Sashi update, big drops on Novolin

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Sashi's Mama

Sashi's Mama

Member Since 2016
Hello all, I finally got my spreadsheet sort of working (argh) and a signature line. I probably need to put more details in the spreadsheet, but at least the numbers are there from the past several days.

Yesterday and today he had big drops on still small doses of Novalin N (old thread for past info on initial dosing disaster), for no discernible reason I could see other than the Novalin itself? He's been eating as usual (Fancy Feast classics), not going outside unless supervised much to our deep chagrin, both his and mine, and nothing else seems amiss afaik. The one thing I could think of is that he used to go to the neighbor's and eat the low-quality dry food she sets out for a feral colony, and I also used to have out here in the house better-quality dry food on occasion (yes, I know they are All Bad). But now he's *only* getting the FF classics, and treats after ear pricks, and has been since the 12th of the month.

He still has a broken tooth which needs attending by the vet, though he wanted to see better BGs before doing surgery. I'll be asking about Lantus/Levemir/Prozinc, because there are huge falls and then subsequent climbs in his BGs right now, which can't be good for him.

Questions:
-are these types of wild fluctuations normal in the beginning? I'm trying to be as consistent and stable as I can with dose timing, but it's not exact.

-suggestions on what to shoot tonight? His PMPS is 272 (Bayer Contour)/303 (Relion Micros--I'm in the process of switching to the Relion and tracked both numbers today for comparison). I'm leaning toward barely a smidge, like .3, or not at all. Shot .6 this morning and he went from 331 to 83 at +3. Yikes, right?

-Also, any other recommended questions to ask the vet tomorrow, as far as insulin type, dosing, diet, etc.? Thanks in advance. :)
 
Sashi's Mama said:
I finally got my spreadsheet sort of working (argh) and a signature line
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I hate to tell you this, but it looks like when you added all those extra cells, you lost the conditional formatting we are used to seeing......on our spreadsheets, the blood glucose numbers are tied to certain colors and when you enter the number, the spreadsheet should automatically choose the correct color (take a look at China's spreadsheet in our signature to see what I mean)

I don't know much about Novolin either (other than what you already know about it being pretty harsh for cats) but it looks like he's taking some pretty big dives and then "bouncing" high again. Bouncing happens when 1. they drop too low 2, they drop too fast 3. they drop into numbers their body isn't used to anymore (or any combination of the 3)

With all the dose changes you've made, there's really no good answer for what to do tonight, but with that fast drop today, I'd lean toward being very conservative

Do you know when you will be switching insulins?
 
When my cat was first diagnosed, he was on Novolin N and after 4 months on it, hypoed and almost died. It hits hard, especially if your cat is not a big eater before each shot. Personally, I will never ever ever go back to Novolin N. I think it's a dangerous insulin and has been shown to be best for dogs and bad for cats. Hope you can switch insulins.
 
Shoeskitty said:
When my cat was first diagnosed, he was on Novolin N and after 4 months on it, hypoed and almost died. It hits hard, especially if your cat is not a big eater before each shot. Personally, I will never ever ever go back to Novolin N. I think it's a dangerous insulin and has been shown to be best for dogs and bad for cats. Hope you can switch insulins.
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That's scary. Glad your cat is okay!

My vet was very open to switching and gave me a scrip for Lantus. He said it's very expensive, he can't get it for less than $150/$200, which I think is part of why he prescribed the Novolin as it's cheaper. I told him about the Canadian pharmacies, which I'll be looking into. He was surprised by the big drops on such small doses with the novolin, and said Lantus is more effective for cats.

Sashi is having surgery in about an to pull his bad tooth, so everyone please send him good thoughts.
 
  1. Sashi's Mama said:
    That's scary. Glad your cat is okay!

    My vet was very open to switching and gave me a scrip for Lantus. He said it's very expensive, he can't get it for less than $150/$200, which I think is part of why he prescribed the Novolin as it's cheaper. I told him about the Canadian pharmacies, which I'll be looking into. He was surprised by the big drops on such small doses with the novolin, and said Lantus is more effective for cats.

