sirswithin said:
Since it looks like Grady is about to come through the other side of the OTJ trial period without any issues, what are the next steps? Do I continue to test twice a day for the rest of his life or is there some other schedule that people stick to as a monitor? And what happens if his BG has a big spike for some reason? At what point would insulin have to be given again? Thanks for everyone's help in getting us to this milestone.
My Ollie has been OTJ for almost 2yrs. I still test, he does have the occasional spikes, but he has not needed insulin.
Testing is a good idea but not every day... you can do spot tests, here and there, maybe test before food and then 3hrs later, or you can test at his am shot time one day and then maybe his pm shot time another day. You can test weekly if you like, and also when he looks "off" or maybe peeing more or drinking more.
Often, a higher BG could be a sign of being sick, not needing insulin. A higher number can be caused by stress as well, like a visit to the vet, or a scare from a big dog, or a tussle with another cat. Cats also mourn. When my cat was a witness to another cat being helped to cross over, my cat had a BG up to 265 and a temp plus would not eat for the rest of that day and nite, but the next day he was returning to normal.
You must continue the low carb wet food diet because food plays a huge part, and you should test a bit, here and there, and even if it's weekly then monthly, keep an eye on the numbers. It is important to keep a watch because your cat needing insulin at all, even just a small amount for a short time, lets you know that your cat's pancreas did have workload issues and so, as he ages, his pancreas may get burdened again and need insulin one day. But, you will know that time, and you will already have a great amount of experience, knowing exactly what is needed to do.
congratulations on reaching OTJ status.
Gayle
