Repeat hypo issues

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byoh20

byoh20

Member Since 2013
Newbie here. My 18 year old male cat has for the most part well controlled diabetes and for periods goes into remission. Currently he is "on the fence".
This weeks vet check showed all was well with the .5 Novolin N dose once a day. But he went hypo with the last dose. I cannot draw a smaller dose and his urine shows high glucose. Any advise about diluting the insulin? Other ideas. Thanks confused_cat
 
I'm by no means a pro here, but if he has high glucose in his urine, I don't think 'all is well' with the dosing. I'd guess you need to provide some more information for folks to help (First question will be do you home test... what food does he eat, how often?)

As far as I know, you cannot dilute insulin. Also, in most cases insulin is more effective dosed 2x per day
Perhaps if you get some syringes with 1/2 unit markings you'll be able to eyeball 1/2 of that, for 1/4 dose?
 
He was on much higher doses twice a day until it was brought into remission by switching to a Fancy Feast classic diet but a month ago he started showing high readings again. No diet or other changes to explain the high readings. His vet visit this week showed no other issues and his BG and weight was okay with the .5 dose once a day. Two .5 doses a day sent him into hypo hence the single .5 dose in the evening so that he can be supervised. The syringe has half dose marks but no way to pull less than that. Wondering if anyone gives 1/4 doses and how do they do it?
 
My cats current dose is .1 unit (when I have to give it to him at all), its a tiny little line that I measure using a caliper most of the time (sometimes my eyes behave a little better and I can see)

But ultimately, what I do is a little wasteful ... I pull out somewhere between 1/2 and 1 unit, pull the plunger back so air comes in, tap it if there is an air bubble under the insulin, and then I slowly push/twist the plunger to release drop by drop (pointed upwards) til I get where I want to be. My thinking is..... with that low of a dose, this insulin will not last long enough for me to use it all up anyway.
 
You might want to speak to your vet about diluting N.
You can read more here: Diluting insulin.

Alternatively many of us eyeball small doses, some use calipers for measuring, and others count drops for consistent dosing.

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Hope this helps!
 
By the way, are you home testing your cat? Do you have a glucometer?

The only way to really know what is going on is by home testing. Is this something that you are currently doing and if not, would you like to? We can help you with this if you would like to test.

Also, what kind of food are you giving the cat? The best type of food to use is low carb wet (canned or raw food). Prescription isn't necessary - fancy feast classics, friskies pate are just fine. Would you like to learn more?
 
He eats Fancy Feast Classic which is what was the biggest help in getting him off insulin, at least for awhile. Maybe his meals need to be set to specific times and amounts. Anyone have a proven method of feeding schedule? It does seem that at this "on the fence" stage he needs home testing.I was hoping to avoid going there. :?
 
Home testing is the only way you are going to know if it safe to give insulin and if he even needs insulin at all. By not testing, you run the risk of repeated hypos, not to mention your own panicking and fear of what could happen to the cat.

We can help teach you to test and it is really painless to the cat. The worst part for the cat is being restrained for a few seconds, especially if your cat doesn't like that. But bribing with treats is the way around that momentary angst.
 
I haven't seen anyone mention it yet, but Novolin is a notoriously bad insulin for cats because they have a much faster metabolism. What happens is that it drops them fast and low (as you've learned the hard way from the hypos) and then wears off quickly. Giving a cat any insulin only once a day will leave them without insulin for half the day; with Novolin, it only provides coverage for about 6 to 8 hours or less. Humulin/Novolin Primer.

There are only three insulins that have been proven to be the safest and work the best in cats: Lantus (glargine), Levemir (determir), and PZI/ProZinc. Instead of finding a way to dilute the insulin you're currently using, I would strongly recommend you ask to switch to one of those three insulins instead.

byoh20 said:
He eats Fancy Feast Classic which is what was the biggest help in getting him off insulin, at least for awhile. Maybe his meals need to be set to specific times and amounts. Anyone have a proven method of feeding schedule? It does seem that at this "on the fence" stage he needs home testing.I was hoping to avoid going there. :?
Click to expand...

With Novolin, you must feed an hour before each shot and you should remove all food after peak and before the next shot time since it is so important to make sure the kitty eats before the shot.
 
Thanks a million for all the expert advise. I'll study up on home testing and go from there. :razz:
 
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