Hypo incidents need measurement advice

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Melsterwithcat

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Hi all
Any recommendations for a vet in East Vancouver who is good with feline diabetes? We haven't been very impressed with our vet and would like to do home testing. We've been treating our foster for about eight months now and had 2x hypo incidents in the past two weeks. The vet didn't suggest reducing the dose after the first one. Ideally we'd like to try an implantable monitor to do a proper sugar curve and maybe see if we can transition her to a wet food diet (she is so fussy about wet food so she has dry and wet but mostly refuses to eat the wet, we think she is nauseous but the vet hasn't done anything useful to resolve it). At the moment she's on 3 units morning and 2 evening of caninsulin, with various diabetic wet food plus tuna/salmon/chicken and royal canin dry food.
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Hi all
Any recommendations for a vet in East Vancouver who is good with feline diabetes? We haven't been very impressed with our vet and would like to do home testing. We've been treating our foster for about eight months now and had 2x hypo incidents in the past two weeks. The vet didn't suggest reducing the dose after the first one. Ideally we'd like to try an implantable monitor to do a proper sugar curve and maybe see if we can transition her to a wet food diet (she is so fussy about wet food so she has dry and wet but mostly refuses to eat the wet, we think she is nauseous but the vet hasn't done anything useful to resolve it). At the moment she's on 3 units morning and 2 evening of caninsulin, with various diabetic wet food plus tuna/salmon/chicken and royal canin dry food.
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Welcome to FDF, we are here to help you, and yes, it is very important to home test especially prior to dosing, any human monitor and strips, are just as good as a pet meter, referring to his diet, a diabetic cat needs to consume preferably wet can food between 0-10% carbs, the kibble you are feeding are very high in carbs approximately between, 14-25% also the insulin you are using is for dogs not cats, a good insulin to use would be Lantus or ProZinc cat insulin, you should have what is called a HYPO KIT it contains, some medium carb between 11-15% and some high carb food between 16-35% also some Karo syrup or Honey , this is to avoid Hypo, there is another way to test with a Libre monitor and sensor it is placed on the cat, however, they are not very accurate reading very high BGs or low Bgs, they tend to fall off the sensor should last 14 days, but it is unlikely, and very expensive. I will tag several knowledgeable members that can answer more of your questions, in the meantime we would like you to create your signature and spreadsheet, we would like to know more about your foster cat. below are two links to do just that, please continue to ask questions, we are here to help you, ask your vet to switch the insulin mas well, we can help you with dosing also, again welcome:bighug::cat::cat:

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/spreadsheets-tech-support-testing-area.6/
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
 
Just to clarify, the Royal canin is the diabetic variant. I don't really know what percentage carbs is in different food. Is there something specific you can suggest? Then we can just go out and get it. At the moment we're a bit stressed and would ideally like to just follow instructions rather than having to make decisions :-) How would we tackle changing the insulin with the vet? Just tell them or would we need to justify it? Is the dosage the same? Any recommendations for a specific monitor? We're in Canada.
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Just to clarify, the Royal canin is the diabetic variant. I don't really know what percentage carbs is in different food. Is there something specific you can suggest? Then we can just go out and get it. At the moment we're a bit stressed and would ideally like to just follow instructions rather than having to make decisions :) How would we tackle changing the insulin with the vet? Just tell them or would we need to justify it? Is the dosage the same? Any recommendations for a specific monitor? We're in Canada.
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even if is "diabetic formula" it is still high in carbs
Here is a carb calculator I use quite often, look for the nutrient on the back of the food to calculate:bighug::cat::cat:
Cat Food Nutrition Calculator | Elizabeth C Scheyder
 
Hello, I am in Canada as well and I am using the OneTouch Verio Reflect meter. I just went to a pharmacy and asked for what they had that would require the smallest blood sample and that is what they gave me. I paid for the strips and got the meter for free. It is small and easy to use, also has bluetooth connectivity so you can use an app on your phone if you like that sort of thing. The app provides really nice graphs that I can email to my vet if needed.

