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Sandi & Chase in AZ

Sandi & Chase in AZ

Member Since 2017
So I changed Chase's food from Purina DM to Fancy Feast classic. This was last night. His numbers had been ok, and then this morning his BG was 304... the first time it's been this high in 2 weeks. So I gave him 1/2 unit of Lantus this morning. I get home from work and he has thrown up. I check his BG and it's 339. I don't understand. Then I could barely get him to eat enough to give him insulin. It was almost 13.5 hours after his last dose, but I just gave him 1 unit. This is scaring me. I understand that things like this happen but he had been doing fine until I changed his food. And just that quick, the numbers are up. When do I test again... 2 hours after he got his insulin? And I have a loaner laptop while mine is being fixed that is worse than mine was. I'm so upset.
 
This is all my fault. I shouldn't have changed anything until I was going to be home. Can someone please, please tell me when I should test again? He did eat once I put down Purina DM and gave him insulin. He ate the Fancy Feast last night and this morning, but I guess it upset his tummy. Will BG go up after a cat vomits? I think he had just done it before I got home and he last ate at around 6:30 this morning.

Could someone please help me with his spreadsheet, too? Please?
 
Sandi, Deep breathes. Chase will be OK.

It may be that you need to do the food change slowly with Chase or Chase's system doesn't get along with some ingredient in the Fancy Feast. It was Classic Fancy Feast I hope and not the gravy or chunk varieties that have higher carbs. If it was one of the higher carb varieties that could explain the higher BG tonight.

I notice you have skipped some doses due to pre-shot readings. As far as dosing is concerned, it is better to stick with one dose for at period of 6 to 10 cycles depending on whether you are using Tight Regulation or Start Low Go Slow Method. You don't change the dose just because the BG is up for one or two readings.

As for testing, I would test Chase again 2 hours post shot and see what his BG is then. If he's down at all, you may be in for an active cycle and will need to test him again with timing depending on how much he has dropped. Post your reading. I'll check back in a bit later.

What help do you need with the spreadsheet?
 
This is all my fault. I shouldn't have changed anything until I was going to be home. Can someone please, please tell me when I should test again? He did eat once I put down Purina DM and gave him insulin. He ate the Fancy Feast last night and this morning, but I guess it upset his tummy. Will BG go up after a cat vomits? I think he had just done it before I got home and he last ate at around 6:30 this morning.
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Sandi, Deep breathes. Chase will be OK.

It may be that you need to do the food change slowly with Chase or Chase's system doesn't get along with some ingredient in the Fancy Feast. It was Classic Fancy Feast I hope and not the gravy or chunk varieties that have higher carbs. If it was one of the higher carb varieties that could explain the higher BG tonight.

I notice you have skipped some doses due to pre-shot readings. As far as dosing is concerned, it is better to stick with one dose for at period of 6 to 10 cycles depending on whether you are using Tight Regulation or Start Low Go Slow Method. You don't change the dose just because the BG is up for one or two readings.

As for testing, I would test Chase again 2 hours post shot and see what his BG is then. If he's down at all, you may be in for an active cycle and will need to test him again with timing depending on how much he has dropped. Post your reading. I'll check back in a bit later.

What help do you need with the spreadsheet?
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It is the classics
 
I already gave him 1 unit of insulin because I couldn't get a hold of anyone and didn't know.

Please understand I am battling with a loaner laptop that wasnt working at first, then has shut down on me for no reason 3 times.
 
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Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
I already gave him 1 unit of insulin because I couldn't get a hold of anyone and didn't know.

Please understand I am battling with a loaner laptop that wasnt working at first, then has shut down on me for no reason 3 times.
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MrWorfMen's Mom gave you good info. Test 2 hours after shot. He ate his purina DM and kept it down then you gave the 1 unit shot? Or did he vomit that food up too?
 
He kept his food down.I gave him 1 unit of Lantus as soon as he got half of his food down. Then a shot. He hasn't vomited again. I should have mixed the food instead of just switching it. Thank you, everyone so much. Chase ate well and seemed fine. I must have been one exhausted gal, because I totally passed out.

