New to this forum and would like some help.

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Bandubh

Member Since 2010
Hi
I'm new to this forum and not up to speed on all the information on the schedules. Do the coloured numbers mean that the cats are blood glucose tested all those times that are indicated by those colours and numbers. I have an 11 year old "Baby" whom I test twice a day and I cannot imagine doing it more often. She says "Ouch" everytime and it breaks my heart. She was diagnosed two years ago and was on Caninsulin with mixed results ,and I recently heard about Lantus. She is 18lbs (8.5 KG) and I started on 1 i.u. and her BG numbers are around 300. I now have her on 4.5 i.u. twice a day. Can anyone give me some help with this, please. I love this forum and so happy to have found it.
Thank you. Best wishes
Daniel
 
Hi Daniel....welcome! :mrgreen:
Yes, we do test frequently during the day. We use a spreadsheet and attach it to our signature line. We post a condo (thread) each day and show in our header Date, Kitty's Name, AMPS=___________

We realize that the BGs fluctuate throughout the day and so we do test often to see how the insulin is working.
Can you tell me if your vet has done the increases in your insulin dosing?

We increase the dose by .25u of insulin at a time and we go step-by-step up the dosing ladder. We try to monitor the BG numbers at each step of the way. Increasing too fast is a sure way to bypass the ideal dose.

There are starred stickies at the top of the page....containing important information for you. Here is the link to the Tech Forum post on creating a spreadsheet and attaching it to you signature. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

What is your kitty's name and when was she diagnosed?
Does she have any other medical conditions or is she on any other meds?
What kind of food are you serving and what is the schedule?

Please read the sticky at the top of the page entitled "New to the Group" viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18139
I hope you will consider creating a SS and joining us. There are others who will be around I'm sure to give you hints on helping the testing go easier for you. I was given Vetsulin for my two a year ago and we were pretty unhappy for 6 weeks until we switched to Levemir, another long acting insulin like Lantus. The people on this forum have helped me and my two kitties so very much and I know they will be able to help you too!
 
Thanks Pat etc
I only just noticed the advice at the top of the page and will read that info. Not sure if I have the courage to take the BG multiple times. My vet is working with me; unfortunately because we live in a farming area his experience is mostly with large farm animals - but he's an intelligent guy, and although my cat was his first diabetes patient, he' s been very helpful. I have been doing most of the research myself and discovered Lantus online. I am in constant contact with our vet and he is aware of all of my observations and is cautious about dosage. My cat - her name is BABY - gets regular vet check ups and shows no symptoms for other problems.
 
Daniel....what are Baby's numbers?
I have to admit that I was given Vetuslin by my vet and prescribed a dose of 4.0u for Shadow twice a day.
Raja was prescribed 3.0u twice a day. I found this forum after a week of dosing them that way. i was encouraged to home test and I thought my two would hate me after I priced their ears like that.
WELL! I could not have been more wrong! My Shadow actually jumps up on the testing towel nowadays. But we have been at this for awhile now so he is used to the tests and the shots.

So, if there was a chance that you could help Baby with the insulin, being guided by people who have seen hundreds of kitties, would you think about it?

What foods are you feeding her? Here is a link to Janet & Binky's food charts: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html
We suggest canned low carb food, <10% for sure.

We find that if the ears are warmed up before testing, either with a rice sock or by massaging the ear before you try to do the test, the ear bleeds easier. If you find a spot to test her, get your stuff all ready and remain calm, the testing goes much easier. And a treat after is always a nice thing too! Many used freeze dried chicken as a treat. The kitties learn that it is expected and it becomes part of their routine. It is amazing how my two got used to it. Many people here will tell you of their stories too....
I hope you will continue to read the stickies and come back and ask any questions you may have, okay? :mrgreen:
 
Hi Daniel and welcome to LL! I guess Pat and I are the welcoming committee today. :-D
Do the coloured numbers mean that the cats are blood glucose tested all those times that are indicated by those colours and numbers.
Click to expand...
Uh, yeah, some of us do test a lot (they call us the Vampire Club :twisted: ), but not every one does. Having lots of data helps us know how to react to changes in our cats BG levels. The more you know,,,! I never thought that I would test so much either, but Tess usually sits and purrs when I test.

