questions on increase insulin

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bart

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My cat Bart is on Lantus 1 unit twice a day. Right now his low point has been 301 and his high has been 390. How much should I increase. I was thinking another half for a few days and see what he drops to. I'm so new at this and want to do the best for him. He is on fancy feast diet also. thanks for any kind of help on this
 
Hello!

Is there any way you can put Bart's numbers in a spreadsheet for us? Here's the link to set up a spreadsheet: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207

If for some reason it doesn't work, use this one: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=50130

Without having some more numbers to look at to see how he handles insulin, it's hard to give good dosing advice. Here's a link to the dosing guidelines for Lantus, so you get an idea how determinations are made: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1581

How frequently are you testing? In order to dose Lantus safely and accurately, you need to get at least 3 tests a day--one before each shot, and then one around 6 hrs after either shot. This is called the nadir, or, lowest number of the cycle. In the beginning, you want to move the test around in the middle of the cycle a little bit to figure out where Bart's nadir usually is. Also, a curve is needed once a week.
 
I have a question. What is the healthy BG levels? I mean at what level is it you want to see your cat get to with the insulin shots? What is good and at what point is it considered going into hypo and what is high?

Terri
 
Normal levels for a non-diabetic cat is between 40-150 on a human meter, however, if the cat is on insulin you want to start watching for signs of hypo if they reach the 50s early in the cycle, since that doesn't leave much wiggle room if they start going lower. Also you while on insulin you want them to at least spend most of the day below 200-250 which is the renal threshhold, I believe.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
What does "renal thresh hold mean"? I've heard this mentioned before and never known what it means. Thanks.
 
Renal threshold is the point at which the kidneys start to filter glucose from the blood. This is not the same number for each cat, but is likely in the mid 200s. Theoretically this is when the kidneys can start to get damaged from the diabetes, and this is when glucose starts to turn up in the urine.
 
how long can their kidney's go with excess glucose in the blood before the kidney's become too damaged?
 
It is not an issue with kidney damage. A high BG level is bad of all body systems. However, cats can tolerate a high BG level much better than humans and canines. For the short term I would not be concerned. I have had cats that were OK with BGs above the renal threshold.
 
thanks. I can't get my SS working at all now so can't ask for help. Am worried about my kitty but doing all I can. Dont' want to thread-jack!
 
Thanks for your help on Bart I increased to 1.25 but have been thinking of going 1.5 since his numbers are still a little high. I will post a spread sheet soon. Right now I'm not online at home and have to use the librarys computer. Which is a pain. I will be online sometime next week.
 
For Bart and Anyname,
I just posted this in another thread, but you could use it until you get a spreadsheet up and running:

The easiest way to communicate his numbers of course is with a spread sheet. But until you have that up and running, one way you can let us know how things are going is like this:

AMPS 350 (his BG before eating breakfast and before his AM shot) 1u (what dose you shot)
+2 300 (BG reading 2 hours after the shot
+4 270 (BG 4 hours after)
and just post numbers as you get them, always referring to how many hours past his shot the reading was taken.

Then on the PM cycle, the same thing "PMPS" would be his reading 12 hours after his AM shot, then +2, +6, or whatever, how ever many hours the test was done after his PM shot.

Using the +2, +4, etc reference is easier for everyone because that doesn't require that anyone has to consider which time zones are involved.
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