Hope this helps!

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Ok. I have the monitor, test strips and lancets. Can someone point me to an idiots guide to testing? I looked on the link in the FAQs but there were lots and they seemed to assume I had some basic knowledge that I don't have. I'd very much like to use the Lancet pen to do the pinprick rather than free handing it.
 
@Wendy&Neko is in Canada as well and can provide additional info.

Melsterwithcat said:
Just to clarify, the Royal canin is the diabetic variant. I don't really know what percentage carbs is in different food. Is there something specific you can suggest? Then we can just go out and get it. At the moment we're a bit stressed and would ideally like to just follow instructions rather than having to make decisions :) How would we tackle changing the insulin with the vet? Just tell them or would we need to justify it? Is the dosage the same? Any recommendations for a specific monitor? We're in Canada.
Click to expand...

All dry foods are super high in carbs, even prescription ones. The only "good" dry food that could be used for those kibble addicts is Young Again Zero. I'm not sure if that brand is sold in Canada.

If your cat is nauseous, she won't want to eat much. There is a medicine called Cerenia the vet can prescribe. An appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine may be helpful.

Be proactive in your cat's care :) Have a discussion with the vet. Ask why the vet prescribed Caninsulin instead of Lantus or Prozinc. Maybe the vet is "old school" and isn't interested in new treatments. Arm yourself with info on how well Lantus (glargine) and ProZinc works well for diabetic cats in case the vet balks at your suggestion of using one of those instead. You can search for articles at https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jfm If the vet doesn't listen to your concerns and questions, look for a new vet.

Hometesting tips: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

You'll need to warm up the ear really well. The "rice sock" method works well: take a small cotton sock (baby size is plenty big enough but use what you have), fill with uncooked rice or dried beans / lentils (amount depends on size of the sock. Baby sock - a tablespoon or two. Adult sock - try less than 1/4 cup), tie the sock close. Put the sock into the microwave and heat until comfortably warm enough to hold in your hand without burning for a minute. Try 10 seconds to start and adjust as needed. Wrap the warm sock around the edge of the cat's ear for a good minute if possible. Hold the sock inside the ear. You should be able to clearly see the ear vein running along the edge of the ear. Use the lancet (with or without the device) to firmly poke the furry outside of the ear between the vein and the edge. If you hit the vein, no big deal. Get the blood onto the test strip and let the meter do it's thing while you hold a tissue to the ear to stop bleeding. If the lancet device has adjustable settings, start with the lowest setting and adjust in increments until you find the setting that works for your cat. Some lancet devices simply don't work well so if you're having trouble with the device, buy a different device and the matching lancets to go with it.
 
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Tried the warm sock and the Lancet and didn't get any trace of blood. She's very unimpressed with the whole thing and is yowling even when we aren't touching her. Should I try a foot? She's going to hate it.
 
You can try the other ear. Some cats only have one ear that bleeds well. You really need to get the sock toasty warm but not so warm that it will burn your cat's ear or your hand. Fold the sock over the edge of the ear and hold in place for a good minute if you can. Press the lancet device firmly against the ear, holding the sock under the ear so it's not floppy, and press the button or whatever the trigger is to do the poke. If no blood, adjust the depth setting and move the device so another spot. Make sure the hole where the lancet comes out of is on the ear and not just off to the side where it will hit air. Some people freehand the lancet without the device so they can see where they are poking.

A lancet that is too thin might not work well either. Try a thicker gauge lancet. You may need to buy a lancet device for it. Most lancet brands aren't interchangeable between different devices.

Hope the vet can soothe your cat's tummy :bighug:
 
Hello and welcome from the North Shore.

