BG question

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Michelle Wilson

Michelle Wilson

Member Since 2017
My kitty is 15 and was diagnosed 40 days ago with bg of 520.00 She free feeds Friskies Pate. We gave her 2u of Lantus yesterday then checked her bg 5 hours later she was at 53. We tested her again before her evening shot and she was 251. Is this anything I should be concerned about. We do have karo on hand if she gets hypo but I have seen no symptoms of that. I know she is feeling WAY better! She is back to her old self again.
 
Hi. I think 2 units is too much. Can you test more often? If she's 53 at +5 then 251 at PMPS, then she's bouncing. Try to test before giving Lantus every time. Cats going hypo usually don't show symptoms until their BG is dangerously low like in 20's and 30's.
 
Mandy & Rex said:
Hi. I think 2 units is too much. Can you test more often? If she's 53 at +5 then 251 at PMPS, then she's bouncing. Try to test before giving Lantus every time. Cats going hypo usually don't show symptoms until their BG is dangerously low like in 20's and 30's.
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We work during the day so can't test. I have done a 4 hour curve 2x. The 53 at 5+ is what was concerning to me. Not sure why it would jump to 251 as 12+? So you think lowering her dose might help?
 
It's likely that her body panicked and dumped glucose into her blood stream to protect from a hypoglycemia, which led to the bouncing number of 251. If you work during the day, is it possible for you to test more often at night and on the weekends? I work so I understand. I did the AMPS then another test as soon as I got home then at least 3 more tests for the PMPS cycle.
 
Mandy & Rex said:
It's likely that her body panicked and dumped glucose into her blood stream to protect from a hypoglycemia, which led to the bouncing number of 251. If you work during the day, is it possible for you to test more often at night and on the weekends? I work so I understand. I did the AMPS then another test as soon as I got home then at least 3 more tests for the PMPS cycle.
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We test more on the weekends. What is a PMPS cycle?
 
It's possible the 53 could be of concern, but unfortunately it's really hard to say for sure without having any other data to analyze. Without other data points, we don't know if your kitty dropped more than that, or if 53 was the nadir.

Do you have a spreadsheet that we could look at? If you'll notice, everyone here has a spreadsheet link in the signature block. If you don't have one going yet, I really strongly encourage you to do so - it is the best way to track for sure how your kitty is responding to insulin. Additionally, we really can't give solid suggestions on what's going on without a spreadsheet.

Another bit of information that is important in helping us answer questions: What type of meter are you using? Human meters run a bit higher than pet meters, so knowing the type of meter is also important in analyzing the numbers. If you got that 53 on a human meter, it is a safe number, although just barely (we consider 50 to be the low end on a human meter); however, if the 53 reading came from a pet meter, then your kitty is definitely on too much insulin, as 68 is generally accepted to be the low end of safety on a pet meter.

PMPS = Evening (PM) Pre-Shot (PS). Likewise, AMPS = Morning (AM) Pre-Shot (PS). These are the fasting BG values taken before feeding and before shooting insulin. At the very least we strongly encourage testing before every shot to make sure it is safe to shoot, and at least one test during each "cycle", which is the 12 hours between shots. Many folks do work, but will grab a test when they leave the house to see what's what. In the evening, it's easier to test and at the very least getting a test before going to bed is a great idea to make sure kitty will be safe during the overnight hours.

Please keep asking questions. Everyone here is very generous with knowledge, support, and information.

And, finally, at the top of this forum are a number of stickies that have a TON of very useful and important information. Again, if you need help with the content of the stickies, just ask away!
 
Amy&TrixieCat said:
It's possible the 53 could be of concern, but unfortunately it's really hard to say for sure without having any other data to analyze. Without other data points, we don't know if your kitty dropped more than that, or if 53 was the nadir.

Do you have a spreadsheet that we could look at? If you'll notice, everyone here has a spreadsheet link in the signature block. If you don't have one going yet, I really strongly encourage you to do so - it is the best way to track for sure how your kitty is responding to insulin. Additionally, we really can't give solid suggestions on what's going on without a spreadsheet.

Another bit of information that is important in helping us answer questions: What type of meter are you using? Human meters run a bit higher than pet meters, so knowing the type of meter is also important in analyzing the numbers. If you got that 53 on a human meter, it is a safe number, although just barely (we consider 50 to be the low end on a human meter); however, if the 53 reading came from a pet meter, then your kitty is definitely on too much insulin, as 68 is generally accepted to be the low end of safety on a pet meter.

PMPS = Evening (PM) Pre-Shot (PS). Likewise, AMPS = Morning (AM) Pre-Shot (PS). These are the fasting BG values taken before feeding and before shooting insulin. At the very least we strongly encourage testing before every shot to make sure it is safe to shoot, and at least one test during each "cycle", which is the 12 hours between shots. Many folks do work, but will grab a test when they leave the house to see what's what. In the evening, it's easier to test and at the very least getting a test before going to bed is a great idea to make sure kitty will be safe during the overnight hours.

