10/30 Selki AMPS=196 (Newbie)

I just got my meter yesterday (Selkie was diagnosed on Tuesday) and I'm still dealing with my own personal learning curve in addition to the glucose curve, so please feel free to offer any advice.

Selkie's blood glucose at the vet was consistently well over 200 (299 on Tuesday). We started her off with low dose glargine on Tuesday night, and my vet and I will start tweaking next week once I get some data. She was already on a high protein/low carb diet before all this started, and while I've temporarily followed my vet's advice to move her DM I plan to move her back to EVO once we get an idea of how she reacts to the glargine.

Welcome to Lantus Land (LL). You will find a wealth of information here and support for you too. It is a steep learning curve with lots to learn. If you haven't already done so, you should read the sticky's at the top of the forum. Others will be on soon, but I seem to remember that DM is higher carb than Evo. You can look on Janet & Binky's food chart: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html I hope Selki does great on Lantus.

Another warm welcome to Lantus Land. I'm a newbie,too, so can't answer your questions but your SS looks good and nice number today for Selki. There are lots
of good people here to help you so ask lots of questions; it's great you are already home testing and monitoring and appropriate foods are your best friend so it
looks like you are on your way!

Welcome!!

you'll enjoy it here...and there's lots of great help and support.

your cat and i have something in common...my name is Celi, but pronounced "Seal-y"! and what a gorgeous cat yours is!

glad to see you here.
celi & binks

Welcome to Lantus Land!

Great job on starting to home test and getting your spreadsheet (SS) up and running. There are some basics. There is a huge volume of information in the starred, sticky notes at the top of the Board. We use a dosing protocol that has been published in the veterinary journals that you may want to share with your vet. I'd also urge you to read the Tilly Protocol[/url} -- especially the "read this first" section of the protocol. The New to Lantus/Lev sticky will give you information about how this forum works, our slang, posting conventions, how to do a curve, etc. You may also want to read the "data ready" sticky since you are already seeing numbers in the 100s.

It sounds like you are already familiar with diet issues. The website developed by Lisa Pierson, DVM has wonderful information on [url=http://www.catinfo.org]feline nutrition.

In looking at Selki's SS, my guess is that the numbers you were getting from the curve done at the vet's office reflect "vet stress." Many cats have higher blood glucose (BG) levels at the vet's office vs. at home. Most of us no longer take our cats to the vet for a curve. We can do it just as well and the numbers are more accurate.

I'd also encourage you to get a test immediately before you shoot. While Lantus dosing is based on the nadir, we strongly encourage you to get a pre-shot test in order to make sure it's safe to shoot. Don't presume that your +11 will be higher than your pre-shot test. Kitties like to throw you a curve! At the minimum, you should do your best to get your pre-shot tests and at least one additional test per cycle. Right now, you are in the process of building what we refer to as a "shed." Lantus is a depot drug (there's a sticky on this, too). A pool of insulin accumulates under the skin and allows for overlap between doses so there aren't huge peaks and valleys as with other types of insulin. For the first 5 or so days, not all of the Lantus you are injecting is bioavailable. What this means is that as the shed is built, you may start seeing lower numbers. This is why we hold the initial dose for 5 days - 7 days.

Please let us know how we can help. Reading our condos (the thread we open for our cats each day -- one condo per cat per day) and SSs is a great way to learn. Asking questions will also help you to get a better feel for how this all works. The people here are very generous with their support and their information.

Welcome! I would just add, ditch the DM, EVO is much higher quality and lower carb.

Welcome to LL (LantuaLand), looks like you are up and running. yes the learning curve is great, but you are doing really well. I agree on the DM, some other good LC (low carbohydrate) brands are Wellness, Blue Wilderness, byNature even Fancy Feast or Friskies have some good LC varieties. Even in one brand the carb% can vary a lot by variety, so check them out on the list.

Hang in there, it gets easier.

Another heartfelt welcome from Michelle and Mannie. You're probably already overwhelmed with all the info, so I won't add anymore. there is a wealth of info in the starred stickies at the top of the Board. I too agree on the DM, there are better foods available, as others have already mentioned. Congrats on getting things started! Welcome aboard!

Sienne and Gabby said:

Welcome to Lantus Land!

In looking at Selki's SS, my guess is that the numbers you were getting from the curve done at the vet's office reflect "vet stress." Many cats have higher blood glucose (BG) levels at the vet's office vs. at home. Most of us no longer take our cats to the vet for a curve. We can do it just as well and the numbers are more accurate.

I'd also encourage you to get a test immediately before you shoot.

Please let us know how we can help. Reading our condos (the thread we open for our cats each day -- one condo per cat per day) and SSs is a great way to learn. Asking questions will also help you to get a better feel for how this all works. The people here are very generous with their support and their information.

Click to expand...

Thanks. That actually was a preprandial - didn't realize I'd stuck it in the wrong block. I've gone back and corrected it - thanks for noting it. I don't want to give her any insulin if she's within normal range, just to be on the safe side.

The numbers at the vet probably weren't stress. I started Selk on insulin a couple of days before the meter arrived, so I expected (hoped) that they'd be lower. Selkie has been to the vet many times, and has become a favorite with the staff. It's been really fortunate for me because she remains relaxed during exams. She'd been on steroids early in the summer, and we were doing regular glucose levels on her, which all came back at 135 or lower, so when we started to get readings in excess of 250 we knew they were probably valid. She goes back to the vet in a week, so I'll be able to compare my readings pre-visit to one on my meter during the visit to get a real feel for any stress factor that's in play.

Thanks to everyone for the welcome. I look forward to tapping into your knowledge and experience in the days ahead.