new members 7units of lantus need help

Hi i am Cinnamons daddy she was dx on Nov. We are up to 7 units 2x a day. We are feeding prescription dry food at shot time only. We are not testing yet but have a human meter, Freestyle. We need restarting shot amount suggestions

 

Hang in there Daddy and lets get testing!

 

Hello Cinnamon's daddy!!!!

It's great that you're going to start testing-- 7U is a lot of insulin (which insulin, by the way?). Some cats do need that much, but we've definitely also seen cats get up that high when they don't need to be there. The sooner we can figure out which is the case for Cinnamon, the better.

We don't like to give dose recommendations without seeing at least some testing data, but we can definitely help you get started with the testing when your meter arrives to speed things along! In addition to the meter, you'll need a few other things:

-- lancets to do the poking. Make sure they are large, 26-28 gauge. We've found that in the beginning, you really need the larger lancets (smaller gauge numbers), otherwise it can be really frustrating trying to get a drop of blood

-- antibiotic ointment to dab on afterwards to help the healing (I usually did this just at the end of the day after the last poke)

-- cotton rounds (or similar) to apply post-poke pressure to stop bleeding (once you have the drop you need) and prevent bruising

-- yummy treats as a reward for Cinnamon for being such a good girl for the testing! Most of us find that the association between testing and treats develops very quickly, and our cats soon come running when we get the testing supplies out!

Welcome again!

 

Hi Bennie! I'm a case manager with DCIN so was asked to help you out!

7 units is a HUGE amount of insulin. Most cats usually end up needing less than 3 units unless they have a high dose condition like acromegaly or IAA.

I'm assuming that the only testing that's been done on Cinnamon has been at the vet's?

The "prescription" dry is very high in carbs which is probably why Cinnamon is still alive so whatever you do, don't take it away while shooting 7 units.

What I'd suggest is that you continue feeding the high carb food and (for now) stick with the 7 units while you learn to home test. Once you are comfortable home testing, we'll start to transition Cinnamon off the high carb kibble and onto a low carb canned like Fancy Feast Classics, Friskies pates or 9-Lives ground which will surely make her dose go down too.

Before you change anything though, we need you to be sure you can test her at home and are comfortable doing it.

 

I wouldn't call 7 units a "huge" amount of insulin. Some cats need more insulin, especially if they are eating a high carb dry food diet, which is what so many of the "prescription" dry food diets are. I also don't call acromegaly or IAA "high dose conditions" cause we've seen several cats on smaller doses. Neko had both conditions and spent most of her diabetic life on less than 3 units. One in four diabetic cats has acromegaly, it's not uncommon. It's a secondary endocrine condition caused by a benign tumour on the pituitary causing excess growth hormone to be output, which in turn causes the diabetes.

The Freestyle is a good meter to start, it only needs a small blood drop. Lots of tips on testing, including videos, in this link: Hometesting Links and Tips