If anyone is reading this, I will take advice, but I want to shoot in 5 minutes, to stay on schedule. Short run down,
02.16.17: 0615 BG 206 No insulin that day
02.16.17: 1826 BG 211
02.17.17: 0551 BG 304 - 1/2 unit Lantus given
02.17.17: 1823 BG 339 - 1unit Lantus given
02.17.17 2120 BG 151

I was going to continue testing but then fell asleep.

Back up this a.m.
02.18.17 0600 BG 183

Do I shoot at 1/2 unit Lanuts or 1 unit Lantus

I'm going to find my directions on how to best post. But for now... if anyone can help, I would be so grateful.

I want to start SLGL today, so I will be testing every 2 hours. Chase had been in the low to mid 200s, with a few readings below 200. I was shooting different amounts and was then told I need to keep it consistent. I was waiting until this weekend to start SLGS, and then last night I freaked out. :(

Right now, I'm thinking 1 unit, but is that ok with a BG of183
 
Until you can sort out everything stay on the safe side and give 0.5 u of Lantus. Call this a new starting point as you get SLGS under way.

Please put all your data on the SS as soon as you can. Try to stay calm so you can think about your next steps on SLGS. It's a good idea to post today on the Lantus forum with a thread title that says you're just starting SLGS today and need help.
 
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Thank you, thank you, thank you Kris. I'm going to give him .05 Lantus right now and will post on the Lantus forum. I just updated his SS the best I knew how to.
 
I agree with Kris. It looks like 1u pulled his numbers down quite a bit last night which suggests that 1u may be too much insulin. When you see a drop that large early in the cycle, re-testing is important to make sure kitty doesn't drop too low. The fact that he is still low this morning suggests he likely did go a lot lower last night.

Start at 0.5u and see how Chase does on that dose but be sure to monitor. With Lantus, there is a depot of insulin which takes a few days to build up and show exactly how a dose is working. Have you read through the sticky for SLGS? It gives you detailed information about when and how to increase/decrease doses based on BG readings.
 
Sandi your SS looks fine but please put 1u into the dose column for last night so it's clear why we've suggested 0.5u today.
 
You are not the first person to freak and won't be the last. This is a marathon not a sprint. You can't treat this like you would a headache where if one aspirin doesn't take the pain away, you take two the next time. Throwing more insulin into the picture can just add to the confusion and actually increase BG levels rather than lower them. Insulin dose increases and decreases both need to be done slowly and methodically so holding doses to allow the body to adjust is often a waiting game. One thing you need for this is a lot of patience. :)
 
When I gave him more insulin last night it was with the thought that 1 unit would be his dose as I started SLGS. 1 unit is what he has mostly been given, with some NON shot days (which I now understand as being bad, but I was following the advice of a vet), and a few 1.5 unit dose days (at the direction of the vet). But now that I see the 1 unit took his BG down a good bit, I have decided to just do the .5 unit, which I've done a few times and didn't seem to make his BG rise. I freaked out last night because I wasn't really able to communicate with anyone here and... well... it just happened. I picked a BAD time to give my laptop to an IT guy to fix. He gave me a loaner laptop but it is bare bones and it took me an hour to actually get online and stay online, last night. I'd told him that I MUST be able to get online for the one reason that I am being guided as to how to care for my Chase during a crucial time. It was just several things at once that contributed to my "freak out". I got home from work later than I expected, Chase had thrown up in 2 places and it was orange... the color of his food... so I took the time to clean it out of the carpet asap. Then I had to get this loaner computer online and it didn't go smoothly. When Chase BG was higher than it had been in a while, I decided to do the 1 unit. :( Patience is coming. :) I posted in the Lantus forum. Thank you for guiding me at such a crucial time. I appreciate it so very much. So does Chase. MEOW. :cat:
 
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Ok Sandi. How many hours ago did you give Chase his insulin? He is getting close to warning number of 68 on your AT2 meter so give Chase a tsp of LC food now to try to steer him and keep his numbers from dipping further. Retest him again in 20 minutes.
 
