? To start or not to start ~ Lantus

Hello all.

[[ A little history~ Webber went on Lantus December of 2009 and has been OTJ since February 2010. ]]

Diagnosis about 6 months ago - feline asthma. Webber has been on oral prednisilone for the past several months and as I suspected could happen, his sugar has crept up.

Yesterday's random bg 195 (three hours after eating, getting his Flovent inhaler and one 5mg pred) and again random at 6pm was 148. I just did a random test and his sugar is 201.

The vet said he doesn't need to be on insulin yet.....would it hurt to give him a teeny bit of Lantus? Poor baby sleeps so much and I'm sure it's because his sugar is high(er).

Note- I should add that I am currently tapering him down from twice a day pred to once a day AND with the addition of other meds we hope to get him off the pred for good. So the million $$ question is....with these few random testing numbers would it hurt to wait? Expect to have him off pred in about 4 1/2 weeks.

 

Tagging @Doodles & Karen and @Melissa & Tarragon who have experience managing both.

Edit: also tagging @DebG

 

Thank you ❤️

 

Can you copy this thread and post it in the Lantus & Levemir forum? I'd probably start insulin but not sure what dose in order to give his pancreas some support. Posting in L&L and ask for dose advise? Pred is really the most effective treatment for asthma. Sometimes the inhalers will be enough for a while but that is also a steroid. Doodles couldn't be treated with either because of his CHF (heart was too weak) which is ultimately why had no choice but to set him free.

@DebG continues to manage Fritz's asthma.

 

I'm so sorry about Doodles. I crossposted in L&L earlier. I'll check over there. I'm also going to be starting cyclosporine to try and help get him off the pred but I understand he ultimately may need it. Thank you Karen

 

I read a study using cyclosporine on a cat with HCM/ CHF for asthma. Hope it works

Post this link in your L&L thread so it gets bumped up. I didn't see it over there

 

I did, thank you again

 

Depending on how severe the asthma is makes a difference on your approach to manage.
Fritz has had asthma for a long time. When first diagnosed he had Flovent inhaler as needed and oral pred with flare ups as the seasons changed. Ali g with Albertoul for rescue. As his asthma progressed the Flovent was less affective as he ended up with sinus issues from the inhaler and it got really hard to administer the Flovent. He is on oral pred only now. I had too keep increasing his insulin dose. Some how recently his numbers are going down and also his dose is going down despite the pred. If try and keep kitty on Flovent inhaler tapering off oral if you are able to manage the asthma. If not kitties can be on pred long term. It's not ideal but possible.