? Help! Confused readings

A touch below... I really appreciate all the help and diligence Everyone has put forth..: it means a real lot to me... this whole thing with her has been depressing me a ton..
 
Mimis mom said:
Why does she need to eat if she’s over 500? This disease is so confusing[/QUOTE

It is important she eats every time before you give the insulin. So give her some food now.
Food and insulin work together.
She is high because you had to skip the last shot.

We can help you get her sorted.

The most important thing at the moment is she gets over the DKA and the best way to do that is give her lots to eat and drink and give her the insulin.

Can you feed her now a good amount and then post and tell me if she ate it all please Rosa?
Click to expand...
 
She just ate all of the food I gave her. It was about half of what I normally give her twice a day.
I’m going to make a spread sheet soon. Just confused what the numbers mean- like AMPS- or 1+ 2+, etc
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Yes, you do not want to shoot one hour earlier with a 50 on an Alpha track. You need to made sure she is up over 68. Since you don’t have a Spread sheet with data attached to your signature, it’s hard to give you dosing advice , but I can say with absolute certainty, please don’t dose her when she is this low.

I’m assuming she was diagnosed sometimes around your member fate? I would not give her any insulin until she comes up over 150. That would mean you would dose her 12 hours later.

could you set up a spread sheet and attach to your signature? If you need help , please yell and someone will help you.

AND she had earned a reduction. To 1.25 units with that 50 drop. Using an alpha track the reduction point is 68.
Click to expand...
What do you mean the “reduction point is 68” ?
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
I just posted. It has got caught up in the yellow bit. Click to expand.
Click to expand...
Got it

- I’m still having a really hard time catching her when she pees to test the ketones! I have the strips right by the boxes! I have 3 now instead of 2 because 6 months ago she had a struvite stone and needed surgery to remove it. I was hoping to encourage the litter box more.
 
So is she not over the DKA? When they released her they said she didn’t have ketones anymore.
How quickly can the ketones come back, and what exactly is the treatment for ketones? Like what are they doing exactly?
 
Mimis mom said:
She just ate all of the food I gave her. It was about half of what I normally give her twice a day.
I’m going to make a spread sheet soon. Just confused what the numbers mean- like AMPS- or 1+ 2+, etc
Click to expand...
Great!

First about the food.
After DKA it is really important that Mimi gets enough food every day to fight any ketones that may be lurking around. Food and insulin is what fights to keep the ketones away. Ketones develop if Mimi is not getting enough to eat and not enough insulin.

So I would like you to give Mimi extra to eat please.
Feed her before her insulin every time...no matter what the BG level is.
Then give her food inbetween the shots. That is really important
Can you do that please?

APMS is am (morning ) preshot and the +1 is 1 hour after the insulin.
The +2 is 2 hours after the insulin.
+7 is 7 hours after insulin

PMPS is the pm (evening shot) and the +1 is 1 hour after the preshot just like the morning one.

Does that make sense?

Mimis mom said:
What do you mean the “reduction point is 68” ?
Click to expand...
With the Alphatrak meter the number you need to take action with...that is give some honey or Karo and high carb food is 68.
Anything below that number is too low and we need to bring it up higher.

So if it gets below 68 Mimi earns a reduction in dose.

If you get low numbers like that you must ALWAYS stay with Mimi and test her 20 minutes later to see she has risen in numbers..
even then she is not safe and you need to keep testing until she can stay up higher with out any feed for 2 hours. Otherwise you risk a hypo and I know you would not want that.

Mimis mom said:
Got it

- I’m still having a really hard time catching her when she pees to test the ketones! I have the strips right by the boxes! I have 3 now instead of 2 because 6 months ago she had a struvite stone and needed surgery to remove it. I was hoping to encourage the litter box more.
Click to expand...
Try and test every day for ketones if you can. It is an insurance against DKA returning

Mimis mom said:
So is she not over the DKA? When they released her they said she didn’t have ketones anymore.
How quickly can the ketones come back, and what exactly is the treatment for ketones? Like what are they doing exactly?
Click to expand...

Yes she has got over the DKA but the care after DKA is really important to ensure that ketones don't return.
Ketones can come back when there is NOT ENOUGH FOOD, NOT ENOUGH INSULIN, AND AN INFECTION OR INFLAMMATION IS PRESENT.

