My cat has diabetes. How fast should insulin lower blood sugar levels?

It sounds like Kosey's glucose is getting under control pretty well this time around as well which is great news. If you are ever worried the glucose is too low the safest thing to do is to not give any insulin so I think you did the right thing. It sounds like at this time the 5 units may be too much and you can start giving lower doses. To be sure this is the right thing for Kosey I would recommend having a glucose curve done at your vet (where multiple blood glucose readings are taken throughout the day). You may have done this in the past but it can be helpful to do it again while trying to regulate your cat. Good luck!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If glucose was high on blood work and glucose is also present in the urine, then this is a diagnosis of diabetes. Insulin should begin as soon as possible when a diabetic is first diagnosed. Unless the patient is really ill or unstable, one or two day delay for insulin should be okay. A 12 hour glucose curve at the hospital should be run with the insulin Bella will be on for her first day of insulin treatment so the proper dose can be calculated and to make sure Bella does not have any negative reactions to the insulin or become hypoglycemic at any point. I hope this helps!

Take him to the emergency vet right now. This is serious hypoglycemia and it could kill him. He may be in remission and may not need any more insulin. However this needs to be checked by a veterinarian. But for now it is very important that he be seen at the ER.

Hi there. Pets who are on an insulin dose that is too high can have something happen called the Somoygi effect, which basically means that their glucose levels can drop suddenly and then get really high afterwards as the body "overshoots" as it tries to compensate for the sudden drop. So yes, it's possible for an animal on a too-high insulin dose to have high glucose readings in some cases. This is why blood glucose curves are generally needed to assess the pet's response to insulin. This means checking the glucose level every 2 hours for an 8-12 hour period, to give a clearer picture of exactly how the levels are changing throughout the day. I would recommend talking to the veterinarian who is managing Cupcake's diabetes about how best to monitor her glucose levels and determine if any insulin dosage changes are needed.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A blood sugar of 36 is too low. Do not give Gir insulin. Continue to feed him small meals and put some Karosyrup on his gums. Call your Veterinarian in the morning to discuss what they would like to change. Signs of low blood sugar are: salivating, crying, staggering, vomiting, increased respiratory rate, seizures, and or twitching. If you observe any of these things seek immediate veterinary care. I wish Gir the best!

Please try to bring her appointment forward to get her rechecked and her blood sugar levels controlled more effectively if possible. It may be necessary to change her insulin type but she should also be checked for infections/inflammation etc which may be altering her ability to regulate her condition

Normally, a diabetic cat should come back to the vet for a blood test (either a serum fructosamine level, or a blood glucose curve) 7-14 days after first starting insulin. Your vet should give you specific instructions for what he/she recommends in Fonzie's case.