Overwhelmed and losing it.

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If he'll eat it that way, you can put a couple of drops of Karo in his food. Karo brings blood glucose up fast, but only stays in the system for 20-30 minutes, as a rule.
 
Looks like since the food change you are going to have to drop that dose to less than 1 unit. Unfortunately until the numbers are up on their own you're gunna have to get good at testing today. Test again in about 10 min please... We have to make sure he's safe. We are going to get the number safe and then test to make sure it's holding. We want three numbers above 50 that are not food influenced.
 
HI Suzzel,
I'm so glad you are here, getting help and testing! It is so important as you are finding out. I am in Columbus, is that anywhere near you?
Keep posting Juniors numbers. We will get you through it!
 
Squalliesmom said:
Have you been able to get another test?
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It's been a fight to get more food in him and more blood out. I think he's full, I've shoved more food down him than ever along with like 2 teaspoons of Karo, minus what we both wore. LOL. The numbers are slowly coming back up (34mg-5:15/32mg-5:17/42mg-5:42). It was really hard to get his ears to bleed this last time and he fought me like crazy even with a towel around him.
 
Sorry Junior isn’t being very cooperative, but unfortunately he’s not out of the woods just yet- 42 is still too low a number. It’s been almost 20 min since your last test, so try to grab another in the next 10 min.
 
The ear might be your best bet. Try a little neosporin on his ears of they are getting store. What's the latest? If he's still low and won't eat just run the honey on his gums. If you have any Temptations treats I found that raised my cats bg significantly and rather quickly.
 
Ok just finished up testing again and I tried his paws, would you believe it actually didn't try to kill me this time. Thank god! So thank god and prayers the numbers are up now (111mg-6:33/80mg-6:36/90mg-6:37). These were all from a different paw each time. Is this more of what I'm shooting for? Now that I've got them up what do I do? How often do I test this evening and night? When do I feed him again since I've forced so much in him now and which food, fancy fest or science diet? Then do I even give him insulin tonight since it dropped so low this evening? How close does this meter ( relion confirm )run to the one at the vets since his numbers were in the 2 and 4 hundreds before? Any help would be appreciated and thanks for everyone's help this evening getting his sugar back up. I know so many silly questions but I'm just trying to do right for my baby boy.
 
Chris & China said:
Starting dose is usually .25 to .5U x weight in kilo's

So for a 7.5lb cat, that would be .85 to 1.7U twice a day.....so 1U looks like a pretty good starting place.

Another thing for you to consider (like you don't have enough to worry about) is that ProZinc is a U40 insulin, so you're probably using U40 syringes (with a red cap)

It's really helpful if you have syringes with markings every 1/2 unit.....most syringes you get from the vet will only have 1U lines (or even 2U!!)

You can get U40 syringes from ADW that have half unit markings on them. I strongly suggest you order some like THESE

Another choice is to use U100 syringes WITH A CONVERSION CHART

U100 syringes are available at WalMart ($12.58/100)
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Ok just finished up testing again and I tried his paws, would you believe it actually didn't try to kill me this time. Thank god! So thank god and prayers the numbers are up now (111mg-6:33/80mg-6:36/90mg-6:37). These were all from a different paw each time. Is this more of what I'm shooting for? Now that I've got them up what do I do? How often do I test this evening and night? When do I feed him again since I've forced so much in him now and which food, fancy fest or science diet? Then do I even give him insulin tonight since it dropped so low this evening? How close does this meter ( relion confirm )run to the one at the vets since his numbers were in the 2 and 4 hundreds before? Any help would be appreciated and thanks for everyone's help this evening getting his sugar back up. I know so many silly questions but I'm just trying to do right for my baby boy.
 
Suzzel said:
Ok just finished up testing again and I tried his paws, would you believe it actually didn't try to kill me this time. Thank god! So thank god and prayers the numbers are up now (111mg-6:33/80mg-6:36/90mg-6:37). These were all from a different paw each time. Is this more of what I'm shooting for? Now that I've got them up what do I do? How often do I test this evening and night? When do I feed him again since I've forced so much in him now and which food, fancy fest or science diet? Then do I even give him insulin tonight since it dropped so low this evening? How close does this meter ( relion confirm )run to the one at the vets since his numbers were in the 2 and 4 hundreds before? Any help would be appreciated and thanks for everyone's help this evening getting his sugar back up. I know so many silly questions but I'm just trying to do right for my baby boy.
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Oh good. Stop feeding and test in 20 min. Of it drops again, feed. If it stays steady or rises don't feed and test again in another 20. We want three tests above 50 without feeding.