So to treat it ( stop ketones returning) we make sure Mimi is getting enough to eat ( this is really important as food is like medicine when recovering from DKA), make sure she is getting enough insulin and enough water and any infection is being treated.

So your job is to
  • make sure Mimi gets plenty to eat. Offer her food throughout the day and the evening. I know you work....can you buy a timed feeder?
  • Make sure she gets her insulin
  • Try mixing a small amount of warm water in her food if she will have it so she gets extra to drink.
  • Test daily for ketones
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Great!

First about the food.
After DKA it is really important that Mimi gets enough food every day to fight any ketones that may be lurking around. Food and insulin is what fights to keep the ketones away. Ketones develop if Mimi is not getting enough to eat and not enough insulin.

So I would like you to give Mimi extra to eat please.
Feed her before her insulin every time...no matter what the BG level is.
Then give her food inbetween the shots. That is really important
Can you do that please?

APMS is am (morning ) preshot and the +1 is 1 hour after the insulin.
The +2 is 2 hours after the insulin.
+7 is 7 hours after insulin

PMPS is the pm (evening shot) and the +1 is 1 hour after the preshot just like the morning one.

Does that make sense?


With the Alphatrak meter the number you need to take action with...that is give some honey or Karo and high carb food is 68.
Anything below that number is too low and we need to bring it up higher.

So if it gets below 68 Mimi earns a reduction in dose.

If you get low numbers like that you must ALWAYS stay with Mimi and test her 20 minutes later to see she has risen in numbers..
even then she is not safe and you need to keep testing until she can stay up higher with out any feed for 2 hours. Otherwise you risk a hypo and I know you would not want that.


Try and test every day for ketones if you can. It is an insurance against DKA returning



Yes she has got over the DKA but the care after DKA is really important to ensure that ketones don't return.
Ketones can come back when there is NOT ENOUGH FOOD, NOT ENOUGH INSULIN, AND AN INFECTION OR INFLAMMATION IS PRESENT.

So to treat it ( stop ketones returning) we make sure Mimi is getting enough to eat ( this is really important as food is like medicine when recovering from DKA), make sure she is getting enough insulin and enough water and any infection is being treated.

So your job is to
  • make sure Mimi gets plenty to eat. Offer her food throughout the day and the evening. I know you work....can you buy a timed feeder?
  • Make sure she gets her insulin
  • Try mixing a small amount of warm water in her food if she will have it so she gets extra to drink.
  • Test daily for ketones
Click to expand...
Testing for ketones daily is nearly impossible. I don’t know when she pees. Can I express her bladder?
 
Mimis mom said:
Testing for ketones daily is nearly impossible. I don’t know when she pees. Can I express her bladder?
Click to expand...
Test whoever you can..
There is no reason why you can't express her bladde I guess.. ...have you done that before?
Mimis mom said:
What about the other cat?
Click to expand...
yes, as Penelope says a good idea would be to seperate the cats while you are not there....at least for a while.
Can you do that?
 
Keep asking us lots questions
We are hpaito help you.
We are all lost in the beginning .....we understand how you feel.

With expressing the bladder...if you haven't done it before I wouldn't do it...it may hurt Mimi.
 
Because you have the insulin 2 hours late, you are not going to be able to give Mimi her next dose at the normal time.
Is that going to be a problem?

You are going to have to work your way back to the original shooting time by either 1/4 hour each cycle or 1/2 hour each day.
So whatever time you gave the shot tonight, you will have to take that time tomorrow morning and go back either 1/4 or 1/2 hour.
Does that make sense?
 
Penelope and Mačka said:
During the day, I separate the cats now, if I have to leave.
Click to expand...


Ok I was afraid of that answer... they both love watching the birds and squirrels in a sunny spot in my apartment. I’m trying to keep it a stress free as possible too and they sleep with each other during the day.. :(
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Because you have the insulin 2 hours late, you are not going to be able to give Mimi her next dose at the normal time.
Is that going to be a problem?

