Introducing Weezer

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Linda for Weezer

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Weezer is a10 year old, spayed female. Or as I tell her, “the one and only Weezer, the best kitty in the whole wide world”. She was diagnosed with diabetes about three months ago. At diagnosis she had ketosis, so it was rocky for a few days. I found this incredible forum after the crisis was over and I have been lurking and learning from you for a few weeks. She is on Humulin N, currently 6 units twice a day. Her diet at that time of diagnosis was about ½ canned and ½ dry. I changed the dry to Evo because it was lower carb content. I am transitioning her to canned only, using the Evo as treats. I am hometesting. I just got the spreadsheet downloaded today and filled it in with her info starting last Sunday when I did a curve. We got a smart cat box yesterday, so I am also tracking her urine output.

I would like to share some of her life story. 10 years ago a feral cat had a litter of 5 kittens in our boat. We found them when they were brand new. Momma kitty moved them to a “safe place” where the nosy people wouldn’t bother them. Unfortunately, a few days later she was killed in the street in front of our house. I knew those kittens were out there somewhere and I spent hour after hour, day after day looking for them. I was pretty sure they must have died when on day 5 one brave little boy came out of hiding crying much louder than I could have imagined such a little thing was capable of. They were all alive! One died before I could get them to the vet and one was in such a state that the vet recommended euthanization. Of the three survivors, Weezer was the runt. She had a hard time. Blow flies had laid eggs in her ear, so we dealt with ear infections and other problems. But after a couple of months, she seemed fine and has been healthy until 3 months ago.

I would appreciate any advice you can give about her current numbers and the amount and kind of insulin she is getting, or anything else.

Here is the URL of Weezer's spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...HFPV3Vwc3NGcmljanQyV2Q2dEFXQlE&hl=en_US#gid=0

Linda and Weezer
 
Hey Linda,

Welcome! It is great to see that you are moving to low carb wet food. Make sure you are selecting one of the <10% (ideally <8%) options from this sheet: Janet & Binky's Cat Food Nutritional Information Page

It's also great to see test results on a SS. Great job! It makes it so much easier for everyone here to help you.

You may want to think about changing your insulin.

As you probably noticed already, most of the members here are using one of the longer-lasting insulin analogs, like Lantus, Levemir or PZI, and frequently using a tight regulation (TR) protocol with the hope of some day weaning their cat off of insulin all together. Published studies on Lantus and Levemir have shown remission rates for newly diagnosed cats (<6 months) as high as 85%, and the experience on this board has also been similarly quite positive. I'm not sure if there are similar studies for PZI, but certainly many cats have gone "off the juice" using PZI with TR as well.

I'm not qualified to help you make this choice, but perhaps other users will chime in. Very unscientifically, I can only say that my experience with Lantus has been extremely positive.

Welcome again!
 
I am concerned about the doubling of the dose with no BG reading after about 4 hours on the new dose. 6 units of N twice daily is very high. and N typically peaks (lowest BG at about 4 hours). I recommend that you take a +4 and +6 and maybe a +2 tomorrow.
 
I would definitely get more spot checks so you can see what is going on between doses. The blues look good those first day, but you need to know more of what it happening since then. I can understand being pretty aggressive having been DKA. It doesn't look like you are getting too low, but especially if you are switching to lower carb food, you may need to reduce that dose in a hurry at some point! That is definitely the best advise for right now. Good for you for hometesting!!!! What a heart wrenching story of how you found each other.

P.S. Oh, and there is a sticky I think on the insulin board that is an excellent primer on Humulin N. Not many use it anymore as it is more drastic and not as long lasting, but it does look like maybe your Weezer does better than most on it.
 
I posted some spot checks through the night. This morning's pre-shot number is 203. She's due for her shot in a few minutes but I'm thinking maybe I should cut back a bit. Any advice? confused_cat
 
Hi Linda, and, of course, you too, sweet miracle Weezer,

I think you did the right thing backing down her dose to 4.0 units this morning. Why? Because you're transitioning her from dry to wet food. Think it was Sue's Oliver whose BGs dropped 100 points after she switched his diet. Some sugar cats have dropped even more...

Giz was also diagnosed extra-sweet and DKA in the same breath. You're right about the first few days being rocky! She was also on increasing doses of N. I wasn't testing in the early days; but, when I finally bit the vampire bullet (so to speak...), learned volumes about Giz and N. Giz didn't like N and N didn't like Giz!

That doesn't seem to be the case with Weezer, however. And, although in the minority, there have been a few sugar cats who did well on N. Kimber's Bunny comes to mind. She did an "N 101 Primer" that is definitely worth a read, Linda. I think that's what Karen was referring to. Here's the link:
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=303

I agree with Larry and Karen about getting some spot checks. Weekends offer the best time for that, depending on your schedule. Maybe a +3, +6, +9 one day and a +4, +6, +8 the next day. You're trying to find her peak (nadir), or when she's at her the lowest. While PS (pre-shot) tests tell you it's safe to shoot, peaks/nadirs tell you the real deal regarding her dose. Since you just backed her dose down to 4.0 units this morning, you may not see much of a difference right away. Then again, you might. ECID -- Every Cat Is Different. And, Weezer is a cat, after all! She's just extra sweet...

I think you're doing great, Linda! And, Weezer is a very lucky furry girl!

Welcome to the place you never, ever wanted to be; but, will be blessed for having found.

Love and encouraging hugs for you both,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...
 
Welcome!
We were on Lantus for a month before going into remission. Cedric ate both canned & dry. When diagnosed, I switched him to grain free, high protein, low carb stuff (both types). When I finally ditched the dry, his numbers dropped and 2 days later they were normal. They have been mostly in the 60s range ever since (see sheet).

You are on the right track. I don't know anything about the insulin you are using, but maybe the diet change will help. Perhaps when you are done with the insulin you have, the vet can switch you to Lantus or one of the other 2 mentioned to get better results.
 
Weezer's peak higher than preshot

Last night, 4 hours after her shot Weezer's bg was 220. This morning it is 188. Does anyone have any ideas about why the peak number would be higher than her preshot number? She is due for her AM shot in about 45 minutes and I am wondering if I should decrease to 3 or 3.5? She seems fine. She has actually been eating all canned now, but a bit less, more like normal, not haunting her food dish. And her urine output has greatly decreased. I am measuring the output instead of consumption because she likes to play in the water and drinks from the faucet whenever she can, so intake is harder to measure. Anu suggestions?
 
Actually both those numbers are virtually the same, as all meters have a +/- of 20%

188 + 20%=225
220-20%=176

Can't really help with the dosing question though as my only real experience is with Lantus. Hopefully some one with more Humulin N experience will be along.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
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