12/6 Butters - Dosing Help, Please!

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Eva & Butters

Eva & Butters

Member Since 2010
Hi, Everyone ~

Is the 1.0 U too much for Butters? We did a reduced dose this morning, and I think we'll have a fun day ahead. I've been looking forward to a green preshot number, but I thought it would come more gradually. Yikes!

We're trying to get a PM +3 to see where Butters is headed at night. We missed last night, and I'm concerned about how low he went. Butters sleeps with my husband and me so I can and do check on him throughout the night. He seemed fine and wanted his chin petted.

Butters has FORL and has a dental scheduled for 12/12. We're not sure if he'll need more tooth extractions or not, but I'm hoping the dental will clear any infection/inflammation resulting in better bg numbers.

Thanks for any help you can give us.

Eva
 
I can see why you wanted a PM check. You're pre-shot makes me wonder what Butters was up to last night, too!! I think you did fine with shooting a BCS (big chicken sh*t) dose this morning. You've not had a green pre-shot and this was a safe course. One thing to keep in mind (and it sounds like you're already thinking this way) is that you may have some shed action behind the reduced dose this cycle. You may actually see lower numbers tonight. As long as you're around to keep an eye on things this cycle, it looks good.

To answer your question, I don't think there's a way to know yet. It's possible that Butters was gently bouncing into the yellows after the string of blues and the bounce broke when you raised his dose -- hence the lower pre-shot today. It may also have been that the 1.0u was the bump that Butters needed to get the numbers jump started. I think you're going to need to monitor and be observant and base your dose on what you see.

If you need info re. the upcoming dental, let us know. (Gabby has FORL and had a dental 2 weeks ago. She lost 5 more teeth but her numbers have been a lot better!)
 
Hi, Sienne ~

I always appreciate your checking in and advising...thanks! I know I'll be back soon for help with dosing.

And, yes, could you tell me more about anything we should know for the dental? Butters had a dental with three teeth extracted about two years ago, but he wasn't diabetic then. Our vet has instructed us not to give Butters insulin on the morning of his dental.

Thanks again, Sienne.

Eva
 
I would follow your vet's instructions regarding whether or not to give insulin and food the day of the procedure. There is some variability in that regard and it's best to do what your vet is comfortable with.

If Butters has FORL, I'm hoping your vet will do pre-procedure X-rays and post-procedure films if there are extractions. It's key. I'm going to link information from my vet about their procedure for periodontal cleaning. They also had a piece in their recent newsletter about X-rays and FORL. They also provide a fact sheet for comparing dental services.

Other dental suggestions:
  • no Metacam (pain med) or Convenia (antibiotic). Metacam has an FDA blackbox warning for renal failure in cats. Convenia is an antibiotic injection that has a 2 week duration.If your cat's allergic, you will have a serious problem.
  • get an in-the-door BG test as soon as you get home. You'll want to be able to compare that test with your PMPS. Anesthesia can lower BG so be prepared to shoot a reduced dose at night, especially if Butters isn't eating well. I reduced Gabby's dose the PM of the procedure and the next morning. By the evening, she was eating fine and she got her full dose.
  • baby food may be a good option if there are extractions.
  • make sure to get pain meds. I like buprenorphine; others have used Tramadol or a Fentanyl patch. Be aware that some cats have a paradoxical reaction and can become agitated on any narcotic. A quiet dim room can help.
  • do not give lots of food all at once, especially if the procedure is over early in the day. Anesthesia slows the GI track and makes your cat hungry. If you give too much food, you'll be dealing with scarf-and-barf.
  • if your vet gives an antibiotic, you may want to make sure you've got FortiFlora or some probiotic in case the AB causes diarrhea.
 
What great information, Sienne...very thorough! Thanks so much. I'm printing it all out now. By the way, your vet has a cool web site and newsletter...sounds like such a good place to take your kitties.

Thanks for taking the time to provide such helpful information, Sienne.

Eva
 
me too! hi eva! *scritches butters* cat_pet_icon

if you have an answer to your request about the dosing, you might want to edit your subject line. hopefully the new dose will be just right!
 
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