You are going to have to work your way back to the original shooting time by either 1/4 hour each cycle or 1/2 hour each day.
So whatever time you gave the shot tonight, you will have to take that time tomorrow morning and go back either 1/4 or 1/2 hour.
Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Yes it does
 
Mimis mom said:
Ok I was afraid of that answer... they both love watching the birds and squirrels in a sunny spot in my apartment. I’m trying to keep it a stress free as possible too and they sleep with each other during the day.. :(
Click to expand...
Penelope and Mačka said:
Ok so, what if you left a lot of food out?
Click to expand...
well I’m speaking as far as the automatic feeder goes. You know what’s funny is I have very specific instructions from the vet to not feed her more than twice a day.. why are they so uninformed??
 
Mimis mom said:
well I’m speaking as far as the automatic feeder goes. You know what’s funny is I have very specific instructions from the vet to not feed her more than twice a day.. why are they so uninformed??
Click to expand...
Because they are old school. They learn it a certain way, and then they apply what they learnt without updating the knowledge to recent studies. Also, I think that the x2 day feeding applies to other types of insulin, but not the slow ones like Lantus and Levemir.
 
Mimis mom said:
well I’m speaking as far as the automatic feeder goes. You know what’s funny is I have very specific instructions from the vet to not feed her more than twice a day.. why are they so uninformed??
Click to expand...
Vets do not get a lot of training in cat diabetes and it has changed a lot in the last 10 years and most have not kept up with the later treatments.
You are not the first one to come here and ask that question!

I can promise you that the best thing you can do for Mimi is feed her several times a day.
It is not only better for her pancreas, it is better for her dealing with the insulin and most important of all at the moment it is so important that she is getting enough food to keep away the ketones.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Vets do not get a lot of training in cat diabetes and it has changed a lot in the last 10 years and most have not kept up with the later treatments.
You are not the first one to come here and ask that question!

I can promise you that the best thing you can do for Mimi is feed her several times a day.
It is not only better for her pancreas, it is better for her dealing with the insulin and most important of all at the moment it is so important that she is getting enough food to keep away the ketones.
Click to expand...
Which is funny because I worry about her overeating in general because that is what I though might have caused the weight gain.. ok so if I purchase two automatic feeders and they open at the same time- if he “shoves” her head out of the way (which he usually does) she can move over to the next one.. so smaller meals just more often? Every what- 4 hours? Is this going to be ok for my other cat too? Is this a better way for cats to eat?
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Great!

First about the food.
After DKA it is really important that Mimi gets enough food every day to fight any ketones that may be lurking around. Food and insulin is what fights to keep the ketones away. Ketones develop if Mimi is not getting enough to eat and not enough insulin.

So I would like you to give Mimi extra to eat please.
Feed her before her insulin every time...no matter what the BG level is.
Then give her food inbetween the shots. That is really important
Can you do that please?

APMS is am (morning ) preshot and the +1 is 1 hour after the insulin.
The +2 is 2 hours after the insulin.
+7 is 7 hours after insulin

PMPS is the pm (evening shot) and the +1 is 1 hour after the preshot just like the morning one.

Does that make sense?


With the Alphatrak meter the number you need to take action with...that is give some honey or Karo and high carb food is 68.
Anything below that number is too low and we need to bring it up higher.

So if it gets below 68 Mimi earns a reduction in dose.

If you get low numbers like that you must ALWAYS stay with Mimi and test her 20 minutes later to see she has risen in numbers..
even then she is not safe and you need to keep testing until she can stay up higher with out any feed for 2 hours. Otherwise you risk a hypo and I know you would not want that.


Try and test every day for ketones if you can. It is an insurance against DKA returning



Yes she has got over the DKA but the care after DKA is really important to ensure that ketones don't return.
Ketones can come back when there is NOT ENOUGH FOOD, NOT ENOUGH INSULIN, AND AN INFECTION OR INFLAMMATION IS PRESENT.

So to treat it ( stop ketones returning) we make sure Mimi is getting enough to eat ( this is really important as food is like medicine when recovering from DKA), make sure she is getting enough insulin and enough water and any infection is being treated.

So your job is to
  • make sure Mimi gets plenty to eat. Offer her food throughout the day and the evening. I know you work....can you buy a timed feeder?
  • Make sure she gets her insulin
  • Try mixing a small amount of warm water in her food if she will have it so she gets extra to drink.
  • Test daily for ketones
Click to expand...
Spreadsheet question Back to the 1 hour after, then 2 etc, are you saying I test her blood sugar every hour?!
 
