05/09 Zero PM cycle +10 - 88 | AMPS - 69 | skipped shot | +1 - 83 | +2 - 97 | +5 - 102 | PMPS - 152 |

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

05/08 condo: switching to tight regulation, and steady numbers for the first time.

hello everyone! I hope you all have a beautiful head start on the weekend.

Zero's numbers have been doing amazing these past 2 days, I am really happy!
I decided with the help of some of you to switch his method to TR since now he finally lets me test him without fuss. (absolute win)
He just transitioned to fully wet food, and it seems to be doing wonders for him. For the past 3 days I've been testing day and night, but last night on his cycle, his PMPS was at 160, shot 1.5U (which is his reduced shot that he earned on the AM cycle of 05/07) tested then at +4 and he was down to 70. I knew I wanted to test again between +5 and +6 just to make sure he wasn't dropping too low, but since I've been getting up at night for the past 2 nights, last night i was so exhausted after a tough week, i slept through, when i woke up i tested him at +10 and he was sitting at 88. (see attached screenshot) or updated SS

I am a bit worried that between +4 and +10 he may have dropped lower than 40 and then slowly recovered, and I missed it. He seems fine, he ate his breakfast, and played a little with his sister Sigma and he is now asking for more food- I guess my question is: how concerning is it that a kitty may have fallen to really low numbers for a while and then slowly recovered if i missed it. any side effects i should be looking for?

Also, another question would be, I still have to see how is he sitting at his AMPS (still an hour to go) and since i decided yesterday to switch to tight regulation, i imagine i keep the dose even though he is under 100 unless he falls down to 50, correct? so i should shoot and monitor he doesn't go too low?
would not shooting be a good option? -- UPDATE: his AMPS is at 69. I am feeling uneasy to shoot, but not sure if I still should.

is this the kind of post you place a "?" prefix or not warranted?

again, thank you for your advice as i get familiar with all these new numbers!

 

[Bandit's Mom]

Sorry no one responded earlier. Did you get any more tests since?

ETA: And now he's eating only RC Glycobalance wet food?

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Sorry no one responded earlier. Did you get any more tests since?

ETA: And now he's eating only RC Glycobalance wet food?

hi! last test was 69 15 mins ago. I have not given him the shot yet. i am afraid he'll deep too low. His diet the past 3 days has been solely wet, comprised of FF classic turkey and giblets sprinkled with glycobalance for added moisture

 

[Bandit's Mom]

hi! last test was 69 15 mins ago. I have not given him the shot yet. i am afraid he'll deep too low. His diet the past 3 days has been solely wet, comprised of FF classic turkey and giblets sprinkled with glycobalance for added moisture

We've seen cats race down the dosing ladder when they're taken off HC kibble and switched to a low carb wet food diet. It's possible, Zero too might have something like that in mind. It's also possible that he has broken through some glucose toxicity and has "flipped a switch" to regulation (this also can cause them to race down in dosing).

Can you monitor if you shoot? With TR, you can shoot any number over 50 (with a human meter) and like you said, reductions are earned below 50 (again, with a human meter and for cats within a year of diagnosis).

Please get another test and let's take it from there?

When did he last eat?

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Amazing! thank you so much. he ate just 10 minutes ago, and his test just now came at 83. I guess I shoot and monitor every hour? 2 hours? what's recommended?

 

[Bandit's Mom]

How long before the 69 did eat? Was that number food influenced?

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

How long before the 69 did eat? Was that number food influenced?

ah, before the 69 which was his AMPS he hadn't eaten probably for 3 hours. - I did not give him the shot. he ate 20 mins after that, and 20 minutes after eating, second test came at 83 only food. I still haven't given him the shot. should i let him wing it with just food and keep testing? or do we prefer to give the shot?

 

[Bandit's Mom]

i think so, yes. one hour ago was his shot time, and his AMPS was 69 - I did not give him the shot. he ate 20 mins after that, and 20 minutes after eating, second test came at 83 only food. I still haven't given him the shot. should i let him wing it with just food and keep testing? or do we prefer to give the shot?

