Possible switch tomorrow evening

Aloha everyone,

As you might know I'm trying to get Spacey on Lantus. I finally got my vet to order me some Lantus.
Tomorrow Spacey get's her dental and it is possible that the Lantus has arrived and I can take it with me.
If so, I would like to start her tomorrow evening on it.
What starting dose should I use?
1 IE??

 

I am not an expert, but from everything I have learned from this board, the key is to start low, and increase slowly allowing your cat to adjust to the dose. I have been giving Sami Lantus for over two months and before coming to this board Sami was all over the place with her numbers. I have since learned that I need to pick a starting point (1 unit in my case because I didn't know about .5 units) and stick with it for at least a few days. Keep asking questions and the veterans will chime in with their opinions. In the end you will have to make the final decision, but at least you will get a lot of helpful input before you have to make the decision.

 

Hi Ella

Welcome to Lantus Land..your name is Ella right? lol
While you wait for feedback, read up on the info stickies above. Sometimes it takes reading them a few times.

Are u able to give a bit more info on Spacey? What food is Spacey eating? Any health issues? Weight?
Some of this you may of already answered, to make it easier, this is info you add to your profile.

Also, take a look thru other condo's here, a condo is a thread. Each cat has their own thread each day. All this is explained in the New to Group stickie above.

Hope to see u posting often and looking forward to meeting Spacey. Good luck with the dental!
cat_pet_icon

 

Hi Ella: Welcome to LL. You are in the right place. Read condos, look at spreadsheets. Ask "questions". There is a lot to learn and it takes a little time. I'm sure one of our more experienced people will be along to guide you. Good luck with the dental tomorrow. Because of the dental they may suggest you start at .5u of Lantus. But, that being said, I am not a dossing counselor so I'm sure some infor will follow.

Weight, food, all of that is important. You are home testing and you have a ss (spreadsheet) up and running, that is great.

Good luck, and again, Welcome.

 

Hi Ella! And welcome.

I don't know if anyone reviewed some of the issues with a dental procedure. I'm assuming your vet asked you to either give a reduced dose or not give insulin prior to the dental. Whether or not you start Lantus after the procedure, you should probably get a BG test once you get Spacey home and then again at PMPS. Anesthesia can lower BG levels, although this is not always the case. If Spacey's numbers are low, you will want to adjust the dose. (If you have Lantus, starting the day of a dental may not be a good idea but I would want to have one of our experienced members comment on this.) Also, given that Spacey will not have eaten, do not feed in large amounts. Anesthesia also slows gastric motility so if Spacey eats more than a small amount, she will scarf-and-barf. So, small amounts every hour will help her keep the food down. Pain medication is also very beneficial after a dental. One of the European members of the board may be able to suggest a pain med -- I don't know if the names are the same in Europe as in the US (I know they aren't with human meds). Most of us get buprenorphine (that's the generic) either as a liquid oral med or as an injection after a dental.

With respect to starting dose, you may have read in the Tilly Protocol, the starting dose is based on ideal weight. One of our experienced members may have some thoughts on whether this strategy is applicable to Spacey since you are switching insulins. In the event that this would be the route, could you let us know what Spacey's ideal weight is?

It looks like from your profile, that Spacey is on a low carb, wet or raw diet. Has your vet suggested what the problem with Spacey's hind legs may be?

I hope all goes well with the dental tomorrow. Please consider posting on a daily basis so we can get to know Spacey. As others have said, visit our "condos," read spreadsheets, and ask questions!

 

cheryl has brought up some very good points. i'd just like to add... starting lantus the day of the dental may not be the best idea. it'll take a couple of days to build up an insulin depot (dubbed the "shed" in LL). you might be better of sticking with caninsulin for a couple of days after the dental since you can adjust the dose.

welcome to the group! hope to see you posting often...