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Argos the Cat

Argos the Cat

Member Since 2016
Hi everybody. Argos was diagnosed a week and a half ago. Since then, I've been lurking and learning, so thanks already for all the good info on this site. The good news is I'm a type 1, so a lot of this isn't completely new.

We're off of dryfood and eating Fancy Feast. Argos took to it surprisingly well. The other cat turned her nose up for a few days, but she's coming around. Argos is on 2 units of Prozinc, one dose a day, and I started a spreadsheet. (Looks to me like she would do better with 1 unit twice a day, but I want to get a few more data points. Suggestions are obviously welcome.)

She hates me poking her ear and giving her shots. Hopefully she'll soon start to associate it with feeding time and it wont be so bad for her. Poor kitty. I wish I could explain to her that all of this will make her feel better.
 
Good that you changed to canned and that you are home testing and have a SS setup. Yes, 1 uint twice daily would be better than 2 units once a day

However, you did not make your SS public. Thus others can view it. I get:


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You may not believe it now, but if you are consistent with your testing routine, Argos may start to actually run to her testing spot on her own. Really, I didn't believe it either until I saw it with Whisper with my own eyes (and this happened within weeks of adopting him).

Our routine is that I spread the towel on the table, unzip the meter case (his ears perk up), I shake the box of lancets (he comes running), I pull out the chair for him to jump up on, and I go to microwave his rice sock. By the time I get back to the table with his warm sock - there he is, waiting patiently on his towel to be wrapped up like a little burrito (or I prefer to call him my little Purrito). After I give him chin skritches, tell him what a good boy he is, and rub the warm sock all over his head, he is purring and ready for his ear stick. The funny part is that I also get two bonus cats up on the table now too, Max and Molly (non diabetics). So when Whisper is done, freeze dried turkey bites for everyone :). If Max or Molly ever need regular medical care, they are pre-trained!

Do you give the insulin injection while Argos is eating? Whisper doesn't even flinch 99 times out of 100.

By the way, when I am giving Whispy his rice sock massage, I actually _tell_ him that it is going to make him feel better. I think that talking to him helps relax me as much as him, and your mood makes all the difference. I have heard others say that they sing to their babies, and one sweet story about how a mama always told her baby the story of how they first met while she was testing.

Moral of the story, it will get easier!

Best,
Sandi.
 
Sandi & Whisper said:
... your mood makes all the difference ...
Click to expand...

This. Very much this.

It helps to pretend everything's great - maybe even sing to Argos! - during the early days. :)

Argos the Cat said:
Hopefully she'll soon start to associate it with feeding time and it wont be so bad for her. Poor kitty. I wish I could explain to her that all of this will make her feel better.
Click to expand...
Cats are smart little beings. When Argos starts really benefitting from her insulin treatment she will make the link between all this new hooman weirdness and her feeling better.

Welcome to you both!


Mogs
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Welcome Argos and Argos parent. Great job on transitioning to a good low carb, wet food and setting up your spreadsheet. Here is some additional good read on food and other diabetic information: www.catinfo.org

Argos the Cat said:
Argos is on 2 units of Prozinc, one dose a day
Click to expand...

Glad you have a good insulin however Prozinc is a 12 hour insulin which means it typically only lasts from 10-14 hours, hence, you need to shoot every 12 hours. Here is the Prozinc protocol...another "must" read: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/protocol-for-prozinc-pzi.109077/

I couldn't see your spreadsheet because you have to make it "public." I think all you have to do is "share" it which is found top right.
 
Awesome...thanks everyone for the replies. I just made the SS public & changed her to 2 doses starting today. No sense in letting her get that low after a shot.

I'll try acting more upbeat during ear poke time, rather than apologizing profusely, although me singing might send her running under the bed. ;)
 
Now we can see your spreadsheet. Great job in testing already. Are you using a human meter? What kind? Check out all our signatures. We add a bunch of information to it so we can tell what you are dealing with. Things you might want to add, along with the SS is date of dx, insulin type, meter type, age of cat, any other illnesses, food, etc. To change it, just go up to the right and click on your name. Go to Signature and update.

