pens which is a very similar insulin to Lantus and could also work well for Maus. Another option to keep costs down if purchasing locally is only option is to ask about Basaglar. Same as Lantus but generic and a bit less expensive.

To PM anyone simply click on the picture area of the avatar then choose "start conversation".
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I saw that, but I wasn't sure if that was the same thing. Thanks for the info, I will keep learning!
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Just so you know, while we can buy insulin OTC here in Canada, you will still need a script to order from Marks Marine because a script is required in the US.
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Can you give me an estimate on how long 1 pen lasts? 1 would be best to buy 1 right now because cash is a bit tight.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
One pen contains 300 units of insulin so at a dose of 1u twice daily (which is likely more than Maus needs) one pen would last 150 days or roughly 5 months.
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Wow, that would definitely last longer than I need due to money. I think I want to try Mark's Pharmacy. I don't see much on the Supply Closet, especially that doesn't need to be shipped long-distance. For this reason, I think I would feel more comfortable with a reputable pharmacy handling the packaging and shipping. It isn't that I think any of the members would do something knowingly bad or wrong, but insulin is nothing to fool around with. I am very (probably overly) picky when it comes to things like this.
 
Here is a pic for you
You want the Lantus SoloStar pens. They are pre-filled with 3 ml of Lantus. Here is a picture:

How%20to%20use%20an%20%20insulin%20pen%20for%20cats2.jpg


You don't need the pen needles. Just stick the insulin syringe needle into the rubber stopper.
 
If you go on the marks marine site on the top where is says FAQ it will give you answers to most all of your questions such as shipping rates , how long it will take to receive it, etc I see one pen is 49.99 not bad, you will also need the U-100 syringes for lantus with half unit markings. I just recently switched to Lantus myself and I love it
 
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