03/21 curve - advice?

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kds0200

kds0200

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Hello hello! So it's Saturday, which is Bailey's curve day since it's the only one that really works. I was encouraged by our +6 119 but by +8 he was up to 475 and 424 and at +10 holding steady at 435 (spreadsheet is updated).

He's grazing on wet food today, which is different because we had been using the timed feeder to have small meals every four hours, but he wasn't eating very well. He's done great with grazing today (which makes me happy because before the diabetes he free fed on dry food mostly and it made life so much easier).

Anyway, advice on dosing would be much appreciated. Our sliding scale lately has been 1.5 units when he's in the low 300s, 1.74 units in the upper 300s or above. Could today just be a bounce? Every time I think we're through with that, he throws me for another loop! haha My work schedule during the week means we can only shoot on a 12/12 schedule, but I'd be willing to try a different time table on the weekends (though I'm more inclined to be consistent, if at all possible...).

I set an alarm to test at +6 last night but somehow slept through it. I'm going to continue testing every two hours tonight for as long as we can keep it up, just to get as much data as I can. If he keeps in the 400s, should I stick with 1.75 again or drop down to 1.5?
 
The insulin does work, as he definitely drops more than 50%. But it doesn't seem to last long enough. I think I might try 2 units over 350 and less for yellows. Shooting three times daily might help, but I don't think that works for you?

But it may be that ProZinc won't last long enough and he might do better on Lantus or Levemir, which tend to have longer cycles
 
Yeah, three times daily won't work, though I have considered it.

It seems like during the week, just based on pre shots, because that's really all I could do, that he doesn't always have this problem. I've been trying to keep the doses fairly consistent and at least close together (1.5 or 1.75) but I guess I don't always understand how all this works, even after testing so much and reading up and all that. Bailey, like so many cats, I guess, just doesn't seem to fall into a pattern I can recognize or predict. It's like we're on a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs and sometimes the track just disappears so I have no idea where we're going! lol
 
I share your frustrations. He has few decernible patterns. Sometimes the dose works pretty well and takes him down to decent levels. The next time, the same dose on basically the same level, doesn't do the same thing.

If he were mine, I think I'd work to have him below the renal threshold as often as possible (around 250) so maybe increase your scale by a bit. Or I'd try Lantus or Levemir.
 
Thanks, Sue. That's been my goal for a while, just to keep him at or below 250 through most of the cycle, but I've been wary of increasing his dose too much more since I know he's prone to bouncing.

As for switching to another insulin, I'd have to think on that quite a bit. I feel comfortable with Prozinc, and since I'm not able to be around very much during the week, I'm hesitant to changes things when I can't monitor what's happening more closely.
 
Then you do the best you can with the schedule you have. You'd be amazed at the people here just like you, who note that the cat feels and looks and acts better, but they have limitations on how they can dose the insulin. So they keep plugging away, and often, the cat eventually comes around and settles in with better numbers.
 
There is another technique for extending duration you might test out using ProZinc.
It is to split each dose in half and give them about 2 hours apart - ex 7 and 9 - both morning and evening. This does double the number of syringes you use.
If you try to visualize it, it would be like having double vision for the letter U.
 
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