Help-Wacky AMPS, shot or no shot?!

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WickedSteppMom

WickedSteppMom

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OK, I'm confused at Stinky's AMPS of 42. I fed him afterwards & have not given him any insulin yet b/c I'm not sure how much to give (if any at all.) He ate just fine & is acting just fine--no signs of hypo or anything like that. What's confusing me is that we just started testing yesterday & AMPS=248, PMPS=286, w/ food & 1 unit of ProZinc following, and shots were 12 hrs apart. We do 4 small meals/day, wet food. It had been Purina EN (gastroenteric formula) w/some Friskies mixed in for flavor, but I started doing more Friskies/less Purina on Tuesday when we got the diabetes dx, then stopped Purina completely on Thurs. Now we have some Special Kitty, Friskies & Sophistacat (Thanks to Binky's list!) They (both cats) have a bowl with 1/2 cup dry food to free feed on, but I'm going to be phasing that out entirely. In the mean time, I've switched it to Innova Evo since they've had it before & it doesn't require a transition from the old food to the new.

So, is this morning's # just reflective of the insulin doing it's job, starting to regulate his system, AND the dietary changes? Should I give no shot, a reduced dose, or just stick w/the regular 1 unit since we've just started? We appreciate any help!

~Alyssa & Stinky
 
WickedSteppMom said:
OK, I'm confused at Stinky's AMPS of 42. I fed him afterwards & have not given him any insulin yet b/c I'm not sure how much to give (if any at all.) He ate just fine & is acting just fine--no signs of hypo or anything like that.
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Can you retest just to rule out possiible meter error? If the second number comes out similar, do not give any insulin. 42 is a normal non-diabetic number. Newbies should not give any insulin if the PS is under 200 mg/dl.

The 42 can be a combination of insulin and the slow diet change. Can you do a few random bg tests today to get an idea of how your cat is doing today? If PMPS goes up over 200 then you will need to give insulin. If it's still under, post again and ask for dosing advice.
 
Without a lot of data to work with, the norm with those just starting out of insulin and testing is no shot under 200. Especially with a 42 for a preshot as that is even on the low side of normal (40-150 being normal for a non-diabetic).

Normally with a low number like that we would advise not to feed and retest in 30 minutes, to see if he has come up enough to shoot. But since you have already fed, you may have a food influenced number when you retest (food spike). Also without in midcycle numbers we aren't sure how far down he really went. So in this case I would error on the side of caution and skip, if this was my cat. He maybe higher than normal tonight but better a day high than a moment too low.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Thanks! I tried to get another BG test, but after multiple sticks, his ears didn't want to bleed for me & he was getting pretty agitated, so I soothed him & let it go for now. I will test him again in a couple of hours, and depending upon the results, again before lunch. I just need to keep reminding myself that it WILL get easier, since I don't know how to reassure my crabby kitty.

~Alyssa & Stinky
 
I have one word for getting kitty to like being tested.............TREATS!!! Whether you get blood or not, for every ear prick attempt there should be a nice low carb treat involved. And a "special" treat that only shows up when mom is going to stab me in the ear...lol. For my two that is just little shreds of plain boiled chicken. It is their favorite and they only get it when it is "pokie time."

Musette will be waiting in her testing spot when it is time to test because she knows that she gets her chicken bites then, and even Maxwell who has been in remission now and only gets tested twice a month will be waiting at Musette's testing times because he still associates testing with treats.

The other rule of thumb is 3 tries and your out, if you don't get blood on the first 3 tries, take a break, love on kitty, praise him for being good about it (whether he is or not :-D ) and let it go for awhile, then when everyone's nerves are restored try again.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Alyssa
Now that it is 4 or 5 hours past shot time, no matter what kind of number you get you should not give any shot until his next regularly scheduled one. You want the shots to be as close to 12 hours apart as possible.
Make sure to test a few minutes before then so you will kniw for sure that it will be safe to shoot.
Carl

No shot if under 200 is the safest rule to follow for now.
 
I tested him again mid-morning & got another 42. I thought it was weird that I got the exact same number that I'd gotten a few hours earlier, so I tested myself & got a 98 (I hadn't eaten anything yet, but had a can of soda to help w/a headache.) I tested him again before his lunch & he got a 57. I think I'm going to test him later this afternoon just to see how he's doing & then before his evening meal/shot time.

~Alyssa & Stinky
 
Those are all good non-diabetic numbers. He may not need a shot tonight. Make sure to post his bg at shot time and ask for afvice.
Carl
 
Sounds like Stinky is doing great today! So good of mommy bean to ask before shooting! Go mommy Go! :smile:
 
OK, I did a mid-afternoon test=63, and just did his PMPS test=87. I'm supposed to feed both kitties their dinner now & would normally give him his shot after, but am assuming I should also skip tonight's shot, since he's still under 200. So, is this normal-to not need to do shots so soon after being dx'd? I hope to start getting my spreadsheet filled in later tonight, but I am keeping a notebook in the kitchen.