There is a lot to lear about Lantus, it works a lot differently than other insulins. Read the stickies you just found, get a spreadsheet set up. And be prepared to answer lots more questions. Like:
  • -- Where are you? We are all over the world and time zones get confusing. When we talk about the tests we use +1 for one hour after shot, +2 for 2 hours after shot, etc.
    -- What size lancet are you using? I find Tess is fine w/ the finer lancets 30 gauge, but the heavier one hurt.

Feel free to ask questions, we sometime take things for granted.
 
Welcome to LL!

I haven't been here long enough to give any advice, but I am sure thankful to Lantus and all the people on this message board for taking such good care of my kitty. I hope you have great results with the new insulin. Maybe it's just what Baby needs :smile:
 
Yes, there are several methods you can try to help with the ear pricking. In the majority of cases, it truly becomes No Big Deal. My sweet sweet Donovan was NOT happy about it at first. He'd run away from me and get visibly upset, and it killed me to see him like that. But I got over it, and more importantly *he* got over it, and he'll snooze and purr through the ear pricks now. Really.

MJ&Donovan
 
Bandubh said:
Hi
I'm new to this forum and not up to speed on all the information on the schedules. Do the coloured numbers mean that the cats are blood glucose tested all those times that are indicated by those colours and numbers. I have an 11 year old "Baby" whom I test twice a day and I cannot imagine doing it more often. She says "Ouch" everytime and it breaks my heart. She was diagnosed two years ago and was on Caninsulin with mixed results ,and I recently heard about Lantus. She is 18lbs (8.5 KG) and I started on 1 i.u. and her BG numbers are around 300. I now have her on 4.5 i.u. twice a day. Can anyone give me some help with this, please. I love this forum and so happy to have found it.
Thank you. Best wishes
Daniel
Click to expand...
Understand your reluctance but they have 2 ears and you can poke the outside and the inside outer edge; plus move up and down the ear each time. Always use a gauze pad and 15 -20 sec of gentle but firm pressure afterwards, to avert bruising. Watch all the videos they are pretty good. The outer edge of the ear just above that funny fold of skin up to maybe 1/4inch from the tip is the optimal zone. Oddly enough the slightly bigger diameter lancets (lower gauge number) seem to work the best and distress the cat least (you get blood on the first try more often!).

They really DO get used to it very quickly (honest!! probably quicker than us "beans"!!) and the ears do bleed much easier after a little while. It becomes quite a bonding experience for you and you cat!

Make sure you get comfortable, plenty of good light, take a few good deep breaths and try not to be anxious, you will communicate that to the cat and she'll get agitated. If that happens, don't keep up the struggle. Stop, take a few minutes to both calm down, and try again. I found in the beginning that if we got Sooty completely lying on his side, he was less able to back away.
Good luck and rest assured, you have landed in the BEST POSSIBLE place here - the people here are BRILL they'll get you though this and pretty soon you'll be an old hand!!

trust me, if I can do it, ANYONE can! :lol:

Grab a glass of something: - Slainte!!
 
I also use higher gauge lancets- I even found them in 31 gauge. I also follow up with neosporin with pain control to take the sting out of it. I have tested myself before...and its more of a surprise ouch than a painful one if that makes sense. You really need more than the 2 tests per day to see how the insulin is affecting your cat - I try to get about 4 per day. I also do a curve (checking blood sugar every 2 hrs) every once in awhile as well.
 
Welcome, Daniel!

Many of us do test a great deal. The minimum number of tests we suggest is 4 - one at each pre-shot time and at least one additional test during the AM and PM cycles. The pre-shot tests are important so you know that it's safe to give a shot. You need to get a test during the cycle because Lantus dosing is based on the nadir, or lowest point in the cycle. Lantus is different from other types of insulin in this regard. It's also a much longer acting insulin and the effects of the doses are cumulative.

You might want to share the information in our dosing protocol with your vet. In particular, he may be interested in the Queensland/Roomp & Rand version of the protocol we use since it was developed by a vet and has been published in the veterinary literature. It will also be helpful if you have syringes that are in 0.5u increments since dose changes on Lantus are generally made in 0.25u amounts.

Please let us know how we can help. Visiting our threads (we call them condos) and looking at our spreadsheets (SSs) is a great way to learn. Please ask lots of questions -- that's an even better way to learn. The people here are very generous with their support and information.
 
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