5/30, Tux, AMPS 210 +2 39

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Julie & Tux

Julie & Tux

Member Since 2014
Tux is not showing any signs, he even jumped up onto the stool for me to check his ears. His AMPS were 210 and I gave the normal 2 units. I checked him again (thank God for spot checking) and he was at 40. I opened a new box of strips since I kept getting bad readings and the new strip still read 39. I gave him a mix of low carb with FF Gravy Lovers 20%. I'll test him again shortly.
 
I would test him again in 20 minutes...not only is that a low number, but that is a serious drop! Be sure to not overfeed him...with a number like that, you want to be sure he stays a little hungry so you can continue feeding him as necessary.

Also, of course every cat is different, but with Trix I find that I have to break out the karo when she hits the 30s.

You want to be sure he gets over 50 and stays there, so lots of tests ahead for Tux! You ultimately want to see a couple of non-food influenced tests in a row with numbers over 50, but even at that, he can possibly drop again.

Get those numbers up and start surfing safely, Tux!
 
I just tested again and he is up to 49. I'll be testing him again here shortly. Is 2 units still much too? Or is this just part of his bouncing from that few days?
 
Excellent with those numbers - way to get Tux up into the safe zone!!!

Tux is bouncy, but he did earn a .25U reducie with that 39, so your new dose is 1.75u. Congrats on the reduction!!
 
Good work on your spot check, Julie - you've kept tux safe! Congratulation on the reduction this evening - way to go, Tux :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Enjoy the rest of your day, Julie.

Anne
 
Great catch today Julie! :mrgreen: Congrats on the reduction. :-D

The vet who scolded you today, was that the same one who wanted you to raise the dose to 3.0 units? Good thing you didn't listen to that advice. It's your cat.
 
5/29 condo

Wow Julie! What a drop!!

As for the vet, I think Tux has proven our point that home testing IS vital! Sure glad you didn't go to 3 units!

Great job today keeping Tux safe and surfing in those pretty green numbers. Don't be surprised if at some point, he starts to bounce though!

On your comment yesterday...No "snarkiness" taken! We all have to experiment to see what will work best for our cats!
 
i just think it's a good thing you are hometesting! i always wonder how cats survive (or maybe they don't for long) getting insulin without testing. All of us can see how cats go all over the place with their blood sugar just in the course of a day, especially at first.

*sigh*

Hope you can find a new vet you can work with. Lots of vets don't have that much experience with feline diabetes, but i don't think they have to be experts on it as long as they are willing to work with you.

sorry you had such a bad experience. that kind of thing always lingers with me and makes me feel yucky. just know you're doing the right thing for Tux!

and YAY for the reduction! go Tux!
 
by the way - Tux often has a +2 that is significantly lower than the preshot. Some cats that drop early like that will flatten out if you feed a higher carb (still low carb, but perhaps 8%) at preshot. Experimenting with different foods may help you determine a strategy to change that early dropping. Good notes in the comment section help so you can see what works and what doesn't.

Another strategy is to take the normal preshot meal and break it into 3 meals to be given at ps, +1 and +2. You're not feeding MORE food, you're just spreading it out to try to even out the blood sugar drops.

I think for Tux, it becomes even more important to get a +1 and a +2. Punkin didn't ever drop like that so i rarely needed those - but instead his +3 was an important test for me.
 
I'm glad I'm home testing too. Right now I feed him 4 times a day. One small meal before the am shot, once at lunch, once around 5, and once again before the pm shot. I will try a higher%-low carb food and see how he does as well as breaking up the meals even more. Usually he eats before his first shot and then eats again shortly after it.
 
it's worth experimenting to try to get his blood sugar a little flatter. human diabetics have told us that they feel better when the blood sugar is flat, and some cats seem to feel better too. Sometimes giving food late in the cycle (i'm thinking your 5pm meal) can drive up the pmps. the insulin is waning then and is less able to handle the carbs.
 
That makes sense based on his SS. Are you suggesting I skip that meal completely? I have also noticed that the times he does bug me for food also happen to be times his BG is lower.
 
