Figuring out an injection schedule

Hi! Brand new member with a very newly-diagnosed cat. I have not started injections yet because my vet wanted to give it a few days for me to switch over completely to wet food. I will probably start giving 2 injections a day on Monday or Tuesday.

That being said, what is stressing me out the most is figuring out what time I should feed/give injections. I am a busy 25 year old who works slightly unusual hours. How important is it to be exact with whatever schedule I choose? Do I have an hour or so of variability in timing? What do you do when you go away? I am 100% committed to making this work with my life for the health of my cat...I just need some more information.

Thank you!!!

 

Different insulins have different degrees of flexibility wrt dose timing. In general the "in and out" insulins - those where the dose is gone at the end of a 12 hour dosing interval - allow up to an hour leeway plus or minus. These insulins include Vetsulin (caninsulin is another name), Novolin and ProZinc. The depot insulins like Lantus and Levemir build up a depot under the skin that acts like a time release mechanism and work best on a fairly strict 12/12 hour schedule. Deviating from that interferes with the size of the depot and can act like a small dose increase or decrease.

Travelling can be a challenge. People do various things from taking kitty with them to training a friend or family member to give shots to leaving kitty at the vet. Often a slightly lowered dose is given when the owner is away to safeguard against hypo incidents.

Insulin choice is made on the basis of:

1. Cost: Vetsulin/Caninsulin/Novolin are cheaper but harsher acting and of generally shorter duration. Many cats do well on those though.
2. What works for the owners schedule (see above).
3. What agrees with the kitty. Not all insulins work equally well in all kitties.

Keep asking ...

 

The depot insulin (Lantus and Levemir) work best with 12/12 hour dosing (within 15 minutes is best).
The other good insulin, which is a pet-only insulin, ProZinc, tolerates well a larger window for dosing. An hour would be fine

 

My buddy Lou is on Vetsulin, which is one of the in-and-out insulins. My schedule can include longer days at times (13-14 hours) , so I can't always get him right on 12-hour cycles. He has never had any problems with an hour off here and there. When I'm working the long days, I have been able to be 2 - 2.5 hours late without problems. Obviously sometimes he is a little higher or lower than I would expect, but it doesn't take long to bring him back since there is no insulin depot to worry about. So for me and my schedule, the shorter-acting insulin is better simply for the ability to be flexible.

ETA: I do still try to stick as close to my regular shooting schedule as possible, so he's still relatively regular. When I'm late the night before, I'll still try to get him back to his regular time the next morning and continue from there. My late days very rarely occur more than once a week, so I am also lucky in that I can keep him on a 12-hour cycle most days.

 

I hear ya! Schedule was my #1 issue and it continues to be. I have a crazy, unpredictable work schedule and there are some days where I just can't do the 12/12 thing. Sometimes I'm an hour late, occasionally I had to miss a dose entirely because I just couldn't get home. I did find an awesome cat sitter who is familiar with blood glucose testing and giving insulin. She helps me a lot when I'm in a jam and have to travel or be away from home for longer than 12 hours.

I say do the very best you can to maintain 12/12 scheduling but give yourself some grace if you can't do it one day every now and then. My kitty is getting close to remission and I have been far from perfect with the timing.