BG Numbers Tumbling - Should I Give Insulin Tonight?

[Critter Mom]

Back again tonight. Don't know whether or not to give insulin at all. I'd be grateful if members could have a gander at Saoirse's recent cumulative test data and share their thoughts about whether I should:

a. Give the 1 IU Caninsulin scheduled dose.

b. Give 0.5 IU Caninsulin like last night.

c. Skip tonight's dose altogether (I'm exhausted and can't last the hours necessary to monitor Saoirse through nadir).

Here are Saoirse's recent test results (cumulative). I'm getting ready to put these in a spreadsheet - sorry it's taking me so long. :-(

434 @ +24.5 AMPS - Scheduled Dose 3 IU
376 @ +3.25
353 @ +6.5
391 @ +11.25
371 @ +4.5
302 @ +11.5 AMPS - Scheduled Dose IU - WITHHELD (Saoirse inappetent)
428 @ +15.5
324 @ +19.25
351 @ +23 PMPS - Scheduled Dose 3 IU
184 @ +3
184 @ +6
367 @ +11.5 AMPS - Scheduled Dose 3 IU
167 @ +3.5
160 @ +5.25
176 @ +6.25
328 @ +9.5
310 @ +11.5 PMPS - Scheduled Dose 3 IU
77 @ +3.25
225 @ +4.75
302 @ +6.5
302 @ +8.25 AMPS - Scheduled Dose 0 IU - WITHHELD after last night's low BG
331 @ +15.25
263 @ +24.25 PMPS - Scheduled Dose IU - WITHHELD - could not stay awake.
400 @ +35.5 AMPS - Scheduled Dose 2 IU
113 @ +5
207 @ +7.5
275 @ +11.75 PMPS - Scheduled Dose 1 IU
157 @ +3.25
205 @ +6.5
382 @ +24.25 AMPS - Scheduled Dose 1 IU
128 @ +3
157 @ +4
229 @ +11.25 PMPS - Scheduled Dose 0.5 IU
155 @ +3.25
153 @ +5
274 @ +11 - Scheduled Dose 1 IU
122 @ +3.25
117 @ +4.5
164 @ +8.75
166 @ +11.25 - INSULIN DUE AT 21:30 - BELOW 200!!!

Clinical Observations

There has been a drastic reduction in Saoirse's urinary o/p - going twice a day instead of 5-6 times. She barely touches the water bowl. She needs coaxing to eat now instead of standing in wait for her next feed.

Saoirse has eaten today (takes coaxing with the transition to accepting wet food). She is being fed Purina DM wet at the moment. I'm mixing it with water on a ratio of 2:1 food:fluid to get her to eat. Over the last few days she has eaten very little if at all during the small hours and early morning. She eats fairly well during the day when I am able to coax her a bit. Once she gets going she eats fairly good sized mini-meals through the day.

Saoirse had much more energy and was much more interactive this morning. She was really interested in playing (gently) and was much more "with it" than she has been for goodness knows how long.

Saoirse has not pulled any fur out of her sides today. However, over the past week her guard hairs have been shedding which is highly exceptional for her. The new hair regrowing from earlier fur pulling events is growing back black. The older fur has a rusty colour (symptomatic of tyrosine deficiency????)

I would very much welcome some guidance about what to do tonight. It's the lowest and steadiest Saoirse has been since diagnosis.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Hmmm. I think I'd stall -wait 20 minutes past your regular pmps without feeding. If it is rising and nearer 200, maybe .5 again. And then maybe .5 tomorrow. Looks like she is doing very well and reducing the dose overall may get you into shootable numbers.

 

[Critter Mom]

PS...

I'm dosing Caninsulin using 40 IU syringes. I can just about measure a 0.5 IU dose, but any less than that and I would struggle to get anything approaching the required dose.

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Sue!

Thanks for being there for us again tonight. It means s-o-o-o much to me not to be alone with this. I'm so scared of doing something wrong.

It has been over an hour since the last test and her evening meal. I'll go disrupt her ladyship to check her levels. Will post an update shortly.

 

[SweetAngel]

hope she's doing ok.

It looks like her numbers are beginning to fall, fingers crossed. You're a good cat mum. Remind me what type of glucometer you have? The human ones tend to give lower readings than the alphatrak. Hope you both have a good night and get some rest.
xx

 

[BJM]

PS...

I'm dosing Caninsulin using 40 IU syringes. I can just about measure a 0.5 IU dose, but any less than that and I would struggle to get anything approaching the required dose.

Take a firm ruler with fine markings, line it up to the 0 line and count the tick marks up to 1.0 unit. That'll let you get some consistency, regardless of the actual dose.

 

[Critter Mom]

Cassandra - I'm using an Alphatrak 2 glucometer. I know the strips are pricey but I welcome the reassurance of just having to get my head around "cat-calibrated" numbers. My head gets really frelled with the PTSD, so not having to worry about doing mental adjustments to correctly interpret human meter readings is really worth it to me. I hope by the time you read this both yourself and Angel will have had a good night's rest.

BJM - thanks for the handy tip!

Tested Saoirse again:

146 (8.1) @ +3


It's a little lower than last night's +3 but she has had her midnight feast and the tests I did over the last 36 hours have given me some reassurance that she is doing ok on the smaller doses for now. Hopefully the mini curves over the next few days will show whether it will be safe to give her 1 IU at night.

I must say that I'm gobsmacked at how quickly the low carb wet food has started to help her. And I hope it continues to do so. It was so lovely that she wanted to play today. It rocks my world to see her happy. I love her more than words can say.

 

[Deb & Wink]

I must say that I'm gobsmacked at how quickly the low carb wet food has started to help her. And I hope it continues to do so. It was so lovely that she wanted to play today. It rocks my world to see her happy. I love her more than words can say.

Yup, that change to a low carb food can make a major difference as you have found out. We hope the trend to lower BG readings continues also.

Playing? and Happy? :RAHCAT :RAHCAT :RAHCAT Isn't is so nice to see our kitties feeling better and acting like their old selves again?

Good job on doing that switch to a lower carb food. Now you know why we so highly recommend that the carb content be <10%.

We're very proud of you and the amazing quick progress you have made with Saoirse.