1/14/26, Onyx, PMPS at 26mg/Dl! Please help!!

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Onyxsmomma

Member Since 2025
SOS! I haven’t been able to check my cat’s glucose levels since yesterday- I finally got him to let me blood test tonight and his PMPS is at 26mg/Dl!! He has never dropped this low since we began administering insulin a few weeks back.

His last Lantus shot, 2units, was administered at 8:30am, tested at +11 before I was about to administer his PM shot. I’ve been following the same 2 unit dose every 12hrs per my vet since his diagnoses on 12/28/25. This is all very new to me and I don’t have a digital spreadsheet.

I just gave him a bit of dry kibble that he used to eat (he’s exclusively on Purina pro plan DM wet food) and tried getting some honey on his gums, but please let me know if I should also skip his shot or minimize the dose- and at what number I should wait to see before giving him his dose.

I just had a major surgery a few days ago and can’t get him to the emergency vet because I’m not supposed to be driving. Please please give me any advice to help my little guy out!

II’m so thankful to have found this site, thank you all in advance… I’m freaking out over here :(
 

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Lauren, Please go back to your title, and edit it and select the prefix + the 911 option.

I don't see a spreadsheet. Do you have one? Where are you in terms of his last shot? We go by +1 or +2 from shot time, rather than using actual times since we're all in different time zones.
 
Giving him the kibble and honey is definitely going to get him out of the danger zone, but he will likely sky rocket for a bit, or even the rest of the night. Keep checking him though as he could go back down. He likely won't since he hasn't had insulin for 12 hours, but that's not something I would bet on. As far as giving him a dose now, if it were me, I personally wouldn't. After monitoring and feeling like he's out of trouble, it will probably be hours late. In the future when he's low try to have some wet higher carb food available like friskies shreds. It will raise his glucose but not shock his system like honey or kibble. If he won't come up even with that, kibble and honey is what I would use in emergencies. He will likely be okay, but do get a spreadsheet set up, and get some more tests in the future, ideally at the +3 and +6 marks - that's three hours and six hours after shooting. He may need his dose lowered.

I preface this by saying I'm not an expert, but this is what I did when my cat went below 50.
 
Hi everyone. Thank you so so much for getting back to me. I fear that I spiked his glucose too high now by giving him a tiny sprinkle of dry food, a packet of Science Diet Tender Tuna, and a bit of honey on his gums.

I waited 20 minutes to test after the initial PMPS of 26mg/dL, and he shot up to 392mg/dL. Now I’m concerned, because I tested another 10 minutes after that and he is rising to 414mg/dL.

His normal shot would be administered now, 12hrs since his last Lantus shot. Would you recommend I still give him 2 units since this is his normal time and he’s over 400mg/dL now?

I’ve really been on this journey of navigating feline diabetes with Onyx on my own, this site has provided more information than my own vet!
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Sometimes a faulty strip or too small a blood sample can give an incorrect reading. Were you able to get another test? Was he showing any symptoms of hypoglycemia?
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He has been lethargic all day today, still eating and using the bathroom as normal, but not being cuddly or overly active- lots of laying down, and a few sporadic head shakes :(
I’m now scared that I spiked his glucose too quickly by giving him too much high carb food and honey! This is so difficult to manage and I applaud all of you here assisting. I’m his only caretaker and it’s been hard navigating this new normal of a diabetic cat while I’m also recovering from surgery that just happened on Monday.

Do you think it might be emergency vet time?
 
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Onyxsmomma said:
I waited 20 minutes to test after the initial PMPS of 26mg/dL, and he shot up to 392mg/dL. Now I’m concerned, because I tested another 10 minutes after that and he is rising to 414mg/dL.
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BG can't shoot up that high in 20 mins. Not even with honey. Makes me wonder if the first test of 26 was a faulty strip.

Onyxsmomma said:
Do you think it might be emergency vet time?
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I don't think you need to go. If his BG is at 400+, he's not hypoglycemic.

Going to tag @Wendy&Neko for her advice, but I would be inclined to consider that 26 a faulty test and stay with 2U. Let's see what she says.

It would be good if you can set up the spreadsheet (I can help you with that) when you are fully recovered and can do so. We are very data dependent here for dosing advice.
 
Without the spreadsheet, it's too hard to help with dosing. If the 26 was real, then 2 units is too much insulin and the dose needs to be reduced. If the 26 was a test error (it happens), then the dose might be OK, but I can't tell by just that bit of information. You could always reduce tonight for safety, work on that spreadsheet, then we'll be able to help you for tomorrow's dose.
 
Thank you for sharing the spreadsheet with me! I have been writing all of his stats down in a notebook, but will have to convert over to a spreadsheet asap.
I ended up getting assistance in bringing Onyx to the emergency vet tonight. The vet thought that the PMPS of 26mg/dL was a faulty test, but still recommended not administering his insulin until tomorrow morning to get him back on his normal insulin shot schedule.

Something I’m struggling with in our diabetes journey with Onyx is getting him to let me take BG readings regularly; he’s super fussy even with the rice sock ear warmers and treats for positive reinforcement. His ears aren’t giving me much blood when using a lancet, but I’m scared to poke on my own and pop a vein. I’ve read through all of the materials on this site for tips and tricks for testing, but I still can’t get him to let me test every time before meals, and definitely not enough to do a curve test for a day. I feel so hopeless… are there any other methods for testing that seem to work with restless kitties? The more I test the more I’ll be able to tell what his numbers are saying. I just want to get him back to feeling somewhat normal with this new life with diabetes and on a routine that works.

Thank you again!
 
Lauren,

We have several people on the forum who use the CGMs, and I'll tag a few of them for you in case you want to ask them questions: @Staci & Ivy @Brianna & Xander @Lauren & Esse.

What size lancet are you using? At the beginning, when their ears are "learning" to bleed, a lower gauge (a higher number gauge means a thinner needle) lancet can work better. I'm in the US, and I use these lancets, and I freehand because the click of the lancet device scares Jude. Granted, Jude is a fairly compliant cat, but one thing I try to do besides warming the ear is also massaging or rubbing the area where I'm going to poke; this also helps to stimulate blood flow. I place a round cotton pad below the area where I'm going to poke to keep from accidentally poking myself and sort of wrap the ear and the cotton pad across my finger. I make sure the lancet is turned bevel up, with the sharpest side in position for the poke. I aim for the closest edge of the ear. On occasion I have poked the larger vein in his ear, and it does bleed more than the little capillaries, but not excessively. When that happens, I simply fold the cotton pad over it, hold it for about ten seconds, and the blood flow stops.
 
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