? 3/30 Shoes AMPS 546 +2 528 +4 458 +6.5 440 PMPS 438 +2 405 +4 380 +6 398

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Sandi, sure hope his tummy settles down for you. Were you able to get something from the vet? I believe yesterday he finally had a solid poop for you? Come on down Shoes. :bighug:
 
Hope the sucralfate helps. I am not familiar with it. I do know back last year in the fall, Bubba had diarrhea for 3 days and he hit his highest black number ever when it first started. He was in a lot of discomfort. Hope you see his numbers coming down ASAP
 
Hope the sucralfate helps. I am not familiar with it. I do know back last year in the fall, Bubba had diarrhea for 3 days and he hit his highest black number ever when it first started. He was in a lot of discomfort. Hope you see his numbers coming down ASAP
It did it's job I think since he did have the other almost normal poop later yesterday. He started acting normal too so I think it has worked. I did another dose this am and will see what happens. I was told to do it for 2 days. It seems like when he bounces, each bounce comes with the first number being higher than the last bounce.
 
I'm glad Shoes is feeling better! Ok, now, Shoes....let's rein that liver and and stop with the bouncing, OK?

I can't remember and I've probably asked this before....is Shoes eating any dry at all, or is he totally on low carbed canned now?
 
No dry at all.
That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. Have you thought about trying out TR instead of SLGS? You certainly monitor closely enough to follow TR and no dry food in the picture would allow for TR. I'd love to see Shoes stay in lower numbers more consistently; the higher numbers he spends so much time in can lead to glucose toxicity.

Even if you want to stick with SLGS, maybe consider increasing by full .25U whenever it's time to adjust Shoes' dose, just to try and push him into spending more time in lower numbers.

Just some things to ponder...and if you have any questions about any of it, just ask away!
 
That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. Have you thought about trying out TR instead of SLGS? You certainly monitor closely enough to follow TR and no dry food in the picture would allow for TR. I'd love to see Shoes stay in lower numbers more consistently; the higher numbers he spends so much time in can lead to glucose toxicity.

Even if you want to stick with SLGS, maybe consider increasing by full .25U whenever it's time to adjust Shoes' dose, just to try and push him into spending more time in lower numbers.

Just some things to ponder...and if you have any questions about any of it, just ask away!
Thanks Amy. Have considered TR, just afraid to. I just don't get why his liver is so active and why when he bounces, he goes so darned high! Don't know if I am going to stay on Lantus very much longer. Pro Zinc looks better and better as his bounce pattern continues. He is not an unhappy kitty most of the time, even as he has higher numbers. The only time he has seemed to not be happy was the last couple of days when he had the stool issues. Fine this am.
 
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TR can be a daunting, but you do get used to it, especially when you monitor as closely as you do. You could "split the difference", though, and stick with SLGS but go with the full increases to try and get Shoes' overall numbers down a bit.

I think one of the reasons he is bouncing so much is because his body has gotten used to these high numbers, so when his liver sees those lower numbers it panics. If you can get him to spend more time in the lower numbers, the bouncing should lessen...it may take time, but most kitties do eventually stop bouncing once their body readjusts to lower BGs.

Personally I would try to give Lantus a little bit longer since he's only been on it for a month, but of course you know Shoes better than we do :cat:!
 
TR can be a daunting, but you do get used to it, especially when you monitor as closely as you do. You could "split the difference", though, and stick with SLGS but go with the full increases to try and get Shoes' overall numbers down a bit.

I think one of the reasons he is bouncing so much is because his body has gotten used to these high numbers, so when his liver sees those lower numbers it panics. If you can get him to spend more time in the lower numbers, the bouncing should lessen...it may take time, but most kitties do eventually stop bouncing once their body readjusts to lower BGs.

Personally I would try to give Lantus a little bit longer since he's only been on it for a month, but of course you know Shoes better than we do :cat:!
How do I get him to spend more time in the lower numbers? Giving a high dose? I thought that I didn't have any control over that.
 
Smokey is a bouncer. In the beginning a pink would cause a bounce. And the bounce lasted for days. But over time he started settling down. Stayed in the pinks and a yellow would make him bounce. Then the blues made him bounce.

