Hi everyone, So my cat Little B is just starting on Caninsulin (Vetsulin) and the vet has asked me to give him 2 units twice a day. However with it being the weekend, I'm a little anxious about starting him off on that dose and I've had a couple of people tell me to start on 1u twice a day instead. I'm not sure what to do so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hopefully others with more experience can also help you out. I'm fairly new as well. The go to starting dose for Vetsulin is 1u twice a day. It's awesome you are prepared to home test. Try to set up a spreadsheet to add to your signature and keep track of the pre-shoot test number - how much your dose is - and any curves you can manage. That will help everyone see how your kitty is reacting to the insulin and can give better advice. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/ Check out the Vetsulin yellow sticky (introduction to this insulin and what to expect) and the stickies in the main health forum. I think they have a great post about what to do if your kitty drops too low. It is better to be a bit too high than to drop too low.
Setting up a spreadsheet now. Not going to be able to test as often as I'd like to begin with as my little man really reacts badly to the process. I've already read all that info but thanks for suggesting it anyway. If no-one else chimes in about his dosage then I think I'll start him on 1u anyway just to be on the safe side.
People have found all different ways to get their kitties used to testing. Some cats learn that they get a treat after and become complaint. (freeze dried chicken - purebites) (bonito flakes) This video is great to show how to get your kitty used to testing/injections. My cat has to be distracted and treats don't last long enough, so I have to test while he is eating his main food. He loves eating and even though he dislikes me poking his ears (multiple times) he likes to eat more. He doesn't make it easy as he constantly moves his head or flattens his ears back, but most days I can eventually get a drop. I try to use a square cotton pad to put a little pressure on it to stop the bleeding after and to prevent bruising. If there is no food to distract, he will hiss and bite and run away. Some can wrap their kitties in towels, but mine is 18.3 lbs of mostly muscle so he is a bit too strong for that. Not sure what to do if you don't have a food motivated cat.
We would recommend a starting dose of 1u. Not only do you have no idea how Little B will react to the insulin but you are also still getting Little B used to testing. Insulin is not a drug...it's a hormone and while it's totally unintuitive, sometimes too much insulin can look just the same as too little. Far safer to start off low and work up slowly at small increments to avoid missing the best dose for Little B. When the starting dose is too high, it often lengthens the time it takes to find the optimal dose.
I went with 1u as recommended by people on here. His BG was 18mmol this morning so I decided it was far safer to go with the low dose, especially as it's the weekend and help isn't so readily available. Am now monitoring him closely to see how he reacts.
