Hey everyone, Pooper's update

[rbrumbaugh82]

Its been a while I know since I have been on here. I just haven't been on here because I felt like there isn't anything new you guys can tell me or what I can say. Time has passed and Pooper's ear hematoma has healed up and the scab fell off the other day. Just a bit scarred but thats about it. Despite what anyone says I did it because nothing else was working. I am up to 4.5 units of insulin for Pooper's because being on 2 units wasn't doing anything for him even after 5 days. I just got YA Zero Carb and when I checked his glucose shortly after he ate the food for the first time and it was 170 I thought it was the food. However, an hour later it went up and up again. It was over 400 before I gave him his shot. I just do not understand anything anymore and just about to give up any hope. All I hear is the success stories of everyone who has had their cats on wet FF or friskies and getting their cats' numbers to drop to normal range along with Lantus and yet I can't even come close to that. I know you guys will say I am giving him too much insulin and it will damage him but he does not drop to healthy numbers and yeah most days he stays consistent throughout the day but in the evenings his numbers spike. So wet food isn't working and going to see what YA does but not sure on that. I could drop his insulin to 2-3 units and I bet it wouldn't do a darn thing to put him into a better range. Remember, he is a 21 pound cat and I'm sure most of you with success DO NOT have an overweight cat so thats probably going against me along with something else that I don't want to be wrong that probably is. Just has been a very stressful time with things. Pray for betterness!

 

[Stacym20]

Sorry to hear Pooper is not doing better yet. I don't have any advice, I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in your frustrations. Bud has been on insulin for 5 months now and he is still unregulated. I too am like you, I read of all these great stories of cats being on insulin for 2 weeks and going into remission and am totally jealous. What helps me realize that I am not alone is to stalk some other spreadsheets and see what they are dealing with. I believe there is a cat in Lantus and Levemir forum that is on 45 units. I couldn't even imagine... Keep chugging along and I hope you find what works real soon!

 

[manxcat419]

Actually, although I know you'll think it's only a slight difference because it's only some of his numbers, I do see an improvement - this dose is at least getting him some blues. And it's likely that the cycles in between the blues are bounces because blue is lower than he's used to being right now. He's been on 4.5 for a few days now - I'm not that comfortable with higher doses as Rosa never went above 2 units, nor generally with dosing advice as I still feel like I don't know enough (and probably never will either) but hopefully someone with more experience at these doses will look in and give you their opinion. If it was me with just an occasional blue in there after 9 cycles and no green yet, I'd probably be inclined to go with a small increase - maybe another 0.25?

 

[rbrumbaugh82]

I thought of going to 5 units but want it to be safe. I don't see where 0.5 would drop him big time. I am just testing now with this dry food since its supposed to be like 3% carbs and 0% digestible carbs if it will help to drop his glucose then I can decrease numbers.

 

[manxcat419]

I'm really not certain enough. The 5 units might be fine, but he does look to me from those random blues like he might be getting close to a breakthrough point where he starts coming back down - I'm not sure I'd want to push it too fast at this point especially with a food change on board at the same time. You could maybe try a 0.25 increase for 6 cycles and then add the other 0.25 if he still needs it after that?

 

[Meya14]

Max had to go as high as 7U of levemir before we started even seeing some better numbers. You look like you are getting closer. 0.5 units or even 0.25U increases as his sugars get better will be important. Hang in there, it can be really frustrating not seeing results. You could increase to 4.75 or 5 because you are still in the high zone. I try to keep max's nadirs lower than where you are at. Sometimes, that last 0.5U can do a lot, so be aware.

I'd have a plan how you want to tackle getting the BS under control. Focus on either food or insulin, not both because when you are changing too many things at once it's hard to know what caused the change.

I do increases/decreases usually by 0.5 units because I have a hard time seeing the marks, but also because Max's dose is pretty high, and really I can't spend 2-3 weeks increasing or decreasing when he requires changes to dose. He swings in his insulin need quite a bit.