I'm not too familiar with vets in the East End. If you are willing the travel the Granville Island Vet Clinic is great. One of our previous members went there, and even volunteered there. They started kitties on Lantus. The Vancouver Wellness Clinic had a good track record, but not sure how they are since being bought by VCA. The Hastings Vet Clinic is just over the border in Burnaby. I have a friend who goes there and her two!! diabetic cats so far were put on Lantus. Sometimes cats only clinics will do a better job at feline diabetes, but there is only one in Vancouver, and again VCA. :(

My cat was started on Caninsulin cause that what the vet knew and that's what they did at that clinic. A locum vet got us switched to Lantus. Both the cat and I were much happier with Lantus. Most of the other clinics I know on the North Shore now do Lantus.
Melsterwithcat said:
the Royal canin is the diabetic variant
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Look at the label, it says "dietetic management". They were sued because the food does nothing special for diabetes so the name changed. It is not low enough in carbs for a diabetic. Most of the people here feed low carb commercially available foods.

I've heard the Squarepet Powercat dry food is lower in carbs if she has to have crunch. Best for all cat to be on wet though. Tips in here:
Great job getting that first test done! Make sure she gets a low carb treat in reward. They are all about the treats. Under 2.8 (50) is where you really worry. No need to test in an hour at 10.7 (199). How many hours after the shot did you get that test? Typically the lowest point for the blood sugar numbers is before the mid point between shots with Caninsulin. After that it just goes up.

If you are seeing hypos, the dose absolutely has to be reduced. I'd reduce that AM dose down to the same as the PM one for now.

There is some information you could put in your signature which will really help those stopping in to help - and prevent us from asking the same questions over and over. Information in this post:
New? How You Can Help Us Help You!
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Ok managed to get some blood after many attempts. She's 10.7mmo/l. The vet said 3-12 was ok so I don't think we need to take her in? Could retest in an hour maybe?
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Am I converting correctly —10.7 would be approximately 193 mg/dl (which is normal).

was this after treatment for hypo? And how did you know she was hypo the other times? Could it be she wasn’t?
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Ok. I have the monitor, test strips and lancets. Can someone point me to an idiots guide to testing? I looked on the link in the FAQs but there were lots and they seemed to assume I had some basic knowledge that I don't have. I'd very much like to use the Lancet pen to do the pinprick rather than free handing it.
Click to expand...
I have a video in my signature showing how I tested my cat CC.
 
@Melsterwithcat

Always aim for the sweet spot warm the ears up first, you can put rice in a sock and put it in the microwave, test it on the inside of your wrist to be sure it's not to hot, like you would test a babies bottle. You can fill a pill bottle with warm water and roll it on the ears also.Just keep rubbing the ears with your fingers to warm them up
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6. As the ears get used to bleeding and grow more capilares, it gets easier to get the amount of blood you need on the first try. If he won’t stand still, you can get the blood onto a clean finger nail and test from there.
When you do get some blood you can try milking the ear.
Get you finger and gently push up toward the blood , more will appear
You will put the cotton round behind his ear in case you poke your finger, after you are done testing you will fold the cotton round over his ear to stop the bleeding , press gently for about 10 or 20 seconds until it stops
Get 26 or 28 gauge lancets
A lot of us use the lancets to test freehand notthe lancing device
I find it better to see where I'm aiming
Look at the lancet under a light and you will see one side is curved upward, that's the side you want to poke with

Try putting a thin layer of Vaseline on the ear so the blood will bead up

Janet J gave you the link to show how she tests her cat, but with your Meter you do not have to code it
I'll post it again
VIDEO: How to test your cat's blood sugar

A lot of members feed Fancy Feast Pates or Friskies they are low carb

Have you also seen:
This is a US chart but I think many of the foods are available in Canada.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
 
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SmallestSparrow said:
Am I converting correctly —10.7 would be approximately 193 mg/dl (which is normal).

was this after treatment for hypo? And how did you know she was hypo the other times? Could it be she wasn’t?
Click to expand...
We noticed symptoms around 11 and the test was 4.45pm after giving her honey and encouraging her to eat for most of that time. Her symptoms were pretty obvious, lethargic, wobbly walking, diarrhea and vomiting, no interest in food or treats. Also pretty obvious reaction to the honey. Now around 9 she's back to normal. The previous time she was worse and we took her into the vet who put her on an IV.
 
