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steppyy

Member Since 2021
Hello all, I have a few questions as a newbie!
My bud Mikey has been diagnosis. With a quote of 360 a month from the vet. Helllll no. Anyways !
I have a contour next monitor, lantus, and half marker syringes. What next ??
I test,feed, then insulin? When do I give insulin ? His numbers were 12.6 this morning. Do I give it after he eats ? When do I not have to give it? I did tell the vet I am checking his sugars at home with a human monitor and he said between 5 and 10 is what we want. So anything over 10 gets insulin ?
How important is it to be given the exact same time 12 hours apart each day? We work untraditional hours and aren't always home. I can't ask my babysitter to give it !

Thank you
 
Stephanie? :D

The 12 hours is necessary with only a little time in each end.
Giving insulin is seriously the easiest part!! :smuggrin:
 
SashaV said:
Darn I wouldn't have guessed that :D:p
Do you have a spreadsheet set up?
And if not, do you need help to do so?
Click to expand...
I dont have one set up. I have been writing down his numbers. But the spreadsheets confuse me I would love help thank you !
 
steppyy said:
I dont have one set up. I have been writing down his numbers. But the spreadsheets confuse me I would love help thank you !
Click to expand...
It is very confusing when first starting!
But once it makes sense it's so simple and straightforward.
@Bandit's Mom can help you set it up. She'll be back in an hour or so.

Do you have plenty strips for your meter?
And don't worry about the vet... most of us haven't gone back since diagnosed, if so only to get prescriptions.
 
SashaV said:
It is very confusing when first starting!
But once it makes sense it's so simple and straightforward.
@Bandit's Mom can help you set it up. She'll be back in an hour or so.

Do you have plenty strips for your meter?
And don't worry about the vet... most of us haven't gone back since diagnosed, if so only to get prescriptions.
Click to expand...

I do have some. Just ordered more should be here next week! I couldn't afford the vets prescription!
So he is finished eatting for now...he seems to go back to his wet food often. Do I give insulin? Is a half unit a good starting point ?
 
steppyy said:
I do have some. Just ordered more should be here next week! I couldn't afford the vets prescription!
So he is finished eatting for now...he seems to go back to his wet food often. Do I give insulin? Is a half unit a good starting point ?
Click to expand...
What did the vet prescribe?
What is "some"?
 
SashaV said:
What did the vet prescribe?
What is "some"?
Click to expand...

Well he didn't actually prescribe it yet. He gave be a quote for everything and "caninsulin" was on the quote. But I've been told Lantus is good for cats so I bought that.
I have Maybe 40 at the moment with 100 being delivered next week
 
steppyy said:
Well he didn't actually prescribe it yet. He gave be a quote for everything and "caninsulin" was on the quote. But I've been told Lantus is good for cats so I bought that.
I have Maybe 40 at the moment with 100 being delivered next week
Click to expand...
Caninsulin is not recommended. And in Canada Lantus is nonprescription right? Awesome choice you made!
 
Hi Stephanie
The routine is to test, feed and then give the insulin.
Until you can get some data in the spreadsheet I would not give the dose if the BG is 200 (11) or under
If it is below that I would stall, don’t feed and test again in 20 minutes to see if the BGis rising. Post and ask for help as well.

Do you have the U100 3/10 insulin syringes?

Once @Bandit's Mom has set up the SS you can add in the numbers you already have. That would be helpful.
What type of food are you feeding? Low carb wet food or dry food?

Are you going to be able to do any testing during the cycles at all?

1/2 unit twice a day 12 hours apart is a good starting dose. You will need to hold the dose for 5 to 7 days to let the depot fill.
Don’t increase the dose.
If the BG drops under 5, I would reduce the dose.
The dose is increased and decreased in 1/4 unit increments.
You will need to test at least once during each cycle if at all possible to keep your kitty safe.

Do you have a hypo kit set up in case of low numbers?
Here is a link that has the info for a hypo kit in ithttps://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Hi Stephanie
The routine is to test, feed and then give the insulin.
Until you can get some data in the spreadsheet I would not give the dose if the BG is 200 (11) or under
If it is below that I would stall, don’t feed and test again in 20 minutes to see if the BGis rising. Post and ask for help as well.

Do you have the U100 3/10 insulin syringes?

Once @Bandit's Mom has set up the SS you can add in the numbers you already have. That would be helpful.
What type of food are you feeding? Low carb wet food or dry food?

Are you going to be able to do any testing during the cycles at all?