 

[manxcat419]

Thanks for the input @Meya14 Because I never went above 2 units with Rosa, it was all 0.25 increases so increasing 0.5 at a time makes me really nervous as I saw what happened even with a small increase once she hit that "enough" point. I might be being too conservative, but I'm always very much safety first when I'm not sure if the bigger increase would be safe!

 

[Meya14]

Yeah the relative change when you are on a higher dose makes things a little different. However, max does get a "breakthrough" at a certain dose, and then we usually end up reducing after a couple days cause his pancreas starts working I guess. To get to 7 units at 0.25 increases, it takes 28 increases x 3 days = 3 months to get to the dose. That could cause some problems taking so long in some cats.

rbr: Max is a fatty too, he's got a short body cause he's a manx, and is about 17lbs. I have a friend who calls him "piglet"

 

[manxcat419]

Ouch - you're right...I'd never worked it out in how many days it would take to get to a dose! I agree though, once they hit a breakthrough point it can all happen pretty fast after that. Maybe the overall message is that with a bigger increase, you have to be really vigilant with the testing - but it doesn't look like that's an issue here as I'm seeing a good amount of tests on Poopers ss

 

[bsmith]

There's nothing you can do but just keep on doing what you're doing and hope that eventually Pooper's body will get the hang of things. I agree with @Meya14 that trying the YA food a little bit longer, to see if it will help without increasing Pooper's insulin dose, sounds like a good idea. Even my cat Edwin, who seems to be one of those short term insulin and quickly regulated cats, took a few days on YA before getting the full effect.

It's definitely a good thing that you're seeing some blue now. The fact that Pooper's body is not used to those types of numbers could definitely be causing higher numbers afterwords. His body may be confused by having lower numbers all of a sudden and is trying to get itself back to numbers that, while not normal, seem "normal" to his body. ECID and some cats have bodies that just require more time to respond to treatment. Keep up the good work and keep hoping for better days ahead.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I thing you are making good progress. Since you have recently changed back to Young Again you mayhae to adjust the does. Some cats are just hard to regulate. My Badger is one. The other day I even got a HI as a preshot. This morning he did give me a nice PS in 300's. I adopted him as an already being treated diabetic.
Just keep going. You are dong the best you can. Cats like to keep you on your toes. My Patches II through me a PS of 31 this morning.

 

[Tuxedo Mom]

Your Pooper was diagnosed abut the same time as my Tuxie. since then I have been through every emotion possible and some I never knew existed. Like yourself I have followed this forum and felt so depressed at reading the success stories and the "doing great" stories (happy for the members but sad my Tuxie wasn't following their examples) My spreadsheet only shows a month period since I didn't create an online spreadsheet before that but I have months of testing figures written down. Mostly Tuxie's numbers had been in the black and red ranges.

I have had him tested for Cushing's, IAA and acromegaly and as much as I would have freaked if any of them came back positive (they were all negative) at least I would have had an answer to why he was not responding. I had a dental done with 2 extractions and was so hopeful that would help with his numbers..but no luck. Since the dental I have just been doing slow increases and lots of testing. Finally I am getting more pinks and yellows and some blues and even a couple of greens ...which REALLY freaked me since I had never seen green with Tuxie before.

Tuxie may never be totally regulated..I have basically given up hoping that he will hit remission, but at this point and time he is doing better, both with his numbers and his overall quality, so that is a positive. I remember the days thinking "what the hell am I doing??" wondering if it wouldn't be kinder to let Tuxie go, wondering if I would ever get a good night's sleep again or have a social life again. It has only been 4 months but sometimes it seems like years. So I understand your frustration, but sometimes progress is marked in small steps... seeing pinks instead of blacks..an odd blue instead of regular reds...etc.

I will not offer advise on dosing, but I think you are on the right track. There is no magic number for the "right" dose and as is often said here "every cat is different" which is so true. If you look back at your ss Pooper has only had one black number since Feb 18...that is a positive. My Tuxie still hits blacks and reds but I am also seeing lower numbers more often. How good my day is going seems to be measured by what numbers I get testing. Hang in there and don't give up!!