Kat & Trixie said:
Hello, I am in Canada as well and I am using the OneTouch Verio Reflect meter. I just went to a pharmacy and asked for what they had that would require the smallest blood sample and that is what they gave me. I paid for the strips and got the meter for free. It is small and easy to use, also has bluetooth connectivity so you can use an app on your phone if you like that sort of thing. The app provides really nice graphs that I can email to my vet if needed.

Hope this helps!

View attachment 72626
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Just wanted to say this post was so helpful and just what I needed to be able to go out and buy a monitor without drowning in confusion.
 
Thank you for all the great info! I will work my way through it. The vet has said to test her tomorrow and decide whether to dose her based on the test. Less than 7 don't give her the insulin, 10 or more do give it to her. She's now back to her normal self and is napping on my lap which is much better than curled in ball growling. Suggestions for cat treats? We have some greens tuna treats which she adores so if it's ok for her to have one or two of them as a reward for a test then we could stick to them. She also likes the tiki tubes but they might be a bit too messy and fiddly to use when testing. The vet said they don't have any diabetic treats so I'm not sure where to get any.
 
You don't need "diabetic treats" or anything special. Freeze dried meat treats are best. The only ingredient is meat, or fish if your cat is more of a fish connoisseur. Here's a thread with suggested Canadian brands: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/treats-for-diabetic-cat-in-canada.250336/

Plain cooked chicken or other meat is also good for treats. Poach a chicken breast in plain water, shred the cooked meat, freeze the meat for later use. The cooking liquid can also be saved since it's now broth and you can use it to mix into canned food to get extra water into your cat. Freeze the broth in ice cube trays.

And you are using U40 insulin syringes, yes? And the vet has shown you how to measure the insulin dose correctly?
 
@Melsterwithcat
Hi Melanie
Have you read this about Caninsulin about dosing
I can't tell you how many units you should be giving but I can tell you the amount of insulin you give is based on how low the insulin is taking the cat , we don't base the sizes on the pre shot numbers
So please read this thread
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.231587/

Also on your signature I would add 2 previous hypo events in the last 2 weeks or just put the dates they happened so members know this Just click on your name then click on signature and add that then tap save

I found a post about the U-40 syringes with the half unit markings . We use these because we adjust the doses by 0.25 units at a time
https://www.petsdrugmart.ca/en/Product/CarePoint-Vet-Insulin-Syringes-119693/5676

Have you read what Wendy said in her post about
If you are seeing hypos, the dose absolutely has to be reduced. I'd reduce that AM dose down to the same as the PM one for now.

Can you put in your signature the name of the wet food you are feeding and what dry food

Can you start a spreadsheet soon
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/spreadsheets-tech-support-testing-area.6/
It will also explain how to use it

In your title I would put NEW MEMBER in front of Hypo Incidents . Tap on the word Thread Tools then tap on Edit Title and put it then tap save
 
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Melsterwithcat said:
Thank you for all the great info! I will work my way through it. The vet has said to test her tomorrow and decide whether to dose her based on the test. Less than 7 don't give her the insulin, 10 or more do give it to her. She's now back to her normal self and is napping on my lap which is much better than curled in ball growling. Suggestions for cat treats? We have some greens tuna treats which she adores so if it's ok for her to have one or two of them as a reward for a test then we could stick to them. She also likes the tiki tubes but they might be a bit too messy and fiddly to use when testing. The vet said they don't have any diabetic treats so I'm not sure where to get any.
Click to expand...
@JanetNJ
@Suzanne & Darcy
@Bandit's Mom
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Sienne and Gabby (GA)

Hi ladies don't know if you want to read her posts , her cat already had 2 hypos, She is giving 3 units in the AM and 2 in the PM.

