Need help with Lantus

Roma has been on Caninsulin since April 2016,as you can see from his spreadsheet the insulin doesn't work on him.That is why I've decided to switched him to Lantus.I need some advice with dosage and how many times a day I have to inject him?Currently hi is on 0.75U of Caninsulin twice a day,his weight approximately 3.800 kg.
My current vet clinic is hopeless,so that is why I'm thinking to change them.
Would be very appreciate for any ideas!Thanks a lot.

 

Hi Oksana, usually Lantus has to be administrated twice a day and it starts with smallest dose but I'm not an expert to say exactly how much.
Here you can find experince people.
Please, give advice to Oksana.
@Wendy&Neko
@Sandy and Black Kitty
@Gill & George
@Nan & Amber
@Bobbie And Bubba

 

Hi Oksana
I would also recommend putting a ? in the title of your thread - that gets people's attention
In the meantime, why don't you look at this thread where the topic of a starting dose was discussed yesterday http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...tus-and-need-pros-advice.172494/#post-1887595 Have you looked at the stickies at the top of the page?

 

So sorry, I am just getting on the board now I am not sure what would be a good starting dose for Roma as the dosing has changed up frequently. Some of the veteran users of Lantus should be on later and be able to help you with a starting dose .

 

Hi and Welcome. I see Roma is eating dry food so you would need to follow the Start Low Go Slow protocol. Since you have data it's usually recommended to do a 1:1 dose switch. So if Roma is on .75u current and I see that has brought some blue numbers then that's what you would start with. You'll need to be able to monitor at least every 3 hours for the first 24 hours as some kitties have a marked response with an insulin change. Please read the stickies and let us know what questions you have.

Lantus is a depot insulin so it is dosed every 12 hours. Dosing is also based on how low they go not the preshot so it will be a different mindset for you. Post often, there are many people to help!

 

I agree with the start dose of 0.75 Lantus. Because the dose adjustments for Lantus are based on how low the insulin takes the kitty, you will need to get those pre-shot tests to make sure it is safe to give the insulin, and it would be best to try to get more mid-cycle tests when you can to check how low he is going on the dose.

 

I've red the "Start Low Go Slow" and didn't understand do i need decrease/increase dose according to nadir numbers by 0.5U or 0.25U ?

 

You would make increases and decreases in increments of .25

 

Hello and welcome. We started on Caninsulin and it also didn't last long enough so switched to Lantus.
I agree with the others. A 0.75 unit dose is a good start, though I expect you may have to eventually increase. Typically we suggest holding the same initial dose for 5-7 days for the Lantus depot to build. Unless he stays in high/flat numbers or gets ketones. Are you ketone testing regularly?

Have you got the U-100 syringes? You'll need to change to thsoe syringes for giving Lantus.

With the SLGS method, you would ncrease by 0.25 units (if needed) after holding the same dose for a week, doing a curve, and seeing where the nadirs land. You decrease by 0.25 units if he goes below 90 on any given dose.

 

It looked like you're feeding Roma a canned food diet? Is the information in your signature correct? If so, you have the option of either the Tight Regulation Protocol or Start Low Go Slow as your strategy for dosing. From the names of what food, I'm guessing you're not in the US. Where are you located?

It doesn't look to me like the Cannisulin wasn't "working" -- it looks like Roma wasn't getting good duration. Frankly, Caninsulin isn't the best insulin for cats for just this reason. I suspect you will like Lantus a great deal more.

 

Thank you for the explanation!Yes,I have U-100 syringes.One more question.Should I give the insulin cold straight from a fridge or need to wait for some time?

 

We are located in the UK.

 

It's fine to use the insulin right out of the fridge. You're giving such a small amount it is unlikely to make a difference.

Thanks for the location. Sometimes it makes a difference when it comes to locating supplies and we do have a member (Gil/George) who's in Europe and can help with where to find things.

As long as what you're feeding Roma is low carb canned food, you have the option of either method for dosing. TR has the advantage of having been researched and published in a leading vet journal. It has a strong record for getting cats in remission. SLGS has been used here for quite some time (prior to TR) and has a good track record. It's not as aggressive as TR. Personally, I used TR with my kitty and worked full time and was very comfortable with having a set of guidelines for how to handle dosing.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Should I leave some time between injecting the insulin and give a meal to Roma?

 

No, most of us do the preshot test, feed, then inject insulin - all within about 10-15 minutes. It's also OK if Roma doesn't eat all her food right away. You have a couple of hours before Lantus onsets, unlike Caninsulin where you want them to eat most of their food right away.

 

Ok,that is clear to me now,thanks!Roma it's him,he is a boy.What I have to do about his starving all the time?Most of the time he sits next to the kitchen door,waits for food.Do you think it will be better when his level of sugar will come to normal?

 

Oops, sorry boy. When I started here, people kept on calling my girl a him.

The "starving" will get better when his numbers improve. I wasn't blood testing at first when Neko was on Caninsulin, but I could tell when it was wearing off because she'd start howling for food for a few hours before the next shot. Lantus tends to last longer, so you will not have those big swings and drops in numbers, which will help. You can also feel multiple small meals. I found that spreading food out also helped Neko feel better. It's best to feed most of the food in the first half of the cycle when the insulin is stronger, but just having a couple extra meals per cycle really helped me and Neko.

 

It's OK!I feed Roma 5 times a day with bigger amount of meal after the injections and smaller in between.How many times do you feed Neko?