First time home testing got a reading of 44 2.5 hours after shot

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cyndibalz

cyndibalz

Member Since 2019
This past thursday we had what we were pretty sure was a Hypo episode. Sorry no spread sheet yet. At that time he was on 1 unit of Vetsulin twice a day. All blood work came back fine. Dr suggested going to only one shot 1 unit once a day. I was scared to give him 1 unit again so I decided to do 0.5 units twice a day. I purchased testing supplied yesterday evening, but forgot the strips. I purchased some this morning AFTER his breakfast and morning shot.... With a readying this low (we did it twice) is there a chance he may be going into remission and we didnt even know it because we sadly hadnt started home testing? He has been on insulin for almost 2 months. We did a complete diet change of only canned and a small amount of Dr Elseys once a day. After the reading we gave him some non diabetic friendly treats and he ate some canned food. We will continue testing every 2 hours today and will not be shooting this evening if he is close to or below 200. I will take the results from our testing this weekend to our follow up appointment Monday to show the vet.
 
Please test your kitty again 15 minutes after the treats. 44 is WAY too low for a kitty on insulin and even more so for a cat on Vetsulin. Please let us know what the next reading is. Also if you have any food with gravy on it, you can drain off the gravy and let your cat lap some up as that will help raise BG.
Can you please let us know if you are using a human or pet meter?
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Please test your kitty again 15 minutes after the treats. 44 is WAY too low for a kitty on insulin and even more so for a cat on Vetsulin. Please let us know what the next reading is. Also if you have any food with gravy on it, you can drain off the gravy and let your cat lap some up as that will help raise BG.
Can you please let us know if you are using a human or pet meter?
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We are using a relion prime meter
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Ok good to know. You need to get your kitty's BG up to about 90 or more to keep him safe. The insulin likely has not peaked yet and so you are going to have to monitor him closely for the next few hours.
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We will be for sure! hes currently snacking on some Iams dry kitten food I have for a secrete snack for our kitten. Hes up running around and being himself thankfully. I will test him again here pretty soon.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Ok the dry food will be high carb but don't let your guard down. The dry food will take longer to raise BG than wet food. Please check BG again ASAP.
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I think I have the spread sheet set up correctly. I cant seem to find it now though when I click my signature
 
Some cats DO NOT show any signs of hypoglycemia and suddenly have a seizure so observation alone is not safe particularly when you know BG is low.

Diet change alone can put some cats into remission. Having a hypoglycemic episode doesn't necessarily mean kitty is in remission. It could just be that the dose of insulin is too high and needs to be adjusted.

The only way to know if kitty is going into remission is to get BG tests before shots to ensure BG is high enough to give insulin and then to check to see how low the dose of insulin is taking kitty during the cycle.

Cats need insulin shots twice daily so I am glad to see you split the dose in half. It appears however that even the 0.5u dose is too much so I would suggest that you lower the dose to 0.25u twice daily 12 hours apart if your cat's BG is high enough for a shot.

I can see your spreadsheet through the link but you can't access the spreadsheet to edit it through your signature. That link is only for viewing purposes. You need to go to My drive and find Biscuits spreadsheet there for editing.
 
Nan & Amber said:
Wow! So glad you have started testing-- that's quite a number to start with :eek:!
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Agreed!! We had a scare this past Thursday so it was time for sure! I cant help but wonder if hes possibly going into or in remission with the diet change being on such a low does and numbers that low. So glad were testing now.
 
Well it sounds like he is fine and I am not trying to stress you out but I would caution you that low readings like 44 when giving Vetsulin require close follow up to ensure the food given has worked to elevate BG. A low BG at +2.5 hours post shot has the potential to keep dropping as Vetsulin can peak as late as +4 to +5 and sometimes even +6 hours post shot.
 
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Next time you go shopping, grab a few cans of the Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers...the Beef is the highest in carbs. You can use a magic marker and put HC or the actual carb % on the top so you don't accidently feed it or when you're in a panic and need to make sure it's HC.

