Help For Molly

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Do you give Molly her shot right before you go to bed? I see you have taken a pre-shot test but I am suggesting another test at night after that just before bedtime. Or maybe as Kris suggests you didn't put them on the SS yet?:)
 
Do you give Molly her shot right before you go to bed? I see you have taken a pre-shot test but I am suggesting another test at night after that just before bedtime. Or maybe as Kris suggests you didn't put them on the SS yet?:)

There's two there one from last night and the night before. I test her around 8pm. Two hours after shot
 
I don't see them either. I know there were some problems Marje was looking into but I thought it had to do with colour coding......not numbers being "invisible" to others.
 
Ok I can see them but it appears you moved what we thought were pre-shot tests over to the +2 slot which suggests you've only taken once test at night.

We suggest you always get a pre-shot test so you know it's safe to give Molly insulin and then take another test before bed every night so you get some data and you can see if Molly is dropping a lot and take action before turning in for the night. So if you give Molly her shot at 6pm you would test around 6 before the shot, and then take another test again +2 or +3 hours later if you go to bed around 8 or 9pm for example.
 
Ok I entered them can you see them now? @Kris & Teasel
Yes, I see them now. We misunderstood what you meant and thought you'd done PMPSs too. It's early days and you're still working on getting more data but overall her numbers aren't much different on 2 u than they were on 5 u. I can't be certain of course but the removal of quite a bit of the dry food might be having the effect of stabilizing her BG even though the dose is more than 50% less. By that I mean a smaller dose is (almost) accomplishing what a significantly higher dose did when she was eating a cup of dry daily on top of the wet S/O.

I think you can see why we need data to help you through this. We don't want to be guessing too much.
 
Ok I can see them but it appears you moved what we thought were pre-shot tests over to the +2 slot which suggests you've only taken once test at night.

We suggest you always get a pre-shot test so you know it's safe to give Molly insulin and then take another test before bed every night so you get some data and you can see if Molly is dropping a lot and take action before turning in for the night. So if you give Molly her shot at 6pm you would test around 6 before the shot, and then take another test again +2 or +3 hours later if you go to bed around 8 or 9pm for example.

Ok so maybe I should wait and just do the preshot, not do the in the door shot? it's 2 hours before her shot? The strips are a bit pricey. Or I can go home on my lunch and test then do a preshot?
 
Yes, I see them now. We misunderstood what you meant and thought you'd done PMPSs too. It's early days and you're still working on getting more data but overall her numbers aren't much different on 2 u than they were on 5 u. I can't be certain of course but the removal of quite a bit of the dry food might be having the effect of stabilizing her BG even though the dose is more than 50% less. By that I mean a smaller dose is (almost) accomplishing what a significantly higher dose did when she was eating a cup of dry daily on top of the wet S/O.

I think you can see why we need data to help you through this. We don't want to be guessing too much.

I'm getting frustrated because like you said. Her numbers are the same as when she was on 5 units.
 
Adrienne, both Kris and I used the AT2 meter and know how extremely expensive the strips are. Both of us switched over to a human meter. A human meter works just fine.... it just reads a little lower but we understand those numbers too. It would be better to get a meter that isn't breaking the bank and use it to keep Molly safe and on the path to better health than trying to limit your testing too much because of the expensive strips for the At2 meter. Both of us used the Freestyle Lite meter and you can get the meter free with the purchase of strips by using the coupon at https://myfreestyle.ca/en/products/lite. There are other meters available too with even cheaper strips but they take a larger sample of blood so might make testing a bit more difficult.

The only way to be able to see what is going on and keep Molly safe is to always get a pre-shot test and at least one more test in each morning and night cycle.....4 tests per day minimum.
 
Adrienne, both Kris and I used the AT2 meter and know how extremely expensive the strips are. Both of us switched over to a human meter. A human meter works just fine.... it just reads a little lower but we understand those numbers too. It would be better to get a meter that isn't breaking the bank and use it to keep Molly safe and on the path to better health than trying to limit your testing too much because of the expensive strips for the At2 meter. Both of us used the Freestyle Lite meter and you can get the meter free with the purchase of strips by using the coupon at https://myfreestyle.ca/en/products/lite. There are other meters available too with even cheaper strips but they take a larger sample of blood so might make testing a bit more difficult.

The only way to be able to see what is going on and keep Molly safe is to always get a pre-shot test and at least one more test in each morning and night cycle.....4 tests per day minimum.

I pay over $100 now for the strip for 50. How much are the strips for the freestyle? I can do a test on my lunch that would be +5? if that would help more.
 
