Help: pika amps is 175 and time for insulin

Has he eaten? Do you have to leave soon after the shot?
He will probably bounce from the greens he saw last night, so it might be safe to shoot. If he hasn't eaten, can you stall without food and test in 20 mins?
 
I see that you have been changing the dose based on preshots. That is not how glargine works. Dosing is based on nadirs and not preshots. Preshots are not necessarily an indicator of how the cycle will play out. As you have seen, he can start at 400 and drop to the 80s. In fact, glargine is very good at giving flat cycles when you shoot low. Frequently changing the dose confuses the depot and you do not know which dose is working.
 
His usual pattern is just to drop in the am.. he always just drops and does big drops. Fast.. but his sugars are not raising just hanging out around the 175 range.

I leave for work at 9 am. I haven’t fed yet and his last scan was 170. He always had access to hard food and he was just eating some like 40 minutes ago. And just now. But the food doesn’t usually cause spikes in him I’ve noticed. But I won’t br able to monitor him.. but giving 2.5 units at this low and not being home makes me uncomfortable and I don’t think he would like coming to work with me.
 
And last night I did have to give gravy due to having a low alarm go off at 2:30 am. And before I attempted to sleep I also gave him some treats and gravy around 1 am. Then I had to give more treats around 2:30 am. So that is what makes me a little concerned. I am comfortable giving a reduced dose but not a full dose.. and his scan is saying around 155 now.
 
What if I did 1 unit I know it’s a huge decrease and he hasn’t earned it. but his history is not having his sugars rise in the morning they are already shut up by this point. He always just goes down after I give his shot. But I am not comfortable giving 2.5 by me knowing my cat and his drops especially in the morning.
 
I think what the Libre considers low is not that low. It often gives a false low as well.

You have to do what you feel comfortable but I think we need to find a dose you can shoot consistently every 12 hours which needs to be lower than 2.5 until you are comfortable with more normal bg numbers. We can discuss this later.

I see you shot two hours late but was it last night? How many hours since you shot?
 
I agree with you that the Libre is causing you anxiety and I would have felt the same early in Max’s FD journey had they been available. Is Pika hard to test? I thought Max would be but he was easy. Treats helped.
 
tiffmaxee said:
I think what the Libre considers low is not that low. It often gives a false low as well.

You have to do what you feel comfortable but I think we need to find a dose you can shoot consistently every 12 hours which needs to be lower than 2.5 until you are comfortable with more normal bg numbers. We can discuss this later.

I see you shot two hours late but was it last night? How many hours since you shot?
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Right now he will is 1 hour away from 10 making it 1 hour early and I did feed. If I could be home with him I would do it. But I have to leave for work and the soonest I can check him is 230 I do have neighbors that are coming over and scanning.

but my husband agrees with you that I need to find a steady number and shoot that. Vet said he may need different am and pm doses depending on how his body responds to getting into range.

but like I said I am leaving for work in 10 so I have to give insulin like now if I do.

pika can be hard to test I have done it before. But I don’t have the time. I’m still in pjs and need to leave for work
 
So you were going to shoot two hours early? When you stall you can’t shoot more than 11 1/2 hours from when you shoot. Shooting earlier acts often like an increase in dose.
 
If you have been shooting early and also giving different doses it’s confusing the depot. It is better to shoot on time and find a dose that allows you to shoot on time. If lower than you feel good about you would shoot a token dose.
 
Yes for work purposes. I can usually see the dose kick in after 1 hour. I waited till basically 9 this morning and did 1 unit. I know I’m working on getting better to trust him with the insulin at low numbers but it’s like I said I won’t be home to watch him. And neither is my husband
 
Pika and Shellz said:
What is a token dose?
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The 1.0 would be a token dose. It’s 25-50% of the usual dose. I’m going to discuss with a few others what a good dose will be going forward.

Do I understand correctly that your job does not allow you to shoot every 12 hours and that you can’t monitor at least until +2? Lantus starts working around +2 for most cats. That’s why you see a drop in bg early in the cycle. Some cats onset earlier and others later.
 
Pika and Shellz said:
Yes for work purposes. I can usually see the dose kick in after 1 hour. I waited till basically 9 this morning and did 1 unit. I know I’m working on getting better to trust him with the insulin at low numbers but it’s like I said I won’t be home to watch him. And neither is my husband
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Will your husband be able to give the shot when you have to leave before 11 1/2 or 12 hours?
 
