? Over a year after dx, no regulation in sight

[Sarah12]

Hi,

I have lurked here before over the last several months now and then trying to juggle advice from here with advice from vets. I should have posted here long ago but I'm not sure why I didn't...

Yoda is my 13-14 year old diagnosed with a BG of 800 spring of 2018. Things on the number front have by comparison been better, physically he has become nearly skin and bones and his behavior has worsened (from feeling terrible all the time probably). I have not been a great pet owner for him I don't think. I don't want to make excuses for it. Things are sometimes not kept track of very great and I apologize.

I will try to summarize the important bits of current events with him, it has been a long road with a LOT of changes which would be a lot of write up. I can answer questions if you have about his history. This last April Yoda changed vets after a hypo emergency one night, at this point he was on 12 units of Vetsulin (yeah, I know). The new vet put him on Lantus. This was started at 0.5 units and moved up by 0.5 until it was at 3.5 and back to 3.0. Along with this I then switched his food from Friskies pate to FF, saw a bit lower numbers, then to Tiki Cat which dropped them quite a bit (this is when it was moved to 3.0). There was still little regulation at this point as it mainly bounced with a only a few good curves speckled in.

This is the important bit as I think when I first got that first bottle of Lantus, at some point soon after it was frozen and thawed in the fridge. I say this because I got a new bottle after hardly any lower numbers in BG this last month, and with 3 units from that new bottle he was hitting 80-70-60-50 numbers right around dinner and shot time. We took the units back a little bit until I decided to start from 0.5 again to stop the low preshot numbers. You will notice I was changing dosage up and down last week and before that before I read that is probably not a good idea with Lantus.

Sorry I only have a week of good data right now, I do have the numbers but not the exact units for before that for a time while we were changing it. When I get more time I'll go back through my meter to before the new Lantus bottle where I think the dose was consistently at 3.0 units. I do have some older numbers with units from June if that would be helpful.

The last week he has started peeing in places he never did before. He is going to the vet to check for a UTI, but I'm afraid it may be stress related from things other family members are doing and his bad BG.

Any guidance would be appreciated, I need help so badly and I want him to gain weight and feel like a normal kitty again. He eats 3 6 oz cans of Tiki Cat a day but is still hungry all the time. He will eat ANYTHING he can find, so accidents do happen. If I let him eat as much as he wanted he would eat until throwing up...I also can't afford that much Tiki Cat. I use a Relion Prime meter also.

 

[Idjit's mom]

Sarah, welcome to FDMB and rest assured that you are going to get some help, advice and support. I recommend that you flesh out the signature to reflect the information here:
kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the country/time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

Then members can see what food, meter, current Lantus dose etc.

There are only so many characters you can use in the signature so be concise, and if you want to explain or write more, you can in the Profile Personal Details.

Yoda is so hungry because his blood sugar is not yet regulated, but hopefully with help from the Lantus users here, that will alleviate in time. This is the best place to be, I'm so glad you decided reach out and post and get the help you need.

 

[Beth 73]

Sarah , I am sure one of the experienced folks on the Board will be along soon . You need to add a question mark icon to front of your title to attract attention . You are in the right place for help so hang in there .

 

[Sarah12]

Thank you both. I'll be getting off now for bed and probably will check in briefly at work tomorrow, but I'll try to reply back tomorrow night at the latest.

 

[Beth 73]

 

[AmandaE]

Sarah,

Welcome to the Lantus Basaglar and Levemir Group!

Don’t be hard on yourself for not posting sooner, and don’t worry about what has happened in the past. The whole time he has been diagnosed you have been doing the best for Yoda with the information that you had... you have NOT been a bad pet owner... a bad pet owner wouldn’t have even tried to keep Yoda healthy after his diagnosis, He is so lucky to have you for a mom.

Mowgli and I have been on this journey for 6 months and I am not an expert at all, but I would say that if Yoda is under weight to the point that you’re concerned I would just let him eat what he wants. That’s because he isn’t able to process nutrients the same as a cat that has normal BGs. As he becomes regulated you should see some of his weight come back . Since he’s a big fan of the scarf and barf would you consider a timed feeder? You could use it to feed him more food in smaller meals throughout the day. You don’t have to feed tiki cat while you have an overly ravenous cat, fancy feast and Friskies pates are really good options for diabetic cats, maybe you could save tiki cat for special occasions!