Mimis mom said:
Which is funny because I worry about her overeating in general because that is what I though might have caused the weight gain.. ok so if I purchase two automatic feeders and they open at the same time- if he “shoves” her head out of the way (which he usually does) she can move over to the next one.. so smaller meals just more often? Every what- 4 hours? Is this going to be ok for my other cat too? Is this a better way for cats to eat?
Click to expand...

Did she lose any weight when she was in the hospital?

We don't want her putting on too much weight, but we want her to eat enough at the moment.

I would divide food up into say preshot meal, +3 meal, +5 meal +7 meal and then you could leave it until the next preshot time.
They don't have to be a large amount of food. I would give her a third of the food at preshot and then divide the rest up into the other three meals/snacks. Just small amounts say a tablespoon each time.

Hopefully your other kitty won't eat it all. You can buy ones that have a chip in them that only let the one cat eat out of the container but they are more expensive.
 
Mimis mom said:
Spreadsheet question Back to the 1 hour after, then 2 etc, are you saying I test her blood sugar every hour?!
Click to expand...
No not at all
You only have to test that frequently if the numbers are near hypo numbers

Test at preshot ALWAYS to see it is safe to shoot
Then if you can get some tests in during the cycles to see how low the insulin is taking Mimi that would be great.
The more the better but try and get at least one test in during each cycle.
If you go to work and can't get one in before you leave, get one when you get home.
At the weekend if you can get some tests in around +4 to around +7 that will help.. different times each day.
And get a before bed test every night to see she will be safe. If she is lower than the preshot at the before bed test, then you will have to set the alarm andget up later to test again to keep her safe..

If you have a low test, always test again to check it is coming up. Never just assume it will be ok.
 
You can do 1/2 an hour a day to get back to the best time. So either 1/2 an hour once a day or 15 minutes twice a day.
For 1/2 hour a day :
If you shot at 1am tonight you can do 12.30 pm tomorrow and 12.30 tomorrow night.
Then the next day will be 12md then 12mn.
Next day will be 11.30am then 11.30 pm.
Etc. only 1/2 an hour a day to get back to your best shot time.
 
Last edited:
Mimis mom said:
Spreadsheet question Back to the 1 hour after, then 2 etc, are you saying I test her blood sugar every hour?!
Click to expand...
Penelope and Mačka said:
You can only back up by 30 minutes/day, so tonight was 1am, tomorrow morning will be 12:45pm, tomorrow evening 00:30am, then Monday morning 12:15pm, Monday evening Midnight...
Click to expand...


I have to admit- I do not shoot her at exact 12 hour intervals.. it’s more like 9:30 pm then 10:40 am then 10:20 pm then 9:15 am- do you see what I’m saying? I didn’t know it had to be exact every 12 hours..:

sometimes it’s 13, then 11, then 12 and a half...

and then at times I might be late at getting home from something and it’s 15 hours.. that doesn’t happen a lot but has definitely happened... am I killing my cat??
 
Mimis mom said:
I have to admit- I do not shoot her at exact 12 hour intervals.. it’s more like 9:30 pm then 10:40 am then 10:20 pm then 9:15 am- do you see what I’m saying? I didn’t know it had to be exact every 12 hours..:

sometimes it’s 13, then 11, then 12 and a half...
Click to expand...
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
No not at all
You only have to test that frequently if the numbers are near hypo numbers

Test at preshot ALWAYS to see it is safe to shoot
Then if you can get some tests in during the cycles to see how low the insulin is taking Mimi that would be great.
The more the better but try and get at least one test in during each cycle.
If you go to work and can't get one in before you leave, get one when you get home.
At the weekend if you can get some tests in around +4 to around +7 that will help.. different times each day.
And get a before bed test every night to see she will be safe. If she is lower than the preshot at the before bed test, then you will have to set the alarm andget up later to test again to keep her safe..

If you have a low test, always test again to check it is coming up. Never just assume it will be ok.
Click to expand...


Ok, thank you so much.
How about feeding? Does that have to be super specific? How often? Every 4-6 hours? She seems to be hungry every time I give her any food.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Vets do not get a lot of training in cat diabetes and it has changed a lot in the last 10 years and most have not kept up with the later treatments.
You are not the first one to come here and ask that question!

