? NEW MEMBER: Cat newly diagnosed with diabetes. Looking to best navigate the situation.

[TokyoJolie]

Hello everyone. I apologize if this post isn’t allowed. I am very new to the forum and very new to the diabetes diagnoses. But I am committed to helping my furry companion the best way possible. I have read a lot of information in the last 24 hours since I discovered this very helpful forum.

My 15 year old boy, Jay-Jay was diagnosed with diabetes on March 18th 2025. Started on Lantus 2 U twice a day right away. Any advice or suggestions based on the information in my signature is welcome.

My question is:
JJ went into (mild?) hypo this morning: (67 or 3.7 mmoL). He was lower than usual (263 or 14.6 mmoL) in AMPS but I still administered the prescribed dose (2U). He ate the same portion he has on previous days.

If Jay-Jay goes lower again in AMPS should I lower the dose to less than 2U? I completely forgot to ask this question at the vet. I am calling the vet now though. But what is your experience based on the information I have so far on my pet? Has anyone been having the same type of response/results from their pet?

 

[squeem3]

Your spreadsheet is not viewable. You need to "publish" your spreadsheet so that anyone can view it and use the generated link to put in your signature. Start with step 5 in the instructions: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/

Without seeing your spreadsheet, generally if a cat drops too low in a cycle, you must decrease the insulin dose by 0.25 units.

Can you post today's numbers so that members can better assist while you figure out the spreadsheet sharing? What was your cat's bg this morning before insulin? Newbies are advised to not give any insulin if the bg level is 150 mg/dl or less (about 9 mmol).

Insulin can pack a punch so it's best to start at a low dose and slowly increase as needed than to start too high and risk a hypo. 2 units to start is a tiny amount but it can be a lot for a cat. It would be better to restart your cat at 0.5 units twice a day but we would need to see your spreadsheet first.

How much dry do you feed? The DM is junk, both dry and canned. Very poor quality ingredients that are no different from many commercially available brands and it is expensive to buy. Notice that DM is not called "diabetic" food but "dietetic" food. Good news: you don't need the vet's permission or approval to feed commercially available canned foods that are better suited for diabetics like Fancy Feast Classic pate. Just agree to disagree with the vet about food and leave it at that.

@Sienne and Gabby (GA) @Wendy&Neko

 

[TokyoJolie]

Quick post with values as I am trying to figure the spreadsheet proper publishing:

387 @ +6 in the PM 367 @ +7 367 @ +8 347 @ +11 and 263 AMPS. Then administered 2U after eating the MD food mix both wet and dry. Values after: 175 @ +1 149 @ +2 104 @ +3 77 @ +4 67 @ +5 68 @ +6 101 @ +7 76 @ +8 90 @ +9 232 @ +10 (this was after his vet exam, we had an appointment today for follow up). Around +5 and +6 I rubbed some honey on his gums and gave him Catit Creamy Treats 1/2 total of a pack as he didn’t want to eat his DM food at this time.

I appreciate your time and help infinitely. Thank you as well for the food suggestions.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I can see the spreadsheet now, thanks on fixing that. You do need to change his dose to 1.75 units tonight. Are you using U-100 syringes with half unit markings?

As squeem3 said above, 2 units is a higher dose than we'd start with, we'd normally go with 1 unit given he's getting some dry food. If you remove the dry food, you'll find he needs an even lower dose than 1.75 units.

Note, that if you are using the Freestyle Libre, it is a human meter, not one calibrated for the pet meter like the AT. No problem using a human meter, most of us do because the test strips are so much cheaper. 67 on a Libre is not dangerously low, but when you are following SLGS for dosing, it does mean a dose reduction has been earned. Most people who use the Freestyle Libre also have a back up hand held blood glucose (BG) meter. The Libre often registers artificially low in lower numbers.

Finally, can you tell me a bit about what led you to the diabetes diagnosis?

