Urgent and newbie here

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Stephanie91215

Stephanie91215

Member Since 2018
So here is the back story. She was diagnosed 1 week ago today. Her number was over 400 at the vet. He put get on vetsulin 1 unit twice daily. He told me not to worry about testing her until she is on the insulin for a couple weeks. I decided against that and started testing her last night. An hour and half after her shot she was at 91 and then she dropped to 42. So I fed her high carb food and slowly brought her number up to 106 and holding. I checked her about 6 hours later and she was at 236. I made the decision to skip her shot. Through the day I checked and her numbers were 266, 280, and 333. I fed her waited 20 mins and gave her half a unit shot. 2 hours later I tested her and her number is 66. I fed her high carb food again and will retest in an hour. Can someone may be give me some insite to whats happening? I'm very confused.
 
Did you change her diet at all??

Also, tests done at the vets office are pretty much useless....the stress of being crated, driven to the vet, sitting in the waiting room and being poked and prodded by someone you hate can raise the blood glucose up to 200 points

Once you go home and kitty relaxes, you can get vastly different results.

Thank goodness you decided to home test!!
 
Before she got diagnosed she stopped eating her dry food so I switched her to fancy feast with gravy. Once she was diagnosed I switched her to blue wilderness pate style which is 3% carb.

I am using a human meter relion micro. I'm so scared I'm going to do something wrong
 
What syringe are you using? U40 or U100?
u-40-and-u-100-syringes.png
 
Now that the immediate danger is over, let me properly welcome you!! I'm glad you made it over here from the Facebook group!

Let's get a few things out of the way.....first, Vetsulin…..it's not a great insulin for most cats because it tends to hit them hard and fast and then wear off long before it's time for the next shot...You're seeing this with your kitty (What's kitty's name??)

If you recently changed to low carb canned, it's totally reasonable for you to take a few days and learn to home test without the added pressure of giving insulin (As long as she's never had any problem with ketones)

Sometimes just the diet change is enough!!

I know we've talked on Facebook about a spreadsheet. Here are the Instructions on setting up the FDMB spreadsheet.

Keeping track of her numbers will really help us to help you!! If you have any problems with it, feel free to send me a PM and I'll be happy to help you with it. Just click on my name and choose "Start Conversation" to send a private message.
 
Thank you. Her name is Missy. When the vet checked her urine he said she was throwing out ketones in her urine. Not sure exactly what that means. Her appetite is great. I'm a stay at home wife so I feed her a bunch of small meals through the day vs. 2 big ones because she doesn't eat a ton at once. I will definitely try setting up spread she tomorrow. I have been tracking her numbers on a phone app.

Thank you for taking the time to talk me through this
 
Stephanie91215 said:
Is she safe until tomorrow morning in your opinion?
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Yes.....get some much needed sleep

In the morning, I'd go ahead and try .5 again if you are home and able to test.....if there's any history of ketones, it can be dangerous to go without insulin.

You may need to seriously consider a different insulin for Missy though like Lantus, Levemir or Prozinc...they're more gentle and last longer so are usually better insulin's for cats
 
Good morning @Stephanie91215 ,
1st KUDOS to you for home testing against vet's advise and to Missy for quitting her dry food (it totally toxic for cats)!

I understand your hesitation to administer insulin because of the low numbers she reaches regularly but the fact that she had ketones changes the prospective.

Untreated with insulin and proper food it can lead to Diabetic Keto- Acidosis (DKA), a potentially fatal condition. My cat had it and ever since I check her urine for ketone presence at home with dip strips - sold at human pharma in the diabetic supply aisle - I go to either Walgreen's or CVS, no RX needed, about $15/ 100 ct. I try not skip dosing if possible. Any level of ketones in urine above Moderate requires vet visit, and it is extremely costly. So the general idea is to avoid ketonic bodies build up. For that insulin, enough calories and water are required - please add some water to her food as drinking and peeing extra will help flushing the ketones out. I add a teaspoon of warm water per each teaspoon of food - works well for us.

If you are home and able to test thru the day and have Hypo kit ready I'd be inclined to suggest dosing - smaller than 1U dose but consistently - 12 h apart, twice a day, every day and keep recording the blood test results. If she still goes lower still - either during the day or by the pre-shot time post for help.

