My vet is starting my guy out on 2U of Vetsulin twice a day.

Discussion in 'Caninsulin / Vetsulin and N / NPH' started by RandyChumlee, Nov 29, 2018.

  1. RandyChumlee

    RandyChumlee New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    I took him to the vet thinking my cat had Kidney problems only to find out he is diabetic and was at 560. I brought him back next day and he gave him 2U and brought it down to 120. Should I continue the 2U twice a day as he suggested ?
    Completely new to All this.
     
  2. Meridith and Zeke

    Meridith and Zeke Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2017
    First off, are you home testing? Second, that is a little high for a starting dose.
     
  3. RandyChumlee

    RandyChumlee New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Tomorrow will be my first shot at 10AM. I’m going to start testing tomorrow or Friday. I have to bring the cat back in sat morning for a check up. I feel like 1U is best after reading a bunch of stuff but I’m not a vet.
     
  4. Meridith and Zeke

    Meridith and Zeke Well-Known Member

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    May 22, 2017
    Sadly, the vets really don’t get the training they should, which is why he was starting you on so high of a dose. Have you transitioned to low carb food yet?

    Also, stress going to the vet can raise big numbers by as much as 200 points. For Zeke, we now only go to the vet if we are needing labs done or time for some more teeth to be pulled. Vet trips stress him horribly so we don’t take him anymore then absolutely necessary.
     
    Lane likes this.
  5. RandyChumlee

    RandyChumlee New Member

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    Nov 27, 2018
    Have him on wet food with no grains right now, getting correct food tomorrow. The reason I brought him in is cause he lost weight and was having big pees always thirsty which is same as kidney issues. So do I switch to 1U or keep at 2 ?
     
  6. Meridith and Zeke

    Meridith and Zeke Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2017
    I would say switch food and be testing before you inject would be the safest thing. I will tag a few that have more experience then I do with your type of insulin.
    @Yong @MrWorfMen's Mom @JanetNJ
     
  7. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Jun 8, 2016
    I would definitely go to 1 unit.
     
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  8. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    You've indicated you plan to start testing today or tomorrow. We strongly suggest testing before every shot to ensure it is safe to give insulin so if you are waiting for the meter to arrive, you may want to hold off until Thursday to start insulin particularly if you work during the day and will not be around to monitor on Wednesday. If you have changed your cat's diet to low carb food, testing before each shot is even more important because diet change can sometimes have a significant lowering effect on BG. We also recommend testing mid cycle to see how low the insulin dose is taking kitty's BG whenever possible.

    If the meter arrives today, you could practice testing in preparation for giving insulin tomorrow.

    In the meantime, I'm going to ask you to do a bit of homework so that the folks here on the board can help you in the best way possible.
    At the bottom of our posts, you will see some light grey text called a "Signature". This is where we put information about our kitties and ourselves so that anyone assisting you has pertinent information to ensure you get the best help possible. It also means we won't keep asking you for the same information over and over again.

    To set up your signature, click on your screen name up in the upper right hand corner of your screen. A menu will drop down and on the left side you will see Signature. Click on Signature and you will get a text box to type in. Include your cat's name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, any other medical conditions including history of DKA, the type of insulin, the type of glucometer you use, diet and any dietary issues. You can also include your general location and your name and a link to your spreadsheet (info on this below).

    The signature can only be 3 lines long so abbreviations are fine and info can be separated with "|" or semi-colons. When you are finished entering your info, scroll down and click on the button Save Changes.

    The other bit of homework is to set up the spreadsheet. It's easy to use and it lives on Google Drive and is viewable by anyone with the link. You will need a Google account and if you are using a tablet or phone, you will need to have Google drive and Google sheets installed on your device. The instructions for setting up the spreadsheet are HERE and THIS document will explain how to use it. Once this is set up, you will need to add the link to your signature.

    If you need any assistance with setting any of this up, just holler and we'll get you sorted. :)
     
    Meridith and Zeke likes this.
  9. RandyChumlee

    RandyChumlee New Member

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    Nov 27, 2018
    I just took his blood sugar and it was 332. His last shot was yesterday.
     
  10. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

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    Feb 18, 2015
    Good job testing! Interesting that his BG is considerably lower than the reading from the vet and that is without insulin since yesterday. Have you changed his diet recently to a low carb food?
     
  11. RandyChumlee

    RandyChumlee New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    I just took away the dry food. The two are eating only wet food that’s grain free. I’ll test again tonight before dinner.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2018
    MrWorfMen's Mom and JanetNJ like this.
  12. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    I would definitely start off with a dose of no more than 1u given the recent food change. What meter are you using? If it's a human meter then we recommend no shot be given at a pre-shot reading of 200 or less. If you are using a pet meter then a no shot limit of 250 is probably a good place to start given the recent food change. Make sure you remove all food for at least 2 hours before your pre-shot test, so your pre-shot test has no food influence. It is a good idea to test 2 or 3 hours after the shot to see how much the BG is dropping. Getting a before bed test often lets you know if the cycle will be an active one in which case you can steer with food.
     
  13. RandyChumlee

    RandyChumlee New Member

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    Nov 27, 2018
    So when I got home I took his blood again and it was at 500. I gave him 1 1/2 dosage. This is getting frustrating
     
  14. MrWorfMen's Mom

    MrWorfMen's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    The 1.5u dose is a bit higher than we would recommend as a starting dose with a recent diet change but the decision is yours and given the vet gave 2u, it's still a reasonable choice. It can however take several days to see the full effect of a diet change from high carb dry kibble to low carb wet food. The 500 you got last night could be a combination of the skipped shot and what is called a bounce from the low of 120 your cat had at the vet's the other day. A bounce is a normal physical phenomenon that occurs when kitty's BG drops quickly, drops a lot or drops to levels that the cat has become unaccustomed to and perceives to be dangerous. With diabetes, our cats get used to the high BG and their defence systems go into action early and basically have to be re-calibrated to understand that normal BG is safe.

    Did you recheck the BG at any time during the night?

    It would be very helpful if you could set up a signature and spreadsheet as that will help those helping you give you the best suggestions for your cat. Is your cat's name Chumlee? :)
     
    Kris & Teasel likes this.
  15. Martica and Fred

    Martica and Fred Member

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    Jan 15, 2010
    Too much! Read my post below!
     

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