 

[TokyoJolie]

I can see the spreadsheet now, thanks on fixing that. You do need to change his dose to 1.75 units tonight. Are you using U-100 syringes with half unit markings?

As squeem3 said above, 2 units is a higher dose than we'd start with, we'd normally go with 1 unit given he's getting some dry food. If you remove the dry food, you'll find he needs an even lower dose than 1.75 units.

Note, that if you are using the Freestyle Libre, it is a human meter, not one calibrated for the pet meter like the AT. No problem using a human meter, most of us do because the test strips are so much cheaper. 67 on a Libre is not dangerously low, but when you are following SLGS for dosing, it does mean a dose reduction has been earned. Most people who use the Freestyle Libre also have a back up hand held blood glucose (BG) meter. The Libre often registers artificially low in lower numbers.

Finally, can you tell me a bit about what led you to the diabetes diagnosis?

Thank you, much appreciated, truly.

1. Yes, I am using the U-100 syringes with half unit markings. That makes it more clear for sure.

2. I brought JJ to the emergency on March 18th because he was having diarrhea for three days getting worse (totally unrelated to the diabetes as per lab results- fixed with prescription probiotics) and also started drinking a lot of water and was using the litter box excessively and doing his business around it as well. He had UTI twice in his life time so I thought it’s perhaps another UTI but after blood and urine tests it was determined he has diabetes.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Good thing the probiotics are helping. Not usual for people to find their cat is diabetic when starting to treat something else. Do you remember what his blood test value was for glucose?

 

[TokyoJolie]

Good thing the probiotics are helping. Not usual for people to find their cat is diabetic when starting to treat something else. Do you remember what his blood test value was for glucose?

Yes, 576 or 32 mmoL
I don’t have the entire blood test results list. I will ask for it next time, but I wrote down the results given by the doctor at the time of diagnosis.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

32 mmol/L, definitely diabetes. I get blood test results emailed to me. On the spreadsheet there is a Labs tab - which I find useful for tracking results over time. Even for non diabetics.

 

[TokyoJolie]

32 mmol/L, definitely diabetes. I get blood test results emailed to me. On the spreadsheet there is a Labs tab - which I find useful for tracking results over time. Even for non diabetics.

Yes great suggestion to simply ask by email. I found the Lab tab and wrote down the urine results (I got those results).

Is it allowed to ask where can I get (if I can get it on my own) the BG handheld (brand name for best/most used) and the strips (will I need prescription?). Worth mentioning that I live in Quebec, Canada. Province is important as it might differ with this stuff as well.

The vet suggested I get it from them which I was planning to do in about 6 days when I go install a replacement “chip” on JJ for the Libre.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Hello from BC. . You want a BG meter that takes a small blood drop and as cheap a test strips as possible. Many Canadians use the Freestyle Lite, but there are others. No, you don't need a prescription. I actually went into my local pharmacy and told the pharmacy about the small blood drop, and she helped me out. Some people look to eBay to get cheaper test strips. I live near the border and cross border shopped, but not something I'd want to do now.

The vet provided meter will likely be the AT3 (AlphaTrak) pet meter which is WAAAAY more expensive than a human meter and the test strips also very expensive and hard to get if you need them right away. You want a meter whose test strips you can get quickly if you are running out. I always had quite a few extra test strip containers on hand. And I had a backup meter that I could get strips in Canada if I should need to do so. Our dosing methods were developed long before the pet meters were a thing, and use the human meter numbers. The TR protocol we use was published in a peer reviewed journal also before pet meters existed.

FYI - there is a FB group for Freestyle Libre for Dogs and Cats, that can help you learn how to apply the Libre yourself.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Hello from BC. . You want a BG meter that takes a small blood drop and as cheap a test strips as possible. Many Canadians use the Freestyle Lite, but there are others. No, you don't need a prescription. I actually went into my local pharmacy and told the pharmacy about the small blood drop, and she helped me out. Some people look to eBay to get cheaper test strips. I live near the border and cross border shopped, but not something I'd want to do now.

