Very worried - need dose advise

Hi, My cat George is currently on Lantus. Previously he was on Lantus and Humulin-R but after reading this board for the last several weeks, I convinced my vet to take him off the Humulin-R. We are in week 2 of Lantus alone and have gone up from 1 unit to a skinny 1.25 units. His curve is overall pretty flat in the high 200's to low 300's. I am working on a spreadsheet because I could use advise on how to better control his numbers but suddenly I have a new problem. I think I might have to skip his daytime Lantus shots for a day or two.

Here's the problem. My apartment complex posted a message today that they will be installing new toilets in all units this week. Normally when the management has to enter our place we put George in one of the bathrooms (2 baths, 2 bedrooms). But because they are installing toilets in both bathrooms, there is nowhere for me to secure George. He's one of those cats that will take advantage of an open front door and bolt (and we have lots of coyotes around here), so is my one other cat. I'm terrified they'll escape if I leave them here. I can stay home with them while the workmen come and go which Might keep cats from bolting for the door, but I can't be sure of that. I could lock both cats in a tiny coat closet but logistically that probably won't work. Or I could try to catch both cats and put them in their carriers and put those in the garage but they could have to stay in carriers from 7AM to 6PM because Management won't tell me what time they'll be in my unit and I can't give Lantus while George is stuck in a carrier. He's a very skittish boy and I"m very lucky he trusts me enough to let me get 2 tests a day and his shots done. With any stress all bets are off.

So the only real solution I can think of (unless someone else has another idea) is to take cats to my mothers house for the day. Hopefully its just one day, but the management won't tell me which day my unit will have new toilets could be Wednesday or Thursday. If I take George to my mother's house, he will be completely terrified and I don't know how in the world I"ll be able to get him to come out of hiding over there in order to eat and get his Lantus shot.

I'm so scared I'm going to have to skip his daytime Lantus shot for 2 days????? Should I still give him the nighttime shot when we get home and skip the daytime shot? Or if by some miracle I can give him his Lantus what will happen if he won't eat (which I can guarantee he won't if I take him to my moms). Should I take him to my mom's house and drop down his Lantus to 1 unit (if I get lucky and can get his shot into him)? I have almost no money so I can't afford to board him at the vets for a day. Then afterwards what do I do with his Lantus dose? I don't understand what skipping a dose or two will do to his insulin depot. Do I continue to work our way up to a higher dose or do I hold the skinny 1.25 units for a few days after all the stress. I'm so worried about how to get this to work. I just don't know what to do with him and his Lantus dose. Need help.

 

hi there

do you have a name we can call you?

my first thought with your post, is - if getting a spreadsheet going today is not an option, how about a recap of numbers from the past few cycles from AMPS to PMPS and any data you have collected.
This will help others see what Lantus is doing for George.

Second, so you have a few days til this renovation happens, sounds very complex! I'd be ok skipping one shot due to the circumstances, two shots - not too sure.
Hopefully others will throw you some options.
Do you think it would be skipped shots AMPS and PMPS of one day? Or one of each for a couple of day...

Hang in there ok? If you can post daily up until the reno, help us keep an eye on your numbers, hopefully on a spreadsheet as its much easier to follow for all those that advise.
In the meantime, read the stickies with the star icon, lots of handy info.

EDIT TO ADD: do the workmen have to go thru the bedrooms to get to the bathrooms? That may be an option, leaving them in a bedroom with food, water and litter box. I would not trust them on their own either without me being there, they can easily bolt. If a bedroom can be secured for the kitties, that may work out.

 

Ronnie's suggestion of securing them in the bedroom is a good one. If the bathrooms are connected to the bedrooms...not such a good idea.

Taking them to your Mom's is a viable option. Can your Mom secure them in a bedroom or den...where they can be together and undisturbed? If they don't get to your bathrooms on the first day...can you also go stay at your Mom's with them verses transporting them back and forth. IF they go to your Moms...take along their beds, blankies, pillows and a few toys. Add in some of your dirty clothes for scent and of course litter boxes.

Cats will generally venture out in a quiet room to eat, drink and potty. If your Mom is willing to leave them undisturbed I'd say reduced dose would be fine. She could check on them maybe once during the day, but not to stress out too much over them.

I use cheapy $10.00 baby gates from Walmart to see into my foster room. Stack the gates one on top of the other. The cats don't seem too interested in jumping them or climbing them, but I can observe them and not stress them out too much.

 

I hate when apartments spring things on you like that! This might be too crazy of an idea but once when I had to contain a feral cat to give him medicine, etc, I put him in a very large dog crate with a litter box and his food and a blanket. I got it off craigslist for like 15 dollars. I see that your screenname says "socal" so if you happen to live near LA I could even give you the dog crate.