Please keep asking questions. Everyone here is very generous with knowledge, support, and information.

And, finally, at the top of this forum are a number of stickies that have a TON of very useful and important information. Again, if you need help with the content of the stickies, just ask away!
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I use Alphatrax II. I don't have a spread sheet since I can't test a lot during the work week. I have done 2 four hour curves and tested at other times. Yesterday I wanted to see her numbers after her morning shot and time to take affect.
 
With an AT meter, that 53 is definitely too low - I absolutely would reduce the amount of insulin you're giving by at least .25U. However, without more data information, I'm not comfortable suggesting much beyond that.

Even if you can't test a lot during the week, a spreadsheet is an extremely helpful tool, especially since it seems like your kitty (what's her name?) is responding rather vigorously to insulin. The spreadsheet and testing will help keep her safe from going hypo...and no easy way to put it, going hypo can kill. Your kitty got into the zone where I would be very concerned about hypo.

There is a thread at the top of this forum about how people juggle working full-time with a sugarcat schedule - if you have a chance, look it over. There are lots of good suggestions in there. And, there are many folks here in the same boat who would be more than happy to help you find ways to keep your kitty safe while you're away at work. It can be done!
 
Also...with regards to going hypo, you don't want to wait for symptoms to show up - by then, it could very well be too late. By testing and catching either a big drop, or an already-low number, you can intervene with high carb food and/or karo to keep kitty safe.
 
Hi there and welcome :cool:

What is your kittys name?
Glad you landed here- it’s the best place to learn how to care for your diabetic kitty. There is a lot to learn.

How did you discover she was diabetic?
Any other health issues?

I too feel that right now 2u is high based on that AT 53 and am adding my voice to the “always test before shooting “ chorus.

There is a saying around here (one of many), this one regarding BG:

Better a day too high than an hour too low.
 
Welcome to FDMB and to the Lantus/Levemir Forum.

I’ll hop on the “please decrease the dose by 0.25u twice a day” bandwagon :):):) Some kitties will show hypo symptoms at just below normal numbers but most do not even when they get as low as your kitty did. That’s why it is so important to test.

As Amy stated, we offer our dosing suggestions based on the patterns we see on a spreadsheet. Without that, I doubt many people will feel comfortable providing dosing advice as we need to be able to see your kitty’s patterns. Dosing is not based just on one number unless it’s a number that requires a reduction (such as the 53 on an AT2). Here are the Spreadsheet instructions in case you’d like to try it yourself (click on the dark blue bold for the link).

If you need any help setting up the SS, please send me a private message and I can do that for you as I developed the current version. Just click on “Marje and Gracie” to the left under Gracie’s photo and then “start a conversation”.

I’d also like to stress the importance of getting a test before you shoot every single time. Most of us who have been here a while have spent all day or night helping someone who obviously shot a very low number but didn’t test first. You don’t want to have to go to the ER with him because you shot a low number. It can also help if you just grab an “out the door test” before work, an “in the door test” after work (unless it is time for his evening preshot), and a before bed test.
 
Michelle Wilson said:
We work during the day so can't test. I have done a 4 hour curve 2x. The 53 at 5+ is what was concerning to me. Not sure why it would jump to 251 as 12+? So you think lowering her dose might help?
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Jumping up can be because of the free feeding schedule, too. You should take off the food 2-3 hours before the injection time.
Yes, a 0.25u reduce is probably wise because of the limited number of tests.
 
I'm another one jumping on the "please lower the dose" bandwagon. (Jeez, we sound like a broken record!) I want to second everything that Marje said. We've both been here a long time and truly do put your cat's safety ahead of all else.

It sounds like you're keeping records of your cat's test results. The best way for us to help you understand what's going on is to have the test data. We tend to be very data driven and I would not be comfortable offering you any recommendations about dose, progress, etc., without knowing how your cat is responding to Lantus.
 
Hi and welcome to Lantus and Levemir Land - the nicest place you never wanted to be.

I agree with all that's been said above, and wanted to add a couple of things.

When you get a number that surprises you - high or low - it's a good idea to test again immediately. Occasionally you can get a bad strip or an invalid test because of too much or too little blood. When you get a low number, like that 53 on an AT, and you know it's accurate, you need to feed and test again after about 30 minutes. That's because you don't know if kitty is going to keep heading down and you need to make sure she stays safe.

As for not appearing to have a hypo, both my boys have hit the 20s (on a human meter) with NO visible symptoms. I only caught it because I was a testaholic, so don't become complacent because kitty looks fine.

A spreadsheet is even more valuable when you don't test a lot - it makes it easier to spot trends, etc. I encourage you to set one up, and soon you'll wonder how you did this without one!

I know this is very overwhelming, especially when you are trying to balance a full time job and the rest of your life, but it can be managed, and we can help. Here is a post we put together to help new members get comfortable using the Forum. Read everything you can find and ask questions - the only dumb question is the one you don't ask!
 
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