New To Lantus. Cat is lethargic and consitenetly hard do to wake up

CharO

CharO

Member Since 2019
Help. Started Lantus last Wed. My Samhi is sleeping all the time. No interest in getting up at all. I call her while standing right next to her. No response. Have to shake her and shake her to finally get her to moan ( like leave me alone) continue to shaking and finally will look up at me . Yes I test her glucose regularly. Her bgs are still in 300's. IT's almost like she is "drugged" out. Has anyone else had this experience? She is not interested in anything, doesn't really come out to eat. Does this go away after time? Posting her chart here too.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WvMFo0rxju1qLvqUUdjzARx574NPuZ-HM9QZhkDEXcI/edit?usp=sharing
 
Hi there. This does not sound normal and is concerning. My cat had a few episodes of something similar, as far as being difficult to wake. I didn't experience the other things in your description.
I looked at Samhi's spreadsheet. I'm glad to see you are testing.
These are my first thoughts.
The dose may be too high for her. She may be dropping into low (too low?) numbers and you aren't catching those numbers in the nighttime cycle.
I also noticed she was on Metacam and some issues with limping in the past. Does she have any other current medical conditions now , that you know of?
 
Thank you. Samhi has very bad arthritis, hence the metecam. Other than being overweight, no other medical issues. the Im aware of. Urinalysis a month ago was ok ( just showed sugar) thyroid was ok. Yesterday I tested at 4:30pm as she was so out of it. (four hours after her shot) and she was 386 on human meter. I now am bringing food to her as she doesn't want to get up. Could it be an adjustment to med? Since she hasn't bene well regulated on Vestulin. Switching to lantus was a good option but she is not herself at all.
 
I agree with Sandi, a vet visit ASAP. Something is wrong. Please post again and let us know how she is doing. Then we can talk about dose and more testing to keep her safe.
 
Lethargy and loss of appetite is a side effect of Metacam . See below. Please get her to the vet.


Risks Involving Metacam
Several studies on cats taking Metacam indicate that the most serious risk is chronic renal (kidney) failure. Indications that your cat may be suffering from kidney failure can include:
  • Decreased urination
  • Increased Thirst
  • Loss of appetite
  • Lethargy
  • Vomiting
  • Weakness
  • Disorientation
If you notice your cat experiencing any of these symptoms while on Metacam, it is imperative to stop medication and call your veterinarian immediately.
The risks of medicating a cat with Metacam are clearly documented, and the FDA findings are readily available online. When considering Metacam, it is also important to consider other viable options for your cat, as safer alternatives may be available.
 
Hi Char....I know we've talked a little about the Metacam over the phone and I understood why you were using it, but I really think it might be worthwhile to ask your vet for a different pain medication like Buprenex instead.

Metacam has a black box warning against it's use in cats due to kidney damage problems. Most of us here that have cats with pain issues use the bupe instead because it's much safer.

You might also ask about Adequen…..it's helpful for arthritis in a lot of kitties
 
I had a cat that was on adequan for arthritis and it did wonders. She went from barely being able to climb short stairs to jumping on the bed. It does take a while to start working. It's worth looking into.
 
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