I can't stay with you if you shoot and I'm not sure if there is anyone around. Let me tag a few people.

@Mary & Jude
@tiffmaxee
@Tim & Pookey
@Marje and Gracie

I don't mean to scare/discourage you from shooting, but my concerns are:
(a) It looks like the AMPS was food influenced
(b) He recovered from the last skip and gave you greens in the very next cycle (even a disrupted depot didn't slow him down)
(c) There's been a diet change to a low(er) carb canned food diet

If you shoot, you want to get a +1 and +2 (and take it from there), since this is the first time you're shooting a green PS. Don't fill him up - you want him eating every hour, if required to keep him surfing green.

What are you comfortable doing? Can you monitor if you shoot? Do you have enough strips, HC food etc? Do you need to step out? I think you work from home, right?

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

I can't stay with you if you shoot and I'm not sure if there is anyone around. Let me tag a few people.

@Mary & Jude
@tiffmaxee
@Tim & Pookey
@Marje and Gracie

I don't mean to scare/discourage you from shooting, but my concerns are:
(a) It looks like the AMPS was food influenced
(b) He recovered from the last skip and gave you greens in the very next cycle (even a disrupted depot didn't slow him down)
(c) There's been a diet change to a low(er) carb canned food diet

If you shoot, you want to get a +1 and +2 (and take it from there), since this is the first time you're shooting a green PS. Don't fill him up - you want him eating every hour, if required to keep him surfing green.

What are you comfortable doing? Can you monitor if you shoot? Do you have enough strips, HC food etc? Do you need to step out? I think you work from home, right?

thank youuu so much!
i have all supplies i need in case of a low number, i have FF gravy lovers cans, honey, and 5 boxes of 50 testing strips in my drawer since i decided to go TR. I can test and monitor all day, I'll stay home.
having said that, I feel inclined to not shoot, monitor how he behaves and shoot at night, but i do not want to disrupt his good numbers and im not sure if not shooting will do just that.
again, thank you thank you for your response and your support! love and kisses to bandit

 

[Bandit's Mom]

This advice is not per the TR protocol and is specific to Zero's situation (food change, breaking through glucose toxicity, recovery from skip, food-influenced AMPS etc), but my suggestion would be that you skip the shot this morning and reduce to 1.25U tonight. You can shoot at your usual time tonight if you skip the shot this morning.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

This advice is not per the TR protocol and is specific to Zero's situation (food change, breaking through glucose toxicity, recovery from skip, food-influenced AMPS etc), but my suggestion would be that you skip the shot this morning and reduce to 1.25U tonight. You can shoot at your usual time tonight if you skip the shot this morning.

i feel super comfortable doing exactly this. thank you!!! I will keep you posted how we do.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Hi Mielconejo, I think your inclination to skip is a good one. It looks like there are several variables for Zero right now which are leading to lower numbers, and an unpredictable picture of where he may go in this cycle. He will get back on track after the skip. The rule I like to follow is safety first, and I know you want that too. Jude's had similar issues in the past, and he bounced a bit, but things leveled out relatively quickly. It looks like Zero's pancreas is really responding to the insulin! Very good news for Zero!!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Hi Mielconejo, I think your inclination to skip is a good one. It looks like there are several variables for Zero right now which are leading to lower numbers, and an unpredictable picture of where he may go in this cycle. He will get back on track after the skip. The rule I like to follow is safety first, and I know you want that too. Jude's had similar issues in the past, and he bounced a bit, but things leveled out relatively quickly. It looks like Zero's pancreas is really responding to the insulin! Very good news for Zero!!

wow, i was looking at Jude's ss to understand how you've managed him and it's pretty courageous to decide to shoot when he is below 100. learning a lot from seeing the behaviours of those numbers, maybe I need to be less scared of him dropping and be ready to bounce him back rather than skipping? we'll see how his numbers behave with this skip. i am truly grateful for the reassurance!

