Newly Diagnosed Kitty, Need Advice. Switching from DM Diet + Insulin Changes

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MizzKitty

MizzKitty

Member Since 2018
Hello everyone, I'm new here and have already learned so much, thanks for taking the time to read this and offer me some advice, it's greatly appreciated. I'll do my best to keep this as short as possible.

Cookie my cat was diagnosed 4/25/18 after a trip to the vet after I noticed weight loss, excessive urination, and a change in the way she walked. Blood reading at the vet at her first visit was 411!!

Immediately switched her to the DM diet as instructed by the vet, canned and dry food, with 2 units of Lantus twice a day.

Did some massive research, but continued as my vet instructed but mostly ditched the dry DM food and instead only fed 2 cans/day of the DM wet food with 2ui of Lantus 2x/day.

Took Cookie in for her first glucose curve and asked them to feed her the Tiki Cat food I brought instead while under their care so they could monitor her blood glucose. Turns out, to my fury, they continued to feed her the DM diet while she was there! Bad numbers at the vet still. Lowest curve number was 341, highest 442, yikes! Her walk had only gotten worse during the week. Vet said raise Lantus to 3ui.

Seeing as my vet was "unsure" about Tiki even though it has fewer carbs(literally says zero carb on the box), discouraged home testing, and continued to feed her DM, I know I largely have to take this into my own hands. So I have completely ditched DM altogether, and exclusively feed Cookie Tiki Cat, which has zero/negligible carb content, and have purchased a glucose meter. After three days of trying, finally got a blood sample today right after she ate, and the reading was 278!!

Still high, but lower than what the vet was getting. Maybe it was vet stress raising her numbers(she is very anxious), or the DM, or both, but seeing this new low number gives me hope, as her back legs are terribly weak.

But my main question is concerning her Lantus. Since starting the Tiki Cat food the last 3-4 days... I have stopped giving her Lantus, as I dont want her to go into hypo due to the reduced carbs, and I wanted to see if her blood sugar continues to go down with just Tiki Cat. Was this a bad move? I plan to test her several times a day now when I can successfully get blood to see if the diet is working. I just worry that I'm jeopardizing her by stopping the Lantus for now. Any advice is greatly needed and appreciated on this matter, thank you so much.
 
Home testing is a must. Always test before you shoot. No matter what your vet tells you. No food two hrs before shots so you can get an accurate BG level. The jump from 2U to 3U is not recommend around here. The biggest increase or decrease is usually no more than a half unit.
I have increased and decreased doses on my cat without the help of my vet at all. You also should not have to take your cat in for a curve if you home test.
I would keep giving shots. Have you checked out the Lantus/Levemir forum yet? You will want to pick a treatment regimen; TR (tight regulation) or SLGS; start slow go slow. Depending on which one works for you, with the help of others, a starting dose can be made.
 
Welcome and congratulations on home testing!!

I think your instinct was just right, and the best you can do is test at home and dose accordingly with the numbers you are getting which are how he is normally and not the ones he had at the vet because yes stress can raise the blood glucose a lot for some kitties (Babu could go 100 or 150 units higher at the vet) and DM specially dry is high carb so it raises his numbers even more.

Since you are just learning how to test it was a good move not to shoot insulin until you could get some blood and know how he really was, is always best to be safe than sorry, Lantus in not a medicine is a hormone and is not like those medicines that you have to slowly get the dose down or he may have some unwanted reactions, in this case his numbers will go high because of the lack of insulin but as you resume giving him his shoots he will slowly (probably very slowly so be patient ) start to go down again.

As they said start collecting the information on the spreadsheet and ask for dose guidance in the Lantus forum
 
She will need insulin but you are wise to reduce to 1 and keep testing. This is alike to the lantus forum where there is info at the top on the two protocols for dosing lantus. TR (tight regulation) and SLGS (START LOW GO SLOW). Read the yellow stickies and decide which is a better fit for you to follow.
 
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