1/2 unit twice a day 12 hours apart is a good starting dose. You will need to hold the dose for 5 to 7 days to let the depot fill.
Don’t increase the dose.
If the BG drops under 5, I would reduce the dose.
The dose is increased and decreased in 1/4 unit increments.
You will need to test at least once during each cycle if at all possible to keep your kitty safe.

Do you have a hypo kit set up in case of low numbers?
Here is a link that has the info for a hypo kit in ithttps://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
Click to expand...
Wow thank you for all the info.
Yes I do have u100 3/10 syringes.
He was originally on dry food. But switched to wet. He get friskies and presidents choice.
Is a cycle the 5 to 7 days when you don't change the insulin? Or is a cycle a day?
On an average day is testing twice common ?
I do not have a hypo kit. But will check out the link
Thanks
 
A cycle is the 12 hours from one shot to the next. So the am cycle starts when you give the morning dose of insulin and that is called AMPS.
That cycle lasts for 12 hours until the next cycle starts at the PM cycle and that starts at PMPS ( PM preshot) and that cycle lasts until the next morning at AMPS.
Does all that make sense?
The time inbetween the cycles is +1 (1 hour after the insulin, +2 (2 hours after the insulin) up to +11 ( 11 hours after the insulin. We use those times because we are all in different time zones. So if you say you are at +4 and the BG is 14, we know exactly what is happening.

Have you tested the BGs since swapping to the low carb food? Because the BGs can drop a lot after the change over.

On an average day I would always test at the preshot (AMPS or PMPS) and again at least once during each cycle, often more, depending on what the BG is doing. If it is dropping I would test more often. Always get a before bed test in at night and if that test is lower than the preshot number, I would set the alarm and get up a couple of hours later and check the BG again.

you need to think about what time will suit you best for giving the insulin. Some people like to give it early in the morning and evening and some people like it later. It all depends what will suit you. So if you chose 8 am for example ...the times each day would be 8am and 8 pm.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
A cycle is the 12 hours from one shot to the next. So the am cycle starts when you give the morning dose of insulin and that is called AMPS.
That cycle lasts for 12 hours until the next cycle starts at the PM cycle and that starts at PMPS ( PM preshot) and that cycle lasts until the next morning at AMPS.
Does all that make sense?
The time inbetween the cycles is +1 (1 hour after the insulin, +2 (2 hours after the insulin) up to +11 ( 11 hours after the insulin. We use those times because we are all in different time zones. So if you say you are at +4 and the BG is 14, we know exactly what is happening.

Have you tested the BGs since swapping to the low carb food? Because the BGs can drop a lot after the change over.

On an average day I would always test at the preshot (AMPS or PMPS) and again at least once during each cycle, often more, depending on what the BG is doing. If it is dropping I would test more often. Always get a before bed test in at night and if that test is lower than the preshot number, I would set the alarm and get up a couple of hours later and check the BG again.

you need to think about what time will suit you best for giving the insulin. Some people like to give it early in the morning and evening and some people like it later. It all depends what will suit you. So if you chose 8 am for example ...the times each day would be 8am and 8 pm.
Click to expand...

This seems super overwhelming !
It's going to be very hard to do this exactly 12 hours apart. As my husband is on shift work and I work overnights and have a sitter come. Is an hour or 2 early or late going to be a big problem for us ?
I changed his food about 2 weeks ago and have been checking daily. At the vet it was 27. And at home on average it's been about 15/16 but has occasionally gone under 11. I was hoping it was enough but it seems like it's not yet. I test usually 3 times a day right now.
 
steppyy said:
This seems super overwhelming !
It's going to be very hard to do this exactly 12 hours apart. As my husband is on shift work and I work overnights and have a sitter come. Is an hour or 2 early or late going to be a big problem for us ?
I changed his food about 2 weeks ago and have been checking daily. At the vet it was 27. And at home on average it's been about 15/16 but has occasionally gone under 11. I was hoping it was enough but it seems like it's not yet. I test usually 3 times a day right now.
Click to expand...
It is normal to feel overwhelmed in the beginning as it is all so new and a new routine has to be established and there seems to be so much to learn. But it will all fall into place and it will just become routine soon.

It is best if at all possible to try and stick to the 12 hours. But in saying that, you have to work and live too.
Do you think you could train up your sitter to maybe test and give the morning dose of insulin?

Has the vet suggested how much insulin to give?
 
Shes terrified of him...he's kind of a jerk lol

THe vet didn't actually give us a script. He told me caninsulin for the quote but didn't say how much. And I bought lantus. Is .5 units the first little tick on the syringe that looks like almost nothing ?
 
30-unit-insulin-syringe-markings.jpg
 
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