We can discuss again after work. Different doses day and night don’t work. Again it just confuses the depot. Your vet is likely not used to depot insulins and is treating him old school. That’s common unfortunately. We will figure out a good dose for him going forward. Don’t stress.
 
I work in retail and I’m the assistant manager but in reality I am the manager and don’t get paid for it. We are super short staffed so I work 12 hour shifts 2-3 times a week and my manager doesn’t really get this kitty diabetes thing… even though she has lost people due to diabetic complications.
And my husband is a retail store manager and he will work 11 hour shifts too. So that is why we picked 8 and 8. I can always give the morning shot consistently it’s the pm that we have to swing the hour usually expect for Friday and Saturday that is when my store closes at 9 not 8. So that is when he is 2 hours late. I don’t get home till about 930-10pm in those cases. Usually I am home by 830 and no problem.. but my husband is finally willing to help out more since we can see that it’s actually working. (Before he wasn’t as willing, we grew up in ranch communities where you just put down a sick animal.. he was willing to let me do this due to my age and no children and he could see I need to nurture something)
But working retail is really tough.. cause you don’t get long breaks and you have long shifts and no one can help me with my shifts other than the store manager (due to stupid rules of having to have a keyed manager in the store at all times, there is only her and I at the moment) I am actually looking at finding a new more flexible job that I can take care of pika as he needs. He is kinda my baby. Like sucks his paw as I hold him. (He was bottle fed due to mom getting hit by car at 2 weeks old.) I got him at 3-4 weeks.
I’m sorry am crazy I really am working on it.. I think I did better today by not doing half unit like I want too.. and giving 1U while in range still. (According to sensor)
 
We will make this work. The sooner we do the better chance of him becoming diet controlled. With ketones at diagnosis we don’t want you to skip. Is he stilling eating dry food? Would you consider getting a timed feeder so it would not be needed? Just things to think about. I’m throwing out ideas to help you. No need to reply now. Have a good day and dint worry.

:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
tiffmaxee said:
Will your husband be able to give the shot when you have to leave before 11 1/2 or 12 hours?
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He leaves for work before I do on Saturday. Today I cannot monitor him until I get off at 5 pm it’s just a normal shift today. But neighbors are scanning him and double checking him.

I have total of three cats. I tried to switch to meals and only wet food.. they didn’t like that. Pika wasn’t eating enough to give his full insulin dose, My IBS kitty started vomiting a lot again, due to her not eating when she needed too. and my other kitty just wouldn’t eat he is a dry food boy he will lick the wet but not fully eat it. Only Pika and Noriko really eat the wet.. but I do one can FF or Tiki in one bowl, then 1/3rd cup of dry food each in my other two food bowls…. And they only get that serving at breakfast and dinner time.. i do give tiki kitty canned food for mid day when I’m home or if I notice the wet food all gone really fast in the morning. I haven’t noticed food spikes with him. Only if I give gravy wet food, or some treats. (Both more HC, I know all dry food is HC) but he is on the M/D and it doesn’t seem to cause huge spikes like treats or gravy wet.

I have only skipped one dose. And that was when he ripped off his sensor the first time. And I think I will be okay to give more next time this happens since I’ve seen how he responds a bit. Like I said I’m proud of myself for actually giving 1U when he was in range.. that was totally new. I’ve always let him get above 200 but I needed to give insulin right then.. so I am proud that I did give even though he needed more.. slowly with more exposure and giving insulin at the lower numbers I am getting more confident in it. And all of your help!! It’s really helping me get more gutsy with it and helping me understand this way more…. So thank you!! Words cannot express my thankfulness/gratitude for all your help!!

he has stated his rise in the bounce.
 
Okay so Pika is in a bounce and he shot up high around +7 +8. I am home for the night… do the 2.5U at 8 (I know technically it’s 1hr early) but I can at his usual time if possible or I can even do the 8:30 so it’s closer to the 12 and 12 then I can give his 8 am shot on time.

snd I can see that today I could have done 1.5 and been okay.. I think I get so worried about leaving him with something new happening.. this was a fist of staying in range for more 50% of the time. And you guys are the ones who helped me do that last night!

As more exposure to in range numbers and shooting at these lower numbers I will get better please just hang in there with me I’m getting better slowly.. and Pika is slowly too! I know I’m a pain in the booty. But thank you!!
 
I think if you have not yet shot you should shoot 2.0 and see how it goes and if you can shoot that every cycle. I may be too late though.
 
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