Some help please

Mphair84

Mphair84

Member
I'm at a loss and I could use some help/advice.

I originally thought things were doing better at 1.25. I mean, I didn't like the PS numbers, however, at least they were being somewhat consistent.

I thought that the reason his readings were in the reds were because he was bouncing from the blues.

This morning the reading read high. I meant to test during the night more because I wanted to see how low he got because I failed. I am suspecting that maybe he gets lower after 2 am.

I just need some advice please. I can get some midday numbers this weekend.
 
Don't beat yourself up about the nighttime test. I think you have enough data to show that TK isn't going too low. I think instead that he needs an increase. I'm also curious if you know of, or have any suspicion of other factors? dental issue? pancreatitis? sneaking kibble? Anything that might be contributing? It does seem like he was doing better a few weeks ago.
 
I've been good on checking for kibble sneaks. I pick up the dog food unless I am there watching and IF he goes for it I scold him before he gets into it.

I try to get the night tests because I am not able to get day time tests. I feel guilty and want to know.

He just had a cleaning and check up not too long ago. I don't know how to check for pancreatitis. :( What should I look for.

The only other thing that I can think of is the insulin is not as good. It looks normal, milky white, no floaties, HOWEVER, it is at the end of the bottle and the exp date is up this year, or just recently. Ive read that the effectiveness can factor in.

The other thing I was thinking of is it's just not lasting as long. He gets his pea and then jumps up.

The ONLY thing about switching a depo insulin is that I don't have the to get him switched and getting mid-day numbers for a week. Unless I can get all the info in only 3 days I don't have the ability or some who can get midday numbers.
 
There are many people who have switched to Lantus/Lev. simply over a weekend, and then went back to work on Monday. While it's ideal to have a little more time, we have to live our lives still, so don't be too dissuaded by the extra caution you'll sometimes read on that board. If you started on Friday, you'd have five cycles under your belt before heading to work on Monday. It would be fine. Just remember that the folks who post the most are usually those with extra time at home. The folks who are at work all day tend to be a little quieter on the boards, but they do exist and still take good care of their kitties, even without being able to test throughout each and every day.

You do a great job monitoring TK and will certainly be able to keep him safe through the transition. Plus, the L's are more stable than Prozinc, so they are even safer. I'd hate to see you go, but I do think it would be a good idea to try a different insulin. There is a good insulin for every cat, and sometimes it takes a couple of tries to find the right one. I went Prozinc, then lantus, then levemir, and back to prozinc. It's okay to give it a try and come back if it doesn't make things better (although I'm pretty confident in TK's case an L will help. :bighug:
 
Okay, so I posted about switching in the L forrum. I'm going to increase to 1.5 tonight. The lowest he got today is the yellows. :(.

Once I get some advice and supplies I will make the move.
 
Hi Mphair!
Maury was on Prozinc and then we switched to Lantus; he did much better on Lantus (depot insulin). For working full time, five days a week, like Djamila said - don't beat yourself up over it :bighug:. Get the day time mid-cycle tests on your days off and for nights, I was able to get a "before bed test" between +2 and +4. One tip @Rachel and others have said for overnights during the week (or any day) is if you wake up for a potty break, grab a test :). While Prozinc works better on consistent dosing, it's an in-and-out insulin, so there might be a possibility for a sort of sliding scale dose. Like if he's between this range, then dose this. I think @JanetNJ was better for designing them. Sometimes members on Vetsulin/Novolin/Caninsulin had success with this method. Just food for thought that you have another option to try before you decide to switch.

Should you decide to switch, I think 3 days *should* give you a nice idea if it's working since there don't seem to be any other health factors. Maury's took a little longer because we were dealing with mild pancreatitis :blackeye:.
 
Yong said:
While Prozinc works better on consistent dosing, it's an in-and-out insulin, so there might be a possibility for a sort of sliding scale dose.
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Yong, I feel pretty confident at this point that we've found sliding scales on prozinc to be pretty limited in their use. They work when a cat is in a limited range of numbers (well regulated) and when they are only tiny adjustments 0.1u or less from cycle to cycle. And they work when a caregiver is home and testing all the time if someone wants to "chase the numbers" (we haven't done that on this forum, but I've seen it work elsewhere). But for a cat that's not well regulated, and a caregiver that wants to be able to leave the house from time to time, consistent dosing really is the best option. So in this case, I woudn't recommend it. Since prozinc does have overlap from one cycle to the next, the inconsistent doses just wreak havoc on the numbers.
 
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