7/2 Tigger AMPS 308; +3.5/217 +6.5/156 +7.5/197 then BOUNCE?

[Tigger's Friend]

Hi LL people!

I ended up not being able to monitor Tigger as much in the AM as planned - needed to babysit Grandson.

I came home +6.5 to a wonderful green 156 (wish I could've been here to see if it went lower than that), & a HUNGRY Tigger. So I gave him 2T of Tiki Cat chicken breast in broth.

His +7.5 rose pretty quickly to 197 - I realize that's probably because of the +6.5 snack, but does a snack usually blow the rest of the surfing curve?

Is it better just to feed 2 meals a day with Lantus - I read it's a good insulin to free-feed on, but with multiple cats, we normally feed only at specific times, 3 x a day (2 meals & 1 bedtime snack). I've been more lenient with Tigger due to the food change to entirely canned food & concern he'd lose weight (which he hasn't, he's pretty much at optimum weight).

Any help for clarification is much appreciated - don't want to blow those beautiful blues - I've seen them so rarely.

Tigger's 7/1 condo - 1st day on Lantus

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Re: 7/2 Tigger AMPS 308; +3.5/217 +6.5/156 +7.5/197 after sn

Hello Suzanne. I haven't stopped in before, so welcome. Nice to see those blues so early on in Tigger's Lantus adventure.

Most people here do feed their cats multiple small meals, but we try to feed all or most of it before nadir and make sure not to feed after +10. After nadir, the insulin is waning and has to work harder to pull or keep down the numbers. My Neko insists on a snack after nadir (around +9 to +9.5) so she gets a mostly zero carb snack then. I do add a bit of 1% but the zero carb (freeze dried protein or chicken neck piece) is the majority of the snack. The rest of her food is portioned out in the first 3 hours of the cycle.

In addition to the before bed snack (or portion of meal) maybe you could do something around +1 or +2 in the morning? It depends on your schedule what you can do while at home. Some people (like me) have bought automatic feeders that open up for the mini meals. Harder with multiple cats though. The other trick is to add water to the canned food and freeze it in ice cube or other trays, making catsicles. You put some out in the morning before heading out, and it's a snack as it melts. Multiple smaller meals is easier on a healing pancreas.

 

[Tigger's Friend]

Re: 7/2 Tigger AMPS 308; +3.5/217 +6.5/156 +7.5/197 after sn

Looks like our beautiful yellow & blue streak was marred by a BOUNCE at +10. I was half-expecting it after the 157 at +3.5. Tigger's system seems to get jumpy below 200, & 157 was such a nice number for him. I'm hoping this is temporary. Actually, I was hoping that would just occur with the Prozinc, but it seems to be Tigger's way.

Wendy, that feeding schedule makes sense, thanks for explaining it so well. I'll try & give Tigger less meal portion 20 min. before injection & an extra snack at +1 or +2 after each shot. I'm already doing that pretty much at bedtime, & I think I can do the AM. He is used to a snack around +9 or +10, too - its when I get the cats inside for the evening, but I'm going to see if I can find some hearts & gizzards for him - if he'll eat raw. You're right - it is harder with multiple cats, so I have to be available to isolate Tigger from the rest of the gang.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Re: 7/2 Tigger AMPS 308; +3.5/217 +6.5/156 +7.5/197 then BOU

Most of us here test, feed, and shoot all within 15 minutes. Lantus doesn't onset for about 2 hours after the shot so you can do the feed and shoot at about the same time. Some people here give the shot while kitty has his/her head in the bowl. Mine wolfs her's down so I have to do it after.

My kitties eat raw but they also love the freeze dried chicken and duck hearts. Gizzards are also supposed to be good for cleaning teeth. I just saw some yesterday at the local grocery store.

The bouncing will get better. Mine bounces a lot. We've at this over a year and it is getting better, we're bouncing lower. The more blues and greens Tigger can see, the better.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Re: 7/2 Tigger AMPS 308; +3.5/217 +6.5/156 +7.5/197 then BOU

Suzanne

Some cats are free feeders and snack all day but, in reality, feeding after nadir is like putting the brakes on the insulin.

If you think of a car (the insulin) coming up to a stop sign (the next preshot). If you slam on the brakes of the car, it stops suddenly before you get to the stop sign. But if you just take your foot off the gas, you can glide into the stop sign. That's how the insulin also works.

If tigger is starving late in the cycle, you can do as Wendy does and feed something like boiled chicken breast...just a tiny bit. But some cats will even respond that ate in the cycle by going up.

 

[Tigger's Friend]

Re: 7/2 Tigger AMPS 308; +3.5/217 +6.5/156 +7.5/197 then BOU

Thanks, that info is so helpful. I'll experiment a little w/ feeding & see how Tigger does. He's sued to 2 main feedings & 1 smaller - maybe we should move closer to that, except for the small extra around +1 or +2. He is getting a FD chicken treat w/ each test.