High at 4am, give dose early or wait?

It’s okay to give him his shot now. I understand that going low is a concern because of his other health problems, but you really don’t want to wait for him to get to the 300’s either as that is hard on his body as well.
 
Thanks for your quick reply! :bighug: I immediately gave him his shot and then immediately tested and he had already jumped to 368. That was a quick jump from 281 to 368.

What do you think Lewie's "safe to shoot" number should be?
 
While those numbers are lower than he normally is they aren’t too low by any means. I’d go ahead and shoot.
 
What is a "safe to shoot" number?

Also, I need to get him back to shooting at 8am and then to 7am to fit in my schedule better. How do I acheive this?
 
Kathy4Lewie said:
What is a "safe to shoot" number?

Also, I need to get him back to shooting at 8am and then to 7am to fit in my schedule better. How do I acheive this?
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Safe to shoot number varies depending on kitty's reactions (moderate versus volatile) and also the amount of data you have with a variety of doses/PS numbers. With Lewie's health issues you'd want to err on the side of caution. I think anything over 200 is probably safe for you at this point.

You have about an hour's flexibility time wise with ProZinc so you could shift by an hour at a time.
 
Ok, Tonight I'll test to see where he is and try to give his shot an hour early.

Thanks for your thoughts on Lewie's "safe to shoot" number... it's good to have this point.

What is a "volatile" reaction?
 
Kathy4Lewie said:
Ok, Tonight I'll test to see where he is and try to give his shot an hour early.

Thanks for your thoughts on Lewie's "safe to shoot" number... it's good to have this point.

What is a "volatile" reaction?
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Volatile refers to dramatic reactions to insulin - dropping low and rebounding high. It often goes along with a spreadsheet that looks like a rainbow.
 
I checked Lewie's number at +8 which has been his normal nadir and it was 69. It was his pill and dinnertime. This is the lowest it's ever been. Seems like he's had a lot of lows lately but then my schedule has been off.

I'm wondering if I should give him 3.25 instead of 3.5 tonight.

Thoughts?
 
I just tested him at +11 and his value is 232, so I'm going to go ahead and give him 3.25 u now. As discussed above, I need to move his shot time up.

I can wait a little if you're still online...
 
Sorry no one was around earlier, but I think you made a good decision. And yay for getting a green! Looks like he didn't have too much trouble getting back on track after the skipped dose. :cat:
 
Thank you Djamila. Kris & Teasel gave me the information I needed... I was just being nervous :nailbiting: and seeking some hand holding!

Thank you for confirming my decision. Yes, Lewie has felt good today and I'm so happy that he recovered from yesterday. I sure hope to never do that again.
 
We're here to hold your hand when we can! I used to need that just as much. We totally get that feeling. :)
 
Thank you so much Rachel. I really appreciate all the help. I don't know how people do it without this great team coaching along the way... everyday seems like a new adventure! Lewie REALLY appreciates the help. His purrs are the biggest rewards and the reflection that I'm getting things right... he even seems to know I have to poke him for a reason. With Halloween approaching and all the decorations in the stores... I've started using the Dracula voice at test time and I say "I vant to suck your blood"... he thinks that's kinda funny and gives me purrs. What a guy!
 
I'm just getting ready to go to bed and Lewie seems anxious... he keeps wanting food and every time I walk past him he looks at me asking for food even though he just ate... a LOT.
So I took a reading and at post shot +3.5 he is at 155.... this seems too low because his nadir isn't until +8.
Are we going to get into trouble tonight? Hypo?
 
Sounds like he's doing fine. That 127 is lovely and not too low even with his medical issues. You deserve a good night's sleep now!

Maybe he was just hoping he could con you into a little extra food? ;)
 
Thanks Rachel for your early morning post. I saw it and it made me feel better so I feel back asleep! The new numbers are nice even though they make me nervous since I'm accustomed to higher numbers. Lewie is definitely feeling better with the lower numbers!
 
I need some advice... I messed up!
I've been trying to befriend a 6-month-old semi-feral cat to see if he was microchipped and I finally caught him this afternoon. He was apparently trapped by the city in the last sweep, fixed and ear tipped and returned to the trap location... except they released him at the wrong house. I finally caught him today. My cats were out on my screen-in porch and in my hurry to lure them back inside... always with the shake of the cat food can and an extra treat... I forgot that I'm not feeding that food anymore! I gave Lewie a pile of the dry cat food that he USED to eat before diabetes!
What do I do? What should I expect with Lewie's numbers? (oh he was in heaven though)
Update: This occurred at +7. I just tested him at +8 and he was at 95. Too low for just having eaten 1/4 dry food full of carbs right? Maybe he will be ok.
 
