Eukanubo 2/26

Status
Not open for further replies.
hbs60

hbs60

Active Member
Well, I just got home with the new needles, first dose conversion will be tonight. It seems that my strategy of lowering the morning dose has resulted in evening readings to be high enough to shoot, but I'm noticing now that the PMPS are tending to be very high and the AMPS tend to be lower and getting better. Because I've been eyeballing, it is hard to get a reliable 0.5 units, and the eating situation is still variable. This morning, for example, I caved in at 4:00 AM and fed him, but got a reading and I used that as a AMPS reading even though I didn't actually shoot until 1 hour later. It is now +6 and his reading is an acceptable 256 but he just ate, he is up and about which sometimes happens, sometimes he just sleeps (and doesn't eat) most of the day, it is hard to convert a free feeder to a twice a day feeder!
As far as dosing with the new needles, I'm planning for 0.4 units, which will be 1.0 unit in the new syringe. It's probably under-dosing but I want to at least get a reliable number, after a few days I might bump it up to 0.6 units (1.5 U100), at most I think he'll need 0.8 (2.0 U100) if at all.

Edit: oops! it's the 26th, not the 25th, I'm a day off so the heading is fixed to reflect the correct date...
 
Sounds like a good plan. You'll like the new needles - they are so much easier to use with the smaller doses. Before you fill them, run the plunger back and forth a couple of times to make them glide easier - and watch out for bubbles when you extract the insulin. Especially in the small "mini" doses, an air bubble can displace a fair amt of your insulin if you're not looking closely. For the guzzlers of insulin, it's not that big of an issue, but I think that may have been the cause of several of my high cycles - in addition to fur shots, that is.

My public service announcement: Make sure that while you're doing all the day to day things with Eukanubo, be sure to TEST his ketones. While Grayson was on the lower doses, we cut the excessive 20-24 hr cycles down to 10-12 hours, but his numbers were getting VERY FLAT. Too little insulin. Combine that with a sniffle (infection), and suddenly, his ketones became a concern and a huge risk for DKA. So - keep a close eye on his ketones (test strips you put in his urine). I'd recommend every day or two, just to be safe. Don't want you to go through what our Thursday night was like...and I sure won't be there again if I can help it!

Lu-Ann
 
Thanks,
The first shot went without a hitch, so I'm optimistic things will work out.
I do need help with the ketone thing, as I can't figure out a strategy to get a specimen. There are 3 litter boxes shared with another cat, and it's incredibly difficult to track when he is going to use it. Do I need to put the strip right on the urine stream as he is peeing, can I stick in in the wet litter box, or how can I get a sample? I don't see how that will be possible but I'm sure y'all can give me suggestions :?
 
The only way we could get one from Oliver(who wouldn't let anyone watch him pee) was to put him in a room with a clean litter box filled with aquarium gravel. You can also use lentils or torn newspaper. They usually can't stand a clean box. And the urine won't be absorbed.
 
I bought a bag of aquarium gravel and a new litter box for just that purpose, but it's still in my trunk! Grayson only has "bashful kidneys" sometimes... when he's gotta go, he's GOTTA go!!! So, I have a small table where I test him, he likes to hang out, and there's a litter box on that table. I keep the canister of ketostix on the table as well, and when he goes in the box, I don't have to be quick or bend/stretch to get it. The older I get, it's all about ergonomics for me AND for him; the adjacent chair is always pulled halfway out so he can get up easily.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top