NEWBIE 10/30 Tiki AMBG 260, +4 246

Hello,

Hope I am doing this new thread/condo thing right...


I tested him again 2 hours ago and his number was 246 (since bfast he has been Mr. Fussy Butt and hasn't eaten much. I think he is holding out for another treat he's had so many over the last few hours...) LOL

 

Re: 10/30 Tiki AMBG 260, +4 246

Hello to Tiki and his bean. Nice sunny yellow day for Tiki.

 

Re: 10/30 Tiki AMBG 260, +4 246

You might want to edit your title and write Newbie, need advice so some others who are experts, can help. Welcome. I am not an expert on Feline diabetes, too new here, but you are in the right place. Read the stickies and set up a spreadsheet. Instructions are in the stickies. That way, people can follow you and Tiki and give their expert advice as to dosing etc. It may seem overwhelming at first but you will get it quicker than you think with lots of help and loving support!

 

Sorry everyone - working slowly on the spreadsheet (while doing chores around the house...)

 

Re: 10/30 Tiki AMBG 260, +4 246

hi tonya! you're doing great -condo looks perfect. good job getting those tests in - i'm sure tiki appreciates the treats, too!

 

Excellent linking job, Tonya. The link in your old condo takes us directly to this new one.
Tomorrow, when you start a new condo, link this one to it right at the beginning of your first post, so that people will be able to refer back to what happened today.

You are doing fine. Good luck with getting started on a spreadsheet. Sometimes (in recent months) Google has not always recognized new spreadsheets. If you get this type of error message, post here and someone who understands the problem will be along to help you.

Tiki's numbers look good.

Ella & Rusty

 

Hi Tonya and Tiki:

Just welcoming you to Lantus Land. When do you start the lantus for Tiki and at what dose?

We're happy to have you and Tiki here and we're here to help answer all your questions....or as many as we can!! Welcome to our family.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome. Everyone has been so helpful over the past couple of days getting me up and started.

Here is the link from yesterday (last night)....that will show where I began with things last night. I was told by my vet yesterday to start him off at 2 units before feeding, twice a day, 12hrs apart. WITHOUT testing. We all decided to hold off a day, take some readings and move forward from there - so that's where I am (hurry up and wait mode!) I plan to take another reading tonight (it's killing me to make him bleed but he has been a trooper so far) in approx 3 hrs and then I hope y'all tell me what to do next!

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55355#p599019

 

Hi Tonya and Tiki,

Welcome to lantus land! It can be overwhelming at first but you'll get lots of help here. Your doing great. After awhile testing will become old hat. My Sara used to pick up her head and see it was just crazy mommy with the lancet and put her head back down and go back to sleep. So it couldn't have bothered her that much. :smile: Keep up the good work and ask any questions that you have.

 

hi tonya. good job getting those tests today!
those are definitely diabetic numbers. will be looking for your next test, but i suspect the result won't be much different.

have you given any thought to a shot schedule that will work for you? many plan their shot schedules so they'll be home for the first couple hours after the morning shot if they work outside the home. this gives the caregiver some leeway if they have to stall a shot. it also gives a little time to see where the cycle is going before walking out the door. do you work outside your home?

 

Yes and No....I work from home but only part of the day. Generally I am out of the house by 930a, out and about for the rest of the day, then home between 5p and 8p (it varies). Then I am generally home all night (usually working) and go to bed by 2a (don't ask - my job is killing me. I suspect it will also cause me to kill my cat.) I make my own schedule (some weeks I have more goof off time than others - but I am dependent upon the availability of others so the control over my schedule only goes so far). Because I go to bed so late I am dead meat in the mornings and hit snooze at least a hundred times...then run like a banshee to get out of the door. His schedule is going to force me to make changes...(probably for the better). But it's going to be tough...

 

yikes! your schedule is worse than mine!

you'll need to figure out what will work for you. you'll want to be able to shoot as close to every 12 hours as possible.
once you get that figured out we can talk about dose and when you want to start...