There will be more people with practical knowledge of dosing and what to do with ketones if you can start the Spread Sheet going. (Chris was the one who helped me with that in my time (thanks again @Chris & China !) I read thru your post but frankly I 'd be more helpful if I can see the SS with blood glucose # recorded w/ time and feeding data.

Stephanie91215 said:
So I tested her about 4 hours ago and her number was 330. I fed her but something was telling me to skip her dose. I just tested her again and now she is 259.
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Did you gave her insulin this morning?
What time was she 330 and what time was she was 259? In what time zone?

Please let us know her subsequent test results.

Keep an eye on her demeanor - cats in DKA are often but not always are lethargic, hiding and disengaged.
Once they quite eating it becomes very dangerous. Unfortunately, ketones are vicious enemy and they develop very fast.
 
Hi and thank you for the info. I will be creating a spread sheet just trying to find the time to do so. She is eating and drinking water normally and is acting like herself. I feed her about every 2-3 hours so she doesn't eat a ton but I do mix in a small amount of water with every meal.

She is pretty quite and private with her bathroom time so I doubt she would let me go in with her to test. Is there another way to monitor the ketones?

I don't have a hypo kit. What's that? The last few times she has dropped I was able to feed her a small amount of hairball remedy which is high in sugar and fancy feast with gravy. Last night when her number dropped it bounced back much quicker and I'm thinking it's because I only gave her half a unit.

I believe I am on central time. So I tested her at 5 and got 330 and then I tested her at 9 and got 239-both times followed with a small meal. I will be retesting her 2 hours and will definitely post her number.
 
Hi,
Stephanie91215 said:
She is pretty quite and private with her bathroom time so I doubt she would let me go in with her to test. Is there another way to monitor the ketones?
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Certainly - and the more accurate one! The two meters that were popular here:
Nova Max+ Meter - blood+ ketones, or
Precision Xtra
I never used any myself ( doing dip strips).
Many people here will be able to help if you 'll have any questions about using it.

Stephanie91215 said:
I don't have a hypo kit. What's that?
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HYPO TOOL BOX
How to treat HYPOS

I hope this is helpful.
@Stephanie91215





http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/
 
Stephanie91215 said:
Awesome. Thank you. I'm going to purchase one today online.
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Great!

sorry for getting back to it again ... but can you please find a bit of time to set the spreadsheet? You certainly going to have more questions but having no recorded history of the BG tests along with food - time fed and quantity - many people will shy away form posting.

Best of luck to both of you!
 
Stephanie91215 said:
I will be creating a spread sheet just trying to find the time to do so.
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I really would be happy to do it for you.....it literally takes me about 30 seconds once I have some information from you.

This diagnosis and everything that goes with it is stressful enough.....don't let the spreadsheet worry you one little bit!! It's a lot easier than it looks!!
 
Sorry. I am just overwhelmed by this. I am watching her like a hawk and I afraid I'm stressing her out. I tested her almost 2 hours ago and her number was 302. I am afraid I am feeding her too often she is eating but just small amounts. I just don't want to mess this up. Sorry for being overly dramatic
 
Stephanie91215 said:
Sorry for being overly dramatic
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:) you are not being dramatic at all. Not at all! You haven't seen me in your shoes 18 months ago.:rolleyes::smuggrin::rolleyes::p
Stephanie91215 said:
I am afraid I am feeding her too often she is eating but just small amounts.
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you do right by doing so - even human diabetics are advised to eat frequently by smaller portions v. ones or trice a day large ones. My cat eats 2 teaspoons of food the first three hours of the cycle each meal and supper, but snacks middle day by a few pieces of home cooked chicken or a teaspoon of her reg food. It is easier on their Pancreas to have to deal w/ smaller portions thru the day and never being really hungry/ having empty stomach. Brings about better regulation easier!
Stephanie91215 said:
I just don't want to mess this up.
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so far what's you have been doing instinctively - like testing at home on your own WO vet, or like feeding smaller portions thru the day v. 2 feeds a day per most vets - it all suggests that you have good instincts as to what has to be done to help Missy. Don't discount it. Try (if possible) to read/ learn as much as possible about FD so yo u became less dependent on your vet. (that'll keep you wealthier, too!)

