How soon to hope for stabilizing?

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ShannonP

Member Since 2016
I am probably setting my expectations to high, just curious how early numbers might stabilize to know whether the insulin brand will work of if the dose needs to be adjusted?
 
He was at 295 this morning and 252 this evening. :( Better than the 484 a week ago from yesterday when he was diagnosed but still of of course much higher than is healthy. He is only eating the FF beef or chicken pates.
 
Hi Shannon,

Depending on the cat, it can take a while to see a return to safe, healthier numbers for most of the day. Just as a cat's body is likely have to developed diabetes over time so, too, does it take time for the kitty's body to relearn how to operate at normal BG levels again. Even getting into numbers that are still too high but lower than the cat has been used to recently can see the liver and the endocrine system going to DEFCON 1 and dumping glucose and counter-regulatory hormones into the bloodstream to protect the cat because it thinks the cat is in danger of becoming hypoglycaemic; a phenomenon referred to here as 'bouncing'. Insulin treatment, therefore, is typically a process of incremental dose adjustments (may be up or down - appproach may vary with insulin type) to allow the cat's body get used to lower numbers again. It's not unlike the process our bodies go through when we have to titrate medication doses to minimise side effects or withdrawal symptoms.

Looking at his spreadsheet, Wesley seems to be responding well to his insulin. How are his clinical signs? Any reduction in drinking and peeing? How's his appetite? His coat condition?

I've not used ProZinc but I'm tagging @Sue and Oliver (GA) to ask her to have a look at Wesley's spreadsheet. I am wondering whether some of those pinks you've seen might be bounces.

Be sure to get mid-cycle tests. Some of those nadirs (lowest BG reading in the cycle) while safe and healthy need to be kept an eye on to make sure a dose doesn't take Wesley too low.

You're going great guns altogether! :)


Mogs
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I think his numbers look pretty good for early days. In general, with a human meter mid 200s are good for preshot. We suggest you no shoot under 200 until you have more data to know how the dose might affect him. You want him above 50 for nadir. The one cycle with the 85 at +4 might have had a lower number around +6 and might have caused a bounce. A bounce is when his body perceives a lower number than it has been used to and it releases extra glucose. This causes the next number and sometimes cycle to bounce up higher than expected.

Have you seen the protocol we put together for ProZinc? It's in my signature in blue.

Now you have your spreadsheet up, you might post on the PZI forum. Everyone there uses or has used your insulin and can help you with dosing. And checking out other spreadsheets can be helpful too.
 
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