 

I'd also go with LOCKING them in a bedroom if that works. If not....what about him being at the vet for the day? Yes...stressful, but easy to catch and monitor.

 

actually, i think i'd go back to the apt manager and explain the situation. i assume they know you have cats. i would simply say i had a diabetic cat on insulin, skittish, who needs to be contained while the toilet is being changed out and i either need a phone call 30 minutes ahead of time so i can go home and capture the cats into carriers, or i need a specific time. Surely they can make you first or last thing on one of those days so that you can take care of your cat. I'd probably beg some and be a bit pathetic if that's what it takes.

the back-up idea i was thinking . . . if they can go in the garage at all, is there a reason they have to be in a carrier? like could you have them out there for a while with you the next couple of evenings to try to get them used to it and then leave them there while you're at work on Wed/Thurs?

i think, just as insurance, if you leave the cats out either day because you expect the maintenance to happen on the other day, i'd leave a bold note on your apartment door saying "no entry, cats loose," something like that. just thinking if the management agrees to give you a time but the maintenance people don't get the message, you want to make sure nobody just goes in when you think they are coming the next day.

 

Thank you so much for everyone who has replied!!! I'm sorry that I didn't include my name. I am Melanie. My cat George is almost 12 years old. We live in San Diego. He was diagnosed last February and has been on insulin since last April. I feel less stressed just knowing there are people out in FDMB-land who can help me figure this out. The bedrooms are not an option that's why I'm so upset. Normally I lock the cats in one bedroom while workmen are here. But the bedrooms are not an option because the bathrooms are in the bedrooms. The garage is not an option because its covered in antifreeze leaking from my sister's car. I'll call the vet tomorrow to find out if they will keep George for a day at low cost. I'll also go talk to the apartment manager to see if we can schedule what time they will come in. George gets his Lantus at 1:30 AM and 1:30 PM, so if they come in the morning, then the stress will have subsided by the time he's due for insulin and his 3 small afternoon to evening meals.

Thank you Ronnie & Luna for asking for George's numbers for the next few days. I was trying to put together the spread sheet data for the last year he's been on insulin. Its a lot of numbers. I can't tell you how relieved I am that there are experts here who can help me and George!! George was on Lantus alone for 3 months last spring and either because I didn't know how to handle dose increases properly or because George has a weird response to more than 1.25 units of it (or something else) we couldn't get his numbers down below mid 200's to mid 300's without him plumeting to 40-45 every few cycles even when he was on 2 then 2 1/2 and finally 3 units of Lantus last spring. I have to assume I was doing something wrong. So the vet moved him onto 1 u Lantus and .5 to 1u Humulin-R last July. Its been a very stressful and not very effective several months with Humulin R on board. That's for another post. Suffice it to say that each cycle with Humulin was very scary.

After reading this board for several weeks, I decided to get brave and tell the vet its time to try a new plan. He agreed to take George off Humulin and slowly move up his Lantus dose. I saw how much help the Lantus board members have been to people treating their cats with Lantus . Hoping that the experts here can help me figure out how to bring down George's numbers and get him through apartment renovation, because I only get limited help from my vet. The whole apartment renovation project has thrown a wrench into my committment to get George feeling better. George is on day 4 (cycle 8) of the dose increase from 1u to a skinny 1.25 u Lantus. I'll post an update on Monday after I talk to the apartment manager and the vet. I'm worried I'll have to skip a dose of daytime lantus if I have to resort to taking him to my mother's house. At least at her house I can secure him in a small 2 room addition upstairs where no one will bother George and his sister Sadie. Thank you again for answering my call for advise.

 

sounds like you have a couple of options to try out now - maybe one will work! yay! if you give his shot at 1:30, are you home after that? or before that? because it seems like the apt manager ought to be able to work with you to protect george!

there's lots of people here who will help you figure out the insulin part. you're in the right spot!

 

just stopping in to say i hope it all works out well for you and the kitties!

celi & binks

 

Hi Melanie,
I'm just stopping in to say hi and welcome! I think you are doing a wonderful job with George just for coming here. I also think talking to your apartment manager and possibly being a little pathetic might work. They should be able to be a little more specific about the time they will be in to replace your potties. I also have a skittish cat who freaks out over things like the cable installer coming in, so I know how you feel. If you end up having to skip a shot, it won't be the end of the world. Setbacks happen to all of us for one reason or another. You will be able to get George back on track. I know that my vet would board my kitty for $15/day during the daytime hours, so a low-cost vet boarding may be an option for you. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you luck and hope it's not too disruptive. :YMHUG: