Need some advice, gave 1/2 dose but numbers still going up

[Lynn & Rupert]

Hi, Rupert's AMPS were below 200 so waited 5 hrs , numbers above 200, so gave cautious .5 dose. Been checking every 2 hrs and the numbers are slowly raising. It's been 5 hours since shot was given. Not sure what to do. Would appreciate any advice. He did eat some higher carb wet food, not intended for him, snuck by me and thought it was his twin brother! It wasn't too bad, but higher than his usual wet food, but he didn't eat very much, maybe 1/4 can of a 5.50z can.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

The numbers aren't awful. I wouldn't shoot until 12 hours from your .5. If you'd give even a small dose like .5 now, you'll be adding insulin to a cycle where the previous insulin might not be gone. And you'd have the same issue for the next cycle.

I'd think of it as a fur shot. Just one cycle, better higher than too low. And you can use the data for next time. .5 may be too little for the mid 200s.

Or something else may happen for the end of the cycle. He could surf in the 200s for a couple of hours.

Get out those patience pants. You got a wonderful amps today. Good news. Complicated the rest of the cycle but tomorrow you can start all over again.

 

[Lynn & Rupert]

The numbers aren't awful. I wouldn't shoot until 12 hours from your .5. If you'd give even a small dose like .5 now, you'll be adding insulin to a cycle where the previous insulin might not be gone. And you'd have the same issue for the next cycle.

I'd think of it as a fur shot. Just one cycle, better higher than too low. And you can use the data for next time. .5 may be too little for the mid 200s.

Or something else may happen for the end of the cycle. He could surf in the 200s for a couple of hours.

Get out those patience pants. You got a wonderful amps today. Good news. Complicated the rest of the cycle but tomorrow you can start all over again.

Sounds like a good plan, I am just discouraged because his numbers were good this morning and he was more like his old self. I will test him again before bedtime, which will probably be really late now that I am all hyper over this! lol Thanks again Sue, you are an angel!

 

[Robin&BB]

Sounds like a good plan, I am just discouraged because his numbers were good this morning and he was more like his old self. I will test him again before bedtime, which will probably be really late now that I am all hyper over this! lol Thanks again Sue, you are an angel!

Was just looking at your Rupert's spreadsheet. So did he not get a shot this morning?

 

[Lynn & Rupert]

Was just looking at your Rupert's spreadsheet. So did he not get a shot this morning?

Hi Robin, I gave him one this morning, just forgot to put my 1 in the box. At +2 his numbers were down and I am going to do another test at +6. I was getting worried about his high numbers late last night, so decided to give a tiny bit of insulin, but I was tired and gave a fur shot instead, also ended up jabbing my thumb with the needle. Figured that was a sign to have patience like the good person on here advised me to do in the first place and wait till morning. I was just so excited his numbers were down yesterday and he was feeling a bit friskier, hated to have his numbers go so high last night and early this morning. Thanks for checking his chart and caring!

 

[Robin&BB]

I was just so excited his numbers were down yesterday and he was feeling a bit friskier, hated to have his numbers go so high last night and early this morning.

I feel for you; I know how hard it is to be patient. (Sure doesn't come naturally to me!) But keep this in mind: Your kitty was only diagnosed a couple of weeks ago, right? So it can take some time for Rupert's numbers to come down and stay there. (Take a look at Bat's early numbers, back in late Feb. to mid-March; it didn't happen right away.)

I found that the best route for us was consistency: Doses as close to 12 hours apart as possible, and it might not be a good idea this early in the game to be shooting mid-cycle after missing a dose - even when it's only a half dose (as Sue cautioned about earlier). Better off too high now than dealing with the hypo-zone. Have you tried waiting 15 minutes and re-checking Rupert's BG after getting a too-low-to-shoot number? Because sometimes it only takes 15-30 minutes more before the BG rises enough to be in a safer zone, then you can feed & shoot. If you look at the notes on Bat's SS for 3/18/15, you'll see that I had to do 3 BG cks. over a span of 40+ minutes to get to a shootable AMPS. I don't know if this is an option for you (maybe not, if your work takes you away from home), but if you do end up with Rupert shifted an hour later than usual, wait about 12 hours before you dose again. (You could always ease back to your previous schedule in 15 minute increments over the next several days; I've had to do that several times myself.)

Be consistent about the daily low-carb rations, and if you need to separate your kitties at feeding time, do that. Although mine is a one-cat household, Bat is such a chow-hound that I've had to mind some pretty crazy details, like not leaving a "people" plate with food scraps on it unattended on the kitchen counter; keeping a bag of bread or chips out of her reach overnight; making sure nobody dropped a potato chip shard or tiny bit of cheese on the floor while snacking (had to break my DH of his walkabout-snacking w/accidental dropping of food morsels). Bat will literally cruise for crumbs just like a dog - and I found that even stuff like that can spike her BG.