 

[rbrumbaugh82]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. This has been a very struggling and stressful time of things. I keep asking God to help me with this because I am trying everything. I do not want to keep spending money on different things like insulin and foods. I am experiencing vomiting and loose smelly stools now with this food with Poopers. I know he just started eating the sample foods last night and I ordered a Mature Health Zero Carb food from YA which I should be getting by end of the week because I figure this is the best and only dry food out there that is made for diabetic cats that people have had success with. I'm not sure if it is normal to see cats throw up and have loose stools at first with transitioning to a new food. Its hard to transition my cats to this because they weren't eating any other dry food but instead just wet FF food. I wonder if that works the same way in that eating wet food mixing with this food would cause those problems? I really want to see progress and to be able to lower his insulin but I can't when I see him eat the dry food and wait an hour to test him and don't see his numbers drop like YA representatives say it should do. It works on MOST cats so why can't it work for mine? Same thing applies with using Lantus although I may need to get a new Lantus Pen because I got these pens from a friend who donated them to me. I read that he got the prescriptions end of August so the pens probably are atleast 6 months old and while the expiration date on the pens say 2017 they may not be as effective. Maybe if I got a new pen it may work better to lower numbers? What do you guys think?

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

I just do not understand anything anymore and just about to give up any hope. All I hear is the success stories of everyone who has had their cats on wet FF or friskies and getting their cats' numbers to drop to normal range along with Lantus and yet I can't even come close to that.

I'm sorry you're getting discouraged and just want you to know you are NOT alone with that feeling. Hannah and I are in the same boat as you and Pooper... not much progress and no beautiful success story here, either. And we've been at this since May of 2014 when she was diagnosed. I keep telling myself to just take it one day at a time and hang on for the ride, as that seems to be all that works right now. At least my girl is feeling better these days, so that in itself is progress. I hope Pooper is feeling better, too. I wish I had more advice to help you and Pooper, but it looks like all I can offer is sincere sympathy and a whole lot of understanding. If you want to get cheered up, take a look at Hannah's spreadsheet. That should do it for you, LOL. Best wishes.

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

How good my day is going seems to be measured by what numbers I get testing.

Oh, yes, indeedy! Same, here!

 

[Tuxedo Mom]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. This has been a very struggling and stressful time of things. I keep asking God to help me with this because I am trying everything. I do not want to keep spending money on different things like insulin and foods. I am experiencing vomiting and loose smelly stools now with this food with Poopers. I know he just started eating the sample foods last night and I ordered a Mature Health Zero Carb food from YA which I should be getting by end of the week because I figure this is the best and only dry food out there that is made for diabetic cats that people have had success with. I'm not sure if it is normal to see cats throw up and have loose stools at first with transitioning to a new food. Its hard to transition my cats to this because they weren't eating any other dry food but instead just wet FF food. I wonder if that works the same way in that eating wet food mixing with this food would cause those problems? I really want to see progress and to be able to lower his insulin but I can't when I see him eat the dry food and wait an hour to test him and don't see his numbers drop like YA representatives say it should do. It works on MOST cats so why can't it work for mine? Same thing applies with using Lantus although I may need to get a new Lantus Pen because I got these pens from a friend who donated them to me. I read that he got the prescriptions end of August so the pens probably are atleast 6 months old and while the expiration date on the pens say 2017 they may not be as effective. Maybe if I got a new pen it may work better to lower numbers? What do you guys think?

Does Pooper not want to eat wet food??? Overall wet food is better for cats especially diabetic cats. My Tuxie and his civie sister Maxie both eat wet food. I do homemade and have for 8 years now, but I will occasionally give them Friskies pate. When I took Tuxie in to have his anal glands expressed the beginning of March my regular vet was not there so I saw a different vet. We discussed his numbers and the other vet said I should try as an experiment a commercial canned food. I said I did not want to buy prescription food as I had researched it and it was no better than what I was using. He said "no just try something like Friskies pate and see if there is any difference" . I am not doing that since my own food has been checked by a cat nutritionalist and is just fine...plus both cats like it. However it was refreshing to see a vet suggesting a regular wet food rather than a prescription or high price commercial.

