Blackie newly diagnosed cat

Hi All!
Blackie was diagnosed 2 months ago. Started Lantus at 2 units, then 3, then 4. Numbers running in 400-500. Vet tests a fasting number once a week or more. Switched to Purina DM one month ago. Just purchased wet food today. Vet switched to Novolun Thursday. I’m thinking I should go back to Lantus ???? I’m just confused about what to do. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Welcome! Lantus is one of the best insulin’s for diabetic cats. There is lots of great info in the yellow stickies at the top of the page in the Lantus forum. Check them out, and post either in that forum or the Main Health forum for lots more help. Hope to see you there!
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

 

Hi and welcome Sherry and Blackie to the best place you never wanted to be. It is a whole new learning process when you get the diabetes diagnosis, and there is lots of information and support here to help you get Blackie in balance and feeling better.

I second Sharon14's opinion of Lantus use. It's a "depot" insulin, in that a little is used right away, and some then is stored in the body to be used later, creating a long lasting gentle effect. Novolin, on the other hand, is a harsher, fast acting, insulin but usually does not last the 12 hour cycle between shots.

I would definitely recommend that you read about Lantus in the insulin support group forum HERE. A usual starting dose of Lantus is 0.5 to 1 Unit, and we recommend that increases are done in 0.25 unit increments so that a best dose is not bypassed. Too much insulin can look like not enough, especially if the kitty is only being tested at the vet once a week. That's only one number and vet wasn't seeing the whole picture of how the insulin was working for a 12 hour cycle, or how low the dose was actually taking the blood sugar. Unfortunately we see this scenario a lot, and raising the dose to high levels just doesn't work out very well. Plus, it's expensive to test once a week at the vet's and stressful for kitty which can also raise blood sugar quite a bit.

Changing the diet to a low carb wet diet is good for our sugar cats, but that can alter/lower the blood sugar quite significantly, and if you are injecting insulin (whatever dose but especially a high dose) you need to transition very gradually and be home testing the blood sugar to help prevent a hypoglycemic event (very low/too low blood sugar).

We can help you learn to home test Blackie's blood sugar, choose a nutritional low carb canned food, provide diet transition tips and get you some very experienced, knowledgeable advice and input from veteran members.

I would really like you to start a new thread in the Main Health forum so that more members can meet you and Blackie, and we can begin providing the basic information so that you can make informed decisions about Blackie's treatment. Main Health forum link. This Intro forum is basically only the welcome mat and the Main Health forum is more heavily monitored so that members can be of assistance. You can simply copy your message here, start a new thread there and paste your message.

We all started at the beginning, Sherry, many of us not knowing much about diabetes at all, especially feline diabetes. We can and will help.

 

Thank you so much. I'm going keep Lantus for now and start all over .

 

Omg you e been so helpful. I've posted in new forum. I really need this group to take charge and help my best bud Blackie.