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Ack! Well it happens...it is surprising he didn't go higher yet, but he MIGHT (I think dry food takes a little while to get in the system). It's no big deal if he does go high though...it's just one day and one cycle! I wouldn't worry about it.
 
You're so right... Ack!
He was super high in the blacks 5 days ago when I went out of town and I had to do the skip. So we just have to wait it out when they go high between shots? Can't just give a little insulin?
 
Alas, no. If you do that you end up with one shot hitting nadir in conflict to the other shot, and then there's no way to predict what happens next. Besides, he's too low to shoot right now anyway. It's possible that with his regular dose and a bit of luck, he might just process this one little treat and not go sky high. And just like with the skipped shot -- it's only one cycle and even if he does go high, you'll get him back on track soon enough.
 
Excellent point!
I just checked and he is on his way up. At +10 he is 232. I've been trying to bump his shot time up in the morning to get back on a earlier schedule. If I test at +11 and he is still increasing (confirming that he indeed is on the way up), is it ok if I shoot at +11 (since ProZinc has the 1 hour window)?
UPDATE: I shot at +11.5
 
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Sorry Kathy! I was headed off to dreamland when you posted. Generally, you CAN shoot an hour early, but I avoid it when I can because then you either have to shoot at 13 hours post shot the next day, or move your shot time earlier and that cycle continues...until you're shooting at midnight! But +11.5 should be fine. I don't think it will HURT, it's just about your schedule and the insulin overlap.
 
I agree with Rachel that in general you want to be as consistent as possible to avoid the ever-changing shot times. However, since you are trying to actually change the shot time, and you verified that he was rising, then shooting early for that cycle was fine. It looks like you only moved about 30 minutes though. How far do you need to move to get to the schedule you want?
 
Djamila... I need to move it 30 more minutes earlier. That will allow me to shoot at 8am/8pm.
Isn't the rule not to feed 2 hours before the shot? So I need to feed him either at 6am or 8am?
 
I tested Lewie this morning at +12 and he is HIGH (600+) so I guess that carb meal yesterday afternoon DID mess him up. And we were doing so good.
 
Yes, two hours w/o food, so your suggestion is right on: Feed at 6am, and then wait until 8am for the official test/feed/shoot. Or just teach him to wait until 8am for breakfast.

Assuming his numbers stay consistent with his typical patterns, you should be able to move the shot time that other 30 minutes earlier with no problem.
 
Thank Djamila. He can wait till 8am... it's just me that feels guilty because he wakes up at 5am and patiently waits!
 
My Super Walmart no long carries the ReliOn Confirm so I'm in the market for a new lacing device (we paw test), meter, and test strips. Can you recommend a brand that will provide similar test results as the Confirm? I definitely want a better lacing device because I have a lot of trouble with the Confirm with the lancets not seating properly consistently causing me to have to try several times to get a blood drop. Thanks in advance for suggestions.
 
I use this meter: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/8178/agamatrix-presto-blood-glucose-meter-kit-and-strips I believe it takes a 0.5ul drop of blood which is a little bigger than one of the ReliOn's, but except when Sam was sick and dehydrated, we haven't had a problem getting enough blood. And even then it just required a little extra squeeze.

For lancets, I usually use these: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/1207/advocate-glucose-lancets Although I don't use a lancing device, so I can't speak to how well they work with that.

As an added bonus, these are the same strips that are sold at Kroger pharmacies under their store brand, so if you have any of their grocery stores near where you live, you can buy them locally in a bind.
 
Thank you Djamila. The lancets look nice being triple beveled. And I see that the tops are pull-off instead of twist-off. One reviewer said the twist-off are less than safe and I agree... I've worried about dropping a circular top and another cat eating it! Thanks for the links.
 
Question time. :bookworm:
I'm having to stall again. Here are his numbers:
+12=170 so I gave him his pills (in 1/2 duck pill pocket) + dinner of Fancy Feast kitten thinking that would raise his blood sugar as it normally does, but it didn't.
+12.5=174 and I feed him more food.
+13=207
I use 200 as Lewie's "safe to shoot" number.
Do these low readings mean that I need to reduce his insulin dosage *OR* is this some leftover effect from the big high this morning that was probably a result of me feeding him carb food yesterday afternoon?
UPDATE: +13.5=225, therefore, 3.0 units were given. Rationale: Yesterday afternoon's nadir was 95, and tonight's need to stall. Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my decision. Thanks!
 
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Normally I would say that I don't think the reduction was necessary. However, given that he had a little high carb feast yesterday, it was probably wise. Carbs and dehydration (a side effect of dry food) can each make the numbers more volatile, so since he got a high-carb dry snack, it means that while he would normally have been safe with the full dose, he might have surprised you. If you can, get a before bed test to make sure he's looking okay. It can take a few days to settle back down.
 