The vet provided meter will likely be the AT3 (AlphaTrak) pet meter which is WAAAAY more expensive than a human meter and the test strips also very expensive and hard to get if you need them right away. You want a meter whose test strips you can get quickly if you are running out. I always had quite a few extra test strip containers on hand. And I had a backup meter that I could get strips in Canada if I should need to do so. Our dosing methods were developed long before the pet meters were a thing, and use the human meter numbers. The TR protocol we use was published in a peer reviewed journal also before pet meters existed.

FYI - there is a FB group for Freestyle Libre for Dogs and Cats, that can help you learn how to apply the Libre yourself.

Ahhh gorgeous BC!

Amazing! I found the Facebook group and waiting for approval. Reading their application tutorials in the mean time. Thank you so so much for all this important information! I appreciate it so much.

 

[squeem3]

There's a Canadian food chart here: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/links-to-food-charts.174182/

The green and blue numbers on your spreadsheet are very good actually Was your cat showing any signs of hypo? You definitely needed a dose decrease with those green numbers.

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/jojo-and-bunnys-hypo-tool-box.2354/

 

[TokyoJolie]

There's a Canadian food chart here: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/links-to-food-charts.174182/

The green and blue numbers on your spreadsheet are very good actually Was your cat showing any signs of hypo? You definitely needed a dose decrease with those green numbers.

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/jojo-and-bunnys-hypo-tool-box.2354/

Thank you very much for the food information.

He wasn’t showing any signs of hypo but I totally panicked being the first time I saw him drop so low (the green numbers)…
He had been HI all day the previous day up until 3 AM and then dropped to the other extreme.

 

[squeem3]

Normal healthy levels range from 60 to 150. Some non diabetic cats may go lower than 60 and are totally fine. Next time you see greens hovering in the 60s or so mid-cycle, you can offer some low carb canned food to keep levels stable. Retest in an hour or so. Only break out the high carb food and syrup if you see hypo symptoms or bgs continue to drop despite low carb food. A little bit of syrup or high carb food may be enough for a mild hypo.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

That Canadian food chart is a bit old. There are now the Canada Fresh, Acana, and Orijen wet foods available, and Performatrim has added more to their line too. I have seen on this forum someone had gathered the Canada Fresh carb % numbers, but not seen the other. Beef and Red Meat Canada Fresh are low carb. The Orijen at least look like they should be low carb. A lot of the foods made elsewhere but available in Canada are listed on this food list - look for anything below 10% carbs. Plus there are new foods that should be on that linked list, like Rawz, which are low carb and available in Canada.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Thank you so very much to both of you! Much appreciated

My JJ is getting lower values again today, nothing alarming this time, just lower.
My vet says to aim to keep him in between 5-15 mmol/L.

I gave him some kibbles in between meals. He won’t eat much of the wet food in between the meals. In his glory days he would have kibbles in between meals at his discretion. Is it bad if I give him a few kibbles? Just a few at a time and stop two hours prior to shot time. The levels seem to stay low after feeding him a bit in between shots.

He gets extremely hungry if I don’t feed him for the 12 hours in between shots (which I’ve done prior and he was very vocal about it, he’s not a vocal cat otherwise) and I feel like I am hurting him more if I do that…

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Feeding multiple small meals is encouraged. No need to starve him in between shots. Ideally you would feed most of the meals in the first 6 or so hours after the shot. In the beginning, we suggest not feeding for a couple hours before the shot, so you aren't shooting a BG number that would be influenced (higher) because of the food he'd just eaten.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Got it. Thank you.

I have noticed an improvement in levels during the afternoon but still high in the evening and night time. Is there a specific reason for this? Anything I can change or do differently?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Any chance you could update the last days worth of data in the spreadsheet. We are very numbers focussed here, and seeing what you are talking about will help us answer those questions. For anyone else looking at the data, for some reason the US tab is not being populated, there is more data on the World tab.

It's likely he's doing what we call "bouncing", perfectly normal for a recently diagnosed cat.
Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).

