Help understanding BG readings

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Missy & Tammy

Missy & Tammy

Member Since 2020
I don't quite understand what is going on. I was concerned about Missy possibly having low BG tonight as during the day after her morning shot at +6 she reached 113.

Tonight after her evening shot at +6 she was 288. It's like the insulin hasn't started working at all.

What is going on? Is this normal and will she have days or nights like this?

I have been setting my alarm and waking up every two hours to test. I'm thinking with her being at 288 right now I could probably let her go for 3-4 hours without testing her. What do you think? Or should I continue with every two hours?

Thanks for any help you can offer. Spreadsheet has been updated for review.
 
Hi Tammy, the higher numbers that you are seeing after lower numbers is what we call a bounce. Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast. The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver".

Some cats go low at night and bounce in the day.

You don't have to test every 2 hours in every cycle. Usually with Lantus, a +2 will give you an idea of how "active" the cycle is going to be. If the +2 is significantly lower than PS, then more tests are required later in the cycle.

In Missy's case the Lantus depot has not yet stabilized and will take a week to do so. Numbers could be a little wonky till then. She is pretty flat tonight and you can stop testing. The other thing you need to keep in mind is meter variance which could be up to 15-20%. So while 288 is higher than 250, it is within the same range - largely flat.

Here's the link to your previous post - https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/dosing-question-1st-low-reading-below-200.240857/
 
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Wow you are a wealth of information. I can’t thank you enough for easing my mind a bit. I was getting concerned. Each day as her and I go through this journey I learn a little more. I’ve started a binder with a collection of articles from FDMA and replies like yours. I find them so helpful.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond to me. I really appreciate it a lot. :)
 
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