Tonight post the preshot number and we can advise. You don't shoot until midnight though?
 
You need to test until the cat's numbers have risen without the benefit of high carb food and honey for 3 consecutive tests.

Test 20 minutes after the last test (since he is above 50) to see which way he is heading; and post the number. Both high carb food and karo wear off quickly.

How far away is PM shot time? His numbers will have risen as a response to the low numbers and the carbs.

Human meters and pet meters (if that is what your vet is using) work on different scales. The only thing we know is that 50 on a human meter is 68 on a pet meter.
The low numbers that your cat is throwing is is not the difference in meters. It is the cat. This is a good thing. It means something is working.
 
WOW.....what a day you and Junior have had!!!

I'm so glad others were online and able to help you out!

I'm SO glad you got that meter and started testing today!! You probably saved his life.....I can't imagine what might have happened if you'd shot the same 8U dose!!

Now that he's above 50, you want to keep testing for 2 hours from the last time you had to feed anything high carb (or Karo/honey/syrup).....you want to test every 30 minutes for the first hour and then get 1 more test an hour after that to make sure he stays up.

IF he drops below 50 again, that 2 hour "clock" starts over. Each time you have to feed HC food (or Karo/honey/syrup), that clock restarts.

Looks like lowering the carbs is really helping him too! You definitely are going to want to reduce his dose again the next time you shoot.

When things have settled down a little, we need to get you started on your spreadsheet. We really rely on it to help with our advice.

Here are INSTRUCTIONS ON GETTING THE FDMB SPREADSHEET. If you have any problems with it, I'd be happy to help set it up for you. Just send me a private message by clicking on my name and choosing "Start Conversation"
 
Suzzel said:
His next shoot time is supposed to be midnight.
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Good....then we have some time

He may very well "bounce" from going so low, so by PMPS, he may be a LOT higher....also, he's had a lot of high carb food and syrup today, so don't be surprised if he's really high tonight.

Do you have syringes with half unit markings or do they only have whole unit markings?
 
Chris & China said:
WOW.....what a day you and Junior have had!!!

I'm so glad others were online and able to help you out!

I'm SO glad you got that meter and started testing today!! You probably saved his life.....I can't imagine what might have happened if you'd shot the same 8U dose!!

Now that he's above 50, you want to keep testing for 2 hours from the last time you had to feed anything high carb (or Karo/honey/syrup).....you want to test every 30 minutes for the first hour and then get 1 more test an hour after that to make sure he stays up.

IF he drops below 50 again, that 2 hour "clock" starts over. Each time you have to feed HC food (or Karo/honey/syrup), that clock restarts.

Looks like lowering the carbs is really helping him too! You definitely are going to want to reduce his dose again the next time you shoot.

When things have settled down a little, we need to get you started on your spreadsheet. We really rely on it to help with our advice.

Here are INSTRUCTIONS ON GETTING THE FDMB SPREADSHEET. If you have any problems with it, I'd be happy to help set it up for you. Just send me a private message by clicking on my name and choosing "Start Conversation"
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Thank you so much and all the others for your help over the last 24 hours, it's been a whirlwind to say the least. His next shoot time is midnight and I'm not sure what to do about it since it went too low this time. I probably will ask for help with the spread sheet when the time comes. Man my head hurts s still spinning from all of this. I sure am glad I found this group, I hate to think of where I'd be if I hadn't reached out for help. It'll probably be another long night tonight but I now know if I need help, people like you and the other furparent sate out there to help newbies like me and my boy. I can't thank everyone enough for you wisdom, caring, and encouragement. It means more than you know. Hugs to everyone.
 
Chris & China said:
Good....then we have some time

He may very well "bounce" from going so low, so by PMPS, he may be a LOT higher....also, he's had a lot of high carb food and syrup today, so don't be surprised if he's really high tonight.

