Starting Insulin tomorrow, couple questions

[ewalker405]

We are starting insulin tomorrow for our cat Wrigley and have a couple questions. I believe it is Lantus insulin. He has been in the 24 hour vet for ketones the last couple days. Before that he would barely eat. I am worried that he is going to be difficult to get to eat enough because he will start and walk away. If we are lucky, he comes back later and eats more.

In the morning before work, If we can't get him to eat, do we skip the shot? Does it matter what the number is during the blood test if he hasn't eaten? I have read that Lantus is best on a followed schedule so it can build up a depot of insulin. I have also seen something about not giving a shot if the AMPS is under a certain number.

I am still reading about this since it is all new to me. I am just trying to get some questions answered in case they come up for us before work when we don't have a lot of time with him before we have to leave for work.

Thanks

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

if Wrigley isn't eating, he probably shouldn't be home yet....ketones are very dangerous and he needs to be eating so he can get enough insulin to keep them from forming.

Did they send him home with anything for nausea?

 

[BJM]

Because he has had ketones, you need to be home testing the blood glucose (an inexpensive human glucometer like the Target Up and UP, or the WalMart ReliOn Confirm do fine).

Additionally, a blood ketone meter is very helpful - ketones show up in the blood as much as 5 days before they show up in the urine. The Nova Max and the Precision Xtra meters can test for both glucose and ketones.

 

[Mogmom and Goofus]

Welcome! Being that you're going to be using Lantus, I'd suggest you go directly to the Lantus forum, you're likely to get more responses there. I hope your kitty is feeling better soon!

 

[ewalker405]

Sorry, I explained it incorrect. He is eating now. He seems a lot more active and hungry than before we had to bring him in for the ketones. I was just asking for future possibilities. We got the insulin and syringes tonight. I also got a reli on micro and test strips from Walmart.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Generally, the way we do it is TEST/FEED/SHOOT.....all within about 5-10 minutes

We test first to make sure they're high enough to shoot....since you're new, you don't want to shoot under 200 unless you have someone with experience helping you. As you get more test data, that number will start to drop.

Then you feed...you want to make sure they're at least eating "normally" ....once you're pretty sure they're going to eat, you can shoot.

With Lantus, it's not AS important that they eat when you shoot since the onset is a couple of hours later, but you don't want to shoot and then not be able to get them to eat later.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

You should come on over to the Lantus/Levemir forum.....Lots of good information in the "stickies" at the top of the forum, and lots of experienced eyes to help advise you

Each day we start a new post (we call them "condos") and in the Subject line you put the Date, Name and the AMPS ##.....as the day goes on, you "edit" the subject line to include other tests. That way the people that scan the forum for problems can easily see how the cycle is going and intervene if they see something that concerns them.

In the body of the post, you'd put the link to your prior post (so people can easily go back and see what's been said lately) and then give the "WCR" (Whole Cat Report)...How he's doing...is he eating? Do you have the 5 P's? (peeing, pooping, preening, playing and purring?)

You'd also ask any questions you might have. In the subject line, if your post includes a question, add the ? icon...then once your question is answered, take it off again...so you can put it back if you have another question!!

Let us know what else we can do to help you. Since he's recently had ketones, that's very important that you make sure that we know that since it can effect how we'd advise you

 

[Larry and Kitties]

With a history of ketones it is very undesirable to skip a shot. If the cat is not eating all the food then a partial does, depending upon the BG, is likely in order.