His numbers were acting a little strange tonight. One thing I did differently is this: I moved his pill pocket to +12 instead of giving it to him at +10. These are the lower carb Duck & Pea kind. I know they affect his number some so my delay was to let him stay low for another 2 hours. So I don't know if it was the pill pocket, effects from yesterdays carb meal, or that he needs less insulin... or the dehydration (I gave him fluids this a.m. and looks great)... or the volitileness...

I can test at +1 which is now. Our schedule is so messed up! What might you expect his numbers to be tonight? I'm not sure what to expect as he settles back down so any thoughts are appreciated!
 
It's really hard to predict right now given all of the other variables the past couple of days. I think my hope would be that he'll have some greens tonight since he's starting the cycle off on a lower number than normal. But you want his +1 to be higher than his PMPS number. If it's lower, especially if it's notably lower, you may want to set an alarm, or at least be very sensitive if you hear Lewie meowing or trying to wake you up during the night.
 
+1.5=211 which is LOWER than his PMPS of 225.
+2.5=212 still LOWER
+5=218
So then, this isn't good, huh?
I gave him his shot at 10pm Central Time, so technically his nadir will be at 6am Central Time. I think I'll go to bed and get up at 5am to test him.
 
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Kathy4Lewie said:
My Super Walmart no long carries the ReliOn Confirm so I'm in the market for a new lacing device (we paw test), meter, and test strips. Can you recommend a brand that will provide similar test results as the Confirm? I definitely want a better lacing device because I have a lot of trouble with the Confirm with the lancets not seating properly consistently causing me to have to try several times to get a blood drop. Thanks in advance for suggestions.
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Are you looking for a new device because you can no longer get the size lancets you need or is your device worn out and you need a replacement? I have a new device that came with the Relion Micro I’d be glad to send you. I believe it uses the same lancets that the Confirm does. At least, the meters use the same strips. I don’t use the device nor do many others who test.
 
Rachel said:
Hmmm...strange that he was staying so flat. I'm hoping you'll see some greens at nadir.
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I just tested at +8 nadir and he is down a little at 178. I'll test again at +10 because I'll need to give him a snack for breakfast (this will be 8am central time).

UPDATE: Tested at +10=158. Gave pills in 1/2 pill pocket + 1/2 breakfast
UPDATE: Tested at +12=317. Gave 3 units = 1/2 breakfast. I gave 3 units because I don't want to need to stall tonight since the shot time is at 10pm Central Time. I need to start moving back to 8am Central Time.

Thoughts?
 
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Bama Kitty Mom (AL): Yes, I'd like to try your lancet device, especially since the Micro uses the same strips as the Confirm... this is good to know since I'm almost out of strips again. I waste a lot of strips because I don't have the proper size blood drop. I guess I don't know how to put the lancet in it properly and it takes me several tries to get blood. I'm hoping the Micro device will be easier to put the lancet in properly so that I get the same depth each time without me having to fiddle with the lancet placement. Hope this makes sense. Thank you.
 
Kathy4Lewie said:
Bama Kitty Mom (AL): Yes, I'd like to try your lancet device, especially since the Micro uses the same strips as the Confirm... this is good to know since I'm almost out of strips again. I waste a lot of strips because I don't have the proper size blood drop. I guess I don't know how to put the lancet in it properly and it takes me several tries to get blood. I'm hoping the Micro device will be easier to put the lancet in properly so that I get the same depth each time without me having to fiddle with the lancet placement. Hope this makes sense. Thank you.
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Have you tried just using the lancet without the device? I twist off the protective circle, look for the bezel and hold the lancet bezel side up. Put your protective cotton pad behind the ear to protect your fingers. Come at the spot you're going to prick at an angle rather than straight down and give a couple quick pokes. I try to do a couple pokes close together so that between the two, there will be enough blood to wisk into the strip. Have you watched the YouTube video @JanetNJ links in her signature? She shows how she tests her cat and it was very helpful to me.

Send me a private message with your address and I'll mail you the lancing device. You do that from the top of the page under Conversations (PM).
 
Bama Kitty Mom (AL) said:
Have you tried just using the lancet without the device? I twist off the protective circle, look for the bezel and hold the lancet bezel side up. Put your protective cotton pad behind the ear to protect your fingers. Come at the spot you're going to prick at an angle rather than straight down and give a couple quick pokes. I try to do a couple pokes close together so that between the two, there will be enough blood to wisk into the strip. Have you watched the YouTube video @JanetNJ links in her signature? She shows how she tests her cat and it was very helpful to me.
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Lewie absolutely hated me testing his ear so I test using his metacarpal foot pad.
 
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