04/27/15 Dosing Advice

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Michaellh33

Michaellh33

Member Since 2015
My cats pre-shot reading is 76 (the lowest it has ever been) I take it that I need to skip tonights shot but wanted to make sure and find out about tomorrow shot.
 
You have a couple of choices. First did you test twice to make sure it was an accurate reading. Whenever you get a number much lower or higher than you expect you should always do a second test because it is possible that it was a bad strip or there wasn't enough blood for a proper reading.
 
You also have the option of waiting until it starts to rise, then shooting it. You'd need to monitor tonight though - that means testing until Brody's clearly not going to go low.

I'll leave you in Tina's capable hands. I'm running out the door.
 
If you skip the shot you will be emptying out the depot and this could set you back, but it is the most safe if you won't be available to monitor and don't have the necessary supplies on had to feed a low.

Giving a reduced dose would also be emptying the depot a bit, but will still provide some insulin support. You would still need to monitor, but it probably won't be as scary.

The third option is to shot the normal dose and monitor closely and be ready with high carb food if he goes below 50 (confirm that you are testing on a human meter and not Alpha Traks)
 
Michaellh33 said:
The first thing I did was take a second one and I got 78 the first and 76 the second.
Click to expand...

Okay so you know it is a good read. Check out the options and see what you feel most comfortable with. I will be around for awhile and am happy to answer questions.

Like Julie stated you can also delay the shot until he is rising, but this could also get you off your regular shot schedule. If sticking to the same time for your shot schedule is important it might not be the best solution, but if you have a bit of flexibility for shot time then this is also a good option.
 
Just know that at some point you will have to get comfortable shooting lower PS numbers, but don't feel like you have to do it if you are not ready. You have only been at this for a short time so it is understandable if you are scared.
 
Wow! That green seems like it came out of the blue. I'm not super experienced, and I won't be here much tonight, but I wanted to cheer you on, whichever option you go with. You are doing a great job. Brody is so blessed to have you!

One thing that would help Tina help you, is if you can post what you have in your hypo kit. If Brody goes too low you'll need the following:
1. Plenty of test strips
2. High carb food (usually that's food with gravy)
3. Karo, honey, or maple syrup
4. Chocolate for the human :)

You'll also need to let her know what kind of meter you are using - human or Alphatrak.

Whatever you decided is best for you and Brody, I know you're going to do a great job! I'll check in when I can, but I have to be somewhere at 6 pm, so I'm about ready for bed. I'm cheering for you!
 
I have to work tomorrow so I won't be able to really monitor over night. I will test again and maybe do a late shot? I just fed him though so it might be higher.
 
I have some honey and some high carb food lined up but no chocolate and I ate all my cookies over the weekend lol.
 
The Internet just went down at my house, so I'm going to try to stay updated on my phone.

For future reference, when you decide to stall you should not feed. There is nothing you can do about it now, so you should either decide to give a reduced dose or skip for tonight. Because more than likely he will be rising for the next test and you can't base your dosing decision on a food induced number. So no need to stall any longer, just determine if you will skip tonight or give a reduced dose.
 
When you decide to stall you should not feed. There is nothing you can do about it now, so you should either decide to give a reduced dose or skip for tonight. Because he will more than likely be rising for the next test and you can't base your dosing decision on a food induced number. So no need to stall any longer, just determine if you will skip or give a reduced dose.
 
How is Brody's appetite? I see he was recently DKA. Was he also on antibiotics? Usually there is an infection/inflammation involved with DKA. Are you testing regularly for ketones? The formula for ketones is not enough food plus not enough insulin plus infection so it would be good to give some insulin if you can.
 
I am getting ready to head off to bed for a couple hours of sleep, as it might be a long night for Sammy and I. I will try to check in with you tomorrow to see how tonight goes. Even if you decide to give a reduced dose you will still want to get a +2 and possibly more tests during the night just to make sure that Brody does not go too low. Since you skipped a shot yesterday morning it is possible that the depot is partially depleted but you can't be 100% sure.
 
Is Brody newly diagnosed? If so you don't want to shoot a low number and definitely not if you can't monitor.

I see Wendy and Tina are helping so I'll step away
 
You could but your next shot could be no earlier than 11.5 hours from now. Does your schedule allow that?
 
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