I can promise you that the best thing you can do for Mimi is feed her several times a day.
It is not only better for her pancreas, it is better for her dealing with the insulin and most important of all at the moment it is so important that she is getting enough food to keep away the ketones.
Click to expand...
How many times a day? Specifically this many or just as often as she’ll want to eat (which seems to be very often)
Also, I am terrible at getting her shot exactly 12 hours apart- sometimes it’s 14, sometimes it’s 11, but I always test before
 
There is a huge amount of information in this thread. I'm going to try to consolidate that information so you can keep things straight (hopefully). Given some of your comments, I'd suggest you read the post linked in my signature -- Gabby's legacy. There are a few comments before mine (see the 7th message), but it may help you to put some of the diabetes experience in perspective.
  • Spreadsheet: It is hugely important that you get Mimi's spreadsheet set up. I'm wondering if you have a Google account which may be why you may be getting the odd note. If you have't set up a Google account, you need to do so. If you do have a Google account, please send Marje a PM. (Click on the "Inbox" at the top right of the page and send Marje a note.) We are very numbers driven here and I'm not the only experienced member here who will not give dosing help without benefit of a spreadsheet. We could give poor advice without knowing what's going on with Mimi.
  • Shot times: Lantus is a depot-type of insulin. You need to shoot as close to every 12-hours as humanly possible. This may mean you need to give some consideration to your shot times to accommodate your schedule. (I moved my shot times to 5:00 AM/PM so I could give shots on time and it gave me 2.5 hrs in the morning to see what was going on before I left the house.) If you do not shoot close to every 12 hours, your irregular shot times have an effect on the depot: an early shot acts like a dose increase whereas a late shot acts like a dose reduction. If you think of this as a pool, you want to see an even surface. If you don't shoot every 12 hours, you keep disturbing the pool. The result is wonky numbers. Please ask if you need help getting Mimi back on schedule.
  • Feeding: It is fine to give multiple small meals. You do NOT want to feed Mimi 2 hours prior to shot time since you don't want the food to influence your pre-shot number. Beyond that particular rule, you can feed whenever you want. My personal opinion is that I think it's best to feed your cat prior to nadir. (Since you don't have a spreadsheet, we don't know when this is for your cat. With Lantus, many cats' nadirs are around +6 but not all cats play by the rules.) If you are worried about your other cat poaching Mimi's food, there are feeders that are activated by a microchip. Mimi would need to wear a collar and the chip on the collar would open the feeder. These types of feeders are expensive. With the more traditional feeders, you could always separate the feeders and see if that will keep your other cat out of Mimi's food.
  • Ketones: If you are finding it difficult to test for urinary ketones, you can always purchase a blood ketone meter. The ketone meter is more accurate than testing for urinary ketones. NovaMax and Precision Xtra are two brands people here often use but there are other brands around, as well. The only down side of blood ketone testing is that the strips for the meter are expensive. As others have explained, with a cat that has recently gone through an episode of DKA, we strongly encourage ketone testing since it is the best way to prevent another (expensive) hospitalization.
  • Low numbers: @Bron and Sheba (GA) have provided you with the rationale for why how your cat may be acting is not a good means for not being VERY attentive to low numbers. Please do not become complacent. While there is a difference between low numbers and symptomatic hypoglycemia, low numbers can become hypoglycemia in a heartbeat. Please see this sticky note on managing low numbers from the top of the Board. I'd encourage you to print this out so you have it handy if you need it.
  • FD and food: Diabetic cats are. usually hungry until they are better regulated. Since your cat's pancreas isn't producing insulin in a normal way, the results of metabolizing food (i.e., glucose) isn't getting into cells. So while a diabetic cat may be eating a lot, not all of the food is getting where it's supposed to go, the glucose is floating around in the blood vs getting into the cells, and your cat is starving. Getting your cat back to more normal numbers will help to reduce appetite since you don't want to get your cat to be too "fluffy." Please make sure you are giving Mimi low carbohydrate (below 10% carb -- usually much below) canned food.
Please let. us know if you have questions. The beginning stages of this process can be overwhelming. There's a huge volume of information to assimilate. No one expects you to become an expert in 5 minute but these's a huge amount of expertise here on the Board and many people who donate their time and knowledge.
 
I hate to confuse the matter but if she’s high at +11 this morning, you can shoot an hour early.