Since the interruption with pancreatitis, it's like we are starting over. I take one color (range) at a time now. Yesterdays green blue definitely made him bounce to pink.

As you move the doses up you will get better numbers.
 
Smokey is a bouncer. In the beginning a pink would cause a bounce. And the bounce lasted for days. But over time he started settling down. Stayed in the pinks and a yellow would make him bounce. Then the blues made him bounce.

Since the interruption with pancreatitis, it's like we are starting over. I take one color (range) at a time now. Yesterdays green blue definitely made him bounce to pink.

As you move the doses up you will get better numbers.
Thank you. I looked at Smokey's sheet. It does look a lot like Shoes except Shoes is higher and that may be because the Alpha Trak 2 records higher numbers than the Relion. Sorry about Smokey's pancreatitis. I am hoping that this bounce clears today or at least tonight. I really appreciate a reply from someone else doing SLGS and seeing that their situation has been similar to ours.
 
How do I get him to spend more time in the lower numbers? Giving a high dose? I thought that I didn't have any control over that.
You work your way up in dose safely and incrementally until you find a dose that nudges Shoes' BGs down. Both TR and SLGS guidelines are written to safely get a kitty into healthy numbers. Ultimately, the more time a kitty spends in those numbers, the more his body (and liver) gets used to it, and the less he or she bounces. One other thing to keep in mind is that some kitties just always will bounce, but that doesn't mean they aren't doing well. ECID!

Have you looked at spreadsheets from other kitties in the group? You can learn a lot about all of this by seeing how other kitties respond, too.
 
You work your way up in dose safely and incrementally until you find a dose that nudges Shoes' BGs down. Both TR and SLGS guidelines are written to safely get a kitty into healthy numbers. Ultimately, the more time a kitty spends in those numbers, the more his body (and liver) gets used to it, and the less he or she bounces. One other thing to keep in mind is that some kitties just always will bounce, but that doesn't mean they aren't doing well. ECID!

Have you looked at spreadsheets from other kitties in the group? You can learn a lot about all of this by seeing how other kitties respond, too.
Thanks Amy. I have looked at others. But not many following SLGS like me except for Smokey as I replied above. It would be nice for me if the TR and SLGS threads were somehow separated or if I had a search feature that allowed me to search for SLGL sheets.
 
Thank you. I looked at Smokey's sheet. It does look a lot like Shoes except Shoes is higher and that may be because the Alpha Trak 2 records higher numbers than the Relion. Sorry about Smokey's pancreatitis. I am hoping that this bounce clears today or at least tonight. I really appreciate a reply from someone else doing SLGS and seeing that their situation has been similar to ours.

Smokey use to be higher. When I got him he was 595 I believe by vet. I didn't know about home testing. I was filing his records the other night. I found some old records and the BS listed was 677. My mother took him to vet for checks then.

I sort of follow SLGS method. There is dry in the house but he doesn't get any (unless hubby is home), Smokey takes about 5 days to show what a new dose will do. I'm only comfortable with increasing when I'm home for the 4 days I'm off which lands on a Friday. Since I test enough, I don't do full curves before increasing. I will do different times mid day starting days before to find nadir. I don't want to push him. I just want him below renal threshold. Anything more would be welcome though.
 
Sandi, I was also following SLGS but changed (am changing this week) to TR since I am home and testing so much anyway. Unfortunately our spreadsheet is not very helpful as we are still pretty new and Stompy's reductions have come from eliminating dry food and his drops below 50. I was pretty nervous to go with TR too but I think I will give it a go and see how he ( and I) do following it. I feel so much more comfortable changing knowing how amazing this community is and how supportive they are.
 
Smokey use to be higher. When I got him he was 595 I believe by vet. I didn't know about home testing. I was filing his records the other night. I found some old records and the BS listed was 677. My mother took him to vet for checks then.

