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My diabetic cat's blood sugar is 36 after insulin. Is this too low?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 15 lbs

My cat has been diagnosed with diabetes. We have been giving him 1 unit in insulin every 12 hours per the vet orders. We were told to get a human glucose tester and test home 1 time a week as we regulate him. We tested tonight and he was at 63 fasting. We opted to not give him a shot before eating and tested about 45 mins after he ate and it was 36. Is this normal? Everything I have read says he should be between 60- 120..

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Laura Johnson VMD

Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

Veterinarian

Published on July 13th, 2017

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!
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on August 12th, 2017

    Poor guy! This could be a number of things when dealing with diabetes. However, given the clinical symptoms you are describing, it could mean that he is receiving too much insulin and his blood glucose may be too low. This seems more likely though sometimes they can also get quite sick from receiving too little insulin and developing a condition called diabetes ketoacidosis. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible to figure out what is going on so that we can figure out how to help him. In the meantime, you may put a small amount of syrup or even honey in his gums while you wait to have him evaluated. Good luck!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 28th, 2017

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I suspect 1 unit is not enough insulin to bring his sugar level down. DO NOT CHANGE HIS DOSE! Please speak to the veterinarian in charge of Shadow's case. They can discuss what the plan is. It depends on his weight, the type of insulin he is on, how often he is receiving it, how long he has been on it, and what he is eating. Insulin doses should only be changed by his veterinarian. Please call them with the results and to discuss the next step. Thanks and kisses to Shadow!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 20th, 2019

    It is possibly that the dose is too high and, considering the current level of glucose concentration, I would not give him any insulin this am.
    Ideally dose should be revised by your local veterinarian.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Health & Wellness
My diabetic cat's blood sugar is dangerously low. Should I go to ER?
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.
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Vet Q & A
My diabetic cat's blood sugar is low. Was skipping insulin right?
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!
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Medications
My diabetic dog's blood sugar is dangerously low. Is it an emergency?
If her blood sugar is 56, she needs to be seen by a veterinarian tonight. She is wading in dangerous territory and should be put on IV dextrose to avoid going into hypoglycemic shock. I would not wait until morning to address this issue, as karo syrup, while helpful, will not help if there is another underlying problem.
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Vet Q & A
My diabetic cat got too much insulin. Should I keep giving honey?
If she is alert and more stable on her feet then I would not give any more supplements unless signs indicate that. Be sure to take her a glucose check before administering any more insulin though. I would recommend trying to feed her several small meals every 3-4 hours though to help maintain a higher blood glucose
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Health & Wellness
My diabetic cat's sugar is high. Can too much insulin cause this?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Training & Behavior
My diabetic cat is lethargic and won't eat. Should I give insulin?
Hi, I think you should check his blood glucose, which I think it’s going to be high. If you can’t because your vet is closed and you don’t have an emergency clinic nearby, I would give him half dose of insulin. Please get in touch if there is anything else we can do for you. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My cat has diabetes. How fast should insulin lower blood sugar levels?
It should drop quite fast if Morpheus is on an adequate dose of insulin, 295 is still a little high but it is definitely a good progress already, if it stays at the same level he might need a slight adjustment of the insulin dosage.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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