All you can do is wait it out, until his body spends more time in normal blood sugar values, and gets used to them again.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Very interesting, thank you for clearing that up.

The vet suggested I increase his PM dose to see if we can get better levels in the PM. Perhaps this is what’s caused him to go really low again today?

On the way to the vet today he went down to 3.9 mmol/L and 10 minutes later he jumped to 17.7 mmol/L.
I feel the need to add that he gets extremely stressed out in his carry-on and while driving. He dislikes car rides. So might be from that? (The jump)

Would you have any advice for me for this evening’s dose?

(I am a little stressed because for the next two weeks I am on call for work with the possibility of leaving for few days at a time and he will be in the care of my parents during this time. And I would like to avoid a crisis while I’m away…)

I’m sorry for asking so many questions. I just can’t understand it on my own and have zero experience with this. I communicate with my vet via email and that is my only other resource for help, but I would love your input as I trust this community and its expertise.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Sounds like your vet isn't super familiar with how depot style insulins work. Shooting that higher dose last night is why you saw those lower numbers today. It's sort of a delayed reaction to the increase. Good to see you are sticking with 1.75 units tonight.

If you have to leave for a few days, will you have time to post here before you do? Can your parents home test? If not, we might adjust the dose for your kitty to be safer for those days, but only if he needs to be. Meaning I'd like to see him at 1.75 units for a few days to decide.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Sounds like your vet isn't super familiar with how depot style insulins work. Shooting that higher dose last night is why you saw those lower numbers today. It's sort of a delayed reaction to the increase. Good to see you are sticking with 1.75 units tonight.

If you have to leave for a few days, will you have time to post here before you do? Can your parents home test? If not, we might adjust the dose for your kitty to be safer for those days, but only if he needs to be. Meaning I'd like to see him at 1.75 units for a few days to decide.

Thank you for your input. Yes, I can definitely post and update the spreadsheet. Will be in touch with my parents the entire time (every few hours).

Just to clarify the situation: he won’t be alone, parents retired last year so they will continue to test with the Freestyle (put in a new one, good for another two weeks). He will be staying with them the entire time as per usual.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Sounds like your vet isn't super familiar with how depot style insulins work. Shooting that higher dose last night is why you saw those lower numbers today. It's sort of a delayed reaction to the increase. Good to see you are sticking with 1.75 units tonight.

If you have to leave for a few days, will you have time to post here before you do? Can your parents home test? If not, we might adjust the dose for your kitty to be safer for those days, but only if he needs to be. Meaning I'd like to see him at 1.75 units for a few days to decide.

Would you recommend 2.25 in the PM and 1.25 in the AM? He is still higher towards and in the PM.

I am leaving tomorrow…

 

[Wendy&Neko]

No, with our dosing methods we recommend using the same dose AM and PM, due to the depot style nature of Lantus. If you don't want your parents to have to deal with low numbers, you could reduce to 1.5 units AM and PM.

 

[TokyoJolie]

No, with our dosing methods we recommend using the same dose AM and PM, due to the depot style nature of Lantus. If you don't want your parents to have to deal with low numbers, you could reduce to 1.5 units AM and PM.

Roger that. Thank you so very much.
I gave 1.75 this evening, before reading your reply…

 

[TokyoJolie]

Hello again,
Any ideas on how to stabilize him? We went back to 1.75 dose and I’m thinking of trying the 2.25 in the evening and 1.25 in the morning… what I’ve been doing so far isn’t working apparently. I will update the list but it is basically the exact same for every day.

 

[Tim & Pookey]

Same dose AM/PM otherwise you’ll never understand what’s happening in my opinion.

Two questions. Can you update your spreadsheet? And have you decided on one of the dosing methods (if so, put that at the top of your spreadsheet)?

