Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggestions

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tommytn

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Good morning everyone!

I posted on here before and got many suggestions to take Tommy off the N. I talked to my vet, he said the only insulin he's used to is the N, but that he'd call in whatever I'd like. I spent quite a bit of time looking up info and reading these message boards. I went and picked up 5 Lantus Solostar pens yesterday. I also have read about the ketones and testing his urine. (Still don't quite understand that whole process.) My pharmacist ordered them, they'll be here tomorrow. I thought about waiting to start the Lantus til I started testing his urine. Anyways, I'm not sure if that's the best idea or not? I am on spring break this week, so I want to make the switch while I know I can be home to watch him.

Here are his BG levels for the last week... (He was 2 units of N) Oh, and something I can't get out of my head... When Tommy was first diagnosed, his BG level was in the 300s. Is it possible the insulin could make it worse? Were there other tests that could have been done?

March 15- PS(6:15am) HI (600+) , (3:43pm) 406 , PS (6:45pm) 387, (9:08pm) 404
March 16- PS (6:10am) 485, PS (6:33pm) 396
March 17-PS (5:48am) 496, PS (5:33pm) 525
March 18-PS (6:00am) 435, PS (6:00pm) 452
March 19-PS (6:09am) 434, (10:09am) 215, PS (5:48pm) 508
March 20-PS (6:00am) 494, (3:36) 407 , PS (5:30pm) 408
March 21-PS (6:06am) 507, PS (6:00pm) 477
March 22-PS (6:18am) 530, (8:47am) 370, PS (5:35pm) 472
March 23-PS (6:03am) 483

Diet: Fancy Feast, Friskies, and 9-Lives- any variety on J&B's list that were low carb. Because of the other cats, he still has access to dry food. Right now he's only eating a little bit of it, but it was the IAMS multi-cat with 25 carbs (better than some of the others...) He eats canned food about 4 times a day. Only about 2-3 ounces each time (sometimes if that... he's starting to get finicky).

Other info: He's 7, kinda lazy, but overall doesn't seems to be acting weird. He still jumps on everything. Water intake... haven't mastered keeping track of that, but he does drink more than the other cats. Litter box... let's just say I should have taught them how to use a toilet! I have 3 boxes, all get changed daily.

Bottom line, I'm in this for Tommy. My vet wants us to keep him posted on everything. I don't mind paying for medicine, but I'm already charging that. I would prefer not to keep running to different vets just to be told something I've already researched myself. If something goes wrong, believe me, he'll get rushed in to the vet asap, but I feel like since I am home testing now, we might do ok.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice. I'm so glad I found this place! (So is my vet!!)

Christina and Tommy
 
Re: Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggesti

Hi Christine and Tommy,

Lantus is a good insulin. It does require a pretty steady schedule of shots every 12 hours because it builds up a shed. (I assume you have read all the stickies on the Lantus support group that explain all this.) It should hit less hard than the N, last longer and give more even numbers over the cycle.

However, I am surprised your numbers are still so high with the N. My guess is the dry food. When we changed Oliver from dry to wet, his numbers came down 100 points overnight. It makes an enormous difference. It is hard to switch all your cats over from wet to dry, but it can be done. Many moms here with multiple cats have made the switch. Have we given you Dr. Lisa's site: www.catinfo.org? She has great tips for transitioning. With some cats, even a few dry treats daily have kept them in high numbers because they are so carb sensitive.

One thing that Dr. Lisa really likes is FortiFlora:

Fortiflora per Dr Lisa
Try a product called FortiFlora. Most cats LOVE FortiFlora and this has recently become my favorite trick. This is a probiotic made by Purina but you are not going to use it for its probiotic properties. You are just going to use it as a flavor enhancer. The base ingredient in FortiFlora is animal digest - the very substance that makes dry food so very enticing to cats. The directions say to use 1 package/day - and you can use this much if you want to - but this amount is not usually necessary. You may only need ~1/4 of a package - or less - with part mixed into the food and part sprinkled on top of the food just as you would use salt and pepper on your own food.

You can get it online or sometimes from your vet. Some people have gotten it from the vets at PetSmart. It does not require any kind of a prescription.
 
Re: Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggesti

I actually looked for the FortiFlora yesterday. I went to a few local pet stores, but no one had it. I did look online, but wasn't sure if that was the only place to get it. Online I believe it averaged $20 a box. Sound right?

I did read the stickies and Dr. Lisa's info. I have read so much information in the last 2 weeks, that I almost spin in circles with all the info. I've owned cats my entire life and can't believe how much I didn't know- especially about their diet....

Thanks so much!
Christina and Tommy
 
Re: Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggesti

today's numbers....
March 23-PS: 483, +2: 339,
 
Re: Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggesti

That sounds about right. I would buy the smallest package possible to start, just to be sure it will work. You might ask your vet also if he has a source.

My sweet Oliver never met a can of cat food he didn't treasure, so I never had to use it....
 
Re: Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggesti

tommytn said:
I actually looked for the FortiFlora yesterday. I went to a few local pet stores, but no one had it. I did look online, but wasn't sure if that was the only place to get it. Online I believe it averaged $20 a box. Sound right?
Click to expand...


FortiFlora is a veterinary prescription only product. You won't find it in any pet store. You can either buy it from the vet or from online pet supply places. PetFoodDirect.com and Amazon.com are two places.

Here's the product info for FortiFlora: http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/Product/FortiFloraCatNutritionalSupplements.aspx

You can also use crumbled up freeze dried meat treats or freeze dried RAW on top of food to entice a cat to eat. Powdered stinky cheese and tuna juice (the water type, not oil) also works.

I want to suggest that you create a profile document for your cat's info and a spreadsheet for your cat's blood glucose levels. Neither are mandatory but are very helpful for future questions and advice :smile:

There are two ways to create a profile, as posted here http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36698

Here's the spreadsheet instruction sticky http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18207
 
Re: Tommy is ready to get off Humulin N. In need of suggesti

I'm new at this, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt... but as long as the diet is staying the same and you're still using Humulin-N, I would definitely consider upping the dosage to 3 units (if PS numbers are still as high). And test at +5, to make sure the nadir numbers aren't too low. I would guess your kitty doesn't drop below 200 over the course of the day right now, so a higher dosage should be safe.
 
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