New and THRILLED to have found this forum!

Hello Everyone

What a Godsend this forum is... I can already tell and I have only been here 1/2 an hour!

I am Mom of Tip (or Tippie). He is the oldest, at 13 and a half of 4 cats that call me Mom. We got his diagnosis of diabetes about 7 weeks ago and started on Lantus.

so far it has been going well, but today I checked his glucose was 3.2 and my vet says 3 is the point where I need to give him sugar so honestly I was just poking around to see what information I could find.

My vet started him on 1 unit of Lantus 2 times a day. We have done curves every 2 weeks, and she increased by 1 unit morning and night twice and then last time based on sugars that was 5ish when he should have had his evening shot, she wanted me to decrease by 1/2 unit morning and night.

If that sounds confusing it went like this...
1 unit morning and night
2 weeks later increase to 2 units morning and night
2 weeks later increase to 3 units morning and night
2 weeks later decrease to 2 & 1/2 units morning and night
That's where we are now 7 days from last increase.

When we started- his sugars were above 23 and in just 6 weeks the highest was 13.2 when we did the curve! and that was only once. The rest of the day he stayed 11 and below with a full 7 hours below 8! I was so happy BUT....
my vet says the goal is to keep him between 3 and 8 but THEN she says I have to give him only half a dose if his sugar is below 10 at shot time, which virtually ensures that I can't stay consistent and his sugar spikes too high if I reduce his night dose like that! GAH! so confusing!

Anyway... that's the story of me and Tippie. He has taken pretty well to the shots and tests and I've already lost a lot of my anxiety because I he is feeling so much better! He was even racing around chasing a ball last night! <3

Shelley

 

Hi Shelley and extra sweet Tip! Welcome to the best place you never wanted to be!

As you've discovered, there's a HUGE wealth of information all over this forum! First, head over to the 'Feline Health' forum and read some of the 'stickys' posted there. We also have a forum for Lantus/Levemir users with specific issues dealing that those insulins too.

I do want to share a bit of info for you here. Testing at the vet tends to present higher numbers than what is true in the relaxed, stress-free home. We highly encourage testing at home - vet may say 'no need' or 'buy our animal meter' but neither are true. Most of us here use a human meter - the numbers are a bit different but it's kind of like reading the temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.

We also do increases and decreases in .25 units rather than whole units. That's a huge jump for cats - fine for humans but not cats. Are you using a vial or the Lantus pens?

Sounds like you have a vet with a good understanding of feline diabetes - that's GREAT! Many of us don't have that luxury.

Again - WELCOME. Please ask any question you have - we love questions!

 

Hi Squeaky and KT Thanks for the welcome!
I should have said... Yes I am doing my own testing at home! After the first visit, my vet allows me to do his glucose testing at home and send her the numbers by email (and doesn't charge me for this!) . It is SO wonderful because Tip is very traumatized by his visits there... even more than most cats! My mom was a diabetic, and when she passed last year I kept her diabetic meter and stuff.... don't ask me why... it's not like it had any sentimental value, but I am sure glad I did!

We are using the vial of Lantus and a syringe.

I am very fortunate to have this vet... she is new at the clinic and only in her 20's and already things are being done differently. So refreshing!

OK I am off to do some reading! Thanks again!
Shelley

 

Hello and welcome from me too. Where are you from? The majority of people here on this forum are from the US (I'm in Canada) and they use blood sugar measurements in mg/dL. You basically take your measurements in mmol/L and multiply by 18.

What type of meter are you using at home? The pet meters read a little different than the human ones, so it's good to know which ones your numbers come from.

And what type of food is Tippie eating now? We recommend low carb wet or raw food.

 

Hi Wendy &Neko Thank you for the welcome!!

How nice to find a fellow Canadian right off the bat! I am in Canada as well... in New Brunswick. Where are you?

I am using an Aviva accu chek- it was my mom's and I kept it after she passed, a year ago. Never imagined I would need it. I just hate to throw stuff out!

Tippie WAS on Urinary SO (Royal Canin) because of urinary crystal when he was younger. But I have been successful in switching him over to Friskies pates. The others still eat a little dry food, but he is completely on wet. I leave it down and let him graze 24 hours because he will vomit if he eats more than a little at a time. The vomiting thing has been all of his life, not just recently.

I am going to do another glucose curve today because I spot checked him this morning and he was 8.2 ... so I gave him his usual insulin and we'll see what happens over the day.

Truthfully with his numbers coming down so nicely I am quite hopeful that we will have a remission.

Shelley