I know when I transitioned my cats to homemade 8 years ago there were some "digestive" issues. Maxie, the sister, was a dry food addict and she had vomits and the runs in the beginning. So I started slower with mixing the wet food and dry together and slowly removing the dry. A sudden change in foods can certainly upset the system. Imagine if you went from eating only pizza to eating only salads (just an example,,probably overstated ) You would expect your body to flop around for awhile until it got used to it...so same thing with our kitties.

Another thing I was advised and seems to be helping...Before I was feeding 1/4c of food at each shot time then mini meals or snacks throughout the day. Now I only give a much smaller amount or even a snack of beef and broth at shot time then the 1/4c around +3. That is the time the levemir seems to start kicking in for Tuxie. His nadir runs around +5-+8 so after that time period I only give a small snack or bone broth at testing time. It makes sense for him to have his larger meal when the insulin is starting to work until it reaches it peak. Just something that seems to be working for my Tuxie. Maybeit will help with Poopers as well...trial and error.

 

[rbrumbaugh82]

I'm sorry you're getting discouraged and just want you to know you are NOT alone with that feeling. Hannah and I are in the same boat as you and Pooper... not much progress and no beautiful success story here, either. And we've been at this since May of 2014 when she was diagnosed. I keep telling myself to just take it one day at a time and hang on for the ride, as that seems to be all that works right now. At least my girl is feeling better these days, so that in itself is progress. I hope Pooper is feeling better, too. I wish I had more advice to help you and Pooper, but it looks like all I can offer is sincere sympathy and a whole lot of understanding. If you want to get cheered up, take a look at Hannah's spreadsheet. That should do it for you, LOL. Best wishes.

How much does your girl weigh? Maybe having a heavier cat is working against us and getting it regulated. Most people probably have cats within the normal weight range so it helps their bodies better to regulate and heal. I was noticing your insulin dosages were low too. Perhaps it has to be raised higher since we are dealing with heavier cats? That is what I had to do since lower dosage wasn't doing anything. I hope for the best with our babies and that we can be a success story one day.

 

[rbrumbaugh82]

Does Pooper not want to eat wet food??? Overall wet food is better for cats especially diabetic cats. My Tuxie and his civie sister Maxie both eat wet food. I do homemade and have for 8 years now, but I will occasionally give them Friskies pate. When I took Tuxie in to have his anal glands expressed the beginning of March my regular vet was not there so I saw a different vet. We discussed his numbers and the other vet said I should try as an experiment a commercial canned food. I said I did not want to buy prescription food as I had researched it and it was no better than what I was using. He said "no just try something like Friskies pate and see if there is any difference" . I am not doing that since my own food has been checked by a cat nutritionalist and is just fine...plus both cats like it. However it was refreshing to see a vet suggesting a regular wet food rather than a prescription or high price commercial.

I know when I transitioned my cats to homemade 8 years ago there were some "digestive" issues. Maxie, the sister, was a dry food addict and she had vomits and the runs in the beginning. So I started slower with mixing the wet food and dry together and slowly removing the dry. A sudden change in foods can certainly upset the system. Imagine if you went from eating only pizza to eating only salads (just an example,,probably overstated ) You would expect your body to flop around for awhile until it got used to it...so same thing with our kitties.

Another thing I was advised and seems to be helping...Before I was feeding 1/4c of food at each shot time then mini meals or snacks throughout the day. Now I only give a much smaller amount or even a snack of beef and broth at shot time then the 1/4c around +3. That is the time the levemir seems to start kicking in for Tuxie. His nadir runs around +5-+8 so after that time period I only give a small snack or bone broth at testing time. It makes sense for him to have his larger meal when the insulin is starting to work until it reaches it peak. Just something that seems to be working for my Tuxie. Maybeit will help with Poopers as well...trial and error.