Don’t worry about your past record keeping! Let’s move forward!! You will have a lot of members here supporting you (if you want it) so when you’re part of this community it becomes easier to consistently track. Do you use a smart phone? I have found the google sheets app really awesome for tracking Mowgli’s data!

I am glad that your vet switched you from vetsulin to Lantus... I also started on vetsulin and I found it so stressful to use while I was working, it’s no wonder Yoda had a hypo while on it, it’s such a hard hitting “in and out” insulin. I much prefer Lantus... I hope you’ll like it as much as we do! So far it looks like you’re getting some good numbers and Yoda looks like he is having some bounces while his body tries to get used to these lower numbers.

Re: your new Lantus vial - you had been getting some good results with 1 and 1.5u but after the hypo event in April I can understand why you would be nervous. I don’t want to throw too much info your way but when we change our doses with Lantus we typically only change by 0.25u at a time. When we change doses depends on whether we follow the dosing method Tight Regulation (TR) or Start Low Go Slow (SLGS). Most members here follow one of these methods so it makes it easier for us to provide guidance based on our various experiences if you follow one too, that being said there are also members who follow their vets advice, it’s harder for FDMB members to provide feedback in this case but if you keep your SS updated from now on someone should have enough experience with feline diabetes around here to help you out if you have a question. You can read about TR and SLGS HERE. If you want to follow one of these dosing methods but are having trouble picking one don’t be afraid to ask in your post!!

When Mowgli was unregulated he had a hard time holding his pee until he got to the litter box... that’s actually why we brought him to the vet before he was diagnosed! Accidents!! I wonder if that’s what is going on with Yoda? Have you considered adding another litter box? I don’t think it’s a bad idea to get him tested for an infection... if Yoda does have an infection it will increase his BG levels.

If you have time to put your old data in then it could be helpful... I would only bother with Lantus information. If you don’t have time ... I’m of the opinion we can just act like you’re starting fresh and move forward.

Recently a post was bumped to the top of our forum about making the most of your experience on the Lantus Levemir forum I think it might help you to read it over ... its HERE... I also recommend reading all of the stickies at the top of the main Lantus and Levemir forum page... especially the ones on preventing Hypos and the dosing method sticky

Don’t be shy to ask as many questions as you like, we’ve all been in your shoes and everyone here is really awesome and supportive!!

I’m excited to see your posts around the board and to follow Yoda’s Progress!

 

[Krystina & Nelli]

Hi,

I have lurked here before over the last several months now and then trying to juggle advice from here with advice from vets. I should have posted here long ago but I'm not sure why I didn't...

Yoda is my 13-14 year old diagnosed with a BG of 800 spring of 2018. Things on the number front have by comparison been better, physically he has become nearly skin and bones and his behavior has worsened (from feeling terrible all the time probably). I have not been a great pet owner for him I don't think. I don't want to make excuses for it. Things are sometimes not kept track of very great and I apologize.

I will try to summarize the important bits of current events with him, it has been a long road with a LOT of changes which would be a lot of write up. I can answer questions if you have about his history. This last April Yoda changed vets after a hypo emergency one night, at this point he was on 12 units of Vetsulin (yeah, I know). The new vet put him on Lantus. This was started at 0.5 units and moved up by 0.5 until it was at 3.5 and back to 3.0. Along with this I then switched his food from Friskies pate to FF, saw a bit lower numbers, then to Tiki Cat which dropped them quite a bit (this is when it was moved to 3.0). There was still little regulation at this point as it mainly bounced with a only a few good curves speckled in.

This is the important bit as I think when I first got that first bottle of Lantus, at some point soon after it was frozen and thawed in the fridge. I say this because I got a new bottle after hardly any lower numbers in BG this last month, and with 3 units from that new bottle he was hitting 80-70-60-50 numbers right around dinner and shot time. We took the units back a little bit until I decided to start from 0.5 again to stop the low preshot numbers. You will notice I was changing dosage up and down last week and before that before I read that is probably not a good idea with Lantus.

Sorry I only have a week of good data right now, I do have the numbers but not the exact units for before that for a time while we were changing it. When I get more time I'll go back through my meter to before the new Lantus bottle where I think the dose was consistently at 3.0 units. I do have some older numbers with units from June if that would be helpful.

The last week he has started peeing in places he never did before. He is going to the vet to check for a UTI, but I'm afraid it may be stress related from things other family members are doing and his bad BG.

