New job, trouble with scheduling, different insulin?

I am using the Lantus SoloStar pen. I am right now feeding Clawdius and giving him his shot every 12 hours. The problem is, I am about to start a job where I will have 12 hour shifts with a 1 hour drive each way. It won't always be that long a drive but right now I am caring for my dad at his home. I will work 2 day shifts, 2 night shifts, then 4 days off. How do I work Clawdie's feedings and shots? I thought about getting an automatic feeder so he (and his brother) can have a snack while I'm gone to tide them over but what do I do about his insulin? There is really no one around here that can do it. Is the 12 hours between shots an absolute?
It was suggested that I ask for help on this forum, maybe think about changing to Prozinc since it doesn't make a depot? I am working on getting him to let me handle his ears so don't have my spreadsheet going yet.

I am really stressing over this and would appreciate any help anyone could offer.

 

So you'll need to shoot somedays on a 10 hour/14 hour schedule?

It can be done. We have another member using Prozinc @Nicole - Toe's mom with a real wonky schedule.

First and foremost we need to see your spreadsheet and I'd wait for @Deb & Wink to guide you with this one if you do decide to change.

We really need to see some numbers before we can suggest anything. My first thoughts are you might have to let him run a little higher (blue nadirs) for safety and you might need to come up with a bit of a sliding scale for dosing but we won't know until we see your spreadsheet. If you need any help setting it up please let us know!

 

I haven't spoken to my vet yet but is there some kind of weaning process when you change insulins? Also, if I am going to use the lancet gadget what number should I set it on? I don't want to go through his ear.

 

Since the Lantus has that insulin depot, some of the Lantus will still be in the storage area, the depot, when you switch insulins. I’m not really familiar with people switching from Lantus to Prozinc so can’t advise you on any sort of weaning process.. There really isn’t a weaning process that I know of, you just have to take into consideration the fact that there will still be some Lantus around when you switch to Prozinc.

Really need to see a spreadsheet with some data before making any sort of comment about the dosing.

There are people that have used Lantus with a 10\14 hour shooting schedule. So you might want to ask that question in the lantus forum.

you’ll have to experiment a bit to see what setting you need to use for the lancing device. A good starting point is usually around three.

 

Hi Peggy - notice you've got your spreadsheet up and running and just wanted to say FANTASTIC job with that first curve!! Right on!!

 

Thank you! I'm pretty proud of myself even though I couldn't get one of the readings. My ragdoll came and bugged us because he knows there is kitty crack (freeze dried chicken treats) at the end of the testing. Even though he gets one too he just couldn't wait and as a result we didn't get enough blood and then Clawdius got too antsy to try again.

 

@Peggy & Clawdius I am in the same boat at times with giving my sugar kitty his insulin (prozinc). I work 7p-7a, usually he is on a 12/12 schedule now that I live a bit closer to work. (used to be 45mins one way, now it's about 22mins one way) But there are times he isn't on the 12/12 schedule when my boyfriend has to go out of town for work. I wait until the last minute to get his PMPS and feed/shoot. I wish you the best of luck though! I am still on the sugar dance with my boy.. Getting so much better though!

 

How is he doing with this? My vet is looking into prozinc but right now we are trying out what my schedule is going to be so that if anything is going to happen I'll be here to handle it. I don't start until July 2. In the winter I will be able to go home and will only have a 15 minute drive as opposed to an hour so that will help.

 

He is doing well. If his PMPS is on the lower side, I usually decrease his dose by 0.25 when I work and noone else is home. I only started testing the beginning of the year, still trying to get him completely regulated but his numbers have been ALOT better!

 

I don't even know what to tell you, maybe this kind of work is not a good idea. Given that your pet is sick, you should not leave him alone for such a long time. Talk to your vet about it. It seems to me that such a job is more suitable for you, where you will either do the work while sitting at home, or leave for just a couple of hours. I can advise you to read https://jobsandcareer.tips/high-income-skills/, maybe you can find a great way to earn money there. The most important thing is that your beloved pet is healthy, I understand how difficult it's to adjust your schedule to him, but it's worth it.

 

Hey there! I totally get where you're coming from with the new job schedule messing up your insulin routine. I had a similar experience a while back, and what helped me was setting multiple alarms on my phone to remind me about my insulin. As for splitting the dose, I've heard some folks on here talk about doing it successfully, but it's definitely a case of "your diabetes may vary." It might be worth having a chat with your doctor about this to see what they think about adjusting your dosage. By the way, I have found a Rajasthan Upcoming Vacancy that suits all my requirements.

 

@Marje and Gracie this whole thread confuses me. It’s from 2021 and people are commenting on it. Can we close it for further comment?

 

Done. Thank you.