2 hrs ago. I just put down some food. He is not acting strangely. He is eating. I have Karo Syrup. I can't find the "Toolbox". Where is it on here? I had it printed and can't find it. :( No one is replying on the Lantus forum.
 
Ok the Toobox is HERE but right now just let Chase eat a bit of food. You are going to have to monitor him for awhile now to make sure he doesn't go too low. And don't leave food down for him to graze on. You don't want him getting filled up and unwilling to eat in a couple of hours if he needs to. Again this needs to be handled methodically. Let us know when you test again what his reading is.

ETA link to toolkit
 
Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
2 hrs ago. I just put down some food. He is not acting strangely. He is eating. I have Karo Syrup. I can't find the "Toolbox". Where is it on here? I had it printed and can't find it. :( No one is replying on the Lantus forum.
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I can't offer advice but I will find you the hypoglycaemia protocol

ETA: these folks are fast! Beat me to it!

It will be ok. Everyone here is wonderful
 
Nan & Amber said:
toolbox: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/jojo-and-bunnys-hypo-tool-box.2354/
hypo instructions: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

Linda and I are here to walk you through!
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Thank you. I am a mess. Couldn't even find the toolbox in the search bar. Why am I freaking out? I'm sitting here crying and so upset. He is up in the window as I have opened it to let fresh air in (there is a screen, of course). He is very alert but is breathing kind of fast. Maybe excited at what's going on outside.
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Ok the Toobox is HERE but right now just let Chase eat a bit of food. You are going to have to monitor him for awhile now to make sure he doesn't go too low. And don't leave food down for him to graze on. You don't want him getting filled up and unwilling to eat in a couple of hours if he needs to. Again this needs to be handled methodically. Let us know when you test again what his reading is.

ETA link to toolkit
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Thank you SO much. He's acting normal. Will test his BG again in a few miinutes.
 
To get attention on the Lantus forum in a situation like this, you would want to change your subject line to include the +2 number (and the information that you are using an AT, so they know how close you are to the line), and maybe put a "?" in the left-hand drop-down choices to get extra eyes.

That said, in this kind of situation, it's probably best to keep only one thread going at a time, so we can just stick with this one for now.

You're doing fine! The first lows are always very stressful on the caregiver (the cat, as you can see, is often having a grand time through the whole thing!).
 
Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
Thank you. I am a mess. Couldn't even find the toolbox in the search bar. Why am I freaking out? I'm sitting here crying and so upset. He is up in the window as I have opened it to let fresh air in (there is a screen, of course). He is very alert but is breathing kind of fast. Maybe excited at what's going on outside.

Thank you SO much. He's acting normal. Will test his BG again in a few miinutes.
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Take a deep breath Sandi. I know this is stressful. I couldn't understand why Glen would just drop and be high 12 hours later. It is very scary when they drop low but you have everything Chase needs and you will take care of him.

It's so hard because we want to do everything we can for our babies and it is super frustrating when it doesn't happen when we want to, even when we think we are doing everything right!

This is the hardest time. Just know that folks here are here to help and you will get through this.
 
Nan & Amber said:
the cat, as you can see, is often having a grand time through the whole thing!).
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Ain't it the truth! We're holding a personal fire drill and they are just chillin!! :cat:;)

Chase is still in safe numbers and all you have to do is keep him there. It's early in the cycle though so be prepared to continue testing him for several hours to ensure he stays up. Do you have plenty of strips available?
 
Ok do you have any higher carb food around like Fancy Feast or something with gravy in it? If so open the can and just give him some of the gravy (a tsp or 2 is all). We want to steer him up but not too much. If no gravy food, mix a tiny bit (1 tsp)of karo into another tsp of food and give him that. Retest again in 20 minutes.
 
Nan & Amber said:
To get attention on the Lantus forum in a situation like this, you would want to change your subject line to include the +2 number (and the information that you are using an AT, so they know how close you are to the line), and maybe put a "?" in the left-hand drop-down choices to get extra eyes.

That said, in this kind of situation, it's probably best to keep only one thread going at a time, so we can just stick with this one for now.

