6/2 Tashie AMPS 344 NEW to the group

Status
Not open for further replies.
BorisV

BorisV

Member Since 2013
http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=95989&p=1034617#p1034022


New to this group - HOPE I am doing this right! It's been a huge learning curve in the last 2 weeks! My kittie is Nataschia (Tashie) and she is a little tiny tortie point Himalayan. Her peak weight is 6 # and at diagnoses time she was down to 4.15 we had her up to 5.3 a few days ago and she is eating well. She was born 03/16/1998 which makes her 15. She has had no prior medical issues, in fact she didn't even go to the vet for 13 1/2 years - because she didn't NEED to.

This is a 2 cat household, she has a brother, Boris, who is a blue exotic that we got at the same time. Boris is her "protector" and groomer (stylist) . Tashie is a very shy girl, people are often surprised to learn we have cats as Tash does not like outsiders. As shy as she is, she is also a pistol and has her own mind. At testing & shot times we have to capture her which is a 2 man job and I don't like this to be TOO high anxiety for her. In the last two weeks her little world had been turned upside down and it's just a matter of establishing a new routine I guess.

I feel my vet is not as well versed in diabetes as I would like her to be. This actually caused some confusion for me as I made the connection that MORE insulin was better! I was so freaked by the HIGH numbers - when the LOW are the wicked ones (well, way low that is)
Due to this, Tash's insulin dosage has been all over the place in the last two weeks. From 1U a day to 1U twice a day and at one point we were told to do 2U in morn & 1U in evening *we did NOT do this* but there has not been a consistent dosage for any length of time as you can see on my SS. We are now just doing .5U X2 and today we will be testing every 2 hours - during the week we can only do AMPS & PMPS as we are working.

Prior to the diagnoses Tash was eating pretty much only DRY food. We immediately changed over to WET LC food and she is eating well and often.

I know this is not the place to "socialize" but my Health thread is SO long that I just wanted to give you the "basics" and introduce ourselves.

Tashie & mummy Bernadette
 
Welcome to Lantus Land -- he best place you never wanted to be!!

You are absolutely right -- the first couple of weeks are completely overwhelming. That's the bad news. The good news is that there is a community of caregivers here who will do their level best to get you oriented and to help you manage Tashie's diabetes.

Not to add to your feeling of being overwhelmed, there is a ton of information about this board and, more importantly, Lantus and its use, at the top of this Board. If you read through the starred, sticky notes -- probably several times -- much of the information you need can be found there. Probably the New to the Group and the Tight Regulation Protocol stickies are the best places to start.

It looks like Tashie has seen some good numbers and has had some bouncing. It also sounds like you're aware that Lantus works best with consistency -- consistent dose and consistent shot times. From what your spreadsheet (SS) looks like, you've settled on a 0.5u dose. I would encourage you to stick to this dose for the next few cycles so you can evaluate how your kitty is responding.

Hopefully, someone has mentioned that treats at test time help to establish the routine. There are any number of options when it comes to low carb treats. If food isn't the great motivator for your cat, some members have found that whatever their cat likes (e.g., brushing) helps to positively reinforce testing. Just remember to give a treat no matter whether the test is successful or not.

Please let us know how we can help. The people here are very generous with their time and information and we'll do our best to lend a hand.
 
Welcome to LL. I'm sorry you have to be here, but this is a great group of people who can give you a lot of good advice and support. Ask any questions you have.

I have a question about test time for Tashie. You mentioned you have to catch her. Have you tried giving her low carb treats at test time? I try to make sure test time is a time I give Furball some special attention before her test and then I give her some freeze-dried chicken treats after her test. This helps her be calmer duing her test and she looks forward to the treats.
 
Hi Bernadette! Welcome to Lantus Land. Nice to see you posting over here. I'll keep my eye out for your posts for a bit.

I mentioned the Halo Liv-a-littles freeze dried chicken to Bernadette this morning over in Feline Health. My cat Wink will do anything to get one of these and I crumble them over his food if his appetite is a little off.
 
Welcome to Lantus land!

Remember to add a little ? icon to your first post when you have a question. This board can get quite busy and icons get your post noticed faster.

Wendy
 
Not getting email notifications of your replies - advice? ...off to take a quick shower between testing. I am testing for the first time (husband was doing it0 and I am a bit nervous :o but I am managing to get with just one prick - he does too many! Also, if someone would look at my SS - just updated and make sure I'm okay - if you'll just hold my hand throughout today, I am sure I will be okay! THANKS in advance!
 
See down at the bottom of the post where there is that checkbox for "subscribe to topic"? Click on that. You'll need to do that daily when you create your new post in Lantus Land.
 
That's a fast drop today. Looks like an active cycle, maybe a very active cycle. Would you please get another test around +5 and again at +6 to see how far Tashie drops?

Thanks.
 
Hi Guys, and welcome to Lantus Land!

I've been here for 3 1/2 years and never knew about the "Subscribe to Topic" box!!! That's one great thing about this Board, we are always learning new things from each other's condos.

WELCOME!

Ella & Rusty
 
Hummm- that IS checked? For now I will just keep the window open & refresh.