The strips for the Freestyle meters are a little less than half the cost......I paid about $78 for 100 strips in Walmart here in Toronto. The other bonus is there is no sales tax on the human strips!
Any tests you can get are helpful and being able to get them at different times in the cycles helps too as it fills in the puzzle a bit better.
 
The strips for the Freestyle meters are a little less than half the cost......I paid about $78 for 100 strips in Walmart here in Toronto. The other bonus is there is no sales tax on the human strips!
Any tests you can get are helpful and being able to get them at different times in the cycles helps too as it fills in the puzzle a bit better.

Ok I filled out the form for the coupon, But I haven't received an email. I'm going to go home at 10am to test her. Another hour from now!
 
Ok I filled out the form for the coupon, But I haven't received an email. I'm going to go home at 10am to test her. Another hour from now!
You can ask at the pharmacy. Some of them will say you get a free meter when you buy your first box of 10 strips - no coupon needed.

Re cost of strips: I believe I mentioned back at the start that I buy my Freestyle Lite strips at Shoppers Drug Mart for 20% discount on Seniors' Day (every Thursday here in Ontario). Yes, Shoppers is more expensive overall but I end up paying $72 for 100 strips and by collecting the store's Optimum Points (which you get with strip and lancet purchases as well as other stuff) I've often been able to get the strips almost free by cashing in points. Seniors' Day is for anyone 55 and older so if you have a parent, relative or older friend they might agree to buy the strips for you. I've never had an issue with pharmacy staff balking at selling them to me and I've said more than once it's for my cat.
 
You can ask at the pharmacy. Some of them will say you get a free meter when you buy your first box of 10 strips - no coupon needed.

Re cost of strips: I believe I mentioned back at the start that I buy my Freestyle Lite strips at Shoppers Drug Mart for 20% discount on Seniors' Day (every Thursday here in Ontario). Yes, Shoppers is more expensive overall but I end up paying $72 for 100 strips and by collecting the store's Optimum Points (which you get with strip and lancet purchases as well as other stuff) I've often been able to get the strips almost free by cashing in points. Seniors' Day is for anyone 55 and older so if you have a parent, relative or older friend they might agree to buy the strips for you. I've never had an issue with pharmacy staff balking at selling them to me and I've said more than once it's for my cat.

I tested her +4 it was 24.3 so my guess is she staying at that all day half the night. She doesn't eat during the night. So her food must be the cause of the high BG during the day?
 
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I tested her +4 it was 24.3 so my guess is she staying at that all day half the night. She doesn't eat during the night. So her food must be the cause of the high BG during the day?
The high BG during the day is probably related to the high carb food (she still gets some dry and the wet S/O is high in carbs) as well as the dose she's on. It's likely a little low for the type of food she's eating.
 
The high BG during the day is probably related to the high carb food (she still gets some dry and the wet S/O is high in carbs) as well as the dose she's on. It's likely a little low for the type of food she's eating.

Ok, I fed her the fancy feast when I was home earlier. I put some water in with it. I see she's not eating as much dry today. I only put in 1/2 c and there is still some in her dish? What I thought about doing is. Give her SO in the morning, then the fancy feast for lunch and supper. Or is that too soon? to switch?
 
Ok, I fed her the fancy feast when I was home earlier. I put some water in with it. I see she's not eating as much dry today. I only put in 1/2 c and there is still some in her dish? What I thought about doing is. Give her SO in the morning, then the fancy feast for lunch and supper. Or is that too soon? to switch?
You could try that. Some kitties tolerate a food switch easier than others. You could also try mixing half S/O and half FF. It seems she likes wet food if she left behind a little dry.
 
:D:D:D!!! I'm SO glad to see this! And it's great you got a PS last night. I hope you're beginning to feel a bit more confident about the testing and what you're doing with Molly's food and dosing. :)

I am feeling more confident. I grabbed the bull by the horns so to speak. I had to tell some people that it's my cat. I'm going to do what I think is best for her! But I still have a few questions
1. My husband mentioned diabetic dry food? Isn't the dry better for her teeth?
2. What BG do we want to see her at? I think the vet said 7 does that sound right?
3. What happens if I get a BG that I'm not sure about? preshot?
 
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Loving that AMPS! You're doing great Adrienne. I'll bet that yellow made you smile this morning! A little sunshine to start your day!
 