Stephanie91215 said:
I am just overwhelmed by this.
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Of course you are! Everyone would be, and was, in their time.

It'll be ok.
Do not push yourself to get all in right now, it is not possible. Give it some time but post here (or the Vetsulin Sub-Forum) frequently for current dosing. The info you read thus far will settle down and make a lot of sense later on - but it won't happen overnight.

Stephanie91215 said:
I am watching her like a hawk and I afraid I'm stressing her out.
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Cats are known to pick up the caregiver mood, and - to follow it, too.
So, if yo u are stressed out or frightened (like I was at the time of DX) ca will pick the mood up and will behave accordingly.
Do you like dark chocolate?
I hope you do as it is wonderful natural dis-stresser.
Have a huge chuck for yourself! You certainly deserve a prize!:)
 
Don't worry about it and don't ever feel like you need to apologize!!

We all came here scared, worried and wondering if we could actually do this....With a little time, a lot of help from others who've been there before and some patience, it's now just part of our everyday life.....no more difficult than brushing your teeth twice a day
 
You are going through the same stages I was. Don’t panic. You will learn a lot here and your cat will settle into a pattern eventually and you will get the hang of which food, when to feed, when to insulin and how much, but it takes a little time. I was making the mistake, (for me), of giving high carb food at 60. Then her blood glucose would bounce back up. I found, for my cat, that instead of high carb when it drops, I can just give more of her regular low carb. Her BG rises to a normal level, rather than jumpin too high. When it’s low, I will keep checking every 15 minutes. If it’s super low, all restraints are off and I go ahead and get sugar into her, but most of the time a low carb food will put her back in normal within 10-15 minutes. Since we have the luxury of being able to test frequently, we can fine tune it more easily than someone who has to go off to work. They have to err on the side of too high or risk not being there and have them drop even lower. Keep notes and you will start to work out a pattern for her. The soreadsheet is intimidating but very helpful. I needed to actually see the curve on paper to understand it, so I use graph paper and plot the numbers and draw the curve. I can write on it, so I can go back and see where I gave carbs, what time she ate, somI can try to reproduce the good results and avoide the not so good. It’s really stressful and overwhelming at first and easy to stay up 24/7, but it won’t take long for you to work it outt, with a little help.
 
Mine eats frequent smaller meals too. We are using Vetsulin and/or Novolin N. It is probably more challending to use than the other longer & slower acting insulins. There is a group just for those using Vetsulin. You might want to post there too. Different insulins work differently and we need different techniques to help utilize them the best.
 
Thank you everyone for all of the reassurance. I think I got the spread sheet set up and will do my best to keep it up to date with my readings. I honestly would have been lost if it was not for this forum and the facebook group. I have not given her an shot today but am going to check her in a few hours and will most likely try half a unit again and then follow up with further testing.
 
Welcome! It'll get easier over time! It looks like your spreadsheet is still set to private. Just make sure to set it to share/be public and you should be good to go!
 
Stephanie91215 said:
I think I fixed it
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Good job!!!

Next, when you have a little time, go ahead and fill out your "Signature" box. (same place your spreadsheet link is)

By putting in some standard information, it keeps us from having to ask the same questions over and over again. We like to have:

Your name/Cat's name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, type of food, any other health issues or medications? and a general location.

There's no hurry......it's just another one of those "housekeeping" things that helps make the board so useful
 
Okay. I think I got it. She seems better today. Tested her this morning before shot 390 and hour after shot 148. I only gave her about 1/3 of unit. Eating and drinking like normal.
 
Stephanie91215 said:
Before she got diagnosed she stopped eating her dry food so I switched her to fancy feast with gravy. Once she was diagnosed I switched her to blue wilderness pate style which is 3% carb.

I am using a human meter relion micro. I'm so scared I'm going to do something wrong
Click to expand...

I can relate! Going through similar circumstances. Vet told me not to test either. When I found this forum and realized that was NOT the thing to do, I started testing consistently.
Based on my experience, you have found the right group of people to help you move through the understanding and knowledge you need to help Missy.

Seeing my Tiny Sole's numbers on the spreadsheet is helpful for me to get a beat on what is happening with her.
I'd never have known about consistent if I would have followed the Vet's advice alone.
This forum is a haven.
 
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