 

[Bandit's Mom]

wow, i was looking at Jude's ss to understand how you've managed him and it's pretty courageous to decide to shoot when he is below 100. learning a lot from seeing the behaviours of those numbers, maybe I need to be less scared of him dropping and be ready to bounce him back rather than skipping?

I wanted to clarify that I didn't suggest that you skip because he was below 100. Lantus is actually very good at giving flat cycles when you shoot lower preshots and we are always encouraging CGs to shoot lower and lower preshots till they are comfortable shooting green preshots. If you look at Jude's SS in Feb 2025, he suddenly decided to flip a switch and Mary had to take several unearned and large reductions to get Jude to a dose that worked for him. He raced down from 3U to 1.5U.

 

[Mary & Jude]

wow, i was looking at Jude's ss to understand how you've managed him and it's pretty courageous to decide to shoot when he is below 100. learning a lot from seeing the behaviours of those numbers, maybe I need to be less scared of him dropping and be ready to bounce him back rather than skipping? we'll see how his numbers behave with this skip. i am truly grateful for the reassurance!

Many of us shoot under 100. And you will eventually too, so, yes, get ready. You want Zero in the greens! If you want to see the truly courageous people, look at the kitties on higher doses, like @Seth&Bell. When I need to muster the courage to shoot a lower number, I always look at Bell's SS. I'll admit, though, that I always get a little nervous shooting those lower numbers. But, Lantus is designed to create flat curves, so I've come to trust that. Plus I know with those lower numbers that I just need to monitor more frequently, AND food is the tool to bring him up if he goes too low. That said, I think you made a good decision today. He'll get back into those greens soon enough. Zero has dipped his paws in the lagoon (as we like to call the greens), and he likes it!!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

I wanted to clarify that I didn't suggest that you skip because he was below 100. Lantus is actually very good at giving flat cycles when you shoot lower preshots and we are always encouraging CGs to shoot lower and lower preshots till they are comfortable shooting green preshots. If you look at Jude's SS in Feb 2025, he suddenly decided to flip a switch and Mary had to take several unearned and large reductions to get Jude to a dose that worked for him. He raced down from 3U to 1.5U.

ah yes! that makes total sense. I am grateful to have found this forum because i believe my confusion comes with cross info from the vet. he had me on a sliding scale based on preshots only, so something like this:
above 350 — 3u
200-349 — 2u
100-199 — 1u
below 100 — No Shot

but these past weeks, reading so many articles, posts, and studying other's ss I've learned with lantus it's better to keep a consistent dose and monitor doses based on nadirs rather than ps.
i think i'll use today's skip to learn a bit more about his numbers when in a green PS and try to gather courage to still shoot when that happens. hopefully many more times in the future.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Many of us shoot under 100. And you will eventually too, so, yes, get ready. You want Zero in the greens! If you want to see the truly courageous people, look at the kitties on higher doses, like @Seth&Bell. When I need to muster the courage to shoot a lower number, I always look at Bell's SS. I'll admit, though, that I always get a little nervous shooting those lower numbers. But, Lantus is designed to create flat curves, so I've come to trust that. Plus I know with those lower numbers that I just need to monitor more frequently, AND food is the tool to bring him up if he goes too low. That said, I think you made a good decision today. He'll get back into those greens soon enough. Zero has dipped his paws in the lagoon (as we like to call the greens), and he likes it!!

oh wooow!! 5U @86 pre shot. that is incredible. so much to learn!! I gotta say, even though this journey started really rough for both zero and I, as for many of us in this forum, just the sheer fact of learning how this behaves, food, doses, tracking, testing, techniques, is enough to keep anyone interested in learning more. though unfortunate and not desirable, it is interesting to learn the patterns and understand them better.
zero has been good at grazing and pecking food here and there every hour, so let's hope those numbers don't sky rocket.

And I see what you mean, i guess its easier to bounce them back if they're going too low, rather than pull them down if they start to rocket and have no depot in them to rely on. will have to start trusting the Lantus.

