Better numbers and a trip to the vet

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Sev

Sev

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This morning the 1.75 units appears to have taken. I tested him @ 10 min shy of +1.5 and he came in at 242. He was tested about 20 min later at the vets and came in at 202. Looks like the divergence between my human meter and actual blood work is in the zone. The vet says its about 40 points. I was told it was about 30 on the site.

I also got a lecture about moving Kitty to 2 units and how difficult cats are to get under control. The vet was not disparaging at all. However he was stressing his point.

I also pointed out that since Kitty had gotten down to the 70's via my test that he would have been lower in a blood test and that if I had given the 2.0 dose he could have gone into a danger zone.
The vet pointed out that if he were @ 70 and in reality @ 30 he probably would have gone into convulsions and that something was not jiving with my test reading. Good point. Then I pointed out that the meter reading scale changes as the blood glucose lowers.

In any case both the vet and I are together in being please with todays test results.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Great news on numbers and vet. It's time you and Kitty caught a break!
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I am celebrating with a jalapeno/cheddar bagel, bacon egg and cheese sandwich. :-D
 
This adding/subtracting 30 or so points is ridiculous. You go by your meter......you don't add/subtract 30 points to figure out what it might read from a vets test. Mishka and Hope both have read in the 20's over the years......if I subtracted 30 they would've been dead. If I added 30 it would only put them up in the 50's.

Years ago we went by what our meters read.....not what we think they might be if the vet tested them. Majority of meters give 14 and 30 day averages. Once your cat has settled in to a ballpark average and stays within that range. run a fructosamine....see what that average is giving you. If it doesn't compare, change meters. Stated it before when I switched to Elite XL....averages were great......fructosamine wasn't. Went back to OTU......frustosamine was excellent on both cats.

I also do not always trust a vets machine to be up to par...I'd rather Antech or IDEXX run the test. After an E-tube placement I brought one cat to ER for the weekend to be watched. They looked at her bloodwork that came with her, can't remember the name of it, and it showed she was bleeding internally. They did get a hold of the vet who did the tube placement and he told them his machine doesn't always read correctly. They re-ran the test and she was fine with her clotting factor.
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
This adding/subtracting 30 or so points is ridiculous. You go by your meter......you don't add/subtract 30 points to figure out what it might read from a vets test. Mishka and Hope both have read in the 20's over the years......if I subtracted 30 they would've been dead. If I added 30 it would only put them up in the 50's.

Years ago we went by what our meters read.....not what we think they might be if the vet tested them. Majority of meters give 14 and 30 day averages. Once your cat has settled in to a ballpark average and stays within that range. run a fructosamine....see what that average is giving you. If it doesn't compare, change meters. Stated it before when I switched to Elite XL....averages were great......fructosamine wasn't. Went back to OTU......frustosamine was excellent on both cats.

I also do not always trust a vets machine to be up to par...I'd rather Antech or IDEXX run the test. After an E-tube placement I brought one cat to ER for the weekend to be watched. They looked at her bloodwork that came with her, can't remember the name of it, and it showed she was bleeding internally. They did get a hold of the vet who did the tube placement and he told them his machine doesn't always read correctly. They re-ran the test and she was fine with her clotting factor.
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I am just keeping it in mind for comparative sake. The numbers in the SS are what the meter reads. No adjustments are being made.
 
At least he has slowed down on his drop and let us hope he doesn't go down another 30. I would test again in a 1/2 hr....not wait an hour. He may continue down, he may hold, or he may start going up. Also, if he is holding at 52, don't take it for granted that he will stay there. He might surprise you and after an hour of holding move down some more. If you ever print out his SS, I hope you have lots of colored ink :mrgreen:
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
At least he has slowed down on his drop and let us hope he doesn't go down another 30. I would test again in a 1/2 hr....not wait an hour. He may continue down, he may hold, or he may start going up. Also, if he is holding at 52, don't take it for granted that he will stay there. He might surprise you and after an hour of holding move down some more. If you ever print out his SS, I hope you have lots of colored ink :mrgreen:
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Not sure my Brother printer can handle it.
 
Sev
awesome day for kitty.
Has he just seemed "normal" thru this cyclr?
Carl
 
carlinsc said:
Sev
awesome day for kitty.
Has he just seemed "normal" thru this cyclr?
Carl
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Absolutely.
And apparently starving. He is giving me the eyeball.
This morning he and Blue were doing a full roundabout chase in the house for about 15 minuted.
 
Word of caution.... when you still have time to go before approximate peak time.......never take it for granted that a "snack" is going to stop the drop. There are times when the insulin is working too well and food is not a guarantee to spike them up and keep them up. I just wonder how low he really went and IMHO, you should have tested in another 1/2 hr. and kept on it till he went up and stayed up.
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
Word of caution.... when you still have time to go before approximate peak time.......never take it for granted that a "snack" is going to stop the drop. There are times when the insulin is working too well and food is not a guarantee to spike them up and keep them up. I just wonder how low he really went and IMHO, you should have tested in another 1/2 hr. and kept on it till he went up and stayed up.
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Had to go to the job site. I stayed as long as I could.

The question is what do I at 6:30 if the numbers are still so low??
 
You just sit tight and don't shoot. There are times when you just have to skip a shot......it is not like Lantus or Levemir. Each day is a new day. Tomorrow he might not go down so low......or if he does, the food might spike him up and keep him up......you can play tug of war sometimes with insulin vs food and trust me, it is not fun. Mishka ate 3 cans of FF plus treats a few months ago.....you'd think that would have worked. Ate a can, waited, tested, back down.........ate another can, waited, tested, back down. I'm talking trying to keep her at 30! Nothing is ever set in stone.

