New with questions

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mowgli and Keri

Mowgli and Keri

Member Since 2010
So, I have been on the general forum trying to sort things out for a few days, and I have decided on trying lantus for my Mowgli...
Let me also say HI my name is Keri and my kitty is Mowgli...My other two kitties are Scully and Lily and I also have three alaskan malamutes, Mia, Argos and Willow...
I am here seeking many answers, along with the amazing support from you all...
My problem is I am not getting alot of support from my vet at this time so I am basically starting on my own and will teach him as i go along.. .He prescribed canninsulin for my kitty..needless to say after doing some reading on that, i opted not to use it.

I have a few questions...I was able to get a lantus solostar pen (individual) from my pharmacy.. and they provided tips and i bought more (which i am thinking i should not have)
Can i inject my kitty right from the pen with the tips? Or do I draw the required dosage with a U100 syringe from the pen? **i have read the information over on the sticky and see that I am required to draw from the pen, so will be returning the tips**

Also, what dosage would be recommended to start...
I have a glucometer....
When he was originally tested a week ago his BG was 21.6 (i believe 380) i tested him last night on my own at home and he was 19.0 (340 i think)
He is 10years old and 15.7lbs...
Any help or information would be GREATLY appreciated!
 
Hi Keri and Mowgli, and Welcome :-D
We usually start out a newbie with 1 unit every 12 hours. Others will be along to welcome you, and to advise you as well. You will need to test before EVERY shot, and also to get some mid cycle tests, too. Do you have a spreadsheet started?
 
Hi Kari and Mowgli! You're not the only one feeling their way along. My friend and I are the "guinea pigs" teaching our vet. Her Jake is on Levemir and Mugsy is on Lantus. Be glad your vet is willing to learn. We are newbies, too, and she bought Jake the vial while I took the site advice and got the pens. Both of us use syringes to administer the insulin. You will hear from others soon. We all make mistakes but, it sounds like your on the right track. good luck.
 
Thank you for the welcome!
I have not started a spreadsheet yet, I am in the process..
I am trying to find a chart on when to do the testing..
i believe it is 1/2 hour before feeding...then feed and give injection.... and then test again after??
Oh and mid cycle tests, that would be a random test through the day?? like when I am home on the weekend, just take a test during the day?

i am stressed a bit because i am out of the house for a minimum of twelve hours, that is just going to and from work....and am worried about being late for his evening shot... I live alone, and it rides on my shoulders, oy, lol

OH also the vet prescribed an a/b as well, it is Clinacin 1.5 tabs twice a day...

I don't know if my vet is so much willing to learn, more as being forced to learn, lol
Is comforting to know that I am not the only one out there, and i have a fabulous support group!
:-D
 
What are the a/bs for?
We test, shoot, and feed. Or some people, test, feed, shoot. But, it's 1 2 3, one right after the other. You want to test just before you give the shot, so you know his BG is not too low to give insulin. If you work during the day, like I do, you will need to try to set alarms and get mid cycle tests during the night. One before going to bed is good, and one around +6 will tell us how low he is going at his nadir. It's the nadir numbers that determine the dose. Hope that helps a little.
 
My understanding was that the a/b are due to the fact that the vet believes that Mowgli may have some infection from a tooth.
He said that he wants to look at the tooth but once his BG numbers are lower, as he felt that his numbers were too high to poke around right now. But that the a/b will help IF there is an infection...
I think I will do the test shoot and feed too! At least he gets a reward after sitting through all that,
 
Welcome to lantus land--Part of that high BG could be due to dental disease, as any infection in a diabetic does raise the BG's--So giving the ab's will help
Tips: Always give AB's With food or your cat will have an upset stomach(just like people :)-
I use the solostar pens also with half unit, 31 gauge lodose syringes..they work for me with Moonie.
Starting dose for lantus is usually 1 unit twice a day, every 12 hours--You can check with the dosing helpers as there is a formula, with dose according to weight, but the protocol we follow is usually the 1 unit to start--Others will come to help you tonite--
Please read the Stickys at the top of the lantus page they are chocked with info, that will be helpful for you.
Again, Welcome to LL
 
Since Lantus has such a strict 12 hour protocol for the shots, you might want to switch to Pro Zinc Insulin if it looks like you cannot do the shots exactly every 12 hours as required.
 
Welcome to Lantus Land.

Not to contradict, but there are many of us who work and are on tight schedules. Lantus is not overly forgiving, but you don't have to shoot exactly as the 12th hour strikes. Further, compared to PZI, Lantus has an impressive track record of getting cats into remission.

As far as starting dose, if you have a chance to look at the Tilly Protocol, one of the more formal versions of our dosing protocol, you'll see there is a formula for calculating the starting dose of Lantus:
initial dose = 0.25 x ideal weight in kilograms​
For most cats, this comes out to a dose somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.0u.

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a chart on when it's best to test. We pretty much work from the perspective of the more data, the better. We are very numbers driven here. The more test data you have, the more confident you will be in your decision making and the better we can help you with those decisions. When you have a chance, open some of our spreadsheets and you'll get a feel for how some of us test. I'm a bit of a testaholic. My cat is also prone to big drops early in the cycle so I orient my testing to my cat. I was able to learn how Gabby responded to Lantus by gathering data. That said, you will want to get a test before your shoot so you know that it's safe to do so. We also encourage you to get at least one test per cycle. It sounds like it might be hard for you to do that given your work schedule. If that's the case, then try to test more during the cycle when you're home.