I see you renew your vials every 2 months, is that a common practice? I got the first one a month and a half ago and keep it in the fridge, so far i see no flakes or bubbles, and it's still crystal clear. how much longer is it safe before i need to get a new one?

 

[Mary & Jude]

oh wooow!! 5U @86 pre shot. that is incredible. so much to learn!! I gotta say, even though this journey started really rough for both zero and I, as for many of us in this forum, just the sheer fact of learning how this behaves, food, doses, tracking, testing, techniques, is enough to keep anyone interested in learning more. though unfortunate and not desirable, it is interesting to learn the patterns and understand them better.
zero has been good at grazing and pecking food here and there every hour, so let's hope those numbers don't sky rocket.

And I see what you mean, i guess its easier to bounce them back if they're going too low, rather than pull them down if they start to rocket and have no depot in them to rely on. will have to start trusting the Lantus.

I see you renew your vials every 2 months, is that a common practice? I got the first one a month and a half ago and keep it in the fridge, so far i see no flakes or bubbles, and it's still crystal clear. how much longer is it safe before i need to get a new one?

Don't follow my lead with the vials. Many here keep their vials for up to four months or more--some using them until the vial is depleted. You're following the exact guidelines--refrigerate, look for floaties, etc. I've ended up getting new ones every couple of months because Jude has had some ongoing urinary tract issues that can cause bg increases, and in my attempts to get a diagnosis for why his numbers are rising, I've tried to eliminate all variables, and have replaced the vials to ensure the problem is not with the insulin. It very likely was not the insulin each time I replaced the vial as the numbers did not go down significantly.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

how concerning is it that a kitty may have fallen to really low numbers for a while and then slowly recovered if i missed it. any side effects i should be looking for?

Of course, it’s always concerning if they drop low but as far as dosing goes, we don’t dose on what we don’t see. If he’s been acting normal and playing, if he did drop low, he likely didn’t hypo or I think you’d see him being a bit lethargic, being ravenous, and just feeling a bit poorly.

i imagine i keep the dose even though he is under 100 unless he falls down to 50, correct?

If he drops below 50, you reduce. If he hits 50 and goes back up, no reduction unless there are signs we see that tell us he needs a reduction. One of those signs is not responding to his LC food and it taking repeated HC food to get his BG to come up. While some cats cruise quickly down the dosing scale and we have to throw traditional reduction protocols away, right now, I don’t see that here. He may become that way but he’s responding to food now.

is this the kind of post you place a "?" prefix or not warranted?

Most definitely. You can use that prefix anytime you have a question even if it’s just about food.

I would like to give you a different perspective and an alternative to what happened this morning because it might happen again. @Bandit's Mom

—I wouldn’t have fed the 88 at +10 which I’m assuming is when you fed since you said you gave him food three hours before AMPS. The 69 at AMPS might have been his Lantus second dip which is common.

—Because you haven’t shot that low before, the advice should have been to not feed him and recheck in 30 minutes to see if he was rising. As soon as he started rising, you could have shot his full 1.5u dose, feed a hearty LC meal, and test at +1 and +2.

—His AMBG of 69 was not food influenced. LC wears off after two hours so if you fed him at +10, 69 was not a food influenced number.

—We don’t shoot food-influenced BGs. That’s why when you stall to see if the PS will rise, you do not feed. Even if you are there to monitor, we don’t shoot food-influenced numbers.

—Because of the depot, the early part (and maybe the entire cycle) of the cycle, when you skip, is going to look a lot like it would if you had shot.

My mentor, Jill, who was also a Moderator and taught me all I know, told me once that skipping shots and stalling is, by and large, to benefit the CG, not the cat. Let me qualify that. If you are sick or cannot be home to monitor or don’t have supplies, skipping/stalling is the safest thing to do.

I’m not criticizing you. We didn’t give you the tools you needed to handle this correctly and that’s why I want to give them to you now.

In summary, if you get a BG (above 50) you haven’t shot before, stall without feeding and test every 30 minutes and shoot the full dose on a rise, feed, test at +1 and +2. If you get a BG 40 or below, retest in 30 mins without feeding. If the BG hasn’t risen, feed and skip the shot. The next dose should be reduced by 0.25u.**
**this is the procedure for a newly diagnosed cat; a long-term diabetic will,have a different process.

