Anoud, sometimes we just stay in shock. I can relate... But take a breath, and try to figure this out:
this is part of the process until you get more familiar with how to handle this phase and become more comfortable with it. It is possible to manage it and “feed the curve” when needed - you can learn to coordinate her BG with food when necessary.
98 can be perfectly fine, really, but it can also be a sign to act - depending on her curve style, speed of the drop, the time she stops falling.
1. Can you find something like this in a neighboring country and have it delivered to you?
BD ULTRA-FINE (now called EMBECTA)
https://www.embecta.com/en-us/insulin-syringes/ultra-fine-needle/
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Any similar to this one might be available (?).
With half-marks: 0.5 unit.
It helps a lot with smaller doses.
:: Try to contact this company in Jeddah: BD Micro-Fine™ Plus Insulin Syringes – Medispot Medical
Secondly, you could really try using a caliper. It’s not difficult, or at least you could use one until your syringes arrive. It is a great alternative for the moment, too.
2. I give you an example. My cat (also a small cat - AMPS around 200) can easily and often dive below 100 within one hour. She can reach 60 even without the insulin dose. When a cat is getting close to remission, this can happen quite often.
So first, you probably need to adjust/reduce her dose. Then you’ll learn to observe how much she drops at +1, +2, and around her nadir (the lowest point of her cycle).
Because yes, she drops, but then
she also reaches a point where she stops dropping and stays around that level for a while. She kind of navigates around that number for a good while, before going up again. You can see this on the graph and gradually learn Mocha's pattern. Questions for you: when does she stop dropping? At about what time? If you know that, it can make you more confident and calmer to decide if any specific action is needed or not.
If the numbers get too low - for example, around 60–55 and the arrow (graph) is still pointing down, and way before her nadir - you should give her medium-carb wet food, or high-carb wet food (if necessary), right away. You can also add a little honey, Karo corn syrup, or oral glucose to the MC food. Whatever is available in your country. You’ll learn how to respond if her numbers keep going down instead of leveling off.
I give my cat 1.5 mL of oral glucose by syringe (directly into her mouth) then some wet food, and it tends to rise her numbers and stabilize her BG. You will need to see what works best for Mocha. But you should check her again after about 30 minutes, because oral glucose or honey doesn’t last very long in their "system". The food does.
:: Also, before waiting for it to drop too much, you can give her more wet food (or food with more carbs) at +1 and +2, for example. You can feed her accordingly to the needs of her curve.
If you get familiar with her curve at this stage, you don't necessarily need to run to the vet when you see a 98. It depends on when in the cycle it is happening, at what time, if it is still going down or not. It might stop in a few minutes or not, it depends on the info you have about her pattern. If she stops on 80, for example, and do not fall any more (once it’s already the time when her curve stops dropping), this is super good. No need to go to the vet or giver her honey or carbs. As another example, my cat was reaching 53 often, and stopping there almost every day, at the same time in the cycle.
Again, a very good thing to do for now: observe Mocha's BG and see what her pattern of dropping is. There is the Lantus depot, reason why even if you skip one dose, you can still see the numbers drop. Also, her pancreas can be working a bit and it also makes the numbers go down by itself.
Have you seen the links below? Probably yes... These can also help you to feel more comfortable with lower numbers at the final stages.
Tilly's Diabetes Homepage - Diabetes in Cats - Feline Diabetes
Sticky - Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)
I hope you can calm your mind and soul and find the best possible solutions for the moment.
Mocha looks so so cute and sweet... There will be a way
Breath, reflect and observe her curve. It might help you a lot.
Mocha does not have a history of ketones or DKA, and her ketones were negative when we ran a urinalysis on Friday, September 4, 2026. She is a strictly indoor cat, and she doesn't have other major medical issues besides diabetes. Thankfully, her vomiting has stopped earlier today and she has been keeping her small meals down. I'll make sure to look for U-100 3/10 cc syringes with half-unit markings. Thank you for the important reminder about testing for ketones!
I hope it helps a bit and take some good care of you too.
you are welcome. I am so happy that I could support you somehow. And I can really imagine how you feel in the midst of all that... I mean it.