Newly diagnosed kitty

[Janel and Alabaster]

Hello everyone! I am so grateful this message board exists!
My Alabaster was diagnosed last week with Diabetes. His sugar was in the 900's and since starting his insulin it has stayed between 390-370, and has not dipped below that. My husband is a diabetic so we have the strips and glucometer and have been testing every other day. Our grade follow up appointment is in three weeks. We're very tempted to giving him 2 units twice a day to get him down, but the Vet said to leave it like it is until the appointment. This is making me very nervous. Thoughts on this? We have also cut out all dry food. Thank you all.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

He is on Lantus Flexpen 1 unit in the AM and 1 unit at 6:30pm before his dinner, and we're feeding him a half of a can at each feeding. I can't imagine having him be in the high 300's until his next appt on the 18th.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Hi Janel and Alabaster! Found your thread here . So as I briefly stated on your intro post, insulin is not like a medicine, it is a hormone. Lantus is also a depot insulin and is long lasting. Since you are able to home test, you should try doing minimum testing at least (AMPS and PMPS). These are BG tests taken about 15 minutes before actual shot time and you don't want Alabaster to have eaten anything 2 hours prior to this time so the BG number is not food influenced. Also, I would suggest you pick up some insulin syringes U-100's with half unit markings. This allows for smaller increases as increasing by whole units, which works for humans but does not work well for most kitties . Any idea why Vet wanted you to come back in 3 weeks?

Check out the Lantus forum to learn more about the insulin you are using . Will help to setup your Signature too with some information about Alabaster.
Here is the Spreadsheet template most of us who home test use to track and share BG numbers. Just need a Google account and if you're not tech savvy, just ask for help . Lastly, I like to give this to new members to read ahead of time but hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Feel free to ask ANY questions

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Okay, thank you so much! I guess the Vet said they wanted to wait that amount of time while he is started on it, and then on the 18th they're going to keep him for the day and test him every two hours. I've called them and have given his BG numbers and they still don't advise adjusting, which just seems crazy to me.
When we had our first education appt they stated his Insulin is the same kind that my husband takes and there is no difference. I'm curious with changing the needle, if his syringe would work for the half dose? Today I will be picking up Purina DM wet food as I read it only has 3gms of carbs. I'm hoping that will help. Again, thank you. This has been so incredibly emotional and heartbreaking. It helps to know there are others going through it.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

And I'm sorry, what do the abbreviations AMPS and PMPS mean? Is that meaning testing once in the AM, and once in the PM time?

 

[Sandi and Toby]

Correct. Technically:

AMPS = AM (Pre Shot)
PMPS = PM (Pre Shot)

As Yong mentioned, usually right before your shots, which should be at 12 hour intervals.

BTW, how much does Alabaster weigh? And confirm you only give 1 can (I assume 5.5 oz?) Per day? That seems like very little unless he is tiny.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Thank you so much for clarifying. And I agree about the food, I've been feeling terrible about that. We just started him on the 5.5oz cans. I'm afraid that's not enough as he is a 16lb cat, but my husband is worried a whole can twice a day will raise his sugars. The can's we've been giving him are at least 10gms in carbs. Today I'm going to pick up a new brand that is only 3gms in carbs and give a whole in the AM and PM. Do you recommend giving the shot before he eats, right after?This is all so new we just feel a bit lost on what to do. Thank you for the feed back.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Also, is it better to inject him in his belly area, or the scruff between his shoulders? I'm wondering if by doing the scruff the insulin isn't getting all the way in.

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Sorry for not clarifying AMPS/PMPS, I usually try to do that when first discussing them. Glad Sandi clarified
For injection sites, most do not use belly/abdomen:

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Today I will be picking up Purina DM wet food as I read it only has 3gms of carbs. I'm hoping that will help.

