2/8 Rocky PMPS 254 +2 295

[Tina & Rocky]

Good morning,

Wow, Rocky is in the blues this morning and I am a bit freaked about it. I am wondering if I gave him the correct dose of insulin. Does anyone have a picture chart showing where the black plunger part of the syringe should be when measuring out 1.50u? I am using a magifying glass, but I feel uncertain if the top of the plunger should be just touching the .5 line, or if it should be more into the line?

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=113340&p=1194289#p1194289

Rocky recap's for yesterday:

AMPS 256
+3 356
+10 271

PMPS 373
+3 363
+6 311

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178

pictures of fine dosing are on the New to the Group sticky here.

it doesn't matter so much what the perfect spot is, just that you're being consistent from one time you draw up the dose to the next time.

very very nice start to the day for mr rocky!

 

[Dyana]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178

Julie is right. It's the consistency that matters.
I used to always have an example syringe (an old used syringe with colored water in it) that I measured to my current dose. When I was measuring out my dose, I would compare the insulin drawn to that example syringe, to get the best consistency I possibly could.

 

[Tina & Rocky]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185

Thanks guys!

Ok using that pictorial guide from the link you provided, it looks like Rocky has been getting more than 1.50u.

Since starting Rocky back on the increased dose, I have been lining up the plunger to be just touching the top of the line, rather than kind of enveloping part of the line, which the photo shows here. I wonder how much more that really is?

I like the idea of using colored water in a syringe as a guide for consistent dosing. I'll have to go and buy some food coloring today. Is there a color that works better, is easier to see in the syringe?

Thanks again!

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185

you can use anything colored - coffee, tea, coke, or my personal favorite junk food, diet dr pepper. actually the bubbles might be a problem, so you'd want it to be flat first.

 

[Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185

I am not an expert by any means, but if Rocky is getting these lovely numbers when you measure the dose the way you have been, shouldn't you keep doing that? Perhaps you inadvertently stumbled on the right dose for him!

 

[Tina & Rocky]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185 +4 104

I know the 100s are lovely numbers for most everyone here because they have more of a feeling about whether their kitty will "surf" the blue. Unfortunately, I think so far when Rocky touches blue, he usually starts going too low.

For example, he is at 104 now, and I wanted to go back to bed for a few hours. But now I am worried that he is going to drop too low so I think I'm going to need to start checking him every hour.

Unfortunately, I don't even have any of his NVIV left and I have to run to the store to get more but I was going to do that a little later. I can't feed him his regular food if he goes too low right now.

 

[Tina & Rocky]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185 +4 104 +6 141

So it looks like Rocky is on his way back up without intervention from me. Of course, that was AFTER I took a shower to get ready to go pick up his food, which I could have done a few hours from now, but I was worried about his numbers do I thought sooner, rather than later.

I got 3 hours of sleep last night, and have been running on only 5 hrs of sleep a night for too many weeks now. Danger danger Will Rogers.

 

[lovey11]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185 +4 104 +6 141

Hi Tina, So far this dose is looking pretty good today. The drop wasn't very steep. Rocky has a nice nadir and didn't need food intervention. This is the fifth cycle of it so you will see more in the next few cycles how he responds. You are right though; it is good to keep checking with low numbers since Rocky is still bouncing a lot so you don't know how lo how might get.

 

[Tina & Rocky]

Re: 2/8 Rocky AMPS 178 +2 185 +4 104 +6 141 +8 365

Hi Catherine,

He flew up to 365 without my intervention. Goodness! Now I am confused. Well, I will continue with the same dosing technique that I have been using since I started him at 1.50u, the plunger tip resting on the bottom of the 1.50u line. It is a little bit more than 1.50u. I just don't know how much more it is.

It will be interesting to see if he comes down a bit again, maybe into the high 200s before his PMPS.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Tina & Rocky]

Re: Help, didn't finish PM meal 2/8 Rocky PMPS 254

Rocky didn't finish every lick of his food tonight, and he usually finishes all of it. In fact, when I went in to give him his shot he had not touched his food at all. He looked at me and he looked at his food, then he dipped his hand in the food and shook it! hahaha

So, I quickly picked up the food and went to get the other half can. (this was a brand new can of food). I mixed the water and Zobaline and usual, took it back to him, and this time he ate it. I think I was maybe 5 or 10 minutes behind schedule for his shot then.

He STILL left some meaty, grissly looking pieces of venison in the bowl. I had never seen anything like that before. I would say that he got about 1tsp less to eat than he usually eats.

He doesn't look DKA at all and with today's numbers wouldn't that be kind of weird?

I'll be watching for a dip in his numbers because of this tiny bit of food he did not eat. I hope he will eat the other cans better than this one.

 

[Sandy and Black Kitty]

Re: Help, didn't finish PM meal 2/8 Rocky PMPS 254

Hi there

That was a lovely string of blue today.

I know the 100s are lovely numbers for most everyone here because they have more of a feeling about whether their kitty will "surf" the blue. Unfortunately, I think so far when Rocky touches blue, he usually starts going too low.

Looks like he is practicing surfing - a little bumpy but in the context of Rocky a blue surf nonetheless.

He flew up to 365 without my intervention. Goodness! Now I am confused.

Looks like a bounce - also looks like Rocky is putting it behind him in fairly short order.

Rocky didn't finish every lick of his food tonight, and he usually finishes all of it.

The lower numbers may have taken the edge off his appetite - those numbers mean more sugars than usual are being properly metabolized and transported to Rockys cells providing energy for his body to use. I wo uld not be too concerned if he ate just 1tsp less than usual, however keep a close eye.

He doesn't look DKA at all and with today's numbers wouldn't that be kind of weird?

Although ketone production is typically something we think happens to unregulated kitties with crazy high BGs, all diabetic kitties are at risk. All the factors in the DKA equation - not enough insulin + not enough calories + the presence of infection are variables that each kitty reacts differently to. What's 'enough' insulin and calories to keep ketones away in the presence of infection differs from cat to cat.
Being that Rockys numbers are erratic and he had an episode of DKA not that long ago, he should be monitored for ketones frequently.

Well, I will continue with the same dosing technique that I have been using since I started him at 1.50u, the plunger tip resting on the bottom of the 1.50u line. It is a little bit more than 1.50u. I just don't know how much more it is.

That's fine, you can call it a fat 1.50u (f1.5u) the important thing is that you car reproduce it consistently. This also should be reflected on the doses on his ss.