You may also want to consider getting a timed feeder. Knowing that there will be food available when you're not around means that Mowgli can feed himself when you're not home.

Did someone provide you with the link to the World version of the spreadsheet? It will automatically convert BG from mmol/L to mg/dL, the latter of which is the format that those of us who are geographically-centric US folks can understand.

Like Dyana said, most of us test, feed, and shoot all within the space of a few minutes. Lantus onset is not for a couple of hours so it's not as critical for your cat to have eaten in advance of a shot. With other types of insulin, especially the shorter acting types, it's very important that food has been on board for a while.

If your vet is willing to learn along with you, you could print out the Tilly Protocol or even better, provide this version, the Rand/University of Queensland protocol. It was published by one of the leading veterinarians who does Lantus research and has been published in a veterinary journal.
 
Hello Keri, Hello Mowgli,

I am so glad you've found this place. No dosing advice from me, too new at this, but I'm pretty powered up right now because the people in this forum just helped me through a really difficult day with my sugar kitty (a nickname we use for our diabetic cats), his name is Gandolf. We've gotten amazing results here in just over a month since he was diagnosed. You've got some very skilled coaches on this site. You'll read and learn here and your sweet Mowgli will terrifically benefit and so will you. Yeah, expect some stress but the information you are pointed to and the guidance you get on this board are going to help you learn how to control and manage the diabetes.

Sienne has shared some terrific information with you (I'm going to print that out for my vet too!) and here's something she shared with me yesterday - VERY encouraging.

As long as you have a working meter and strips along with food, you are in charge.
Click to expand...

Imagine!

By the way, how do you pronounce your sugar kitty's name? Is that Mowgli as in "Jungle Boy"?

Welcome and here's to speedy & successful BG management! drinking24

Cee & Gandolf cat_pet_icon
 
I think you have already received some great advice, so I just wanted to say hello! Diagnosis time was a very scary time for us--- once you get a general idea of how to deal with it all everything goes much more smoothly.

I have 2 Siberian Huskies-- so I perked up at the mention of your Mals! :smile:
 
Welcome Kari and Mowgli! Just wanted to stop by and say hello and glad you found this place! It's an amazing family here, tons of knowledge, help and support, so feel free to ask any and all questions, or simply to vent your frustrations as you begin this journey. It is overwhelming at first, and each and every one of us has been there and understands.
 
Hi Keri and welcome to you and Mowgli. It is overwhelming at first, I'll agree! There are lots of folks here to help you every step of the way. Good job at getting started on home testing. That one is a big hurdle for lots of folks. Sienne referred you to the protocol we all use, as far as I know, it doesn't recommend specific times for testing except before each insulin injection and a bedtime check. On the weekends or when you get some free time (I know, what IS free time?), you'll be able to do more frequent testing and collect data to how Mowgli is responding. I have a very long work day too. With some trial and error, we have found a schedule that works for us. Currently, we are doing 11 am, 11 pm. It works for us. There are lots of helpers here, kind and patient. Post your questions, post your data, people will help you every step of the way until you and Mowgli get your land legs under you. Knowledge is empowering and it sounds like you've been doing a lot of reading. Good for you. Ask tons of questions, that's the best way to learn. I don't use a pen, I use syringes to draw the insulin out of the cartridge. Good luck. I'll be looking for you as you post each day. So, has anyone told you how we post each day? Date, kitty's name, amps # (refers to initial blood glucose test result each morning before we give our insulin or food). amps = a.m. (or p.m.) preshot blood glucose number. you are already way ahead of the game, post often. when do you start your insulin? Sienne is a longer-term member than me, way more knowledgeable and very excellent with the advice. You are in good hands. I stumbled along for a couple months before I wandered in here and I know without a doubt that it saved Shadow's life. So, I'll see you around, kiddo.
 
Hi Keri and Mowgli! Welcome to Lantus Land. You've gotten so much good advice already today. This board is fantastic and you will get great help and support here. Ask as many questions as you need. I have found that the best time to give the insulin shot is while your kitty is eating. His head is down in his food and he is preoccupied! So I would recommend the test, feed + shoot sequence. When you do your spot checks of Mowgli's blood glucose, always give him a low-carbohydrate treat afterwards, as a reward (a little chunk of boiled chicken, or freeze-dried chicken or something similar).
Be prepared to answer lots of questions that the experienced people here will ask you. The right food for a diabetic is very important (wet food that is low in carbohydrates: see Janet and Binky's food charts in the "Stickies" at the top of this page) and the dosing experts on the board will want to know what you are feeding Mowgli now so that they can make the proper recommendations with regard to insulin dose.
We are glad that you have found this board. It will make a great difference. Many of us have had to "train" our vets!!

Ella
 
Amanda said:
I think you have already received some great advice, so I just wanted to say hello! Diagnosis time was a very scary time for us--- once you get a general idea of how to deal with it all everything goes much more smoothly.

I have 2 Siberian Huskies-- so I perked up at the mention of your Mals! :smile:
Click to expand...


My mals send WOO WOO's to your Siberians!!! :-)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top