? Confused Newbie With Unexpectedly Low Numbers

Hi, stayed up till 1am last night reading through posts and information on this site, and hoping someone here can help clue me in on what's happening with Snickers.

Her numbers started out in the 400 and 500s at diagnosis, but quickly dropped starting 1 unit of Lantus twice a day. I filled out that chart and I think I added it correctly to my signature, but let me know if it's not working.

So I think first this forum likes pertinent info, right?

Snickers was diagnosed with diabetes 2 weeks ago. We've had her almost 7 months (previously a barn cat). She is overweight but has lost weight with dieting over the last couple months, but she has not lost any more weight I'm aware of since starting the insulin.

She only eats Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Rabbit canned wet food 1/2-3/4 can twice a day. Before diagnosis she ate the same wet food twice a day plus a very small amount of the Instinct LID Rabbit dry food, about 1/4 cup every 3 days, more of a snack. Since diagnosis I have taken it away, only the canned food now.

I track at home with the Alpha Trak 2. So 11-19-19 about 3 hours after her injection of 1 unit of Lantus her numbers dropped to 66. I was worried so gave her a few treats. An hour and a half later it was at 92. Pre-shot evening it was only at 130. Vet said to skip the dose and cut her Lantus to .5 after testing the next morning.

The next morning pre-shot number was 151. I gave her .5 and it went down to 83 an hour later. That was the lowest it got all day. Pre-shot evening was 185. I gave .5 units of Lantus.

This morning pre-shot is 112. During the night I checked her twice at she was around 72 both times. I skipped this morning's shot, and gave her some food. I've just checked her after eating about half her food, and her number is now at 76. Doesn't glucose go up after you eat?

I did use the control solution with my Alpha Trak and it claims to be reading accurately.

My vet and everything I've read says it's way too early for remission. My vet is great, and totally open to suggestions and new ideas, and I don't think she understands why Snickers numbers have dropped so quickly over just 2 weeks at such a low dose.

Is it possible she's going into remission this fast? I don't understand either. Does she need less than .5 units? .5 seems like almost nothing as it is. I don't get what's going on. Thanks for any and all help! Questions and direction are welcomed!

 

Welcome to you and Snickers! It looks like you guys are doing a great job so far! It might be good to also post this in the lantus forum as not many of the members regularly check the main forum. Here’s the link

www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-basaglar-glargine-and-levemir-detemir.9/

Although the Instinct limited ingredient is a little higher carb than is recommended, it is certainly much lower carb than the dry food, so it’s possible that completely removing the dry food and losing some weight is having an impact on Snickers’ blood glucose. And though 0.5 units feels like nothing, there are actually some even smaller doses! The lantus users will be able to give you some feedback on that

 

Thanks Sophie. I'll repost in the Lantus forum as well.

 

Do you know if the Instinct Ultimate Protein Rabbit is lower in carbs than their Limited Ingredient Diet? Snickers had months and months of stomach trouble when we first got her, and the only canned food that made a difference at all was the Instinct LID Rabbit, that's why she gets it. Nothing else worked. We tried medications, steroids, vet prescribed diets, Fancy Feast, all sorts of things. Only the Instinct LID Rabbit helped. But I'd be willing to try a different food by the same brand, as long as there's no poultry in it. (I think that was part of the problem) Thanks!

 

Sophie also has an intolerance to fowl and I used to feed her the ultimate protein but then I switched her to the original because as far as I can tell, those two formulas are exactly the same, except the ultimate protein is more expensive The main difference between ultimate protein/original and the limited ingredient is that they contain pork and the LID does not. The original formula is 6% carb and the LID is 13% I think

 

This is great to know. Thanks so much! She might be okay with pork, it's not something we've tried. I've been trying to figure out how many carbs are in all of them, I wish the companies just put it on the labels. Thanks for your help with this. I might give the original a try.

 

Here’s a link to the food chart many of us use! It is a bit older now so some newer foods may not be on there, but it is great!

https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

Also keep in mind that if you do change foods, it may have an impact on Snickers’ BG so definitely be sure to monitor her numbers

 

Thanks Sara and Soph. Will do!