Since you skipped the shot, you can shoot at his normal time tonight or if you want to change his shot time, you can do it now.

I see you renew your vials every 2 months, is that a common practice? I got the first one a month and a half ago and keep it in the fridge, so far i see no flakes or bubbles, and it's still crystal clear. how much longer is it safe before i need to get a new one?

Most members do not use vials they use Solorstar Pens. It’s much cheaper. You keep them in the frig (not the door of it) and you can use each pen until every drop is gone. You draw from them just like a vial but they will be more cost effective and you can use every drop.

I’ve thrown a lot at you so please let me know your questions.

 

[Tim & Pookey]

Some great info in this thread. Just wanted to comment on the vial thing. We might be the exception, but we used a vial for roughly 5 months. Kept it in the fridge. Never bothered switching to pens because the vials were only $35.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Some great info in this thread. Just wanted to comment on the vial thing. We might be the exception, but we used a vial for roughly 5 months. Kept it in the fridge. Never bothered switching to pens because the vials were only $35.

That's why I haven't switched, Tim. The vials are only $35, and that's not too expensive for me. It might be more expensive for Mielconejo, though; I'm not sure.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Of course, it’s always concerning if they drop low but as far as dosing goes, we don’t dose on what we don’t see. If he’s been acting normal and playing, if he did drop low, he likely didn’t hypo or I think you’d see him being a bit lethargic, being ravenous, and just feeling a bit poorly.


If he drops below 50, you reduce. If he hits 50 and goes back up, no reduction unless there are signs we see that tell us he needs a reduction. One of those signs is not responding to his LC food and it taking repeated HC food to get his BG to come up. While some cats cruise quickly down the dosing scale and we have to throw traditional reduction protocols away, right now, I don’t see that here. He may become that way but he’s responding to food now.


Most definitely. You can use that prefix anytime you have a question even if it’s just about food.

I would like to give you a different perspective and an alternative to what happened this morning because it might happen again. @Bandit's Mom

—I wouldn’t have fed the 88 at +10 which I’m assuming is when you fed since you said you gave him food three hours before AMPS. The 69 at AMPS might have been his Lantus second dip which is common.

—Because you haven’t shot that low before, the advice should have been to not feed him and recheck in 30 minutes to see if he was rising. As soon as he started rising, you could have shot his full 1.5u dose, feed a hearty LC meal, and test at +1 and +2.

—His AMBG of 69 was not food influenced. LC wears off after two hours so if you fed him at +10, 69 was not a food influenced number.

—We don’t shoot food-influenced BGs. That’s why when you stall to see if the PS will rise, you do not feed. Even if you are there to monitor, we don’t shoot food-influenced numbers.

—Because of the depot, the early part (and maybe the entire cycle) of the cycle, when you skip, is going to look a lot like it would if you had shot.

My mentor, Jill, who was also a Moderator and taught me all I know, told me once that skipping shots and stalling is, by and large, to benefit the CG, not the cat. Let me qualify that. If you are sick or cannot be home to monitor or don’t have supplies, skipping/stalling is the safest thing to do.

I’m not criticizing you. We didn’t give you the tools you needed to handle this correctly and that’s why I want to give them to you now.

In summary, if you get a BG (above 50) you haven’t shot before, stall without feeding and test every 30 minutes and shoot the full dose on a rise, feed, test at +1 and +2. If you get a BG 40 or below, retest in 30 mins without feeding. If the BG hasn’t risen, feed and skip the shot. The next dose should be reduced by 0.25u.**
**this is the procedure for a newly diagnosed cat; a long-term diabetic will,have a different process.

Since you skipped the shot, you can shoot at his normal time tonight or if you want to change his shot time, you can do it now.


Most members do not use vials they use Solorstar Pens. It’s much cheaper. You keep them in the frig (not the door of it) and you can use each pen until every drop is gone. You draw from them just like a vial but they will be more cost effective and you can use every drop.