Deb: Plan on doing +5 and +6.

Now, is it *40* that we administer Karo & Gravy food? Braindead - not to mention nervous!
 
Sienne: She was just eating a few minutes ago. I am trying to make sure she ALWAYS has food, except for the 2 hours before AMPS and PMPT. Right?
 
Deb: Meaning if she should drop to around 40 - give Karo & Gravy? Just want to be prepared!
 
Food probably shouldn't be available after nadir. If you feed after nadir (lowest point in the cycle), there's less insulin available to counter the action of food.

You also don't need to give Karo AND gravy. Most cats will respond to gravy within 30 - 60 min. I have a kitty that has issues with gluten and there's gluten in the gravy. Instead, I use Karo or honey to raise Gabby's numbers. Most people here will stick with gravy unless numbers are stubbornly not responding.

Here are the instructions for handling low numbers so you have them on hand when you need them.
 
Well well well Miss Tashie! Look what I woke up to....a blue cat headed for normal numbers! How exciting is this!

Congrats on the testing, Bernadette...good job. You caught the wee one in the act of diving down. If you can get her to eat, I'd get a couple more tsp of low carb food in her and continue to try and slow her as Sienne suggested.

This is what I've been thinking Tashie was doing all along....these fast dives to low numbers and bouncing back up. This is exciting data! I am so glad you got it and decided to take her dose down. We may find she needs to come down more but let's see how the day plays out.

I would definitely get that +6 test and give her lots of love and a testing treat.
 
Follow what Sienne said. And Marje. They are better at explaining then I am sometimes.

The need for a bit of food to keep Tashies numbers higher, starts when she is in the 40's. That could be any number between 40 and 49 - 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46,47,48, 49.

When there is a large drop in numbers, like Tashie had this morning, we want to keep the numbers at a more even level if possible. We call this 'surfing' because the cat is "riding the top of the wave" of the blood glucose numbers. Like someone riding a surfboard would be doing.

One way to keep the numbers more even, is to give her a teaspoon of low carb (LC) food when there is a fast drop or lower number.

How fast is fast? Maybe Sienne and Marje can weigh in on this.

Only later, if the numbers are dropping too fast AND get too low, do we switch to MC (medium carb) or high carb (HC) food. Not time to pull out the karo or the HC gravy food yet.

ETA: I know you said she only eats out of her bowl, so she may not like a food treat. A treat can be brushing or head scritchies or something else she really likes.
 
Just so you know - you guys are so good to me! I SO appreciate it! It was hard to override what the vet was saying but when the :idea: went on - and Wendy said "Duh" it just made more sense. Hard to dis a vet I guess but I now shudder to think if I would have listened and darn her for giving Tash 1U on Thursday when I said we were doing .75u.

Anyway, moving on! Just did +5 and that little girl is "holding" only dropped 2 points - from 114 to 112. Wonder what MY blood pressure was, huh?


*** Marje, this is for you: Okay, so I have done FOUR tests today *ME* and the last 3 I got on ONE jab! Yipee! ...... in a few days maybe I need to step up to the injection. Sis, this is all down to YOU! Merci (again) And "Duh" to Miss Wendy! Such troopers!
 
Phew! +6 came in at 118 - I was sweating it! So, am I understanding this correctly?

+4 = 114
+5 = 112
+6 = 118

The LOWEST number in the cycle SHOULD be at +6 but that was elevated just a tad due to food? It was LC food, BTW.

Can I give her little ears a break now? When should I test again? Gave her a bowl of fresh turkey, okay? I need to get some weight on the waif!
 
This is great! This flatness that you are seeing in the last three tests is exactly what we want to see! Yay Tashie!

Nadirs are a funny thing. Some cats, like Sienne's Gabby, nadir early. Others nadir late. Some are fickle and the nadir changes. As you get spot checks in, you will be able to see Tashies patterns. Her nadir might change so don't get too married to a particular "time" as her nadir.

I think you can give her about 1.5 hours or so....since we don't know if she nadirs late, it's best not to go too long. If she's up on the next test, that will give you an idea of where she nadired today. Yes...feed her the turkey...she's a little bit and needs some weight.

I'm so proud of you for testing. Great job! Do you remember the Testing and Shooting tips I posted on your Health condo? Look back through those before you shoot. I keep promising to do an injection video...need to get that done!

You are helping your girl heal.... :YMHUG:

She will likely bounce from this but don't worry. We are getting great data. Continue to hold this dose for at least ten cycles unless she earns a reduction, ok?

I will check back in later, too.
 
Will do! After the 1.5 (next test) can that be it until PMPS? Please? And, just to be covered, what if she's not past 200 at PMPS? Don't want to screw up!
 
Just did the 1.5 hour test = 129. Coming up but it's slow. Guess I'll do a +11 huh and post?
 
Lets see where she is. If she is up, we can wait but it would be nice to have a +10.

We approach numbers a little differently here than in Health. If she is above 150, shoot. If she's 150 or below or if you are nailbite_smile to shoot below 200, post here for help and we will walk you through it. Our promise here is that if someone helps you shoot your first lower number, someone stays with you.

