I Need Help! Please Advise! **Update: SS sheet in signature!

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Brian & Tyler

Brian & Tyler

Member Since 2014
Hello, My Name is Brian, and my cat's name is Tyler, and he will be 10 in May. I am so glad that I found this site! I am in serious need of help/guidance!

Tyler was diagnosed on 10/06/13, but was probably diabetic for some time before that. He had lost most of his muscle mass and was getting pretty puny. I work two jobs and attend college, so I did not notice that he was in such bad shape. He is doing better; gained his muscle mass back and unfortunately, some of the fatty weight and is still not regulated. His glucose readings bounce around like crazy! Today his glucose was 422 before his evening feeding and 276 six hours after! I am setting a vet appointment next week, but I think my vet is spread too thin and am starting to believe that I am not getting the most sound advice. From what I keep reading, Science Diet is not the best food, but he insists. Any advice on better food would be greatly appreciated! Tyler is a picky eater and I can't seem to ween him off dry food, which I know is not helping his diabetes at all. Please bare with me, as I am trying to learn as I go, but am doing this all alone. I just recently stumbled upon this website.

The following is the information that I feel is important to share and would like to know how to improve

-Tyler is a large cat and of course a little over weight, so he weighs almost 20lbs.
- He is eating 1/2 a can of "prescription" wet w/d and 1/2+ cup of the dry w/d. He is fed at 5am/5pm.
- Insulin: Lantus via Solostar pen. Units have been fluctuating since I got the pen, and I feel must be using the pens wrong (meaning that they are as exactly as delicate as they are said to be in the handling instructions). I keep the pens in the fridge even after opening them. I only started reading his blood when I got the pens, Vet visits were frequent prior to obtaining the pen, and glucose was never stable using the "curve" he was giving me.
- I use a syringe to draw out the insulin, because I can't do half or quarter units with the pen.
- 03/22/14, Morning dose was 3.5 units, I did not get a reading in the am.
- Evening dose was 4 units, glucose was 422(highest home reading yet) before feeding and 276 six hours after.
- I am sadly going up to 5 units tomorrow morning. Which makes me think the newly opened second pen is already contaminated just 5 days after opening.
- I have ketone strips, but I can't seem to catch him doing his business! :(

I used the lantus vial for his first prescription, and I used it 68 days past it's 28 day shelf life. Vet thought it would be fine and it seemed to be good until a few days before I tossed it. I thought I would try the pen since it seemed more economical. But I was seriously confused by the serious change in handling instructions, and from reading different posts from all over the web, I saw no harm in keeping the pens refrigerated after opening. First pen was tossed about halfway through use and only 20 days old. When I first opened Pen #1, he went from 5 units out of the vial to 4 units from the pen (under vet's recommendation), and his sugar was down to 90. The next afternoon, glucose was 58. Battling that went on for a few days then sugar went up to 220 range. Then his sugar started climbing as did insulin doses until I was back at 5 units am/pm... I concluded it had to be the pen, so I quit using it, and opened Pen #2 on 03/19/14. Same story with units and glucose, and after only 5 days, his sugar has risen to the point to where I am putting him on 5 units in the morning. I know I'm being redundant a bit, all apologies.

Please, any assistance would be humbly welcomed and if I might ask, is Taste of the Wild ok enough to switch from Science Diet? that is what they were on before, canned and wet, and they both liked it. If any additional info is needed, please ask!

thank you all in advance! I look forward to being a part of this community and to get my goodest buddy back to normal!
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Welcome Tyler and Brian.
The dose of 4 units seems high and you did not provide enough data to show how you reached that does. Most of use here use a spreadsheet to record BG values, dose and other things and link it to yu signature in this forum. For how see:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=50130

WD is not a good food, especially the dry. Most of us here feed low-cab canned like Fancy Feast and Friskies. Here is a list of low-carb canned food
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=94685

Yes the pens are a better value since yo can typically use up a 3 ml pen before it loses effectiveness. The pnes are not that fragile and it recommended that you refrigerate them as you are doing.
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Hi Brian and sugardude Tyler and welcome to the message board.