Any guidance would be appreciated, I need help so badly and I want him to gain weight and feel like a normal kitty again. He eats 3 6 oz cans of Tiki Cat a day but is still hungry all the time. He will eat ANYTHING he can find, so accidents do happen. If I let him eat as much as he wanted he would eat until throwing up...I also can't afford that much Tiki Cat. I use a Relion Prime meter also.

Everything is going to be ok... because you care- and we on this Forum do too ...
Hang tight, hang tough

 

[Krystina & Nelli]

Sarah,

Welcome to the Lantus Basaglar and Levemir Group!

Don’t be hard on yourself for not posting sooner, and don’t worry about what has happened in the past. The whole time he has been diagnosed you have been doing the best for Yoda with the information that you had... you have NOT been a bad pet owner... a bad pet owner wouldn’t have even tried to keep Yoda healthy after his diagnosis, He is so lucky to have you for a mom.

Mowgli and I have been on this journey for 6 months and I am not an expert at all, but I would say that if Yoda is under weight to the point that you’re concerned I would just let him eat what he wants. That’s because he isn’t able to process nutrients the same as a cat that has normal BGs. As he becomes regulated you should see some of his weight come back . Since he’s a big fan of the scarf and barf would you consider a timed feeder? You could use it to feed him more food in smaller meals throughout the day. You don’t have to feed tiki cat while you have an overly ravenous cat, fancy feast and Friskies pates are really good options for diabetic cats, maybe you could save tiki cat for special occasions!

Don’t worry about your past record keeping! Let’s move forward!! You will have a lot of members here supporting you (if you want it) so when you’re part of this community it becomes easier to consistently track. Do you use a smart phone? I have found the google sheets app really awesome for tracking Mowgli’s data!

I am glad that your vet switched you from vetsulin to Lantus... I also started on vetsulin and I found it so stressful to use while I was working, it’s no wonder Yoda had a hypo while on it, it’s such a hard hitting “in and out” insulin. I much prefer Lantus... I hope you’ll like it as much as we do! So far it looks like you’re getting some good numbers and Yoda looks like he is having some bounces while his body tries to get used to these lower numbers.

Re: your new Lantus vial - you had been getting some good results with 1 and 1.5u but after the hypo event in April I can understand why you would be nervous. I don’t want to throw too much info your way but when we change our doses with Lantus we typically only change by 0.25u at a time. When we change doses depends on whether we follow the dosing method Tight Regulation (TR) or Start Low Go Slow (SLGS). Most members here follow one of these methods so it makes it easier for us to provide guidance based on our various experiences if you follow one too, that being said there are also members who follow their vets advice, it’s harder for FDMB members to provide feedback in this case but if you keep your SS updated from now on someone should have enough experience with feline diabetes around here to help you out if you have a question. You can read about TR and SLGS HERE. If you want to follow one of these dosing methods but are having trouble picking one don’t be afraid to ask in your post!!

When Mowgli was unregulated he had a hard time holding his pee until he got to the litter box... that’s actually why we brought him to the vet before he was diagnosed! Accidents!! I wonder if that’s what is going on with Yoda? Have you considered adding another litter box? I don’t think it’s a bad idea to get him tested for an infection... if Yoda does have an infection it will increase his BG levels.

If you have time to put your old data in then it could be helpful... I would only bother with Lantus information. If you don’t have time ... I’m of the opinion we can just act like you’re starting fresh and move forward.

Recently a post was bumped to the top of our forum about making the most of your experience on the Lantus Levemir forum I think it might help you to read it over ... its HERE... I also recommend reading all of the stickies at the top of the main Lantus and Levemir forum page... especially the ones on preventing Hypos and the dosing method sticky

Don’t be shy to ask as many questions as you like, we’ve all been in your shoes and everyone here is really awesome and supportive!!

I’m excited to see your posts around the board and to follow Yoda’s Progress!

As Amanda said... Don’t be shy to ask as many questions as you like, we’ve all been in your shoes and everyone here is really awesome and supportive!!
(Thanks Amanda for your excellent post, muah)

 

[Sandy and Black Kitty]

What were the circumstances that led to the diagnosis?
You mention he has become skin and bones-has his thyroid been checked recently? It’s not uncommon to see hyperthyroidism develop
in older male cats.

Yes, if your Lantus freezes, it’s toast. Take care that it is not touching any walls inside the fridge.

Lantus is a very different animal than vetsulin. The most challenging part of transitioning to Lantus is to forget the vetsulin ways.

Hang in there and hang in here-folks will help you get Yoda sorted out.