Also, a few cans of something medium carb (again, marked with a marker)….Some of the FF Medleys are in the 11-15% range. Check this Food Chart for specific flavors.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
I hate to disagree but I'd give him some more food to get that number up a bit more. We are dealing with Vetsulin here not Lantus and we don't recommend having kitty going below about 90. He's still lower than ideal and could possibly drop lower again when the second hit of Vetsulin kicks in.
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Were keeping an eye on him. Him and the others laid down for a nap. He was still acting like himself before he went to sleep. Well make sure he eats some before a whole lot longer and keep checking his numbers.
 
Ok so if he is somewhere around the 200 mark when I test before shot time do I completely skip the shot and test again in the morning before breakfast and shot time or do I lower his does from 0.5 to 0.25??
 
Good to be thinking ahead on this!

He's still surprisingly low, given that he dropped into the 40's. 80 is "safe" but not comfortable with Vetsulin-- there's no safety margin. He'll likely start rising soon, but even so, (pending opinions from experienced Vetsulin users) if it were my cat I would probably skip tonight and then do the lower dose tomorrow. That is assuming no history of ketones (in which case-- don't skip). 200 is the usual "no-shot" number for those new to testing and getting to know their cat's patterns, but with Vetsulin being such a strong-acting insulin plus Biscuit's performance today, I'd be even more cautious than that.

But let's wait and see what the Vetsulin experts say, and also wait and see how high he gets to by shot time.
 
Well if he's only at 80 now after the dry kibble this morning and the second smaller hit of Vetsulin usually occurs roughly +7 or so, it's looking iffy whether he will make it to a BG of 200 for tonight. Even if he is in the vicinity of 200, I would not give him 0.5u right now under ANY circumstances. While we have no idea what his BG was pre-shot this morning, it may be that the half unit is too much insulin for him. I would not give more than 0.25u until you get some more tests to figure out how that small dose is working. That said, after that 44 today, he may be more sensitive to the insulin so I think it might be a good idea to skip tonight and start again tomorrow even if BG is over 200. You'll get the bonus of a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow AM, test after a minimum 2 hour fast and start a new day and stick with the 0.25u dose for now. If by any chance Biscuits is high enough to give insulin tonight and you decide not to skip (not recommended) I'd get a BG test +2 hours post shot or before bed if that occurs earlier that the 2 hour mark. Tomorrow if BG is high enough to give insulin, I'd stick to a dose of 0.25u and check BG at +2, +4 and +6 hours post shot to gather some data.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Well if he's only at 80 now after the dry kibble this morning and the second smaller hit of Vetsulin usually occurs roughly +7 or so, it's looking iffy whether he will make it to a BG of 200 for tonight. Even if he is in the vicinity of 200, I would not give him 0.5u right now under ANY circumstances. While we have no idea what his BG was pre-shot this morning, it may be that the half unit is too much insulin for him. I would not give more than 0.25u until you get some more tests to figure out how that small dose is working. That said, after that 44 today, he may be more sensitive to the insulin so I think it might be a good idea to skip tonight and start again tomorrow even if BG is over 200. You'll get the bonus of a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow AM, test after a minimum 2 hour fast and start a new day and stick with the 0.25u dose for now. If by any chance Biscuits is high enough to give insulin tonight and you decide not to skip (not recommended) I'd get a BG test +2 hours post shot or before bed if that occurs earlier that the 2 hour mark. Tomorrow if BG is high enough to give insulin, I'd stick to a dose of 0.25u and check BG at +2, +4 and +6 hours post shot to gather some data.
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Thank you!! I'll see what his numbers are later and go from there. He will be up for another shot 8:45 ish. I think I will for sure do .25 vs 0.5 in the morning if his numbers are ok for a shot and see how he does. What's the next step if he still drops real low on .25?? Do you start testing with no insulin to see how he does?
 
Nan & Amber said:
Good to be thinking ahead on this!

He's still surprisingly low, given that he dropped into the 40's. 80 is "safe" but not comfortable with Vetsulin-- there's no safety margin. He'll likely start rising soon, but even so, (pending opinions from experienced Vetsulin users) if it were my cat I would probably skip tonight and then do the lower dose tomorrow. That is assuming no history of ketones (in which case-- don't skip). 200 is the usual "no-shot" number for those new to testing and getting to know their cat's patterns, but with Vetsulin being such a strong-acting insulin plus Biscuit's performance today, I'd be even more cautious than that.