I’ve thrown a lot at you so please let me know your questions.

this is unbelievably helpful, thank you!

I was actually getting to study this post to prepare for next time it happens, so far today he has maintained below 100 he had a little rise at +5 @102 and went down at +6 @ 92 but he has been eating a little bit every hour, so as you stated, I think these are numbers kept low by food.

Amazing, I think because now I've been on TR and monitoring more closely and reading sooo much more, all that you stated here was absolutely clear to me. Thank YOU!
I feel ready to face this next time it happens.

I do have a question: When stalling and not feeding waiting for a rise, how much of a rise is safe to know i can shoot? if i get a 64, I don't feed, stall, and if i see numbers getting to 70? or higher? or even if i get a 66 is that a good measure to shoot?

I will move him back to his normal schedule of shooting which was 9am/9pm since i didn't shoot this morning, and adding your post to my different scenarios instructions on my notion which is where i keep all of my cat's data.

Again, thank you SO so much!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

That's why I haven't switched, Tim. The vials are only $35, and that's not too expensive for me. It might be more expensive for Mielconejo, though; I'm not sure.

I have a vial since the beginning and I think that works for us for now. thankfully the only thing that works well in Colombia is insurance and I can get the vial for cheap if I have a prescription. so good thing.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

I do have a question: When stalling and not feeding waiting for a rise, how much of a rise is safe to know i can shoot? if i get a 64, I don't feed, stall, and if i see numbers getting to 70? or higher? or even if i get a 66 is that a good measure to shoot?

Excellent question. Each meter can have up to a 20% variance from test to test. If you get, for example, a 64 then 20% variance would put you at close to 80. Just to be safe, I’d pad it a bit so 85-90 would be a rise you could shoot. Keep in mind at onset, it will drop back down. The hope is the Lantus will keep a fairly flat BG flat but don’t take that for granted. It’s important to stay on top of the testing.

Remember you can also still post for help and I would encourage you to do so until you are comfortable shooting lower numbers. But don’t be afraid to use the post you linked and the info I gave you as reference.

There are members who don’t feel comfortable advising someone to shoot a lower PS for the first time but just be sure to be shooting a rise with no food given in the previous two hours and be prepared with HC food, honey/syrup, ample testing supplies, able to stay up and monitor, etc.

I have had it personally happen where my Gracie hovered between 43-49 for two hours and never rose. At two hours, we skip the shot and feed to get the BG up. It’s too hard and takes too long to get back schedule after two hours.

That's why I haven't switched, Tim. The vials are only $35, and that's not too expensive for me. It might be more expensive for Mielconejo, though; I'm not sure.

Incredible. I bought a 10 ml vial once at Costco and it was $300.00. That was eons ago without the benefit of the GoodRX cards they have now.

 

[Seth&Bell]

Mielconejo, you are doing great!! The way I look at it, especially starting out, is that every decision you make will give you some extra data that could be useful in the future. The more data you have, the better you'll be able to predict how Zero reacts in certain situations. Playing it safe is never a bad decision, especially if you are new to all this. You are in really good hands with the folks who have been helping in this thread. You've ask great questions in this thread - keep asking as you have doubts! That's how we all learned.

Also, look at the difference in his spreadsheet once you transitioned from the kibble! He's doing great!

P.S. His photo in your spreadsheet is sooooo cute.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

We might be the exception, but we used a vial for roughly 5 months. Kept it in the fridge. Never bothered switching to pens because the vials were only $35.

That's why I haven't switched, Tim. The vials are only $35, and that's not too expensive for me. It might be more expensive for Mielconejo, though; I'm not sure.

Would the vial break if dropped accidentally? That might be a reason to prefer pens to vials? I've seen posts on the FB group (and maybe here too) of people in the US getting a 5-pack of pens for $35 with the Lantus Savings Card (which not all pharmacies honour for cats) and coupons from GoodRx. They don't break if dropped and even if they do, you'd still have spare ones.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

I would like to give you a different perspective and an alternative to what happened this morning because it might happen again. @Bandit's Mom

—I wouldn’t have fed the 88 at +10 which I’m assuming is when you fed since you said you gave him food three hours before AMPS. The 69 at AMPS might have been his Lantus second dip which is common.