~Alyssa & Stinky
 
If you recently changed to a wet lo carb diet, it may be that the diet is impacting his numbers in a very positive way.

Yes, skip tonight's shot. You may get a higher number in the morning as he has been without insulin for a while. If so, don't react to that number. You still need to reduce your dose and give a smaller amount.
 
It's possible the diet change is all you.needed. Don't worry about insulin unless you get.a number over 200. Do keep checking at "shot time" even if you don't give a dose.

Congratulations on a great start.
 
Like Sue and Oliver said, I did get a higher number this morning, but it was still under 200 (184) so I fed him & haven't given him a shot. Should I continue to monitor every few hours today, or maybe just reduce it to before lunch & PMPS? I'm really starting to wonder if that Purina EN (gastroenteric) he'd been on is essentially crap. I know it's bad for diabetic kitties, since you can see big pieces of rice in it, but I'll bet it's high in carbs too & both kitties wouldn't touch it unless I mixed some Friskies w/it. (HA-they knew what they really needed!)

~Alyssa & Stinky
 
Hi Alyssa ( and Stinky-what a great name!)
Since you gave no shot, you don't need multiple tests today. Lunch and tonights preshot would be fine. I would expect your number tonight to be over 200 so stinky will probably need some insulin tonight.
Numbers are looking realy good!
Carl
 
His # before lunch was 249, but I think that may be a *little* artificially inflated b/c he'd eaten some of the dry food that's out. On the plus side, I think we're going to be able to completely get rid of that sooner than I thought. They aren't really snacking as often or as much on the dry food now that we've made the dietary changes...yay!

~Alyssa & Stinky
 
That would be great, but I'm trying (very hard) not to get my hopes up just yet. I put 1/4 cup of the EVO in the shared bowl yesterday morning at about 7 am & there's still a large portion of it left, so the dry food shouldn't be influencing things by that much. However, this morning his # was 179, so he didn't get a shot again! AND, best of all...he was laying in his spot on the rug & when I sat down next to him and started petting him, he didn't gripe at me and move away; he was actually PURRING!! I know it sounds ridiculous that I'm freaking out b/c my cat was purring, but he has been so cranky for so many months-not wanting to be petted much, and rarely purring. I just want so much for him to feel better & be happy...I'm not asking for cheerful/sprightly, just content.
 
It doesn't sound ridiculous at all to most of us on this board that you are ecstatic to have him purring....I think just about all of us wanted to run outside screaming at the top of our lungs with joy, the first time we heard our sugarbabies purr again, or play with their toys, or jump on a counter under their own power etc. At least I know I did, especially since I adopted both of mine very ill as diabetics....The first time Maxwell actually purred and wanted to play was a red letter day here, as well as the first time Musette (who always purred) was able to jump up on the bathroom sink under her own power. (she had neuropathy when I adopted her).

To most cat owners they would think we have lost our minds to be happy about the little things like a purr, a chasing of a string or getting into trouble by jumping on a counter, but when it comes to Sugarcats' moms and dads....we get it. :-D

Congrats on what we hope is many more purrs to come! Just FYI even a couple of pieces of dry kibble will cause Musette's BGs to rocket up while with Maxwell it doesn't effect at all, so just try to remember every cat is different, and some are far more carb sensitive than others. But with as low of numbers as you are getting already with even a tiny bit of dry down, once you eliminate it completely you just very well may have a diet controlled diabetic.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Congrats to Stinky!! - and stay out of that dry! ;-)
Bean can just eat about 1 mouthfull of dry and her numbers would go up soo high! This was hard for me to comprehend at first, just did not seem believable. That is why I am so glad my Civvie Slappy no longer has dry. She is sooo picky. Maybe Stinky will be the same way.

Having you soo happy about the purr reminds me when Bean played with her toy on the rug for the first time in a long time! OMG.... yes, I cried for a while! And not only did I cry, I got on the phone and called EVERYONE I could think of to let them know (even if they thought I was crazy)! :shock:

I also still panick when I see her heading for the bathroom and looking up at the counter as that is where she decided to live and want a constant stream of water.... I just thought she developed a new habit! I still hold my breath and see if she wants on the counter or not, and of course (so far) does not, she is just seeing if her mommy bean is paying attention. Due to her remission, mommy is not testing all of the time and I just freak when I see her going toward that room! nailbite_smile ----lol

Keep up the good work!
 
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