02/07 Bob, AMPS - 132 Skipping shots again...

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Gummers

Member Since 2013
Good morning!

So, today and last night Bob had bg levels below what I feel comfortable shooting, so I skipped. I've been traveling and away much of this past weekend and my husband has been called away this month for work, so I haven't been able to monitor bgls... but I assume the lower numbers are good? Could this mean he's starting to getting better/making his own?

I bought a new meter yesterday after dropping and breaking both it and a vial of lantus. :( I tested on me and the results were normal and its the same brand/type as before, so I don't think the lower #s are a meter issue.

Opinions welcome. :)
 
Hi Danielle

I think his numbers are getting a little better but I also think you are skipping very shoot able numbers. Our motto here is "shoot low to stay low". We don't expect you to shoot lower numbers by yourself. When you get a number that you don't feel comfortable shooting, we ask that, before you feed, you post here for help. We have other options that might help you get insulin safely into Bob. Safety is our number one priority.

If you are not able to do that, I would suggest you reduce his dose so that you can shoot consistently about every 12 hours. If you do skip, if you are still able to get some spot checks, it will help us know how much insulin Bob may actually need.
 
Unfortunately, I'm in a different time zone than most people here (I think) so I find the few times I've posted I have not gotten a response fast enough to make advice about shooting very useful. I don't want to starve my cat for an extra hour or three waiting for advice that may or may not come when my cat has already been without food for at least two hours.

I could consider lowering the dose of course so that I didn't have to skip shots. I'd obviously prefer to be giving him consistent doses.
 
I suspect that you're correct. I don't even know what the time difference is in Dubai from the U.S. I do tend to agree with Marje that it may make more sense to reduce Bob's dose so that you are more comfortable giving him his insulin twice daily. The issue with skipping is that you're depleting the insulin depot and it takes at least a day, if not more, to refill the depot. While reducing the dose may put Bob in slightly higher numbers, there would be a greater margin of safety.

The good news is that Bob is doing well. By any chance, do you have a timed feeder? Given how good his numbers look even with the skipped shots, it seems likely that his pancreas is producing some insulin. Feeding several small meals may prevent overwhelming his pancreas. Since you mentioned work and travel, a timed feeder may help.
 
I don't have a timed feeder. :( I've got two other very large cats and most feeders I've seen don't provide enough space for food for all. They get fed 2-4 meals a day, always the same amount of food... I space it out as much as I can because Bob will whine for food if anyone is home to listen.

The vet also suspected his pancreas was producing some insulin because he is very obese and hasn't had any diabetes related weight loss.

I'll see how tonight's numbers read. I'm not going anywhere tomorrow so if his #'s are lower than 200 but still out of normal range I may try and give him a smaller dose and monitor more closely.
 
One option is several feeders!! Another option is to make "catsickles." You add water to canned food so it's a soupy consistency and then freeze the mixture in portions. I use ice cube trays. You can leave as many of the cubes out as you need and it defrosts slowly so there's fresh food available if you're not around. The food acts to stimulate the pancreas to produce it's own insulin.

FWIW, you don't always see an immediate response to a dose change. In the case of a reduction, the depot needs time to adjust to less insulin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top