—Because you haven’t shot that low before, the advice should have been to not feed him and recheck in 30 minutes to see if he was rising. As soon as he started rising, you could have shot his full 1.5u dose, feed a hearty LC meal, and test at +1 and +2.

—His AMBG of 69 was not food influenced. LC wears off after two hours so if you fed him at +10, 69 was not a food influenced number.

—We don’t shoot food-influenced BGs. That’s why when you stall to see if the PS will rise, you do not feed. Even if you are there to monitor, we don’t shoot food-influenced numbers.

Hi @Marje and Gracie, like I clarified earlier, the reason I suggested a skip was not because it was Zero's first green PS but the other factors that I listed - mainly the food change and his quick recovery from the skip. I did not feel comfortable advising Mielconejo to shoot the full dose - especially since I was not around to stay with her.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Would the vial break if dropped accidentally? That might be a reason to prefer pens to vials? I've seen posts on the FB group (and maybe here too) of people in the US getting a 5-pack of pens for $35 with the Lantus Savings Card (which not all pharmacies honour for cats) and coupons from GoodRx. They don't break if dropped and even if they do, you'd still have spare ones.

I have a vial protector!! I'm a klutz, so I discovered they made these little rubber wrappers that protect the vial, and I love mine. It's probably better to switch to the pens, but I've just been lazy to ask my vet for the new script.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

I have a vial protector!! I'm a klutz, so I discovered they made these little rubber wrappers that protect the vial, and I love mine. It's probably better to switch to the pens, but I've just been lazy to ask my vet for the new script.

The other reason I have seen for suggesting pens over vials is that a vial holds 1000 units and not many cats can use that much before it starts to lose efficacy and you end up throwing a lot of it away. A 5 pack of pens is a total of 1500 units, but each pen only holds 300 units, so you can use each one down to the last drop while the other pens stay safely in the fridge. They are good until the expiration date on the box (usually at least 2 years).

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Hi @Marje and Gracie, like I clarified earlier, the reason I suggested a skip was not because it was Zero's first green PS but the other factors that I listed - mainly the food change and his quick recovery from the skip. I did not feel comfortable advising Mielconejo to shoot the full dose - especially since I was not around to stay with her.

i thank you for the advise, truly. it felt like the right decision at the moment since i am still trying to catch up on new information as his numbers shift and new situations arise. i didn't have the tools to face the scenario if i had given the shot.

his numbers today kept pretty stable, he intuitively ate just enough every hour through the day, and it didn't rise to pink numbers, which is awesome. I already gave him the night shot, will monitor at his +2 and +3 to see if i need to check again around his +4 when he usually starts dropping faster.

I have gathered a lot of info and have my notes well classified in case a hypo happens, last week I wasn't prepared at all awaiting for some HC cans to arrive, not enough testing strips, but today I have everything I may need, and more info thanks to your advise and today's particular situation. I think I feel better that I was not panicking to see if he would drop and instead used the time to learn how to manage it next time, it was the good choice.

Now I know more for next time, but surely will be asking for help when it happens again to make sure I'm doing it right. I keep feeling amazed at the varipus situations everyone faces here and how informative and helpful you all are.

This is a great place!

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

Mielconejo, you are doing great!! The way I look at it, especially starting out, is that every decision you make will give you some extra data that could be useful in the future. The more data you have, the better you'll be able to predict how Zero reacts in certain situations. Playing it safe is never a bad decision, especially if you are new to all this. You are in really good hands with the folks who have been helping in this thread. You've ask great questions in this thread - keep asking as you have doubts! That's how we all learned.

Also, look at the difference in his spreadsheet once you transitioned from the kibble! He's doing great!