Julie & Tux said:
My vet just scolded me for checking so often and changing his dose without her permission.
Click to expand...

Wow...so the vet would have preferred that Tux go hypo, as long as her ego was left intact? I'm glad your hometesting, too..and I'm sure Tux is as well!
 
Yep. I definitely get the "I'm the vet so I'm right" vibe. She basically told me that since I'm not listening to her and with the methods I'm using, he will be on insulin for the rest of his life and that's something I need to accept.
 
I was also told that I should only be checking his numbers when I do the weekly curve and if there are enough hypo symptoms to deem it necessary. :-x
With his numbers looking like they are, should I go ahead with his PM shot at a 1.75 units?
 
You'll just have to experiment some and see what works best for Tux.

That's what I had suggested yesterday...that you might try giving him a higher carb food at Pre-shot and see if it slows down those big drops, or using the food you're using now, but splitting it up into smaller meals, and feeding him at Pre-shot, +1, +2 and even maybe +3, or a mix of both strategies...a higher carb at Pre-shot and then the lower in mini-meals.

Some cats don't do well with food after nadir since the insulin is starting to wear off, but some cat's do fine feeding later in the cycle.

It's one of those ECID things, and about all you can do is try some different things and see if any of them seem to work for Tux! :-D
 
I remember, Chris ;-) Looking at his numbers, I think I will give that a try. Not that I doubted you, just wanted to try something else first. Now I'm just curious what to do for his shot tonight. I know to drop his dose to 1.75 units (even though the vet told me to stay with 2...). He's still hanging out below 80. I thought for sure he would have bounced back up by now. I will definitely be checking him throughout the night after his PM shot. I need a nap!
 
Oh I totally understand!

For the first several days, we're telling you "low carb!"...and then when someone suggests going for a higher carb food, the first reaction is "huh?" :lol:

When I first switched China from canned low carb to raw, and went from 4-8% carbs to 1%, her numbers went up. Made no sense to me! Finally someone told me that some cats actually do better with a little higher carb food, so I started mixing a little canned with the raw and it worked!

Eventually, she started doing fine on the raw, but for awhile, she needed those extra carbs I guess!

This whole dance is trial and error until you find what works best for your cat! You just hope to keep the "error" part down as much as possible...LOL
 
I tried the Nature's Variety Raw and it was totally rejected by them all except my dog, who has been eating raw since she was a puppy.
 
I think you will have the last say.... when you get to tell the vet that Tux is in remission.... (antijinx)
Wonder if that will change his opinion....
it sure changed mine....


Congrats on the reducie....
 
did you shoot the pm already? i don't see it on the spreadsheet - i don't recall what time zone you're in. Maybe you haven't got there yet.

If you get presented with a low preshot - take it as an opportunity! I think of it as a gift! shooting low can lower the entire range of blood sugar numbers and flatten out the whole cycle - just like Tux spent the day today surfing in green numbers.

Sometimes we suggest people stall the first time they're presented with a low number (don't feed) and see what happens in 15-20 minutes. Honestly, that's more for the people's comfort zone as it is for the cat. You've got a nice flat cycle today - i don't see any reason not to go ahead and shoot as long as it's over 50ish. If you're not comfortable shooting less than 100, or whatever line you draw, hat's ok - you can either skip (but his numbers will likely go high) or shoot a reduced dose and work down to shooting lower. Experienced people will routinely shoot over 50, so this call is up to you.

Shooting low is a whole different game than shooting high numbers - you end up with the kind of cycle you had today with just a few points change over the cycle. Here's an example of Shawna shooting low with Davidson. Look in February at the transition that happens when she begins to shoot lower preshots.

Do take the reduction to 1.75 after this morning's low numbers.

Success is the best revenge! :-D
 
I haven't shot his PM yet. Have about an hour left to go. As long as we are above 50 I will go ahead and shoot at the new 1.75 units. YES! I would love to one day say, "He is in remission no thanks to you." Thank you to everyone who has stopped by and given your advice, support, and care :-D
 
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