    Sashi is having surgery in about an to pull his bad tooth, so everyone please send him good thoughts.
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much! I am glad that your vet was open to prescribing you a different insulin. Best wishes for Sashi's dental!!
 
Cheering for poor Sashi - hope that dental will go well!
Rocky has had dental not so long ago and it went really well.
Great that you are changing insulin as I was rather worried about you using that Novolin.
You are such a good mum.
lots of love and hugs to you and Sashi
Marlena and Rocky:bighug::):cat::kiss::joyful:
 
Sending vibes for the dental. Hope the Lantus makes everything a bit less hectic.

Note: sometimes a cat's BG numbers go low after a trip to the vet. Also, some cats have better BG numbers after a dental. Something to watch for.

You're doing fantastic.
 
Oh yes, forgot to warn you that cat's BG can go low after dental. Your vet will monitor Sashi's BG while he is there and it is likely to be OK or high but as soon as you bring him home don't be surprised to find BG dropping in the evening.
That happened to Rocky on 12th July. His PMPS BG was almost a hypo number of 3.8 although he got only half a dose of insulin in the morning.
 
Thanks everyone. He's home, resting, BGs are actually high. Has eaten a very small amount, no water. Vet had to give him fluids because he actually got very dehydrated after/during the surgery. The tooth really needed to be yanked, so it was good that it was done, but I wish he'd perk up now. I'm keeping a really close eye on him right now.

At the vet's, he had an Alphatrak that he used to test the BGs, and I compared it to my Relion Micro. The Alphtrak showed 194 and my Relion 253. He'd had .6U of the Novolin that morning, but he threw up in the car on the way down (windy road). My poor guy. So I'm a little worried about him right now. Send us all the good, positive thoughts you can! He's a tough little guy, but this has been quite a day for him.
 
Cathie and Shaak Ti said:
oh, I hope it is just the anesthesia that made him throw up.
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No, I wasn't clear, sorry. He threw up in the car before we got to the vet. He did throw up again once after we got home, and I'm thinking that was probably the anesthesia. He keeps trying to eat and drink, actually, but kind of lurches back when he touches the water. I made it room temperature, I'm thinking his mouth does not feel good right now and it hurts. But it's a good sign that he's hungry and thirsty. His gait is a lot more steady now, too.
 
Sashi's Mama said:
No, I wasn't clear, sorry. He threw up in the car before we got to the vet. He did throw up again once after we got home, and I'm thinking that was probably the anesthesia. He keeps trying to eat and drink, actually, but kind of lurches back when he touches the water. I made it room temperature, I'm thinking his mouth does not feel good right now and it hurts. But it's a good sign that he's hungry and thirsty. His gait is a lot more steady now, too.
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You're probably right, his mouth is probably very sensitive. I would say room temp water or maybe just slightly warmer than room temp might be nice for him. Poor little bit.
 
For some reason, the pet meter Alpha Trak and human meters can't be compared. Don't worry that the number on your human meter is higher.
The danger cut off point on an Alpha Trak is 68 (I think). The danger cut off point on a human meter is 50. I know, doesn't make sense and never has.

You might try raising the water bowl and the food bowl to make it easier. 4-6 inches will do. Upside down cookie tin or a couple of books.
 
Oh, raising them up is a good idea, thank you. He finally started to eat and drink quite a bit, going back over to his bowls often. Fingers crossed he feels better soon. Thanks everyone for all the good wishes and also the good suggestions! Much appreciated.
 
So glad to hear Sashi's through the dental and home recovering. It's always such a relief! :nailbiting:

My vet always advises me not to go too fast with the food; small feeds are better after anaesthesia (can take a while for digestive system to settle afterwards).

Sending special mouth-soothing scritches plus prayers for a speedy recovery.

(((Sashi)))

:bighug:


Mogs
.
 
He's doing well, thank you! All purrs and snuggles, eating and drinking well, no more post-surgery wobbles while walking. His numbers were a little high this morn, 382. He got .5U yesterday afternoon and again this morning, though I wonder if this morning's was a fur shot, because his +2 was 383. At any rate, I'm glad he had the tooth yanked. Much better for him overall.
 
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