There's really no reason you need to spend the money for the "prescription" food.....Any canned or raw diet less than 10% carbs is fine for our diabetics. Most of us feed Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground, but there are lots of other foods you can feed (that have much better ingredients than D/M does for about the same price)

The "Prescription" food industry is a total scam....there's absolutely nothing in "prescription" food that requires a prescription!! The ingredients are also pretty lousy

Ingredients in D/M: (which is actually 6% carbs according to THIS CHART)....and about $2 per 5.5 oz can
Liver, poultry by-products, meat by-products, water sufficient for processing, chicken, salmon, oat fiber, salmon meal, artificial and natural flavors, calcium sulfate, guar gum, potassium chloride, carrageenan, salt, Vitamin E supplement, mono and dicalcium phosphate, taurine, thiamine mononitrate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide. A-2530

Ingredients in Fancy Feast Chicken & Liver Classic: (2% carbs)....and about $.60 cents per 3oz can
Liver, Meat Broth, Meat By-products, Chicken, Artificial And Natural Flavors, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide

Ingredients in Friskies Classic Pate Poultry Platter: (4% carbs and about $.50 cents per 5.5oz can)
Turkey, Poultry By-Products, Water Sufficient for Processing, Meat By-Products, Liver, Fish, Rice, Artificial and Natural Flavors, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Phosphate, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide. B-6057.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Do you recommend giving the shot before he eats, right after?

You Test/Feed/Shoot.....all in 5-10 minutes....You Test to make sure they're high enough for insulin, Feed to make sure they're at least willing to eat, and Shoot

You want to take food up for 2 hours before the Pre-shot tests so you get a number that's not influenced by food.....it's fine for him to have mini-meals between and can actually be easier on the pancreas to deal with since small meals don't make the pancreas work as hard

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Thank you all so incredibly much. And Chris that is good to know about the cheaper food! I really appreciate you adding the carb percentage with the fancy feast and friskies. I bought $20 worth of the DM before seeing this thread, but we'll always need wet food so we'll keep it in stock. I'm calling the Vet today to get his Curve appt moved up closer.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

for the fancy feast, do you feed two of the 3 ounce cans at a time?

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

for the fancy feast, do you feed two of the 3 ounce cans at a time?

If he needs the extra food / calories and will eat both, it's not a problem. Just make sure you don't feed him 2 hours prior to next pre-shot test time

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Okay, thank you!

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Don't forget to look at those links I posted in my first reply to you

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

I bought $20 worth of the DM before seeing this thread, but we'll always need wet food so we'll keep it in stock.

You can take it back for a refund....just tell them he won't eat it....it's got a 100% guarantee ......then you can use the money to buy a blood glucose meter and strips!!

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Yep! I printed out the hypoglycemic guide and we have a bg chart on our fridge that we chart our testings and results on. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Hi Janel! Eveyone's given you great advice so far! I have a couple of questions:

At 16 lbs, he's a big boy! Is he a large framed cat (like a Maine Coon) or is he overweight? How old is he? Do you happen to know what his ideal weight should be (the vet should be able to help you out with that). Because if he's overweight, then feeding 2 5.5 oz cans a day may be a little much (you want to feed for ideal weight, not current weight), and you'll want to pay attention to how many calories you're giving him so that he can safely lose weight over time. Getting overweight cats down to a healthy weight is important in controlling BG, just like with human diabetics. If he's a large framed cat and is not overweight, then 2 cans is a good place to start.

Are you shooting at the same time in the AM and PM? Lantus works best when you give it 12 hours apart at the same time every day (for example, at 6am and 6pm).

I'm curious with changing the needle, if his syringe would work for the half dose?

Yes, most of us here buy Lantus in the solostar pens and use syringes to draw the insulin out, because cats need much smaller dose adjustments--.25-.5u at a time. If you scroll about halfway down this thread, it shows you how to draw out with the syringe. Our cats need such small doses, it's more economical to get the pens (and treat them like 3ml mini-vials) because the 10ml vials go bad before you can use all the insulin. With the pens, you can usually use the whole thing before it goes bad.

I guess the Vet said they wanted to wait that amount of time while he is started on it, and then on the 18th they're going to keep him for the day and test him every two hours. I've called them and have given his BG numbers and they still don't advise adjusting, which just seems crazy to me.

