9/14 Bama Kitty AMPS 381, +4 430, +9.5 549; PMPS 522

Bama Kitty Mom (GA)

Bama Kitty Mom (GA)

Member Since 2018
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-13-bama-kitty-pmps-395-2-5-455-6-5-446.252879/

:banghead::banghead: I have turned into fumble fingers lately as his am dose of 4.5 became a fur shot. Thing is I just gave a fs a day or two before starting the Semglee. I think the newness of loading from a pen rather than a vial and remembering not to roll or shoot air into the pen plus I’m trying to shoot further down on his stomach or flank rather than near the shoulders has me rattled. I admit despite 7 years of diabetes care, I am still just a rookie. :( Fortunately AM ketone test returned a negative.
 
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Bama Kitty Mom said:
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-13-bama-kitty-pmps-395-2-5-455-6-5-446.252879/
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Don't beat yourself up about it. We never asked for a cat that requires insulin administration :P

Do you free feed or portion meals? My cat's a pretty big cat and is only supposed to weigh 13 lbs according to the vet. He's at ~12.9. 15.2 is quite a bit bigger than that. If you don't portion, I'd try that to get the weight to the correct range as well as limit caloric intake because that's what the insulin counteracts :).

It looks like you might be fur shooting more often than you think unless there's a factor I don't know about. It looks like the numbers never drop down, giving you a proper Nadir most days and you should either continue to increase the dose if you're 100% sure you're getting it all, or, look up shooting technique and try it. It's as simple as scrunching up a piece of fat fur, spreading the hair (even my short hair cat it's harder if you don't do that) and making sure you physically see the needle go in to the skin :)
 
DexterMeowgan said:
Don't beat yourself up about it. We never asked for a cat that requires insulin administration :p

Do you free feed or portion meals? My cat's a pretty big cat and is only supposed to weigh 13 lbs according to the vet. He's at ~12.9. 15.2 is quite a bit bigger than that. If you don't portion, I'd try that to get the weight to the correct range as well as limit caloric intake because that's what the insulin counteracts :).

It looks like you might be fur shooting more often than you think unless there's a factor I don't know about. It looks like the numbers never drop down, giving you a proper Nadir most days and you should either continue to increase the dose if you're 100% sure you're getting it all, or, look up shooting technique and try it. It's as simple as scrunching up a piece of fat fur, spreading the hair (even my short hair cat it's harder if you don't do that) and making sure you physically see the needle go in to the skin :)
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I usually go by smell and fur dampness to determine fur shots. Measuring up the Semglee and shooting out the excess rather than back into the pen means there’s always some insulin odor on my fingers, on the syringe, but I know a fur shot was a certainty if the fur is damp when I pat it afterwards. Definite dampness on the fur today. As for the odor on my fingers, I have washed my hands several times since shooting and I still smell the insulin. I have a keen sense of smell.
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
I usually go by smell and fur dampness to determine fur shots. Measuring up the Semglee and shooting out the excess rather than back into the pen means there’s always some insulin odor on my fingers, on the syringe, but I know a fur shot was a certainty if the fur is damp when I pat it afterwards. Definite dampness on the fur today. As for the odor on my fingers, I have washed my hands several times since shooting and I still smell the insulin. I have a keen sense of smell.
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I definitely understand that, haha. That pungent insulin smell is almost impossible to wash off lol. :)

If that's the case, then, he might just be really insulin resistant and need a higher dose. I've seen cats here with much higher dosages still not fully controlled. Diabetes can be a real pain.
 
Hi Gina, Are you using calipers to help you measure your dose?

Once I got the hang of using calipers I found it much easier to withdraw and measure out an accurate dose than without. Not sure which syringes you're using but often those lines are so irregular you can't depend on them to help you much.

There is info on the forum here in the stickies for how to use calipers. I found them to be life-altering for measuring a consistent dose without wasting much insulin every time.

I hope this is helpful.
 
Sue and Luci said:
Hi Gina, Are you using calipers to help you measure your dose?

Once I got the hang of using calipers I found it much easier to withdraw and measure out an accurate dose than without. Not sure which syringes you're using but often those lines are so irregular you can't depend on them to help you much.

There is info on the forum here in the stickies for how to use calipers. I found them to be life-altering for measuring a consistent dose without wasting much insulin every time.

I hope this is helpful.
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Not using calipers. I’ll check them out. I use the ReliOn brand of syringes as cost is important and they are the cheapest. I think I just need to settle down, review the docs on technique, and trust the process.
 
Good morning, Gina. You will become more comfortable with the new shooting method. I agree that the calipers are a big help. I also use a "light box" and a "lighted magnifying glass". My vision is not good and I need all the help I can get.
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
Not using calipers. I’ll check them out. I use the ReliOn brand of syringes as cost is important and they are the cheapest. I think I just need to settle down, review the docs on technique, and trust the process.
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Yes, I use the Relion as well. Here are the calipers I found - best price, easy to use and they have the little 'lock' on the top. Don't need to spend a lot of $$ on them:

https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...rs-micrometer/4-in-digital-caliper-63710.html
 
Summer and Susie said:
Good morning, Gina. You will become more comfortable with the new shooting method. I agree that the calipers are a big help. I also use a "light box" and a "lighted magnifying glass". My vision is not good and I need all the help I can get.
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Do you have a link for what you use? My vision is also not good but will be better when I get some new glasses with my updated prescription.
 
Another fur shot! I can’t believe it! And I had trouble inserting the needle for his subq fluids earlier today. After 7 years of insulin injections, he has some scarring in the shoulder area where I tried to insert the subq needle. Ended up getting a fresh needle and got the fluids in. As for the insulin injection, I am trying to shoot in his side about 3 or 4 inches below his spine. This is really making me anxious and crazy.
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
Do you have a link for what you use? My vision is also not good but will be better when I get some new glasses with my updated prescription.
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https://smile.amazon.com/Magnifying...tion/dp/B07F39XWVH/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

https://smile.amazon.com/LITENERGY-...ling/dp/B07H7FLJX1/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

I will turn the light on my light box, visually measure my syringe, lay the syringe on my light box, next to my caliper, then use my lighted magnifying glass to make sure my syringe lines up to the correct mm caliper measurement.
 
Here is a picture (bad) of my light box, magnifying glass, caliper and the little glass bowl I put on my light box to dispel any excess insulin (and air bubbles) in
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