New to this forum and new to cat diabetes

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Yes that's I was thinking was possibly lower earlier in the day.
Will do... I've already told Brad he's got a day of checking on Wednesday :D
Do you normally find a .25 change makes quiet a difference or is it quiet minor change?
 
The amount of change depends on the cat. Usually it's not overly dramatic but there is the odd cat out there who reacts to small dose changes more than others which is why it's always a good idea to monitor a little more closely the day you increase. If I had to guess, I don't think Sox is a drama king given his reactions up to this point. :)
 
Fast forwarding to may next year. I'm ment to be going on holiday. Do you guys still take holidays when you have a diabetic cat?
 
I did several times. I was lucky because I have a friend who agreed to learn how to test and give insulin and I started training her well in advance so she was comfortable doing it and kitty didn't have any issues with my friend. I will admit to leaving a novelette of instructions and then staying in contact everyday but we had no problems at all. You can check around for pet sitters willing to deal with shots, a vet tech from the local animal clinic, students wanting some extra cash, a neighbour, friend or relative etc. There's usually a solution....you just have to search them out and give yourself time to do so. The other alternative is to board kitty while you are away but most kitties do better if left in their own environment so I'd try that route first unless you know Sox is Ok with boarding.
 
We have got Brad's mom who's willing to learn the testing and giving insulin. I was just wondering if it was too much to leave some one with who hasn't got day in day out experience with it.
I'm hoping by may though he might be settled more into lower numbers then.
 
It's been awhile since I used a pet sitter service. I had one who charged $35 per day (one visit) and an extra $5 per cat for multiple cat sitting. Another charged $45 plus I think $10 per extra set of furry feet but I never used either one when medications other than a liquid medication that was mixed with food was needed. Usually if meds are involved the price goes up. I suggest you check online for options, interview them and then decide who can best meet your needs. Interestingly, my vet just opened a boarding facility and their prices for my diabetic would have put me in the poor house. I think it also depends on where you are located. These prices were for Toronto. If you are in a smaller centre prices could be a little more reasonable.
 
Becki and sox said:
I was just wondering if it was too much to leave some one with who hasn't got day in day out experience with it.
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I don't think so as long as you leave her all the info she needs including allowing for an extra safety margin if kitty will be alone much of the time. I personally like having someone close to me who knows how much I love my cat and will be more vigilant about sticking with the plan and making sure kitty is safe but there are lots of very trustworthy people and great petsitters out there.
 
Just done his before bed time BG 8.8
I'm going to feed him a little bed time snack before we go to bed.
Should that stop him from dropping from to low?
 
Sorry Becki. Just got home from getting snow tires put on car. If you are still up, I think he may be breaking the suspected bounce so it might be a good idea to set an alarm and test again around +5 or +6 just to be on the safe side. He should be fine with the snack but you still don't have enough data to really guess his next move.
 
Hey no worries I didn't see this message was already asleep. I woke up around the 7hr mark post insulin and he was 16.1.
Still good for 0.75 in the morning do you think?
 
Yes I'd stick to the 0.75u. Wednesday seems the best time to make any changes given monitoring can be done then. He might be telling us something with that 16.1 after the 8.8. Let's just see what he does Tuesday and then decide next step. :)
 
Becki and sox said:
Just done his before bed time BG 8.8
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Wow, that was quite a drop! It may well be, as Linda said, that he's dropping out of that suspected bounce. And the speed of that drop could well have been enough to trigger that quick jump up. The fact that there was no further drop by +3 (three hours after shot) sort of looks like the body had an 'uh-oh' moment...
One question, Becki, did the shot go OK? Any chance you hit muscle instead of injecting into the gap beneath the skin? The only reason I ask is that injecting into muscle can speed absorption of the insulin.
Oh, I've just thought of another question... Is the insulin thoroughly mixed, uniformly 'milky'?
If neither of the above are relevant, then the 'bounce' theory still looks like the best bet....
.
 
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MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Let's just see what he does Tuesday and then decide next step
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Yes will do. I'll get Brad to check when he's home again from work but he's likely to have gone back higher by then as it will be tested around the 7 hour mark again.
Elizabeth and Bertie said:
One question, Becki, did the shot go OK?
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I think it did it hasn't seemed any different to the last few times ive injected.
Would Sox let me know if I'd hit a muscle would I tell?
Yeah seems to be mixed ok I take it out of fridge for 10 mins before and then rotate it a few times till it goes cloudy?
 
Becki and sox said:
Would Sox let me know if I'd hit a muscle would I tell?
Yeah seems to be mixed ok I take it out of fridge for 10 mins before and then rotate it a few times till it goes cloudy?
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Yes, Sox would notice if you hit muscle... (Ouch, Mom...)
Sounds like insulin is well mixed.
...Just wondered if there was any reason other than 'dropping out of bounce' for the steep drop. Doesn't seem so. :rolleyes:
.
 
