Need help with Vetsulin dosing ASAP please!

I have not been on in years. But I'm giving my neighbor's cat his insulin while she is away for Thanksgiving.

Her cat is about 12 lbs and maybe 12y old, has been diabetic for about a year. Apparently not totally regulated and she does NOT do daily BG readings . (I gave her my old glucometer...she does take him to the vet every so often for curves)

Her other neighbor could not get a shot in tonight apparently (I am supposed to start tomorrow morning)

Apparently she gives her cat 5 U of Vetsulin 2x day. So 10U a day.

I don't know Vetsulin, but if this was Lantus, this would be an EXTREMELY RIDICULOUSLY HIGH amount!!!! Maybe her cat is doing Somagyi day after day and no one is capturing it. The fact that he tries to get away from the shot is fairly telling imho.

Thoughts? I might run over there right now for the evening shot (but part of me thinks I can't possibly give him this much)

I did ask her if I could lower his dose while she was away because I felt uncomfortable with such a high dose. She was ok with it.

She is also feeding him the DM/MD food . I told her she could give him a better quality low carb food...

anyway, please give me your advice on Vetsulin and dosing...

thank you!

 

I'd be scared to death to give that much, especially as a cat-sitter. We can't know how well the kitty will eat when the regular caretaker is gone and especially with Vetsulin, that's a risk I wouldn't take.

She gave you permission to reduce the dose....I'd do it!!

Are you going to be testing while you're there?

 

yes, I am going to test--using OLD test strips--liek YEARS old--but better than nothing

I was just on the VEtsulin page reading their recs, and yes, it appears that dosing is similar to Lantus--starting at ~1U and increasing in teeny increments...and also that It has a fast aggressive lowering effect--which Lantus does not tend to have. So this makes 5U BID even scarier! I would bet that this kitty is in Somgyi all the time...

 

I would too

 

I answered similarly on your Vetsulin forum thread. That dose is scary high. If that food is kibble that's probably what's saving the kitty.

 

Yes, I have him for the next 4d. So I will be conservative and be doing continuous curves and hopefully I can figure out a safe dosing for him by then. Last thing I had time to worry about though!

So this morning I went there so it was about +24h (after that 5U dose the morning before.) His BG was +264! Great number and helping to prove the assumption...Also, apparently normally all the food is gone from both bowls by the morning. There was food leftover. So my guess is that this its he first night he hasn't gone into hypo and then ravenously eaten whatever he could find.

So I gave him a 0.75 U shot. Decided to start VERY conservative. I assume that there is a 'shed' with Vetsulin? I'm about to go back now at +6 to test him. So we will see. I am giving him bits of Pill Pockets to bribe him to come to me, hopefully those are so small, not going to have much of an effect on him.

Any feedback is appreciated. I"ll report the +6 number.

Can someone please remind me how I do the online spreadsheet thing? (I will also post same thing in Vetsulin group)

 

OK here is the update:
+24 (previous 5U Vetsulin) - 264 amPS - gave 0.75U
+06 203

There was half the food from breakfast still there. (he's on the diabetics Hllls Canned--D/M or is it M/D)

So he dropped a bit, not a huge amount. Is he going to be sensitive because of the likely year of continued hypos?

What should my next dose be, assuming it's going to be a PS in the 200s range? I'm thinking just 1 unit and hold him there for next few days, depending on PS numbers...

thank you for all your help!

 

Just an FYI in case this was of interest. I was using really old test strips because that's all I had. I assumed they would be somewhat accurate. But apparently not.

Tonight I went out and bought the CVS Health Advanced Glucose Monitor and also used the Precision Xtra with 6y old test strips.

My number with the Precision was 205 and the number with the CVS AGM was 397!
I don't know what the feedback on the CVS one is, but I got it cuz it was the cheapest one and I had to buy test strips too and they were most affordable.

 

For those following, there is another thread on the Vetsulin forum that is more active.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/need-help-with-vetsulin-dosing-please.206814/

 

Everyone should be lucky enough to have a pet sitter like you! So wonderful how you're going above and beyond.

 

You are so sweet, thank you. Yes, I wish I had a pet sitter like me! haha