Biscuit - Rem for 5 yrs back on insulin

Hi all... wish I wasn't here looking for updated information but we've had 5 good BG years so I guess that's a plus.

Trying to learn what has changed and what has not. We have a new vet and this time around they put Biscuit on Novolin N vs Lantus so trying to read up on that.

Luckily Biscuit is our easy going orange tabby so testing is "easier" than any of our other cats would be but still hard getting back into the swing of things. We were down to testing every 6 months. Unfortunately Biscuit is older now, 16 years old, so not sure how much of a difference that will make and he is already on low carb wet food twice a day with no dry food. We mostly use 9 lives pate with Carbs under 7% but looking to maybe change (after insulin gets started, don't want to make too many changes right off) to something higher in protein as he has lost some weight.

Any suggestions on what to read up on are appreciated. We've been down the Hypo route before so I'm already prepared for that.

Thanks alot and sorry to be here .
Biscuit's mom - Shannon

 

Hi and welcome Shannon and Biscuit. I'm sorry to read that Biscuit has dropped out of remission. You probably at least vaguely remember the sugar dance and we will do whatever we can to help you get back into practice.

I am wondering why vet recommended Novolin this time, it's a harsher, fast acting insulin with less duration than Lantus and there are alternatives besides the Lantus too: Levemir and Prozinc, and all three seem to work better for cats.

We presently have a couple of new/newer members here who started out with Novolin and after reading information and posts here, decided to switch to use a gentler insulin with better duration. You may want to explore some of the possibilities and see what you think will work best for you and Biscuit. If cost is a factor, you can get your Rx for either Lantus or Levemir and get the insulin from Canada (Marks Marine Pharmacy) at 1/3 to 1/2 price. We can provide more info on that if you are interested. Prozinc is available online at Chewy.com and is usually less cost than purchasing from a veterinary clinic.

Just to set up a bit of housekeeping, please create a signature and set up a spreadsheet so that Biscuit's information, plus the insulin and testing data are available when you post.

Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what she eats/any other meds or health issues she has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the country/time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.

Setting up a spreadsheet like the one we use here will help you see how the trends and patterns emerge, and members can review her progress before offering suggestions or advice:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/

Going forward, you can post questions, concerns and issues in the Main Health forum HERE. This intro forum is only the welcome mat and more members monitor the Main forum in order to be of assistance.

There is a wealth of information in the FAQs forum, from the Hypo information, a document just for new members HERE to the Index of valuable information covering a wide range of topics.

Best wishes as you relearn the steps to the sugar dance, and hopefully with luck and grace, Biscuit can attain remission again.

 

Hi Shannon and Biscuit. Sorry you are back, but you are in the best place.
Five years OTJ is good.......we had 2 1/2 years.
Sounds as if you are pretty organised....but there have probably been a few new things or updates since you were last here.
Here is a link to the food list by Lisa Pierson. Not sure which country you are in so you can choose from this list
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/links-to-food-charts.174182/

Also just wanted to comment on the insulin your vet put Biscuit on.
Novolin N is one of the older insulins and has a harsher onset and shorter duration compared to Lantus which is a longer acting and gentler insulin. Personally I would ask to swap over to Lantus if I were you.
You might like to read the FAQ page as well
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/health-links-faqs-about-feline-diabetes.14/

This is just the welcome page so when you are ready, pop on over to the main health page and posting questions.