Just started new diet - need help with dosing

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Momof4Cats4321

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Hi There! I am sorry if I am asking something that I should be able to look up on here some where, but there is so much information! My 17-19 year old Snowball was dx'd in March - he was started on 1 unit of Prozinc twice per day and got all the way up to 4 units twice per day. I am so happy to have found this forum. So I switched to Fancy Feast classic this morning. Last night Snowball had 4 units and the BS level was 394 (prior to eating). (Prior to today he had friskies wet in the am and at night and there was dry food out all day as I have 3 other cats ( They are all being switched to Fancy Feast and NO DRY FOOD). This morning before eating the BS was 365 - I did not give any insulin and at the mid day check at 3pm the BS level was 482. (This is on an Arkray meter) So how do I proceed w/ the Insulin now? Do you recommend not giving any fro a few days to see if levels come down? I so much appreciate all of you!
 
It may take several days to see a difference in the levels with the diet change - some cats are overnight, some take a week or so. I would just watch the preshots. If they start to go down, adjust the dose downward to match. Catch a nadir whenever possible to see how the dose is working - how low it takes him. My guess would be that you will be gradually lowering the dose. If you want help deciding how much, post here for advice. For tonight, I think I'd try maybe 3.5, get a before bed test and, if you are up in the middle of the night like lots of us, get a nadir. His numbers need insulin at this point.

Congrats on getting everyone on wet!
 
Hi Lisa! Great that you're switching them all to wet! That will hopefully really help with numbers.

Yeah, I don't think I would just stop insulin. Hopefully you'll be able to bring the dose down as levels go down but it's not likely the diet change will throw him into remission. The insulin will help continue to bring levels down.

We're definitely happy to help with dosing advice! Just post and we'll let you know what we think.
 
You all are wonderful! I will work on the spreadsheet. So last night before dinner he was 402 ( down 80 from yesterday afternoon - yay - and he didn't have insulin yesterday morning). I gave him 3.5 units with dinner last night and this morning before eating he was 362. Another 3.5 units was given with breakfast - I just tested him and he is 44. He is acting fine but I gave him some food and will keep an eye on him... I am think tonight's dose should be lower than 3.5
 
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Whoa! He's 44! On a human meter right? That's heading into hypo territory...have you given him food? Can you get another test in?
 
Oh good! I'd get another test in about 20 minutes...see if he is still rising. How many hours is this since insulin?
 
He had his insulin at 8:30 this morning... ( and thank you - so lucky to have you all there) What is the normal range on a human meter for a cat? 75-120?
 
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Okay good. So he SHOULD be at the lowest point in the cycle now (hopefully). So glad you caught that low number! Hopefully his number is still rising.
 
Phew! Looks like things are going the right way. Assuming he gets high enough for insulin tonight, definitely time for a reduction. What's up with the SS? I see it attached to your signature but no data. Are you not able to enter data? I'm not great at this, but I might be able to help...or find someone who can. :D
 
Lisa, I think you need to make a copy of the spreadsheet and save it to your favorites. Then you should be able to add data. It looks like the one in your signature is the original.
 
OK Thank you - - Yes I will try that - I was unable to edit that one - Si until I get that figured out, I nee help with tonight's dosage. This morning before eating, Snowball was at 451. He DID NOT get an injection last night as I was not at home - This stinks, because I have not one who can help me with the testing and injections. But I think I have good news - I gave him 3 units this am before eating at8 am. at 11 am he was at 248 and just now at 7:30pm he is at 125. He is scheduled to eat by 8 pm . what dose should I try tonight? if any?? Yesterday 3.5 units in the am caused him to 44 (nadir) in the afternoon...
 
If he is still under 200, I would not shoot. Instead, you can stall another 20 minutes past his usual eating time, and retest. If he is over 200, then you can shoot, but maybe less that today. Maybe try 2.5 - if he is 200+ If he is under 2oo (and it looks like he is likely to be) I would skip. He will undoubtably be high in the am - as he will have been 24 hours since insulin - but I would still reduce. You don't want to be in this same spot tomorrow night - you want two shootable numbers am and pm. If he is sure over 200 in the am, maybe 2.5.

This is good news, but makes dosing a little tricky. Nice that lower doses are bringing him down into lower ranges.
 
It looks like you are close. You need to go over to the left hand side of the spreadsheet and choose Publish. The URL that comes up is the one to use in your signature. Also be sure you have chosen that it is available to Anyone with the Link.
 
Hi - Can one of you confirm if the reading I am getting on the Arkway meter I am using is the actual BG number for my Snowball, or am I suppose to be converting it to "cat BG" or something - Please tell me the actual number the meter shows is what I should be going by... Thank you!! I've got his dose down to 1.5 and his nadir was only 107 this afternoon!I was very happy! Hopefully the actual numbers on the meter are correct, otherwise I could really be messing up
 
I don't know your meter, but in general human meters are fine. If you think it is off, you might take your level and see if it is in the right ballpark. For human meters, we usually consider regulation as mid/lower 200s at pr shot and low 100s/double digits at nadir. Once there, you can fine tune.

Nice number, glad that lowering the dose helped. Sometimes it does.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I don't know your meter, but in general human meters are fine. If you think it is off, you might take your level and see if it is in the right ballpark. For human meters, we usually consider regulation as mid/lower 200s at pr shot and low 100s/double digits at nadir. Once there, you can fine tune.

Nice number, glad that lowering the dose helped. Sometimes it does.
Click to expand...
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I don't know your meter, but in general human meters are fine. If you think it is off, you might take your level and see if it is in the right ballpark. For human meters, we usually consider regulation as mid/lower 200s at pr shot and low 100s/double digits at nadir. Once there, you can fine tune.

Nice number, glad that lowering the dose helped. Sometimes it does.
Click to expand...
As always, Thank you!
 
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