Newly diagnosed - question about eating before insulin

Hi, my 12 year old boy was just diagnosed yesterday. His BG is in the 500 range and the vet prescribed Lantus, which I picked up yesterday, but I'm afraid to start the injections. She told me to inject him 30 minutes after eating, but he is a grazer and he wouldn't eat when I put his food down this morning. He only eats a few bites at a time, every couple hours. Is it okay to give him the insulin if he hasn't eaten in several hours? Or should I try to get him on a regular eating schedule first? He eats mostly Science Diet dry and maybe a teaspoon of canned food. Thanks.
New diabetic cat mom,
Jane

 

Lantus takes a few hours before it takes effect, so as long as you are sure he's going to eat during that time (that is, no signs of nausea or general inappetence), it'd be fine to give insulin.

That said, to really be certain that it is safe to shoot, you would want to make sure that his blood glucose isn't too low at the time of the shot. We are big advocates of home-testing blood glucose-- it seems totally scary and un-doable at first, but it's quite simply the best way to keep your kitty safe when administering insulin.

We also recommend switching to a low-carb diet, but not before you have home-testing down-- switching to low-carb can dramatically reduce insulin needs, so you really need to be testing for safety when you make the switch.

Glad you are here, ask any questions you like! And, Sebastien (I'm assuming that's your cat's name) is a cutie!

 

I should have asked: what is the prescribed dosage? (we've been seeing a rash of too-high initial dosing recently, not sure why)

 

The prescribed dosage is 1 unit BID. I'm just so nervous about giving him his first dose when he hasn't eaten and then have to leave for work. I'm thinking I'll try to start on Saturday so I'll be around to monitor the situation at least. Also, I think I'll call the vet tomorrow and see what she says. So glad for the support on this site. Thank you!

 

To reassure you, 1U bid is a perfectly reasonable starting dose!

You don't to wait too long, esp. with the numbers that high, but I agree with not wanting to shoot the very first dose and then, say, leave for work for 8-10hrs! Plus, it's a good idea to have a chat with the vet. Good luck!

 

Welcome to FDMB! Sebastian is adorable!

Nan is right, home testing your kitty's blood glucose levels is really the only way to make sure he stays safe. It's really not as complicated and daunting as it may seem, it just takes a bit of practice to become proficient at it. There are pet meters on the market, most notably the AlphaTrak2, but they are expensive and the test strips for them are really pricey and not readily available. A lot of us here use human meters, the Walmart Relion brand is probably the most popular. The meter itself is about $15-$16 and the test strips are $35.88/100, for the Relion Confirm or Micro. The Relion Prime is even less than that.

 

Welcome
Such a cute face! Glad to hear a new member that was recommended a proper starting dose . Nan has given you some awesome intro advice, ask any questions. We are a support group for kitty and YOU!

 

It's day 3 since diagnosis and I finally got Sebastian to eat in the morning and just gave him his first dose of insulin. I'm so relieved and happy. Thank you everyone!

 

Hurray! Feel free to come here for advice any time.