You’ve seen greens/blues after only being diagnosed for two weeks, I would say it’s working!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Because Lantus is a depot-type of medication, you need to keep the same dose at AM and PM shot times. If you alternate the dose amounts, you are likely to get weird numbers. The depot needs to stabilized between dose changes. This is why, in most cases, you need to hold a dose for a minimum of 3 days unless a dose reduction is indicated. If you've mot read the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus board, this is the information on the depot.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Hello again,

I’ve been flying all over for the past two weeks. I am now off until the end of the month and will be focused on this 100%.

I am thinking of increasing the dose to 2 units for both AN and PM once I get the sensor to work again.

I don’t seem to understand how Lantus works or insulin in general so I’d appreciate it if you could simplify it for me by answering if it makes sense to increase the dose to see better levels…

 

[TokyoJolie]

Update and needing advice.
I went in to have the sensor applied a third time and this time I got only error messages so unable to read glucose levels. I went back and had the sensor and reader replaced and after two days it began giving me errors again. Anyone else had this issue with Freestyle Libre 2? Any suggestions on what it could cause this?
I am at a loss and looking at my graph, I don’t see him getting stabilized and I would like to increase the dose… waiting on the doctor’s response as well.
Do you have any advise for me?

 

[TokyoJolie]

Same dose AM/PM otherwise you’ll never understand what’s happening in my opinion.

Two questions. Can you update your spreadsheet? And have you decided on one of the dosing methods (if so, put that at the top of your spreadsheet)?

You’ve seen greens/blues after only being diagnosed for two weeks, I would say it’s working!

If I get this correctly one is if you’re still changing the dosage and the other is when you’re keeping the dose that’s working? I haven’t stabilized him so for now I haven’t made my decision on that…

 

[Tim & Pookey]

If I get this correctly one is if you’re still changing the dosage and the other is when you’re keeping the dose that’s working? I haven’t stabilized him so for now I haven’t made my decision on that…

Not really. Both methods are viable at any point. Just depends on your goals, TR is generally more aggressive but greater chance of getting cat into good numbers.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

There is a Facebook group for pet owners who are using the Libre. They may be able to offer some insight.

 

[TokyoJolie]

Not really. Both methods are viable at any point. Just depends on your goals, TR is generally more aggressive but greater change of getting cat into good numbers.

TR is increasing the dose as per “needs”?

Not really. Both methods are viable at any point. Just depends on your goals, TR is generally more aggressive but greater chance of getting cat into good numbers.

I feel stuck because I don’t know if I should change/increase the dose with the levels he’s getting… Looking at my chart would this require an increase: 0.25, 0.50, 1U?

 

[TokyoJolie]

There is a Facebook group for pet owners who are using the Libre. They may be able to offer some insight.

Thank you so much. I am in that group and I posted the question. Fingers crossed. Today has been rough…

 

[Tim & Pookey]

TR is increasing the dose as per “needs”?


I feel stuck because I don’t know if I should change/increase the dose with the levels he’s getting… Looking at my chart would this require an increase: 0.25, 0.50, 1U?

Depends on which dosing method you’re following. Since it looks like you’re still feeding dry food, you will have to follow SLGS, which reduces under 90 mg/dL. Dose changes are made in 0.25 unit increments here for cats on lower doses. But let’s have someone more experienced confirm. @Sienne and Gabby (GA)

There’s an issue with your US sheet converting from the world sheet, and I suspect an issue with color coding too? Because you got a 67 last night as a lime… @Bandit's Mom can you see what’s going on on this spreadsheet?

Also, @TokyoJolie can you fill in the missing pre-shot data?

 

[TokyoJolie]

data?

Also, @TokyoJolie can you fill in the missing pre-shot data?

Where the pre-shot data is missing, my Libre failed to read for at least an hour. I’ve been having this issue with the third one. Completely replaced the sensor (a forth time) and reader and still get errors.