I sort of follow SLGS method. There is dry in the house but he doesn't get any (unless hubby is home), Smokey takes about 5 days to show what a new dose will do. I'm only comfortable with increasing when I'm home for the 4 days I'm off which lands on a Friday. Since I test enough, I don't do full curves before increasing. I will do different times mid day starting days before to find nadir. I don't want to push him. I just want him below renal threshold. Anything more would be welcome though.
Thanks! Like you, I don't want to push him and have another serious hypo when I am at work. I too just want him below renal threshold and in sensible numbers. Couldn't handle those greens both dark and light like so many here do! I know Shoe's is not going to live forever and I just want to keep him happy as possible and feeling as good as possible for however long he has left. I am beginning to feel less stressed about leaving him but not as comfortable as I would like to be... I know many here do not or won't understand why I just can't push for that TR and constant greens on the SS, but I am trying hard to balance what he can live with and I can live with too.
 
Sandi, I was also following SLGS but changed (am changing this week) to TR since I am home and testing so much anyway. Unfortunately our spreadsheet is not very helpful as we are still pretty new and Stompy's reductions have come from eliminating dry food and his drops below 50. I was pretty nervous to go with TR too but I think I will give it a go and see how he ( and I) do following it. I feel so much more comfortable changing knowing how amazing this community is and how supportive they are.
Chrys, I wish you the absolute best with it!!! Everyone here is wonderful.
 
Thanks! Like you, I don't want to push him and have another serious hypo when I am at work. I too just want him below renal threshold and in sensible numbers. Couldn't handle those greens both dark and light like so many here do! I know Shoe's is not going to live forever and I just want to keep him happy as possible and feeling as good as possible for however long he has left. I am beginning to feel less stressed about leaving him but not as comfortable as I would like to be... I know many here do not or won't understand why I just can't push for that TR and constant greens on the SS, but I am trying hard to balance what he can live with and I can live with too.

I totally understand where you are coming on from this! I'm also one of those that is more than happy just to see numbers under renal threshold and the times he has come down below 100 has been nerve wracking to say the least. My eventual reason for deciding to try TR is that Stomps is still a very new diabetic and starting him on it during this time frame has the best chance for remission. I'm not sure if it the best method for us but I'll give it a try and see how we do.

Hoping both our boys start getting to normal numbers soon. Huge hugs! :bighug::bighug:
 
We understand if someone wants to follow SLGS instead of TR - we are here to support everyone! I was just making the suggestion about switching for two reasons: one is because Shoes is running so high - way above renal threshold - and that can be a concern for the long-term and with TR you can get him into healthier numbers a little more quickly; and for another because you do test so much that you would easily catch a drop and intervene before Shoes hits hypo range. And even with TR, many do make on-the-spot adjustments (ie, reduced or skipped shots if a PS is low) for things like leaving for work...it does have flexibility in that manner. I'm not pushing you or anything, but I wanted you to be aware that it's not as rigid as it sounds! Safety always comes first, whether you're using TR or SLGS.

But you do have to do what you are comfortable with, and everyone here really does understand that.

I would like to point out that even with SLGS, increases are generally given in .25U increments. I would love to see Shoes' BGS lower - he doesn't have to be green if you're not comfortable with that, but it would be nice to see him spend more time in the blues. If you haven't looked at the SLGS sticky above lately, take a quick peek when you have a chance.

BTW, there is a lot to learn from everyone's SS even if they aren't following the method you are using, so I wouldn't not look at someone's SS just because they aren't using SLGS.
 
I know many here do not or won't understand why I just can't push for that TR and constant greens on the SS, but I am trying hard to balance what he can live with and I can live with too.
You can only do what you can do and what you feel comfortable with. We want to help you do what's best for you and Shoes. Amy is right that with SLGS we increase and decrease is 0.25 unit increments. You may eventually change your mind and not mind seeing green numbers. When I started out with Furball, I was terrified of shooting blue and then eventually got used to it and then got used to green numbers. Don't let anyone pressure you to shoot a number lower than you are comfortable with. TR and SLGS are designed to help keep your cat safe. Ask questions as you go along. We're here to help.
 