P.S. His photo in your spreadsheet is sooooo cute.

yes! that's exactly how i see it. experience keeps piling on. at the beginning I had probably a terrible technique in testing and giving the shots, since zero was really difficult for the first 5 weeks, but then, as i gathered info, it seems both technique and strategy started to get better and also teh confidence! which is a huge difference i feel, in how zero perceives those moments now. if he feels im confident, he lets me test and shoot without complaining, i really cannot believe just 5 days ago everything was looking grim for us and now here we are keeping numbers in range.

this place is a goldmine of data, amazing people willing to help and give advice, and support. because i live alone, sometimes it felt like too much at a time, but finding people here who have gone through similar, and worse and pulled through, and giving so many kinds of advice for situations that may be similar to yours just makes SO MUCH DIFFERENCE in how one feels facing this.

Someone here reading my difficult story with the testing and the shots, adviced that I did the entire ritual with my other cat so Zero could see its ok. and THAT WAS A GAME CHANGER for us. Zero saw Sigma gettin "tested" and "shot" and now comes and waits in line for his turn, when before he ran and hid when the time came. Amazing how one piece of advice can make such a great difference.

I just hope I can then help others that went through what i went through in the future, and support others the way I've been supported.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

his numbers today kept pretty stable, he intuitively ate just enough every hour through the day, and it didn't rise to pink numbers, which is awesome. I already gave him the night shot, will monitor at his +2 and +3 to see if i need to check again around his +4 when he usually starts dropping faster.

He's doing great! Unlike the last skip where he jumped to 305, this time he has stayed comfortably below 150! Please do start with a test at +2 and take it from there.

Why is he still getting the RC Glycobalance? You want to finish the stock you have?

 

[Seth&Bell]

yes! that's exactly how i see it. experience keeps piling on. at the beginning I had probably a terrible technique in testing and giving the shots, since zero was really difficult for the first 5 weeks, but then, as i gathered info, it seems both technique and strategy started to get better and also teh confidence! which is a huge difference i feel, in how zero perceives those moments now. if he feels im confident, he lets me test and shoot without complaining, i really cannot believe just 5 days ago everything was looking grim for us and now here we are keeping numbers in range.

this place is a goldmine of data, amazing people willing to help and give advice, and support. because i live alone, sometimes it felt like too much at a time, but finding people here who have gone through similar, and worse and pulled through, and giving so many kinds of advice for situations that may be similar to yours just makes SO MUCH DIFFERENCE in how one feels facing this.

Someone here reading my difficult story with the testing and the shots, adviced that I did the entire ritual with my other cat so Zero could see its ok. and THAT WAS A GAME CHANGER for us. Zero saw Sigma gettin "tested" and "shot" and now comes and waits in line for his turn, when before he ran and hid when the time came. Amazing how one piece of advice can make such a great difference.

I just hope I can then help others that went through what i went through in the future, and support others the way I've been supported.

That’s amazing that he is waits for Sigma to get a fake shot. . I love it.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

I see that he was 112 at +3. Please feel him a little food and get a +4 or +5 before bed?

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

He's doing great! Unlike the last skip where he jumped to 305, this time he has stayed comfortably below 150! Please do start with a test at +2 and take it from there.

Why is he still getting the RC Glycobalance? You want to finish the stock you have?

yes, that's exactly why. it is extremely difficult to find down here, i looked for it for over a month to no avail, when i finally found a veterinary that could order it for me, at that time we were struggling a lot with his numbers and with testing and shooting, i was a bit desperate to help him so i tried to secure at least a month and a half of food in the hopes that would help him, so i pulled a lot of my savings for that, and now i have a ton of cans, lol. he loves it, though, which is also very rare given he never really was into wet food and always ignored it in the plate. so i'm giving most of his food with FF and sprinkle a bit of the glycobalance on top for added moisture. that has been working perfectly.

 

[zero - sigma & mielconejo]

hello everybody! thank you for keeping tabs! I started a new condo today and we have green PS number again, today featuring a beautiful handsome 80, so today is the day I shoot my first green number!! currently stalling at the time posting this, wish me luck!