Re: 6/29/14-Zack AMPS 81,
Marje, Sienne & I all think it is probably time to start a trial, at least if Paul thinks he was giving 0.1u for the past week already. If he thinks it was more than 0.1u, then maybe we should rethink it and have one week at 0.1u first. So it's up to you two.
I'm on my way out for several hours, so am going to go ahead and give you the directions in case you want to start tonight. :mrgreen:
Start the trial on his next green preshot, if possible.
If he is green at your normal test times, no need to test further until the next "PS" time, just feed small meals and go about your day. If he is blue, feed a small meal and test again after about 3 hours. If his number is lower 3-4 hours after a meal, then his pancreas is working!
Post every day so we can monitor your progress and see if any tweaks are needed. It is not unusual for cats to get lots of blue during their trial, especially at first. Don't panic and don't shoot unless we tell you to.
After 14 days of no insulin, we have a party!
Sometimes the trial doesn't work the first time and we have to give a little more support in the form of resuming insulin. It's not the end of the world if that happens, we just give him the support he needs. Our goal is a strong remission and it's better to take our time to get that than to rush into remission just to have it fail later on.
If he gets through the trial successfully, you enter a new phase. Your cat is still diabetic, but has now become diet-controlled. Continue feeding low-carb food and small meals for the rest of his life. Avoid medications with sugar in them and steroid medications unless they are medically essential. Continue testing blood sugar weekly for the next few months and then monthly forever. It's a good idea to weigh him monthly. His weight should remain stable. If he seems "off" or sick, or is showing symptoms of diabetes (excessive drinking, eating, urinating, weight loss) test his blood sugar right away. Keep the teeth clean; dental issues can bring a cat out of remission.
If you see rising blood sugar numbers, post here before you restart insulin and ask for advice on how to proceed.
Good luck!