First off, I would not consider your pen "toast" at this point. It think we need to get a better handle on Tyler's BG (blood glucose) readings and what is happening during the 12 hour cycle. We express the times in elapsed hours since the shot so 1 hour after shot is +1, 4 hours after is +4, etc.

Would you be able to get a few more BG tests somewhere in the middle of the cycle, around the +4 to +7 time frame? Most kitties on lantus have their lowest readings or nadirs somewhere in this time frame. Dosing for the Lantus is based on the nadirs or low, not the pre-shot readings. ECID (every cat is different) and the lowest point may not be at the +6. Getting a few tests before and after the +6 may help us out.

Until you get that spreadsheet set up, if you could give us some readings for the past couple of days in the following format, it would be helpful

date, AMPS (morning pre-shot test), units given, next test in elapsed hours since shot, PMPS (evening pre-shot test), units given, next test in elapsed hours since shot. From what you said in your post, here is an example.

3/22/14 AMPS ? PMPS 422 4U +6 276

I think what is keeping your cat Tyler in those high numbers are 2 things.
1. High carb food. The Hill's W/d dry is 37% carbs, the W/d wet is 25% carbs. We recommend <10% carbs. I'm not sure of the carb content of those Taste of the Wild foods. You can get a rough idea of the carb content for dry foods by taking the totals of the protein, fat, fiber, and moisture percentages and subtracting that from 100. I did that for one of the Taste of the Wild dry foods and got 37% which is too high for a diabetic cat.

Here are sometransitioning tips for getting a dry food addict to eat canned food. I used most of these with my diabetic cat Wink. It took time.

Here is afood list for canned food only, showing the carb contents of many canned foods available in the USA.

Dry food low carb list

It's not just the quality of the dry food, but the carb content which will make a difference. There are a couple of dry foods that are lower carb than the food you are feeding now or other grain free foods that may appear to be low carb but are not. Hills m/d (15%) . These might help a great deal with the BG control for a diabetic cat.

1. Natura/Innova Evo Cat & Kitten 8% carb
2. Young Again Zero Carb, mail order only, expensive, some cats refuse to eat the different sized chunks, a couple of cats have achieved remission on this dry food. Manufacturer claims 0% carb but carb calculators indicate 5%
3. Nature's Variety Raw Instinct chicken 7%
4. Wellness Core Grain-Free Original Formula (tan gold bag)11%
5. Stella and Chewy’s ? % this is actually a freeze dried food but can be given as a meal. Better rehydrated.

Most dry foods are coated with animal digest and that is what cats love the taste of. There is a product called Fortiflora that you can buy to sprinkle on the canned food. Similar to the animal digest coating of the dry foods and cats love the taste.

The water content in the wet food is very important for diabetic cats. When their BG (blood glucose) levels are over renal threshold, 230-280, excess glucose is excreted in the urine. This sugar rich environment makes diabetic cats more prone to UTI's and kidney infection. It's another reason we recommend wet food as much as possible in a diabetic cats diet.

Transitioning a cat from dry to wet takes persistence and hard work and slow and steady. It can be done. Took me 3 weeks and the only reason it was not longer was because after getting down to a proportion of ¼ to dry to ¾ wet, I pulled all the dry food to see if that would work. It did with a little encouragement to eat the wet. I used so many of the transitioning tips by vet Dr Lisa Pierson from this article. Yes, I'm repeating that link, because it's a good one. http://www.catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf Some worked , some didn’t.

2. He's bouncing off lows. When a cat gets lower numbers than their body is used to, they release counter regulatory hormones into their system. You then have highs for several day, up to 72 hours for those bounces to clear.

ETA: The candles are used for when our kitties have died. You might want to go back to your very first post and edit it to change the candle icon to the question mark icon.
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Keeping the lantus in the fridge is a good idea, it extends the shelf life from 28 days to up to six months. So the pen is probably ok.

As deb said, the foods you are giving will be help to keep him high. Low carb wet will help to bring his numbers down and can even cause remission. Many of us here feed fancy feast classic pâté, friskies pâtés or wellness grain free canned.

Looking forward to seeing that spreadsheet!

Wendy
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Hey Brian and Tyler!

