Day 4 PZI, couple more q's!

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Caitlin M

Caitlin M

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Happy Tuesday all! Testing is going much smoother with Pita, so for that I am ecstatic! I have updated all his testing- I know it's still early and I believe they're good numbers, but can anyone interpret it for me a little? Also, today I tested at +4.5. I wrote it in the notes section but have seen that some people are able to write notes underneath their # and still have the color guide show up. How do I do that?! I know I haven't done many +2, +4, +6, but absolutely will get at least 1 day with every 2 hours before I go back to work on Monday and won't be home until each feed.
Now, this may seem a bit morbid, and I know ECID, but I wanted to know if I should expect at some point in the future-whether it's a few months or years-for Pita to experience a hypo episode? Do some cats never experience it at all, even with dose changes, etc? o_O
 
Yea for the testing getting easier!
The preshot tests are important but the mid cycle tests are really important. They carry a lot of weight with dosing decisions. The occasional every two hours is good but for now just grab a mid cycle or two each day to see how low Pita is going.
 
I just put it in the box next to my number @+4.5 for example but some people make their box larger and then go to the top, click on the paint bucket and fill in the proper color.

Our gurus here will come along and talk numbers with you but blues and yellows are good. :) ProZinc has a 12 hour cycle so if you imagine starting at preshot and continuing to the next preshot you should see a smile curve. This is why the mid cycle numbers are useful. You can't just decide dosage on the preshot numbers because a cat may dip so low at mid cycle that their liver releases glucose to prop them up (bouncing). If you only dosed on the preshot numbers you might give too much insulin. The other things that affect BG numbers are stress such as the vet or eating prior to testing.

Our goal is to gradually lower the BG with careful, calculated dose changes, attempting to minimize bouncing. For now, don't get overwhelmed with what dose as you have a great resource here that will advise you.
 
Pati said:
Yea for the testing getting easier!
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:facepalm::D
Pati said:
just put it in the box next to my number @+4.5 for example but some people make their box larger and then go to the top, click on the paint bucket and fill in the proper color.
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I took a look at yours and both ways make sense- thank you!
Yes, I'm basically making this a big testing week to get him used to it and so I can have a good general idea of what will happen when I'm at work and can't get a mid cycle. However, I'll do mid cycles on the weekends to make up for that!
 
I think his numbers are encouraging. He is in nice numbers in at least part of the cycle and doesn't seem to be bouncing really high for preshots. If you have this week, I would get as many mid cycle numbers as possible. Those 5-7 numbers and 8-10 are especially helpful. With those, you can decide if it would be safe to increase the dose a smidge and monitor that before going back to work. That may take the stress out of thinking about a dose increase when you can't get those mid cycle numbers.

Just for general reference. On a human meter, we generally say a cat is regulated if he is in the lower/mid 200s at pre shot and double digits at nadir (but above 50 which is near hypo range). Then you start to fine tune. The real, deadly hypo is rare on the forum. Most people test enough to catch a number that is going too low and use food (low carb and high carb) to bring it up safely. So while people may see a number under 50, very seldom would it require a trip to the ER. Do you have a hypo kit with the directions, extra strips, high carb gravy food and honey?
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Do you have a hypo kit with the directions, extra strips, high carb gravy food and honey?
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Not yet, but it will be done by the end of this week. That's why I was curious as to whether some cats never even go hypo? But yes i'll make sure to have it just in case.
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
If you have this week, I would get as many mid cycle numbers as possible. Those 5-7 numbers and 8-10 are especially helpful. With those, you can decide if it would be safe to increase the dose a smidge and monitor that before going back to work. That may take the stress out of thinking about a dose increase when you can't get those mid cycle numbers.
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Perfect, I'll keep doing those +#'s and see about a possible increase before next Monday-it would definitely give me peace of mind to have a few days to monitor!
Yong said:
Yay for testing going well! I'm also glad to hear kitty isn't guaranteed to experience hypo if monitored well =). Great job Caitlin and Pita!
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Thank you Yong! You are always so encouraging :)
 
I'd give it a few more cycles. In the beginning, we think it takes awhile for their body to learn how to "use" the insulin efficiently. After that initial period, we suggest increasing by 0.25 every 6 cycles - if your pre shots and nadirs are still in the higher range.

One dose suggestion I forgot to mention. With new diabetics, we suggest not shooting under 200 until you have enough data to have a good idea what the dose might do.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I'd give it a few more cycles. In the beginning, we think it takes awhile for their body to learn how to "use" the insulin efficiently. After that initial period, we suggest increasing by 0.25 every 6 cycles - if your pre shots and nadirs are still in the higher range.

One dose suggestion I forgot to mention. With new diabetics, we suggest not shooting under 200 until you have enough data to have a good idea what the dose might do.
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OK, thanks! I'll check in a couple more days about increasing. I don't have half units, so I'll do my best to eyeball the .25 I just checked and he's never been under 200 before I shoot so that's good!
 
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