Can insulin cause rapid breathing?

My newly diagnosed cat has been on Lantus for exactly a week now. The vet prescribed 2 units, 2/day, and I've switched her over to a low carb food. Her BG levels have been somewhat erratic which I'm guessing is due to her adjusting to the insulin. In the last couple of days, her pre-injection BG is typically around 230, and her nadir BG is around 120.

I noticed since the first day of insulin injections that she seems to be breathing more rapidly. I can only tell when she's lying on her side b/c I can see her side raising and lowering in a prounounced way (does this mean she's breathing more deeply or shallowly?). She doesn't otherwise seem to be in any distress, no panting or anything. But she's also been lying in her bed a lot more since the injections began, and now I'm wondering if it's b/c she's too short of breath to do anything else. Has anyone else experienced or heard of this in connection w/ starting insulin or this a coincidence and she likely has some other problem in addition to diabetes?

 

My newly diagnosed cat has been on Lantus for exactly a week now. The vet prescribed 2 units, 2/day, and I've switched her over to a low carb food. Her BG levels have been somewhat erratic which I'm guessing is due to her adjusting to the insulin. In the last couple of days, her pre-injection BG is typically around 230, and her nadir BG is around 120.


how much testing are you doing besides ps and Nadir? and what do you consider her nadir to be?
( what food did you switch her to? to note: by changing both food and starting insulin at same time please get many spot checks as a change to low carb canned diet can cause a big decrease in the need for insulin)

does she have a hx of any other medical issues?

have you counted her respirations?
The Cornell Book of Cats :
"To determine the breathing rate or respiration,watch the cat's chest movement. Count either inhalations or exhalations (not both) for one minute."

normal respirations are 20-30/minute per Cornell.

I have never heard of lantus causing any problems like this unless a cat is going too low. Which is why I asked what testing you have been doing.

Please post back and let us know how she is doing !

 

I can't see how it might be directly related to the Lantus, but regardless, you need to take your kitty to the vet today for a chest x-ray. If you feel she's breathing differently, I'm sure she is and you need to find out why ASAP. She could have a primary respiratory problem (like asthma), which is very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous, or she could have fluid building up in or around her lungs (called pleural effusion or pulmonary edema) which can be fatal past a certain point. She needs the vet today, and a chest x-ray today. Please keep us posted.

 

Also a possible sign of ketones...

 

I noticed my cat breathing "different" on the prozinc....funny you should say this. Dont know if it is the insulin until we rule out other things (heart, lung problems).....I am taking him for a chest xray next week.

 

As Jen says, rapid breathing can be a sign of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (any acidosis, actually), and that is a potential emergency. You can check quickly at home for verification, and if you see these signs, get thee to a vet hospital now:

1) Pick up "ketone strips" at your local drugstore and dip one in kitty's pee. More than 'trace' is a vet emergency in a diabetic, especially if cat is lethargic or doesn't want to get up.
2) Check if breath smells fruity or acetone (nail-polish) like
3) Check for dehydration -- pull up skin at scruff and see if it snaps back immediately. If not, dehydration is present and DKA is a big risk.

If you're giving insulin but not hometesting blood glucose, there's a good chance you're either giving not enough (leading to possible DKA), or too much (possible hypoglycemia), so getting a glucose meter from the local drugstore is a good start in any case.

 

We tried switching to Levemir on day two (cycle 3) Fiona was panting continuously. She also was having a bout of cystitis. An hour+ after pain meds were given, her breathing slowed down and many hours later was normal. Still not sure if it was the Lev or cystitis pain. To be safe we switched back to Lantus ASAP. My vet checked and issues with breathing can arise on Lev (probably in humans since not much data in cats). She's had other bouts of cystitis without problems breathing. She hasn't had any incidents like this on Lantus or since.