I have no idea what to do right now!

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Cindy & T

Cindy & T

Member Since 2013
T's numbers have been all over the place. I started using a different meter a couple of days ago (see here:http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=108801&p=1150144#p1150144) I am fairly certain I missed his shot this morning -- he jerked at a noise and it threw my aim off and I can smell the insulin in his fur. I am pretty sure he got none. I just tested him b/c I wanted to give him his PM shot at 10 hours and his BG was 139. How can that be??? Given the recent numbers? I thought, that can't be right! I tested again -- 132.

I am completely baffled and have no idea whether to give him a shot or not. DCIN is sending me some Bayer Contour test strips and they should be here in a couple of days... meanwhile, I feel like I am shooting in the dark b/c I just don't trust this TrueTrack meter at all.

Any advice????

(He seems to be feeling fine -- normal appetite, bathing and purring, calm... no excessive water consumption, no irritability or anything).
 
Personally I'd be holding that shot. I have no idea what he's up to, but if any numbers are inaccurate on that meter, it's most likely the higher ones. How strange confused_cat
 
Thanks, Becky. I gave him 1/2 can of Fancy Feast and I am holding the shot. I am going to re-test t/o the evening to see where things are...

I am simply baffled.
 
Thanks, I thought of that, but I don't know what I run! I've never tested myself... have been curious sometimes but didn't. So, I wouldn't be able to tell if it is accurate.
 
It's possible he's doing some major diving.... there is the pattern on 11/25 from 470 to 135 in 10 hours.
There may be other occasions of the same dive that you aren't catching. After all, you did have greens on this dose.

IMHO, I would grab a test maybe at least every 4-5 hours to see if I could catch that data. Don't assume that because he's got a high number, he's not dropping.
Of course, with a likely fur shot, it might change the pattern temporarily.
But I think he's doing a lot of "freefalling" and may have even earned a reduction. But you have to catch that number.

He might also just be getting down close to it, but then bouncing back up to reds/blacks. When you see a weird high number like that, it's often
a bounce response.
 
Thanks, Rhiannon! What does "may have earned a reduction" and "but you have to catch that number" mean?
 
Cindy & T said:
Thanks, Rhiannon! What does "may have earned a reduction" and "but you have to catch that number" mean?
Click to expand...

A cat "earns a reduction" when their BG goes below 50 on any given dose, but you tend to want to "catch that number" AKA get a reading below 50 when you test your cat simply to confirm that it happened (some people will reduce doses a little before then, say when the cat is nudging 50 at their low point, but it's a good guide to aim for).
 
Rhiannon, I reduced b/c my vet suggested it after looking at his SS this morning (this was before the 'hi's). She is suspecting a somogyi effect and thinks a reduction might help to stabilize him. I considered doing 1.5 this evening regardless, but he dropped so suddenly yesterday that I decided to go ahead and give him 1 unit for a few days and see what happens (and to stop giving him the furball stuff I have been giving him with the molasses in it, ugh).
 
Good to know! I will try this (and maybe T will share it with me so I can put some in my green smoothies! Looks like it has awesome health benefits for immune systems overall...)
 
I wouldn't know. I am personally allergic to coconut. But there are many here who think it's wonderful... even putting it on toast.

Maybe T's numbers will really show a difference without the hairball stuff.
 
I just gave it to him on Sunday and yesterday... but, those are the days the numbers went really whacky HIGH, so we'll see... still, he was dropping down in to green before that... (and there was the change in meter in there, too... so many factors and variables... )

He's really irritable and thirsty tonight. :-|
 
Hi,
although my Pudge (OTJ) doesn't suffer from hairballs, he does cough up & might even spit up individual hairs unless he gets some white petroleum jelly smeared on his front paws every other day or so. He's long furred & grooms a lot. Perhaps, the same will help your kitty. I've heard that it sends poop smoothly on its way.
Best wishes,
Sophie
 
@Sophie -- I will try the vaseline on his paw and see if he tolerates it. Maybe just once a week or so, to maintain him... my problem is that I wait until I notice there is no activity in the litter box, and then I am like, ruh-roh. I didn't realize there was molasses in the stuff I've been using until tonight. :YMSIGH:

@ Rhiannon -- I've been testing for ketones today, no signs of even a trace, thank goodness.

And -- FINALLY -- I got a number and not letters! He has 'dropped' to 554...
 
You can also try lactulose. There's been some discussion about it on here - it contains a sugar, but apparently it's indigestible to cats. I use it occasionally with Toby, and for him I've never seen it make a difference to his numbers. It also helps them out pretty quickly.

It's a little strange that throughout his curve T read as 'HI'... if he was bouncing, I'd expect to catch at least some lows. Does he eat anything other than the Fancy Feast? Something for his treats, maybe?
 
Becky, thanks for the tip about the lactulose. I used to use that for one of my former cats, so I am familiar with it.

I've been feeding T some other foods lately (we went from 'strictly FF classics' to a variety when I was trying to get him to eat when he completley lost his appetite in Sept/Oct and I was trying to tempt him). I'm pretty sure the foods I've been feeding him the past 24 hours, at least, are good (FF classic flavors; MaxCat Vension chunks; and Friskee's pate flavors). But I may have slipped in a gravy-minced thing yesterday -- before I started really thinking about that (i.e., changed my thought-process from 'anything to get him to eat!' to 'what are the lowest carb foods I have?').

I'm happy to see his numbers are gradually dropping! I got the new strips today and there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in readings! Omg! I did 4 tests (2 drops of blood and I tested both once with the Bayer Contour and then the Truetrack). Results = First test: 311 TT/185 BC. Second test: 336 TT/182 BC. :?
 
Thank you, Rhiannon! After 6 years of him eating nothing but, I have the FF list memorized (that was ALL he would eat! He turned his nose up at anything else, even real chicken and real beef that I offered him from my meals). Now that he has developed a variety of tastes (and has, thus, become a 'gourmet' vs. a 'gourmand'), I need to print this out and keep it in my wallet for shopping.

I knew the MaxCat venison and duck were on there... he is all over that!
 
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