I also have a plus-sized cat (18lbs), but he wears his weight well.

What did the vet start Tyler's Lantus dose at? Most people start at 1 unit and increase at .25 units. Did the vet have you hold the starting dose for 5-7 days? How often are you changing the dose?

Lantus works best when given every 12 hours and the same dosage. So you wouldn't be giving 3.5 units in the morning and 4 units at night. It is a depot insulin so you have to give the depot time to build and work. I would urge you to not increase to 5 units. A lot of people use the pens unless you're giving large doses because then the vial is more economical. The vial also lasts well past the 28 days for cats, so if you end up going back to the vial, and you store it properly in the refrigerator, you shouldn't haven't to worry about that.

Definitely get Tyler off the dry food. Moving him to wet food could cause his numbers to drop 100 points almost immediately. If you do that, you'll probably want to cut back how much insulin you are giving as well so he doesn't drop too low.

You've found the best for diabetic cats! Others will be along soon to help you out! You're probably going to hear a lot that contradicts your vet. Most vets don't see a lot of diabetic cats and aren't as up-to-date as they should be! But don't worry, we'll help you and Tyler get on the right track! :smile:

~Suzanne
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

The W/D is not helping. Cat Info is written by a veterinarian who specializes in feline nutrtion. Have a read to understand why we recommend over the counter, canned or raw, low carb food. Switching to those may drop the glucose levels about 100 mg/dL.

Other notes:
Lantus doses need to be every 12 hours, or as close to that as you can get, as the shot effect overlaps and builds up with consistency.
We use syringes to withdraw the insulin. A U-100 3/10 mL syringe often has half unit markings so you can measure those and eyeball quarter unit doses.
You need about 3-5 full days on a dose before increasing it based on the nadir[/], not the pre-shot glucose levels.
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Hello all! ...aaaaand holy cow! I am doing it all wrong and I have a lot to digest!

Just the first round of information from you all has surpassed that of my veterinarian and it only took hours for that to happen.

- Tyler was put on once a day doses of 3 units, for 2 weeks. He then was bumped up to to 4 units for another two weeks, then 5 on the same pattern and that continued until he was on 7 units, and finally to twice a day doses at 5 units each and at 12 hour intervals 5am/5pm. I thought that was a bit astronomical for a cat, but I know very little about the disease. Again, bare with me, I am learning.

- I only recently started keeping a journal (not a spreadsheet) and by my vet's recommendation, I have only been reading glucose levels every few days, which I see now is very dangerous. Like I said, I have two jobs and attend college, so I trusted my vet, and only recently found this haven of helpers. I can see you all know your stuff and I am going to work diligently to get Mr. Tyler on the right track. It breaks my heart to know that he has been suffering due to my ignorance. I am going to find the time to get that spreadsheet on my profile ASAP, but keep in mind, I did not know to be doing it how you all do it, so please, take it easy on me when you see how bad of a job I have been doing. My vet says I was doing great, but I haven't really been much of a believer of that statement this last week. I am starting over using the guidance given by you all, and hope to help my furry buddy get his life back. So even though, Tyler was diagnosed in October, I feel like his feeding & treatment will be getting the reset button treatment.

- I am getting low on the dry w/d, and just used the last can of wet w/d this morning. I will use the advice given here and change his food, STAT. I will check the options provided by you kind folks and post what I chose to switch to, and from the sound of it, my wallet may smile upon this change! But I bought the over priced, obviously crap, science diet, because my vet said it was best for what his body needs... naivety must be very welcomed by vets to sell that garbage.

- I may not get that spreadsheet up today due to having to work. But the advice given today will be followed.