As an example, if you shot last night at 12:30 then +11 would be 11:30 this morning....if she’s 300 or higher. That will get you one hour closer to your regular shot time. Then tomorrow morning, if you can check her at 10:30 and she’s still above 300, shoot then. That should get you back on schedule if your shot two hours late last night.

Does that make sense?
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Feeding: It is fine to give multiple small meals. You do NOT want to feed Mimi 2 hours prior to shot time since you don't want the food to influence your pre-shot number. Beyond that particular rule, you can feed whenever you want. My personal opinion is that I think it's best to feed your cat prior to nadir. (Since you don't have a spreadsheet, we don't know when this is for your cat. With Lantus, many cats' nadirs are around +6 but not all cats play by the rules.) If you are worried about your other cat poaching Mimi's food, there are feeders that are activated by a microchip. Mimi would need to wear a collar and the chip on the collar would open the feeder. These types of feeders are expensive. With the more traditional feeders, you could always separate the feeders and see if that will keep your other cat out of Mimi's food.
Click to expand...
another alternative that I have seen some folk used is to feed in another room, or dog crate which can only be accessed by the diabetic cat via a cat flap, the cat flap being activated by microchip or magnet that Mimi would wear on her collar.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
There is a huge amount of information in this thread. I'm going to try to consolidate that information so you can keep things straight (hopefully). Given some of your comments, I'd suggest you read the post linked in my signature -- Gabby's legacy. There are a few comments before mine (see the 7th message), but it may help you to put some of the diabetes experience in perspective.
  • Spreadsheet: It is hugely important that you get Mimi's spreadsheet set up. I'm wondering if you have a Google account which may be why you may be getting the odd note. If you have't set up a Google account, you need to do so. If you do have a Google account, please send Marje a PM. (Click on the "Inbox" at the top right of the page and send Marje a note.) We are very numbers driven here and I'm not the only experienced member here who will not give dosing help without benefit of a spreadsheet. We could give poor advice without knowing what's going on with Mimi.
  • Shot times: Lantus is a depot-type of insulin. You need to shoot as close to every 12-hours as humanly possible. This may mean you need to give some consideration to your shot times to accommodate your schedule. (I moved my shot times to 5:00 AM/PM so I could give shots on time and it gave me 2.5 hrs in the morning to see what was going on before I left the house.) If you do not shoot close to every 12 hours, your irregular shot times have an effect on the depot: an early shot acts like a dose increase whereas a late shot acts like a dose reduction. If you think of this as a pool, you want to see an even surface. If you don't shoot every 12 hours, you keep disturbing the pool. The result is wonky numbers. Please ask if you need help getting Mimi back on schedule.
  • Feeding: It is fine to give multiple small meals. You do NOT want to feed Mimi 2 hours prior to shot time since you don't want the food to influence your pre-shot number. Beyond that particular rule, you can feed whenever you want. My personal opinion is that I think it's best to feed your cat prior to nadir. (Since you don't have a spreadsheet, we don't know when this is for your cat. With Lantus, many cats' nadirs are around +6 but not all cats play by the rules.) If you are worried about your other cat poaching Mimi's food, there are feeders that are activated by a microchip. Mimi would need to wear a collar and the chip on the collar would open the feeder. These types of feeders are expensive. With the more traditional feeders, you could always separate the feeders and see if that will keep your other cat out of Mimi's food.
  • Ketones: If you are finding it difficult to test for urinary ketones, you can always purchase a blood ketone meter. The ketone meter is more accurate than testing for urinary ketones. NovaMax and Precision Xtra are two brands people here often use but there are other brands around, as well. The only down side of blood ketone testing is that the strips for the meter are expensive. As others have explained, with a cat that has recently gone through an episode of DKA, we strongly encourage ketone testing since it is the best way to prevent another (expensive) hospitalization.
  • Low numbers: @Bron and Sheba (GA) have provided you with the rationale for why how your cat may be acting is not a good means for not being VERY attentive to low numbers. Please do not become complacent. While there is a difference between low numbers and symptomatic hypoglycemia, low numbers can become hypoglycemia in a heartbeat. Please see this sticky note on managing low numbers from the top of the Board. I'd encourage you to print this out so you have it handy if you need it.
  • FD and food: Diabetic cats are. usually hungry until they are better regulated. Since your cat's pancreas isn't producing insulin in a normal way, the results of metabolizing food (i.e., glucose) isn't getting into cells. So while a diabetic cat may be eating a lot, not all of the food is getting where it's supposed to go, the glucose is floating around in the blood vs getting into the cells, and your cat is starving. Getting your cat back to more normal numbers will help to reduce appetite since you don't want to get your cat to be too "fluffy." Please make sure you are giving Mimi low carbohydrate (below 10% carb -- usually much below) canned food.
Please let. us know if you have questions. The beginning stages of this process can be overwhelming. There's a huge volume of information to assimilate. No one expects you to become an expert in 5 minute but these's a huge amount of expertise here on the Board and many people who donate their time and knowledge.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you very much!!!
I am having a really hard time knowing when she’s going to pee, so i might have to check out the blood ones..
I didn’t know I shouldn’t feed her close to her night time dose- good to know!!
I’m going to work on the spread sheet now- I have lots of information to enter and I’m still not entirely clear how it works- and I know someone has mentioned it somewhere but there’s been so many threads I’ve lost track..
 