Wet food was what I was feeding him. However, it wasn't doing a darn thing either. All I feel it is doing is giving him hydration and putting junk into his mouth that causes him to get bad breath. This YA Zero carb Mature health food is designed for diabetic and non-diabetic cats and it has like 3% carbs which none are digestible. I think the way this world works is that there is SO MUCH information out there that people want us to believe and I have bought into that mind set. I read something and think okay I better ignore this food and do this because that is what others suggest. I am believing that my cat and cats are not like other cats. They are very picky and have a very stubborn body. The high carbs make Pooper's glucose spike and the 5-10% carb range do the same thing too. I think even the low % carbs didn't help either. So I need to trust in something and that something is I will see how this YA dry food does since my cats seem to like dry more so then wet. They drink water so that helps and I think they get around a half a cup of water a day. I would think many people would Sue YA if their claims were false and that it didn't affect a cat getting urinary problems, kidney problems or causing diabetes. It is supposed to reverse those problems and if they didn't then they'd be out of business and the lady that I talk to there is very nice and friendly and seems like she knows what she is talking about and she said knows about catinfo.org and works with them. I just know that I need to just go with the flow with this food and give it time along with insulin. Maybe sometime soon his body will start to correct itself and something great will happen and I'l have normal numbers.

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

How much does your girl weigh? Maybe having a heavier cat is working against us and getting it regulated. Most people probably have cats within the normal weight range so it helps their bodies better to regulate and heal. I was noticing your insulin dosages were low too. Perhaps it has to be raised higher since we are dealing with heavier cats? That is what I had to do since lower dosage wasn't doing anything. I hope for the best with our babies and that we can be a success story one day.

My little girlie is just a little speck of a kitty. Before she got sick with diabetes, she weighed between 9 and 9 1/2 pounds. After that, she dropped to a little less than 7 pounds and we had one heck of a time trying to get some weight back on her. She is now on daily meds for appetite stimulation and she has managed to get up to a little over 8 1/2 pounds. Sorry I couldn't report that my fur baby is a heavier cat. I suspect that weight likely plays into the dosing amount, but I'm certainly no expert. It just seems logical. I think most initial dosing is based on weight as well as numbers, at least that's what happened with Hannah. I've also been gradually raising Hannah's dose to get better numbers, but then the better numbers come (temporarily) and she bounces sky high. I just can't seem to find the right dose, one way or the other. Plus, what works one or two times, doesn't work the next time around. So frustrating! I don't know that Hannah will ever go into remission. I've pretty much realized that's never going to happen. Right now, I'd just be happy with an insulin-dependent cat that could get some steady, decent numbers. I could almost handle that. I often think Hannah and I are trying to set some sort of record for the longest time ever on the FDMB without any steady progress. Oh, well! I'll be watching and praying for better days for your beautiful Pooper (love that name). Again, best wishes... and hugs!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

. I read that he got the prescriptions end of August so the pens probably are atleast 6 months old and while the expiration date on the pens say 2017 they may not be as effective. Maybe if I got a new pen it may work better to lower numbers? What do you guys think?

If the pen was refrigerated it should be fine. They will last even past their expiration date if not opened/punctured and refrigerated.

 

[Stacym20]

My little girlie is just a little speck of a kitty. Before she got sick with diabetes, she weighed between 9 and 9 1/2 pounds. After that, she dropped to a little less than 7 pounds and we had one heck of a time trying to get some weight back on her. She is now on daily meds for appetite stimulation and she has managed to get up to a little over 8 1/2 pounds. Sorry I couldn't report that my fur baby is a heavier cat. I suspect that weight likely plays into the dosing amount, but I'm certainly no expert. It just seems logical. I think most initial dosing is based on weight as well as numbers, at least that's what happened with Hannah. I've also been gradually raising Hannah's dose to get better numbers, but then the better numbers come (temporarily) and she bounces sky high. I just can't seem to find the right dose, one way or the other. Plus, what works one or two times, doesn't work the next time around. So frustrating! I don't know that Hannah will ever go into remission. I've pretty much realized that's never going to happen. Right now, I'd just be happy with an insulin-dependent cat that could get some steady, decent numbers. I could almost handle that. I often think Hannah and I are trying to set some sort of record for the longest time ever on the FDMB without any steady progress. Oh, well! I'll be watching and praying for better days for your beautiful Pooper (love that name). Again, best wishes... and hugs!