There's no need to take your cat in for office curves if you're testing at home--you can do the curve at home and it will be more accurate than the vet testing. Cats get stressed at the vet and it artificially inflates their numbers, leading to chronic overdosing. I would directly ask your vet if you could do the curve at home rather than bring him in, and see what they say. Some vets think it will be too difficult or overwhelming for their clients--but that turns out really not to be the case. If you need articles to bring to your vet to convince them about the benefits of home testing, there's a lot available we can give you to print and give to them!

With Lantus, you want to try and get a minimum of 3 tests a day--once before each shot to make sure it's safe to give insulin, and then a shot somewhere in the middle of either cycle. That middle number is what you typically use to adjust the dose, and is much more revealing than even a curve once a week. This is because a cat getting too much insulin will drop low, and then have very high glucose for several days in response to the low number. Unless you're lucky enough to catch that curve on the low day, his BG will still seem high and you get into even more chronic overdosing. That is why the daily tests are so important.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Thank you Chris. I kept my receipt just in case so that's good to know. And luckily my husband has an extra glucometer and we have strips cause he is a Type 1 diabetic. So we've been able to be testing him. His poor ears break my heart, they're bruised a little bit. But at least we can test him. I also called the Vet today and got his June 18th appt moved to next Tuesday so that's good!

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

His poor ears break my heart, they're bruised a little bit. But at least we can test him.

There's tips that help with bruising! Where are you poking for the test? You want to aim for the "Sweet spot", between the vein and the edge of the ear, not the vein itself. Here's a great picture of where to test. You can find it with your own cat by shining a flashlight behind his ear, if you're having trouble seeing the veins.

After the test, put pressure on the spot with a tissue or cotton ball for at least 20 seconds. After that, use a teeny tiny dab of neopsorin + pain relief ointment on the spot, and you shouldn't have any more problems with bruising!

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Thank you Julia and Bandit! Yep, he's an American Bobtail so he has a big frame. They weighed him at the Vet at his last appt and he was spot on. Thankfully he's never been overweight.
He turned 13 years old back in April. He's such a sweet boy, like all of our kitties, it just breaks my heart. It's so hard to test him three times a day since we both work from 9-5pm. But we are testing him at 6:30am and then at 6:30pm before he eats.
I am so thankful for all of everyone's help with this! And that's great to know about the Lantus! I will definitely have to read that information about drawing it out with a syringe. And congrats about your kitty being in remission!

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

There's tips that help with bruising! Where are you poking for the test? You want to aim for the "Sweet spot", between the vein and the edge of the ear, not the vein itself. Here's a great picture of where to test. You can find it with your own cat by shining a flashlight behind his ear, if you're having trouble seeing the veins.

After the test, put pressure on the spot with a tissue or cotton ball for at least 20 seconds. After that, use a teeny tiny dab of neopsorin + pain relief ointment on the spot, and you shouldn't have any more problems with bruising!

Thank You!!!!!!

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Hi Janel! Eveyone's given you great advice so far! I have a couple of questions:

At 16 lbs, he's a big boy! Is he a large framed cat (like a Maine Coon) or is he overweight? How old is he? Do you happen to know what his ideal weight should be (the vet should be able to help you out with that). Because if he's overweight, then feeding 2 5.5 oz cans a day may be a little much (you want to feed for ideal weight, not current weight), and you'll want to pay attention to how many calories you're giving him so that he can safely lose weight over time. Getting overweight cats down to a healthy weight is important in controlling BG, just like with human diabetics. If he's a large framed cat and is not overweight, then 2 cans is a good place to start.

Are you shooting at the same time in the AM and PM? Lantus works best when you give it 12 hours apart at the same time every day (for example, at 6am and 6pm).



