We reduced to 0.10u on Nov 6th on @Wendy&Neko’s great advice. Could you kind folks advise me on what our next steps are? He’s been between 70-80 for over 20 cycles. Should we be trying to get lower numbers? Or should we reduce his dose?
P.S. We also switched from AlphaTrak II to Freestyle Lite on Nov 11 (but we’ve continued to document on both AlphaTrak and Freestyle simultaneously, so we have two spreadsheets, below, in signature).
There's a smaller dose you could try which is a 1 drop dose, but with such great numbers, there's good reason to suggest you just start an OTJ trial!!
Have you seen the OTJ Trial instructions?
Start the trial on the next green pre shot.
If he is green at your normal test times, no need to test further until the next "PS" time; just feed small meals and go about your day. If he is blue at your normal "PS", feed a small meal and test again after about 3 or 4 hours. If his number is lower 3-4 hours after a meal, then the pancreas is working!
Post every day so we can monitor your progress and see if any tweaks are needed. Be sure you include “OTJ Trial Day xx” in your subject line with the “xx” being the day of the trial.
He may have a sporadic blue number. Don't panic but post before you decide whether to shoot so we can have a discussion.
After 14 days of no insulin, we have a party!!
Sometimes the trial doesn't work the first time and we have to give a little more support in the form of resuming insulin. It's not the end of the world if that happens; we just give him the support needed. Our goal is a strong remission and it's better to take our time to get that than to rush into remission just to have it fail later on.
Once he is through the trial successfully, you enter a new phase. Your cat is still diabetic but has now become diet-controlled. Continue feeding low carb food in the manner successful for your kitty. If you decide to change his feeding schedule, let your meter be your guide to the best times to feed. Avoid medications with sugar in them and steroid medications unless they are medically essential. Continue testing blood glucose weekly for the first month and then monthly forever. It's a good idea to weigh him monthly. Weight should remain stable. If he seems "off" or sick, or is showing signs of diabetes (excessive drinking, eating, urinating, weight loss), test his blood glucose right away. Keep the teeth and gums clean and healthy; dental issues can bring a cat out of remission. If you see rising blood glucose numbers, it's time for a visit to the vet!
