Monitoring Cashew's Progress

Hi Everyone,
My 6 year old cat, Cashew was recently diagnosed as a diabetic and we were referred to this website by the vet. As I am working with the veterinarian in figuring out what insulin dosage Cashew should be at, I was hoping to post his progress on here and ask for some feedback from those with diabetic kitties?

Just a quick note- Cashew is very easy going and gentle by nature, so when he flips out or hisses at me- I get worried! (hence on the forum here, reaching out).
I am to give him between 1-2 cans of wet food and 1/4-1/2 cup dry food. Although, we have routine meal times, the food portion varies throughout the day (sometimes he is hungrier more than usual).

He was started off on 2cc of the Lantus insulin and after a week the vet advised me to monitor his sugar levels at home (there had been some confusion because I had been talking to three different vets at the clinic and the home notes sent with Cashew did not specify home-testing throughout the first week). Upon follow-up, the vet advised we increase it to two shots a day (2cc in AM and 1cc in PM) and that I'd do a blood curve this Sunday to see when the lowest point is for Cashew.

27 Feb- 0830 - 18 (Fed 30 minutes before)
27 Feb - 1900 -15.7 - (Fed right after)
28 Feb - 1400- n/a- Meal time
28 Feb - 1700 - 22.6
28 Feb -1930 - 26.3
28 Feb- 2215 - 22.6
03 Mar- 0605 - n/a- Fed - 2cc insulin
04 Mar - 0600 - n/a - Fed - 2cc insulin
05 Mar - 0600 - n/a - Fed - 2cc insulin
06 Mar - 0825 - n/a- Fed - 2cc insulin
07 Mar - 0715 - n/a - Fed - 2cc insulin
08 Mar - 0611 - n/a - Fed - 2cc insulin
09 Mar - 0620- n/a - Fed
09 Mar - 1900 - 22.3 - fed right after- 2cc insulin
09 Mar - 2237 - 18.6 - fed right after- 1cc insulin
10 Mar - 0618 - 17.1 - fed right after- 2cc insulin
10 Mar - 1910 - 26.8 - fed right after - 1cc insulin

I am logging his progress on a daily basis and make notes on any behavioural concerncs. For example, we had a bit of a struggle today getting the reading and had him hissing/spitting at me. I did manage to get a reading with the help of another person but I'd like some guidance (and reassurance) as I feel like there has to be something else I can do to make him better.

He calmed right down after his p.m. 1 cc shot, and I assume he was simply stressed out and wanted to eat when I got home from work. I guess any feedback/thoughts on this-is greatly appreciated. I know I may be asking for too much on a forum.

I have a suspicion I have to regulate his meal portion but I am still not quite sure how to (what is the max I can give him??)

Thank you so much!

Cashew & Nida (cashew's momma)

 

Welcome Cashew and Nida!

I am very new here to so I won't give any advice other than to recommend venturing over into the Lantus forum and start reading all of the information posts. There is a ton of great information there. I am sure some of those knowledgeable enough to start working on Cashew with you and getting everything set up will be along soon. It seems like a few of the Lantus kitties are wanting to dip in the low end tonite so they may be staying over there monitoring those kitties and not catching your post right away.

I do believe they will have much to say about the hard food (bad) and the irregular size of doses for Lantus (not good), but I will let the experts do the advising.

 

Thanks Melanie!

Yes hard food = bad. I e-mailed the Vet his latest readings and looks like we have to increase his dose so for now he is 2cc in AM and 1cc in PM. I will check out the Lantus site pretty soon. I am so glad to find this forum here, thanks again and talk to you soon!

Hi to Smokey

Nida & Cashew

 

Very hopefully you are not really giving 1 or 2 cc of Lantus. Thats enough to kill a kitty. think you mean 1 or 2 units of insulin. Since lantus is a U100 insulin, 1 unit would be 0.01 cc of insulin.

You have recent only preshot BG levels. You also need BG reading in between to determine if the dose should be changed. The real danger is going too low between shot not going too high.

 

Hi Larry,

Yes, you are right sorry- it is 2 units in the AM and then 1 unit in the PM. I have to do monitor his sugar levels (every 3 hours) this weekend so hopefully that will give us a good idea.

Thanks for the post Larry!

Nida