In one of her posts above she said
We noticed symptoms around 11 and the test was 4.45pm after giving her honey and encouraging her to eat for most of that time. Her symptoms were pretty obvious, lethargic, wobbly walking, diarrhea and vomiting, no interest in food or treats. Also pretty obvious reaction to the honey. Now around 9 she's back to normal. The previous time she was worse and we took her into the vet who put her on an IV.
I'm just asking what her no shoot number should be

I know some members don't like to be tagged but I'm just trying to help Melanie out with her kitty Blackie
 
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Melsterwithcat said:
Tried the warm sock and the Lancet and didn't get any trace of blood. She's very unimpressed with the whole thing and is yowling even when we aren't touching her. Should I try a foot? She's going to hate it.
Click to expand...
I place all the supplies in front of Corky , cats are curious they like to see everything, I also have a small flashlight that I place in my mouth so I can see the tiny drop of blood easier, and a little piece of ham 1% as a reward always helped at first, now he just positions himself when he sees the monitor, it will be easier in a few days when the ear capillaries swell also:bighug::bighug::cat::cat:
https://www.dropbox.com/t/DDy04X7Qcg22UBLT
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Thank you for all the great info! I will work my way through it. The vet has said to test her tomorrow and decide whether to dose her based on the test. Less than 7 don't give her the insulin, 10 or more do give it to her. She's now back to her normal self and is napping on my lap which is much better than curled in ball growling. Suggestions for cat treats? We have some greens tuna treats which she adores so if it's ok for her to have one or two of them as a reward for a test then we could stick to them. She also likes the tiki tubes but they might be a bit too messy and fiddly to use when testing. The vet said they don't have any diabetic treats so I'm not sure where to get any.
Click to expand...
I use freeze dried chicken breast or freeze dried salmon but give it after the test because when he’s eating he doesn’t like me messing with his head (I don’t blame him, nor would I) but I put the bag in sight so he knows I’m good for the promise.
Others have to let them eat while testing and give them the treat—I know someone who specifically uses the treats they lick. She puts it on a plate so while the cat is licking she can test or shoot. Again, cat specific. If I touched him while he ate my boy would fear I was after his food.
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Hi all
Any recommendations for a vet in East Vancouver who is good with feline diabetes? We haven't been very impressed with our vet and would like to do home testing. We've been treating our foster for about eight months now and had 2x hypo incidents in the past two weeks. The vet didn't suggest reducing the dose after the first one. Ideally we'd like to try an implantable monitor to do a proper sugar curve and maybe see if we can transition her to a wet food diet (she is so fussy about wet food so she has dry and wet but mostly refuses to eat the wet, we think she is nauseous but the vet hasn't done anything useful to resolve it). At the moment she's on 3 units morning and 2 evening of caninsulin, with various diabetic wet food plus tuna/salmon/chicken and royal canin dry food.
Click to expand...
I definitly recomend lowering the dose. no need to do different doses am and pm. Since you are monitoring now, I might just reset back to 1.5 am and pm (no need for different doses in a day) and lets track it for several days and see. Sometimes after a hypo they can be sensitive for several days. It would also be super helpful if you could set up a spreadsheet and link it. Let us know if you need help with that.
 
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Melsterwithcat said:
Thank you for all the great info! I will work my way through it. The vet has said to test her tomorrow and decide whether to dose her based on the test. Less than 7 don't give her the insulin, 10 or more do give it to her. She's now back to her normal self and is napping on my lap which is much better than curled in ball growling. Suggestions for cat treats? We have some greens tuna treats which she adores so if it's ok for her to have one or two of them as a reward for a test then we could stick to them. She also likes the tiki tubes but they might be a bit too messy and fiddly to use when testing. The vet said they don't have any diabetic treats so I'm not sure where to get any.
Click to expand...
@JanetNJ
Thanks for responding Janet, what do you think her no shot number should be
 
Hi all, we tried testing last night and this morning but didn't get enough blood for the test to work. Gave her 1.5 units am and pm and she seemed in good spirits all day. We'll have another try at testing tomorrow morning. Thinking maybe if I can't get enough blood for the test we should stick with 1.5 until we manage it?
 