Look at how low he went from amps......there are some shots you just have to skip. I've tried giving maybe 1/2 the dose which has never worked. I do better to just skip the shot and start a new day in the a.m.
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
You just sit tight and don't shoot. There are times when you just have to skip a shot......it is not like Lantus or Levemir. Each day is a new day. Tomorrow he might not go down so low......or if he does, the food might spike him up and keep him up......you can play tug of war sometimes with insulin vs food and trust me, it is not fun. Mishka ate 3 cans of FF plus treats a few months ago.....you'd think that would have worked. Ate a can, waited, tested, back down.........ate another can, waited, tested, back down. I'm talking trying to keep her at 30! Nothing is ever set in stone.

Look at how low he went from amps......there are some shots you just have to skip. I've tried giving maybe 1/2 the dose which has never worked. I do better to just skip the shot and start a new day in the a.m.
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Still at 43 @ +11

Imagine if I were not testing and gave 1.75 units.
 
You aren't adding 30 points and thinking it is 73 are you? Wonder if your vet would and tell you Kitty is okay.

There have been people over the years that became complacent, figured their cat never changes, backed off on testing every day, well regulated till......hypo and sometimes loss of cat.
 
Great point, Sev!

For anyone lurking and not testing, or "considering" home testing..... the answer is "That would probably be the last shot Kitty ever got".
carl
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
You aren't adding 30 points and thinking it is 73 are you? Wonder if your vet would and tell you Kitty is okay.

There have been people over the years that became complacent, figured their cat never changes, backed off on testing every day, well regulated till......hypo and sometimes loss of cat.
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The numbers posted are the direct readings from the meter. No adjustments are being made.
I just do it mentally.
The blood test was 40 points lower than mine this morning.
 
He is definitely in a long holding pattern today. Watch him blow us all away and sky rocket up :o I do agree though since SS were started, he absolutely has one of the most colorful ever seen :lol:
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
He is definitely in a long holding pattern today. Watch him blow us all away and sky rocket up :o I do agree though since SS were started, he absolutely has one of the most colorful ever seen :lol:
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SSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
DONT JINX US!!!!!!

TAKE IT BACK!!! TAKE IT BACK NOW!!!!! :shock: :o ;-)
 
PMPS. 50.

I guess tonight is not a good night to listen to the vet and go to 2 units huh? :shock: :cool:
 
Nope. I would skip the shot tonight. He will probably be high in the am but remember, he won't have had a shot for 24 hours. I would get a preshot and post for advice. I think I would definitely reduce the dose, but am not sure how much until we see the number.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
Nope. I would skip the shot tonight. He will probably be high in the am but remember, he won't have had a shot for 24 hours. I would get a preshot and post for advice. I think I would definitely reduce the dose, but am not sure how much until we see the number.
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I am going to test him in a half hour.
If he spikes it may still be possible to get a shot in no?
 
If he would be over 200 and it won't completely mess up your schedule, you could give him a dose. But I would really consider a lower one - maybe .75?

Some cats when they dip low and then surf for a long time need a pretty good reduction in insulin. Some go back up and stay there and can take take a little more. The other variable is whether his pancreas helped with the long surf and then we have to consider it in future dosing.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
If he would be over 200 and it won't completely mess up your schedule, you could give him a dose. But I would really consider a lower one - maybe .75?

Some cats when they dip low and then surf for a long time need a pretty good reduction in insulin. Some go back up and stay there and can take take a little more. The other variable is whether his pancreas helped with the long surf and then we have to consider it in future dosing.
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Personally I hope its that wonderful little organ kicking in. :smile:
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I would certainly wait for 200. You have lots of data but little that helps you determine a dose at low numbers. :mrgreen:
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Oh I know.
I also dont want to screw up the feeding cycle. They get a little impertinent if I wait past 7 PM.
 
Sev
Are you thinking of shooting at that 105?
I'd advise "no". It isn't a "diabetic number". I shot insulin into my cat (emphasis "my") when he was that low, but that was after 9 weeks of collecting numbers that gave me a pretty good idea of how it would go. And he was almost OTJ at that point. I was "tweaking".....
I don't know how Kitty will react, and I'd recommend waiting till you see something above 150 before feeding or shooting, and then only a reduced "token" dose. If that isn't an option, then I'd skip.

Carl;
 
carlinsc said:
Sev
Are you thinking of shooting at that 105?
I'd advise "no". It isn't a "diabetic number". I shot insulin into my cat (emphasis "my") when he was that low, but that was after 9 weeks of collecting numbers that gave me a pretty good idea of how it would go. And he was almost OTJ at that point. I was "tweaking".....
I don't know how Kitty will react, and I'd recommend waiting till you see something above 150 before feeding or shooting, and then only a reduced "token" dose. If that isn't an option, then I'd skip.

Carl;
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He's at 128 now. I think I will skip for tonight. Hate to do it but he is still hanging low 13 hours in.
 
That rise since PMPS includes food though, right?
Carl
 
I was thinking maybe a token (.5) dose, but not if the number included food. Dang, his day was almost "too good". ;-)
 
carlinsc said:
I was thinking maybe a token (.5) dose, but not if the number included food. Dang, his day was almost "too good". ;-)
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I didnt want to feed him. Probably be another 5 weeks till I see that again.
 
Actually, for not getting a pm shot his amps isn't that bad. Makes one wonder though because his snack yesterday afternoon didn't do much and yet this morning the food bumped him up.
 
I agree. We might have seen the food bring the number down this am if his pancreas was helping out. Course, he is not a kitty to follow any rules! :mrgreen:

I would see what today brings and if you are still in the reds tonight, bump it back up but maybe to 1.25/1.5 instead of 1.75? That long surf and the 40s "usually" means a dose decrease......
 
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