Hi! New member. Switching from Vetsulin to Novolin N. Need help converting dosage

[Miss_Catgirl]

Hello Everyone, I'm new here and happy to have discovered this website.

I need help converting 1 unit of vetsulin to the equivalent for Novolin N. Long story short, I need to switch my cat from Vetsulin insulin to Novolin N because It’s more affordable and I am facing hardship due to Covid-19 (literally, my entire family is out of a job now).

My cat (Gypsy the cat) gets 1 unit of vetsulin twice a day. She gets 1 unit at 7:30 am in the morning, 1 unit 7:30 pm in the evening.

I have been measuring her glucose levels on vetsulin, here is the key findings:

The lowest number is 4 hours after her morning shot. That number is around 172 mg/dl.
Highest number is in the evening, about 3 hours before her evening shot. That number fluctuates between 302 mg/dl to 350 mg/dl.

Gypsy’s behavior seems normal for the most part, her weight is about 12 pounds. She eats before her insulin and she has energy for an 8 year old cat. She is not drinking water excessively.

I just want to switch to the same dosage she is getting for Vetsulin but for Novolin N. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks! ( files attached)

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I would just start with 1 unit of N. Make sure that you use U100 syringes since N is a U 100 insulin (110 units per ml) while Vetsulin is a U4 (40 units per ml)

 

[Miss_Catgirl]

I would just start with 1 unit of N. Make sure that you use U100 syringes since N is a U 100 insulin (110 units per ml) while Vetsulin is a U4 (40 units per ml)

Thank you! I got the U-100 syringes. Should I do 1 unit in the morning and one at night? Or just do 1 unit for the whole day on Novolin N?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

You need to feed your cat 1 hour before you give the insulin with Novolin insulin to ensure he has food aboard as Novolin hits quite fast.

here is a link to Novolin information
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-novolin-humulin-nph.186097/

 

[Miss_Catgirl]

You need to feed your cat 1 hour before you give the insulin with Novolin insulin to ensure he has food aboard as Novolin hits quite fast.

here is a link to Novolin information
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-novolin-humulin-nph.186097/

Thank you very much!

 

[Miss_Catgirl]

A quick update: today was Gypsy's first day on Novulin N. I gave her 1 unit this morning at 7:30am, her current blood glucose is at 120mg/dl and it has been 4 hours since her shot. She seems to be acting normal.

The next shot is at 7:30pm in the evening.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Wow sounds good!

 

[Panic]

Just wanted to let you know if the only reason you're making the switch is due to hardships, consider contacting Diabetic Cats In Need. They are happy to help.

 

[Miss_Catgirl]

Just wanted to let you know if the only reason you're making the switch is due to hardships, consider contacting Diabetic Cats In Need. They are happy to help.

Thank you so much! That's very kind of you to tell me about that resource.

 

[Bama Kitty Mom (GA)]

Will you be able to do a full or modified curve after a few days on Novolin N? Nadirs can and do change, certainly a possibility with an insulin change. I know many recommend feeding and waiting an hour to shoot. I never do. I test then feed and shoot after most of the food has been eaten. Maybe 20 minutes after he first starts to eat. Seems to take a couple of hours for the Novolin to begin to work. Meanwhile Bama's BG appears to continue rising. Nadir is usually 5 ot 7 hours post shot. YMMV. Make sure you are using the Novolin N and not the 30/70 variation. Someone on here recently started a cat on Novolin 30/70 and got some really huge dives after the first hour.

 

[Miss_Catgirl]

Will you be able to do a full or modified curve after a few days on Novolin N? Nadirs can and do change, certainly a possibility with an insulin change. I know many recommend feeding and waiting an hour to shoot. I never do. I test then feed and shoot after most of the food has been eaten. Maybe 20 minutes after he first starts to eat. Seems to take a couple of hours for the Novolin to begin to work. Meanwhile Bama's BG appears to continue rising. Nadir is usually 5 ot 7 hours post shot. YMMV. Make sure you are using the Novolin N and not the 30/70 variation. Someone on here recently started a cat on Novolin 30/70 and got some really huge dives after the first hour.

Thank you! I'm glad you clarified this because I am a total newby at this. I did double check and it is Novolin N.

So far, the Nadir point happened exactly at the same time as it did before when I was using Vetsulin ( that's 4 hours after the morning shot). But then again, it has only been one day and a half so it's too early to tell her full progress. Should I be testing daily since it's her first week on new insulin? Her ear is so irritated from the sugar curve the other day, I feel bad pinching her too much.

Also, thank you for the tip on feeding!

 

[Bama Kitty Mom (GA)]

To keep your kitty safe, you need to test before every shot every day and get some mid cycle tests to see how low she goes. Try to alternate ears and testing locations on the ear, keeping the pokes along the outer edge of the ear and not directly on the vein itself. Many people use Neosporin type ointments to help the healing. I find it helps to hold a cotton round underneath the ear while I am poking, then use it to apply pressure on the spot to stop the bleeding. Much of the bruising seems related to the bleeding and clotting that happens afterwards if you don't get it to stop by applying pressure. Sometimes Bama will be so eager to get to the food that he knows is coming immediately after the testing that he squirms and tries to get away before I can get the bleeding to stop. Those little ears are amazingly springy and apt to send blood drops flying especially since he likes to shake his head and rearrange his ears after I have messed with them.