Possible pancreas healing? Sudden days of greens. Sheet inside

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DeannaAndBaby

Member Since 2026
Hey everyone! Baby has been doing well overall. This last week we had to reduce dose from 1.5 to 1.25 because we were getting some large drops. Then today we got another string of greens. We were recommended to drop back to 1 unit because of this. But it's super confusing to me. Just yesterday we were in the 300s. Insight appreciated! I'm hoping these are signs of her pancreas peeking back through!

Baby's Spreadsheet (Deanna)
 
Tim & Pookey said:
Here’s your previous post for folks to catch up:
Baby the cat in er ER for DKA need advice/hope. Labs in pics

Nice greens! If you’re following SLGS, under 90 on a human meter calls for a decrease.

If you get a minute, could you set up a signature? It just has pertinent information people need when trying to help. Instructions in here:
Sticky - New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

Maybe @Mary & Jude or others will have some thoughts for you on the rest of your situation.
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Thank you! Sorry! I'm newer to posting on the forums! I'll keep things in one thread from now on! 😅 I actually don't know about slgs, I'll need to read that. Glad that I'm following it today anyway! Out bg didn't come above 123 at preshot anyway, so I gave a .5 token dose. But this feels like progress!! After 2 1/2 months I finally feel a hint of hope
 
Hi Deanna!

What's going on with her food? Is she still eating kibble? If not, when did you transition her to canned food?

Likely, what is happening is Baby is bouncing. Here is a definition of bouncing:

“Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is 'too low'. 'Too low' is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a 'bounce'. Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of 'sugar' into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as 'liver panic or 'panicky liver'. *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).”

Also, here is a link to an explanation of the two dosing methods most of us follow here on the forum: Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR). Following one of these methods helps us to know when and how much to increase/decrease in dosing. As Tim mentioned, if you were following SLGS, the more conservative of the two methods, a drop below 90, which she did today, would earn a .25 dose decrease. SLGS also gives some guidance about shooting lower than normal preshot numbers (like you had tonight) and when to make decisions about skipping and/or reducing doses. Bear in mind, over time, as you gather data and begin to understand how Baby is managing her insulin, you can relax some of those numbers mentioned in that section so that you can begin shooting in lower numbers. Of course, you can always come on the forum and post for guidance about what to do when you see lower numbers.
 
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A cat's pancreas can heal if it sees enough normal BG numbers. There are also many other factors that can contribute to insulin resistance needing higher doses, like infection, inflammation, secondary disease, and as Mary mentioned, feeding higher carb food can also impact blood sugar numbers. We have a saying here ECID (every cat is different) and the reason they need the insulin dose they do is impacted by many factors. I also see in your notes she wasn't eating well yesterday, another possible factor. All we can do is keep testing - you've been doing a great job, and reacting to the blood sugar numbers you see. Following one of the dosing methods Mary linked will help you decide how to change her dose. We will help you with that decision.

The higher numbers today are probably partly bounce, but also as a result of shooting less insulin last night and depleting the Lantus depot. That will rebuilt in a few days, so not to worry about that.
 
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