Remember...you are in control with testing and with food.
 
Thanks, Wendy, for mentioning an important point and that is if you need help at PMPS, don't feed her until you check in here ok? I will be watching for you at +11. If you would rather get a +10 instead of +11, that's fine, too, so you don't have to poke her twice in an hour. The +10 also gives good data.

Hope she continues to have a nice, blue day!

Edited to add (eta): when you get a chance, could you p,ease just update subject line:

6/2 Tashie AMPS 344 +4 114 +5 112 +6 118 +7.5 129 NEW

As we get tests, we add the, to the subject line so those of us watching can keep up :-D

Thank you! Great job :-D
 
Marje, I am being a baby - I will do a PMPS test but I have to tell you that I am just not ready to shoot below 200, so it's really no point to do the 11+ is it? I have a huge presentation to do at 8AM and I just can't have that added stress of my baby going low. She has had a BIG day and is not happy as it is, she has been in a closet all day sulking - it's breaking my heart. Yes, her best interest is in my heart - but if I go all high stress it does HER no good. I've come a long way in the past few days, I need to digest again. Please bear with me, I'm just not ready.......
 
Its up to you but if you skip be prepared for a big high black day tomorrow and weepy eyes.

Can we compromise? This board says 150 is the shoot low number and health board is 200. So if she is over 175 can we shoot? We want to keep her momentum up - the less time in the blacks the better to give her pancreas time to heal..

Although it might not even be an issue.

Wendy
 
Bernadette

You hold the syringe. But I will tell you that skipping shots does nothing to help her if she has a shootable number and 200 is way above a shootable number. Skipping shots makes numbers even wonkier and keeps her at higher numbers longer. Higher numbers can lead to Glucose Toxicity. And the longer she spends at higher numbers, the more insulin resistant she becomes which means she most likely will need MORE insulin to bring the numbers down.

I'm not trying to be mean....I'm just trying to give you the facts.

We try to teach you to shoot lower and lower gradually. My guess, based on her "history" is that even if she gives you a 150-200 number at PMPS, she's going to rise. She's very bouncy. And when they are this bouncy, you want to try and get the insulin in them whenever you can.

Having said all that....you do hold the syringe.
 
I'll do a +11 and see what that is - I might be fretting over naught. I'm just not liking the way she "is" today. Hate her in complete hiding. Makes me sad. I'll do the +11 and post. Truly, I am not wanting to be high maintenance but I'm just not sure I can deal with a LOW LOW as they scare the S*** out of me.
 
ALSo, just so you know - I am NOT getting email's of messages posted - and I HAVE the box checked - just sayin'
 
Hey you havent had a low low yet - and you know what to do if you do see a number under 40 - deep breaths,2 tsp high carb gravy food, retest in 30 mins, come here for help.

I have had a few occasions with my boys under 40. I knew what to do and they were fine. And hypos should scare you - they are scary. However in this circumstances you would be testing so often that you wouldnt even get her near that issue.. or if you did you would bring her up really quick.

The hypos to worry about are the ones you dont see coming - like when you didnt bother with a preshot test and she happened to be at 50.... :shock:

Wendy
 
Wendy - when was that? Okay, so just did 11+ and she is at 404 so now I am COMPLETELY confused! Where's the wine!
 
She's bouncing. She didn't like those close to normal numbers. It might just take some time for her to get used to this dance. We might also need to take her insulin up at some point but, for right now, hold this dose.

In order to get a notification of posts to your condo, you don't click on the box next to "subscribe topic". You actually click ON subscribe topic. It will then take you to another page that says you have subscribed to that topic.

When you are ready to unsubscribe, just click ON unsubscribe. :-D

Ok...you got a break today but I'd buy me some of those cast iron big girl pants :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D because one of these days, she's going to give you the opportunity .....just sayin' :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Thanks Marje - I KNOW I am a wimp. But I have gotten a bit better - I have poked her HOW MANY times today? Rome was not built in a night :?: Just know that I DO REALLY appreciate everybody's help! I'll keep her at .5U until I'm advised to change. Tashie has never HAD to dance before - she has always turned away the suitors! I'll see about getting her in with a studio this week - what was the name of those? Fred Astaire?
hope you and my Gracie girl have a lovely & peaceful night!

confused_cat confused_cat confused_cat This isn't a confused cat - it's a bouncing girl!
 
Have a good dinner. I suppose asking for a before bed test would not be well received? ;-) :smile: :twisted: :twisted:
 
She is beat Marje. Really she is. My main concern now is getting her to eat quite a bit - will feed again before bed. Don't think she ate as much as usual because she was in hiding. Tashie had a really big week - between all the vet testing on Thursday and now today - she might dance a better step when she chills out :roll:

Funny though, I KNEW you'd ask this!

Night night and give Gracie kisses from Aunt Bern! Diamonds on the way.....
 
Marje isn't called the Borg Queen for nothing! ;-) :lol: Bernadette, you are doing a GREAT job! This is really tough and just about the toughest thing I've ever done. So give yourself a big pat on the back.
Liz
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top