Becki and sox said:
I've just done AM reading at he's @ 18.0:(
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Don't worry, Becki. It's possible his body wasn't thrilled about that quick drop into a blue number yesterday.
I know it's all confusing at first. But it WILL get better. And you are doing everything you possibly can for Sox. You really are doing brilliantly! ....In a little while it will all start to make more sense, and as you get a feel for how the insulin works in Sox's body you will gain in confidence enormously.
(((Hugs))) :bighug:
 
To your question of what Sox might be telling us......I was just wondering if Sox came out of one bounce (from the 1.5u dose) and then bounced again due to that 8.8. Just a possible theory.... not a fact..... that we would keep in mind when determining next step dose wise. Today will help give us a better picture of what he's up to. :)
 
Let's see what he does today before deciding. It would be nice to get his numbers down a little bit more and it's best not to leave them in higher numbers too long or they get used to it making it harder to get them down. That said, safety is #1 priority so if it appears the current dose is working better today, then another day at the same dose might be the right decision.
 
Okie dokie I'll see what he is pre shot at 7 tonight and then before bed. would you suggest setting an alarm for me to check in the night again?
Brad tested when he got home and was 12.7 7hrs post insulin.
 
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Becki and sox said:
I'll see what he is pre shot at 7 tonight and then before bed. would you suggest setting an alarm for me to check in the night again?
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Sounds like a plan but I think you can hold off deciding about the need for setting an alarm until you see what he has done by the before bed test. Often those tests 2 or 3 hours after the shot give you a hint about what they might do through the night and we all need our beauty sleep when possible! ;)
 
That pre-shot is a tad lower which is great. Will keep an eye out for before bed test. How long till you'll be hitting the pillow?
 
I think you are OK to increase to 1u tomorrow and with someone there to monitor it's a good time to do so. Looks like Sox needs a little more insulin. Suggest testing tomorrow around +3, +6 and +9 unless there are any low BGs early on in which case, testing before +6 would be advisable. If you give Brad your sign on we can help him should he need assistance or have questions. Sweet dreams. Sorry I didn't get the alert right away. :oops:
 
I think he should be fine and if you'll be giving him a snack shortly it will prop him up a bit more. He hasn't dropped much...certainly nowhere near last night's activity.
 
He hasn't no. Do you think all the high numbers and quick drops are due to the amount given on Saturday?
Should still be ok with the 1u if he's by any chance under 15?
Pre bed test 11.0 snack fed
 
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It can take up to 6 cycles (3 days) for bounces to clear so I do think the Saturday dose has been an influence but it appears to be waining now. If he's over 15, I'd definitely try the 1u. Under 15, I think you could still try the 1u as long as Brad can monitor and knows what to do if his numbers get low but if you/Brad are uncomfortable with that, you could leave him at 0.75u. I see he's dropped a bit more since last reading...little sneak. Perhaps an alarm to test would be a good idea around +6 tonight just in case Sox is holding his cards close to his chest.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Perhaps an alarm to test would be a good idea around +6 tonight
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Right alarm set for 3 hours. :coffee: lol I'll update you then lol
So Brad will be monitoring him tomorrow. Once he's done the half 1 check he will probably feed the mid day snack. Should he still do that or not been as were wanting to see what numbers were getting on the 1u?
Also is the idea with the insulin to drop the sugars a little but then they should plato out slightly?
 
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Feed Sox as you normally would. Best to keep to a routine. While food will influence Bg numbers, you know when you have fed and can interpret Bg numbers accordingly.
The ultimate goal at this point is to get Sox into some nice low blue or even some high green numbers for as many hours per cycle as possible but to keep the bouncing at minimum, it's best to take it slow and steady and let kitty get accustomed to those better numbers gradually. The cycles should go from higher to lower numbers with a surf in the middle before the PM rise. The trick is to try to avoid big drops that set off the bouncing.
 
Love that 8.1! Sox is having a nice cycle on the 1u today.

As far as food is concerned, I have always judged by calories rather than volume because some foods are more calorie dense than others. The number of calories depends on whether kitty needs to maintain, lose or gain weight and what ideal weight is. Diabetics don't process their food as efficiently when unregulated so they sometimes need more calories than they normally would just to maintain a good body weight. You'll need to decide if Sox is currently at a good weight now, still losing or gaining.

My girl is about 16lbs, not overly active and she gets roughly 300 calories per day to maintain her weight. Her food contains about 90-100 calories per can and each can is 85g volume. I used a formula I saw here ages ago (13.6 X ideal weight in lbs. +70) to arrive at her maintenance caloric needs. If kitty needs to gain or lose, you adjust accordingly and monitor weight/food intake until you get to the weight goal.
 
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