Need dosing advice - should we give more now?

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Jennifer and Spot (GA)

Jennifer and Spot (GA)

Member Since 2012
We lowered Spot's dose of .75 after he went down to 41 (35 was the first number) on May 2, so we are giving him .5. But since we did this, his numbers are now all in the 300's. This can't be healthy for him. Should we stay with this dose or go back up?
 
Hmmm - I haven't used Lantus for a long time and I was hoping one of the regulars in this group would respond to your question. The spreadsheet looks like Spot has been bouncing around quite a bit and was even on his 0.75 units, but no comments to help me interpret why that might be, so I'm assuming nothing out of the ordinary.

If it were me, I would stick with the 0.5 dose but make it a fat 0.5 rather than a skinny 0.5 - I hope this helps. Laura
 
Just the fun times of Lantus? All I know is my cat's not getting better. He's been on 1 unit twice a day, .75 unit twice a day and .5 unit twice a day and it's a continual roller coaster. If this is "normal" it's not what I want.
 
Except for one time recently, Spot's still staying in the 300's. Keep the dose "as is"? I don't think we can manage the micro-units; hard enough for us to get it at .5. Yes, the syringes are marked.
 
Jennifer and Spot said:
Just the fun times of Lantus? All I know is my cat's not getting better. He's been on 1 unit twice a day, .75 unit twice a day and .5 unit twice a day and it's a continual roller coaster. If this is "normal" it's not what I want.
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Hi Jennifer-
It is frustrating, isn't it!!! I remember that feeling all too well.

I know you do not want to hear it is normal for ups/downs, changes of doses, etc. But it is true, especially in the beginning. None of us want that for our cats (or others). Kitties are living beings, with complex bodies (just like humans!). If we could wish our will of good health on them, or regular bg's, none of us would be here! This site would not exist.


Others have offered good suggestions in regard to your next step with dose.

Has anyone explained how to do the 'micro' dosing? It may require a little more time when drawing up the dose, but with a little practice it is not too difficult. I used to go between a 1.5 , f1.5, (fatter) 1.5, S1.75, and 1.75. I measured this by figuring out the drops between 1.5 and 1.75. I would also leave a syringe marked with each of the doses to compare with whichever dose I was giving that day. The comparison was really helpful for me. Some people use headlamps and magnifying glasses. I did not feel the need for those (EBeanID).

Well, I don't know if my response is very helpful. I apologize if it is not. I just wanted you to know that we all get frustrated, we all feel lost at times, and we all wish there were more clear cut answers. There just isn't. We do the best we can.
 
I did say I thought micro-units would be difficult for us.

Does anyone have advice if I should be giving him more insulin since he's staying in the 300's?
 
Jennifer and Spot said:
I did say I thought micro-units would be difficult for us.

Does anyone have advice if I should be giving him more insulin since he's staying in the 300's?
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I apologize. I did notice you said it may be difficult to do micro dosing. I was just unsure if anyone had talked you through it to make it easier. I thought I would try to help. Im sorry, I feel I have been more of a source of irritation than help in your quest for regulation over the last few weeks. It was not my intention.

I think you have received good advice on the dose, in your various posts thru the board. I hope you are able to get things sorted out. I can see how much you love spot (who is a cutey, btw!).
 
I realize that microdosing is difficult...learning any new skill is difficult...learning to test was difficult...learning to ride a bike was difficult..anything when you begin to learn how to do it was difficult in the beginning, then you practice and you practice some more, and you practice again until it becomes easy.

When it comes to treating a diabetic cat, we don't get to choose what it the right dose for them, their bodies do. If that is .5 or 1 or even 1.5 it makes it easy on us as their caregivers. But if their bodies only need .3u then we have to learn how to measure that to give it to them so they can thrive. Its their metabolism that makes those choices for us, not our wants or desires or limitations of our eyesight. If it was up to us not a single one of us would be giving insulin, we don't want our cats to have diabetes, and if they do have to have it we want them all to be diet controlled and to be in remission immediately, but it isn't our choice.

But ultimately it is your choice on how you are going to treat Spot, you are the one that holds the syringe. All we can do is tell you what we see happening from what we have learned from treating our own cats and helping with other cats. Spot has already told you that .75 is too high, by hitting that super low, so you can go back up to that and wait to see if he throws another near hypo or you can hold where you are, or you can try to learn to fine tune his dose by learning a new skill.

I'm sorry if I seem harsh, or if I upset you, but I tend to call things as I see them. You've been given the best advice we have to give from several different sources, but we can't do more than just that make suggestions.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
Thank you. Please don't apologize, you are so helpful and you don't irritate me. I'm sorry I seem so closed-minded to learning. I am trying and that's the best I can do. I literally have lost 12 pounds since Spot was diagnosed, lost it from anxiety. Anyway, I'm not trying to get sympathy. We just made his dose a little bit more than .5 tonight. (A "fat" .5?) I really do love him and worry with his numbers so high. You're right, Mel, I didn't want to go to .75 again; I don't want him to have a hypo.

He has a new thing going on now that will keep me up at night. Eyes very dilated a lot lately. I think I will take him to an eye specialist. Doesn't look good.
 
Jennifer.... the dilated eyes thing. Is that all the time? Is it during certain parts of the cycles, or does it matter if his numbers are high or low at the time?
Hey, this is stressful, period. Everybody understands that. Some of us don't feel the same stress (like me who isn't currently having to deal with an insulin dependent kitty). Any stress I feel, it's by choice of being here, not because I'm dealing with a crisis or a sick kitty. Sometimes people need to vent and blow off some steam. Please feel free to do that rather than explode.
Here's a smiley to ease some tension....
We don't want this: , or this:

This is much more fun!

Carl
 
I did some reading on dilated pupils. Does Spot have kidney issues on top of the diabetes that showed up in the blood work? It can also be something as simple as "fear", "pain", or as serious as hypertension. Is it "always" or just some of the time?

carl
 
Seems like it's pretty often. I would think the vet would have tested his kidneys when we took him there and spent about $900.

Spot's irises have gotten more and more, well, "spotty." My husband and I would sometimes wonder if he was going blind because he wouldn't always see things very well, but then I read that cats don't see that well. Lately within the last two/three weeks I have noticed his eyes look almost black and he doesn't care to go outside that much. This is why I'm awake now.
 
Ask this new vet specifically about hypertension then. It can cause loss of eyesight from what I read

Carl
 
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