 

[Sarah12]

@Sandy and Black Kitty The first symptom was that Yoda started peeing a lot more which led to a blood test. He didnt start losing weight until this last winter. His thyroid was checked at the ER vet in the spring and it came back normal (vet did notice he had a nodule on his thyroid which is why she checked it). Would it be worth it to check again?

@AmandaE He has 3 litter boxes (one on upstairs now and two downstairs). The last few days I have had to keep him in the bathroom with the litter at night unfortunately.
He is on soley Tiki cat because I think he is very carb sensitive. His numbers dropped drastically after 1 day on FF after being on friskies pate for a while earlier this summer but did not stay down. I figured I would find the lowest carb cat food I could and so I went with Tiki cat. I wonder if FF would work again now I have a new Lantus bottle? I will look into a timed feeder, I only worry because he is so aggressive about getting food that if he smells it he may try to tear the feeder apart.

He did not get AMPS today as he wouldnt bleed for my brother who feeds him in the morning but he got his shot still, so I think he was dehydrated. Before I left for the bus he was 140 then 120! I gave him a can of FF with some honey because no one will be there to check until 1 pm. I am still anxious about him right now.

Hopefully I answered all the questions you had. I will do more indepth reading after work tonight.

 

[Justin & Sebastian]

Sebastian was really struggling with his weight for most of the year, he was down to skin and bones about a month and a half ago. Countless tests and were never able to get an explanation. Then we switched to a raw food diet and did the AnimalBiome Gut Restore package and it's been a complete 180 since then, he's gained 2lbs in the past month and he's got a lot more energy.

AnimalBiome Fecal Matter Transplant, Darwin's Raw Cat Food, EZComplete Food Fur Life, Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Food

 

[AmandaE]

He has 3 litter boxes (one on upstairs now and two downstairs). The last few days I have had to keep him in the bathroom with the litter at night unfortunately.

Ugh, that must be so hard for you and for Yoda, I wonder... do you think that he could be suffering from some Neuropathy? that can also make it hard for kitties to use litter boxes or control their bladders. If you think it could be Methylcobaline can help, Zobaline is a brand of that supplement that many members use. He could also just be having control issues due to his older age,.. I hope he can get over it soon... Some members have used diapers on their kitties, its just important to stay vigilant to clean them and give them some air time from the diapers so that they don't get chapped / urine burned hinies.

He is on soley Tiki cat because I think he is very carb sensitive. His numbers dropped drastically after 1 day on FF after being on friskies pate for a while earlier this summer but did not stay down. I figured I would find the lowest carb cat food I could and so I went with Tiki cat. I wonder if FF would work again now I have a new Lantus bottle? I will look into a timed feeder, I only worry because he is so aggressive about getting food that if he smells it he may try to tear the feeder apart.

It is really good that you know already that Yoda is carb sensitive... that is a tool in your toolbox if he is ever dropping too low. There are some flavors of FF that are 0 -1% carbs, and there are other options too... have you come across the food chart on this site yet? it may help you choose another food for Yoda You can find it HERE.

As Justin had mentioned above, Raw can be an affordable option too, it is also a great way to ensure that your kitty is getting the max calories per volume possible which could aid in weight gain....the same vet that put together the food list I linked also wrote some instructions on how to prepare your own Raw food at home. If you're interested in that option you can find that post HERE

I think the timed feeders are pretty sturdy, but you are painting a very cute and funny picture of Yoda's personality... Yoda the "Hangry" cat . Some people leave out frozen chunks of food but even Mowgli was eating the frozen food that I left out when he was hungry so I am sure that Yoda would make short work of a cat food-cicle . Some members use a feeder that has 5 compartments that you can time to release throughout the day... I believe "PetSmart" is the favored brand.

He did not get AMPS today as he wouldnt bleed for my brother who feeds him in the morning but he got his shot still, so I think he was dehydrated. Before I left for the bus he was 140 then 120! I gave him a can of FF with some honey because no one will be there to check until 1 pm. I am still anxious about him right now.

One thing I do for Mowgli that I learned about here is that I add water to his food, I will add as much as he will tolerate without rejecting the food. This bulks up the amount of space that the food takes up in his stomach (hopefully decreasing hunger) and keeps him hydrated... maybe that could work for you There are some other tips around the board on promoting bleeding in cats such as holding a pill bottle filled with warm water to their ear to get blood flowing, or doing the same with a warm damp cloth inside a baggie.

