? Vet upped dose,Gus insisted on eating early, when to dose?

Hi, went to vet for 1 week recheck, he tested 391 at +6 at vet following 2U Lantus shot this morning. Sorry my testing is not more comprehensive, still learning and struggling. Vet RX increase his dose to 2 u bid starting tonite. He was absolutely frantic to eat just now, trying to jump up to counter even, hard with limited function in his hind legs due to neuropathy! I held him off as long as possible but there was no way to push him to 7:00. So when is it ok to dose? I've been doing 15 min post eating ( raw ground turkey meat only, no dry, no carbs) and what should I be looking for with the increase in dose? I don't want to miss something critical. And can I go to sleep tonite or do I need to stay up watching him? Or should I start his increased dose tomorrow morning? I could not find anywhere how long it is ok to wait after eating to give insulin.
Thank you

 

here's yesterday's condo

most of us shoot and feed at the same time.... right after the pre shot test.....
(I wouldn't have been able to shoot if my sweetie didn't have her face in a bowl )

I don't agree with your vet to raise Gussie a whole unit ....
IMHO, it's better to go in increments... most of us increase in 0.25 units at a time.....
many vets don't think of doses less than 1 unit at a time, halves or quarters.....

imho, I would just go to 2.25 tonite or in the morning.... simply because your bg numbers are in the 300's.....
so a whole unit might be too much..... especially until you start getting in a before bed test at night.....
testing somewhere in the night is very important for safetly as most cats go lower at night than during the day.....

i will go find you a picture of a 1/4 unit....to help you visualize it.....
be right back....

 

do you have syringes with half unit markings? there are two choices... half units and whole units....



and Have you had time yet to read all the sticky's? There is tons of info about lantus there, and reasons why we increase in small increments instead of whole units.....

 

Thanks, I don't have the syringes with half and quarter markings. Just started this a week ago. Just tested, he is at 289 but just ate like a pig so am now needing to give his pm injection. If I go w what the vet says will he be in trouble??

 

I had shown him what I had charted and soecifically asked about maybe just going up a half unit but he was pretty insistant. He had started at 3 units on HumalinN but dropped it when he switched to Lantus.

 

Did read all the stickies several times, that's why I'm in freak out mode!

 

He could be. I agree with Rhiannon.

 

Now I'm totally freaked out and need to shoot. I think I will stay with the 2 unit dose ?

 

Which syringes are you using?

 

not necessarily.....
the reason we go slower with increases is because you could miss the optimal dose by jumping too much at once....
1 unit is a lot of insulin for a tiny cat.... compared to a whole unit jump on a human dosing scale.

the common experience with vets is they just don't think we caregivers will micromanage our cats dosing....
and we have seen many overdoses and helped intervene here to keep kitties safe.....

if you dose a whole unit more tonight.....
please set an alarm and get some mid cycle tests to make sure he's doing okay......so you can intervene .....it might not be tonight,
but in the next few cycles he could suddenly go lower.....

i personally would not go up by more than half a unit since you are so new to this and don't have much data on how he will respond yet. just my humble opinion.....


if you look at your syringe.... even with the whole unit marks....
you can "guesstimate" where a couple of drops more ( which is what 1/4 unit usually amounts to) ...
just memorize it so you can shoot the same amount tomorrow....

 

I don't know if I could eyeball such a tiny dose on my syringes. I'm very scared right now

 

there is usually someone around to help if you need it....
and I can stay up for a while if you want.... just say so otherwise i might wander off to bed in an hour....

most of us have magnification of some type, extra lighting, some of us even have calipers so we can really be consistent.....

Gussie does need an increase....

 

I have ones that are veterinary U100's. Marie helped determine last nite they were dosing correctly in 1 unit increments

 

Don't be scared. If you load tge syringe by going a little past tge two units you will have an increase. Then you can take a used syringe and fill it with colored water to the amount you measured so you give the same tomorrow.

 

Ok thank you so much. I will up it hopefully by eyeballing 1/2 unit if I can. Thank you

 

Please try to get a before bed test and post the result. If lower than what you just got it will likely be an active cycle. We don't have a clue what is happening after his pm shot. Many go lower at night and then bounce up in the morning. My cat does.

 

Ok I gave him what I would call a skinny three or a fat two. I did not bring the plunger line right to the bottom of the three but put the bottom of it on the line. It looked like past the two but not all the way to the three.
I have left the spring out reset how I did it so I can do the same with the new syringe tomorrow morning. Thank you so much. How do I log that dose? As a 2.5?

 

Ok will do that. I am better able yo test now, getting the hang of it and so is he so should be able to be more consistent. Sorry about that. He was fighting the tests and getting really stressed until we found our stride. It's still bumpy but we are getting the hang of it. Thank you so much. I will test in a couple of hours and post and then will test again before morning. Will set an alarm for mid cycle

 

Are you feeding ONLY raw turkey meat? That's not a complete diet for a cat and doesn't have a lot of necessary vitamins and minerals they need

If you have a WalMart nearby, they have insulin syringes with half unit markings for $12.58 per 100....Here's what they look like:
..click on picture to expand

Or you can get them online from ADW too and have them shipped

All these have half unit markings and are the correct syringes for U100 insulin and are available from ADW online:
UtiCare
Monoject
Carepoint
Sure Comfort
BD Ultra-Fine

 

i'd call it a 2.5...... looking forward to your +2....

 

Btw he has been eating like a pig

 

thanks Chris....
I was going to ask that too.....
I had already forgotten....

there are supplements out there to add to just raw meat so that Gussie will get all the proper nutrients....

 

Thank you! I will have to go out tomorrow, I have an appt for my broken finger so will swing by WM. Need more lancets anyway. Only have a few as I wasted lots trying to get the hang of this.