You're doing fine! The first lows are always very stressful on the caregiver (the cat, as you can see, is often having a grand time through the whole thing!).
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Thank you. He is eating low carb food. do I put down the gravy? Or give Karo syrup?
 
Sandi, you are going to have to steer him for a few hours so please just give him small amounts of food not a whole bowl. You need to be able to get him to eat when you need him to right now and letting him fill up now may cause problems later in the cycle. Use the gravy if you have it or mix a bit of karo into the low carb food (1tsp of food is all).
 
Sandi

He's at an ok number but we do need him to get up but we don't want to fill him up.

the best way to do this as long as he is in lower numbers is after each test, alternate feeding a couple good tsps of HC gravy with a couple of tsps HC food. For example, at +2.25 when he was at 65, I hope you fed him some gravy as was suggested. You should be testing again here and have a new number any moment now. If he's still dropping, feed two good tsps HC food and a drop of Karo. Retest 20 mins later.

We do this alternating of food and gravy until they are up but you must then stay on the testing because the HC will wear off.
 
Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
When I gave him more insulin last night it was with the thought that 1 unit would be his dose as I started SLGS. 1 unit is what he has mostly been given, with some NON shot days (which I now understand as being bad, but I was following the advice of a vet), and a few 1.5 unit dose days (at the direction of the vet). But now that I see the 1 unit took his BG down a good bit, I have decided to just do the .5 unit, which I've done a few times and didn't seem to make his BG rise. I freaked out last night because I wasn't really able to communicate with anyone here and... well... it just happened. I picked a BAD time to give my laptop to an IT guy to fix. He gave me a loaner laptop but it is bare bones and it took me an hour to actually get online and stay online, last night. I'd told him that I MUST be able to get online for the one reason that I am being guided as to how to care for my Chase during a crucial time. It was just several things at once that contributed to my "freak out". I got home from work later than I expected, Chase had thrown up in 2 places and it was orange... the color of his food... so I took the time to clean it out of the carpet asap. Then I had to get this loaner computer online and it didn't go smoothly. When Chase BG was higher than it had been in a while, I decided to do the 1 unit. :( Patience is coming. :) I posted in the Lantus forum. Thank you for guiding me at such a crucial time. I appreciate it so very much. So does Chase. MEOW. :cat:
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We all have times like this that test our sanity! It'll get better - I promise! :)
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Sandi

He's at an ok number but we do need him to get up but we don't want to fill him up.

the best way to do this as long as he is in lower numbers is after each test, alternate feeding a couple good tsps of HC gravy with a couple of tsps HC food. For example, at +2.25 when he was at 65, I hope you fed him some gravy as was suggested. You should be testing again here and have a new number any moment now. If he's still dropping, feed two good tsps HC food and a drop of Karo. Retest 20 mins later.

We do this alternating of food and gravy until they are up but you must then stay on the testing because the HC will wear off.
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He is upt to 95. Do I feed him some HC again? When do I test again?
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Sandi

He's at an ok number but we do need him to get up but we don't want to fill him up.

the best way to do this as long as he is in lower numbers is after each test, alternate feeding a couple good tsps of HC gravy with a couple of tsps HC food. For example, at +2.25 when he was at 65, I hope you fed him some gravy as was suggested. You should be testing again here and have a new number any moment now. If he's still dropping, feed two good tsps HC food and a drop of Karo. Retest 20 mins later.

We do this alternating of food and gravy until they are up but you must then stay on the testing because the HC will wear off.
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I did. I fed him a couple of spoonfuls of gravy from Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers. Tested again and he is at 95. So now that his number is up, when do I test again?
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Until you can sort out everything stay on the safe side and give 0.5 u of Lantus. Call this a new starting point as you get SLGS under way.

Please put all your data on the SS as soon as you can. Try to stay calm so you can think about your next steps on SLGS. It's a good idea to post today on the Lantus forum with a thread title that says you're just starting SLGS today and need help.
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Thank God you posted this. I gave him .5 like you suggested, and he still came down so much.
 
