Spreadsheet posted! Thoughts?

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EmilyB

EmilyB

Member Since 2023
Hi all. I just finished updating the spreadsheet and adding it to my signature. Please let me know if you're able to access it.

I only posted the data from 12/10 to today since 12/10 is when we started the 1.5 units - we had a hypo event last week after the vet said to do 3 units. He was at 3 units twice a day for 5 days before the hypo event. I still don't understand what exactly happened but we stopped the insulin for 2 days and then started him very low and gradually moved up to 1.5 units which we are doing now.

To me, his numbers are all over the place. We use a Libre unit and when it reads "high" that means it's 500 or above. I definitely want to switch to Lantus or Prozinc - which was recommended by you all in my first post here. But the vet said we would need to wait to switch until the Libre expires, which is in 3 days.

I am going to get another Libre unit. It has been extremely convenient and the numbers are accurate. Drew had a BG curve at the vet on Thursday and their numbers from the blood tests they were doing matched the kind of numbers we're getting with the Libre.

Since I just posted the spreadsheet I'm curious what your initial thoughts are on his numbers. Does it seem like maybe his dose is too low? Again, we're super cautious about increasing due to the hypo event we had. But I understand it may be necessary to increase...maybe to 2 units? Do you think switching to one of the better insulins will help regulate him? I will say it was odd this morning, he had his shot at 7:10 and at 11:30 he went down to 66. The number freaked me out so I fed him a little food and it went up a bit.

Anyways, this is where we're at. I have the prescription for a new Libre and new insulin when we're ready to switch. Again, I want to thank all of you who have devoted so much to this forum and who reply quickly and provide so much great info. I keep telling my husband this forum has been a Godsend. Truly.

-Emily
 
EmilyB said:
Hi all. I just finished updating the spreadsheet and adding it to my signature. Please let me know if you're able to access it.

I only posted the data from 12/10 to today since 12/10 is when we started the 1.5 units - we had a hypo event last week after the vet said to do 3 units. He was at 3 units twice a day for 5 days before the hypo event. I still don't understand what exactly happened but we stopped the insulin for 2 days and then started him very low and gradually moved up to 1.5 units which we are doing now.

To me, his numbers are all over the place. We use a Libre unit and when it reads "high" that means it's 500 or above. I definitely want to switch to Lantus or Prozinc - which was recommended by you all in my first post here. But the vet said we would need to wait to switch until the Libre expires, which is in 3 days.

I am going to get another Libre unit. It has been extremely convenient and the numbers are accurate. Drew had a BG curve at the vet on Thursday and their numbers from the blood tests they were doing matched the kind of numbers we're getting with the Libre.

Since I just posted the spreadsheet I'm curious what your initial thoughts are on his numbers. Does it seem like maybe his dose is too low? Again, we're super cautious about increasing due to the hypo event we had. But I understand it may be necessary to increase...maybe to 2 units? Do you think switching to one of the better insulins will help regulate him? I will say it was odd this morning, he had his shot at 7:10 and at 11:30 he went down to 66. The number freaked me out so I fed him a little food and it went up a bit.

Anyways, this is where we're at. I have the prescription for a new Libre and new insulin when we're ready to switch. Again, I want to thank all of you who have devoted so much to this forum and who reply quickly and provide so much great info. I keep telling my husband this forum has been a Godsend. Truly.

-Emily
Click to expand...
@Suzanne & Darcy
@Wendy&Neko
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Bandit's Mom
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
Hopefully someone will come along soon
Thanks ladies
 
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EmilyB said:
I will say it was odd this morning, he had his shot at 7:10 and at 11:30 he went down to 66. The number freaked me out so I fed him a little food and it went up a bit.
Click to expand...
@EmilyB
Hi Emily we don't use times because we are in different time zones
That 66 BG I assume it was at +4.5 which means 4 and a half hours after you gave Drew his insulin first thing in the morning, is this correct?
On your spreadsheet you should have entered it this way in the 4 cell or if you want to call it the square.
66 74 @+4.5 then you need to color code it dark green manually

