Weight and muscle gain?

[Teire]

My cat became severly underweight when his diabetes came back (6.6 lbs when his ideal weight is more than 10 lbs; 3 kg when his ideal weight is more than 4.5 kg) and he already had lost muscle mass because of arthritis.
He's slowly gaining more weight (3.3 kg/7.3 lbs as of today),but, is there anything else I can do to help him recover it? Because of his arthritis he doesn't move much, althought he's more active since starting insulin; and he's blind too.

 

[Nancyco*]

I’m wondering the same thing my Bailie has arthritis along with back leg neuropathy. And his muscle in his back legs are almost gone. I’m wanting to know what to do it gain muscle as well. Because he doesn’t move around a lot either

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

When Sheba was first diagnosed she lost a lot of weight and muscle but over time she regained it all and some more. Just feed a high protein diet and that should help. Once the BG become more regulated the weight should improve.
Can you set up a signature for us please so we can find out about Neo?
Have you looked at the 2 dosing methods on the top of the Lantus page? DOSING METHODS
I see you have just recorded 40 at +6. Did you give some high carb food to bring the BGs up higher?
What type of meter are you using?
What type of food are you feeding your kitty?
We recommend giving a couple of snacks during the first half of all the cycles as well as the 2 main meals.
Are you able to get some more tests in during the cycles as your kitty is dropping low on 1 unit and to be safe I would get at least one test in every cycle. He may need a reduction on dose. If you are unable to test at least once every cycle I would reduce the dose to 0.75 units (in line with the SLGS dosing method)

 

[Teire]

would reduce the dose to 0.75

Sadly I can inly reduce by half units, there are no hal unit marked syringes available in my country and is impossible to reduce by 0.25.
He's fed 3 times a day, a low carb wet food, but my father usually gives him some snacks (usually bread). I'm going to reduce his dose and give him 0.5 if he's under 200 pre-shot. Tbh I wasn't very worried when I read that number (I double checked) because he was eating at that momment, it was nadir (so BG was going to increase), showed no symptoms and I knew that my father was going to give him bread too. I've been vigilant anyway. A few days ago he was hypo and had symptoms and I did panick, I tried to reduce to 0.5 next time I gave him insulin but now, looking at the numbers, maybe I thought I was injecting insuline but the syringe wasn't getting any (is difficult to see with such a low dose).
I'm not able to test once every cycle because it'd be 3 am, and he absolutley despises testing.
Edit: his BG rn, at 4:30 pm, is 130 mg/dL

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Please don’t give him bread. It’s not a suitable food for a cat. Can your father give him some cat food instead. Please reduce the dose because of the 40 nadir. If you are only comfortable giving him 0.5 unit that is ok but stay at that dose. Don’t go back up to 1 unit.
At night you can get a before bed test in instead of later.

 

[Teire]

Can your father give him some cat food instead

No, he never gives him cat food, he always gives him either bread or meat or fish, depending on what he's eating, but today we had soup so no meat nor fish.
It wouldn't be the first time we tell him to not feed something to the dog or cats and he does anyway.

Don’t go back up to 1 unit.

I went back because he had an almost 400 peak, but now, looking at the data, I think that maybe the syringe got some air inside and I did not notice, so I actually gave him a lower dose.
2 hours later his BG is 130. I'll reduce to 0.5 and see how it goes.

Edit: I'm actually surpised by his response to insulin, he's only been on it since last friday and there's a 3 cycle stop because of his hypoglycemia and running out of stripes (I wasn't comfortable injecting insulin without testing first)

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Sadly I can inly reduce by half units, there are no hal unit marked syringes available in my country and is impossible to reduce by 0.25.

Are your syringes 0.3ml (they go up to 30 units) or 1.0ml (100 units).
Thanks for getting a spreadsheet up and running.

I found this post. It's a few years old but would give you a starting point.

There are better syringes, you need
BD microfine demi they are available in europe I had to get my local pharmacy to get them

It must be the BD microfine+ demi (this one has half unit markings so you can relatively easily do a 0.25u dose)

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

@Teire
I hope you can get the syringes that Red suggested

 

[Teire]

Are your syringes 0.3ml (they go up to 30 units) or 1.0ml (100 units).
Thanks for getting a spreadsheet up and running.

I found this post. It's a few years old but would give you a starting point.

I've been searching everywhere but strangley these didn't pop up. I have BD microfine but they're 0.5 mL, I'll check where I can get them.
Thanks!

 

[Teire]

Had to give him 1 U because his BG was above 400, is this because of the low numbers earlier today?
If tomorrow morning he's around 200 I'll only give him 0.5 U

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

You need to get the syringes that @Red & Rover (GA) mentioned. The ones you have are too big and make it very difficult to give small doses.
Please go back to 1/2 init. Don’t give 1 unit because it is too much. It is dropping the BG too low. What you are seeing with the 400 is bouncing and that is because he dropped so low in the cycle before. This is normal but does not mean you go back up in dose. You will risk a hypo if you do.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Had to give him 1 U because his BG was above 400,

The dosing is based on how low it takes the cat. Not on how high the cat is at preshot.