DITTO to EVERY word of this! I could write the exact same thing just replacing the name Hannah with Bud.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

I often think Hannah and I are trying to set some sort of record for the longest time ever on the FDMB without any steady progress.

Aw... Don't lose heart!

And you've got a long way to go before you beat Bertie's record: It was a couple of years before we even began to see any real progress. And I got so demoralised and felt such a failure that I left the forum........only to come back later on, of course....

I have the utmost respect for those dealing with 'hard to regulate' kitties. It takes real dedication and patience, and can be extremely frustrating at times.
Sometimes it feels like we've tried everything and nothing has made any difference despite our best efforts. But the situation may yet improve; things can change over time. And meanwhile you still have the kitty that you know and love, and who is SO much more than the numbers on the spreadsheet...

Eliz

 

[Stacym20]

And I got so demoralised and felt such a failure that I left the forum.

I got to that point where I was feeling sorry for myself and stayed off the forum. I did not want to see the happy success stories. (Although I was truly happy for the people who had them.) But then I realized while I don't have Buds numbers under control, I've been at this long enough that maybe I can help someone else.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

But then I realized while I don't have Buds numbers under control, I've been at this long enough that maybe I can help someone else.

.

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

I got to that point where I was feeling sorry for myself and stayed off the forum. I did not want to see the happy success stories. (Although I was truly happy for the people who had them.) But then I realized while I don't have Buds numbers under control, I've been at this long enough that maybe I can help someone else.

This is exactly what happened to me, Stacy. I figured, "What's the use, this isn't going to work for my baby and if I can't help my own kitty, I'm no good to anyone else, either." I stayed away from the forum for quite a while, then logged in one day just to see what was going on. Someone had questions that I actually had the answers to. I could hardly believe it. So I responded with what I knew on the topic and it was a good feeling to at least be helping someone else. I realized that I do have a lot of experience at this, afterall... and if there's one thing I'm especially good at, it's understanding the frustration of others who have kitties who are also difficult to regulate.

One more thing to add, here: The folks on these forums are the best on the planet. They are smart and caring and devoted... the best of the best and all united by one common bond... sugar kitties. SWEET!!!

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

Aw... Don't lose heart!

And you've got a long way to go before you beat Bertie's record: It was a couple of years before we even began to see any real progress. And I got so demoralised and felt such a failure that I left the forum........only to come back later on, of course....

I have the utmost respect for those dealing with 'hard to regulate' kitties. It takes real dedication and patience, and can be extremely frustrating at times.
Sometimes it feels like we've tried everything and nothing has made any difference despite our best efforts. But the situation may yet improve; things can change over time. And meanwhile you still have the kitty that you know and love, and who is SO much more than the numbers on the spreadsheet...

Eliz

Eliz, I love your reply!! Thank you so much. And I'm hoping Pooper's daddy bean will also be encouraged by your words of wisdom. Well said! You give us hope!

 

[rhiannon and shadow (GA)]

gosh Ryan.....
we've got to get you some patience!

now that you are seeing some blues..... ( which his body is indeed not used to) ..... you need to slow down those increases to 0.25 u at a time.


I will bet you in the late hours in the morning.... on the 3/29 pm cycle.... pooper had some blues, maybe even a high green.....
and then he bounced the next morning to that ugly black number.....

this is absolutely normal.
yes.... frustrating.....
but it is how it works....

when you've got blues showing up.... it is better to increase in 1/4 units... not 1/2's.....
if you miss the right dose,
you'll get even more bounces and he'll go higher..... to0 much insulin does that.


I would love to take credit for getting mine off of insulin quickly, but it was her dance....

