Possible bounce?

annie coscione

annie coscione

Member Since 2026
Hi, I am fairly new here and learning.
Squiggy was diagnosed 3wks ago. He was put on 1 unit of vetsulin. He already eats low carb. His BG was still reading high (but steady) around 320 everyday. He eats at 8a & 8p, I check BG btwn 12-1p everyday. His vet told me to increase to 2 units, he has since had some lower readings then spiked. Is this a bounce from the low BG?

3/17 291
3/18 170
3/19 372
3/20 298
3/21 397
3/22 392

I have asked for other types of insulin and they said no and advised increasing to 3 units if his BG doesn't come down. This doesn't sit well with me that his BG is higher with an increased dose and may seek a new vet.
 
Welcome to FDMB
I always say, follow your instincts, and yours are correct, first of all Vetsulin/Caninsulin is a dog insulin it hits hard and fast in a cat, the best insulin for cats are Lantus and ProZinc they are a 12-hour insulin gentle on the cats' system, also a diabetic cats needs to eat several small meals or snack during the day besides the main meals before shot to keep the insulin in check, just like a human, you say you feed low carbs, how low, what food? a diabetic cats needs a diet of wet can or raw food between 0-10% carbs, below is a Drs approved food list, the third column contains the carb content for each food, we look for the Dry Matter Carb %. and by the glucose levels I see posted the food may not be as low, I do not give dosing advice, but I do know that it takes about 3 cycl.es (3days) to star seeing results on how the insulin is working , and to see the results of that dose, and the dose increases/decreases should be done in increments of 0.25 unis at a time, such a high dose increase can cause a hypoglycemic episode, which is not a pretty site and a risk to Squiggy's health.
You should discuss this with your vet, you want what's best for your cat, you know your cat better than your vet, and you pay him for his services, tell him you are not comfortable with such a high increase, you are basically beginning to discover Feline Diabetes and all cats react differently to insulin, is best to go slow and find out how Squiggy reacts to the dose. as the vet to switch your insulin to either Lantus or ProZinc and each insulin requires a different syringe as well, and syringes with 1/2 markings are best. below there's also information on Vetsulin/Caninsulin, we are here for you, please keep posting your concerns.
if you do decide to take your vets instructions on this high increase, you should have what is called a HYPO KIT, this includes some medium carb foods between 11-15% carbs some high carb food between 16-24% mostly gravies, some Karo syrup or honey, this is in case Squiggy's levels reach 50 or below
What type of monitor are you using to test the BG? and how often do you test?
0-10% / Low carbs
11-15%/ medium carbs
16.24% / high carbs

https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
Caninsulin / Vetsulin and N / NPH
 
Thank you!!!
His food is sheba, 3% carb on dry matter basis. Have the Dr Elsey too for some crunchies. Do you think this spike could be a "bounce"? I test with alphatrak3, 4-6 hours after his first dose.
His pre-feed BG have been high as well, I tested a few times just to be safe. I do worry about him going too low, which is why I am hesitant to increase. I do have honey on hand if needed. I think maybe sticking with 1.5 for a bit may be best and if no improvement seek another vet that will give a different type of insulin. I was just shocked to see the jump in BG with the higher dose.
 
You seem to have things in control, that good news , however the Dr Elsys, is a bit higher than 10% carbs, you may want to try some freeze dry treats or boiled ham, also the AlphaTrak strips are a bit high and the strips are expensive, most members use the ReliOn Premier human monitor (Walmart) the monitor is $9.00 and the strips are $9.00 for 40 or $17.88 for 100, or any other human meter is good. I will tag a member that can help you with dosing as well, and yes Caninsulin hits hard and fast, it can be a bounce
@ Wendy&Neko
@Squuem3
 
Oh, wow I did not know that about Alpha trak! The device and strips are $$$$. Getting the ReliOn to see how it compares -- thank you for that :) He gets just a few crunchies, but I will switch to freeze dried, he loves the salmon ones.
 
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