Try to reply to both Amy and Carla here as I don't know how to do the multiple quote reply thingy. I do so very much appreciate all of you and know that everyone wants the best for Shoes and me. Went back this am and re read the Sticky about TR and full time work again and again as well as the SLGS one. I realize that the SLGS does suggest .25 increments and in reality the dose that Shoes has been getting could be called a skinny 0.50. These darned BD syringes again.... so please continue to be patient with me as I continue on this path of SLGS. The continued higher numbers do worry me a lot but hopefully, they will lessen as he bounces less and less.

Shoes has an interesting life history. He was dropped at my friend's barn at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, AR around 2000 or 2001 and was fully grown then so we are unsure of his age. At one point in his life there, he was stepped on by a horse and hurt his back and had to be carried in and out of the LB. The chiropractor worked on him and got him going again. His tail curls now from that point on. Trainers travel several times a year as they must following the racing meets as one track closes and another opens, etc. My friends now only travel a couple of times yearly now as they are very successful and winter in New Orleans and summer in Delaware with short stops between meets at the KY tracks, Keeneland, Churchill, and home in Henderson. Sometime in 2010 in Delaware, Shoes disappeared for 3 weeks and they thought he had died. Someone at the track told my friends that they had seen Shoes at another part of the track so they ran and found him almost dead, but still alive with the left side of his face with no fur left and about as skinny and sick as a cat could be and still be alive. No one knows what happened to Shoes at this point but it's obvious that something terrible bit him and poisoned his system. My Friends took him home with them expecting him to die. His face had to be medicated daily as he would allow and he was allowed to eat as he chose and lay around all that he desired in their sun porch. Gradually over several months he slowly improved and began to look like a cat again. He has fur on the left side of his face but it is thinner than the other side. His left eye is also messed up and he probably doesn't see much out of it, but he still has it. Then in 2011 I was asked to take him since he hated travelling so much and got so stressed out by it. My friends wanted him to not be stressed as he lived out his last years. Now I was not a cat person until I agreed to take him, but quickly fell head over heels in love with him! He is very docile and sweet natured! So that's his story.
 
I totally understand where you are coming on from this! I'm also one of those that is more than happy just to see numbers under renal threshold and the times he has come down below 100 has been nerve wracking to say the least. My eventual reason for deciding to try TR is that Stomps is still a very new diabetic and starting him on it during this time frame has the best chance for remission. I'm not sure if it the best method for us but I'll give it a try and see how we do.

Hoping both our boys start getting to normal numbers soon. Huge hugs! :bighug::bighug:
I do too! Hugs back! (Don't know how to do the thingys).
 
Poor little guy. These stories always get to me the most because our boy had a hard luck story too. He's so lucky to have come to you as you take such good care of him.
Thanks! He was loved much by my friends too! That's why they wanted him to not have to travel anymore!
Would love to hear Stomper's story..
 
You can only do what you can do and what you feel comfortable with. We want to help you do what's best for you and Shoes. Amy is right that with SLGS we increase and decrease is 0.25 unit increments. You may eventually change your mind and not mind seeing green numbers. When I started out with Furball, I was terrified of shooting blue and then eventually got used to it and then got used to green numbers. Don't let anyone pressure you to shoot a number lower than you are comfortable with. TR and SLGS are designed to help keep your cat safe. Ask questions as you go along. We're here to help.
Here is a question for you or anyone - This dose increase did bring Shoes into the mid blues. So doesn't that indicate a positive response to the does? It is my understanding that it does. But since it only happened the one time, does this mean that it was not the right dose?
 
Thanks! He was loved much by my friends too! That's why they wanted him to not have to travel anymore!
Would love to hear Stomper's story..
I'm sure they did but they left him in great hands!

When we bought this house in early 2007 we noticed there was this skinny little grey cat that lived in the bushes by the pool. This house was a mess and the pool was literally a swamp filled with frogs so I'm thinking that is how he was trying to eat. He would run anytime we were near but you could see he was covered in scabs and ticks and was limping. I'll be honest he was the ugliest cat I think I ever saw but I just felt so sorry for him I would start leaving food out for him. After a few weeks he would stop running away and eventually I could leave food on the porch and he would come up there to eat and sleep. On occasion he would even let us pat him and remove ticks when we found them.