Pooper's sugar dance is his unique pattern and you can't control it.....
you just have to let him lead.....

sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture....
you do have progress.....

and his weight does not neccesarily mean that you need to push higher doses on him.....
you've just got to give his body the time it needs, keep the insulin support, quit trying to rush the process ( cuz you can't )


patience, grasshopper!

 

[Peg and Toby]

Don't give up my Toby is a high dose hard to regulate cat. He weighs 15-1/2 lbs. He was DX
about a year and a half ago. He is currently on 17-1/2 units of levemir 2X dailey. he was on 18 units. I was like you I was so discouraged . I didn't think Toby would ever see good numbers. The folks on the LL forum guided me with the dosing and gave me moral support
when I was down. They checked on us everyday and would tell me when to increase the dose. They still keep track of us and cheer us on. I'm not saying your cat will be a high dose cat but that it takes more time to regulate some cats than it does others.

Hang in there, Peg and Toby

 

[BJM]

Remember your cat is more than a glucose test!
Take a look at my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools to see some other assessments that will help you asses how your cat is doing.

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

Ryan, just checking in to see how you and Pooper are doing, today. I notice there are no entries on Pooper's spreadsheet since March 31, so I hope all is well. Hang in there. It will be what it will be and on Pooper's terms. Don't blame him... he didn't want it this way, either. Just keep remembering there are many of us going through the same thing you are experiencing and we are also having trouble understanding why those numbers do what they do. Hugs.

 

[rbrumbaugh82]

gosh Ryan.....
we've got to get you some patience!

now that you are seeing some blues..... ( which his body is indeed not used to) ..... you need to slow down those increases to 0.25 u at a time.


I will bet you in the late hours in the morning.... on the 3/29 pm cycle.... pooper had some blues, maybe even a high green.....
and then he bounced the next morning to that ugly black number.....

this is absolutely normal.
yes.... frustrating.....
but it is how it works....

when you've got blues showing up.... it is better to increase in 1/4 units... not 1/2's.....
if you miss the right dose,
you'll get even more bounces and he'll go higher..... to0 much insulin does that.


I would love to take credit for getting mine off of insulin quickly, but it was her dance....

Pooper's sugar dance is his unique pattern and you can't control it.....
you just have to let him lead.....

sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture....
you do have progress.....

and his weight does not neccesarily mean that you need to push higher doses on him.....
you've just got to give his body the time it needs, keep the insulin support, quit trying to rush the process ( cuz you can't )


patience, grasshopper!

I am not increasing anymore. I am staying at the 4.5 unit mark. If I do increase it is .25 at a time. I don't go from 4 units to 5 or increase more than .5.

 

[rbrumbaugh82]

Don't give up my Toby is a high dose hard to regulate cat. He weighs 15-1/2 lbs. He was DX
about a year and a half ago. He is currently on 17-1/2 units of levemir 2X dailey. he was on 18 units. I was like you I was so discouraged . I didn't think Toby would ever see good numbers. The folks on the LL forum guided me with the dosing and gave me moral support
when I was down. They checked on us everyday and would tell me when to increase the dose. They still keep track of us and cheer us on. I'm not saying your cat will be a high dose cat but that it takes more time to regulate some cats than it does others.

Hang in there, Peg and Toby

Wow, 17 1/2 units seems like a very large dosage and a dose I can't imagine poopers being on. To me I feel like that would overdose him.

 

[Tuxedo Mom]

Patience is needed BIG time when dealing with sugar kitties. My Tuxie has been starting to finally get some blues and lower yellows in the last while...which for him is good compared to his past track record. This morning he gave me a solid black. So that started my day off badly. BUT I will continue on tweaking and reading more to try to get him in the healthier range more of the time. Those bounces really depress me though

 

[Blamethecats and Hannah]

Patience is needed BIG time when dealing with sugar kitties. My Tuxie has been starting to finally get some blues and lower yellows in the last while...which for him is good compared to his past track record. This morning he gave me a solid black. So that started my day off badly. BUT I will continue on tweaking and reading more to try to get him in the healthier range more of the time. Those bounces really depress me though

Same, here, Tuxedo Mom. And patience is so very hard, at times.