? What am I doing Wrong?

I am beyond frustrated and concerned because I have Zero support from my Vet. I don't know what to do different to improve Mr.'s numbers. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome. What are you feeding?
It is good that you are home testing and have a spreadsheet. I do not see consistent BGs in your SS> Do you know of anything that can explain when the large differences in BGs from day to day. Some days you ave preshots in the 200s and something HI (>600)

 

Can you answer a few questions? Was 2 units your starting dose? Is there any dry food around that he can get into? Also has been checked for any infections or needs a dental? All of these can have an impact on glucose levels.

 

I feed him a full 5.5oz can 9 lives pate for breakfast and dinner (9am&pm) but I do half at a time with water. First half at 9, second half at 10. He also gets a can with water throughout the rest of the day and in the middle of the night. We do frozen cubes for that. We don't have any dry food in the house. He's not having any other troubles. 2 units of Landis is what the Dr said for dosing when he was diagnosed. And we haven't changed that.

 

First off, I don't think you are doing anything wrong. It can be hard to get things adjusted just right so that your Mr. Moonie can start doing better. Getting little to no support from the vet is all too common. You can get some good suggestions here on the board. You can also fire that vet and find one that will work with you.

Now, you probably know this already, but let's double check. It's great that you are feeding some small meals during the day and night. Are you making sure you take any leftover food away 2 hours before you do his BGL test? Are you testing his blood sugar, then feeding, then giving insulin?

You are doing great with the home testing. When your schedule allows, more consistent mid-cycle tests would be very helpful. Even if the day ones are just on your days off, and the night ones you have to set an alarm for. A few days with a +5 and +7 reading would be awesome. A curve test would also help. That's when you pick a day and test every 2-3 hours for 12 hours. Seeing that curve can really help us see what's going on.

It is always possible that Mr. Moonie needs a slightly higher dose. Every Cat is Different. You should let a member familiar with Lantus advise you in that, though. Lantus is very different from what I use with my kitty. But try not to fret. Yes, it's very frustrating not to see progress yet, but he will get there. It often takes a bit of trial and error to find out what works for your cat.

 

I agree you are doing a great job. Are you using syringes with 1/2 unit markings? Since you have been on 2 units since he started insulin you may want to try increasing the dose be 1/4 or 1/2 units. I would start with the smaller dose for at least a week before increasing it again. Syringes with the 1/2 unit markings make it easier to see the 1/4 dose. There is always a possibility that the dose was too high to begin with. Too much insulin can also cause higher readings. This happens because the body produces extra glucose to prevent hypoglycemia. So the other option is to start over with 1 unit and stay at that dose for at least a week before increasing it. Most cats only need 1-2 units unless there are other health issues going on. The goal with starting over at 1 unit is to try to find the best dose that will keep the glucose levels under control.

 

Right now I'm just using the Lantis pen w/needle top to give his 2 units. I'll have syringes next week. I make sure he doesn't eat 2 hours before breakfast and dinner testing. We test at 8:45 then give the meal at 9 when the alarm goes off on my phone. (It's Birds Chirping) While he eats, I give him his shot.

 

Great. Once you have the syringes you will use the pen like a mini vial. The syringe will make it easier to adjust the dose in smaller amounts.