1/23 Buddy AMPS 98 +3 76 +5 81 - Need more guidance

lbeachstace

lbeachstace

Member Since 2022
We are so happy with Buddy's numbers but we also want to be sure we are ready and clear on what to do, should he go under 50. We've read the guidelines but could use some additional guidance, please.

I tested him at +3 today and he was 76. I gave him a snack about 1/2 ago and i will test again soon to see where he is.

BUT - What should we be 'ready' to do?

This is the first time, since his 1/26/22 diagnosis that we have had consistent numbers and in green range. :D

(and yes, we do have a hypo box, just in case.)

Yesterday's Thread
 
Awesome numbers lately! :D You can see that with green preshots, the cycles are a lot flatter. You might find nadirs show up earlier too, so I wouldn't wait too long for the next test.

A couple things I did when I was waiting (seemed like forever) for Neko to give me a number below 50. First was to print off this Sticky Note: Don't Panic! or How to Handle Low Numbers (in case of power outage, yes, it happened!). Second was to read a few other people's posts, especially those that were handling low numbers. After a while, I got a feel for what I needed to do.

If you should see a number under 50, start with a tsp or two (no more) of high carb food, and test again 20-30 minutes after he's eaten. While you are waiting, post here for help. Change your subject line to make sure it's up to date with the latest data, and add "need help with low numbers" or something like that. Change the subject icon to a "?" to get eyes on the situation.
 
@Wendy&Neko - yes, those are so gorgeous numbers for sure! i will be testing him in a few minutes, which will be +5

The hypo food i have for him is Earthborn Holistic Chicken Fricatssee and Chicken Catcciatori.

I got the carb percentages from this page, which stays they 20% and 25% calories from carbs: https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

I looked it up on their website and it says the carbs are 4% and 5%. They both contain gravy, which i know is usually high carb.

Should i be running to the store for Friskies with gravy??

I will print the sheet, and also read and then update as he tests.
--

THANK YOU!! you've been so amazing to us and we really appreciate it!!
 
Gravy doesn't always mean high carb, it depends on the ingredients. It looks like potatoes are high on the list. I ended up with HC with potatoes for Neko too, as she developed an allergy to wheat. I used the Weruva Grandma's Chicken Soup for the big guns, but found it was too high in carbs for her. I ended up using some of the Cats in the Kitchen pouches which were around 16-17%.

Cats vary a lot on how carb sensitive they are, more sensitive means less carbs needed. When you do see lower numbers and feed higher carbs, take good notes on how much you feed and when and you'll learn what you need to use for Buddy. I used to note this on the Remarks column of the spreadsheet so I could see what the impact is. Ideally you only want him up to the high greens with those extra carbs.
 
@Wendy&Neko - sheet is printed!

His +5 was 81

Reading through everything now, just in case.

(Probably jumping ahead but how long do we hold here before cutting his dose? Being that he's coming up on his 1 year since diagnosis, is remission much hard to try to achieve?)
 
If he goes under 50 you feed hc and test in 20-30 minutes. Post for help. You would need to feed small amounts every 30-30 until staying over 50 without food. That will depend on his carb sensitive he is. Max generally only needed hc once or twice and then his regular Ic. Their hc can bring them up quickly
 
lbeachstace said:
Probably jumping ahead but how long do we hold here before cutting his dose? Being that he's coming up on his 1 year since diagnosis, is remission much hard to try to achieve?)
Click to expand...
Here is a post summarizing how a cat earns a reduction. Reminder: *earning* reductions and starting OTJ trials

The only outstanding question I have for Buddy is whether there is an underlying reason he needs over 6 units of insulin. The answer to that question might change things. For example, with cats with IAA or acromegaly, we tend to be more cautious, as there are more things in play other than just a recovering pancreas. Plus the size of the dose means a larger depot too, which can be a pain if the dose really needs to be reduced.
 
Thanks @Wendy&Neko and the answer to your question would require more diagnostic testing for Buddy to see if he has IAA or acromegaly, right?

Or, when the time is right, would reducing give us the information we are looking for?
 
Last edited:
Yes, testing for acromegaly and IAA would provide answers. Not all cats with those conditions need over 6 units, but the majority of cats over 6 units have one or the other, if feeding low carb wet and no other issues like needing a dental.
 
@Wendy&Neko - More urgent for us is that we're not clear on how best to approach a situation where a pre-shot number is low (50-70, for example).

Would we shoot the same dose, followed by closer monitoring and potentially HC feeding or would we go 1/4 unit less on that dose?

--

I would like to follow up with you about IAA and acromegaly in a different comment, because it's a scary thing to think about and we have questions before we'd have him tested.
 
You'll have more answers than questions when you get the results back, no matter what the results say. Although I wasn't happy with Neko's results, it gave me a ton of answers to what I was seeing, and gave me a path forward. Some people get negative results back, in which case it's good to be eliminated from the picture.
 
lbeachstace said:
More urgent for us is that we're not clear on how best to approach a situation where a pre-shot number is low (50-70, for example
Click to expand...
With TR, you can shoot if over 50. Get a +1 and a +2 test to see how the cycle is shaping up. There are other options listed in this Sticky Note:
Tight Regulation: Becoming Data Ready to Shoot / Handle Lower Pre-shot Numbers

It might help to get a +10 or +11, to see if low preshots are even going to be an issue. I suspect not today, he's headed back up now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top