I humbly thank you all so much for this first wave of amazing advice. Again, I look forward to being a part of this obviously wonderful community of people, and I can't wait to get Tyler under "the control" that my vet has been saying I am so close to... I have been waiting, not doing, which I see has been the problem all along. I'm not a bad cat dad, just misinformed and very uneducated. I will not be able to post again until Tuesday. Monday is filled with school, work, then school again. I will check back later today to check for responses. If you all want to see what motivates me, and have an instagram account, you can see Tyler under the hashtag #captainfats
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Brian,

No worries! Most of us found FDMB and realized our vets did not know what they were talking about! Mine told me dry food was fine and was increasing Cobb 2 units at a time! :shock: I didn't know any better because I trusted she was the expert. We were all uneducated about feline diabetes until we got here! :smile:

3 units is a HIGH starting dose. Did the vet tell you how that dose was determined? Was it because Tyler is so big? If so, that's not how the starting dose of Lantus necessarily works. I'm sure a number of people would encourage you to cut back to 1 unit, hold it for 5-7 days and then start working on finding the right dose. It will drain the depot in Tyler so you'll see higher than ideal numbers but there's a distinct possibility that the vet is overdosing Tyler unintentionally. While Lantus can be dosed in humans once a day, a cat's metabolism is much faster, which is why the cat requires a shot every 12 hours.

Here is a link to the Tight Regulation Protocol that many of us that use Lantus follow.

Vets often get kickbacks from selling you the high priced prescription food. It is not necessary. A low-carb diet is. I think the w/d has like 25% carbs (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Most of us feed food that is less than 10% carbs, if not around 4-6%. Your wallet will most certainly thank you for the change!

Ask lots of questions. The advisers here are AWESOME! When we joined Cobb was still eating dry food and on 10 units of Lantus twice a day. We did not get to that dose safely AND we were seeing NO improvement whatsoever -- he was still drinking a ton, starving, going through 40 pounds of litter a WEEK and his fur coat was incredibly matted. We switched his food and restarted at 2 units of insulin for him. Within a week or two, his coat was soft and shiny. Within a month, his litter box usage had probably been cut by a quarter. We scoop out his box daily and haven't bought litter in almost a month now. Our wallet definitely thanked us (and these awesome people) for that!

You'll get up to speed. Sounds like you have a busy life! A lot of people who do TR have full-time jobs and aren't around their cats 24/7 so don't let that intimidate you. Some test more than others simply because they can. You'll 're about to find yourself with more support than you could have ever thought you needed.

Did I mention ask lots of questions? If you don't understand the how or why behind something, someone else will usually chime in with a different way of phrasing it and it will make sense. We have people from all over the board so there is usually always someone online. The quiet time is really between 1-4am EST...the east coast people are already in bed, and the west coast people are heading to sleep too.

Good luck! You and Tyler have found the best place!

~Suzanne
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

When you change the food, drop the dose, because that will drop the glucose a good 100 mg/dL.

Normally, the dose is based on the lower of the cat's ideal or current weight.
How much does he weigh?
How much should he weight?
Take the lower weight.
Convert to kilos if necessary (pounds/2.2)
Multiply by 0.25
Round down to the nearest quarter unit.

The dose is adjusted from that point onward, following either the Tight Regulation protocol or the Start Low, Go Slow protocol.
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Hi Brian,

I just wanted to welcome you to FDMB. I have been in your situation; our vet put Jersey on the W/D dry for two months before telling us we needed insulin. I didn't realize how bad it was for her at the time and didn't get off my tushy and start doing my own research until January. I simply trusted my vet. Don't beat yourself up; you were following the advice of an "expert." You're in a great place now, and the people here are so gracious with their time. They have helped me so much.

Just take it one day at a time. If we're overwhelming you with information, tell us to slow down. If you don't understand things, ask us. (I don't know how many times I've asked people here about bounces. They're amazingly patient with me!) Since I'm a newbie here myself, I don't offer specific advice about dosing, etc. I leave all of that to the experienced users here. I'm really good with moral support, though! :-D

Shelly
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Hi Brian and extra sweet Tyler!!

Yes, you've definitely come to the best place you never wanted to be!! The people here are awesome, know what they're talking about and best of all, don't charge a dime! We all get our "reward" when we start to see someone's cat feeling better, and getting under better control!

Vet's just can't keep up with the latest treatments for every disease, for every type of animal they see, so we hear stories like yours a LOT! A lot of times, we get people here when they're cat is having a hypoglycemic episode due to overdose (and of course their vet isn't available)

Get Tyler off the high carb food as soon as possible. Friskies Pates and Fancy Feast Classics are two of the foods a lot of us use that are cheap and low carb!

