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jadiekitty

Member Since 2025
Hello!

My name is Jessica and my diabetic kitty's name is Indiana or Indy for short. (I will update my username when it lets me in a week). He is 17.5 years and loving life...especially his heated bed and anything to do with turkey. He eats Smalls gently cooked wet food with freeze dried chicken for crunch and freeze dried salmon as treats. He was on insulin a year and a half ago after being on Prednisone for years due to IBD. Vet switched him to a low dose of chlorambucil and he was able to achieve remission for the diabetes.

Fast forward to now....Indy goes in for solensia injections once a month and I noticed he had lost some weight. I had the vet do blood work and his bg was 375. Restarted him on Lantus about a month ago at 1u every 12 hours and a week ago vet placed a libre 3+ sensor on him. First 5 days she put him on 2u because his numbers were still high. Friday she told me to increase to 3u. Did that and Saturday afternoon (yesterday) his numbers went down to 44. Gave him Karo syrup and food....but it stayed below 70 for 4ish hours. He was acting normal, so I tried to not freak out. Gave him 2.5u at bedtime last night and his numbers shot up back to 350+. Such a rollercoaster, I swear. I have generalized anxiety disorder and this rollercoaster is wreaking havoc on it.

So that's our story. I don't have any urgent questions right now. I will get my spreadsheet set up.

Unrelated....we have a bit of a zoo. 5 cats, 4 bearded dragons, 4 snakes, a leopard gecko and a Tegu. My heart is full from being a fur and scale mama. <3
 

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Hello and welcome. I have a soft spot for the tuxies, Indy looks like a real cutie.

On FDMB, we tend to change doses by 0.25 units at a time. Are you using 1/2 unit marked syringes to give the Lantus?

I tried opening the spreadsheet, but it says I need permission. You need to allow anyone with the link to have access. There are a few other things we like to see on the signature, detailed in this post: New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

Have you thought about blood testing Indy with a blood glucose meter? I just say that because the Libre often registers quite a bit lower than the human blood glucose numbers, in numbers under 100. The 44 you saw would be concerning on a BG meter, but may or may not be with the Libre. What you are now seeing with the high numbers is what we call bouncing:
Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).
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Those higher numbers should resolve soon.

And one last thing, have you seen this post: PSA: Notice from Abbott - certain Freestyle Libre 3 devices giving false low readings
 
There is a typo on my post. My apologies. He has the Libre 2+ sensor not the 3.

His numbers are going down again today and I am trying to not freak out about it. Really hate anxiety.

I fixed the spreadsheet. And I will fix my signature.

We do have a human glycometer (my husband is diabetic). We were able to successfully prick his ear for the first time last night....so much blood! Glycometer said 110 when the sensor said 142.
 
Good to hear you don't have to worry about the Libre 3 issue.

Here are some testing tips for testing cats, along with videos, that might help. And reduce the amount of blood! Hometesting Links and Tips

I can see the spreadsheet now. Thank you. :) Please don't give him 3 units again. That dose has shown it is too much insulin. We determine how to dose the Lantus based on how low he goes on that dose. 46 is too low. You need to lower the dose for now.
 
I was nervous about giving him 3 units, but the vet wanted to keep at it. Makes me nervous to see conflicting information. I don't want to piss the vet off but I also don't want to deal with any hypo events if I can avoid them.
 
Remember, you hold the syringe. It is your choice what you give. The vet works for you. The vet likely won't be answering phone calls if he goes low again. We much prefer that people start with a lower dose and work their way up. That means much smaller increases than 1 unit at a time.
 
jadiekitty said:
I was nervous about giving him 3 units, but the vet wanted to keep at it. Makes me nervous to see conflicting information. I don't want to piss the vet off but I also don't want to deal with any hypo events if I can avoid them.
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If you were to run on a hypo episode, or having low BG 1 hour before shooting you can make a new thread and title it “911 LOW BG BEFORE SHOT”? We can walk you thru shooting time, it will get attention and we can coach you thru it, I would attentively listen to Wendy’s message, you are in control of the syringe and what is best for your cat, a hypo episode does no good to your stress or your cats health, we are here for you :bighug:
 
So his numbers went into the 60s again. Then my husband found an article that said extreme temp differences can affect insulin and blood sugar levels. That if temps are high (like him laying on his heated bed at 130 degrees) then it causes the blood vessels to dilate, which makes him absorb the insulin faster and the blood sugar to drop. If temps are cold...then it has the opposite affect. Last night when his numbers were high, his sleeping spot of choice was on a bath mat on the bathroom floor....super cold. Yesterday and today he has been laying in his heated bed. I let the vet know that too. We turned off his bed and the libre showed his blood sugar going back up. Who knew these things were so sensitive?
 
I agree with Wendy the 3 units is too much Insulin to give. We adjust the doses by 0.25 units at a time. You need to get the U-100 syringes with half units markings if you don't behave them already.
Please put the date he was originally diagnosed with diabetes on your spreadsheet up top
Only asking because was he first diagnosed with diabetes on 10/25 or before that . Have you read the 2 dosing methods to follow when using Lantus?
When you decide can you add that to your signature and your spreadsheet up top.
Each one will let you know when you need to increase or decrease the dose

Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

Using syringes with a pen, cartridge, or vial:
  • U-100 3/10cc syringes with half unit markings are the best to use for drawing Lantus, Levemir, or the Biosimilars from vials, cartridges, and pens.
  • BD Ultra-Fine, CarePoint Vet, Monoject, GNP, UltiCare Vet Rx, Sure Comfort, and ReliOn are just some of the brands available with half unit markings.
  • Syringes come in 5/64 inch (6mm), ½ inch (8mm) or 5/16 inch (12.7mm) needle lengths. Needle gauges are 29, 30 or 31 (31 being the thinnest)
  • Full and half-unit syringe scales:
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You can get them from Amazon without a vets script for U-100 syringes for Lantus
half unit markings without a vets script
Amazon.com: UltiCare VetRx U-100 Pet Insulin Syringes, Comfortable & Accurate Dosing of Insulin for Pets, Compatible w/Any U-100 Strength Insulin, Size: 3/10cc, 31G x 5/16’’, w/Half Unit Markings, 60 ct Box : Health & Household


If you tap on this link you get also get the Relion syringes
Also
See this post about the Relion Syringes also
New. Need help with insulin does
 
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jadiekitty said:
Then my husband found an article that said extreme temp differences can affect insulin and blood sugar levels. That if temps are high (like him laying on his heated bed at 130 degrees) then it causes the blood vessels to dilate, which makes him absorb the insulin faster and the blood sugar to drop. If temps are cold...then it has the opposite affect.
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I'd be interesting in seeing where that reference came from. In the many hundreds of cats we've seen here, that's not a phenomenon we've seen that's made a significant difference in the blood sugar numbers. More likely he bounced, then cleared the bounce quickly and went down into lower numbers again. Cats feel icky in high numbers, not uncommon to seek a cooler surface.

I'm glad the vet agreed 3 units is too much insulin. If on 2.5 units he goes low again, I would reduce instead of waiting out the two weeks on a dose that takes him too low.
 
"BG is all over the place" = most common phrase used by new members. Seriously, totally common.

Piedmont Healthcare link isn't working, but I rather suspect it is a human site, not for cats. Dehydration can make a difference.
 
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