@Melsterwithcat
Hi Melanie
I had asked you if you have the U-40 syringes with the half unit markings ?
If not
I founda post about the U-40 syringes with the half unit markings . We use these because we adjust the doses by 0.25 units at a time
https://www.petsdrugmart.ca/en/Product/CarePoint-Vet-Insulin-Syringes-119693/5676

Do you need help setting up your spreadsheet
so you can track your cat's numbers and the members here can look at it.

If you want help I can ask a member bto set it up for you , just tag me and let me know

Do you know how to tag a member?
You would put the @symbol then start to type the first few letters of the member you want to tag, a drop down will appear then tap on the member you want to tag. After you are done and tap post that tag should show up in blue ,then you know it went through
 
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Melsterwithcat said:
Hi all, we tried testing last night and this morning but didn't get enough blood for the test to work. Gave her 1.5 units am and pm and she seemed in good spirits all day. We'll have another try at testing tomorrow morning. Thinking maybe if I can't get enough blood for the test we should stick with 1.5 until we manage it?
Click to expand...

I see Janet J said in her post above
I definitely recommend lowering the dose. no need to do different doses am and pm. Since you are monitoring now, I might just reset back to 1.5 am and pm (no need for different doses in a day) and lets track it for several days and see. Sometimes after a hypo they can be sensitive for several days. It would also be super helpful if you could set up a spreadsheet
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Ok I've added the spreadsheet. Not sure what to put in the boxes but I had a guess.
Click to expand...
@Bandit's Mom
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
@Suzanne & Darcy
@JanetNJ
Her cat is on Caninsulin and just created her SS
It's not correct so I explained it all to her in my post above.
Really don't know who to tag other than JanetNJ because she has used Vetsulin. Don't know if Suzanne is familiar with it I forgot
So who would tag or who should she tag is she needs help with Caninsulin
Thanks ladies

If you skim through her posts cat was on 3 units in the AM and 2 units at night so JanetNJ suggested 1.5 units for both cycles
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Another day another failure to get enough blood :-( yes we have the U40 syringes
Click to expand...
Hi Melanie, you are doing great, keep trying. Once you poke Blackie's ear, you can try to gently massage from the middle of the ear towards the spot where you poked, this can help get more of a sample. Not sure if someone has mentioned to your before, if she has dark fur on her ears you can try a very small amount of vaseline on the spot where you are going to poke her and that helps the blood come to the surface so you can see it better.

Are you using the pen device? You may need to increase the setting and be sure to press it firmly against her ear.
 
Yes I'm using the pen. I know it's deep enough because I got my finger :-) I was trying to make it work and stopped using the padding. I'll have another go this evening with some Vaseline. The vet said to feed and shoot at the same time but we can switch to feeding first and shooting afterwards. One issue might be that at the moment she is distracted by the food when we shoot so that might be harder.
 
Melsterwithcat said:
The vet said to feed and shoot at the same time but we can switch to feeding first and shooting afterwards. One issue might be that at the moment she is distracted by the food when we shoot so that might be harder.
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That's not correct

An important note on when to feed your cat: Because Caninsulin/Vetsulin has an early onset, you want to have fed your cat 20 – 30 minutes before you give a shot. The order for this process is (1)test , (2) feed (3) wait 20 – 30 minutes (4) shoot.
@Melsterwithcat
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Ok I've added the spreadsheet. Not sure what to put in the boxes but I had a guess.
Click to expand...

