Returning diabetic cat owner w/questions

[linzero]

Hi all, my 16-year-old male cat, Zero, was diagnosed with diabetes Sept. 2011. He is on Lantus and I am home testing. It is a roller coaster of a ride though with his numbers. I am giving him 1.5U twice a day. Here's a couple of questions I have from reading these boards again. Is it bad or not to prefill syringes?

A bottle of Lantus lasts a cat a long time. My vet assured me I can ignore the pharmacist's warnings that it has to be used in a month - is that what you all have come to know as well?

And finally, any comment on syringes with short needles as opposed to ones with longer needles? Right now I am using BD Ultra Fine 1/2cc, 8mm length and 31G gauge.
I have been feeding him Hills MD because the vet vigorously recommended it but I am more and more thinking I have got to get him onto something with lower carbs, as I read what people are writing here. Any comment on whether the Fancy Feasts would be better than something like Blue Wilderness chicken or turkey (I think Blue is lower in carbs than that MD and grain free).

Thanks for any and all help I can get here. linzero confused_cat

 

[MommaOfMuse]

I think as far as needles go that is a personal preference, I personally use the short needles and love them, but then again both my insulin dependent girls are both long haired and petite so the short needles give me less fur shots.

It is not recommended to prefill syringes with Lantus as it can cause the insulin to break down.

Fancy Feast Classics are fine for a diabetic cat as well as many varieties are also grain free.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette, Autumn & The Fur Gang

 

[Larry and Kitties]

For more accurate dosing you can purchase 3/10 CC syringes with 1/2 unit markings. All the 1.2 CC syringes only have unit markings.