2/13 Kitty PMPS 86 AMPS 421 - Can't figure out what's going on with her

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by Julie and Kitty, Feb 13, 2020.

  1. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2020
    Previous threads: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...wn-to-70-at-5-last-night.225262/#post-2521229

    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/2-1-kitty-pmps-198-to-shoot-or-no-1-176.225099/

    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/2-2-kitty-pmps-223-dosing-advice.225145/

    Full story: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-here-update-on-kitty.224044/

    I'm pretty new to this and am struggling to figure out what is going on with Kitty.

    Lately, her PMPS BG levels have been consistently low, with the AMPS levels being generally high.

    We've been skipping shots due to not being able to monitor through the night. Yesterday morning I decided to decrease her insulin dose to 0.75 so I could give her PM shot, but then it was super low, 86! Needless to say I skipped again.

    This morning it was high so gave her the 0.75 again (should I have done 0.5?).

    Anyway I've been messing with her food so I wonder if that has something to do with it.

    I'm still struggling to get her eating wet food. However I found something called "Tuna for Cats" (it's the same as this stuff just from London Drugs here in Canada http://catfooddb.com/product/trader joe's/Tuna For Cats), it contains taurine, but I don't think I should be feeding her that all the time since it's Tuna, but it is low carb and the only wet food she's eaten consistently :banghead:.

    Today I mixed it with a tiny bit of tuna flavoured wet cat food. When I tried that before she wouldn't touch it, but I did like 50/50. I mixed with just a very small amount this morning. Fingers crossed.

    Does anyway know about this "tuna for cats" stuff? Or what is going on with Kitty's BG levels? Would a different type of insulin that's given once per day potentially work better for her?

    Thank you for your thoughts on this.
     
  2. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

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    Feb 28, 2012
    I think the “problem” is that she’s not eating as many carbs as she used to. Is she getting enough calories now, the SS sounds like she’s not eating much. Getting rid of high carb food can significantly reduce insulin needs. I would try 0.5 units next.

    Unfortunately most insulins don’t last more than half a day in the cat. I think the issue is that you need to find a dose you can shoot twice a day, so best to lower it again.
     
    Si am cat mom likes this.
  3. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    Her calorie intake is up and down, some days not eating too much but other days she eats a lot so it seems to even out. She's not dropping weight so I'm not super concerned yet.

    I will try 0.5 tonight if it's not too low to shoot! And thanks again, she does still eat some kibble mixed with the freeze dried chicken, and now this tuna stuff that she sees to like which is super low carb.
     
  4. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    So I should basically adjust the dose until we can give it twice a day again? That's the goal
     
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  5. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

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    Feb 28, 2012
    The goal is twice a day shots. Eventually, and once you can monitor and have experience, you should be able to shoot low blues. Lantus keeps low numbers flat. They don’t dive like they do from higher preshots.
     
    SnowKat likes this.
  6. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    Ok, thank you :)
     
  7. SnowKat

    SnowKat Member

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    Jan 11, 2020
    @Wendy&Neko : "Lantus keeps low numbers flat. They don’t dive like they do from higher preshots" ... that is good to know - and counter-intuitive for a newbie like myself. (I hope you don't mind me jumping into this discussion.)

    So basically, a dose that might drop a pre-shot yellow/pink BG into blues/greens, won't have such a large effect if administered when pre-shot BG is blue/green?
     
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  8. toomanycats

    toomanycats Member

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    Feb 7, 2020
    Curious about this too.
     
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  9. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    I believe that's what she's saying, yes. I'm still too nervous to shoot blue/greens though :nailbiting:

    Does anyone have thoughts on this tuna for cats stuff? It is low carb wet food at least but I'm not sure I should be feeding it to her every day.
     
    SnowKat likes this.
  10. SnowKat

    SnowKat Member

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    Jan 11, 2020
    @Julie and Kitty regarding your question on the tuna... from what I've read, the popular wisdom is to limit the amount of seafood we feed our kitties. I personally only offer seafood as an occasional treat - maybe once a week, or once every other week, and usually mixed in with their regular food. 98% of my cats' food comes from land animals, LOL (chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit). Have you tried the Fancy Feast Classic pates?
     
  11. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    Yeah, I've read that too about feeding tuna, but this is some "specifically for cats" tuna so I wasn't sure. I've tried FF pates, Friskies pate's, President's choice pates, pretty much everything that's available in Canada and she's not really interested. She had a few bites of the PC one but didn't want any more than that. I will try some other types if I can find them...
    Just thinking if she's eating the tuna stuff it might be better than the HC kibble for the time being.
     
    SnowKat likes this.
  12. SnowKat

    SnowKat Member

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    Jan 11, 2020
    I definitely agree that tuna is better than anything HC or dry!

    Have you tried just leaving the wet food out? I would think that when she gets hungry enough, she'll eat. I only say this because I free feed my boys wet food (which I refresh twice and day, sometimes three times, if they are particularly ravenous). They don't always start eating as soon as I put food down... but they eventually clean their their plates on their own schedules.
     
  13. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    I have left it out but she doesn't touch it, I also leave a bowl of her kibble mixed with freeze dried chicken out for her to eat.

    I'm reluctant to take away her dry food just yet as we've only recently taken her off a feeding tube she had for over a month due to severe pancreatitis. That might have to be the next step though.
     
    SnowKat likes this.
  14. SnowKat

    SnowKat Member

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    Jan 11, 2020
    Oof, that definitely makes things more challenging. I'll just toss out one other wet food suggestion: Weruva Cats in the Kitchen has some really meaty chicken and turkey wet food. It's almost a shredded pate, similar in consistency to some of the tuna food I've seen. Maybe Kitty would like it??
     
  15. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    Oh really, I haven't heard of that one. It might not be available in Canada but if it is ill give it a try! Thanks for your suggestions :)
     
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  16. SnowKat

    SnowKat Member

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  17. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

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    Weruva is available in almost all the pet food stores, except Petsmart, in Canada. There is also a related brand called BFF that has some tuna and chicken flavours. Might be a way of easing her over.

    As for the flatter cycles with lower preshots, take a look at some of the posts from other people. See what happens when they shoot blue, or even green.
     
    SnowKat likes this.
  18. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    I will see if I can find that stuff close to me! On the plus side, she ate the tuna mixed with 1 tsp or so of friskies pate, so that's progress I would say. Also when I went home at lunch to check on her the BG level was 4.8!
     
    SnowKat likes this.
  19. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

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    Feb 28, 2012
    It’s great she is eating food left out for her. Giving her, or having some food available when they green will keep her safe. I guess that 4.8 confirmed the reduced dose, as 5.0 (90) is a the reduction point.
     
  20. Julie and Kitty

    Julie and Kitty Member

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    Jan 7, 2020
    Yes we are slowly making progress! And I will definitely reduce her dose this evening!
     

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