 

[TokyoJolie]

I changed the dosage back to 2 and no more dry food. I am now getting very low levels which freaks me out. The vet suggested I change the insulin type… If I go back .25 units I might get the same results as before which is not at all ideal… I could also give it a try with just wet food and 1.75U which from my understanding would make a difference?
Could you look at my chart and give an insight? I am puzzled on how I should move forward…

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I'm not convinced that you need to make an insulin change. Your vet is likely uncomfortable with a cat that drops into normal numbers (50 - 120) since most of your vet's clients probably don't home test. The huge advantage of home testing is that you can use food to bump up lower numbers. In other words, you can keep your cat safe.

Just a word about what you're seeing on Jay-Jay's spreadsheet. The drop into the 50 - 60 range is likely a result of stopping the dry food which was considerably higher in carbs than the canned. Despite it being called "dietetic", the Purina dry is higher in carbs than what we consider low carb. I would suggest holding the 1.75u dose since it's also likely that the depot is influencing the numbers. It takes a few cycles for a change in dose to take effect. Just keep an eye on the numbers.

 

[TokyoJolie]

I'm not convinced that you need to make an insulin change. Your vet is likely uncomfortable with a cat that drops into normal numbers (50 - 120) since most of your vet's clients probably don't home test. The huge advantage of home testing is that you can use food to bump up lower numbers. In other words, you can keep your cat safe.

Just a word about what you're seeing on Jay-Jay's spreadsheet. The drop into the 50 - 60 range is likely a result of stopping the dry food which was considerably higher in carbs than the canned. Despite it being called "dietetic", the Purina dry is higher in carbs than what we consider low carb. I would suggest holding the 1.75u dose since it's also likely that the depot is influencing the numbers. It takes a few cycles for a change in dose to take effect. Just keep an eye on the numbers.

Yesterday we had 5 episodes where his glucose kept dropping under 3.7 mmol/L (at one point it was at 2.2 mmol/L and kept dropping) despite feeding him until a fifth time where it jumped to 9, 10 until 15 and then HI.
I spoke with the vet hospital on the phone and they advised me to give him only 1U last evening and also this morning. He is now back in the 15-16 mmol/L range with just 1U…

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

A favor, please...
Most of the experienced members will open your cat's spreadsheet before providing any input or recommendations. It's really important to keep the spreadsheet up to date. And to not be a further pain in the neck, most of the members here are based in the US. When discussing your cat's blood glucose results, we ask that you try to remember to use the mg/dL numbers (not the mmol/L numbers). For as long as I've been on FDMB, my brain works on mg/dL. (Sorry!!)

As far as dose, we would likely not suggest so drastic of a drop. However, it is probably easier on your nerves to drop the dose and work your way back up. That's fine to drop back to 1.0u. I'd encourage you to review the information on dosing methods so you're comfortable with SLGS. What you saw yesterday is what we refer to as a "bounce." When Jay-Jay's numbers dropped that low (i.e., 2.2 or 40), his liver and pancreas panicked. When that happens, they release a stored form of glucose along with counterregulatory hormones that cause blood glucose to spike upward. The biological response along with the honey you added to his food also added to the numbers rising. What you did was exactly the right thing to do. It may take a few cycles for the bounce to clear.

Should you need it, this is a post on how to handle low numbers.

 

[TokyoJolie]

A favor, please...
Most of the experienced members will open your cat's spreadsheet before providing any input or recommendations. It's really important to keep the spreadsheet up to date. And to not be a further pain in the neck, most of the members here are based in the US. When discussing your cat's blood glucose results, we ask that you try to remember to use the mg/dL numbers (not the mmol/L numbers). For as long as I've been on FDMB, my brain works on mg/dL. (Sorry!!)

As far as dose, we would likely not suggest so drastic of a drop. However, it is probably easier on your nerves to drop the dose and work your way back up. That's fine to drop back to 1.0u. I'd encourage you to review the information on dosing methods so you're comfortable with SLGS. What you saw yesterday is what we refer to as a "bounce." When Jay-Jay's numbers dropped that low (i.e., 2.2 or 40), his liver and pancreas panicked. When that happens, they release a stored form of glucose along with counterregulatory hormones that cause blood glucose to spike upward. The biological response along with the honey you added to his food also added to the numbers rising. What you did was exactly the right thing to do. It may take a few cycles for the bounce to clear.