Do you have syringes with half unit markings or do they only have whole unit markings?
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Sorry still new but what is PMPS? Just whole units markings.
 
Suzzel said:
Thank you so much and all the others for your help over the last 24 hours, it's been a whirlwind to say the least. His next shoot time is midnight and I'm not sure what to do about it since it went too low this time. I probably will ask for help with the spread sheet when the time comes. Man my head hurts s still spinning from all of this. I sure am glad I found this group, I hate to think of where I'd be if I hadn't reached out for help. It'll probably be another long night tonight but I now know if I need help, people like you and the other furparent sate out there to help newbies like me and my boy. I can't thank everyone enough for you wisdom, caring, and encouragement. It means more than you know. Hugs to everyone.
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We are glad to help. If the number is above 200 tonight I wouldn't give more than 0.5 units. If it's below 200 I'd skip the shot tonight.
 
Suzzel said:
Sorry still new but what is PMPS? Just whole units markings.
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Pmps stands for pm preshot. That's the test you will take tonight before it's time for insulin to make sure the number is safe to shoot.

You will have to eyeball the half unit, but it would be good if you buy a box of syringes with half unit markings to be more accurate. My fave place to buy them is Adwdiabetes.com.
 
Suzzel said:
what is PMPS?
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the "Pre-Shot" tests you should always get immediately before feeding/shooting. You always test before shooting to make sure they're high enough for insulin at all....and you want to take his food up for the 2 hours before it's time to get those tests.....So if you plan on shooting at 12/12, no food after 10am/10pm until you get those tests in.....then feed to make sure he's eating normally....then shoot

The morning is AM Pre-Shot (AMPS)

Evening is PM Pre-shot (PMPS)

Suzzel said:
Just whole units markings.
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OK....you'll need to do your best to shoot .5 IF he's above 200 tonight, so you might want to practice now. If you use a colored liquid of some kind and decide where YOU think .5 is, you'll have a way to compare when you're using the real stuff.

As soon as you can, you should order the syringes with half unit markings I linked last night or think more about using U100 with the Conversion Chart
 
So I just tested him again and he's at 150mg-7:49. He's really not happy with me, he's hiding in the bathroom cabinet. Is it normal for him to avoid me now? He's usually out and about laying around but he's by himself in the bathroom and that worries me.
 
Suzzel said:
So I just tested him again and he's at 150mg-7:49. He's really not happy with me, he's hiding in the bathroom cabinet. Is it normal for him to avoid me now? He's usually out and about laying around but he's by himself in the bathroom and that worries me.
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Lol he's just annoyed. So that rise is without additional food? If so I think it's high enough you can give him a break now. Play with him... Give him some loving.... Catnip. Lol. The insulin should have hit its peek by now at 8 hours past shot time.
 
It's been since around 6-6:30 since any food or Karo. So now I just let him rest now and test at midnight, right? Or do I need to test again in a hour to make sure? Also which food do I feed later, the fancy fest or science diet, since I don't want a repeat of this evening? And only give insulin if it's over 200 and only a half of a unit right? Sorry but I just want to make sure I understand what's being said. I'm running on nerves and very little sleep.
 
Suzzel said:
So now I just let him rest now and test at midnight, right?
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I'd test at 11pm and then again right at shot time (not always, but this time anyway)

Suzzel said:
Also which food do I feed later, the fancy fest or science diet, since I don't want a repeat of this evening?
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Since you've switched to the lower carb, I'd stick with the Fancy Feast....save the Science Diet for "emergencies" like today

Suzzel said:
And only give insulin if it's over 200 and only a half of a unit right?
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Right
 
Suzzel said:
It's been since around 6-6:30 since any food or Karo. So now I just let him rest now and test at midnight, right? Or do I need to test again in a hour to make sure? Also which food do I feed later, the fancy fest or science diet, since I don't want a repeat of this evening? And only give insulin if it's over 200 and only a half of a unit right? Sorry but I just want to make sure I understand what's being said. I'm running on nerves and very little sleep.
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Yes! No need to test again until later. No food at least 2 hours prior to the preshot test. Test, then feed, then shoot 0.5 if it's over 200.
 