Then suddenly he just disappeared too. After about a week we figured the worst had happened and stopped leaving food out but then a few nights later he showed up again. This time though he was so skinny I don't even know how he was still alive. He came right up to us for food and we noticed his jaw was broken and hanging off his face. We rushed him to an emergency vet thinking we would have to put him to sleep but they said they could fix it if we were willing to take him in and nurse him ( and of course pay the hefty bill! :rolleyes:). We did and he has been with us ever since( we always joke that he is the most expensive stray cat in the world lol). I always say every single second he is alive is a gift because if we hadn't bought this house or he lived in someone elses bushes, his story may not have ended the same way and I am just so very grateful for every single second we have with him.
 
I'm sure they did but they left him in great hands!

When we bought this house in early 2007 we noticed there was this skinny little grey cat that lived in the bushes by the pool. This house was a mess and the pool was literally a swamp filled with frogs so I'm thinking that is how he was trying to eat. He would run anytime we were near but you could see he was covered in scabs and ticks and was limping. I'll be honest he was the ugliest cat I think I ever saw but I just felt so sorry for him I would start leaving food out for him. After a few weeks he would stop running away and eventually I could leave food on the porch and he would come up there to eat and sleep. On occasion he would even let us pat him and remove ticks when we found them.

Then suddenly he just disappeared too. After about a week we figured the worst had happened and stopped leaving food out but then a few nights later he showed up again. This time though he was so skinny I don't even know how he was still alive. He came right up to us for food and we noticed his jaw was broken and hanging off his face. We rushed him to an emergency vet thinking we would have to put him to sleep but they said they could fix it if we were willing to take him in and nurse him ( and of course pay the hefty bill! :rolleyes:). We did and he has been with us ever since( we always joke that he is the most expensive stray cat in the world lol). I always say every single second he is alive is a gift because if we hadn't bought this house or he lived in someone elses bushes, his story may not have ended the same way and I am just so very grateful for every single second we have with him.
Oh what a story!! So glad that you and your hubby bought that house too! Poor Stomper!! Does he have any issues from the jaw at all? He's a lucky cat!!! And gorgeous too!
 
Thanks! I wish I had a photo from those days because he is a completely different looking cat now. He ended up ballooning up to 17lbs but I could never deny him food or treats after where he came from. They also had to remove some of his teeth during the surgeries ( yep not just one for this boy lol) so he does have some trouble with chunkier and shredded meat but for the most part he does okay.
 
Thanks! I wish I had a photo from those days because he is a completely different looking cat now. He ended up ballooning up to 17lbs but I could never deny him food or treats after where he came from. They also had to remove some of his teeth during the surgeries ( yep not just one for this boy lol) so he does have some trouble with chunkier and shredded meat but for the most part he does okay.
I know what you mean about not denying anything! When they have gone through so much, it's hard to not give them everything!
 
Got a 221 at +6 - yellow! That's a 237 point drop from +4! Was thinking of going on to work at 12:30 but now may need to reconsider.
False alarm I think! Just tested again and the meter took a while to beep then registered 440! Bad strip or bad meter! Anyway, gonna replace the battery in the meter. No work now.
 
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Here is a question for you or anyone - This dose increase did bring Shoes into the mid blues. So doesn't that indicate a positive response to the does? It is my understanding that it does. But since it only happened the one time, does this mean that it was not the right dose?
Sometimes a dose can start to bring the cat's numbers down, but then it's not enough to keep them down. You have to keep increasing slowly by following TR or SLGS to keep your cat safe until you find the "right" dose that helps him stay in good numbers.
 
Wow....Shoes must've heard us talking about bringing those numbers down, and he heard the rumor that you were planning on heading to work!! I agree with Carla about trying to get him leveled off....and hopefully he won't bounce back up after such a big drop.

Shoes has quite a story...he is one tough, resilient kitty!

As for the blue streak he had...yes, it was a positive response. What we do is watch for overall trends. Sometimes a dose will have one great cycle then poop out for some reason; other times it will have great cycles followed by bounces, etc. And, of course, ECID in how they work the juice. So, all the testing you're doing is great for gathering data and showing us how Shoes works the juice, and in turn that tells you how to make dose adjustments to get him closer to "the sweet spot".
 
