Newbie

Greetings! Obviously I am new to all of this. My cat B'uno was diagnosed with diabetes about a month ago. He has been responding very well to the insulin from my vet. My problem is that I am on a fixed income and the price for the insulin is pretty steep. My question is can I substitute Humalog (a human insulin) without endangering the life of my cat?

 

Hello Bill exactly what type of humalog insulin is your fur child using? Also what are you feeding are you testing his sugars? Welcome to the group you will find these people to be knowledgeable and willing to help.

 

Only if you want to dose a very small amount of Humalog every 4 hours. It is a very fast acting insulin, too fast for cats unless frequently dosed.

 

He's not using any at the moment. I'm just searching to see if I can use it. He is currently eating Purina DM but I will be switching to a low-carb 100% canned food diet. And yes I am home testing.

 

He's not using any at the moment. I'm just searching to see if I can use it. He is currently eating Purina DM but I will be switching to a low-carb 100% canned food diet. And yes I am home testing.

 

Are his BG numbers very high? If not, it's possible that a diet change will have a big effect on how much insulin he may need. It always seems more pricey at first, but if only small doses are needed, that helps.

 

Initial BG was over 500. It is now around 150-160.

 

So it dropped that much with just the diet change? If so, he could drop into normal range with just getting him on a very low/no carb food.

 

No, he is on insulin. 2 units twice a day.

 

I think that was the confusion. What kind of insulin is he currently on?

 

He is currently on Lantus

 

Sorry, I guess I don't understand, is he currently getting insulin injections? If so what type? Lantus, PZI, Caninsulin, ProZinc?

 

If I understand correctly, he is currently on Lantus, 2 u BID, but his question to the board was if he could use Humalog, as it is cheaper.

 

Welcome to FDMB, the best place you never wanted to be.

There are 4 things you'll need to manage your kitty's diabetes:
- You - without your commitment, the following won't work.
- Low carb over the counter canned or raw diet, such as many Friskies pates. See Cat Info for more info. If already on insulin, you must be home testing before changing the diet.
- A long-lasting insulin such as ProZinc, Lantus, BCP PZI, or Levemir; other insulins may require testing and shooting every 8 hours to get good control.
- And home blood glucose monitoring with an inexpensive human glucometer such as the WalMart Relion Confirm or Target Up and Up (the pet ones will break your budget!).