Your spreadsheet is not correct
In the AMPS box you are supposed to put what the glucose number was when you tested Blackie
Then on 1-27 you have PM in that cell , that's not correct that should be the glucose number you got in the AM when you tested
Same goes for 1-28
You put
28 Jan for the date just put 1-28
Just tap on your name up top then tap signature and delete that

You need to withhold feeding 2 hours prior to testing first thing in the AMPS and PMPS. That means AM pre shot and PM pre shot
When you test at night you will test Blackie's PMPS
You will put that number in that cell or box , then put how many units of insulin you gave in the unit cell

You need to be getting more tests in just not the pre shot numbers because Caninsulin hits hard and fast

I would get a test #+2 and @+4 and enen #+6
+2 means 2 hours after you have the insulin
+4 means 4 hours means 4 hours after giving insulin.

Same goes for the night cycle , you will never know how low Blackie is dropping if you don't get those additional tests in.

On your spreadsheet up top you have for the dosing method you have
Dosing Method (SLGS or TR): am and pm with food
It should say SLGS there and on your signature

Did you know
An important note on when to feed your cat: Because Caninsulin/Vetsulin has an early onset, you want to have fed your cat 20 – 30 minutes before you give a shot. The order for this process is (1)test , (2) feed (3) wait 20 – 30 minutes (4) shoot.

Tap on this link I explained the spreadsheet to https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/cant-get-a-blood-sample.296050/#post-3223731 else
You might want to read about Caninsulin here
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/beginners-guide-to-caninsulin-vetsulin.231587/
@@Melsterwithcat

Since you have a spreadsheet now in your signature delete No spreadsheet yet

@Melsterwithcat
 
Great. In glad your kitty seems to be feeling good. Dint give up on testing. The more toy try the more little capillaries wills for in the ear. Over time it becomes easier to test. In the chart do you see the second blue column? That is for the pm dose. So each row is one day of that makes sense.
 
All right, I finally finally managed to get a successful test. Lost count of the number of attempts but I think her ears are bleeding more now. Poor cat. I cleaned up the spreadsheet and I think I've entered it correctly, she's about 1.5 hours before we'd normally feed her and measured at 3.9mmol/L (!). She had seemed a bit under the weather today. We've been giving her 1.5 units 2* day (down from 3 + 2) since the last incident and have been feeding 20 minutes before giving her shot. She has been very picky with eating though and seemed a bit out of sorts today. She also inexplicably smells of fish although she hasn't had any. Given the measurement it seems like we shouldn't give her any insulin. I'll have another go at testing her after she's eaten.
 
Wait do you test the outside of the ear? I've been doing the inside, which is where the vet tested.
We have size 33 lancets and I was going to exchange for 30s but now wondering if I need to as the last test was ok. Slightly annoying that the ones that come with the monitor aren't labeled as I'm not sure if they are 30 or 33.
 
Melsterwithcat said:
Wait do you test the outside of the ear? I've been doing the inside, which is where the vet tested.
We have size 33 lancets and I was going to exchange for 30s but now wondering if I need to as the last test was ok. Slightly annoying that the ones that come with the monitor aren't labeled as I'm not sure if they are 30 or 33.
Click to expand...
I have always tested on the outside of the ear
Did you get an AMPS test this morning the cell or square is bland on your SS
@Melsterwithcat
 
Last edited:
Melsterwithcat said:
I cleaned up the spreadsheet and I think I've entered it correctly, she's about 1.5 hours before we'd normally feed her and measured at 3.9mmol/L (!
Click to expand...
Did you get an AMPS ? It says you gave 1.5 units ?
PMPS you gave no insulin please put NS for No Shot in the Unit cell or square.
If Blackie's BG is high enough to shoot tomorrow morning (2-4) you need to reduce to 1.25 units
That would be the dose going forward if the BG is high enough to shoot

Please still get a test in before you go to bed tonight
From the Vetsulin sticky

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.
@Melsterwithcat


A favor when someone responds back to you can you please tap the word like so we know that you read it
 
Last edited:
Managed to test her again at 3 hrs after feeding with no shot and she read at 5.4. We'll do our best to get another test tomorrow morning but if we can't then maybe we shouldn't give the morning shot? I think the spreadsheet should be correct now. She's also running low on insulin so I'm wondering if we should ask to change type when we get the next prescription.
 
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