But let's wait and see what the Vetsulin experts say, and also wait and see how high he gets to by shot time.
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No ketones so far thankfully. I'm thinking I will for sure do .25 tomorrow vs 0.5 and see how he does. I still can't believe he's been this low today.
 
Well, you can draw up even smaller doses but let's take this one day at a time. It's possible his BG was already low this morning and that caused that excessively low BG. It's also possible that he's been going low and his systemic defences have been keeping him safe. If that has been happening (and with prior hypo episode it's a good possibility) his defences may be depleted so extra caution is needed right now.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Well, you can draw up even smaller doses but let's take this one day at a time. It's possible his BG was already low this morning and that caused that excessively low BG. It's also possible that he's been going low and his systemic defences have been keeping him safe. If that has been happening (and with prior hypo episode it's a good possibility) his defences may be depleted so extra caution is needed right now.
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The syringes we have have whole half and quarter lines. I'll for sure do .25 tomorrow to see if reacts any better.
 
I don't know of any insulin syringes with quarter line markings. Best you can get that I am aware of is half unit markings. What brand are your syringes?
 
cyndibalz said:
The ones we have only go to half unit.
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yeah unfortunately, that's the best we can do. Most of us eyeball it and try to make it as consistent as possible or you can use calipers and ignore the lines altogether.

Here's more info on Dosing with calipers

Can you please add some information to your signature other than just your spreadsheet link? It will keep us from having to keep asking the same questions over and over. Stuff like:

Your name/cats name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, what kind of food, any other health issues or medications? and a general location.
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
yeah unfortunately, that's the best we can do. Most of us eyeball it and try to make it as consistent as possible or you can use calipers and ignore the lines altogether.

Here's more info on Dosing with calipers

Can you please add some information to your signature other than just your spreadsheet link? It will keep us from having to keep asking the same questions over and over. Stuff like:

Your name/cats name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, what kind of food, any other health issues or medications? and a general location.
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I will get everything updated
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
yeah unfortunately, that's the best we can do. Most of us eyeball it and try to make it as consistent as possible or you can use calipers and ignore the lines altogether.

Here's more info on Dosing with calipers

Can you please add some information to your signature other than just your spreadsheet link? It will keep us from having to keep asking the same questions over and over. Stuff like:

Your name/cats name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, what kind of food, any other health issues or medications? and a general location.
Click to expand...
Do I add the info about Biscuits in the about me section?
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Well if he's only at 80 now after the dry kibble this morning and the second smaller hit of Vetsulin usually occurs roughly +7 or so, it's looking iffy whether he will make it to a BG of 200 for tonight. Even if he is in the vicinity of 200, I would not give him 0.5u right now under ANY circumstances. While we have no idea what his BG was pre-shot this morning, it may be that the half unit is too much insulin for him. I would not give more than 0.25u until you get some more tests to figure out how that small dose is working. That said, after that 44 today, he may be more sensitive to the insulin so I think it might be a good idea to skip tonight and start again tomorrow even if BG is over 200. You'll get the bonus of a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow AM, test after a minimum 2 hour fast and start a new day and stick with the 0.25u dose for now. If by any chance Biscuits is high enough to give insulin tonight and you decide not to skip (not recommended) I'd get a BG test +2 hours post shot or before bed if that occurs earlier that the 2 hour mark. Tomorrow if BG is high enough to give insulin, I'd stick to a dose of 0.25u and check BG at +2, +4 and +6 hours post shot to gather some data.
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I second absolutely all of this. And I am shuddering thinking of all the lows I may have missed when I was not testing as frequently and using NPH for Alice! At this point we are just very lucky!

@cyndibalz I am glad you are now comfortable and able to test Biscuit, it will make all the difference in finding his appropriate course of treatment! :)
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
I second absolutely all of this. And I am shuddering thinking of all the lows I may have missed when I was not testing as frequently and using NPH for Alice! At this point we are just very lucky!

@cyndibalz I am glad you are now comfortable and able to test Biscuit, it will make all the difference in finding his appropriate course of treatment! :)
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Thank you! I am kicking myself for not starting earlier as Im sure a lot of people are. I have the tools now and will for sure keep a closer eye on him. Im pretty certain he will be skipping his shot tonight. I will test him in the morning when I get up before breakfast and see how hes doing. If his numbers are over 200, I will do my best to get a dose as close to .25 as I can.
 