Should you need it, this is a post on how to handle low numbers.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me, the reassurance in your post means so much to me.

I apologize for the missing data (it is now updated and will keep it up that way). I also apologize for using the wrong measurements and I appreciate you bringing that to my attention.

It is now 6 hours since his morning dose of 1.0U and he is now at 196 mg/dL. He had a wet diet snack around 12:30 PM. I completely eliminated the dry food.
When I start my way back up do I keep 1.0 U for an entire week or can I begin (if needed) to increase to 1.25 U after 3 days in my particular case?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

When you increase depends on the dosing method you use. When dry food is in the mix, you are restricted to using SLGS. TR was developed for cats that were on a canned food only diet. If you switched your cat over to canned food only, TR is an option.

With SLGS, unless a dose reduction is indicated (numbers drop below 90), you hold the dose for a week. You do a curve to make sure you haven't missed a low number, and then increase. With TR, for a cat within a year of first diagnosis, if numbers drop below 50 you reduce the dose. However, you review the effectiveness of the dose every 3 days in order to determine if an increase is needed. TR is more aggressive but has a strong track record of getting cats into remission. SLGS can also get a cat into remission but hasn't been studies the same way that TR has been. (SLGS is an approach to dosing that was developed here and was used until TR was published in a leading vet journal.)

Read over both methods and decide on which you want to select. You don't want to mix and match with pieces of each approach. It's best to pick one and stick with it.

 

[TokyoJolie]

When you increase depends on the dosing method you use. When dry food is in the mix, you are restricted to using SLGS. TR was developed for cats that were on a canned food only diet. If you switched your cat over to canned food only, TR is an option.

With SLGS, unless a dose reduction is indicated (numbers drop below 90), you hold the dose for a week. You do a curve to make sure you haven't missed a low number, and then increase. With TR, for a cat within a year of first diagnosis, if numbers drop below 50 you reduce the dose. However, you review the effectiveness of the dose every 3 days in order to determine if an increase is needed. TR is more aggressive but has a strong track record of getting cats into remission. SLGS can also get a cat into remission but hasn't been studies the same way that TR has been. (SLGS is an approach to dosing that was developed here and was used until TR was published in a leading vet journal.)

Read over both methods and decide on which you want to select. You don't want to mix and match with pieces of each approach. It's best to pick one and stick with it.

Upon reading it step by step, I will follow the TR method.

Just to be proactive, if he stays in the 120-135 mg/dL range, do I still shoot a dose of insulin? (Way less or not at all? Is not at all even possible for without getting hyper overnight?)

P.S. I will call my vet to discuss it, but I trust this forum a little bit more to be honest and truly value your opinion on this one if you are able to advise me on this, if it occurs…

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

With TR, the thinking is, "Shoot low to stay low." That said, we typically do not suggest that if you're new to managing your cat's diabetes that you shoot low numbers at first. As an example, I would shoot a full dose as long as Gabby's numbers were above 50 and I wasn't shooting a dropping number. (That may not make sense at this point but it's an example.) We refer to this process as becoming "data ready." There is a good deal of information in the sticky notes at the top of the Lantus board. A post that discusses your question is the post on becoming data ready. With shooting below 150, you want to be sure you'll be around to monitor in case numbers do drop low and that you have a supply of strips and high carb food or syrup, honey, etc.

There are times when you need to evaluate whether or how much to shoot. In those cases you have three options:

• Don't feed your cat and stall for 15 - 20 minutes. Re-test. If numbers aren't on the rise (and that means they are increasing by more than a few points), repeat the process.
• Shoot a reduced dose.
• Skip the shot.

All of those options have their pros and cons. For example, with stalling, it can throw your shot schedule off. That may not be feasible given your individual circumstances. The other two options have an impact on the depot.