Seeing wide variations since switch to Lantus?

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Shiframb

Shiframb

Member Since 2017
Hello all. My cat Austin was diagnosed in Jan this year, and started on Lantus. Dose started at 1 unit, and per my Vet's direction, went to 2 units, then 2.5, and finally 3, with blood sugars never out of the 400s. Then she started to recommend further testing for a UTI. He had been on antibiotics for an infection just prior to diagnosis, but I agreed to a needle aspiration and culture. $200 and a negative test. After that she began pushing for an abdominal ultrasound and an endoscopy (which would cost upwards of $1600).
I wanted to try a trial on the insulin my dog was on, Vetsulin, and did see some response, finally, but as predicted, it was not long-acting enough to go the 12 hours. At that time, I found this site, and had gone slower on the increases. With my Vet's urging I decided to retry the Lantus, and since I was at 3 units of Vetsulin, I tried starting at 2 units and am presently at 2.5 units twice a day. I saw my first blue numbers-but they were followed by weird bounces and I am at my wits end as to what to do. He just can't seem to get regulated. Urines are slight trace ketones only. He is fed 3 cans of Fancy Feast pate daily, as his former weight of 11 pounds is down somewhere around 9 pounds now.

What am I doing wrong?
 
Hi,
I am no expert but I think you do nothing wrong. I have a few thought but the most important is to attract knowledgeable eyes here. For that - can you please rephrase the Title of your post to something more specific? Like 5/4 Austin BG in 500, 2U Lantus, Trace ketones, dose advise" or something you can think of better.
My 2 cents are:
Your vet no better than mine; I achieved more for my cat talking to ppl on this Board.
The FF Classic is low in caloric value and high in phosphorous. Are you sure Austin get all of the calories his body requires?
The antibiotics have an effect on BG, WHat exactly - I don't know. Keep asking questions here.
Do you test for ketones at home? You get the testing strips in any human pharmacy. Giving subcutaneous fluids at home might be good idea to flash those traces out (I did it; it works).
Does it make any sense?
 
Thank you for responding, Tanya. Austin is not currently on antibiotics. That was just before diagnosis. I wondered if the infection he had then pushed him into all this in January. I have been using strips and try to test when I see him peeing. Always are slight trace. I water his food so it's a soup and he drinks plenty.
 
Shiframb said:
Always are slight trace
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When I just started doing this urine home testing I thought I was getting the Traces as well for a long time. The colour blocks on the side of the pack for Trace and Negative are too close to each other. Only if I look at the testing pad against the colour block in the daylight, like on the balcony, could I see that the Trace block is slightly pink-ish then the testing pad. You do need good light to be sure of what yo read. Also, if you hold the pad out for more then 15 sec it darkens, and you might erroneously think you are getting traces. Keep testing, I say. Giving a lot water is exactly what needed!
To fight ketones Austin needs all of the calories he can get and all of the insulin you can give him safely.
Talk to people on the board with experience - a lot of us are dealing with the same. You 'll have plenty of advice and shared practical knowledge.
The dosing is tricky. Many factors to be considered. If you have the blood work and urinalyses in the SS - someone her can help you interpreting it BETTER than any vet can do.
Keep posting and asking questions!
 
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Thank you for the advice. I have been an RN for many, many years, and I am pretty good at "eyeballing" the colors on the strips. Also, I had been doing them over the past year for my dog who was diagnosed diabetic over a year ago. Both these animals were not overweight, fed grain free food, and never table scraps, but still got diabetes. The dog, however, was so much quicker and easier to get under control.
 
Shiframb said:
He had been on antibiotics for an infection just prior to diagnosis, but I agreed to a needle aspiration and culture. $200 and a negative test.
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If he was on antibitic no culture could survive. Hence the negative result.
Can you put all of the tests in the LAB?
 
I told my Vet several times that I highly doubted a urine infection was present shortly after a course of antibiotics, but she was insistent, and I felt guilty if I did not agree. Felt it was wasted money, so I was more resistant to the further testing unless I tried something different with the insulin. Thank goodness for this message board!
 
If a test that cost as much as the endoscopy was needed, I don't know if I could afford it-especially since she said it was for diagnosing cancer in the GI tract. At that point, I probably have to make the difficult decision to put my Austin to sleep. I have limited savings, and am close to retirement.
 
Shiframb said:
If a test that cost as much as the endoscopy was needed, I don't know if I could afford it-especially since she said it was for diagnosing cancer in the GI tract. At that point, I probably have to make the difficult decision to put my Austin to sleep. I have limited savings, and am close to retirement.
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Please do not rush in to things. I strongly urge you to post at the main forum with a title that reads more specifically to your concerns. Open a thread when East Coasters are up, reply to your own post to keep it up on the board and will meet people in similar, if not exact, situations. Vets do, just like MD, love to dramatize.
Nothing is set in stone. You may not need additional costly test, only those you have already paid for to discuss your options with the people here.
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
We are here to help. With ANY decision you might be forced to take.
 
Thank you for your support, Tanya. I did post on the Lantus board, and don't know how to change the title on this board. If I don't get others responding, I will try a different title.
 
Shiframb said:
Thank you for your support, Tanya. I did post on the Lantus board, and don't know how to change the title on this board. If I don't get others responding, I will try a different title.
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To change the title you go to your original post, the first one you started, and on the upper right corner you'll see the Thread Tools - click on it and choose Edit Title. Then a window will open with the title line - type what want, and also - IMPORTANT - choose the question mark at the beginning of the title line as the prefix. This way people will now an answer is needed.
And keep replying to yourself thru the day if you don't get responses - replying, not editing you post - that way it bumps up on the board above the posts that were made after yours. We usually open new thread for each day.
It took me several weeks and someone help to figure out. I am no tecchi at all:joyful:
 
Shiframb said:
If a test that cost as much as the endoscopy was needed, I don't know if I could afford it-especially since she said it was for diagnosing cancer in the GI tract.
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I would try to bring those BG numbers down and get Austin to gain some weight before ordering any tests.
I am going to bed soon but will check your post tomorrow and "bump" it up on the board. I hope you meet someone in the same situation and with good advice!
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Shiframb said:
Thank you for responding, Tanya. Austin is not currently on antibiotics. That was just before diagnosis. I wondered if the infection he had then pushed him into all this in January. I have been using strips and try to test when I see him peeing. Always are slight trace. I water his food so it's a soup and he drinks plenty.
Click to expand...
Those test strips are awful. My kitty came up with a trace, so I tested myself my bf and my other cat, and we all had the trace amount. Test yourself and you'll have a better idea. :)
 
Hello Tanya. Austin is hanging in there. Blood sugars have bee consistently higher since the switch back to Lantus. I think I need to get new insulin. Will take a while to get it from the pharmacy in Canada, so going back to Vetsulin, for now.
 
Hi there,
I am very sorry to hear about Austin. I hope he improves - sending him vines for recovery and well being:bighug::bighug::bighug:
I wish you get a chance to talk the dose/ Austin's readings with someone with a LOT of practical experience in handling/bringing down high numbers with Lantus - there are people like that on the Board who are willing to share their knowledge and tips at any time.

Any chance you post again?

My very best wishes to both of you
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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