Yes, most of us here buy Lantus in the solostar pens and use syringes to draw the insulin out, because cats need much smaller dose adjustments--.25-.5u at a time. If you scroll about halfway down this thread, it shows you how to draw out with the syringe. Our cats need such small doses, it's more economical to get the pens (and treat them like 3ml mini-vials) because the 10ml vials go bad before you can use all the insulin. With the pens, you can usually use the whole thing before it goes bad.



There's no need to take your cat in for office curves if you're testing at home--you can do the curve at home and it will be more accurate than the vet testing. Cats get stressed at the vet and it artificially inflates their numbers, leading to chronic overdosing. I would directly ask your vet if you could do the curve at home rather than bring him in, and see what they say. Some vets think it will be too difficult or overwhelming for their clients--but that turns out really not to be the case. If you need articles to bring to your vet to convince them about the benefits of home testing, there's a lot available we can give you to print and give to them!

With Lantus, you want to try and get a minimum of 3 tests a day--once before each shot to make sure it's safe to give insulin, and then a shot somewhere in the middle of either cycle. That middle number is what you typically use to adjust the dose, and is much more revealing than even a curve once a week. This is because a cat getting too much insulin will drop low, and then have very high glucose for several days in response to the low number. Unless you're lucky enough to catch that curve on the low day, his BG will still seem high and you get into even more chronic overdosing. That is why the daily tests are so important.

Where do you get the syringes from? Would this be something we can just get, or will we need another script for?

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Thank you Julia and Bandit! Yep, he's an American Bobtail so he has a big frame. They weighed him at the Vet at his last appt and he was spot on. Thankfully he's never been overweight.
He turned 13 years old back in April. He's such a sweet boy, like all of our kitties, it just breaks my heart. It's so hard to test him three times a day since we both work from 9-5pm. But we are testing him at 6:30am and then at 6:30pm before he eats.
I am so thankful for all of everyone's help with this! And that's great to know about the Lantus! I will definitely have to read that information about drawing it out with a syringe. And congrats about your kitty being in remission!

Ok, then yes, 2 5.5 oz cans of the DM (or 4 3oz cans of Fancy Feast Pates), would be appropriate for him. He may also need a slightly higher dose than the average cat to get him regulated, but time and testing will tell! I've seen big cats need bigger doses, and I've also seen them do fine on average doses. Every Cat is Different!

I was working two jobs and in grad school when Bandit was on insulin back in 2009-2010, and my day job was an hour away from my house, so I couldn't go home at lunch to get the mid cycle test. Bandit got his shots at 7am/7pm, so 1pm/1am was mid cycle for him. So, I would test at around 9-10pm when I went to bed, and then set an alarm to get up at 1am to test and feed him, and then go back to bed. It was a pain at first, but after a couple of weeks my body adjusted and I was able to fall back asleep easily. But, I would say getting up at 1am and getting that test was well worth the trouble, because once he went into remission, I no longer had to schedule around the insulin shots or test more than a spot check once every couple weeks. Except for a few month hiccup in 2015 because he had to go on steroids for an unrelated condition, he's been in remission for 7 years now! I'm a firm believer that the bit of extra effort getting those daily tests is certainly worth the long term benefits of remission. I don't mean to sound scolding or overwhelm you, since everything is still probably very new and stressful for you right now, but it's just some food for thought. It took me a a few weeks in the beginning to 1. Figure out that my vet didn't know what she was doing dosing my cat and decide to use the Lantus protocol, 2. Get comfortable home testing where it was quick and not a big deal, and 3. Adjust myself to the testing/dosing schedule.

I'm not gonna lie, the months in 2015 when he needed insulin was much easier to handle than 2009-2010 because I changed jobs and work is now only 15 minutes away, so I had the opportunity to run home during my lunch break a couple days a week and get the test (so I didn't have to get up every night at 1am), and my partner started helping me get some of the tests so we could trade off the 1am tests instead of me having to do them every night.

 

[Wesley and Spicoli]

I'm not sure about the u100 syringes, but the u40s I've always had to have a script for or just buy them from the vet - but buying them from the vet is often more expensive than just getting a RX and buying them where you choose.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Where do you get the syringes from? Would this be something we can just get, or will we need another script for?