Also, testing her BG, I shouldn’t test after she’s eaten even. Like I just gave her a snack of sardines.
And she’s at the nadar as well.
I did the snack before reading this
 
Mimis mom said:
Thank you very much!!!
I am having a really hard time knowing when she’s going to pee, so i might have to check out the blood ones..
I didn’t know I shouldn’t feed her close to her night time dose- good to know!!
I’m going to work on the spread sheet now- I have lots of information to enter and I’m still not entirely clear how it works- and I know someone has mentioned it somewhere but there’s been so many threads I’ve lost track..
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Perhaps try putting her in the box when you both first get up. That usually always worked for Gracie and it works if I need urine from my other two.

Also, unless she is low in the two hours before shot time, you don’t want to feed her. Typically at shot time, you’ll want to test first and then you can feed/shoot. Most of us test and then shoot while feeding to distract the cat.

Mimis mom said:
Also, testing her BG, I shouldn’t test after she’s eaten even. Like I just gave her a snack of sardines.
And she’s at the nadar as well.
I did the snack before reading this
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Yes, at any time during the cycle, if you plan on getting a test or need to get a test because the BG warrants it, you’ll want to test before you feed.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Perhaps try putting her in the box when you both first get up. That usually always worked for Gracie and it works if I need urine from my other two.

Also, unless she is low in the two hours before shot time, you don’t want to feed her. Typically at shot time, you’ll want to test first and then you can feed/shoot. Most of us test and then shoot while feeding to distract the cat.


Yes, at any time during the cycle, if you plan on getting a test or need to get a test because the BG warrants it, you’ll want to test before you feed.
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I've tried putting her in the litter box but she just hops out. what does in the morning have to do with it do you think? she's not always sleeping when i am. its funny because I can hear my other cat go, Mimi is silent.

what do you mean when you say shoot them while feeding, so you'll do the test, then put food in from of them and then while they are eating shoot?
Ive been shooting her on the flank with a shorter thinner needle and I think its been easier for me because her fur is white, shorter and curly and I can see what I am doing better. Her fur there reminds me of a Maltese fur- it like doesn't shed like the rest- it feels more like "hair"
 
Mimis mom said:
I've tried putting her in the litter box but she just hops out. what does in the morning have to do with it do you think? she's not always sleeping when i am. its funny because I can hear my other cat go, Mimi is silent.

what do you mean when you say shoot them while feeding, so you'll do the test, then put food in from of them and then while they are eating shoot?
Ive been shooting her on the flank with a shorter thinner needle and I think its been easier for me because her fur is white, shorter and curly and I can see what I am doing better. Her fur there reminds me of a Maltese fur- it like doesn't shed like the rest- it feels more like "hair"
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Well, my cats usually wake up with a full bladder because they sleep all night:joyful:;)

Everyone has their own methods when it comes to shot time. What is most important is that you test first. Then if you want to feed her and then give insulin, fine. Or if you want to give insulin and then feed, that’s ok, too. It’s whatever works best for you all as long as you, at least, test and feed in a 15 min window. You can feed within a 30 min window after testing and be fine.

Because you asked me in a PM about dosing methods since I set up the SS and we now have a box for it, you can read about the two dosing methods we use for Lantus in this post. At some point soon, you will need to let us know which you’d like to do and add it to your signature block but it’s best to get some basics down first.
 
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