First dose given but I'm confused...

[Sue (Mo's Mum)]

I've given Mo his first ever dose of insulin but I'm really confused - I'm a total rookie and I'm just not making sense of the numbers.

The vet told me to start straight away with 1.5 units of ProZinc to be given twice a day when he's eating, mid meal. She didn't suggest testing BG, but I thought I should to try to make sense and ensure I don't overdose him! I bought a meter today and thought I'd have a try at a Glucose Curve but I've no idea what I'm doing!

After he had his shot mid meal, he finished the lot then instantly went to his litter tray but must have felt odd as he came out before he'd properly finished (thanks for that Mo!), then wandered around with what looked like a trembling back paw. He then sat down, hunched over and I thought he was going to be sick. (could have been pain re his pancreatitis?). He wasn't sick but he then lay down for a while. He then went to his basket and was curled up. I let him rest for an hour then tested him again.

His BG was 362 mg/dl (20.1 mol/L) when I tested him just before I fed him at 6pm uk time. At +1 he has tested 304 (16.9).

Does this sound right so far? I'm planning to test again at +2.

 

[Rachel]

Hi Sue! I’m so glad you decided to test at home. It’s the best way to keep our kitties safe and get them regulated!

As for the curve you don’t have to test every hour. Every 2 hours is what most of us do for a curve.

That’s a pretty good drop at +1. A good dose will usually drop them about 50% at nadir (mid cycle). I’d grab the +2 and see what that does. That’s usually a good indication of what the cycle will be like.

I’m not sure why he reacted as he did. Was the litter box visit a good amount? Is he on any meds for the pancreatitis? It does sound like he might have some pain. @Djamila might have more info...she’s got a panky kitty.

Sorry we didn’t respond earlier. This forum is fairly quiet mid day. Tonight more people will be around! I will check in in a bit to see how you’re doing too.

 

[Sue (Mo's Mum)]

Thanks Rachel!

Poor Mo! I've tested him every hour and he's a bit fed up now!

So, these are the results so far:

6pm - 1.5u given with food - BG 362 / 20.1
+1 BG 304 / 16.9
+2 BG 248 / 13.8
+3 BG 192 / 10.7
+4 BG 155 / 8.6

I'll fit in another one tonight before I head to bed, maybe 2 if I think he's dropping too far!

Does this sound right?

Thanks

 

[Rachel]

I think this sounds good! He's responding well to the insulin, but since it's so new, it's good to keep an eye on things and make sure he doesn't drop too far.

 

[Sue (Mo's Mum)]

OK, we've both had enough for tonight! He's been really good and is catching on that after I wrestle him for a blood sample he gets a treat!

This evenings results are:

6pm - 1.5u given with food - BG 362 / 20.1
+1 BG 304 / 16.9
+2 BG 248 / 13.8
+3 BG 192 / 10.7
+4 BG 155 / 8.6
+5 BG 104 / 5.8
+6 BG 115 / 6.4

As it's now on it's way back up and he is happy, I'm heading to bed as I need to be up again to test, feed and give him his insulin.

I'll continue with BG curve tomorrow too.

 

[Djamila]

Hi Sue and Mo! Welcome! As Rachel said, we can be a little quiet around here during the US daytime since many of us are at work. That was really quite a lovely cycle Mo had today! Do you work during the day, or will you be able to monitor daytime cycles as well?

We generally recommend getting a pre-shot test before every shot, and then getting one or two tests sometime during the cycle. It looks like Mo hid nadir around +5 today, so aiming for tests around +3 to +6 will probably be your most important hours. However, occasionally sprinkling tests around at other times is helpful too.

And of course, occasionally getting full curves is a good idea to get the full picture.

I hope you have a good night's sleep and we look forward to getting to know you and Morrissey better!

 

[Rachel]

What a beautiful cycle! Djamila gave good info about the nadir time, so you want to try to hit somewhere in those numbers when you can.

I hope you get some good sleep tonight...you deserve it!