I think whether you need a script for syringes depends on the state you live in? In NY, you need a script, and you can have your vet write you one. You're looking for 3/10 ml, 5/16 in. (8mm), 31g syringes with half unit markings. I've found they're cheapest at Walmart (Relion brand).

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

This chart can tell you if you need a prescription for syringes in your state: http://www.temple.edu/lawschool/phrhcs/otc.htm

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Ok, then yes, 2 5.5 oz cans of the DM (or 4 3oz cans of Fancy Feast Pates), would be appropriate for him. He may also need a slightly higher dose than the average cat to get him regulated, but time and testing will tell! I've seen big cats need bigger doses, and I've also seen them do fine on average doses. Every Cat is Different!

I was working two jobs and in grad school when Bandit was on insulin back in 2009-2010, and my day job was an hour away from my house, so I couldn't go home at lunch to get the mid cycle test. Bandit got his shots at 7am/7pm, so 1pm/1am was mid cycle for him. So, I would test at around 9-10pm when I went to bed, and then set an alarm to get up at 1am to test and feed him, and then go back to bed. It was a pain at first, but after a couple of weeks my body adjusted and I was able to fall back asleep easily. But, I would say getting up at 1am and getting that test was well worth the trouble, because once he went into remission, I no longer had to schedule around the insulin shots or test more than a spot check once every couple weeks. Except for a few month hiccup in 2015 because he had to go on steroids for an unrelated condition, he's been in remission for 7 years now! I'm a firm believer that the bit of extra effort getting those daily tests is certainly worth the long term benefits of remission. I don't mean to sound scolding or overwhelm you, since everything is still probably very new and stressful for you right now, but it's just some food for thought. It took me a a few weeks in the beginning to 1. Figure out that my vet didn't know what she was doing dosing my cat and decide to use the Lantus protocol, 2. Get comfortable home testing where it was quick and not a big deal, and 3. Adjust myself to the testing/dosing schedule.

I'm not gonna lie, the months in 2015 when he needed insulin was much easier to handle than 2009-2010 because I changed jobs and work is now only 15 minutes away, so I had the opportunity to run home during my lunch break a couple days a week and get the test (so I didn't have to get up every night at 1am), and my partner started helping me get some of the tests so we could trade off the 1am tests instead of me having to do them every night.

Thank you for all the info! I am overwhelmed, but at least I don't feel alone with this like I did before finding this site. I will do whatever it takes to try to get him in remission, so if I need to get up at 12:30am I will. Tonight we'll test at 6:30 and around 12am to see where he's at. I'm proud of him though. He's taking his shot like a champ!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

All these have half unit markings and are the correct syringes for U100 insulin and are available from ADW online:
UtiCare
Monoject
Carepoint
Sure Comfort
BD Ultra-Fine

They're also available at WalMart if you have one near you..Their Relion Brand 3/10ml, 3o or 31 gauge, 8mm insulin syringes all come with half unit markings and are only $12.58 for a box of 100 (although it seems a lot of WalMart employees don't realize that they DO come with half unit markings!!)

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

All these have half unit markings and are the correct syringes for U100 insulin and are available from ADW online:
UtiCare
Monoject
Carepoint
Sure Comfort
BD Ultra-Fine

They're also available at WalMart if you have one near you..Their Relion Brand 3/10ml, 3o or 31 gauge, 8mm insulin syringes all come with half unit markings and are only $12.58 for a box of 100 (although it seems a lot of WalMart employees don't realize that they DO come with half unit markings!!)

Thank you! I will check Walmart out. I just watched the video on how to pull from the Pen so that's a step in the right direction.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Has anyone told you about buying Lantus from Canada?

It's about 1/3rd the cost and it's where most of us are buying our Lantus and Levemir from

Here's all the information on buying from Marks Marine Pharmacy

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Just saw this.. thank you for the information regarding buying the Lantus from Canada. Anything to save some money will help. I appreciate the link as well.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Not sure if everyone can see this post, but since the onset of the diabetes, Ally's gait is terrible. His use of his back legs is terrible. Like he is walking on his "ankles". Has anyone else had this issue, and will it be corrected once his BG is regulated?