Thank you! Will head to WM

 

You can get 30 or 31 gauge...they're both very thin....sometimes they don't have one or the other.....and if they try to tell you that they don't come with half unit markings, show them the highlighted parts of the picture....LOL (we've heard from lots of people that they asked and the pharmacists at WM didn't know!!)

 

Ok thanks! He has eaten raw turkey/ rabbit meet, no veg with supplement Feline Platinum Performance at each meal. I also add ground turkey hearts on occasion. Treats are freeze dried chicken. Dr Hodgkins put my cats on an all raw diet 12+ years ago and that was the supplement she prescribed so I have always used that w all my cats. Gus transitioned to that diet in 10/2014 when he moved in here.

 

Do I need a script for syringes?

 

depends on the state.... you can call walmart and ask ... remind them it's for a cat.

 

Ok thanks, will do. Otherwise Walgreens where I bought my Lantus might sell them to me.
Here's the link for the supplement I use, it's pretty complete from what I was told.
http://www.platinumperformance.com/platinum-performance-feline
Thank you all so much, I can't imagine going thru this without all of your help and support.

 

You are Welcome!

 

Just got off the line w my Walmart, they did not have those needles but offered 28 G Sure Comforts in a qty of 10? Will call more Walmarts. He has to board at the vet starting next Tuesday thru Sunday, have to go home to scatter my moms ashes, not great timing but safest for him rather than having pet sitter who can't always be spot on w timing and can't test. Hopefully if he has to go up to 3 units ( what the vet prescribed) we will have brought him up to that point incrementally and safely. The spreadsheet is new to him. So will insist we look at it before I leave him.hes sleeping peacefully right now. Ordered the Zoboline for his neuropathy, should be here in tomorrow's mail. Going to grab a nap myself! Again, Thank you all so very much. Be back at 2+

 

Yes you will need a script in CA. Your vet can fax it.

 

Thank you so much for the links. I ordered the monojet ( because I'm familiar with that brand) from ADW and some Bayer micro let lancets ( hope they work in the ReliOn lancing device)

 

I would almost bet money that they do have them at Walmart.....it's crazy how it seems that they're own employees don't know what they have!!

I'm glad you ordered the ones from ADW though.....having the half unit markings on the syringes really helps...especially when you're doing .25 and .75 unit doses....at least you know you have to aim for between the lines!

The important part though is to be consistent in dosing....so wherever you decide 2.25 (or 2.5...or whatever) is should be as consistent as possible

Another option for the most exact dosing is to use calipers...Here's some great information on Dosing with Calipers. When you use calipers, you don't even look at the lines

 

QUOTE="tiffmaxee, post: 1712356, member: 9669"]Yes you will need a script in CA. Your vet can fax it.[/QUOTE]
Hope that doesn't hang up the ADW order! They didn't ask for one ! Walmart did say they could sell me 10 but if I need more I will have to have a RX.

 

Will check that out! Never heard of them. Learning SO MUCH, THANKS,

 

i needed a script locally but I didn't need one to use the mail order so hopefully it's the same for you.

 

Hi got a big enough blood drop..finally after too many tries
He is a VERY mad 227

 

have you see this pic?
I always had the best luck getting closest to the edge.....
Do you know what size your lancet is? It's harder to get blood with the finer needles.... especially in the early days....
and most of what is out there are for humans.... very fine....
the larger numbers like 30 and 31 can be too fine...
I think I had a 27 or 28 gauge.

 

If I can should I retest at 6? Or will before breakfast be ok?

 

When ordering from ADW I didn't need a script but if you go locally you do. I think I was told tgey could give me 10 without one at one pharmacy.

 

Thanks for the pix. That helps a lot. It is just what came with the Relion micro. I think I did not have the pen set right because the last one got a good sized drop, guessing I nicked the vein rather than capillary. Time before it was easy, he barely snarled. Not so much this time...he's pretty disgusted w me. I only have I think two left and have to save one for AMPS. I thought I had plenty until it took so many tries

 

he's likely okay.
I learned at the end to drink a glass a water.... so I'd wake up in 4 or 5 hours and grab a test.....
I could sleep thru an alarm....

If you are up, grab a test, whenever just because data is so useful..... but i'd also be inclined to sleep because he may wait until tomorrow or tomorrow night to show a change.

if it was an abnormally large drop, the number could be inaccurate.... something about a big blood drop seems to give inaccurate
readings....
i'll look and see if I can find what gauge you have online....

 

if they are micro thin lancets, it's 33 gauge....
looks like the other option is ultra thin and that's 30 gauge....

 

I had the accu-chek softclix lancing device.... the lancets were 28 gauge....

 

Bummed to hear that nice big drop could be inaccurate, believe me I was pretty happy to see it ...live and learn so thank you for that heads up! The other test results I have on the SS were with small drops that went right into the strip. I am glad to hear he will probably be ok. I will get some more at the right gauge tomorrow, when I grab the 10 syringes at Walmart. Will the ones you mention fit the ReliOn pen or are they all device specific? Sleep would be nice! The power went out last nite and I had to find what I needed in case he had problems last nite in the dark! Then waited up for it yo go on to get the fish tanks running. He was fine. Can't say the same for me!
So will get some sleep hopefully!
Thank you ever so much for staying up and helping me.

 

the lancing device is specific to it's own lancets. That info isn't always easy to find ... you can google a name and write gauge with it and sometimes you will see what the gauge is that way.
The more "pain free" for humans , the finer the gauge which isn't so handy for cat ears.....

you are welcome.... I'm usually in bed by 9 pm.... but I got up to make sure you and another were okay or at least getting someone's attention..... not too many on tonite....

 

So incredibly grateful, Gus thanks you too!
Sleep well
Les