 

[Moms2Tigger&Blu]

No great advice, just some support. Tigger has been diabetic but unregulated for over a year now, hang in there. And, we've never even gotten higher than 1.5 units! Just back and forth from 1.5 down to 0.50 and then up again, over and over

 

[Sarah12]

So I have a question, I thought it was okay if he got his shot within an hour period (in my case, 6-7 am and 6-7 pm). However, looking around I am seeing this isn't great. Should I become more strict with his shot times? (For instance, on weekends he will get his AM shot closer to 7 AM then 6 AM). Would that make a difference?

Yoda is in red again at dinner time today. Edit: Now at black +2.
@AmandaE @Justin & Sebastian
I am thinking about going back to FF again mixed with tiki cat, I will look into raw food but I am a bit afraid...I say this because....since switching to Tiki Cat only he eats his own poops nearly everyday at least once. I assume because 1) he is so hungry and 2) the higher quality protein probably tastes as good the second time around. He hasn't had any ill effects from it (he wont eat if if it covered in litter), but it is a habit that isn't totally GREAT which would probably be exacerbated by a raw food diet. I do want him to gain weight more then I want him to stop eating feces, I will look to order some this weekend along with looking at autofeeders.
Yoda usually doesn't have a problem with bleeding; will a cat still be dehydrated even if their BG is in the normal range for at least a little while?
I wasn't suspecting neuropathy since he will willingly jump up on the counter to search for food, and will jump on the bathroom counter to sleep when locked up for the night. Yoda is VERY hangry...seemingly all the time.

I was thinking SLGS would be best for Yoda's situation. Currently I, my brother, and my sister take care of him (shots, feeding, BG checks). Between the three of us it would be the most straightforward.
Another question, if I have a day where there was an oopsie (Yoda eating a lot of mac and cheese for example), does that day not count towards the week of holding a dose?

 

[Idjit's mom]

Sarah, I am not experienced but I have read that the closer you can keep to the 12 hour shot schedule consistently the better, if the time between shots is decreased by a longer interval, then it acts like an insulin increase. Poor little guy is so hungry, perhaps an offering or two of plain chicken broth and even a few pieces of cooked plain chicken would help. Mac & cheese and pizza? He's very inventive, we have a couple of other kitties like that on the board, and while sometimes it's entertaining, it just doesn't do the cat any good.

If you aren't comfortable with the thought of raw food, so be it. This is a personal decision and not everyone has the time or inclination to go that direction. And you don't have to make that decision right now. I hope, however, that you can find a food that he doesn't want to eat twice.

Another question, if I have a day where there was an oopsie (Yoda eating a lot of mac and cheese for example), does that day not count towards the week of holding a dose?

I am sorry, I can't answer that question. Hopefully someone more experienced with Lantus protocol will chime in here and give you that information.

will a cat still be dehydrated even if their BG is in the normal range for at least a little while?

You can lift the skin at the back of his neck and if it snaps back quickly he probably isn't dehydrated. You can also check his gums, if they are sticky/tacky then he does need more water/liquid. I am assuming that there is water available to him, and if you think he is a little dehydrated, you can add some water or chicken broth to his canned food. Idjit gets some with every meal.

 

[Crista & Ming]

thought it was okay if he got his shot within an hour period (in my case, 6-7 am and 6-7 pm).

That's usually the case of insulins like Prozinc and I guess Vetsulin? Not too sure. But here, with the depot insulins, we aim to shoot within 15 minutes of their regular shot time as being late or early, can potentially act as an increase or decrease. Every cat is different (ECID) though. For me, personally, I know my cat and when he's in high numbers, I often shoot up to 30 minutes early. But I probably wouldn't do that if he was giving me a lower PS value or if you don't know how your cat will react to shooting early.

When adjusting shot times, you can move up or down 30 minutes a day or 15 minutes twice a day. For example, if shot time is at 6 and you want to move it to 7, you can either shoot 30 minutes later once a day/for one cycle out of the two or 15 minutes later for both cycles.

since switching to Tiki Cat only he eats his own poops nearly everyday at least once.

Whoa! I've never heard of this aside from dogs doing it. I'm curious what other members here think about this. Have you spoken to the vet about this?

ill a cat still be dehydrated even if their BG is in the normal range for at least a little while?

Dehydration can be caused by a number of things. Is there a reason aside from bleeding that makes you suspect Yoda is dehydrated?