Definitely a bad strip or meter issue. Just did the other ear and it was 424 and checked with the Relion Confirm and it was 338. Off to work I go.
 
Sometimes it isn't a bad strip, but you get too much or too little blood. And sometimes it's just because you're dealing with a cat. :p

To get the little smiley faces, click on the the smiley face that's in the tool bar above where you're typing. Your choices will appear below your text box and you can click on the one you want to insert. They're fun and a great way to help show how you're feeling, since just text doesn't always convey your emotions like vocal inflections do. :)

Shoes and Stomper both have amazing stories. When you have a chance, click on the link in my signature and read Cinco's story. I haven't updated it in a while :oops:, so it's missing some key info, like his current recurrence of lymphoma (his third bout), but you will find he also had a rough time of it, picked the right suckers beans to adopt, and gives Shoes some pretty stiff competition for the title of "most expensive stray". ETA: you inspired, or shamed me into going in and updating the story - not a lot of detail, but I think I got all the facts in. Thanks - I've been meaning to do that for ages.

We're glad you and Shoes are here, and we hope we can help you get him healthier. I'm glad you understand that when we give suggestions we are not in any way criticizing you and what you choose to do. We just want to make sure you understand your options and we have Shoes' best interest in mind, always. I think you will find that, as Carla said, you will gradually become more and more comfortable with seeing lower numbers. If we can get the bouncing a little more under control, it will all be less dramatic and less frightening. Eventually you will be craving those blues, then the greens! Honest!!! The best part will be seeing how good Shoes feels when he gets back to "normal" numbers. But one step at a time. Remember, we're here to help you through it.
 
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Sometimes it isn't a bad strip, but you get too much or too little blood. And sometimes it's just because you're dealing with a cat. :p

To get the little smiley faces, click on the the smiley face that's in the tool bar above where you're typing. Your choices will appear below your text box and you can click on the one you want to insert. They're fun and a great way to help show how you're feeling, since just text doesn't always convey your emotions like vocal inflections do. :)

Shoes and Stomper both have amazing stories. When you have a chance, click on the link in my signature and read Cinco's story. I haven't updated it in a while :oops:, so it's missing some key info, like his current recurrence of lymphoma (his third bout), but you will find he also had a rough time of it, picked the right suckers beans to adopt, and gives Shoes some pretty stiff competition for the title of "most expensive stray". ETA: you inspired, or shamed me into going in and updating the story - not a lot of detail, but I think I got all the facts in. Thanks - I've been meaning to do that for ages.

We're glad you and Shoes are here, and we hope we can help you get him healthier. I'm glad you understand that when we give suggestions we are not in any way criticizing you and what you choose to do. We just want to make sure you understand your options and we have Shoes' best interest in mind, always. I think you will find that, as Carla said, you will gradually become more and more comfortable with seeing lower numbers. If we can get the bouncing a little more under control, it will all be less dramatic and less frightening. Eventually you will be craving those blues, then the greens! Honest!!! The best part will be seeing how good Shoes feels when he gets back to "normal" numbers. But one step at a time. Remember, we're here to help you through it.
Thanks! I will read Cinco's story when I get home. I did go in to work 4 hours.
 
Thanks! Like you, I don't want to push him and have another serious hypo when I am at work. I too just want him below renal threshold and in sensible numbers. Couldn't handle those greens both dark and light like so many here do! I know Shoe's is not going to live forever and I just want to keep him happy as possible and feeling as good as possible for however long he has left. I am beginning to feel less stressed about leaving him but not as comfortable as I would like to be... I know many here do not or won't understand why I just can't push for that TR and constant greens on the SS, but I am trying hard to balance what he can live with and I can live with too.

Sandi, eventually when the dose is right the greens will happen, that's good as long as they stay in my opinion high green. An option you have is to do TR to get his levels lower (maybe yellow and pink) faster. You don't want him to high (red and black) for long. You don't want him to start having ketones. Then switch to SLGS if you want. It's something to think about.
 
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