What kind of meter are you using at home? We mostly use human meters here because the cost of the "pet only" meters is horribly high and the strips are crazy high!! You can get a Relion Confirm or Micro from WalMart for about $15 and the refill strips are about $36 per 100. (the AlphaTrac pet meter's strips run from $1-2 each!)

I strongly suggest that you drop Tyler back to 1 unit and start over. Too much insulin can give high numbers just like too little can, and the only way to know for sure is to start low, and slowly increase as necessary. Also, getting him off the high carb food can cause his numbers to drop significantly too. We had one cat on 5.5 units, they dumped the dry and the cat went OTJ (Off the juice) a few days later. It can make that big a difference!

You need to get at least 4 tests per day. I understand that will be challenging for you with your schedule, but hopefully you'll be able to figure out a schedule that works, or have a neighbor, friend or family member that can help.
2 tests that are essential are the AM Pre-shot and PM Pre-shot (AMPS and PMPS) These tests tell you if it's safe to give ANY insulin. Here we tell you that if you get a pre-shot under 200 that you "Stall", DON'T feed, and post and ask for help!
You'll also want to get a test somewhere between +5 and +7 during the AM cycle. We're looking for how LOW each dose takes Tyler because Lantus dosage is based on the nadir (the lowest point in the cycle)
On the PM cycle, get at least a "before bed" test. This can also tell you if you might want to set an alarm to get more tests later. Most cats drop lower at night so it's important you know if he's going to possibly go too low before going to sleep.

There's LOTS of information being thrown at you, but don't feel overwhelmed. The learning curve is steep, but we're here to help you!
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Wow, again! That's twice in one day you've all wowed me, guys!!! I've already found solace and it has only been twelve hours since I first posted.

Real quick before I start my homework... I couldn't resist checking back to see the feedback, which I see as a good sign, that I'm so eager to get this under control. I will have to take baby steps, but I am trying to take in as much as possible.

1st step today has been getting new canned food. I bought several of the approved friskies and fancy feast that were on the list posted by Larry and Kitties, so thanks for that. He still will be on the dry if he doesn't consume all of his canned food (which is a problem I have with him, he's addicted to kibble). I will also look into the low & slow method before his next dose.

Thank you all for this. This grown man is almost in tears right now. I have had this guy since the day he was 8 weeks old, and he turns 10 in May. I can't say thank you enough.

Until next time...
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

A quick tip...Try putting some of his dry into a baggie (or a coffee grinder if you have one) and pulverize it. Sprinkle on top of the wet food.

A lot of times that'll get them eating the wet without giving a lot of carbs from the dry

Also..if he doesn't finish all his wet food, don't give in to that "don't you love me anymore?" look quite so fast. A little hunger can go a long way in convincing them that wet food IS edible...LOL
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Chris & China said:
Get Tyler off the high carb food as soon as possible. Friskies Pates and Fancy Feast Classics are two of the foods a lot of us use that are cheap and low carb!

I strongly suggest that you drop Tyler back to 1 unit and start over. Too much insulin can give high numbers just like too little can, and the only way to know for sure is to start low, and slowly increase as necessary. Also, getting him off the high carb food can cause his numbers to drop significantly too. We had one cat on 5.5 units, they dumped the dry and the cat went OTJ (Off the juice) a few days later. It can make that big a difference!

You need to get at least 4 tests per day. I understand that will be challenging for you with your schedule, but hopefully you'll be able to figure out a schedule that works, or have a neighbor, friend or family member that can help.
2 tests that are essential are the AM Pre-shot and PM Pre-shot (AMPS and PMPS) These tests tell you if it's safe to give ANY insulin. Here we tell you that if you get a pre-shot under 200 that you "Stall", DON'T feed, and post and ask for help!
You'll also want to get a test somewhere between +5 and +7 during the AM cycle. We're looking for how LOW each dose takes Tyler because Lantus dosage is based on the nadir (the lowest point in the cycle)
On the PM cycle, get at least a "before bed" test. This can also tell you if you might want to set an alarm to get more tests later. Most cats drop lower at night so it's important you know if he's going to possibly go too low before going to sleep.