If you're doing SLGS, it's time to rethink the dose. I'm not comfortable in your situation with advising a dose so I would ask and wait to see if other members can advise if Yoda needs an increase or not.

 

[AmandaE]

So I have a question, I thought it was okay if he got his shot within an hour period (in my case, 6-7 am and 6-7 pm). However, looking around I am seeing this isn't great. Should I become more strict with his shot times? (For instance, on weekends he will get his AM shot closer to 7 AM then 6 AM). Would that make a difference?

You have a couple options here. Sticking to a 12 hour schedule is always preferred but sometimes life just won’t allow it. If you want to stay on schedule it is ok if You shoot within a half an hour of the scheduled shot. If you shoot earlier than a half hour early it can act like a dose increase which can be dangerous. If you shoot more than a half hour later it acts like a dose decrease.

If something comes up where you have to change the schedule by an hour or more the advice here is to anticipate that and slowly move the time in 2 15 minutes event per day (ex move up 15 mins at amps and then move ahead 15 more minutes at PMPS) or you can move the time by a half hour once a day until the time is changed to what you want it to be. You follow the same steps to get it back on track.

I am thinking about going back to FF again mixed with tiki cat, I will look into raw food but I am a bit afraid...I say this because....since switching to Tiki Cat only he eats his own poops nearly everyday at least once. I assume because 1) he is so hungry and 2) the higher quality protein probably tastes as good the second time around.

Omg!! He is really hungry! I think no matter what you decide to feed him he really must need more. I think FF should be ok. I wonder if the drop you had seen was coincidental with the tiki cat and was actually the Lantus depot being built.

Yoda usually doesn't have a problem with bleeding; will a cat still be dehydrated even if their BG is in the normal range for at least a little while?

Lou give you some good advice on some things to look for that signal dehydration for sure!

I wasn't suspecting neuropathy since he will willingly jump up on the counter to search for food, and will jump on the bathroom counter to sleep when locked up for the night.

I think you’re right that he probably doesn’t have neuropathy if he’s jumping and you have t noticed other mobility issues

I was thinking SLGS would be best for Yoda's situation. Currently I, my brother, and my sister take care of him (shots, feeding, BG checks). Between the three of us it would be the most straightforward.

Another question, if I have a day where there was an oopsie (Yoda eating a lot of mac and cheese for example), does that day not count towards the week of holding a dose?

That’s so great that you have the support of your family to help take care of Yoda. I follow SLGS, and it works well for members with a busy schedule.

In SLGS I would hold the dose and keep the count if something like the Mac and cheese happened. That’s just me though

 

[Sarah12]

I will be keeping shots strictly at 6/6 and my siblings know now! My siblings do most of the feeding and shots and checks during the week as I work 4/10s. They also give my (our) dog her seizure meds as well. They do A LOT of stuff!!

I will bring it up when the vet checks for UTI on friday, but it only happens with Tiki Cat. For instance, if he gets Friskies pate due to low bs he wont eat that. He never did it before hand also....it is very strange. We thought it was the dogs until we caught him one day.....I've just been very scared of switching back to FF for fear of losing what little control I have. I realize it may have been the bad Lantus now.

Dehydration: I am not sure if the skin snap works well on Yoda, or he is always chronically dehydrated. It always seems to "stick" and hold a tent. However he has a lot of extra skin so I wonder if that makes it hard to tell? I forgot to check his gums as I was running out this morning. Right now I can tell he isn't great, he is drinking quite a bit. His gums are wet 10ish min after drinking the last time. I'm not sure if he bounced between AMPS and +5, or if his high numbers are just the result of honey this morning.

I will give him some food right now and before bed so he feels a bit better.

 

[Crista & Ming]

If his skin is tenting, then maybe I'd discuss with your vet supplementing his hydration. If he'll tolerate it, maybe helping him along with some sub-q fluids. Otherwise, adding water to his food is a good way to add more hydration.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

With Lantus and Lev, shots need to be kept as close to 12 hours apart as you can manage. Due to how the depot functions, an early shot acts like a dose increase and a late shot acts like a dose reduction.

It looks like you've been making dose changes in 0.5u increments. Dose changes should be in 0.25u amounts. Ideally, you want to give as much insulin as your cat needs in order to keep your kitty in normal numbers. Yoda is bouncy. Hopefully, this will settle out. I do think you and your siblings test enough to use TR. I suspect the trick will be to be sure everyone is putting the numbers into Yoda's spreadsheet so whoever is going to be testing next, kows what's been going on.