What is the peak of Lantus so that I can do a BG at that time. As well, what are the other best tim

What is the peak of Lantus so that I can do a BG at that time. As well, what are the other best times to do a BG so I can do the curve? Thanks folks...appreciate your kind and supportive help

 

Here's the info handout I made up for new members:
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It would help us if you set up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:

• click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
• click on "signature" in the men that drops down
• type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using /glucose meter you're using/what he eats/any other meds or health issues he has.

Another thing that will help us help you now that you've started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. We can all see it and look at it before offering advice: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

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Here's the basic testing routine we recommend:

1. test every day AM and PM before feeding and injecting (no food at least 2 hours before) to see if the planned dose is safe
2. test at least once near mid cycle or at bedtime daily to see how low the BG goes
3. do extra tests on days off to fill in the response picture
4. if indicated by consistently high numbers on your spreadsheet, increase the dose by no more than 0.25 u at a time so you don't accidentally go right past a good dose
5. post here for advice whenever you're confused or unsure of what to do.

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Here's an explanation of what we call "bouncing". It explains why a kitty's BG can go from low to sky high:

1. BG goes low OR lower than usual OR drops too quickly.
2. Kitty's body panics and thinks there's danger (OMG! My BG is too low!).
3. Complex physiologic processes take glycogen stored in the liver (I think of it as "bounce fuel"), convert it to glucose and dump it into the bloodstream to counteract the perceived dangerously low BG.
4. These processes go into overdrive in kitties who are bounce prone and keep the BG propped up varying lengths of time (AKA bouncing).
5. Bounce prone kitty repeats this until his body learns that healthy low numbers are safe. Some kitties are slow learners.
6. Too high a dose of insulin can keep them bouncing over and over until the " bounce fuel" runs out and they crash - ie., have a hypo episode. That's why we worry so much about kitties that have had too high a starting dose prescribed by the vet and the owner isn't home testing.

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Here are some tips on how to do urine ketone testing (VERY important if BG is high and kitty isn't eating well!):

• put the end of the test strip right in his urine stream as he's peeing
• slip a shallow, long handled spoon under his backside to catch a little pee - you don't need much
• put a double layer of plastic wrap over his favourite part of the litter box and poke some depressions in it too catch pee.

Most test strips have to be dipped and allowed to develop for 15 seconds before viewing the colour change in very good light.

 

Question?

 

Welcome!

Lantus usually peaks about half-way through the cycle (6 hours after the shot), but it can vary cat to cat and even day to day. You want to know what's happening at peak action (we call it the "nadir", the lowest blood glucose), but it's a good idea to keep an eye on other times as well. The spreadsheet Kris mentioned is a fantastic tool for understanding what is going on with your kitty. Probably the best way to use it is to sprinkle tests around at different times on different days, and see what patterns emerge.

Have you started home testing? How is it going? What dose of Lantus is your kitty on?

 

Yes, I can do home testing. Before going on here I wasn't given any specific instructions on when to do it. Once a day seemed okay with the vet but the more I research the more I realize I need to do more, at least in the beginning. We are starting Basia on .5 unit twice a day (every 12 hours 6am and 5pm) and based on what information I have been given by yourself I will test Basia at around 11pm tonight to see where her BG is at (6 hours). I obtained a (junior) pen from my pharmacist as I couldn't see the marks on the syringe well enough to be confident. It seems to work well.

 

S0unds good. You definitely want to get a "pre-shot" test in as well-- that will tell you if it's safe to shoot (plus, when you get the later test, it gives you a sense of the action of the insulin). It's OK if you didn't get that tonight, just see where she is six hours in (we call that +6), and of course you can always test between now and then as well. We're big fans of more data here!

 

I tested her on the US meter and was shocked so tested the blood on the Cdn meter at the same time- 19.2. She had an insulin shot this morning and I tested her 4 hour after at 9 so it went up quite a bit so yes, I gave her a shot this evening. How long does it take lantus to take effect. I know in humans it has about 1 hour before it starts working?

 

That's high, but not unusual at all for a new diabetic cat.

Lantus is a great insulin for cats, but it does take a bit of patience-- don't expect it to yank BG numbers way down all at once. What it does is build up action slowly using a "depot" (part of each shot "reserved" for future use), so that eventually, when you get to the right dose and have a full depot, there is a slow-release of insulin that helps to keep BG level throughout the day.

In the meantime, to answer your question it generally seems to take a couple hours before any immediate effects of lantus will begin. But again, it'll take several days (at least) for the depot to settle enough to see what this dose is doing. As long as she's not going too low (and as long as there aren't other health complications, such as ketones), she'll be fine with some period of time in high numbers. It's hard to see them up high, I know, but she'll come down eventually!

 

ECID Every Cat Is Different. Although some cats have their lowest BG (blood glucose) levels around +6 (6 hours after insulin is given) it varies with both the cat and the type of insulin used.

Home testing will give you a better idea of how your cat reacts to the insulin.

My diabetic cat Wink had his nadir (aka low, peak) at around +3 to +4. That was using Lantus insulin.

 

thank you