Sandi, Chase is safe right now so retest him again in about 30 minutes without feeding anymore right now. We need to see if he's going to surf (stay in that range) or dip down again because he's got a few hours till likely nadir (lowest point) yet. So you may need to keep steering him for awhile..

ETA you don't need to do anything with your title right now. If he dips too low then we change it to make sure we keep eyes on you and Chase. That said, there are a few of us keeping watch here with you now.
 
Thank you, Marje. One other question. I put a little bit of antibiotic ointment on his poor little ear after I tested last time. Do I now need to clean that off with soap and water before I test on that ear, again? His other ear is a mess and I can't touch it at all right now. :(
 
Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
I put a little bit of antibiotic ointment on his poor little ear after I tested last time. Do I now need to clean that off with soap and water before I test on that ear, again? His other ear is a mess and I can't touch it at all right now. :(
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It should be okay unless you have trouble getting a blood drop. Then you'd need to wipe any excess ointment off with a tissue or paper towel.
 
Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
Thank you, Marje. One other question. I put a little bit of antibiotic ointment on his poor little ear after I tested last time. Do I now need to clean that off with soap and water before I test on that ear, again? His other ear is a mess and I can't touch it at all right now. :(
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Don't use soap and water. Just get a cloth that is barely damp and wipe it off.

If you can't test the other ear, I would put extra neosporin with pain relief ointment on it, rub it in, and keep doing that a couple times a day until it looks better.
 
He's at 124, now. Thank God! And thank you all for staying with me. I just feel so alone in the real world, so having online friends who care is very special to me. cat_wings>o

Even with warming his ear I just can't get him to bleed. It's breaking my heart. He and I have always been so very close. I'm afraid this will all jeapordize that because he is afraid of me. He knows when I'm going to hurt him taking his blood. :(

Thank you all, so much. I'm just going to kick back for a little while and relax.
 
Sandi

Glad he is coming up. Remember that it can take carbs two hours to wear off so I would not go two hours without testing again; it would be best if you could test in an hour or so....we've seen numbers come back down again and it's still early in the cycle.

Normally, you would take a reduction for a drop below 90. However, since you shot 1u last night, it could easily have affected the cycle today. Since you are home this weekend, if he were mine, I'd shoot 0.5u consistently (unless he's too low to shoot....which would be below 90) and get as many random spot checks as you can in consideration of his ears. If at shot time, he is 90-150 and you aren't sure whether to shoot, don't feed him but post and ask for help, ok?

You might also go back to posting on the Lantus and Levemir ISG in the format I gave you. That is the best way to get attention there. I think no one noticed today because there was nothing about the subject line that indicated there was an issue.

Great job today!!!
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Sandi

Glad he is coming up. Remember that it can take carbs two hours to wear off so I would not go two hours without testing again; it would be best if you could test in an hour or so....we've seen numbers come back down again and it's still early in the cycle.

Normally, you would take a reduction for a drop below 90. However, since you shot 1u last night, it could easily have affected the cycle today. Since you are home this weekend, if he were mine, I'd shoot 0.5u consistently (unless he's too low to shoot....which would be below 90) and get as many random spot checks as you can in consideration of his ears. If at shot time, he is 90-150 and you aren't sure whether to shoot, don't feed him but post and ask for help, ok?

You might also go back to posting on the Lantus and Levemir ISG in the format I gave you. That is the best way to get attention there. I think no one noticed today because there was nothing about the subject line that indicated there was an issue.

Great job today!!!
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Will do, Marje. I posted that "I need help". LOL. I thought that would do it. Can you tell me where that format is posted, again? I haven't had time to do much, today. I've had a migraine all along, while this thing with Chase happened. it really zaps your energy. :(

I was planning to test every 2 hours today, anyway, but I will try again in another 20 minutes, which will have been an hour since last testing. I just can't get blood out of him without torturing him, by rolling that ear back in forth between my fingers after lancing. And twice today, I've had to lance 2 times in a row because I just wasn't getting anything. I'm going to have to try that other ear and just see if I can find a spot that's not bruised. I think that's why it's worse off, because it seemed easier for me to get blood from before.

Thank you for the encouragement and praise. This was tough. :)
 
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