There's LOTS of information being thrown at you, but don't feel overwhelmed. The learning curve is steep, but we're here to help you!
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

Yes, lots of information thrown at me, indeed! I'm trying not to feel overwhelmed! Ok, so I went out and got several of the approved fancy feast cans and a couple of the friskies cans to test the waters. Since the cans are small and I have two cats, I gave each of them one half can each of two different flavors to see which the liked better.

I was off on his weight according to my scale. He weighed in at 16lbs. probably 2-3lbs overweight(?) Fancy feast says 1 can per 3lbs a day?! That's a lot of food, for Tyler going with his goal weight of 14 lbs, that would be 4.5 / 3oz. cans. I don't think Tyler will eat that much (2.25 / 3 oz. cans)in one sitting. Is it imperative to only feed twice a day if wet food consumption needs to be that much? I think some may go wasted or puked back up...

So I have fancy feast, which seems to be a green light with a tablespoon of crushed dry kibble on it. I only fed one 3 oz can to Tyler for the evening feeding.

03/23/14 - AMPS: no reading 5u - PMPS: failed reading 2.5u +6 67 (I sometimes fail readings because I haven't mastered hitting the vein in his ear and after 3-4 tries, needless to say he gets agitated.

Should I really go down to only 1 unit?!

Assuming my scale is correct, if Tyler is 16lbs with a goal weight of possibly 14, and Fancy Feast recommends 1 3oz can per 3lbs, does he really need 4.5 cans per day?! and if so, do I need to feed him only twice daily?

I will start getting AMPS reading from here on out... Also, if his sugar is below 200, how do I stall feeding him, post here and expect a response before the feeding/dosage window closes? I work a 9-5 M-F, school M/W 8am & M 6pm, and no one to help me nailbite_smile

Please advise. If someone wants to personal message me, I am willing to give my phone number or email. or just reply... I am going to try and check this site as much as possible
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

First, you don't aim for the vein when you're trying to get your tests in. Not only does that bleed profusely, it hurts! You should be poking in the "sweet spots" along the edge of the ear. That part doesn't have many nerve endings, so doesn't really hurt.
earpokey_zpsc6584fc3.jpg



Is it that he just doesn't like having his ears fooled with you think? We can help you desensitize him. You just decide where your testing spot is going to be...on the table, on your lap, a rug on the floor...whatever is comfortable for both of you. As many times a day as possible, take him there and just rub his ears and give him a yummy treat, or a nice brushing or petting...anything he enjoys! Soon he'll associate that "testing spot" as the place he gets yummy treats and won't care what you're doing to his ears.


On his weight and amount to feed...if he weighs 16lbs and his "optimum" weight is 14lbs, then he needs [13.6 X optimal lean body weight in pounds] + 70 of calories per day...so with Taylor, that'd be (13.6 x 14lbs) + 70....which is 260.4 calories per day. The Fancy Feast classics run from 82-97 calories per can (depending on flavor)...so Taylor would need about 3 to 3 1/2 cans per day. You should weigh him daily, especially if you're wanting him to lose weight. We don't want them losing more than about 1-2% of their body weight per week. Easy way to weigh is to just weigh yourself, pick up cat, get new weight, drop cat and do the math or you can get a pet scale. A plain flat people scale works good to...if they won't stand still on it, put a box on top, re-zero it and wait for the cat to get into the box for a nap...cats LOVE boxes!!

You can feed more often than twice a day. Most of us feed a bigger meal at PS times, then snacks through the cycle (except take up food at least 2 hours before the next Pre-shot test so it's not influenced by food. You can use an autofeeder, or something we call food-sicles where you add water to a can of food, put mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Cats don't usually like to eat what they can't smell, and when it's frozen, it doesn't have much of a smell but as it thaws, it starts to smell so they'll eat it.
Smaller meals are easier on their pancreas anyway

On the dose, I think I'd go back down to 1 unit and test, test, test....at this point, there's just no way of knowing if Tyler needs more or less insulin since it wasn't used as it should have been. We'll watch him carefully and won't let him stay in high numbers any longer than necessary.