Ok no food after 10 right? Ok with everyone's help I think I can rest myself for a little bit. Maybe even get a "catnap" while he's resting so I can keep an eye on him tonight. Question though, if I do give him a shot tonight how often do I need to test him to make sure he's ok?
 
Suzzel said:
if I do give him a shot tonight how often do I need to test him to make sure he's ok?
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Getting a +2 will help (that's 2 hours after the shot).....since we're all in different time zones we use the
"+" method when we report numbers

Each day there are 2 cycles....an AM and PM .....and there are 12 hours in between, so if you test at AMPS and test again 2 hours later, that's +2....if you test again 5 hours after the shot, that's +5.....all the way up to +11 and then the next cycle starts
 
Chris & China said:
Getting a +2 will help (that's 2 hours after the shot).....since we're all in different time zones we use the
"+" method when we report numbers

Each day there are 2 cycles....an AM and PM .....and there are 12 hours in between, so if you test at AMPS and test again 2 hours later, that's +2....if you test again 5 hours after the shot, that's +5.....all the way up to +11 and then the next cycle starts
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So I should test 2 hours after shot, right? But how often after that? Also should I keep testing and how often if I don't give him a shot on that 12 hour period?
 
Suzzel said:
So I should test 2 hours after shot, right?
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Right.....the number should be about the same as the Pre-shot....if it's lower, that's your "early warning" that you need to get more tests in later

Suzzel said:
But how often after that?
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Will depend on the test....if it's higher than the PS, he's probably still going up (continuing to "bounce")

Suzzel said:
Also should I keep testing and how often if I don't give him a shot on that 12 hour period?
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If you don't shoot, you don't have to worry about him dropping too low, but anytime you can test, it's good just for the experience and to gather data on what happens when you don't shoot.
 
Ok I think I've got it down for tonight. Thanks so much so breaking this down for me, it really means a lot. Can I message you with any other questions that may come up? I'm sure I'll be on and off thru the night also looking for an answer for something.
 
I'm away from the computer but can check in from time to time. There is usually someone online. Just holler.

If numbers drop under 50 or you have a question, scroll up to the top of this thread, click on "edit title." At the lefthand side of the title is a place where you can add a question mark (question) or a bright red 911 (under 50 or headed that way fast).
 
Suzzel said:
Can I message you with any other questions that may come up?
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I can hold your hand in messages, but we aren't supposed to give advice privately. One of the strengths of this message board is that lots of people are watching.

We may not always agree on something, but having lots of people watching out for you is for your safety. If someone says something wrong, others are going to chime in and correct it.

No one person can know everything there is to know about this disease and no matter how much experience they have, they can miss something.

Also, you're using an insulin that I've never used. I use Lantus, not ProZinc and there are others that have more experience with that specific insulin.

I can keep you safe and give you good "general" advice, but the people with the most experience with ProZinc will be your best advisors in the future.
 
Chris & China said:
I can hold your hand in messages, but we aren't supposed to give advice privately. One of the strengths of this message board is that lots of people are watching.

We may not always agree on something, but having lots of people watching out for you is for your safety. If someone says something wrong, others are going to chime in and correct it.

No one person can know everything there is to know about this disease and no matter how much experience they have, they can miss something.

Also, you're using an insulin that I've never used. I use Lantus, not ProZinc and there are others that have more experience with that specific insulin.

I can keep you safe and give you good "general" advice, but the people with the most experience with ProZinc will be your best advisors in the future.
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I totally understand and thank you for all you've done to help me this far. After the last 36 hours I'm still so scared and worry that I don't have what it takes to get thru this. I love him more than anything, I've had since he was 5 days old, found him in a pumpkin stand. He's my bottle baby and the first baby to have this kind of health problem.
 
Suzzel said:
I totally understand and thank you for all you've done to help me this far. After the last 36 hours I'm still so scared and worry that I don't have what it takes to get thru this. I love him more than anything, I've had since he was 5 days old, found him in a pumpkin stand. He's my bottle baby and the first baby to have this kind of health problem.
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No no... You'll get through this. The dust will settle... He will start feeling better.... And just watch, in a few months you will be helping the new folks coming in here scared and looking for help!
 
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