drastic glucose change

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Mike R

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We just started our Jinx on 1unit twice a day 4 days ago. He was holding pretty steady at 270-280 glucose I tested him this morning at 7 and it was 280 I fed him the suggested amount of food then tested him again at 10:30 and it was 68 so I gave him food rite away should i be concerned
 
What insulin are you giving Jinx? It would be helpful to others in their answers. Also what food are you feeding, how much and how often?
 
What insulin are you on? Do you know his nadir? (the time of the lowest point in the cycle. PZI is around +6, Lantus can be 6 -8. N is usually around +4-5)

68 is a nice number if he is near his nadir. If he is several hours away, you will need to test every 30 minutes or so. You don't need to worry until he is in the 40's and then they usually show some symptoms. Then you would take some correction action: http://www.felinediabetes.com/hypogly.htm
 
I am using humulin and the food is purina DM we're givin him 1/4 cup 3 times a day he is 14lbs and about 9yrs old
 
Are you using Humulin N? I hope it's not Humulin R so I am assuming it's N.

N is a pretty fast acting and hard hitting insulin. Have you tested him again?
 
Mike R said:
We just started our Jinx on 1unit twice a day 4 days ago. He was holding pretty steady at 270-280 glucose I tested him this morning at 7 and it was 280 I fed him the suggested amount of food then tested him again at 10:30 and it was 68 so I gave him food rite away should i be concerned
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AM 280, gave 1 unit of insulin
+3.5 68, fed

As others have said, we need to know the name of the insulin you are giving your cat. There are a few different insulins diabetic cats can use and each has it's own unique way of working.

A 68 3.5 hours after the insulin shot isn't bad unless you are using a long acting insulin such as Lantus and nadir isn't for another few hours.

Mike R said:
I am using humulin and the food is purina DM we're givin him 1/4 cup 3 times a day he is 14lbs and about 9yrs old
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Is that Humulin N? The nadir is usually 4-5 hours after the insulin shot but every cat is different. Try to get another bg test in the next hour or so.

Keep track of your cat's bgs so you know how the insulin and dose is working (or not). Most people use a Google spreadsheet: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16

The DM dry food is worthless junk in the opinion of many FDMB members. There's nothing in the food that helps any diabetic cat, unless you consider keeping bg levels way way too high "helping" :smile: For now, just feed the DM dry but look into other foods to feed. Low carb canned food is highly recommended. Many commerical brands of canned food are good: Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, etc. Read http://www.catinfo.org for basic cat nutrition and why dry foods are so unhealthy for cats. Then check out the food charts: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html You want to feed foods that have a number 10 or less in the carb column. Feed low carb treats, too: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html

Go slow with switching your cat over to only canned food. The change from high carb dry to low carb canned will have a big impact on lowering bg levels (100+ drop isn't uncommon) so be sure to test bgs frequently.
 
I just tested jinx again and its up to 80 i feel better now. I gotta say i am so glad there are people out there willing to take time and help us through this learning process. I am the same way, it really is a comforting feeling. I still havent figured out the whole peak aspect yet
 
Mike R said:
I just tested jinx again and its up to 80
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How many hours after the insulin shot is the 80? 4 hours? 5 hours? As mentioned, keep track of the bg numbers and when they were taken in relation to the insulin shot. The Google spreadsheet many members use is helpful.

Mike R said:
I still havent figured out the whole peak aspect yet
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Here is a sample bg curve in the format this board prefers:

AM 350, 1 unit of insulin
+2 300
+4.5 267
+6 221
+8.5 296
+11 313
PM 334, 1 unit of insulin

In the sample above, the peak/nadir is at +6 because the bg level was at the lowest point during the day.

The peak/nadir varies for every cat and for the type of insulin used. It is very helpful to know when your cat's peak/nadir is. Say your cat's peak/nadir is at +7. You give the insulin as usual and happen to test at +2 and the bg is 50. You know that bgs will continue to drop for the next 5 hours and your cat may start having serious hypo symptoms. So you feed high carb food and keep testing frequently for at least the next 5 hours until your cat's bg levels rises to a safe level and stays there.

My two cents on how knowing when a cat's peak/nadir is can save the cat's life :smile:
 
As others have said, changing food would be a good idea - after today is over, that is. Wet lo carb food really helps lower bg levels. When we changed from dry to wet, Oliver's bg levels came down 100 points overnight.

Here is some info from a vet that explains why wet lo carb is best: http://www.catinfo.org And here is the food chart. Pick a food that your cat will eat that is between 8 - 10% carbs: http://www.binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html

And then plan to keep on hometesting, as a diet of wet lo carb will change insulin needs downward. It is a steep learning curve, but you are doing fine. As others have suggested, it is a good plan to start studying how some other insulins work, so you can suggest a change to your vet.
 
note: 68 is a nice blood sugar level in the normal range.

for a newly diagnosed cat to reach 68 on the 4th day of insulin is unusual.

You may be VERY LUCKY -- if you change food to high protein, low carbohydrate canned or raw food -- your kitty may become a "Diet Controlled" diabetic and not need insulin.

So --- home=testing is very important.

If your kitty's blood sugar is below 200 at shot time --- DO NOT give a shot. Just make a note in your records and give your kitty a hug.
 
THANK YOU TO ALL for your time and insightful comments I really appreciate it. Any particular brand of canned food to be suggested?
 
Lots of us feed Fancy Feast - the lo carb varieties with fish only once a week or so. Others like Friskies or Wellness. It depends on what your cat likes and what you can afford. Just keep under that 10% carb level.
 
Mike R said:
THANK YOU TO ALL for your time and insightful comments I really appreciate it. Any particular brand of canned food to be suggested?
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No. Just feed your cat whatever low carb canned food he likes to eat, you can afford, and can find in the local stores.

Some popular brands are Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, Innova EVO, and Merrick. Use the canned food charts: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/canfood.html Feed foods that are under 10 in the carb column.

My cat ate mainly Nature's Variety Instinct and Innova EVO. Occasionally he would get Weruva, Merrick BG, GO Natural, SOrganic, and ProPlan. He liked having a variety of brands and flavors :razz:

Do keep a few cans of high carb foods (over 18% carbs) to use in case your cat hypos. The high carbs will raise blood glucose levels. The sliced and grilled varieties of Fancy Feast are great. Science Diet (junk) canned food also works and comes in a bigger can size. There are other brands you can use.
 
Is it ok to feed my cat lo-carb canned food for his every day food regiment? also how reliable are the portion suggestions on the canned food labels?
 
Mike R said:
Is it ok to feed my cat lo-carb canned food for his every day food regiment? also how reliable are the portion suggestions on the canned food labels?
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Low carb canned food is fine every day. It's what most everyone here feeds their daibetic cats daily.

A few brands of canned food are low in carbs but are only supplements because they do not contain vitamins or minerals. Feed these as occasional treats. Merrick Before Grain used to be one but I hear that they are changing the formula to include vitamins and minerals. Fancy Feast Appetizers is a supplement only food.

Unregulated diabetics are always hungry so ignore the portion suggestion on the food labels and just feed your cat as much as he wants but without gaining too much weight. You can free feed the canned food. Many people use a timed feeder or freeze canned food into cubes.
 
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