So it looks like you hit 40 a couple of times at mid-cycle (+6). If you are using a human meter, that is the lowest you want to go to keep your kitty safe. If he goes lower, he could go hypo and that could cause all sorts of complications including seizures, blindness as well as it could be fatal. So here is some good information for you too.

Hypo Kit: Always good to be prepared for possible hypo events (low blood sugar) which means that your cat has reached dangerously low numbers. It can be fatal, hence, the importance of home testing and collecting data in a spreadsheet. In each of the Insulin forums are stickie’s labeled Hypo Links. Here is one: How to Handle a Hypo. Please print and post on your refrigerator so everyone in your household is aware of hypo symptoms. You will want to create your hypo kit that would include and not limited to; extra testing strips, honey/karo/maple syrup, high carb food, medium carb food, vet information, etc. Hopefully you will never need it but probably at some point in time, you will need to deter from going too low. For food, I like to get a couple of those Fancy Feast food that is labeled Gravy Lovers or something with gravy. It doesn't take much to bring their numbers up. That is why data collection is so important.
 
Hi Argos and Person (be nice to know your name too, if you care to share. :) )

Great job with the testing - especially catching those low numbers. and getting your spreadsheet up and running. The 2 unit dose brought Argos down to 40 on 2 separate occasions. Regardless of the meter type you're using that is too low, so you know that 2 units is too much insulin.

It would be a great help if you could add the following information to your signature:

1. Type of Insulin

2. Type of meter (human or pet meter) - members need to know what your test results were measured on because the reference ranges are different. :)

Also, see my next post for important safety information.


Mogs
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Merlin said:
So it looks like you hit 40 a couple of times at mid-cycle (+6). If you are using a human meter, that is the lowest you want to go to keep your kitty safe.
Click to expand...

The above only applies for cats following tight regulation protocol, and then not to cats who are newly diagnosed and have little or no data to show how they are responding to their insulin.

For newly diagnosed cats:

1. If measuring on a human meter and following tight regulation protocol ONLY, the lower BG limit is 50mg/dL for intervention with high carbs. A dose reduction is required if cat tests lower than this value.

2. If measuring on a human meter and following start low/go slow approach, the lower limit is 90mg/dL. A dose reduction is earned under SLGS method if a cat tests below 90.

NB: Most people here use human glucometers with an evidence-based, cat-specific reference range to monitor their cats. FDMB has no guidelines for the lower BG limit when testing a cat using an Alphatrak or similar veterinary glucometer.

The FDMB guidelines for treating hypos has the following disclaimer:

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This document was written for those using a meter calibrated for humans when measuring their kitty's blood glucose. However, users of the AlphaTrak brand blood glucose meter using AlphaTrak brand test strips in their meter please note:

2008 Abbott AlphaTrak User Manual Page 4
  • Hypoglycemia/Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) levels are: Below 65 mg/dL (3.6 mmol/L) for adult cats and dogs.

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If you are using an Alphatrak or other pet meter, you need to check with your vet to get the correct reference range for its use (especially the number below which the cat is considered to be hypoglycaemic).


Mogs
.
 
Yeah, I wasn't at all happy about the 40's. I gave her some dry food, then followed her around for a while to make sure she seemed normal.

I'm using a Freestyle Freedom Lite meter - I use freestyle strips and usually have a stockpile.

Since switching to 2 doses, she's consistently around 300 pre-shot. I'll get some 6 hour numbers and add them in so I can get a better idea of what's going on in between.

My vet said that checking her blood sugar wasn't necessary. Yeah, right, buddy. You're lucky I don't put a Dexcom on her. :p
 
Hi ArgosMom

Sorry to not have said howdy sooner. Good to have someone who understands the sensations Diabetes patients have. You've lived the walk and seen the sights. So you're an ideal mom for your furkid. Welcome!
 
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