Increase Insulin???

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darthcandy

Member Since 2014
My kitty Madison is 13yrs old. She was diagnosed with Diabetes 3 yrs ago.
She has been on .5(half a unit) of Lantus insulin twice daily since that time. About 4 months ago I noticed a small increase in water intake, a small increase in urination, and a small increase in food intake. So I took her to the vet for a Pre Insulin Glucose test. She had gone from a blood sugar reading of 175 to 265 but the Vet said NOT to increase her insulin. I was not comfortable with that but I was told that increasing the insulin could result in the blood sugar getting too low if I increased her dosage.
One month ago Madison had major dental work and was put on antibiotics. At the time of her dental work her pre insulin glucose reading was 333. Again I was uncomfortable with this number but the Vet told me NOT to increase her insulin dosage. Since Maddie's dental work she has been drinking half a cereal bowl of water in a 12 hr period, 7 pees in the kitty box, and major ravenous eating...at least 5 times or more a day. These are HUGE signs to me that her blood sugars are way too high. But the Vet has instructed me NOT to increase her insulin dose.
I am stuck and just don't know what to do. I feel I need to increase her insulin amount the Vet says not to do it. Is it possible that the diabetes has taken a turn for the worse and it's time to think about putting her down? Other than the increase in water intake, peeing, and ravenous eating she is happy, playful, and in very good spirits. Nothing seems to be wrong with her quality of life. But I am not understanding why I can't increase her insulin dose.
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!!
 
Hi and welcome to FDMB.

Yes, you may need a slight increase, but the most accurate way of determining if it is needed is for you to hometest. Since we do not know if your vet did a fructosomine test or a simple BG test, it is hard to determine if the readings are a normal BG reading for her. Vet stress can easily raise a cat's BG level by 100 or more. Also, the high reading at the dental could also be a result of an infection in her mouth.

The best way for you to determine if you need to increase the insulin is to learn to hometest. This means using a human glucose meter to test your cats BG levels before every shot. This will help you determine if an increase or decrease is needed. You will need at least one week of data to determine if you need to change the dose. If an increase is needed, you only want to increase it by 1/2 unit and wait at least one week before determinining if you need to increase it again. It takes at least one week for a cat's body to adjust to a dosing change.

Did your vet prescribe antibiotics when Maddie had her dental? If so, once the infection clears, that will also help lower the BG levels.

I do not think you need to worry about putting Maddie to sleep. Feline diabetes is very managable with hometesting, insulin and a proper diet. Can you tell us what you are feeding her? You may only need to change her diet if it is too high in carbs.
 
What are you feeding her? Food is a big component in diabetes regulation. Low carb wet is best but you need to be home testing first as blood sugar levels can drop fast and even into remission

Wendy
 
Hi to extra sweet Maddie and welcome to the message board. Would you please share your beans (humans) first name with us?

Oh, do please consider learning to home test. It's one of the best ways to determine if your kitty needs more or less insulin and there are lots of experienced Lantus users here that can help you.

It does sound like your kitty Maddie may need more insulin.

We do not recommend switching you kitty to a low carb diet UNTIL you are home testing. A switch in the diet can drop the BG (blood glucose) levels 100 points or more and we want to help you keep your kitty safe.
 
Hi and thank you so much for the replies to my post!
My name is Dana!
Madison is being fed an all protein diet. We eat Rad Cat Raw Turkey and Weruva cans and pouches as well as Best Friend Feline cans and pouches.
Well I ended up taking Madison in for a blood glucose all day curve test at the vet. Her BG was up over 500 during the test. Complicating this is that we are now dealing with very high kidney enzymes which means Kidney Disease. Diabetes is treated with an all protein diet and the kidney disease is treated with a low protein carb diet. So I had a long talk with my vet as well as her nutritionist. I am going to increase Maddie's insulin to 1 unit 2 times per day. I am also starting her on K/D Renel Health Prescription Diet to hopefully stall the progression of the Kidney Disease.
In one month we will test her Kidney enzymes again and see if they are still rising or if we have stalled the kidney disease. If the Kidney enzymes are still rising I am going to have to consider daily subcutaneous fluids.
My vet is shocked...I am shocked...Madison appears to be perfectly fine and happy other than the ravenous eating and increased water intake and output. She is playful with her toys and is all loves and purrs. Her coat is beautiful and she is still doing daily upkeep and licking to keep up on her outer beauty! :) She takes her daily naps in her perch and plays with the dog all day long. So it's really hard to believe all this is going on.
I am hoping and praying to St. Francis that I can stall this kidney disease and get a few more good years with her. She is my child, my life, and my little BFF. I have had her since she was a brand new baby kitten and 13 yrs is not enough. I want at least 18 yrs! :)
Please send happy thoughts or prayers!
Thanks everyone!
Dana
 
Hi Dana,

I'm so sorry to hear that Maggie was diagnosed with kidney disease. We have several members here who have cats with both diabetes and kidney disease. There are some food options out there that will work for the management of both diseases.

Have you given any thought to testing at home? It really will help you understand better what's going on with Maggie's numbers. I know testing at home sounds terrifying, but you can get the hang of it quickly. The numbers you get at home will also be more reliable than the numbers you get at the vet's office. (Stress can raise the numbers dramatically, and most kitties are very stressed out at the vet's office.)

Shelly
 
I have not done the home BG testing. I am being told more and more to consider doing it. I am spending millions taking her to the vet to get it done. I am sort of a weenie and feel terrified about having to take her blood...I can't even look when they do it at the vet. But I think I need to get over my fear and just do it. I will investigate further and see about moving forward with home testing. Thank you for the suggestion!

Dana
 
Oh, Dana, I completely understand your hesitation to test at home! Believe me.....I really do. When we first started, I told me husband that I didn't think I could do it - that he would have to do it. I was actually the first one of us to test her! I also didn't think Jersey would ever let me test her. I have 5 cats, and out of all of them, she was the "worst" possible choice to get diabetes. She is the most unlovable/cuddly cat I own. She tolerated it all very well, though.

The reason why we so strongly encourage testing at home is because it's the only way to truly keep our cats safe. If I wouldn't have been testing at home, I wouldn't have realized when Jersey's pancreas kicked back in. If I would have kept giving her the same amount of insulin that I had been, I would have taken her too low. Of course, I also wouldn't have realized (when we first started out) when we needed to increase her dose. Insulin needs can change very quickly. Without knowing the numbers, we just don't know how the needs are changing.

I can relate to the financial concerns, too. Once I started testing at home, I actually didn't need to go back to the vet. Why go to my vet for blood work when I have the numbers right there in front of me? That was one way that I was able to save some money. Here is a link to some financial resources if you need them: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=112452

If you have questions about testing, please let us know, Dana. We'll help you however we can!
Shelly
 
First step: get the equipment.
- An inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart ReliOn Confirm or Confirm Micro (aka American Diabetes Wholesale Arkray USA Glucocard 01 or 01 Mini).
- Matching test strips (boxes of 50 or moreh always have a spare box)
- Lancets - 26 to 28 gauge for alternate site testing.

Second step: read the manual and practice on an apple and/or yourself and/or a willing guinea pig
- Also mentally rehearse the steps; it helps you coordinate them.
- Also massage your cat's ears before you give insulin and give a low carb treat each time.

Third step: put on the big kid pants and go for it.
 
What are you worried about? It doesn't hurt them as their ear endings have less nerve endings than your finger tip.. And you wouldn't think twice about testing your child's finger to keep them safe. By giving treats after each test many cats come to look forward to test time. We have tips on how to do it safety and as easily as possible.

My cats sleep through testing..
 
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