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who came on with advice and tips. I greatly appreciate you taking a moment out of your day to help me with this stubby tailed kitty. Means alot!

How do some of you have your kitties info in a signature that shows up with your post or reply? I posted his info in the information tab in my profile but it doesent show up like that for me.
 
On the top right of your page you'll find your name. Click on it and you'll get a drop down box. On the left you'll find signature. Click on this and type in the info. When done don't forget to save.:)
 
cyndibalz said:
Thank you! I am kicking myself for not starting earlier as Im sure a lot of people are. I have the tools now and will for sure keep a closer eye on him. Im pretty certain he will be skipping his shot tonight. I will test him in the morning when I get up before breakfast and see how hes doing. If his numbers are over 200, I will do my best to get a dose as close to .25 as I can.
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I have tried to kick myself about it but I realize I can’t go back, only forward, and so we are just glad for where we are right now, which is so much better thanks to FDMB! :D
Remember this for yourself: you could have abandoned him, you could have walked away and done nothing and not cared at all. Some people do that. You are doing your best. That is the most any of us can do.

Looks like you got your signature figured out, too! Eventually FD and the website both will become much easier to navigate. Take breaks and prioritize getting rest when able, for yourself, and keep reading and learning and browsing and asking questions, and it allllll gets to be something you can practically do in your sleep!
 
Goodness! I just went to take a peek at Biscuits' spreadsheet to see how he is doing this morning.

Do you think maybe he's trying to tell you something ;)?

Keep testing to see how long he keeps this up-- go Biscuits!!!
 
Nan & Amber said:
Goodness! I just went to take a peek at Biscuits' spreadsheet to see how he is doing this morning.

Do you think maybe he's trying to tell you something ;)?

Keep testing to see how long he keeps this up-- go Biscuits!!!
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Thank you for thinking of him. I tested him when I first got up and was very surprised he was still that low. I cant help but think if its been like that a bit and I had no idea :-( I know now so thats all that matters. Ill test him every 2 hours today just to have more data on him. If he continues to have good numbers today what should my next course of action be besides sharing this info with his Vet? Do I keep doing preshot tests and maybe mid day test for a while?
 
You don't need to test Biscuit every 2 hours today. Check him again +3 hours after his morning meal. If his BG is even lower than pre-shot, then his pancreas is working much better and doing what it's supposed to do.

Continue withholding food for 2 hours and testing morning and night if BGs continue to be too low to shoot. If he can maintain his BG without insulin for a period of 14 consecutive days, then you can consider him in remission.

We'll be keeping an eye on Biscuit. It does appear he is on a mission and a very good one! :D
 
I don't know that you need to test every two hours today, you can give his little ears a break. Vetsulin is an in-and-out insulin, so the data you gather today won't be telling you much about how he's reacting to it-- it's largely gone at this point.

From here, just wait and see if he starts creeping up in numbers. It's very early in the game (as Linda says, you want to see him maintaining these kinds of numbers for at least a couple weeks), but he's looking good!
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
You don't need to test Biscuit every 2 hours today. Check him again +3 hours after his morning meal. If his BG is even lower than pre-shot, then his pancreas is working much better and doing what it's supposed to do.

Continue withholding food for 2 hours and testing morning and night if BGs continue to be too low to shoot. If he can maintain his BG without insulin for a period of 14 consecutive days, then you can consider him in remission.

We'll be keeping an eye on Biscuit. It does appear he is on a mission and a very good one! :D
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I really hope thats the case. Ill continue to check his BS today and before shot times and well see how it goes. Im the mean time Ill keep watching with bathroom and drinking habits for sure.
 
Nan & Amber said:
I don't know that you need to test every two hours today, you can give his little ears a break. Vetsulin is an in-and-out insulin, so the data you gather today won't be telling you much about how he's reacting to it-- it's largely gone at this point.

From here, just wait and see if he starts creeping up in numbers. It's very early in the game (as Linda says, you want to see him maintaining these kinds of numbers for at least a couple weeks), but he's looking good!
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Ill keep an eye on him. Thank you again for your help and concern. His Vet wanted me to bring him in Monday for a glucose test. Would it be terrible of me to just take results from our home tests to show him vs bringing Biscuits up there and paying $25 for a test.
 
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