If I think of anything else, I'll add it later!

Doing great!
 

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Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

The other thing that's REAL important is for you to get our spreadsheet up and running! It will help us to see Tyler's numbers so we can help advise you on dosage

Here's How to set up your spreadsheet. Once it's set up, you just have to type the numbers in as you get them. It'd be even better if you'd put in the numbers you already have in your journal. The more data, the easier and sooner we'll be able to help you better.

I will start getting AMPS reading from here on out... Also, if his sugar is below 200, how do I stall feeding him, post here and expect a response before the feeding/dosage window closes? I work a 9-5 M-F, school M/W 8am & M 6pm, and no one to help me nailbite_smile
Click to expand...

What time do you have to leave in the morning to get to work/school? You may need to get up at 5:30 to test/feed/shoot and then you could get a +2 before you had to leave and that'll tell you a lot about where he might be going during the rest of the cycle as well as giving a little time to ask for help. I am guessing you can't run home for lunch? A lot will depend on when you have to leave, and when you get home
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Brian, You're doing a fantastic job with Tyler and making great progress already.

Hang in there, we've thrown a ton of new information your way. You might want to go back and reread through everything once you have a bit of time. It takes time to get a handle on all of this but it does get easier and you'll feel like a pro in a few weeks.

We'll keep coming up with ideas to help you fit some other testing into your schedule. Let us know what would and would not work for you.

Remember to breath and ask questions. We're here to help however we can. Big {{{{{hugs}}}}} to you.

How is Tyler liking the canned food?

One note on the information in your signature. You had the Relion Comfort but I think you might mean the Confirm?
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise!

Ok, you guys, Tyler's SS sheet is in my signature, and appears to be functioning properly!

I thank you all for everything so far, I am very excited to have found this place.
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise! **Update: SS sheet in signat

Great job Brian!!

Hopefully you can work with Tyler to get him desensitized to testing. Most cats just really don't like their ears played with, but they CAN get used to it...especially if there's some reward for putting up with us! Freeze dried chicken is a big hit for a lot of our cats. It's really important to get those pre-shot tests in since that's the only way to know if he's high enough to give insulin period.

Here's another good tip! Take a couple of teaspoons of rice or oatmeal and put it into a small sock. Microwave it for about 15-20 seconds and use that to warm up Tyler's ear before trying to poke. Another way I liked better was to put warm water in a pill bottle or film canister and use that to warm the ear. It also gives you something hard to poke against. Test on your wrist like you would a baby bottle to make sure it's not too hot. You may also try poking a paw pad. Some cats put up with that better (I'd get poked back! HARD!...then there'd be this big bloody mess and I wouldn't know who's blood I was testing...LOL)

After you've tried 3 times to get a test, take a break. Both of you will need it. Calm yourself and give him a few minutes to calm down too. A lot of people find singing while they're working with their cats makes it easier.

I see you dropped back to 2 units. That's a good compromise. Now you need to hold that same dose at least 6 cycles unless he drops below 50, which will earn him a .25 reduction. Lantus dosing is based on the nadir (the lowest point in the cycle) not the pre-shot numbers, so don't get too freaked out by higher pre-shot numbers.

If you've kept Solostar pen #1 in the refrigerator, it's more than likely still just fine. The FDA recommendation of 28 days is for humans..If properly handled, Lantus can stay good for up to 6 months (sometimes even longer)...and at that price, you want it to last as long as possible! Keep it in the main part of your refrigerator, not the door. The door's temperatures vary too much.

It's great to hear he's liking the Friskies too! Hopefully you'll be able to reduce the amount of "pixie dust" you're sprinkling on top soon :-D

Hope you've had a great Monday! You'll get the hang of this dance soon!
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise! **Update: SS sheet in signat

Chris, thank you for everything! Your correspondence has has helped me tremendously, along with the help from everyone else! My Mondays are usually slammin'. I go to class 8am, then work 9-5, then study for quiz and class at 6, on Tuesday, I feel like it's Wednesday... today, I'm running on about 3 hours of sleep, but you know what? Tyler is more than worth every bit of it!!!