I know there's a lot for you to digest in the beginning stages of treatment, but I can tell that you're deeply committed to Rupert's health - and you're doing just fine! I've no doubt you'll see Rupert's #s get better over time. Just breathe, dear, and try to be patient. We've all been where you are right now & everybody here is in your corner. - R (P.S. Sorry for the lengthy post, but hope it helps you some.)

 

[Lynn & Rupert]

I feel for you; I know how hard it is to be patient. (Sure doesn't come naturally to me!) But keep this in mind: Your kitty was only diagnosed a couple of weeks ago, right? So it can take some time for Rupert's numbers to come down and stay there. (Take a look at Bat's early numbers, back in late Feb. to mid-March; it didn't happen right away.)

I found that the best route for us was consistency: Doses as close to 12 hours apart as possible, and it might not be a good idea this early in the game to be shooting mid-cycle after missing a dose - even when it's only a half dose (as Sue cautioned about earlier). Better off too high now than dealing with the hypo-zone. Have you tried waiting 15 minutes and re-checking Rupert's BG after getting a too-low-to-shoot number? Because sometimes it only takes 15-30 minutes more before the BG rises enough to be in a safer zone, then you can feed & shoot. If you look at the notes on Bat's SS for 3/18/15, you'll see that I had to do 3 BG cks. over a span of 40+ minutes to get to a shootable AMPS. I don't know if this is an option for you (maybe not, if your work takes you away from home), but if you do end up with Rupert shifted an hour later than usual, wait about 12 hours before you dose again. (You could always ease back to your previous schedule in 15 minute increments over the next several days; I've had to do that several times myself.)

Be consistent about the daily low-carb rations, and if you need to separate your kitties at feeding time, do that. Although mine is a one-cat household, Bat is such a chow-hound that I've had to mind some pretty crazy details, like not leaving a "people" plate with food scraps on it unattended on the kitchen counter; keeping a bag of bread or chips out of her reach overnight; making sure nobody dropped a potato chip shard or tiny bit of cheese on the floor while snacking (had to break my DH of his walkabout-snacking w/accidental dropping of food morsels). Bat will literally cruise for crumbs just like a dog - and I found that even stuff like that can spike her BG.

I know there's a lot for you to digest in the beginning stages of treatment, but I can tell that you're deeply committed to Rupert's health - and you're doing just fine! I've no doubt you'll see Rupert's #s get better over time. Just breathe, dear, and try to be patient. We've all been where you are right now & everybody here is in your corner. - R (P.S. Sorry for the lengthy post, but hope it helps you some.)

I love your lengthy post, thank you so much for taking the time to post one that long! Another thanks to Sue for helping me last night, I don't know what I would have done without this forum during all this!
I had recently moved, so I had no vet here at my new home and the one I used for Rupert's diagnosis was not very informed. I have not had a curve test or fruc? whatever test done on him, just what I am doing at home. Partly because I didn't like his old way with shooting blindly twice a day and also because funds are short and I already spent over $400 on two vet visits, insulin, supplies...well y'all know what I am talking about. The vet did blood work for DX and checked his BG on second visit, also two IV's for hydration. At least he gave me a prescription for ProZinc, he wanted to put Rupert on Vetsulin, which is cheaper, but not as good from what I read, so I stood my ground. Any way, long story short....I am sort of flying by the seat of my pants here and I couldn't do it without this forum and wonderful people here.
I will take your advice about checking BG after too low a number, which happened once at 83. I am getting much more comfortable getting blood from his ears now, so testing more isn't freaking me out like before. I do try to dose 12 hrs apart, only time I didn't was when numbers were to low. I will check out Bat's SS! (ps...love his name, purrfect for a black kitty!) I am seeing I need to test more often than I was, especially when his numbers are too low or high.
Lol over Bat's hunting for scraps and forages in the kitchen! I have had to be very careful when snacking myself and I leave nothing on the counter now! I feel bad that Rupert doesn't get any of my snacks anymore, he loves boiled peanuts and seems to know the second I open a can! I just look the other way and think "I should practice what I preach to my cat!"

 

[Robin&BB]

I feel bad that Rupert doesn't get any of my snacks anymore, he loves boiled peanuts and seems to know the second I open a can! I just look the other way and think "I should practice what I preach to my cat!"

Yes, it's awfully hard not to feel guilty when you're having a snack and your kitty is begging ... Bat-Bat comes around no matter when we're eating or snacking, and does a lot of "fast talking" to try to get a morsel out of us - but we hold our ground now.

Can you tell me more about Rupert's hydration problem? (Did you post details about that on another thread?)

 

[BJM]

Remember - he's more than a glucose number!
Is he purring?
Playing/returning to pre-diabetes behavior?
Preening/grooming?
Peeing and pooping normally?

Those are the 5 Ps or Whole Cat Report.
There are some other options to evaluate your cat in my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools.