Marilyn,
Unfortunately, like every other step of this "dance", it isn't always "simple". What Debby posted could be what is going on, but there's no way to tell for certain.
It really depends on how often it happens. Some cats will see a cycle of wonky numbers, and then things settle down. The terms "rebound", "somogyii effect", "bounce", and "liver panic" are mentioned very often on the board. But while some people use them interchangeably, to other people they aren't the "same thing".
The way I understand it, the "somogyii effect" is something that happens repeatedly, not "once in a while". It doesn't clear quickly, and it doesn't happen from just one high dose.
The liver action in that quoted text is a good explanation of how it happens inside kitty's body.
Often, people will see that during a cycle after they increase dosage, but often, if you keep with the dose, it will go away after a day or so. I've seen it called "liver training" on the board. The first time or two the liver reacts in a self-preservation manner, to keep the BG at a "safe" level. It doesn't mean the cat is hypoglycemic, just that its body "thinks" it is. When a cat is used to living in the 200s and 300s, and all of a sudden drops to 150, the liver can dump "sugar" and try to get the numbers back into the "normal" (high) range that kitty is used to. That is commonly referred to as a "bounce", and it eventually will go away.
Usually, if a dose of insulin is too high, you'll see a curve that isn't really curve-shaped. More of a flat line. Sometimes you'll see an "inverse" curve, where the numbers climb a little during the cycle, then return to just about the same level the cycle started at. The problem is that the same shapes can happen when the dose is too low. That's why this "dance" is so confusing. There aren't any definite rules that say "if this, then that".
The only way to figure out what a dose is doing for sure is to run a curve. You need to see what happens in between one shot and the next.
Carl