I never mentioned that Mister Tyler is probably the best candidate for whatever torment you can inflict on him. He does not mind the injections much at all, every once and a while, he flinches, but that's it. I hold filled part of the syringe in my hand for a few minutes to get the temp up a tad so it's not too cold going in.

About the ears, I literally didn't know about that sweet spot, until I read your post this morning (post am testing attempt). I wake up at 4:45 for AM feeding/injection, because my second job requires me to be there by 4 or 5 pm, and I know to try and keep doses as close to 12 hour intervals as possible. But it is quit a challenge for me with my schedule. I only work 2nd job a couple of days a week. I will get my schedule in my signature if I can.

This morning was my first AMPS attempt and I was not at all awake at 4:45am and felt like I was inebriated, then after a few attempts, I gave up, I don't want him to avoid ear pokey time! About his paws, he is de-clawed (don't judge, that was the ex-wife's doing), but he does not like his little feet touched. He snatches them back and gives you that "boy, you must lost yo' dang mind!" look. But first poke on the sweet spot was a success and he got his kitty treat. We sit there for a couple of minutes and we make a trade, I give him pets, and he gives me his soft, it's mutually beneficial!

Also, I already have a designated spot for testing and another one for injections, he comes willingly 9 times out of 10... that's why he's my goodest buddy

Thank you for everything. I read the start low, go slow, regimen and am going to abide by that. This place amazing. oh, and I do have pen # 1! I am relieved to hear that, because as you all know, that stuff is worth it's weight in gold!!

I will keep at the SS (what does that stand for) sheet and I am glad to see it was a google doc, I am all about using google drive to keep my pc, tablet, phone, and work pc all linked together, so updating can be done anywhere, if I forget something! Now it's off to study!
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise! **Update: SS sheet in signat

SS=Spread Sheet....LOL

Happy to help any way we can. When China was diagnosed, others here helped me, so it's only fair that I "pay it forward" when I can. There are others who've been at this longer than I have but one of the great things about this board is that it's "peer reviewed". Others chime in if someone gives information that's confusing, incorrect or down right dangerous...and we all continue to learn.

I still ask questions too! There's never enough learning to do when it comes to this disease.

If you decide to use the Start Low, Go Slow protocol, add SLGS to your signature...might be best to make it bold or a different color too. When we give dosing advice, we need to know which way you're going.

Wonderful to hear Tyler's your best bud! You'll find that as you continue this sugardance, your relationship will become even closer! (I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!)
 
Re: I Need Help! Please Advise! **Update: SS sheet in signat

Brian, now that you have the basics down, I'd like to invite you over to the Lantus TR Board. You don't have to do the Tight Regulation protocol to post there, just make sure you have SLGS in your signature, or you can post in the SLGS forum if you like

The TR board is the best place to be when you're using Lantus, as that's where the most members who use it are and you'll get the most experienced eyes there.

Each day, we do a new post (we call them condo's) with the date, cat's name and the AMPS number. As the day goes on, you "edit" that first posts subject line to add further tests, so if you'd done one today for Tyler, it'd look like this: 3/24 Tyler No AMPS, +7 83,PMPS 254

In the body of the post, first you want to put the link to the prior day's post so it's easy for people to go back and see what's been going on. Just copy the link, click the URL tab and "paste" the link. Then you give the WCR (Whole Cat Report). How Tyler's doing otherwise. Good appetite? The 5 "P's" in place? (playing, preening, purring, peeing, pooping) Anything that would help us to get to know how Tyler is doing, as well as anything else you'd like to share with us. This is also where you'd post your questions. (and if you add the ? icon to your first post, it'll help people see that your condo includes a question)

We really are a family there, and we'd love to have you!
 

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Re: I Need Help! Please Advise! **Update: SS sheet in signat

Once again, Thanks, Chris.

I will check it out. Tested him @ 9pm (+4) and SS is up to speed. I only work my day job tomorrow so I will have more evening time to study what is going on in that forum. I also want to re-read this thread and pluck all the tidbits and put them in one place for myself. I needed help ASAP and I got it! Woohoo!! We are on the right track to getting the Captain under control!

B
 
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