 

I had been feeding him when I get up (8a ish), upon returning home (5p-7pish) and again when I went to bed. I was thinking shots at 8a and 8p (as I am usually ALWAYS home no later than 8p) but I will very rarely be home mid day to be able to deal with him mid cycle.

I brought this up to the vet and she felt there was no need to be concerned as this type of insulin has a nice slow curve to it.

I don't know what to do - feeling head spin again!

 

many of our caregivers are not able to get home mid-day to check on their kitties. it just means you'll have to get some mid-cycle spot checks at night and on weekends. lantus will eventually provide a nice gentle curve, but it doesn't happen immediately.

since tiki's numbers aren't that bad, i see a couple of options here. you could start tonight with a low dose of maybe 0.5 unit or 1 unit twice a day or you could wait to start insulin next friday night. that way you'll have the weekend to get your feet wet. if you wait til next weekend i recommend using ketostix to check tiki's urine for ketones this week. if he begins to throw ketones you'd want to start insulin immediately.

and if you want to think about it... this decision does not have to be made tonight.

 

That is a superb idea - I've already made my appt at the vet's next Sat (for follow up blood testing) but I can cancel - she won't care...I've already been dragging this along a month (half denial, half not knowing where to start)...

At least that way I'll be home and can watch out for anything funny.

Should I continue to take readings all week (with NO insulin)?

 

if i were in your shoes, i would continue with a random spot check or two every day if for no other reason than the more you test not only does it become easier for you, but it will become part of the daily routine with tiki. cats LOVE routine... and come to expect it.

 

IMHO, getting Tiki used to getting an ear poked will be useful for you both. It will get Tiki used to the process which is huge. It also means you aren't under the pressure of having to get a test before your shoot. If you have an unsuccessful test, it won't be a big deal.

I work outside of the house. I have my schedule set up so I have several hours where I can monitor before I head out the door. (I also have a cat who likes to take dives early in the cycle.) If you can get up, test, feed, and shoot and then get up in time to get a test 2 hours later (your +2), that may work for your schedule. It's just a thought...

 

nice job getting Tiki all set up, Tonya!!

and ouch on your work schedule...

celi & binks

 

just randomly thinking that tiki needing insulin shots might help your schedule become more sane. there are blessings to be found in having a diabetic cat! we shoot punkin at 7a/7p and since it's forced us to mostly be home at 7pm things have actually gotten a little less chaotic. since you're gone for a long time during the middle of the day, you might find a timed feeder to be really helpful.

our first tactic for low numbers is to give food - either low carb or high carb depending on the situation. it might help you to have a timed feeder that will release food at a time you preprogram. we don't use one, but i'm available during the day - a lot of people here do use them. i'm just imagining you needing to leave for work and seeing a lower BG that makes you nervous - knowing that you'd left food available might be really reassuring.

if you decide that would be helpful, i know some cats need some practice to get used to eating from them. also there are some feeders that are better than others, especially if tiki is very food-oriented and might break into the feeder. if you want suggestions, edit your subject line in tomorrow's post and ask for suggestions/advice on the feeders.

 

Sorry I am not sure I follow your suggestion on the timed feeder. Tiki always has food available to him. He grazes all day long and rarely finishes a can of Fancy Feast before his next feeding. Do you mean in case I dont get home on time?

 

sorry, i got distracted by star trek!

i do remember that you said he grazed - so maybe you don't need one. i'm just thinking there might be times when you want him to get some high carb food mid-day. once you begin the lantus and his spreadsheet begins to fill in from tests, patterns will begin to emerge. you learn how to "read" the ss and can predict somewhat-sometimes what might be coming in the next few hours. if you were to get low numbers in the morning and had to leave for work, there would be a certain comfort in being certain that some high carb food would be available at the time you expected tiki to get the lowest.

might be good to get some input from others on this - i don't have grazers and if i left food out punkin would eat it before i got out the door. i am certain i couldn't anticipate him having food still available in several hours! i'd probably have to leave 6 cans of food out to have any left after an hour. :lol:

maybe this won't be something you need.