1. My husband mentioned diabetic dry food? Isn't the dry better for her teeth

There is absolutely no truth to dry food being better for kitty's teeth. So called "diabetic" food is no better than the readily available store brands and in many cases, the ingredients are IMHO inferior. Our cats are natural carnivores and don't need or crave the corn and other fillers found in most prescription diets. A lo carb wet diet is by far the best even for non-diabetic cats as it more closely mimics what their diet would be in the wild.

2. What BG do we want to see her at? I think the vet said 7 does that sound right
On your meter, normal BG would be 3.9 to 8.3. Vets usually aim for slightly higher BG than we are able to work toward but it's up to you how aggressive you want to be in pursuing lower numbers. Many people aim for a bit higher to start with (your vet's 7 being fine) and as kitty's numbers improve they are able to slowly lower their goal numbers a bit.

3. What happens if I get a BG that I'm not sure about? preshot

If you get a BG that you are unsure about (whether to give insulin or not), you can post here for assistance. There is usually someone around who can lend a hand. Just put a "?" in your title with something like " dosing help needed" or "do I shoot" ......just something to indicate you have a question about dosing.
Right now, I would suggest asking for help for any BG under 225 especially while completing the transition to a completely low carb diet. Once the transition is done, that number can, as you are comfortable, be lowered.
 
1. My husband mentioned diabetic dry food? Isn't the dry better for her teeth?
This is a good balanced article written by a vet: https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/wet-dry-cat-health-canned-food-kibble-cats-ask-a-vet. I would say that for diabetic cats who tend to be dehydrated because they pee more wet food promotes good hydration and adding extra water to it is a bonus. It's also good for cats who have or have had urinary issues (like Molly and Teasel). I have read about the correlation between hyperthyroidism and canned food before but you have to deal with the immediate concerns rather than focus on a hypothetical. In our case it's diabetes and wet food is definitely better for that. It was the first thing my vet told me about feeding Teasel after his FD diagnosis.
 
Molly's numbers may continue to go down more. Every cat is different. Some see a dramatic change from the food transition and others only a little change. It really depends on how carb sensitive the cat is. Molly is seeing a nice steady drop in her pre-shot numbers which is exactly what we hoped to see. It can take a bit of time for all the carbs to leave the system and for BG numbers to settle completely even once the diet is totally low carb. I am delighted to see the progress she is making so far.
 
Don't worry about that black tonight. She might have dropped lower than usual last night and this is a rebound. Remember - it's the trends over days that matter, not individual numbers.
 
Even that yellow pre-shot this morning is somewhat foreign to Molly right now so that could have caused her to bounce. It's one number and we can't fixate on that.....the overall pattern is looking better.
 
That's right.....nothing to worry about. BG is forever changing and you are going to see ups and downs like this but it's the overall picture that tells you if progress is being made and Molly is definitely making progress. :D
 
Definitely no insulin this AM. We usually suggest an immediate retest when you get a number that's very different in case it was a wonky strip. Have you fed her yet? I'd bite the bullet and test again.
Yes, she’s been fed and is playing. Freaked me out this morning. So test her again? Why the drop?
 
If that 4.4 is a valid number it tells us that the food change is having a dramatic effect and that the 2 u dose *might* be too high. We need more data to be sure. Unfortunately now that your'e getting some action you have to test more so we can give you proper guidance. It doesn't mean testing hourly but you might have to do a few in the middle part of the cycle between +3 and +8 or so. Are you off today?
 
Yes, she’s been fed and is playing. Freaked me out this morning. So test her again? Why the drop?
This can happen when you're at a dose that is finally having an effect. You don't have much data from earlier so we can't be sure. It *seems* that the insulin dose wasn't doing much then even with the increases to high levels. That was very likely due to the high carb food she was eating, especially the kibble. She might also have dropped low periodically and bounced (rebounded) high but, again, with no data we can't be certain.

It's stressful when you finally get some action from the insulin. It's what you want though and we can help. We'll definitely err on the side of caution. Where exactly are you in the food transition? Exactly how much dry does she have access to? What proportion of her wet food is S/O versus Fancy Feast. Sorry for all the questions but this will help @MrWorfMen's Mom and I decide on dosing.
 
If that 4.4 is a valid number it tells us that the food change is having a dramatic effect and that the 2 u dose *might* be too high. We need more data to be sure. Unfortunately now that your'e getting some action you have to test more so we can give you proper guidance. It doesn't mean testing hourly but you might have to do a few in the middle part of the cycle between +3 and +8 or so. Are you off today?

Ok I’m going to test her here in a few minutes. I am off today. But will be gone for 4 hours this afternoon.
 
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