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

Not sure if everyone can see this post, but since the onset of the diabetes, Ally's gait is terrible. His use of his back legs is terrible. Like he is walking on his "ankles". Has anyone else had this issue, and will it be corrected once his BG is regulated?

Sounds like diabetic neuropathy and he's walking on his hocks ("ankles"). My boy had it in his front paws too. As he's BG gets under better control the neuropathy can reverse itself. Can't say 100% guarantee but it's a pretty high chance from what I've seen here. Some use a supplement called Zobaline (Methylcobalamin B12 and Folic Acid) to help reverse the damage but working on BG is the best thing. Nerves are the slowest to heal in all animals, including humans, so it does take patience . Little over 6 months, I can barely tell he ever had it

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Okay, thanks for letting me know. He's usually so rambunctious that it is awful to see. But, that gives me hope! I got his sugar down to 260 on Saturday, which was hopeful, but now it's back up in the 300's again. He see's the Vet tomorrow so fingers crossed! Thanks again for the heads up on the neuropathy.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

The Zobaline for Cats has worked miracles for many, but yes, it can take time. Getting the glucose under control and adding the Zobaline will help

Here's how far back they can come though!!

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Oh my gosh that is so heartbreaking. That is how Alley is walking. He can't jump up on the couch either. Thank you so much for sharing that video and especially the link. I will be buying some today. Is it a liquid form or is it a pill?

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Just purchased

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

I just read that sometimes two a day helps if it's pretty bad, which Alleys it. Do you know if people administer it at the same time, or one in the am and one pm?

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Is it a liquid form or is it a pill?

It is a pill .....it's tasteless and easily crushed and added to food

I just read that sometimes two a day helps if it's pretty bad, which Alleys it. Do you know if people administer it at the same time, or one in the am and one pm?

If you're going to do it twice a day, one in the morning and one at night would probably be best

One thing about B-12....you can't really "OD" on it....any excess that the body can't use is peed out (of course you don't want to go crazy either and give him half a bottle at a time)

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Okay, thank you so much. I will start with one in the AM, and one at night.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Well, everyone was right. I should have listened to you all. I took Ally in yesterday for his Curve appt and he was so stressed out they couldn't test him at all. They told me to pick him up immediately and when I got there, the Vet Assnt said "Your cat hates us." I got him home and his neuropathy was HORRIBLE from the stress.
We upped his dose and will continue checking him at home throughout the day.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Well, everyone was right. I should have listened to you all. I took Ally in yesterday for his Curve appt and he was so stressed out they couldn't test him at all. They told me to pick him up immediately and when I got there, the Vet Assnt said "Your cat hates us." I got him home and his neuropathy was HORRIBLE from the stress.
We upped his dose and will continue checking him at home throughout the day.

I strongly recommend that you set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here and log all your BG data on it. I'm quite sure we can help you with your lovely boy.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Thank you! You are all so kind. ..I can't believe how fast they wanted to get him out of the clinic! They even forgot to pack his insulin! He must have been pretty aggitated. I have a daily chart at home and i document his BG on there. I had trouble uploading the chart with the link, but it could be a setting on my work computer. Pretty much is average number if 370. Today though he got 2 units in the morning for the first time, so we'll check him before supper tonight. I order a b12/folic acid supplement that should be arriving on Friday, so I hope that helps with his legs/paws.

 

[Waheeda]

Well, everyone was right. I should have listened to you all. I took Ally in yesterday for his Curve appt and he was so stressed out they couldn't test him at all. They told me to pick him up immediately and when I got there, the Vet Assnt said "Your cat hates us." I got him home and his neuropathy was HORRIBLE from the stress.
We upped his dose and will continue checking him at home throughout the day.