I am no expert on dosing that's why I tagged a few members who I see have helped you in your intro post


But since Drew dropped below 90 I would reduce the dose for tonight to 1.25 units
I see you wrote in the remarks section on your SS 12-14 Drew was at the vets all day having a curve done , can you get the numbers from the vet and enter them

From the Vetsulin sticky
Changing the Dose

Hold the starting dose for at least a week UNLESS

  • your cat won’t eat or you suspect hypoglycemia
  • your kitty falls below 90 mg/dL (5 mmol/L). If kitty falls below 90 mg/dL (5 mmol/L) decrease the dose by 0.25 unit immediately.
After 1 week at a given dose perform a 12-hour curve (i.e., testing every 2 hours) OR perform an 18 hour curve (i.e., testing every 3 hours). Note: Random spot checks are essential in order to "fill in the blanks" on your kitty's spreadsheet. The goal is to learn how low the current dose is dropping kitty prior to making dose adjustments.

The general guidelines for making dose changes are:
  • If nadirs are more than 150 mg/dl (8.3 mmol/L), increase the dose by 0.25 unit
  • If nadirs are between 90 (5 mmol/L) and 149 mg/dl (8.2 mmol/L), maintain the same dose
  • If nadirs are below 90 mg/dl (5mmol/L), decrease the dose by 0.25 unit
  • HOWEVER, there are some situations which signal that a larger than usual dose reduction is needed. If you are unsure, please post on this forum or in the Health forum and ask for input about your dose.
Do you have the U-40 syringes with the half unit markings? Since we adjust the dose by 0?25 units at a time
If not you can get them from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/UltiCare-Insulin-Syringes-12-7mm-Markings/dp/B08HX9BPH7

I read in your intro post you might want to switch the insulin to Lantus?
I see you said in your post above you said
Anyways, this is where we're at. I have the prescription for a new Libre and new insulin when we're ready to switch
What insulin did you get the script for?
If it's for Lantus you can get the generic form, Lantus is expensive in the US so most members get the generic version. I can give you some information about. It and where to get it if you would like , just ask
You will also need different syringes for Lantus U-100 syringes with half unit markings

I see in your signature you also have Advocate Pet Test Meter which is a pet meter plus the Libre which is actually a human meter, can I ask why you have the Advocate Pet test meter for?
Almost all of us use a human meter that's what our numbers are based on.
I can suggest a human meter for you if you would like which is very affordable and also are the test strips and don't have to code the meter like you have to do with a pet meter
 
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I am very sorry to hear that your baby dropped too low. It sounds like your vet increased the dose too quickly. How quickly and by how many units was the dose increased? I am glad that you have the Libre for now. I have found that they can be unreliable in the lower numbers (read too low) but are mostly okay with the middle numbers. They can be a convenient tool as long as you have a meter for backup to check any numbers that are really low or very high. We recommend a human meter which is what vets used for years before pet meters were invented and are what a Libre is calibrated for —humans. I do hope that you will be able to change to a better insulin for cats, but in the meantime we are here for you!
 
Now, as to your spreadsheet and his numbers, which is your main concern right now, he is kind of “all over the place” as you say. This is typical of a cat on Vetsulin. When I look at his spreadsheet, I see that he starts out very high in the blacks and drops to his nadir (lowest point in the cycle) by about +4 (four hours after his shot). This is about what I see in other cats on Vetsulin. Then, the insulin wears off quite quickly and he is back where he started by PMPS time.

If you can input any of what happened prior to the date that you began the spreadsheet, it might help to get the full picture.

Meanwhile, I hope you are handling all of this okay. It’s really scary to have a cat go hypo and have all of this stuff going on. How does he do with ear testing? Are you giving him a low carb treat when you test him (I realize that you are using the Libre most of the time.). What is his feeding schedule like - when does he eat and get his shot. Is he getting some snacks during the day? I see that you are still giving him some dry food. Tell me about this. How much dry food is he getting and what kind is it? It sounds like you already know that he needs to transition off of the dry food.
 
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