Hi
This is the best place for you to get help for your boy. I spent two months going to the vet but they could not even do a curve for me. My boy growled and even lunged at them. They only kept doing fructosamine tests every 2 weeks and after 2 months my boy's BG was still above 300 but they told me he's regulated. The final straw was when they told me if he's still losing weight when he's already regulated then it means he's having cancer! That's when I frantically googled and discovered this forum and meet all these wonderful folks. My boy's numbers are so much better now, his legs are stronger and he doesn't hide anymore.
Set up your SS asap so that someone can help you. You and your boy will feel so much better after you join this family.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Oh gosh that's terrible! I am so sorry you two went through that! This is such a daunting process. And heartbreaking at that. I just want my boy back.
And I tried to get it set up, but I think there's some setting with google that's block for creating that link. I'll keep trying though.
I am planning on picking up .5 syringes from Walmart and trying to titrate him to the right insulin amount he may need. I never thought I would say I am grateful my husband is a diabetic. Thankfully we have all the supplies he needs for testing. The lowest number we got was 265 which was wonderful considering! Hoping tonight is even better.

 

[Waheeda]

Oh gosh that's terrible! I am so sorry you two went through that! This is such a daunting process. And heartbreaking at that. I just want my boy back.
And I tried to get it set up, but I think there's some setting with google that's block for creating that link. I'll keep trying though.
I am planning on picking up .5 syringes from Walmart and trying to titrate him to the right insulin amount he may need. I never thought I would say I am grateful my husband is a diabetic. Thankfully we have all the supplies he needs for testing. The lowest number we got was 265 which was wonderful considering! Hoping tonight is even better.

Yes, 265 is a good number!
Hopefully someone can help you with the setup. I set it up on my iPhone. Took me a few days too to figure it out.

 

[Janel and Alabaster]

Hi Janel and Alabaster! Found your thread here . So as I briefly stated on your intro post, insulin is not like a medicine, it is a hormone. Lantus is also a depot insulin and is long lasting. Since you are able to home test, you should try doing minimum testing at least (AMPS and PMPS). These are BG tests taken about 15 minutes before actual shot time and you don't want Alabaster to have eaten anything 2 hours prior to this time so the BG number is not food influenced. Also, I would suggest you pick up some insulin syringes U-100's with half unit markings. This allows for smaller increases as increasing by whole units, which works for humans but does not work well for most kitties . Any idea why Vet wanted you to come back in 3 weeks?

Check out the Lantus forum to learn more about the insulin you are using . Will help to setup your Signature too with some information about Alabaster.
Here is the Spreadsheet template most of us who home test use to track and share BG numbers. Just need a Google account and if you're not tech savvy, just ask for help . Lastly, I like to give this to new members to read ahead of time but hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Feel free to ask ANY questions

I have tried to set up the spreadsheet and can't figure it out. When you say you need a google account.. would that be like a

Hi Janel and Alabaster! Found your thread here . So as I briefly stated on your intro post, insulin is not like a medicine, it is a hormone. Lantus is also a depot insulin and is long lasting. Since you are able to home test, you should try doing minimum testing at least (AMPS and PMPS). These are BG tests taken about 15 minutes before actual shot time and you don't want Alabaster to have eaten anything 2 hours prior to this time so the BG number is not food influenced. Also, I would suggest you pick up some insulin syringes U-100's with half unit markings. This allows for smaller increases as increasing by whole units, which works for humans but does not work well for most kitties . Any idea why Vet wanted you to come back in 3 weeks?

Check out the Lantus forum to learn more about the insulin you are using . Will help to setup your Signature too with some information about Alabaster.
Here is the Spreadsheet template most of us who home test use to track and share BG numbers. Just need a Google account and if you're not tech savvy, just ask for help . Lastly, I like to give this to new members to read ahead of time but hope you never need it: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Feel free to ask ANY questions

Hi, I have tried setting up my spreadsheet and can't figure it out. By having a gmail account, is that the same as a Google account?

 

[Yong & Maury GA]

. By having a gmail account, is that the same as a Google account?

Yes. I can help you